A Small Victory

April 10, 2016

Worship: The Word Is Alive by Casting Crowns

Looking out from his throne

the Father of light and of men

Chose to make himself known

And show us the way back to Him

Speaking wisdom and truth

Into the hearts of peasants and kings

He began to unveil

The Word that would change the course of all things

With eyes wide open all would see

[Refrain]

The word is alive

And it cuts like the sword through the darkness

With a message of life to the hopeless and afraid

Breathing life into all who believe

The word is alive

And the world and its glories will fade

But its truth, it will not pass away

It remains yesterday and forever the same

The word is alive

Simple strokes on a page

Eternity's, secrets revealed

Carried on from age to age

It speaks truth to us even still

And as the rain falls from heaven

Feeds the earth before it returns

Lord, let Your word fall on us

And bring forth the fruit You deserve

With eyes wide open, let us see

[Refrain]

The Bible was inscribed over a period of 2000 years

In times of war and in days of peace

By kings, physicians, tax collectors, farmers

Fishermen, singers, and shepherds

The marvel is that a library so perfectly cohesive

Could have been produced by such a diverse crowd

Over a period of time which staggers the imagination

Jesus is its grand subject, our good its design

And the glory of God is its end

[Refrain]

The Word is alive

(The World and its glories will fade)

The Word is alive

(It's truth, it will not pass away)

His Word is alive

(His Word is alive, His word is alive)

Songwriters
HALL, JOHN MARK / CHAPMAN, STEVEN CURTIS

Published by
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Read more: Casting Crowns - The Word Is Alive Lyrics | MetroLyrics 

Video:  https://youtu.be/M1ldINcCp00

Witness & Word:

It has been days now since I have sat down and got into the Word. I have been busy with Band of Brothers, family, and a helping startup a new Lifegroup at a Sober Living facility. I have listened to messages during this time, but have not had a chance to sit down and think and meditate on the Word. I can tell as I struggle to focus my thoughts and heart on the study of Your Word, Father. Help me as I seek truth from Your Word to guide my life.

This morning I faced temptation and conquered. I work at a place that serves food. One type of food we offer is breakfast sandwiches. I especially love the Chicken, Bacon, and Cheese Biscuit. However, I had a mild stroke years ago, so I try to cut down on the salts and fats in my diet. These sandwiches can only be on the warmer for 3 hours. When their time is expired, they are written off, but we are also allowed to consume the expired sandwich if we want to.  I confess I often succumb to the temptation to eat one. They are very delicious, but high in salt and fat content.

Let me share how I faced temptation today. I was upset this morning because I came up short in my Shift Audit. I started to worry that my job would be on the line. However, the Holy Spirit reminded me, that God is sovereign and even this was from His hand. Even if I lost my job and home; I would not lose what was important – my relationship with Him nor would I lose my family and true friends. I was reminded of the Shane and Shane song I have been listening to lately titled, “Though You Slay Me”.

I come, God, I come
Return to the Lord
The one who's broken
The one who's torn me apart
You strike down to bind me up
You say You do it all in love
That I might know You in Your suffering

Though You slay me
Yet I will praise You
Though You take from me
I will bless Your name
Though You ruin me
Still, I will worship
Sing a song to the One who's all I need

Video: https://youtu.be/qyUPz6_TciY

I could not find where the shortage was so I closed out the Audit hoping it would bounce back in the next Audit. I was especially upset because my coworker before me had problems with his Audit. I struggled to help him find it. He was very long in his audit. I finally whittled it down and he ended up short, but not as drastic as the overage. While figuring things out, I came to the point where he would have ended up very short. I re-added some things and came up with a greater figure than I had previously come up with. Since he was expending extra payroll while I tried to find the problem, I just went with the greater figure and didn’t check it twice. Big mistake. Now I was short about the same amount I found in his favor, but now that could not be proven. This added to my stress. Since I still had time on the clock I decided to help with the breakfast sandwiches. As I was going to do this I told myself that I should get a sandwich to eat if one had gone out of time. That was the first temptation. I told myself no and cried out for a way out according to God’s promise in 1 Cor. 10:13. He reminded me that His joy was my strength in spite of the circumstance I was in with a bad Audit. So, I determined to resist the temptation to eat one. When I checked the time on the sandwiches they were all out, including my favorite. The temptation flashed before me and the tempter said, “you are upset, eat one and you will find comfort.”  I responded by reminded myself that God is my comfort and I did not need food to bring my comfort.  As I cooked new ones to replace the old ones the tempter said, “you already ate a pretzel last night when you came in and you shouldn’t have done that. You already have sinned against your body so what’s the difference? You already failed. Go ahead and eat one.” I responded by reminding myself of a message I heard at the Band of Brothers this week. One of the things the speaker said was that some make the excuse that they can live with their girlfriend and have sex since they already had failed in this area. This is a lie the tempter tells us. Finally, as I took the old sandwiches off and put the new ones on the warmer, the tempter came and said, “Look don’t they look good? Smell them, don’t they smell delicious? Don’t they still feel soft? Come on take one. It’s the end of the week. You have worked hard. Take one and enjoy.” I thought of the scripture in 1 John 2:15-17

15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For everything in the world — the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does — comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

NIV

Thank you, Lord, for this lesson in my life. It may seem like a small thing to some, but the promise and the precepts apply to any temptation “great” or “small”. 

What are they?

The Promise:

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV

The Precepts:

·        The Lie: Sin will bring you pleasure

Ø The Truth:

Heb 11:24-26

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.

NIV

Eph 2:1-10 NIV

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Ps 16:11

You have made known to me the path of life;

you will fill me with joy in your presence,

with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

NIV

·        The Lie: You failed already, what does it matter?

Ø The Truth:

Ps 19:13

Keep your servant also from willful sins;

may they not rule over me.

Then will I be blameless,

innocent of great transgression.

NIV

Matt 16:23

23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

NIV

You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44-45

NIV

1 Peter 5:8-11

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.

NASU

There are many more lies of the devil which we face, but this “small” victory illustrates the victory we can have over temptation when we are in step with the Spirit and the Word.