Tuesday: Tempted (2)

Jesus answered, "It is written that 'Man does not live on bread alone.' "

Good Morning, my dear brothers and sisters. It is really beautiful, summer-like, here at the Southern Location of the North Pole. Set a record yesterday at 92. Now I make a promise to God each year, get me through winter and I will never complain about the heat of summer. I would much sooner sit under a shade tree with my diet Pepsi on ice then be bundled up stuffing hot coffee in my face. Today being Tuesday it is the day we pray for our schools, yes schools day on this line. Also today please pray for 15 year old Gordon who has cancer and has been 3 months on this earth. Please pray for healing and also that Gordon is saved. He might be, but the one who sent in the request is not sure. Here is another request that I printed off word for word. The one who sent this in takes his time each day to follow this line, he is a great prayer warrior ...

Hi Dan; Hope this weekend finds you well (with the exception of those stones you keep shooting out). I am asking you to pray for my friend David. He is a friend of mine since 1996, we were together at Stand in the Gap in DC and he took the Lord into his heart. He became a tireless worker for Christ, holding prayer at his work(he was a construction worker), stopping along the highway to help motorists, and even becoming a deacon in our church. Three years ago he was deported for mistakes he made in his youth. He always tells me that Jesus was telling him to go and make his citizenship official, but because of the money and his shame he did not. His son got in trouble with the law and David went to court to testify in his behalf. The court did a search on his status and he was arrested. He was in jail for one year then deported to Mexico. His wife is from E-town and moved down with him. They have endured tough times. He does basically the same job down there. In the US he was paid over $60000 a year and in Mexico he makes $100/week. Last week his home was robbed and all of there possessions were taken (computer, TV, Clothes, jewelry, and many personal items). Please pray that he stay STRONG in his FAITH! The enemy has been working on him for many years and we want to claim his life for Christ! Thanks, I appreciate all you do.
Bill Krieger General Service Manager Sutliff Chevrolet

Tempted (2): Luke 4: 3 - The devil said to Him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread." Jesus answered, "It is written that 'Man does not live on bread alone.' "

Yesterday I said let's put the food away for a minute and today I am saying let's talk about this. Let's first look at the fact that Satan said to Jesus "Turn the stone to bread". Could Jesus have done that? Of course, remember He made everything. And to remind you about food, Dolores and I have a backyard garden and it still amazes me how you plant the little seed in the dirt, and my garden has shale in it, and how this seed grows into good things to eat, and if you don't believe how good the things are, ask the groundhog that lives next to my garden. Now let me go to the next statement, that statement of Jesus. Jesus answered, "It is written that 'Man does not live on bread alone.' " And now the temptation begins. Who among us is not tempted by food, and tempted so much that it becomes a sin? Oh, and how I have been a sinner on eating over the years. Yes, we put junk in our bodies that is really bad for us, and our body is the temple of God. I know I have one dear, dear friend on this line will send me and email about my diet Pepsi. Honest Neil, I am cutting back some ... trying to learn to drink more water. But who among us has not been tempted by the food, and at sometime or other found that our clothes shrink while hanging in the closet? I got so out of control that I had the gastric bypass. And it worked, but the temptation is still there. Who among us has not gone to one of these brunch buffets to find a spread like this ... eggs made to order, home fries, bacon, ham, grits, pancakes, French toast, waffles, and fruits of all type ... oh, and it is a brunch, so we have mashed potatoes, little red potatoes, and Prime Rib and burgers, ham, turkey, chicken, pork chops ... Stop it ... time out, I am going for something to eat ...

Even when our good Lord gives us all this food, it is set up in a way that we become tempted, and folks, I am not going to blame this on Satan, I am going to put the blame where it belongs, right on us. I think that WE GIVE SATAN TOO MUCH CREDIT, when the problem is ours as we just know better. Is this not true in most things? Satan tempted Jesus, and Jesus did not give in. However, what would we have done? Do you see where I am coming from today? We all have temptations around us, some of us it might be food, some it might be drinking, some smoking, but we really know how to deal with them. We have report after report that tells us about being overweight, or what smoking does to us and the chances of cancer coming from it. I watched my brother die because he would not stop smoking and the same thing with Dolores' brother. I know people, and I was one of them, that would overeat time and time again. Who in this world other than me could put down four, yes four Whoppers and still be hungry, and to save those calories, I would wash it all down with, yes, my beloved Diet Pepsi. Today, and again I gave into the surgery, I go and get one Whopper Junior, no cheese. So how many confessions on sinful overeating do we have today? I am sure we have all said at one time or another when looking at a big piece of double chocolate cake, "this is sinful". Maybe we should not blame this on Satan, maybe since we do not want to put it on our own shoulders we should just blame Jesus. After all, He gave us all these things to eat saying He would take care of our needs. I am not blaming anything on Jesus except for all the good things He gave us like, well, like His life. Yes, Jesus did supply all of our needs and we need to control it. Maybe we should put this together, it takes a personal commitment to get into Heaven. We must follow Jesus and live for Him. When it comes to the temptations of life, not just the food, but in life, we need to make a personal commitment and again lean on Jesus, but we NEED TO STOP BLAMING OTHERS. It is time to stop giving Satan glory by falling, and time to take on personal responsibility and to make Godly choices in life. Get on the Jesus team, it is the best. AMEN.

Dear Father in Heaven, we need Your help to make personal commitments to avoid temptations that are no good for us, or no good for others that we share our lives with. Please Lord, Your healing hand is needed on all of us when it comes to temptations. Help us Lord, and your healing hand is also needed on David and Gordon. Also Lord, we ask that You are in our schools. Some will say we put God out of schools, and Lord most of us want You in. Lord, be with our school kids, and all who go through the doors of the schools. Lord ,thanks for all You give us, now give us the strength to control it. In the mighty name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Go forth sharing those blessings, passing up those temptations that are not good for you ... love ya, dan.