Tag Archives: temptation

Mar25

Christians should be shocked by sin

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Christians should be shocked by sin

I have a message from God in my heart
concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:
There is no fear of God before their eyes.
In their own eyes they flatter themselves
too much to detect or hate their sin. ~Psalm 36:1-2

The greatest security against sin is to be shocked at its presence.~Thomas Carlyle

We are as a society, less and less shockable. We are the proverbial frog in a pan of heating water, unaware of our danger. What would Jesus do about the lack of concern over sin? Wouldn’t He want to restore sight to those who are blinded by the deceitfulness of sin? A healthy fear of God is a good way to restore our sens of right and wrong, sin and righteousness.

God, who is enthroned from of old,
who does not change—
he will hear them and humble them,
because they have no fear of God. ~Psalm 55:19

Excerpt from: 365 WWJD: Daily Answers to What Would Jesus Do?

Why do we condone what goes on in society? As Christians, we cannot keep the blinders on. We must speak out when we are bombarded by immoral and offensive advertising, TV shows, radio shows, movies and other forms of so-called “entertainment.”

We Christians can change the world.

365 Days of WWJD?Further reading:

Keep the Peace Within You

ABC’s #GCB Should be Called ‘The 7 Deadly Sins’

What would Jesus do?

Walking the Walk
Follow WWJD? The Revival on Facebook
Twitter: @wwjdrevival

Check out these other great blogs:
Enlightenment, Encouragement & Enrichment by Giselle Aguiar, Award-Winning Christian Author
Deo Volente! (God Willing): Christian Church History, The Roman Empire

Deo Volente! (God Willing): Love in the First Century by Giselle AguiarIf you enjoyed this, you’ll love Giselle’s award-winning Christian novel: Deo Volente! (God Willing): Love in the First Century a historical novel about the early church check it out! $1 from the sale of each book – no matter what format, benefits StreetLight Phoenix to help eradicate child sex slavery. www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1

Great Blessings!
Soli Deo Gloria!
Giselle Aguiar
Christian, Award-Winning Author
Follow Giselle on Twitter
https://twitter.com/giselleaguiar

Feb19

Resisting Temptation

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Resisting Temptation
This entry is part 23 of 23 in the series WWJD?

In two subplots in the movie Courageous, we see examples of integrity – one man who had it and one who didn’t.

Courageous, the movie

How's Your Integrity?

Sheriff’s Officer, Shane Fuller, played by Kevin Downes, is a Christian, divorced dad struggling to pay his child support and alimony.

Javier Martinez, played by Robert Amaya, is Christian, married, father of two struggling to feed his family and pay the rent and bills. He hears about construction jobs, but when he gets there, they have enough men and he’s sent home.

Javier later gets a job at a factory and after a month, is presented with an offer. The company’s president tells him he can be promoted to a managerial position with increased pay if he would just fudge the inventory a bit.

Shane, is also tested daily. As the Sheriff’s Office arrests drug dealers in the city, Shane is in charge of getting the recovered drugs to the evidence locker. He is tempted to take one or two packets thinking that they wouldn’t be missed.

Which one do you think passed the test? Which one do you think stuck to the integrity and moral values of his Christian faith? Which one do you think fell to desperation and greed?

The answer is surprising. Sheriff Officer, Adam Mitchell, played by Alex Kendrick (who also co-wrote and directed the movie), notices that the amount of drugs collected doesn’t match the amount in the evidence locker. He suspects his partner, Shane, who is later caught in a sting and sent to jail.

Javier, after thinking it over and talking to his wife, tells his boss, that no, what he was asking him to do, lying on the inventory sheet, is dishonest and it goes against God’s Word. As it turns out, it was a test and Javier passed. They were looking for the honest, man of integrity to promote. They had tested many other people and Javier was the only truly, trustworthy person.

Read the rest of this entry →

Jan26

Wisdom is a gift from God

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Wisdom is a gift from God
This entry is part 1 of 1 in the series Wisdom-A Gift from God

I’ve made my share of unwise decisions and I know many people including close family members who have made them also. All of these mistakes are opportunities to learn, but the key is to ask God for wisdom BEFORE you make the decision to HELP you make the right decision.

Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. ~Proverbs 3:13-14

Joyce Meyer writes in her book “Hearing from God each Morning”

Wisdom discerns truth in a situation, while common sense provides good judgement regarding what to do with the truth. I consider wisdom supernatural because it isn’t taught by men; it is a gift from God.

King Solomon is known for his wisdom. Why? Because he asked for it. God told Solomon:

Ask for whatever you want me to give you. ~1 Kings 3:5

Wow! That’s like finding the magic lamp with the genie inside! What would you have asked for?

Solomon could have asked for wealth or for long life, but no. He asked for wisdom – to be able to discern, that is, tell right from wrong. (1 Kings 3:6-14)

Because of that, God gave him the riches and long life anyway.

Folks going through recovery from addiction memorize the Serenity Prayer and are told to recite it often. But that prayer is not just for addicts. It’s for everyone:

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Each morning we should ask God to provide wisdom (notice it’s not one of the Fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23) for each and every decision we need to make that day.

We must stop and ask ourselves, “What would Jesus do in this situation?”

Be wise and we will live long and prosper.

Read the book of Proverbs – it’s what God wants us to do and how He wants us to live.

Follow WWJD on Twitter

Check out these other great blogs:
Enlightenment, Encouragement & Enrichment by Giselle Aguiar, Award-Winning Christian Author

Deo Volente (God Willing) – covering writing, Christian church history and Christianity

If you enjoyed this, you’ll love Giselle’s award-winning Christian novel: Deo Volente! (God Willing): Love in the First Century a historical novel about the early church check it out! $1 from the sale of each book – no matter what format, benefits StreetLight Phoenix to help eradicate child sex slavery. www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1

Great Blessings!
Soli Deo Gloria!
Giselle Aguiar
Award-Winning Christian Author
Follow Giselle on Twitter
https://twitter.com/giselleaguiar

Jan23

God’s Story: Act 1

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God’s Story: Act 1
This entry is part 2 of 3 in the series The Story of God

Excerpt from Chuck Foreman’s sermon 1/15/12 given at First Christian Church of Phoenix

God’s Story begins at the beginning, which is always a good place to begin.

Act 1, Scene 1: Creation

Garden of EdenThis is when Genesis tells us God got it all going—the heavens, the earth, all living things-plants & animals, & then the crown of His creation, man & woman—the Image Bearers of God Himself. God described all he had made as—“Good.” Think about that—if God said it was good, it must have been really good! The final statement about creation at the end of Genesis 2 is that the man & woman got to play- in the Garden of Eden- every day—Naked! They had become one & the felt no shame! Everything was better than good, it was great!

Act 1, Scene 2: The Fall of Man

Enter—The Villain. Satan had disguised himself as one of the animals common in the garden, a snake. Let’s set the stage for Scene 2: There were two important fruit bearing trees in Eden—The Tree of Life and The Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil were growing in the center of the Garden.

The fruit on The Tree of Life was fair game. Eat all you want! God said. But the fruit on The Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil was off limits. Like any good Dad, God wanted to nourish the life of Adam & Eve, his children, but protect their innocence. He doesn’t want them to know everything he knows.

The consequence of losing your innocence is a downward spiral toward death. God knew it. That was not His intention for Adam & Eve. It’s not his intention for any of us either. God told Adam & Eve—“Don’t touch the fruit on that tree or you’ll die.” Thousands of years later God’s still saying the same thing to us.

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.~Galatians 6:7-8

Satan, the Villain in God’s Story, the Enemy in Our Story, comes along and mocks God. He distorts God’s instruction to Adam & Eve and then outright lies to them. The Serpent’s Deception—Genesis 3:1-5

You know what happened in the rest of Scene 2. Adam & Eve believed the lie, rebelled against God and everything went South fast! A once perfect creation had been literally infected by a spiritual disease which corrupted and began the breakdown/decay of all of Nature. Scientists describe this breakdown in the 2nd Law of Thermal Dynamics or Entropy, for all you science nuts…the transfer of the heat/energy of an object to the oxygen around it. (Think of iron oxidizing or rusting—that’s why they tell us to take anti-oxidants—so we won’t rust!) The Bible calls the spiritual infectious disease, which introduced Entropy into creation & began the breaking down of Nature, SIN.

Next: Important Movement in Scene 2 of The Fall of Man…

Check out these other great blogs:
Enlightenment, Encouragement & Enrichment by Giselle Aguiar, Award-Winning Christian Author

Deo Volente (God Willing) – covering writing, Christian church history and Christianity

If you enjoyed this, you’ll love Giselle’s award-winning Christian novel: Deo Volente! (God Willing): Love in the First Century a historical novel about the early church check it out! $1 from the sale of each book – no matter what format, benefits StreetLight Phoenix to help eradicate child sex slavery. www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1

Great Blessings!
Soli Deo Gloria!
Giselle Aguiar
Award-Winning Christian Author
Follow Giselle on Twitter
https://twitter.com/giselleaguiar

Oct21

How Satan Speaks

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How Satan Speaks
This entry is part 19 of 23 in the series WWJD?

Satan and his helpers are all around us. He speaks to us in the form of temptations — dangling pretty things in front of us and trying to get us to lie, cheat, steal even kill to get them.

If you put your trust in the Lord and trust that He’ll guide you where He wants you to go, then when an idea comes to mind or your instinct is telling you it’s the right thing to do, stop one more time to ask, “Lord, is this really what you want me to do?” Or “What would Jesus do?

If you still have that urge, then it’s the right thing.

Be aware, that Satan is always trying to steer you in the wrong direction. Whether it’s through an offer that seems too good to be true or the carrot stick of power and money, you’ve got to make sure that it’s not Satan. The risk then may be too great.

Discernment: How do you discern if the message is coming from God or from Satan? It’s not as simple as the angel and the devil on either of your shoulders whispering in your ears. We know to follow the angel’s advice, but end up following the devil’s temptation because it’s too good to pass up.

Satan wouldn’t make fun of you. He’d want to be your buddy so you’d hang around with him. Bad idea.

Follow Christ. Satan’s days are numbered. Christ will come back and rule forever.

Jesus: “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” ~Revelation 21:8

Additional Reading:
The devil made me do it. 
Are You Part of the Chosen? 

Like what you read? Then you’ll love my award-winning Christian novel: Deo Volente! (God Willing): Love in the First Century a historical novel about the early church check it out: www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1


Great Blessings!
Soli Deo Gloria!
Giselle Aguiar
Award Winning Christian Author
Follow Giselle on Twitter
https://twitter.com/giselleaguiar

Oct7

An all-knowing God vs. free will

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An all-knowing God vs. free will
This entry is part 17 of 21 in the series Christianity

If God gave humans free will, then what about this super “plan” God has for humanity?

Well, here’s how that works.

God is all-knowing. He knows what each of us has done and what we’re going to do even before we do it.How? Because He’s God.

Let’s take the example of a person standing at a fork in his life journey. Path A is what God’s will for this person is. Path B is the devil’s temptation. Where Path A looks normal, Path B looks sunnier, smoother, like there’s a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

So, what’s our friend to do? What God wants him to do is to stop and pray and ask Him for direction and guidance. But instead of asking, “Which way should I go, Lord?” He should ask, “Which way do you want me to go where I can do your will, Lord?”

God knows exactly what will happen if he takes Path B and He knows what will happen if he takes Path A. When the man stops and asks God for help, God will nudge him towards Path A. 

At the same time, the devil will be pulling him and enticing him to take Path B. 

Now, the man needs to ask God for discernment. “Which is the right way, Lord?”

If the man falls for the devil’s too-good-to-be-true Path B, God will be saddened. Every time we do something on our own without asking God for guidance and we choose the wrong way, God’s heart is broken. 

But God rejoices when we hear what His will is for our lives and follow that path. 

How do you know when God is talking to you and telling you what His will is for your life? 

Through prayer. Ask Him, then shut up and listen. You may get an idea, an Epiphany or the phone may ring and it’s a Christian friend who helps you. Sometimes God makes you wait for an answer. You can find answers in the Bible. That’s it’s what it’s for.

How to read the Bible
How to Pray
Maybe it’s reading a book like – The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. Or listening to Christian radio (http://myflr.org, http://www.klove.com) or watching TBN or going to church and hearing a message that really hits home for you. Most bible-based churches offer classes and small groups to help you grow closer to God and understand what the bible is trying to tell you.

God Bless,
Soli Deo Gloria!
Giselle Aguiar
Award Winning Christian Author
www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1
Follow Giselle on Twitter
https://twitter.com/giselleaguiar

Jun15

The devil made me do it

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The devil made me do it
This entry is part 15 of 23 in the series WWJD?
Jesus being tempted by the Devil. He didn’t
fall for it and neither should you.

That’s the excuse of the ages. Ever since the snake (devil) tempted Eve in the garden and Adam followed, the devil’s been tempting humankind in one way or another.

As a single person, the devil dangles certain temptations in front of you constantly – the big one being Lust.

The best way to resist temptation is to avoid it in the first place.

How do you do that – especially when lust takes over in the heat of the moment? Avoid the heat.

It’s called a boundary, aka your front door. If you’re out on a date and you’re at the lady’s front door, stop there. Don’t go in. Not even for a quick drink or coffee. You’ll start in the kitchen, then want to sit somewhere that’s more comfortable. So you move to the living room couch. Before you know it, you’re necking, then the lady’s blouse is off…. Well, you know where that goes. Once the heat starts, it’s extremely difficult to stop.

Why stop? Why not go with the flow? Sex without love and a marital commitment is empty sex. Sex does not a relationship make. Read: Avoiding False Intimacy.

Stop at the door. Period.

Another one – which also falls under the “lusts of the eye” is overeating. God provides sufficient food for survival (Matthew 6:25-27), but let’s face it, we all over do it. Food tastes good and is good, but too much is not. Again, avoid it. If it’s in your kitchen you’re going to eat it. Avoid the snack and candy aisle in the supermarket – if you don’t buy it, you won’t eat it.

If you’re feeling full, stop eating – push the plate away. Yes, it’s ok to throw food away – remember, God provides – and next time serve yourself less.

The other big temptation is laziness. When you live alone, unless you just happen to be a clean freak, your logic is – no one’s going to see the mess – why clean it up? What happens is – force of habit. Bad habits stick around even when there’s someone else in the house. When you get married or move in with a roommate, those bad habits are sill there.

Before being tempted to just throw it on the floor, dump it in the sink, or toss it on the pile, stop and make the little extra effort to put it away where it belongs. You’ll actually save time in the long run if you pick up after yourself and not have to spend a whole day cleaning up.

If you’re a Christian, call on the Holy Spirit to give you the strength and the “fruit” of self-control. (Galatians 5:16-25).

If you’re not a Christian, one of the gifts from Jesus is the Holy Spirit living inside of you. The Spirit is Jesus’ messenger and counselor given freely to us when we accept Him as our savior. The Spirit is there for you to help you when you are most in need.

God Bless
Giselle Aguiar
Award-Winning Christian Author
New Novel! Deo Volente Releases Very Soon! Click here to learn more!