Image Scripture: Psalm 37:4

A Devotional Reflection of Scripture

Does the Devil make you sin?

“But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.”  James 1:14-15

Summarize in a Word: Does the Devil make you sin?

Main point of the Passage: You are responsible for your sin!

Illustration: Young man struggling with Pornography

Exhortation: Be humbled knowing you are responsible for your sin. But be encouraged knowing you can overcome in the Spirit.

TMAI  Promotional Issue: By John Doe

These verses lay out for us the complete cycle of personal sin—from beginning to end. To defeat sin, we must understand it properly and, yet, sadly there is much false teaching today on the nature and origin of our sin. So where does my sin come from? Does God tempt me to sin? Or maybe the saying is true that “the devil made me do it?”

James 1:13 tells us that God never tempts us to sin and our verse today starkly refutes the false notion that Satan can make us sin. Instead, the only person responsible for your sin is…you. Satan cannot make you sin. He can tempt you, he can accuse you, he can dangle the fish hook of sin in front of your mouth, but he cannot force you to take the bait. This verse puts the responsibility for sin squarely on our own shoulders. But it also clarifies a major misunderstanding for many believers.

I personally witnessed the hopelessness and fear that a young man had because of his wrong understanding of sin. Struggling with pornography, he believed that Satan had the power to force him into this sin. He was fearful of what he saw as a sovereign devil. However, when he understood that the sin in his life was a result of his own lust, he then could deal with the issue at its root—his own heart.

Be humbled by the reality that your sin is born out of your own lust. But be encouraged knowing that if you walk by the Spirit, you will not carry out the desire [lust] of the flesh (Gal. 5:16).

Thanks for the time of Reflection,

R. Solomon

(Today’s Friday Issue is taken out from upcoming TMAI Devotional Writing from Pastors across the Globe. If you enjoy the styles and contents, you may want to buy when it is released.)

Image Scripture: A Maschil of David (Psalm 55)

A Devotional Reflection of Scripture

Like Luther

“Pursue!” said these people,

“Enough!” said those people;

“Go!” says one group,

“Keep waiting!” says the other group.

Two ears have I, so I listen to both sides,

But two legs are not meant to take two sides!

I cannot decode the signal from heaven,

They say I pray harder to the God of heaven,

Oh! I’ve moved from praying to begging!

I looked up at the black sky, asking,

“Where will my help come from?” From the sky?

Mosquito buzzed. Oh! Certainly not from a fly!

My heart and my mind failed me,

Yet from an utter fall, the Scripture upholds me!

This and that they keep on saying,

As I continue to keep on listening.

Oh! Come whatever the night’s lot!

Like Luther, I stand still, “Help me, God!”

Thought on Blogging

I am one of the bloggers

Who does not have many readers.

Yet, I do not give up blogging

Because I take pleasure in writing!

What have I lost,

What did It cost

For me to regularly post?

Just my precious time at most!

The Delayed Meeting

I know he comes to meet.

Down the bumpy road, I run to greet,

Reach the fork where I frown,

For I know not which road to go down.

Is it eagerness or impatience

That leads me to this inconvenience?

I take the right as far as I could,

But turn back thinking he would

Come by the other road.

To the fork in a hurry mode.

I take the left and turn back likewise.

My strength fails, I crumble, no surprise!

Inaudible voice I hear down the road,

I spring to my feet with eyes open broad,

Oh! It’s not he, just a passer-by!

In disappointment, I almost cry.

Footsteps I hear often, but not of him!

Silhouettes here and there, but not of him!

Acronyms for Fun

Acronyms and Mnemonics are compulsory memory devices we often use to remember things which we cannot afford to forget, especially for exams. Well, there will be no exam for this blog post, nor will I make you feel stupid! And if you feel stupid, just be glad to learn the acronym of "stupid" after reading this post!

The following words will never look the same to you from now onwards (just for fun!):

1.     Diary (Dear, I always remember you)

D     -     Dear

I       -     I

A     -     Always

R      -     Remember

Y      -     You

2.     Daily (Dear, Always I’ll love you)

D     -     Dear,

A     -     Always

I       -     I’ll

L      -     Love

Y      -     You

3.     Sorry (Someone really remembers you)

S      -     Some

O     -     One

R      -     Really

R      -     Remembers

Y      -     You

4.     City (Can I trust you?)

C      -     Can

I       -     I

T      -     Trust

Y      -     You

5.     Town (Trust? Oh why not?)

T      -     Trust?

O     -     Oh

W     -     Why

N     -     Not?

6.     Italy (I trust and love you)

I       -     I

T      -     Trust

A     -     And

L      -     Love

Y      -     You

7.     Bombay (Beware of many boys around you)

B      -     Beware

O     -     Of

M     -     Many

B      -     Boys

A     -     Around

Y      -     You

8.     Imphal (I must protect her always lovingly)

I       -     I

M     -     Must

P      -     Protect

H     -     Her

A     -     Always

L      -     Lovingly

9.     India (I’ll never do it again)

I       -     I’ll

N     -     Never

D     -     Do

I       -     It

A     -     Again

10.                     Lily (Lady, I love you)

L      -     Lady,

I       -     I

L      -     Love

Y      -     You

These are also known as Backronyms!

1.     Faith (Forsaking all I trust Him)

F      -     Forsaking

A     -     All

I       -     I

T      -     Trust

H     -     Him

2.     Grace (God’s riches at Christ’s expense)

G     -     God’s

R      -     Riches

A     -     At

C      -     Christ’s

E      -     Expense

3.     Bible (Basic instruction before living eternally)

B      -     Basic

I       -     Instruction

B      -     Before

L      -     Living

E      -     Eternally!

4.     Book (Box of organized knowledge)

B      -     Box

O     -     Of

O     -     Organized

K      -     Knowledge

5.     Love (Life’s only valuable emotion)

L      -     Life’s

O     -     Only

V      -     Valuable

E      -     Emotion

       

Use these Acronyms when somebody is not nice to you!

1.     Stupid (So talented, unique person in Demand)

S      -     So

T      -     Talented,

U     -     Unique

P      -     Person

I       -     In

D     -     Demand

2.     Mad (Making a difference)

M     -     Making

A     -     A

D     -     Difference!

3.     Dumb (Don’t underestimate me, buddy!)

D     -     Don’t

U     -     Underestimate

M     -     Me,

B      -     Buddy!

With Charles Spurgeon: Song of Songs 3:1

 “I sought him, but I found him not.” – Song of Songs 3:1

Tell me where you lost the company of Christ, and I will tell you the most likely place to find Him. Have you lost Christ in the closet by restraining prayer? Then it is there you must seek and find Him. Did you lose Christ by sin? You will find Christ in no other way but by the giving up of the sin, and seeking by the Holy Spirit to mortify the member in which the lust doth dwell. Did you lose Christ by neglecting the Scriptures? You must find Christ in the Scriptures.

It is a true proverb, "Look for a thing where you dropped it, it is there." So look for Christ where you lost Him, for He has not gone away. But it is hard work to go back for Christ. Bunyan tells us, the pilgrim found the piece of the road back to the Arbour of Ease, where he lost his roll, the hardest he had ever travelled. Twenty miles onward is easier than to go one mile back for the lost evidence.

Take care, then, when you find your Master, to cling close to Him. But how is it you have lost Him? One would have thought you would never have parted with such a precious friend, whose presence is so sweet, whose words are so comforting, and whose company is so dear to you! How is it that you did not watch Him every moment for fear of losing sight of Him? Yet, since you have let Him go, what a mercy that you are seeking Him, even though you mournfully groan, "O that I knew where I might find Him!"

Go on seeking, for it is dangerous to be without thy Lord. Without Christ you are like a sheep without its shepherd; like a tree without water at its roots; like a sere leaf in the tempest-not bound to the tree of life. With thine whole heart seek Him, and He will be found of thee: only give thyself thoroughly up to the search, and verily, thou shalt yet discover Him to thy joy and gladness.

Thanks for the time of Reflection,

R. Solomon

(This Devotional Reflection Issue is an excerpt from Charles Spurgeon's Devotional “Morning and Evening: Daily Readings.”)

Image Scripture: Psalm 147:11

A Devotional Reflection of Scripture

Compelled by God

God loves me,

And His love resides in me,

To love my neighbors.

God is gracious towards me,

And His grace flows in me,

To be gracious to others.

God never gives up on me,

And strengthens me to be patient

To never give up on you.

It is He that teaches me,

To be loving, gracious and patient

Towards all including you!

Surely you should not like ‘me,’

For I do not like ‘myself,’

Nor do I like ‘you!’

But the Spirit of God dwells in me,

Which is not the work of myself

But of God to change ‘me’ and to like ‘you!’

This great act of God

Lets me see the image of God

In you, to be persuaded to Christ

For, all things make sense only in Christ!