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Friday, 29 May 2009
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"Three Steps to Take When Facing Temptation"
Dr. Joe Savage, President, Winners Influence
May 29, 2009 - Devotion
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(NOTE: Today's devotion is reprinted from Joe Savage's book entitled, "More of God, More of Me." The book is a 40 day guide which gives you six keys toward having an intimate walk with God. If you would like to order a copy, you can email Joe at jsavage@winnersinfluence.com. Books are $24 plus shipping.)
"If you think you are standing strong be careful, for you too may fall into the same sin. But remember the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand against it. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it." 1 Corinthians 10:12-13
Last week we started looking at temptation. We learned that God always "shows you a way out so that you will not give in to it" (1 Cor. 10:13). The key most important action you can take when tempted is to look for your way out immediately. Let me give you three steps that will help you with this escape:
- Remember God is always faithful to you.
God is faithful! You can count on that! He understands that you cannot overcome temptation by yourself. Since you cannot overcome temptation by yourself, He always provides you with both strength and a way out.
- Rely on God to provide an escape for you.
The problem with most of us is that we try to overcome temptation by our own strength. This leads us to an inconsistent relationship with God. By relying on yourself you will fall again and again. Temptation is virtually impossible to overcome on your own. Some temptations are just too strong. When tempted, look for the way out. Rely on God. Have faith that He will give you a way out and the strength to make it. If you find yourself in a situation where you are not strong enough to run, then call out to the Faithful One, and He will run to you like a parent runs to her child when faced with danger.
- Run out immediately through the escape when God provides it.
Sin is like a fire. You need to run from it as fast as you can. Don't try to fight it yourself. You will not consistently win if you rely upon yourself. Instead rely on the faithfulness of God. He will provide the escape. The Scripture tells us to "Flee the evil desires of our youth" (2 Timothy 2:22 NIV). In the New Testament the word flee comes from the Greek word meaning fugitive. It conveys the idea that we are to run continuously to escape a dangerous enemy. Don't be like the man on a diet who had to pass by a doughnut store each morning on the way to work. Instead of passing up the store, he would pray that if the Lord wanted him to reward himself with a doughnut, God would provide a parking space right close to the front door. After the seventh time circling the store, there it was-the parking space he prayed for! The next time you are faced with temptation, do yourself a favor and RUN!
Today's Prayer
"Oh God deliver me from evil in Jesus' name. Amen."
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Friday, 22 May 2009
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"Escaping the Lure of Temptation"
Dr. Joe Savage, President, Winners Influence
May 22, 2009 - Devotion
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(NOTE: Today's devotion is reprinted from Joe Savage's book entitled, "More of God, More of Me." The book is a 40 day guide which gives you six keys toward having an intimate walk with God. If you would like to order a copy, you can email Joe at JSavage@winnersinfluence.com. Books are $24 plus shipping.)
You wake up in the middle of the night and your home is engulfed by flames. What do you do? The answer of course is obvious. You get everyone out of the house as quickly as possible. You don't wait, hoping that the fire goes out; instead you find any escape and run as fast as you can.
The same is true when you are faced with temptation. There is a fascinating verse that tells us about fleeing temptation. Look at 1 Corinthians 10:12-13.
"If you think you are standing strong be careful, for you too may fall into the same sin. But remember the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand against it. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it."
When you are tempted God "will show you a way out . . ." The above Scripture does not say that He might give you a way out, or He will sometimes give you a way out. It says that He will show you a way out! This is good news! You see, the One who has the power to cleanse you of your sin, also has the power to keep you clean!
Facing temptation is like being in a burning house. You cannot decide if you want to stay or not, you simply must get out any way that you can and as fast as you can. You must look for God's escape route and take it as soon as it opens up. If you linger, the route might close and then you find yourself in a very dangerous position. Watch for God's escape routes when tempted.
Today's Prayer
"Father, thank you for giving me a way out every time I am tempted. Help me to see my escape and to immediately run through it every time. Deliver me from evil. In Jesus' name. Amen."
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Saturday, 09 May 2009
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"Encouragement Needed"
Dr. Joe Savage, President, Winners Influence
May 9, 2009 - Devotion
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"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing" the Scripture tells us in 1 Thess. 5:11. "But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today" says Hebrews 3:13. For some this is difficult to do. For others it comes naturally. Either way, we need to be an instrument of encouragement to others.
Encouragement of course comes in many formats: verbal applause, emails, written notes, a pat on the back. Encouragement for many is like fuel for a car. They simply need it to keep going.
The greatest and most impactful leaders the world has ever known were encouragers. Their words and actions propelled others toward accomplishing great feats or sometimes just continuing on with life. Think about the one or two people who were your greatest encouragers. Would you be where you are right now without their words and actions?
God wants to use you to encourage others. Maybe it's a word to someone you don't even know. Maybe it's giving someone the simple nudge they need to get to the next level. Maybe it's with a family member or a friend or a co-worker. Whoever it is, there are people who need YOUR encouragement. Now go and give it to them!
Today's Prayer
"Father, thank you for those who were and are encouragers to me. Lord, now help me to be a constant encourager to those around me. Lord, give me the right words to say or the right actions to take so that I can make a difference in someone else's life. In Jesus' name. Amen."
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Friday, 01 May 2009
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"What Will You Do with Your Free Time?"
Dr. Joe Savage, President, Winners Influence
May 1, 2009 - Devotion
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What are you going to do with the down time?
Most of you will be having some down time coming up. Summer breaks. Long weekends. Kids out of school. Coming up is the time to enjoy doing a few things out of the ordinary.
What are you going to do with these few days of break?
We often see Jesus retreating to a mountain to pray. I think this is a good idea. For example after Jesus fed 5,000 plus people with a few fish and some bread, Scripture says, "They all ate their fill. The disciples gathered twelve baskets of leftovers. More than five thousand were at the supper. As soon as the meal was finished, Jesus insisted that the disciples get in the boat and go on ahead across to Bethsaida while he dismissed the congregation. After sending them off, he climbed a mountain to pray" (Mark 6:44-46). A few hours later, Jesus was walking on water!
When you run a high paced and high stressed life (like most of you), you have to use down time to recharge the tank so to speak. If you aren't intentional about this, then you will pay for it months from now when life begins to drain the tank.
Physically it's a good idea to "retreat," pray, and rest. Mentally it's good to clear the mind. Spiritually it's a good idea too. Throughout Scripture we see God speak to the faithful during times of "rest." In fact, most of the occurrences where God spoke the clearest and when individuals moved forward with power, was after God met with them while resting under a tree, in a cave, or on desolate roads. He wants to do the same for you! He wants to restore your total being.
So again I ask. What are you going to do with your upcoming break?
If you don't plan it, then you will waste it! Go get rested and let God bring restoration to your soul, mind, and body!
Oh by the way, God rested on the seventh day after His work was completed too. If God rested, then certainly we need to rest too!
Today's Prayer
"Lord, thank you that I have some time off coming up. Please show me how to maximize the time for me and my family. I want and need you to recharge me so lead me in the way I should go. I look forward to meeting you there! In Jesus' name. Amen."
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DR. JOE SAVAGE
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