The Invitation To Overcome Temptation

November 11, 2015

The blessing and peace of our Lord Jesus is with us, Heartdwellers.

Well, I had one heck of a night. I got really tempted in prayer. Thank you, Lord, for delivering me from evil, but boy - it was a struggle.

Well, my dear friends and family...I was having a wonderful time in worship this night, really drawing close to the Lord, really sensing His heart and really praying for all of you and the persecuted Christians.

Then it hit me. You might not think much of it, but the devils are very clever and they know my weak spots. All of a sudden, I got hit with a temptation to buy a flute from a well-known flute maker on the Taos Indian Pueblo.

I have wanted one of these flutes...for YEARS...

It latched onto me like white on rice. Believe it or not, I knew it was a temptation, because I could feel it grab hold of me. I felt it physically in my body, like a sense of yearning that I just had to have this. And how wonderful - it would be a way to develop my exhale, which is causing problems for my breathing, anyway. And I could play music to the Lord.

But without asking Him, I just knew this was a temptation. I fought it, and fought it, and fought it. One moment in my mind, I was in intimate communion with the Lord - the next moment in my mind I was driving to the reservation to look for a flute....

I even prayed, "Lord, deliver me from evil!" But the yearning and suggestions just kept coming back. So, I decided to check with the Bible Promises, thinking, 'Maybe the Lord was in this and He wanted to bless me with this instrument.' What did I get? Just what I expected: Lust.

Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. II Tim 2:22

Then, I heard in the back of my mind, "Are you going to contend with the Lord over this like you always do?"

And I said, "No, I'm not!! Oh no, I'm not!" But then a stream of objections went flooding through my brain.

And as I struggled against this temptation, I kept seeing myself before I was a Christian, and a flute just like this one would have been something I wanted. So, I went through all the logic:

"But Lord, it would be good for my breathing!"

"No, I'd get bored with it... I don't have any time for it!"

"But it would be a healthy form of expressing my love for Him."

"No, it wouldn't - you know He doesn't want you to have it, so how could you playing it be pleasing to Him?"

'Go look it up on the Internet! Just one look, it can't hurt anything?'

"No! I know this is a test and I'm not going to flunk it!"

'Yes, you are. You can't resist - you're going to pull it up on the net.'

"NO, I'M NOT!!! I'm not giving into you devils! Lord, Save me!!"

Then I realized I was fighting the enemy! I'd totally lost my sweet connection with the Lord - I mean it was GONE! Out the window, far away, only a vapor... That's when I resolved to shift my focus.

"Deliver me from evil, Lord, I can't fight this by myself."

And I knew what I must do - get back into that place of worship. In the background, the song was "It's all about you, Jesus. It's not about me, or that You should do it my way." And yet another song about "nothing matters but giving it all to You," on and on. Good conviction songs. But I remembered I cannot conquer my flesh on my own. It is the vision of His goodness, His loving face and presence that causes me to leave it all behind for Him...for love of Him.

I know all the intellectual arguments about obedience, the pros and the cons, etc., etc. But none of that matters when I see His face and He melts my heart... and how can I say 'no' to that? I can't. Dear ones, I don't know what you're struggling with in this hour, but if you've fallen in love with Him just once and go back to that place and compare what you are lusting after with His Holy and Sweet countenance, you will have the victory! If you just keep focusing on Him, His love for you, His beauty... you can't possibly choose sin over that.

This is why this channel is so attacked! The devils know that once you fall head-over-heels in love with Jesus, you won't want anything else - they won't be able to tear you away from Him with self-interest and self-will. They hate our intimacy with the Savior like nothing else, because it is our source of victory, our inspiration, our very reason for being.

And I'd like to say to you who have criticized and condemned us for knowing and loving God: do you have secret sins in your life you just haven't been able to conquer??? Are there things you are still doing that you hate, even while you condemn our teachings on this channel? Are you living in unrighteousness and having to hide your sins from other Christians, while you take shots at us?

Come on - be honest here: just for once - no one else is listening or looking. Get honest with yourself. You haven't been able to stop sinning, and you don't know why? You're doing all the 'right' things, praying all the 'right' prayers, singing all the 'right' songs, going to all the 'right' Bible studies and showing yourself approved unto God:

As if says in 2 Timothy 2:15 Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman who needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Yes! "Who needs not to be ashamed." But you're still ashamed, because you just can't quit that sin.

Because you haven't encountered and cultivated the intimate love relationship with Jesus. You simply do not have the strength to overcome your sins... The Word of God and your resolve are not powerful enough. You need His Love and His Grace. Nothing trumps His love. When you experience His love and keep coming back for more, then you will conquer those sins. But unless you're the Iron Man, you're going to keep falling, because it's His Love that leads to repentance. As it is written, "It is the kindness of God that leads you to repentance." Romans 2:4

Yes, when you open yourself to Who He really is to you, how much He loves you, and you receive that love into your heart, not your head - then with all your heart you will begin to break with these sins that hurt Him and hurt you and have held you captive. But legalisms won't do it. Fear won't do it. Condemnation won't do it. Threats of hellfire won't do it! It's His LOVE - the ONLY power on Earth that will do it.

And that's when I put that silly flute down in my mind. I saw it was nothing compared to the precious love of My Jesus.

After I had written this, I said, "LORD, is there anything You would like to add? Am I being too harsh or am I right?"

"You are right. And yes, you are being firm - but nonetheless it is My love that will lead you to repentance and abandoning your sins. And it is there for you when you want it. I'm not your father, nor your pastor, nor your wife or husband, or any relative that's treated you with disrespect, contempt and harsh legalisms. I am your loving and tender God, committed to helping you through this earthly journey and into My arms in Heaven.

"You cannot do it alone, you must have My Grace. You must know My Love before you can Love others. You say you love, but you are full of condemnation of others. Why is that? Because you've never known My love, because those who were to love you as I do, failed. They condemned and bullied and coerced and manipulated you into religion, because they didn't know My Love either. They have caused you to live by a rulebook not by love. What does My Word say about that? "If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing." I Cor. 13:2

"Come to Me. I am calling out to you. Please, lay down your weapons against My Body and embrace Me for who I AM. I did not come into the world to condemn the world, but to save it. I permitted My hands and feet to be nailed to the cross to present a picture of My Love for you, but men have distorted My Love into a cold-hearted religion full of do's and don'ts.

"I only have one 'do' and one 'don't': don't judge your brother and love your brother as I have loved you. But if you still do not know My Love, how then can you love your brother? It is My Love that is calling out to you, and it is My Love you have been shutting out and condemning.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking. I Cor. 13:4-5

"Consider your ways children! Consider your ways and the fruits of your lives. Consider those things you are terrified others will find out about you. Consider that I came to deliver you from evil. But you must come to Me unconditionally, with open arms and open hearts and receive My unconditional love for you. Then you can go out and love everyone, even as I have loved you.

"I do not say this lightly. Your time on this Earth is coming to a close. The finals are taking place now. The only question you must answer correctly is simply,

"Did you learn how to love?"