STATE MISSIONS: Temptation (part 3 of 3): The Resistance
We must not only avoid the call of temptation, we must also learn to resist its clutches. How can we resist when temptation grabs hold of us? Joseph provided wise counsel in verses Gen. 39:10-12: “And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within. And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.”
Her desire developed day by day, but Joseph turned down her advances and did not dwell on her flattering request, pushing them out of his mind. “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…” (Prov. 23:7). Joseph knew the destructive power of imagination, understanding that dwelling on evil fantasies was the first step toward succumbing to temptation. We would all be better off if we could focus on our daily duties and remember the promises we have made.
Notice that Joseph went in to do his business, not to see her. The workplace is one of the devil’s best locations to sow the seeds of temptation. When the fires of passion roar, there is only one way to survive — run for your life. We can see in this situation that running was the only successful strategy that was conceivable. It was not cowardice, but rather courage and conviction that was expressed through Joseph’s actions.
Remember that God has promised to deliver us: “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it” (I Cor. 10:13 NIV). When a Christian yields to temptation, it is not because he has no choice. As believers, we can choose to resist temptation because God always provides a way of escape. The problem is not lacking an escape route; the problem is not looking for it.
We are meant to marvel at Joseph’s great strength and character, and if we follow his strategy, we will be assured victory.
From Our Missionaries
Misión Creciendo en Cristo (Growing in Christ), North Little Rock: Juan Carlos Posadas writes, “The church was busy last week, preparing for the Father’s Day celebration. Some decorated the building, others rehearsed songs and poetry, prepared food, bought gifts, etc.
“Everything was ready on Sunday, as the ushers welcomed everyone, the songs praised our heavenly Father, the children recited poetry and the preaching appealed to the edification of children as a fundamental role of the father. Some young men roasted meat, and the ladies brought desserts and side dishes. The communion was magnificent and we, the fathers, were stimulated by the church’s love. At the end of the sermon, some parents committed to God to use words and take daily actions that would edify their children.
“Unfortunately, the air conditioning units did not cooperate with the celebration. The heat was intense and, of the eight air conditioning units in the building ,only three were working — two in the sanctuary and another in the communion room. Oscar López came to repair the units that afternoon, and he managed to get two more units back into service in the sanctuary, but one of them will probably need to be replaced in the short term. Two other units downstairs and the control cables of one unit in the communion hall still need to be replaced.
“Sayra is back home, but the doctors have said that my father-in-law is not having the expected response to the medications, so there is very little that can be done for him. Please continue to pray that God will touch his heart and that he will receive Jesus as his Lord and Savior.”
Ebenezer, West Little Rock: Ruben Isturiz writes, “It has been a blessed week in ministry with Ebenezer. We had an inspiring service, with a gift and prayer for fathers on their day.
Our DBS (Discovery Bible Study) groups are going well in the normality of summer. Everything changes in the summer — time to be outside, fellowship, etc. and so do the DBS groups, which are our home groups. There is plenty of time for group fellowship without neglecting the learning of God’s Word. We emphasize two words (truth and life) to our leaders — we share the truth of God’s Word and we share our life.
“Pray for the plans we have in Ebenezer for this summer. We will have a picnic with the American church and are planning a day to go to the lake with all of Ebenezer. Our family family vacation is also getting closer.
“Thank you again for your support and for praying for us. To God be the glory!”
Faith Chapel, Flippin: Johnny Shew writes, “We had a great week at Faith Chapel, with a really good number for worship and a few surprises! A couple that had moved to Nevada has decided to return, and made it home Saturday. We thank God for their safe return. Then we learned that another couple has decided to move to Texas to be closer to family, and we will miss them. Another couple has just moved here from Florida, and were return visitors. They seem to fit right in and said they will be back.
“God has answered many prayers here this week, and we thank Him and praise Him! It truly is amazing to watch His plans come together for us when we ask in the name of Jesus and trust in Him to meet our needs.
“We also had some milestones on the new building this week! We finished the siding on the addition, and the painters completed the painting in the original part. After doing the ceilings and walls with primer and paint, the paint contractor told us that it would be a better job with another coat, so we got more paint and had him put on another coat. When he was done, he said he was not going to charge us for doing the extra coat — he just threw that in. Praise God! He has sent us some good contractors, from concrete to plumbing to drywall to paint, and they have all done so much more than was fair. They have all given to the Lord, and we thank Him for them.
“We also thank Him for all of you who support us and pray for us. We couldn’t do this without you, and we are humbled by your faithfulness! We pray for you too, that your ministries will be blessed by Him for blessing ours.”
Faith Journey, Benton: Bryan Clay writes, “I hope everyone had a wonderful and relaxing Father’s Day with their loved ones. Faith Journey celebrated the fathers of the mission with a small gift to show our respect and gratitude for all they do every day to be the kind of spiritual leaders in their homes that their families look up to.
They received a book of God’s promises for men, and one of our ladies gave them a goodie box filled with a t-shirt, snacks and lantern, reminding them to let their light shine for Jesus. Another one of our sweet ladies brought a delicious Dairy Queen ice cream cake for our dads to enjoy!
“Faith Journey has continued to pray over and seek God’s direction in the future of the mission. We have been able to get out and really dig into the community to see where we can be utilized the most to help grow a strong mission. We are excited to see His plans unfold before us and know that God is faithful to His people if we are following His will.
“Our small group studies at the local nursing facilities are continuing to grow and we are seeing Christ’s hand work in the lives of these sweet people. They are so eager to study the Word of God and are inviting others every week to come and enjoy our time of fellowship and worship as we learn more about the Bible. We pray that we can be as much of a blessing to them as they are to us.”
Misión Gracia Soberana (Sovereign Grace), NWA:Roberto Marcelletti writes, “Thank you for your support and prayers this week. We have been blessed by Cornerstone Baptist Church — they have helped us by changing the locks on the church and giving us a lawn mower so we can do the maintenance. God has really sent all of you to help us grow as a church.
“We continue our small groups in Rogers and Pea Ridge. The Springdale groups will meet again in July since some brothers are on vacation.
“In our Sunday service, we worshiped and delighted in the presence of the Lord and at the end, we prayed for the fathers. Then we went to the fellowship hall, where the sisters were waiting for us with a delicious meal.”
Epic Life, Pea Ridge: Jake McCandless writes, “I’ve shared a lot about how much members of Epic Life enjoy being together and fellowshipping, but it was apparent this past week for sure. Friday night, our Garfield Connection Group had their monthly meal along with their Discovery Bible Study.
My oldest daughter went with me to see the Sprint Cars that were in town at the dirt track, while Amanda and my youngest went to the Connection Group meeting. We joked that they’d definitely beat us home (if you’re familiar with dirt track racing, you know they are notorious for late nights), but that was not the case. We left the races before Amanda left the Connection Group. The group meeting started at 7 p.m., but many stayed around as late as 11:45 p.m.! Our Woodbridge Connection Group also had a late night. Our new Bella Vista Group also had their first meeting.”
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Paul White
Arkansas State Missions Director Paul White pens a weekly column to inform the BMA of Arkansas concerning Arkansas Missions’ activity and includes individual reports from each church planter.
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