Reprint Compliments of Men At The Cross By Joe White

VIDEO OF THE DAY

Satan tempts the young husband, married for 5 years, to wait for the family to fall asleep then head down the stairs to turn on the computer. The rush from the scenes on the screen would only be there for a few minutes. After all, it wouldn't hurt anyone.

Satan tempts the businessman in Houston to falsify his income tax report on April 15th. That extra $15,000 would buy his family the second car they so desperately need.

Satan tempts the father of 3 who has been working late. He begins to notice the lady in the office down the hall. What harm would there be in a casual conversation or an innocent lunch. She is caring and shows real interest in his feelings. The glances and casual conversations could soon turn into intentional encounters.


Temptations. They come at us like snowballs in a huge snowball fight. They're Satan's greatest tool to bring us down until our face is in the dirt.

He always tries to give us something that we think we want now without giving us a clue of the consequences we'll face later. He's the master of deception.

Jesus knew that, so He dealt with Satan in the only sure fire way He can be immediately defeated. He didn't argue; He didn't play around with him; He didn't rationalize. He simply put the arrow of scripture right in Satan's heart ... where knockout the blow would be instantly delivered.

QUESTIONS:

How are you being tempted this week?
What scripture verse can this family think of that you can use the next time you are tempted there?
Why does Satan flee in the face of scripture delivered with faith?

LIFELINE:

Family devotions build an arsenal of scriptural weapons that we all can use when temptation comes over us.

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE - Matthew 4:1-11

1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a] by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’[b]

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’©”

7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’[d]”

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’[e]”

11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Reprint Compliments of Men At The Cross By Joe White

VIDEO OF THE DAY

The Baptism of Jesus: Matthew 3: 13-17

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. 16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

From the tap root of scripture in Genesis One through the closing of scripture in the final page of Revelation, a golden thread is woven meticulously, divinely through every page. Yes, the unifying theme of all of God's inspired word is that someday one would come who would be the anointed Holy Man of God, the Messiah, the Christ, the Lamb of Sacrifice, the Lion of Judah, the Son of God, the Son of Man, Jesus. He would live; He would love; He would be crucified, He would reinstate mankind to our Creator; He would come back to life; He would return to God, and after a time, He would return as Ruler and King over all creation.

In Genesis 3:15 God tells Eve that from her seed (offspring) will come one (Jesus) who will bruise Satan on the head.

In Micah 5:2 scripture states that the coming Messiah will be born in Bethlehem.

In Isaiah 7:14 we are told that He'll be born of a virgin.

In Zech. 11:12 God's word states that the Christ will be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver.

In Isaiah 53 & Ps. 22:16 scripture points out that He'll be crucified.

Isaiah 53 prophesies that He'll be "pierced through for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; ...and by His scourging we'll be healed."

The odds of any other single man fulfilling all of these and the other 300 Messianic prophecies are about at likely as a blind man being able to pick a red golf ball in an entire universe packed with white golf balls on his first try. Those odds would be like covering the state of Texas with a 3 foot pile of quarters, then hiding one nickel and inviting someone to find it.

So, Jesus knew that His life must fulfill all that scripture said about Himself, He must be baptized because in Psalms 40 it says about Him, "Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me."

QUESTIONS:
1. Imagine what it must have felt like for John the Baptist to baptize Jesus Christ.
2. Describe how you would have felt if you'd been there when God's voice was heard as the dove descended.
3. Why is it significant that Jesus was the One of whom all the Prophecies were spoken?

LIFELINE:
How great is it to have a family where all these fantastic truths are taught and understood!

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.2 Corinthians 7: 10

The insightful best selling book The Road Less Traveled begins with the simple "picture window" word "Life is hard".

The French say "la vi est dieu" (the road is difficult).

This planet we live on is not Heaven. Satan wreaks havoc on this fallen planet. Man's "fall" in the Garden of Eden rendered for all mankind an existence of crime, disease, heartaches, and heart breaks.

But, the French continue the two part phrase, "me dieu est bon" (my God is good).

My good friend, Josh McDowell, says that trials will either make you bitter or better. If you walk with God, trust God in all circumstances, and hold Him sovereign in your life, hurts and difficulties always bring out the best in you. If the "stuff" and pleasures of the world are your ultimate aim, let downs and disappointments will make you bitter.

The focus of your life that moves you from a "groaner" to a "praiser" is not the size of the trial, but the shape of your heart.

If my ultimate goal is "to get to Heaven and take as many people with me as I can," trials actually become my friend because, put simply, God uses trials to get people humbly at the foot of the cross.

My young friend, Ricky, died in a drowning accident. Seven people who knew Ricky accepted Christ as their personal Savior before the sun set that very day. Martin has had 14 major surgeries on his face from his traumatic birth defect. He called from his hospital bed yesterday to praise God for his opportunity to receive medical care. Lauren lost her leg to cancer. She majors in triathlete at our sports camp, blesses and amazes everyone by her fantastic attitude and Christ-given smile.

QUESTIONS: 1. Why do trials become a watershed to separate true Christian faith from counterfeit faith?

2. How can you use the trial you are now facing to make you "better" and turn your attitude into a "praiser"?

3. Hebrews 5:8 says about Jesus, Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. How do trials make you appreciate and identify with Him more?

LIFELINE: Home is the "comforting place" when the trials of life wound a family member.

Fuel Up! Video Devotional

Men At The Cross

Reprint Compliments of Men At The Cross By Joe White

Reprint Compliments of Men At The Cross By Joe White

VIDEO OF THE DAY

2 Corinthians 6:16 & 18

16What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."
18"I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."

Candy Irwin was stunning as she walked slowly, softly, deliberately down the colorfully laced pathway into the picturesque outdoor chapel on her wedding day. It was without a doubt the most beautiful wedding my eyes have ever beheld. Her wedding budget was a mere one hundred dollars. Candy was a country girl and money was scarce. She had purchased the simple white gown she wore and spent all summer hand sewing beads and sequins on the gown until she produced her masterpiece that set hers far above anything Sachs Fifth Avenue ever dreamed of. Candy had no money for flowers, but God provided majestically. The silver leaf maple trees that adorned the outdoor chapel were in a myriad of fall colors. The gentle Ozark breeze blew them onto the ground where they decorated her footsteps.

When Candy arrived at the wedding altar, I was speechless and her groom was in tears. The anticipation was overwhelming to him. He had patiently waited for the wedding day for three years while Candy sat beside her ailing grandmom each day until her hero went to her heavenly rest. The image of Candy's purity at the altar redefined beauty.

As breathtaking as Candy's wedding scene was, it pales in comparison to the wedding that is taking place in the "temple" of your heart because it is there that your soul was and is married to the Holy Spirit of God. Michael Angelo couldn't paint a more beautiful interior in a billion dollar sepulcher than the wedding chapel of your heart that God hand-crafted for His Spirit's dwelling place.

That's why someone who loves God doesn't watch movies or television that has nudity or profanity. That's why we're selective with our music and conversation. That's why we don't pour alcohol, drugs or tobacco into our bodies. That's why scripture calls you to a high standard of holy living.

QUESTIONS:
1. What does "your body's a temple" mean to you?
2. How do your eyes and ears allow filth into the temple?
3. How do you give your temple the housecleaning that God's spirit deserves?

LIFELINE:
The home should be a reflection of a wedding ceremony with Jesus Himself.

By Kelly Boggs

ALEXANDRIA, La. - The "27 Club" is not an en vogue New York City venue where the rich and famous gather to party. Rather, it is a designation given to a collection of music artists, primarily those of the rock 'n' roll genre, who have all died at the age of 27.

The most recent inductee into the inauspicious club took place on July 23 when British singing sensation Amy Winehouse was found dead in her London apartment. While the cause of death for the multiple Grammy Award winner is yet unknown, her untimely demise came as no surprise to family, friends or fans.

Winehouse's lifestyle had for some time been out of control. Dominated by alcohol, drugs and eating disorders, she had been in and out of rehab numerous times. So destructive was Winehouse's lifestyle that a website appeared in 2007 asking people to predict when she would die.

No doubt Winehouse's untimely death is tragic, especially to her family. However, it is intriguing to note that she died, as have so many other rock performers, at the young age of 27.

In fact, so prominent is the number of singers and musicians that have died at the age of 27 that a book was published in 2009 exploring the subject. Written by Eric Segalstad and illustrated by Josh Hunter, "The 27's: The Greatest Myth of Rock & Roll" examines the lives and deaths of 34 musicians who each died at the age of 27.

The word "myth" in the title of "The 27's" is a bit misleading. Rather than referring to something that is fictitious, "myth" is to be understood as a story that explains a social phenomenon.

Among the more prominent members of the "27 Club" are: Brian Jones, founding member of the Rolling Stones; Jimi Hendrix, pioneering guitarist; soulful singer Janis Joplin; Jim Morrison, lead singer of The Doors; and Kurt Cobain, lead singer of Nirvana.

One thread that is common to the vast majority of celebrities who have died at an early age is they pursued with wild abandon what some call "the rock 'n' roll lifestyle." Simply put, they practiced unbridled hedonism. They did what they wanted, when they wanted and without any regard to negative consequences.

Are there lessons to be gleaned by examining the lives of the members of the "27 Club?" I think so. One is that fame and fortune are poor substitutes for meaning and purpose. It seems, in the end, that celebrity and wealth are empty pursuits.

Amy Winehouse, like other "27 Club" members, had it all. She was famous, wealthy and her talent was celebrated. Yet, it is clear that "having it all" did not quench a yearning in her soul. Something was missing.

I am convinced that a life that is void of meaning seeks to find purpose and fulfillment in experiences. And for too many members of the "27 Club" the experiences they pursued were self-destructive.

Another lesson is that the so-called "rock 'n' roll lifestyle" is simply unsustainable. A human body can only take so much abuse and then it breaks down -- physically, mentally and emotionally. A person running on a hedonistic treadmill succumbs, sooner rather than later, to drugs, disease or despair.

Many rockers who have escaped untimely deaths did so by leaving the rock 'n' roll lifestyle behind. While many still perform, their off stage hedonism has become nothing more than a memory.

"The No-No Song" sung by Ringo Starr sums up well the sentiment of celebrities who have changed their self-destructive ways. In the song the former Beatle turns down the offer of drugs and alcohol by singing, "No, no, no, no, I can't take it no more. I'm tired of waking up on the floor. No thank you, please, it only makes me sneeze, and then it makes it hard to find the door."

Young people would be wise to look past the fame and fortune heaped on members of the "27 Club" to the reality they experienced. Rather than lives of meaning, significance and serene success, their private pursuits reveal souls that were writhing with unrest.

While members of the "27 Club" may have gained the whole world, they seemingly lost their souls. In the end their lives were, as Jesus indicated in the Gospels, personally unprofitable. And that is beyond sad; it is tragic.

Kelly Boggs is a weekly columnist for Baptist Press and editor of the Baptist Message of the Louisiana Baptist Convention.