HELP IN TEMPTATION
Monday – Aug 21, 2017
Greetings and welcome back to this wonderful Bible Study from the Book of Hebrews presented by Dr. Wood and The Three Minute Word publications. It is a wonderful time to be alive in history. The greater the attacks the greater the victory. We study the Bible not to know about God but to function in the fulness of our God given authority and allow His mighty power to work not only in us but through us in the earth. When we put away our worldly ways and function fully according to the Word of God as the children, the sons of the most High God, no evil power nor any part of the curse can stand before us. So, let’s get right to our primary text.
Hebrews 2:17-18 (KJV)
17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
I have been teaching at quite some length about temptation, this is no small topic and is the arsenal of the evil spirits, personalities that accost us daily. Many of you have likely heard the term ‘familiar spirits’. These are evil spirits (fallen angels) that are unceasingly working to gain our worship (submission). These spirits have been in our families for centuries and they know what is going to be most effective against us. Let’s look at the first mentions of these spirits.
Leviticus 19:31 (KJV)
31 Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.
Leviticus 20:6 (KJV)
6 And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.
In these first mentions the Lord is talking about people that have familiar spirits (spirits familiar with us) and they seek by temptation to bring wickedness into our lives. If we seek after their words it is wickedness. It is wickedness for it is a putting of their words above God’s. Do not give the Horoscope, or the Fortune Teller any consideration. Apart from the Horoscope and the Fortune Teller there are people in every one of our lives that speak lies either knowingly or unknowingly into our ears. Do not give the lies whispered in all of our ears daily or the visual opportunities for sin any consideration. These lies, doctrine of devils, are contrary to the Word of God and have the evil outcome of stealing, killing, and destroying in our lives. Therefore, the study and implementation of the Word of God is so vital, we cannot recognize the lie if we do not know the Truth.
2 Timothy 2:14-16 (KJV)
14 Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers.
15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.
Jesus is the Word, the Word of Truth, and a major way by which He is able to help us (succor). Of course, another major help in the time of temptation is the Helper, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit provides us with what many refer to as a ‘check’ or the idea of proceeding with caution. Unfortunately, we often hear something, it sounds good (by worldly thinking) and we ignore or do not bother to check with God but allow our lusts to take us a whoring.
James 1:13-17 (KJV)
13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
One has to consider, if we are not tempted by God then who is the tempter, we know from the temptation of Jesus and the following verse that the main tempters are evil spirits.
1 Thessalonians 3:5 (KJV)
5 For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.
The concern of the Apostle Paul and a constant concern and frustration of every Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher, is that having given others the Truth they thrown it aside for the lie. Looking back at our text in James we see that the tempter places an idea before us and it is the exercise of our own lusts that bring destruction into our lives. This is sad for us to watch in others and it is just as sad for others to see this played out in our own lives. This happens because we will not study and do the Word of God. We must sublimate our flesh (unrenewed mind and the desires of our natural 
body). Once again, I strongly encourage every reader who has not done so to get my insightful book on Temptation at Amazon.con/Books. The writer of Hebrews tells us plainly however that we have a helper and He (Jesus our King and High Priest) is an effective Helper because He was tempted in every way in the earth as a man just as we are tempted.
Until our next publication, I speak blessing into your life right now, receive it in the name of Jesus, confess it, and walk it out with thanksgiving.
Numbers 6:24-26 (KJV)
24 The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
CONTACT E-MAIL: pastordavidwood@gmail.com
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