He uses fiery trials to enlist us.
Prior to this instance, in the previous chapter (John 20:22), Jesus showed Himself to Peter and others and breathed on them that they might receive the Holy Ghost. This was the indwelling. It would be followed by the infilling. Once He is in, if we will remain empty of self, we can be filled with Him.

Peter, having just been emptied through his trial “by a fire,” was about to be enlisted through his trial “by a fire.” It would develop Him to be full of the presence of God. As he sat by a fire of coals with fish laid thereupon, we see Jesus challenging Peter as He says, “feed my sheep (lambs).” What made this man full of denial so valuable to the soon to be departing Lord Jesus? He was emptied, filled, and useful for strengthening the brethren who needed conversion back to the Truth.

So, Peter begins his ministry, having been emptied and enlisted. But, he would soon find another trial by a fire, and this trial would empower him.

He uses fiery trials to empower us.
This third trial by a fire came when Peter was huddled with the other disciples in the upper room. When, suddenly, a might rushing wind came upon them. With this wind came cloven tongues of what? You guessed it . . . fire! This fire would empower Him. It was not the Holy Ghost in Him. For, that had happened in John 20. It was the Holy Ghost coming UPON Him. It was a result of a man being emptied of self, filled with the Spirit, enlisted by Christ, and then empowered by that Spirit as the filling poured out. He was filled UP until it flowed ON. That’s what the word UPON means–up, and then on! The Spirit was IN, then UP, and then ON! But, it took a few fiery trials.

Because Peter was emptied, he could be filled. Because he could be filled, he was indwelt. Because he was indwelt, he could be enlisted. Because he embraced his enlistment, he WAS filled. Because he was filled, he could be empowered. Because he WAS empowered, nearly ten thousand people were saved within a few days.

I guess the devil should have thought twice, before he sought permission to sift ole’ Peter, huh? And my friend, likewise with you and I need to think twice. It is a privilege to be worthy, like Jesus, who was led of the Spirit. To be “considered” worthy, like Job, whom God Himself suggested to Satan. To be “requested” like Peter, who Satan personally requested. To be “counted” worthy, like Paul, whom Satan delegated to a personal messenger.

Remember these passage paraphrases? Jesus telling us to feel “blessed when we are reviled, persecuted, and heavily criticized.” Paul telling us that he would “MOST GLADY glory in his infirmities.” Peter telling us to “rejoice as partakers in Christ’s sufferings during the fiery trials which try you.” Peter actually said to not even think it strange to enjoy your suffering?

Rejoice in fiery trials?! Most gladly glory in my weaknesses?! Be blessed while persecuted?! How can I do this? Accept my temptations as examinations. When I pass them, I am to rejoice and be blessed. When I fail them, I should make adjustments in my weakened walk that was revealed to me during His private examination, and then and only then, can I be emptied for His filling, enlisted to be full, and empowered till overflowing.

The disappearing of self automatically initiates the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ and OUR praise (commendation), honor (promotion), and glory (observation). Want to be noticed a little more for your hard work? Want to be commended for your efforts? Want to be promoted for your sacrifices? Change your focus of a temptation to an examination and let Him do something about your failing grades.

In this issue, we discussed our multiplication of temptation (the cause). In the next issue, I hope to discuss the maturation of temptation (the effect), and then the meditation of temptation (cure).

The word praise means “worth commending.” The word honor means “worth promoting.” The word glory means “worth observing.” So, we can conclude that if we accept our temptations as examinations from God, we will determine, whether we pass or fail, who or Whom we are depending upon. With the exposé of His examination, we can make the necessary adjustments in our life to regain and remain situated IN Christ.

Once we have retained our position IN Christ, His presence appears in the midst of our difficulties. That presence brings us commendation, promotion, and observation (praise, honor, and glory) that can only be experienced when He appears, not me. The presence of the Lord Jesus in my life is clear evidence that I have decreased, and He has increased. What does it take for that to happen? One thing: a fiery trial of temptation. God has three purposes for fiery trials.

He uses fiery trials to empty us.
Peter knew a little bit about fiery trials, didn’t he? Remember the passage in Matthew where Peter was warming his hands by a what? You guessed it . . . a fire! It wasn’t long, before he was weeping bitterly because of his failed temptation that he would surely deny Christ, thrice.
But what truth from Christ preceded Peter’s first failed fiery trial? It was the revelation that Christ made to Peter indicating Satan desired access to Peter, “that he may sift you as wheat.” Jesus could have kept that potential fiery trial at bay, but instead Jesus responded with this, “I have prayed for you.” Great! Thanks a lot! He could stop it from happening. He could disallow it. He could empower Peter through it. But rather, He allows the sifting and instead accepts it as an opportunity to pray. What was the prayer? Very simple “that your faith fail not”!

That blows my mind! Jesus knew that Peter’s faith was in self and that Satan wanted access as a result of his vulnerability, and Jesus allowed it. Why would He allow a weaker brother to be sifted by fiery trials of temptation? Peter was full of himself and Christ needed Peter to be empty of self in order to fill him with the Spirit.

Though Satan wants to exploit us through temptation, God has greater intention for His examinations. It is to expose us, not to the world, but to ourselves. It is our neglect of our own personal examinations that leads Him to put us through private examinations. It is our rejection of the results from His private examinations that leads us to the humiliation of a public exploitation. Remember, if God doesn’t succeed in exposing us to us, the devil will eventually succeed in exploiting us to others.

After Jesus indicated that Peter was being prayed for, that his faith fail not, Jesus then said something very similar to what James repeated in our opening verse of this article. “When you are converted,” this is to say, when you have turned back to Christ. I guess Jesus knew that His prayer request WASN’T going to be answered, for He says, “when” you are turned back to me. I want you to “strengthen the brethren.” Aha! Now we see the cumulative power of restoration from the examination of temptation. Our conversion back to Christ will allow us to strengthen other believers to do the same. We can assist in the conversion of other believers back to Christ. Amen!

But, this was not the only time that Peter experienced a trial by a fire. The second time was after the resurrection of our Lord when Jesus was standing on the shore as Peter and his fishing buddies were fishing, sixty yards off the coast. Upon recognizing it was Jesus, Peter swam to the shore and was met by what? You guessed it . . . another fire! The first fire emptied him. The second fire would enlist him.

So, we have an admonition for the body of Christ to actively participate in bearing the burdens of tempted people. We, as believers, ought not only to overcome our own bouts with temptations, but we ought to sustain other brethren through their temptations and save them in their failed errs from the truth, as well.

This is the view taught by James. I enjoy learning the Spirit-led views of the apostles, especially when they so clearly match (especially in their vocabulary words) the very same views of other apostles. It helps me to accept by faith the many difficult positions in Scripture that we must embrace.

One such view that James shares with Peter is the position that temptation should be an enjoyable, albeit successful, trial. Both James, in chapter one, and Peter, in chapter one of his first book refers to it as such. I find this position difficult to embrace. It’s hard to believe that someone can actually enjoy the process of temptation that leads to personal victory.

I have surely experienced victory over temptations and determine it is sweet, but these men go so far as enjoying the anticipation of victory, in the face of temptation. They come to believe that whether enduring or escaping temptation, the process is even sweeter to them than MY victories are to me!

We see this plainly taught in First Peter 1:6, “Ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations.” Notice that they are not only experiencing individual acts of joy in their temptations, but that they are experiencing repeatable acts of joy. That’s what rejoicing means. It is joy that repeats itself!

Why are they in this time of temptation? Peter says, “Because you need to be”! Though they are in heaviness because of God’s determination that they need to experience a season of temptation, they are rejoicing over it all. How easy does that seem to comprehend for you?!

But then, Peter defines what he means when he uses the word temptation, for the word temptation in our passage is followed in the Bible with a colon (:). A colon is a punctuation that precedes an explanation.

So, we know that Peter is now going to explain what a temptation is. His definition is found in the next phrase: the trial of your faith. The word trial means “examination.” The word faith is the word “confidence, or dependence.” God is going to examine Who or who your faith is depending upon. In who or Whom is your confidence? If it is in the flesh, you shall fail. If it is IN the Lord, you shall be safe.

So, we can conclude that what the devil determines to be a temptation, God intends to be an examination. It’s an examination that we may learn to discern the position of our heart. Are we IN Him or on the verge of being IN sin?

These folks found manifold temptation (or various trials of our dependence) even more precious to them than temporal treasures. For Peter discerned, “the trial of [their] faith” was “much more precious than of gold that perisheth.” How do you find such faith that would find its trials of temptations to be a priceless reward worthy of rejoicing? Of course, this faith is the faith that often lies dormant within us, for it is the seventh fruit of the Spirit. It is not my faith. It is His faith.

Peter taught these “strangers” in Asia (verse one) that, even though their faith is “tried with fire,” it should be “found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” This appearing of Jesus Christ is NOT referring to His second coming. It is referring to His consistent outpouring. It is Christ APPEARING to others in the midst of our adversities.

Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. James 5:19-20

Did you know that temptations begat more temptations – not less, no matter if you succeed or fail? A failed temptation only leads to the degradation of future temptations. Success in the wiles of temptations, or victory over our vices may bring us new levels. But new levels only bring new devils. Thus, I have learned that success breeds more difficult temptations and failure breeds more harmful temptations. It’s a never ending cycle. It would be nice if God saw our battles and gave us a break, wouldn’t it?

Wouldn’t it be nice if a victory over temptation could add up to less temptation? Sorry, can’t happen! Maybe, if we could succeed more often, God would divide our temptations over time, giving us more rest from the wicked? No chance! How about periods of success with NO failure? Could that lead our longsuffering Lord to actually subtract from future temptations? Uh, uh! Temptations, no matter if we succeed or fail, will only multiply.

Even when we are “trying harder to do better,” we are unable to hinder the multiplication of temptation. The little train that “thought it could” was good motivation for climbing hills but bad advice for spiritual maturity.

But, when we fail, I have learned, God has people He uses to restore us into a renewed relationship with Him. Aren’t you glad that the Lord never gives up on us?

In James 5:19-20, we are introduced to one who desperately needs such mercy from His Maker, the Lord. It is someone who has erred from the truth. The word erred means “wander.” Let’s meet a Christian who, as a result of a failed temptation, has “wandered over yonder”! These verses say, “Brethren, if any of you do err (or, wander) from the truth, and one convert him (or, change his position); Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.”

We see in this passage, two persons being discussed. The one is the wandered brethren. He has erred from the truth, and strayed from the influence of the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe that this phrase, “err from the truth,” is a manifestation of somebody caught in a temptation. He has faced a level of devil too big for his current walk; thus, the tempted brethren erred from the Truth—Jesus.

The second person discussed is the one reaching out to convert the erred brethren. He invests in those who wander, that he may change their position from erring away from Jesus to returning to His position IN Jesus.
To convert somebody back to Christ, is to convince them to change their position from their selfish leading to being Spirit led once again, from wandering away from the truth to remaining IN the truth.

The person who invests in changing the position of a sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death. Now, that could be referring to a premature physical death as a result of an error, but it always is referring to the subsequent spiritual death we experience when we lose fellowship with the Son in our spirit.

Are you having a hard time enduring the circumstance in which you find yourself? Make no mistake about it, we’ve all been there and will be there again. But some of us have learned a few things through it all; and sometimes it’s helpful to hear from them on the mountain, when you are struggling in the valley. But first, can I share another popular verse with you? You remember it surely. “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations: Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience, But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”

Let’s dissect and define a couple of words. The word count here means to consider. Consider it all joy when you fall into divers – again, the same meaning as Peter’s word manifold – or various temptations.

Now what exactly is a temptation? Is it something sinful that you want? Peter taught, as James says, that if you would just count it joy to resist that temptation, you will receive patience. And that patience will have its perfect work, and you will be made entire or whole.

My friend, do you ever feel as though you are facing multiple temptation examinations, and are having a difficult time maintaining joy in the midst? You face whammy after whammy and say, “I would have more joy if I knew there was going to be an end in sight, but it just seems as though this will never end!”

Words mean things and our RU definition teaches us that at times like this, we are actually lacking the cheerful, calm delight and rejoicing in our particular circumstances. Instead, we yield to the frustrations of life. This position can seriously be a place of misery.

Yet, we know in our hearts we are to have joy because the Bible says “count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations” But, how do we obtain this joy while being battered and shattered over and over again?

The Bible speaks of two ways in which we are to overcome or resist evil and the evil one. Revelation 12:11 says, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony.”

Let me reiterate, it is through the resistance of the temptation that we experience His spiritual release of joy. We have such a testimony in our lives, times past and in recent times, I am sure. As well, we have the testimony of others, whom have faced temptation and overcame the evil one-oh what joy exudes from the VICTORIOUS Christian life. When I am able though Christ to resist over and over again temptations that come my way, then I will have the “right to delight in my victory over the Dark Knight.”

Good morning again, friends. We’ve all heard the saying “jump for joy”. Children are extremely good at jumping for joy over exciting events in life. Unfortunately, as we grow older, we become more reticent, often preferring to take a low key approach to our expressions of happiness; we tend to be less extreme. But one man in the Bible, namely David, had no compunction to constrain himself when it came to expressing his joy. In 2 Samuel 6, we read the story of David bringing the Ark of the Covenant to the house of Obededom. But after hearing how God blessed Obededom’s house as a result of the presence of the Ark, David brought it back to Jerusalem. As it was entering the city, the residents observed David dancing (or leaping and jumping in joy) before the Lord. (2 Samuel 6:14) As a matter of fact, everybody else was doing the same thing except for one person: Michal, David’s wife.

She really tried to put a damper on David’s joy. Though he was delighted, she instead was resentful and determined to have nothing to do with it. David resisted her efforts to diminish his joy. He told her, “It was before the Lord who chose me above your father (Saul) and above all his house, to appoint me ruler the people of the Lord, over Israel; therefore I will celebrate the Lord.”(v.21) Michal was cursed for her resentment to David’s excitement. Her taunting cost the blessing of offspring. The last verse in the chapter says that Michal had no child to the day of her death.

In Psalm 5:11 we read, “let all who take refuge in Thee be glad. Let them ever sing for joy; and mayest thou shelter them, that those who love Thy name may exult in Thee.” God wants us as excited over His work as David was over His Ark! Anything less is apathy toward God’s great decencies!

There is a children’s game called Red Rover. Groups of children make two teams and join hands in a long line, facing each other at a distance. The aim of the game is to break through the other team’s line. The captain of one of the teams calls out, “Red Rover, Red Rover, send (a name of an opposing team member) on over.” That teammate then gets a running start and charges the other line. The runner is looking for the weakest link in the chain. He is trying to break their grip with his weight and speed. He is running, anticipating the joy of breaking their resistance. Of course, those players are tightening their grips to withstand the pressure. They are also trying to demoralize the runner by shouting insults, “Aw, you’ll never make it, you wimp!” If the runner breaks through, he chooses one of the players in the line to join his team. If he is not successful, he must join the team who endured his assault on their line. It is interesting to note that since all the players are on the winning team at the end of the game, there are really no losers. So everybody gets to celebrate!

As believers, we should be as single minded as David and these children. We should be anticipating the promise of abundance of joy, which is a calm rejoicing in every circumstance in life. We should be running strongly toward, not erring (wandering) from the opposition. When Satan tightens his grip, we must join hands with the Lord, resisting (being steadfast and unmovable against) the devil, turning a deaf ear to those who would taunt us. The joy of the Lord will be our strength.

“Red Rover, Red Rover, spread excitement all over!”

Good Morning! As you get ready for the day, are you prepared to face the enemy? He will either attack or plan an attack today…are you prepared?

There are many different ways to fight an enemy. Indeed, it is important for us to strategize offensive measures for the perpetual warfare in which we are engaged against our archenemy: the prince of darkness; but it is equally important for us to understand how to defend ourselves when we are under demonic attack.

One of the enemy’s primary tools of destruction is tempting us into turmoil and tribulation. Satan’s goal is to tempt us to trust in ourselves or in external, erroneous information so that we may lose our confidence in the faith of Christ. The devil knows that once our heart becomes focused on our own faith, we will become discouraged and forfeit valuable place to him.

The Bible tells us in Ephesians 4:27 to “neither give place to the devil.” You see, when we allow ourselves to keep wrong thoughts on our hearts, we will inevitably surrender precious real estate to the devil, and he will use this to try to destroy us. Battles are almost always fought to gain territory. The phrase Paul uses to enunciate this forfeiture is to give place. The word place is the old English translation of the Greek word topos, which literally means topography or territory.

It is important to realize that the devil may not build anything on the territory we render him right away. Oh no, the Angel of Light is more cunning than that. He knows that if he moves too quickly, he will alarm us to the fact he is constructing strongholds in our lives. More often than not, the devil will patiently wait until we have allowed him to reside within our minds—the conceded territory—for a period of time so that he may silently construct infrastructure in our thought processes that he will later use to devour us.

So we see that it is absolutely imperative that we are diligent in our guard and not allow the enemy to capture any territory in our minds. Again, one of the primary ways the devil will seek to advance upon us is through temptation. If his tactic of temptation is successful, we will be faced with an onslaught of turmoil that will likely interrupt our peace and overwhelm our meditations. My friends, Jesus clearly tells us that He does not want this to occur. Let us take a look at a portion of Scripture that demonstrates this truth.

We see here that one of the Comforter’s––the Holy Spirit’s––primary jobs is to bring things to our remembrance. It must be noted, however, that if the Spirit is to bring something to our remembrance, it must first have been something that we previously had known. In other words, we cannot remember something that has never been a part of our memory!

Knowing this, it is clear that God intends for us to prepare for turmoil by spending quality time in His Word and committing the knowledge therein to memory. When we do this, God promises us, the Comforter will enable us to remain at peace in the midst of difficult circumstances and not fall victim to temptation and its resulting turmoil.

Have you spent quality time with Him this morning? Have you committed to memorizing what God needs to bring to your mind later? When the devil brings an attack, are you ready…or His peace do you lack?