Category: temptation

Wise Words For These UNwise Times

Posted on by Susan Panzica

2Ch7

 

I don’t know about you, but it seems to me that today there are many squawkers, complaining about our land, how far it’s come from our founding fathers, etc.

But does God call us to complain or to humbly pray for our leaders, the media, educators, etc., and seek God’s face in the middle of the turmoil?

We do need godly people – in political office, casting votes, on the school boards, writing letters to editors, speaking up for the unborn and the downtrodden, being salt and light. ABSOLUTELY!

But we don’t need good people to do things in a bad way – to militantly declare their positions without humility or prayer or seeking God’s face or turning from their own wicked ways.

It seems that people are more interested in OTHERS turning from their wicked ways then themselves doing any turning.

As the body of Christ living in decidedly ungodly times, we are in a position to be Jesus to the world. We must take our behavioral cues from the One who set the standard to follow.

As a 24 year old Jewish girl, I became a believer in Jesus Christ because of His words in the Sermon on the Mount. When I questioned God about His command to love our enemies, He answered with His own words – “if you only love those who love you, even the (sinners) do that.” The difference between His followers and everyone else He created (yes, He created your enemies!) is that His followers speak the truth IN LOVE, they seek to LOVE UNCONDITIONALLY, they desire to LOVE and SERVE THE LEAST OF THESE.

Can we view these turbulent times as opportunities to personally develop in Christ-likeness? And to outwardly show the world the love of Christ – He who came to save THEM?

After Jesus told His disciples to love their enemies, He told them to “be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” But how can we be perfect? James, the brother of Jesus, tells us it is through our trials and challenges that we develop perseverance which, in turn, does its work making us mature, complete, perfect (James 1:2). In other words, trials and challenges are opportunities, and as JB Phillips says in his translation, “Welcome your trials as friends.”

Before we stridently say, “I believe her” or “I believe him,” can we say “I believe Him!” and act accordingly?

 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matt. 5:43-48

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The Taming of the Tongue

Posted on by Susan Panzica

match_James 3-5b-6a

On Sunday, my pastor shared a message titled How Do You Speak. In it, he rightly challenged us to use our words for good and not for evil.

How easy it is for us to quickly shoot off our mouth only to leave destruction in its wake. Yet the tongue can also be an instrument of great blessing and encouragement.

I’ve been guilty of both.

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water. James 3:9-12

A modern day extension of our tongue is our social media. How often people post things that even their tongue wouldn’t say. With our nation more polarized than ever, it’s easy to find like-minded people who further inflame our words.

We must exercise caution with our words, being quick to listen but slow to speak and become angry. As James said, the tongue is a tiny part of the body, yet like a tiny rudder controls a ship, so the tongue controls us.

But I think we can all agree that it isn’t easy to control the tongue. Even James says, “but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”

So what can we do?

I’ve decided that in addition to focusing on my tongue, I need to focus on my heart. Both Luke and Matthew say that it’s “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.”

A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. Luke 6:45

If my heart isn’t right with God, then trying to control my tongue is like trying to put a lid on a volcano. At some point, all the fire inside will erupt and overflow causing hurt and harm to others and myself.

But if it is right with God, then the outpouring of my heart will represent the God who lives there.

When I’m tempted to spout off, it’s worth my time to stop and look at what’s going on inside my volcano. What is the reason that I’m so eager to mouth off? Is there something in me that needs to change? How does Jesus see this person that is frustrating me? How much does Jesus love him/her? As much as He loves me??? Well yes, He does.

So this person or situation is giving me an opportunity to grow in Christ-likeness. Can I lose my self-righteous anger and learn to love the way that Jesus does?

Since the tongue is a tiny spark that incites great blazes, can’t we use our tongue to fan the flame of love!

 

 

 

The Lure of Attraction

Posted on by Susan Panzica
2016-08-28-bee-in-flower-heb-2-18a
Marginal Way, Ogunquit, ME

 

On vacation last month, I was playing with the camera settings on my cell phone, trying out the “selective focus mode,” wanting to look like a halfway decent photographer. And I got the shot! But I got something else too. Something not so welcome.

See the bee inside the flower? Well that little guy hitchhiked home with me! When I got back to the quiet of our hotel room, I heard a faint buzzing sound. At first I thought it was the radio of the next door neighbors. But it seemed too close to me. I checked my ipad and phone to see if there was something playing inadvertently. But no. I couldn’t find the source of the buzzing.

So I ignored it.

To my regret.

Seconds later, I felt a sharp pain at my waist. I pulled at my shorts and shirt, and out flew the hitchhiker, right out the back door!

The pain increased exponentially as a red circle began to grow around the stinger. But Tony, my hero husband, came to the rescue, removing the venom and washing it down the sink. Within a few hours, the pain, redness, and swelling were completely gone. There’s just a dot left where the stinger remains.

And of course, some life lessons remain with me too:

  1. Don’t get too close to trouble. Satan entices us with pretty little attractions. Lures that become dangerous temptations. When we draw too close to a dangerous or forbidden thing, person, or activity, we lose sight of the bigger picture. When we indulge in pride, envy, bitterness, any fruit of the flesh, it becomes an unholy dalliance. Our “selective focus” tunes out the warnings in our spirit.
  2. Hear the warnings, and heed the warnings. I heard the buzzing, but thought it was a harmless distraction. I didn’t pay attention to the possible consequences until it was too late. When that little nudge in your spirit says “don’t,” beware and be aware. Stop, look, and listen hard.
  3. Once stung, repent! Get as far away from the situation as possible, and turn to the Helper (John 16:7). Fortunately, Tony was able to reverse most of the effects of the poison. When we confess, Jesus forgives us, taking our mistakes, our failures, our transgressions, and cleansing us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:8-9).
  4. Consequences remain. Although the sting is gone, a scar remains. It’s both a physical and spiritual truth that we reap what we sow (Gal. 6:7). The pain from broken trust in relationships often lingers long after reconciliation. There may be limits, boundaries that we didn’t require before, but now need in place to keep us free from temptation.

Father, we’re so thankful to live under Your grace. May we never take it for granted. Let us strive to live holy lives, pleasing in Your sight, and keeping our eyes on You. “…and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.  And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” Matt. 6:12-13

Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted. Hebrews 2:18

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. 1 Corinthians 10:13

How Do You Measure Your Life?

Posted on by Susan Panzica

I had another post in mind to share with you today, but a quick check on facebook this morning sent me in a whole new direction.
First I saw – and shared – this picture:
Then I scrolled down and saw my daughter Lauren’s – totally unrelated – status update:
“stop thinking about what you don’t have and start thinking about what you do have.
well that’s my convicting moment of today. thank you Jesus.”
Seems a theme is going on today, yes?
When Lauren was on a mission trip in Uganda, she spent time teaching at an orphanage. The children there owned nothing but what could fit in a cigar box. And yet they eagerly shared their most prized possessions with the Americans. One young girl gave Lauren her baby picture so she would remember her. Another girl unraveled the end of the sleeve of her sweater to give Lauren a piece of yarn for a bracelet. She literally shared the clothes off her back.
Lauren didn’t want to take these treasures, but to refuse would crush these children’s hearts, as they’d mistakenly think she didn’t want to remember them.
It was a powerful lesson to appreciate what we have rather than longing for what we don’t have. Yet sadly, she – and we – have to learn this lesson over and over again.
And it’s not just “things” that we yearn for. With my mother-in-law and my dad experiencing devastating effects of aging, it’s easy to see how much they no longer have. It requires devoted effort to look past the infirmities and be thankful for the abilities that they still possess. Doing a crossword puzzle would be sheer joy to someone who lost their eyesight or mental acumen. Walking across the living room with a walker would be a thrill to one who is wheelchair-bound.
From prison, Paul wrote to his beloved friends in Phillipi, “Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him!

“Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

“Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.” (Phil. 4:4-9 MSG)

If I measure my life by what I have, my measuring cup overflows – with Jesus, my loving family and friends. When I find myself contemplating what I don’t have, I make the choice to follow Paul’s advice to meditate on what’s true and gracious, best not worst, beautiful not ugly… for that’s the secret to peace. 
How do you measure your life? 

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Popularity – American Idol Style

Posted on by Susan Panzica

Check out the kid in the “parachute pant” – the so-called “white MC Hammer” – dancing with his sister in this clip from Fox 
News: 
And they got a huge write up in the Bergen Record: 




This adorable duo are my two kids. For his 21st birthday on Thursday, AJ decided on a whim to try out for Americal Idol. The blockbuster show added a last minute audition city at the Meadowlands, just a short ride from our home. They were shooting for the humor angle. AJ facebooked:

  • Heading out for my American Idol audition with Lauren. Remember, infamy wields a much greater spotlight than fame. [take American heart-throb William Hung for example..]

Since they’re great friends as well as siblings, Lauren went along for the ride. They entertained the waiting crowds with their Party Rock Anthem dance shuffle moves. And captured LOTS of attention. “EVERYONE wanted to talk and interview us!!” And it was true – E!, Fox News, Bergen Record, NJ News 12, MTV News, Inside Edition, American Idol reps, and 102.7 FM radio all wanted a few minutes of their attention. It was all lots of fun for two charismatic kids with slightly better than average singing skills. 

And they got the golden ticket! Not to Hollywood yet, but to come back 2 days later for Rounds 2 and 3.
And my mommy radar went into overdrive. 
Sure it was great fun. But what about the bigger picture:
– What about their plans? College and beyond.
More importantly:
– What about their character? The pull of celebrity? The innate insatiable desire to be popular? . 



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“Popular” from the Broadway show “Wicked’ 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsKH2tqoFJ8

On Friday, Rick Warren tweeted the following:
“Believe me: popularity is an insidious force that will destroy your character unless you deal ruthlessly with it before God.“
I immediately texted that to my kids. Thanks Pastor Rick! 
Oh, what is it about celebrity that is so attractive? Is it wanting people to like us? Wanting to be popular? If so, then American Idol is the right name for that show, and for the culture that adores it. An idol is “1. an image or representation of a god used as on object of worship.  2. someone who is adored blindly and excessively.” In other words, an idol is anything that replaces God in our worship. When we want to be liked by people more than we care about what God thinks of us, we are in idol worship. And we must deal with it ruthlessly. 
I admit I want people to like me. I don’t like it if I think they don’t or if I feel left out. And there’s nothing wrong with wanting to connect with others. The problem is when the desire to be liked causes us to compromise, or causes us to neglect  our relationship with God in some way. 
When Jesus walked the earth, some people liked Him and some didn’t. And if not everyone liked Him, why would we expect everyone to like us? Jesus said just the opposite would be true.
“Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” Mk 13:13
“Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude and insult you and reject your name, because of the Son of Man.” Lk 6:22
“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies and do good to those who hate you.” Lk 6:27
“Everyone will hate you because of Me.” Lk 21:17
Jesus loved everyone no matter how they felt about Him. He empowers us to do the same. 
So what happened with the kids on Saturday? Well, they got a second golden ticket which took them to Round 3 and another audition, this time before the Executive Producers. That didn’t go as well. They were told that their song was not an allowed song (copyright issues we’re guessing) so they had a just few minutes to prepare another song. And in the end, they were told to strengthen their vocals and maybe audition for So You Think You Can Dance. 
Not really a surprise. Going in, AJ’s ultimate hope was just to meet Steven Tyler. They got a lot farther than they expected. Must have been their winning personalities. 
Then again, maybe it was just the pants. 


A Desperate Day – A Glorious Day

Posted on by Susan Panzica

Sept 1st.
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I set the date weeks ago.
The day both kids are off at college.
The day I will become organized, disciplined, focused.
The day I will start my healthy regimen of both diet and exercise.
The day I will block out a schedule for Tuesdays and Thursdays
(the days I don’t work from 8 am to 8 pm).
The day I set with Cheri, my accountability partner.
The day I woke up on my own at 6 am, eager to get started!
The day I went back to sleep, woke up at 7 am, went back to sleep and finally crawled out of bed at 8 am. Ugh!
The day I decided to go for a long brisk walk with my dog, but stopped to load some new Travis Cottrell worship cd’s onto my ipod first. Oh boy!
The day I stopped by the computer to check my email before I picked up my Bible to check in with the Lord. Uh-oh!
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Just yesterday I wrote about Christians who rarely read the Bible settling for just an experiential relationship with the Lord. I knew when I wrote it that I was the “chiefest of sinners” in this matter, and that I was speaking to myself as much as anyone else, yet here I was the very next day doing the same old bad habits.
I want to do what is right, but I can’t.
I want to do what is good, but I don’t.
I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.
Oh, what a miserable person I am!
Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin…?
Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 7:18-19, 24-25 NLT
. .
I saw in my email that Cheri was organizing, exercising, being accountable.
Like I was supposed to be.
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I had a choice.
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I could say, “Today is lost already. I’ll just start Thursday instead.”
Or I could say, “Okay, you lost a few hours, but get moving now!”
I chose the second.
And my day went from desperate to glorious.
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As Roxie and I set out, the day was perfect. When I entered the neighborhood arboretum where I walk, I turned to the left instead of my normal route to the right and witnessed some beautiful new sights along the way as I worshipped the Lord with my new tunes!
A new gazebo was being installed.
A rainbow shimmered in the spray of the fountain.
A family of ducks gently skimmed their way across the pond.
A new bench was under the trees near a grove of 8 foot tall magnificent plants I never saw before.
My 20 minute excursion lasted almost an hour.
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At the beginning of our walk, Roxie rubbed her face on the ground because of the Gentle Leader around her nose (see her feelings about that here.) After a warning from me, she continued to walk ahead of me, but would often turn around to check to see if she was on the right track.
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After the Lord so gently chided me, I plan to keep checking with Him to make sure I’m on the right track!
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So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
And because you belong to Him,
the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin.
Romans 8:1-2
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My accountability email from Cheri ended with these words, “There are obvious blessings in this day……….and some not so easily recognized! I hope He makes you aware of all of them!!!!”
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I’m thanking God that so far He made me aware of many of them, and I’m anticipating more to come!
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If you would like to join me in my quest for discipline, please let me know. You can comment on the blog or privately send me an email. We can be accountability partners through the miracle of the internet! Let us encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today… Heb. 3:13


the new gazebo . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . the rainbow in the spray

the new bench by the grove

Susan

Satan’s Convention

Posted on by Susan Panzica

This story has floated around the internet for years, but I still find it convicting when it passes my way again.

Satan’s Convention
Satan called a worldwide convention. In his opening address to his evil angels, he said, “We can’t keep the Christians from going to church. We can’t keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth. We can’t even keep them from conservative values. But we can do something else.
“We can keep them from forming an intimate, abiding relationship experience in Christ. If they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken. So let them go to their churches; let them go to church and have their conservative lifestyles, but steal their time, so they can’t gain that experience with Jesus Christ. This is what I want you to do, angels. Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!
“How shall we do this?” shouted his angels.
“Keep them busy in the non essentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds. Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, then borrow, borrow, borrow. Persuade the wives and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles. Keep them from spending time with their children. As their family fragments, soon, their home will offer no escape from the pressures of work!
“Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice. Entice them to play the radio or CD player whenever they drive, to keep the TV, VCR, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their home. And see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays music constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ.
“Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day. Invade their driving moments with billboards. Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services and false hopes.
“Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their recreation exhausted, disquieted and unprepared for the coming week. Don’t let them go out in nature to reflect on God’s wonders. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, concerts and movies instead. And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences and unsettled emotions.
“Let them be involved in soul-winning. But crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Christ. Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health & family unity for the good of the cause.”
It was quite a convention in the end. The evil angels went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busy, busy, busy and more rushed, going here and there.
Has Satan been successful? You be the judge.
Susan

Daredevils

Posted on by Susan Panzica

Yesterday morning on the Today show, Nik Wallenda of the Flying Wallendas crossed between 2 buildings on a tightwire – 12 stories up – on a bicycle – without a net!! At every commercial break, the anchors said to stay tuned for “Daredevil Nik Wallenda”. Got me thinking about that word – daredevil.

You and I may not attempt to cross a high-wire, go base-jumping, or scale a skyscraper, but we may be daredevils nevertheless.

I’m not referring to those certain sinful behaviors that are clearly defined as acts of the sinful nature (drunkenness, sexual immorality, outbursts of anger). Consider this – we are being a daredevil when we secretly harbor bitterness in our hearts. Paul calls bitterness a “root”, and like Jack and the Beanstalk, that root will grow and eventually overtake us. When we are consumed with bitterness, our focus is not on God, but on the person we resent. Often, that person has no idea and is walking around carefree, and meanwhile we are so focused on them that they actually have control over us! Any move they make elicits a response in us. I have heard it said that: “Bitterness does more damage to the vessel that contains it than to the object on which it is poured.” It is like an acid that burns inside, even if we are smiling on the outside.

How about secret jealousies, longings, pride, entertaining temptations (even if we never act on them)? Or what about busyness? We can be so busy that our time with our Savior is at the bottom of our to-do list. All these make us “daredevils” as we keep our toe in the polluted ocean hoping not to get bitten by the powerful shark lurking nearby.

I once saw a Christian T-shirt that said, “I’m a confident Christian. Bring on the lions.” Whoa, yes – we can be confident that Satan is a defeated foe. He has no power over us, and cannot even touch us unless he gets the go-ahead from the Lord, our protector. But Peter tells us he is like a “lion, prowling around seeking someone to devour.” I say he is like a lion whose teeth have been knocked out. We need not live in constant fear of the enemy, but a lion without teeth is still a potent adversary, and we would do well to keep our focus on our Savior, our Protector, our Deliver, our Redeemer. Keep our focus in His Word, and let it nourish us so that we may be strong to resist temptation. Focus is what daredevil Nik Wallenda needed to cross the tightwire, and focus is what we need to safely navigate our way, too.

Susan