Episode 119: The need for Temptations

In the name of the glorious Trinity, Father and Son and Holy

Spirit, forever Amen. Glory be to the.

Everlasting mercies which? Sent you to us, O Christ, the

light of the world and the life of all.

Give us wisdom by your law and enlighten our impulses by Your

knowledge. Sanctify our souls by your

truth, and grant that we may be obedient to your words and may

fulfil Your commandments at every hour.

O You who enlightens the rational with the knowledge of

Your greatness, do enlight, O my.

Lord, our thoughts. That we may meditate upon Your

holy and divine Scriptures at all times, O Lord of all, Father

and Son. And Holy Spirit forever.

Amen. One very common experience we

will and we all share and admit that it is intensified during

fasting. During this period of Lent of

fasting is temptation. Now why did I say during fast or

during the time of Lent? The great fast and during any

fasting is number one? Because Adam and Eve, our first

parents were tempted while fasting.

Genesis chapter 3 verse three we read.

Genesis 3 · chapter mention

But of the fruit of the tree, which is in the midst of the

garden, God has said, you shall not eat of it, said Eve.

To the Satan or to the serpent. So our biological fathers were

tempted while they were abstaining.

Always remember fasting meanings means abstaining.

They didn't eat Christ praise and glory be to his name.

In Matthew chapter 4 verses 2:00 and 3:00 and also in the Gospel

Matthew 4 · chapter mention

of Luke fasted and Luke comments that he did not eat for 40 days

and 40 nights. Then the tempter Satan

approached him to tempt him. So 2 We who are Adam like by

nature, and Christ like by grace, must prepare and accept

the attacks of the tempter, as we too have entered our

wilderness fasting. If you are not enduring

temptation, it is because of one or two reasons.

Either you are complete in faith and deeds and have overcome the

tempter that is Satan, or you are in compliance in faith and

deeds with the tempter himself. But for those who are struggling

while fasting, if you're struggling with temptation, do

not fret, Don't worry, don't throw in the towel, but be

encouraged. Actually be joyous and count it

your blessings. Take it as a blessing.

Now you may be asking what, what or is it what or why?

Well, remember, we or you are by nature a human being.

You're an Adamite created by God in his image and his likeness.

Whom? Lucifer, Isaiah chapter 14 verse

Isaiah 14:12

12, the fallen Angel Lucifer or in the Aramaic shut the version

wailer at dawn. That is Satan himself despises,

he despises you, he despises us. We're Alamites.

We're created by God in his image and his like in likeness

and also we or you are Christ like by nature Christ whom the

tempter had the audacity to dare to tempt and try to cause to

concede to his temptation. An alarming yet encouraging

verse in Luke chapter 23 verse 31 is this Jesus says for if

Luke 23:31

they that is the Romans who did what they did to Jesus Christ

for if they are doing these things which with Greenwood,

what will happen with the dried wood.

Now let's put it in the fasting perspective.

If Christ, that green tree, that ever flourishing and everlasting

and continuous and ever living on account of His divinity, who

was laden with fruits, bearing much fruits of His teachings

which nourished everyone, He was treated how He was by Satan,

what will He not do to you and I who are barren of holiness, of

righteousness and are so fruitless?

What will He do to us? He tempted Jesus Christ our

Lord, our Savior, the Son of man, the Son of God, God

Incarnate. He tempted him.

What will he do to you and I? We say in Assyrian, he will play

football with us or tennis or basketball.

What are we going to call it? He will play havoc with us,

beloved, especially during fasting, because that's what

we're talking about. So yes, let's rejoice and take

courage being tempted and learn from them, beloved, understand

them, fathom them, learn what from them.

Again, since we are being tempted, we are also tried or we

are tested by God during Satan's temptations, not God's

temptations. And we're going to read the

verse which we've quoted many times.

But as a refresher, when we are tempted by Satan, we are tested

by God as well. So during that time, let's

rejoice, let's not fret, but let's bear the burden of the

temptations. However, bear them not through

your own strength, knowledge and wisdom.

Know our ability, but bear them through the grace of God, the

strength that God will give us through by his grace and mercy

graciously in one Corinthians chapter 10 verse 13, we read no

temptation has has come upon you.

No temptation has come upon you except that of the children of

men. That is temptations are owing to

the weakness of the flesh because the flesh is weak.

The flesh has the desires. Temptations come upon those evil

desires. Now that's why Jesus took on our

flesh. Praise and glory be to his name.

He took on the weakness of our not that he is weak, not that he

is evil hastily. No, no, no.

But he took on this weak, excuse me, defiled and fruitless flesh

that was overcome by Satan and the temptation in the Garden of

Eden to overcome Satan through his obedience.

So no temptation has come upon you except that of the children

of men. That means that means you know

human beings. But God, see, God is faithful,

not men. Not men.

That's why we need to seek God's grace and to give us strength to

overcome these temptations. Not men.

It is God's assistance we need to ask and to pray for.

Lord help me, Lord, grant me the prudence.

Lord, grant me the alertness to be awake, to be watchful during

these times, and to be to be awake and to understand and to

choose and to be prudent to know what is the temptation of Satan.

And the verse goes on to say, God is faithful who shall not

allow you to be tempted more than whatever you are able, but

shall make an exit for your temptation so that you can

endure. God will find a way for you, not

you. So this is the problem.

We try to overcome our temptations through our own

knowledge and understanding and strength.

No, no, no, God will find a way. God will find the exit.

God will find the way that you will exit your temptation so

that you can endure them. So endure them because knowing

that God will, will, will, will, will, there will come a time

where God will help you to exit those temptations.

Our ability to bear our temptations comes from the grace

of God, beloved, which we obtained by asking him now, not

asking him according to our will, according to our

understanding and our knowledge. No, no, no, according to his

will, His timing. See, Saint Paul had a

temptation. Saint Paul had a had a struggle

from the enemy which is Satan in Second Corinthians chapter 12

2 Corinthians 12:9

verse 9, God's answer to Saint Paul who three times constantly

requested for the removal of the thorn in his flesh.

Now you know, I, I heard, I heard once someone was preaching

and if you pray to the Lord and you do not receive, you do not

have faith. What Saint Paul, who wrote 2/3

of the Bible of the New Testament three times, asked God

to take that thorn away from his flesh three times.

So he did not have faith because God did not cure him.

No, no, no. But God replied to him, my grace

is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.

So if someone says to you, are you asking and you're not

receiving, you don't have faith, you say no, no, no, no, no.

You can't judge my faith. You don't know because it could

be God's grace that is sufficient for me.

And God could be using me for his power to be perfected in my

weakness. So if there is no removal of

temptations, no ease, God may be showing His strength through

you. God may be perfecting His

strength through you to show that you can do through God and

to persevere and not grumble when we are tempted.

Let us also keep in mind, beloved, the reason for our

temptations. See, we forget this.

We, we, we sometimes overlook and sometimes we, you know, we

ignore it, purposely ignore it. No, no, no, the reason for our

temptation as state stated by Saint James in chapter 1 verse

14. We are tempted from our own

desires and lusts and we are seduced our own desires and our

lusts, evil desires and our lusts, which are our weaknesses,

our foolishness and our desires. Let's identify our desires and

lusts that subdue us to sin. Why?

Because these are the target point for Satan to shoot his

flaming arrows. Be aware one man's desires and

lusts become Satan's target for his flaming arrows of

temptation. Now you may be thinking, you may

be saying, you may be whispering, you may be

grumbling, you may be screaming, I don't know.

You may be you may be asking father, what if I failed?

What if I have conceded and giving given into my temptation

cause of my evil, weakness and foolishness and Foley do I go

and visit in and out? Do I go?

Straight to Namino or patrol or craving kebabs and it's done.

Throwing my my towel and go back to my normal eating and normal,

you know, daily routine and don't worry about fast and do I

break my fast? You know, I said in the Assyrian

section, sometimes we so ponder on things that are truly

irrelevant, specially the food factor.

Yeah, there are times when we've we've witnessed that, you know,

you accidentally eat something that have some dairy products

and then and then someone will say, oh, there was butter in

there. Like what have you done?

Like relax, relax. OK.

Not what goes in a man defiles a man.

It's what come out what comes out of a man defiles a man.

Now, I don't mean that we don't fast from food.

We spoke about this last last episode, right?

No, you don't throw in the towel because you had a speck of

butter or or cheese or what have you.

No, don't throw in the towel because you conceded to your

temptation, because you took your eyes of the grace of God,

because you, you, you, you, you put down your, your shield of

protection and you put down your guard in front of Satan the

tempter and you fell. No, no, get up.

Pick up and continue where you left.

Continue where you left off. Learning from your mistake and

Foley. Learn from it because you are

weak now. Don't take for granted and don't

take lightly because I I continue to concede in my

weaknesses and my temptation and I say no.

Don't take it lightly, but learn from it.

Why? Why did I concede?

What was the cause of me to concede?

It was a best friend. Well, cut off that best friend

is a family friend. Cut off that family friend.

Not hate and have nothing to do. No, cut it off if it was a

specific place, cut off that specific place.

Jesus instructs and and commands.

If your eye causes you to sin, gadget out and it's not only

seeing things. No, the church fathers say that

and comment that this eye could also mean a very special person,

a very special friend, a very special relative family friend.

No, cut that person out. Cut that place out and then

continue to toil and struggle and soldier on.

Continue, beloved, continue to enter the narrow gate.

Enter. Strive to enter the narrow gate.

Continue. Don't give up.

Why? Because Jesus, who took on our

flesh. Now what does that mean again?

Took on that putrid flesh, that sinful evil desired flesh, took

it on, was born with it, then faced Satan and hammered Satan,

put Satan to naughty to nil, hammered Satan with these

temptations, took it into the baptism, by the way, he took it

in the waters of baptism to cleanse it and hammered Satan

with it. And then started to preach and

give hope to flesh to US one more time, and then took it up

on the cross and nailed it to the cross.

This Jesus Christ is not a Lord who awaits to condemn, to be had

to hang. No, no, he doesn't do that.

He's a merciful, gracious Jesus Christ.

Why does he not wait to condemn, to behead, and to hang?

Because he understands He has been there and overcome that.

Not been there and done that. No has the He has been there and

overcome that. Now there is a verse that is

probably coming to mind of those who read their Holy Scriptures.

Yes, Hebrews chapter 4 verses 15 to 16.

Hebrews 4:15–16

We do not have a high priest. A side note for those who teach

and argue that there is no more priesthood, well #1 nothing that

is God's and is of Jesus Christ ends.

It's eternal. This priesthood is eternal.

So if Jesus is the high priest and he is, if he is the high

priest, which priest is the the height of what priesthood?

The priesthood that is now in the Apostolic churches.

Amen. God bless you.

Let's go on. So for he, for we do not have a

high priest who cannot suffer or sympathize with our weakness,

but one who was tempted in all things like we are.

So you're going through a temptation and you've dropped

the ball and you've conceded to your temptation and have sinned.

Well, Jesus was tempted in all things like you are.

Take heart, guy, Come on, come on.

How beautiful is this? You should be now if you feel

gloomy because you know you've during this time again, you've

felt you should get up now and praise the Lord and say, Oh my

God, thank you, Lord God, thank you.

Yes, you were tempted in all things like I am, but you did

not sin. You're apart from sin.

You are. You are perfect.

So we have a high priest who sympathizes with us because he

was tempted, but he did not sin. And then Saint Paul says, here

it is. This is what you do if you ask

the question, what do I do if I sin and if I drop the ball, if

I've, if I've done something that I shouldn't during, during

Lent? This is what Paul is saying.

Let's come, therefore, publicly to the throne of His grace.

Come out, cry it out. I'm going to go back to the

throne of the grace of Jesus Christ, the mercy of Jesus

Christ. Why?

So that I receive that mercy and that I shall find grace to help

in a time of suffering. I'm suffering now, and there is

the grace. I have now been comforted.

Lord, You were tempted. You know what I'm going through,

but you didn't sin. Forgive me, Lord.

Forgive me, Lord, grant me the strength to to learn from why I

have come where I am, to learn why I've defiled myself, and

grant me the strength to continue to trust in You and not

to go back to my vomit like a dog who returns back to his

vomit. You shall find grace.

That is the power to overcome temptation.

By grace, beloved. I want to share with you Saint

John Chrysostom on some of his homilies and writings on

fasting. He writes yes, for therefore you

took up arms. You've taken up arms where from

the time of baptism you receive the Holy Spirit.

You have been enlisted in the army of God from the time of

your baptism. Yes, for therefore you took up

arms not to be idle, but to fight.

Meaning there's going to be a competition.

Satan is going to attempt not only during fasting, but we're

talking about the length. Remember last week's program,

not only the 40 days or the seven weeks, no, this got to

continue your, your war. War is going to your battles,

going to continue, not to be idle, but to fight for this

cause. Neither that God, neither does

God hinder the temptations as they come on you.

He won't, at times He won't stop these temptations.

He will allow the temptations to come to you.

Why? First, to teach you that you

have become much stronger when you overcome that evil habit,

that demon that is within you, whether it's gambling,

pornographic, sexual immorality, homosexuality, you know, fraud,

extortion, gossip, cussing, drunk hardness, whatever it is,

drugs, whatever it is, when you overcome them, you are stronger.

Because through those temptations God has strengthened

you. 2nd that you may continue modest, neither be exalted even

by the greatness of your gifts. He writes the temptations having

power to repress you. So you go through temptations.

When you go through that temptation and you sometimes

stumble and fall, that's God telling you you're not perfect

yet. Don't take on the world.

Just because you've read 2 pages of the scriptures and three

verses from the Gospel of John, the divine Gospel of John,

doesn't mean you are a macho spiritual man.

You got to be careful. You got to continue to fight

because Satan is going to continue to tempt you and God

will allow that to strengthen you and to humble you.

So through our temptations, we are humbled.

When I am tempted, I must be humbled and say, Lord, I need

you, Lord, forgive me, Lord, at your feet.

And he goes on to say, third, in order that the wicked demon who

is for a while doubtful about your desertion, your abandonment

of him, which he thinks, no, no, you know what this guy's is?

This is my he's, he's, he's on my side.

This guy is mine. But through temptation, when he

thinks that you are his, by the standard of temptations, may be

well assured that you have utterly forsaken and fallen from

Him. Through your temptations, you're

overcoming the temptations. By the grace of God, Satan knows

that you have fallen from him. You have forsaken him.

You are not his property. You are the property of Jesus

Christ who brought you by his blood.

Fourthly, that you may in this way be made stronger and better

tempered, toughened than any still through temptation.

When you overcome, you become even stronger to continue to

fight the battle, to continue to take on the fiery flames, the

the, the, the the fiery arrows, flaming arrows of Satan, to

continue to stand steadfast even if you fall, even if you fall.

And lastly, that you may obtain a a clear demonstration of the

treasures, that is the eternal life entrusted to you.

Yes, our prayers should be as taught by Jesus Christ.

Do not lead us into trials that come from the temptations, but

if you do, Lord, deliver me from the defeat, the pleasure and

satisfaction of the evil. 1 Saint Ephrem the Assyrian writes

To men that are just and upright temptations become helps, think

about that. To people, let me put it this

way. To those that are just and

upright temptations become helps.

Think about it, beloved. So join me in beseeching the

Lord and saying Lead me not into trials, but deliver me from the

evil 10. Gracious Lord God, praise and

glory be to your name now and at all times and forever.

Amen. We hope you enjoyed this week's

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Until next time, God bless you all.