Episode 27: Benefits of 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. Oh, Christ the light of the

world and the life of all give us wisdom by a 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

fulfill your Commandments at every hour.

O you who enlightens the rationale with the knowledge of

your greatness? He's doin light O My Lord.

Our thoughts that we made meditate upon your holy and

divine scriptures at all times. Oh Lord of all Father and Son

and Holy Spirit forever. Amen.

Double-edged sword. A Christian podcast Ministry

presented by father, jonard Lazar father.

Jernard is a parish priest of the mud edit Parish of the

Assyrian Church of the East and Turlock.

California. Here's father, jernard in life.

We are encouraged to learn from our mistakes, our failures, our

deficiencies be, adding our business, trading's at career,

in general, our relationships, in our marriage, a church life

Etc. And fairly is, we need to keep

in mind, are not an indication or mistakes.

They're not indications for us to stop, to give up to throw in

the towel. But rather they, you know, they

indicate or they encourage us in a way to try again.

But diligently cautiously prudently wisely, for example,

when a decision a husband or a wife, Take in his or her

marriage. And the relationship is

affected. And somehow goes, sour or cause

us trouble and grief, he or she shouldn't give up on the

marriage. Throw in the towel and come to

Robin and say that we want to, you know, file for divorce.

They had to try again diligently, cautiously

considerately and selflessly. So you want a player on the

field makes a costly mistake. When I watch my roosters

battling against any other team on the field and especially to

preliminarily finals. Are beginning, I think and we're

hosting the rabbitohs, you know, when a, when I play a fumbles,

the ball once or twice. And when I'm at the game, or at

home watching it, I cried change him, substituted, the player,

you know, but the coach, or the manager doesn't do that.

When a player makes a Even a costly mistake, he's not

immediately substituted, he or she, but they continue the game.

Again, cautiously being more careful being more diligent and

vigil so that they don't make the same mistake again, but if

the same mistake is made once or twice and it costs the team.

As I said, then the coach may, you know, substitute the player

who's having a bad day on the field.

So, two with Temptations. Temptations are not assigned for

you and I to walk away from God and to give up.

There are many benefits from Temptations.

Beloved Temptations, are not actually sinning when you are

tempted, you are not sinning because if Temptations are sin,

if one is tempted and then we classify that as being sinning,

will, then costly Christ was tempted.

But if Temptations are taken lightly and carelessly, they

will eventually lead you to transgression and Disobedience

to the precepts, to the statues, to the Commandments, to the will

to the ways or God. if they are taken likely, they will deter us

from, from pursuing the Holiness that we are called to, in 1

1 Peter 1:16

Peter 1:16 Leviticus 11, Hebrews 12:14, they will deter us from

Hebrews 12:14

the Perfection that we are called to Matthew 5:48

Matthew 5:48

Temptations, taken lightly, and carelessly will deter us from

the sanctification that we are called to, This alone is 4:3.

Isaiah 4:3

So if you're asking, why am I being tempted, why did God not

take away Temptation? That is having desires to do

something? Specially something wrong or

unwise and especially something that is displeasing to God.

Disobeying and disrespecting god.

Well, first and foremost, we need to know off the bat that

Temptations come from the tempter who is Satan.

As we read in, Matthew chapter 4 forces, verses 1 to 11 when

Matthew 4 · chapter mention

Christ was baptized, he was immediately taken by the spirit,

the Holy Spirit to the Wilderness to be tempted, he

fasted 40 days and 40 nights and he hungered and that's when the

tempter Approached and appeared to tempt Jesus as men.

So we can say Temptation, Temptations are warning signs to

our weaknesses. You see Satan dared to tempt

Jesus because he saw the second Adam, he destroyed the first

Adam, and thought he can do the same with the last atom or the

second atom, but it was vice versa.

Jesus destroyed him because Jesus had no sin was not weak.

He had a perfect Human Nature. So as I said, Temptations are

warnings warning signs of our weakness and our inappropriate

and somewhat evil desires. It is a weak spot that the Satan

that and his enemy or his demons continuously Target.

We read this in James chapter 1 verses 13 to 14.

James 1:13–14

A man shall not say when he is tempted.

I am tempted by God for God, is Not acquainted with evil, and he

does not tempt a man, but listen to this, listen to this very

carefully. When you ask the question and

you point the finger to God, those three fingers are pointing

to our miserable state. But each man or each person is

tempted from his Own desires and he lusts, and he is seduced.

So in Genesis 3:5 Eve may have had the desire of pride.

Genesis 3:5

When she heard that, she too would be like, God by eating

from The Forbidden tree and knowing good and evil.

It may have attracted her pride and and you know, glamour may be

attracted to that. I will be like a god.

So that was her weakness. And the enemy Satan, the

tempter, the serpent attacked that Target and unfortunately

was successful. Saint, John, chrysostom rights

on the reasons. God does not prevent Temptations

from coming and there are five points.

Very important. I'd like to share with you.

Number one, Saint John chrysostom writes.

Why? God allows you and I to be

tempted. So if you're asking the question

I think we had a question about Temptation.

I'm not sure what exactly was. But if you're asking, why am I

being tempted, right? At this moment.

Or at this point of your life you're going through some, some

extreme Temptations and difficulties.

And you're asking why Wilson John chrysostom is one of the

church fathers rights to teach you that you are now much

stronger. You are now much stronger in

faith. You are much stronger in trust

in God and obedience to God, to teach you that you have the

power of the Holy Spirit to put it in practice.

As John the Evangelist writes in his first epistle chapter 4

verse 4 he who is in you the holy spirit is stronger than he

who is in the World to teach you.

That you are so strong. You are so connected to God.

You are so focusing to God that the enemy wants to devour that

the enemy wants to try his best and utmost best shooting his

most flaming arrows at you. To deter you from that

relationship with God. If that sounds scary.

Well, don't be, don't fret. God knows your limits.

Saint Paul writes in these first epistle to the Corinthians

10:13, no temptation. Temptation has come upon you,

except that of the children of men.

Every person, but 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. So off the bat again, why am I

being tempted? Will take problem.

I should say, take pride, but be encouraged.

God is allowing you to be tempted because he knows your

strengths. He knows that you can overcome

through his son, our Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit by the

grace and the power of God. You know, sometimes you you hear

parents saying when a child is struggling.

I know you can do it. I know you can do it and I

remember when I when my dad God, Rest his soul, along with all

the Departed in Christ, was teaching me how to swim.

So, take me to the deep end of faithful, pools for full bars.

They are those who are listening back in the old days there.

He would take me to the deep end and then he would have me in his

arms and will tell me, and would, you know, tell me to

start start swimming with my breast breast stroke.

So, I think they are these brush Strokes yet.

They are thing. And then he would see a friend

and will let me go and say hello to his friend.

And I'd go down, and but he didn't Fred.

He would he would lift me up. So, no, no, you gotta In you.

It's okay. You can do it.

For me it's like what is he doing?

Why is he so careless? I can drown he but for my father

it was no this is how you're going to learn and sure enough.

I remember my greatest Triumph was 50 laps of the the the

Olympic full-size Olympic pool. Sorry. 20, laps of the full-size

Olympic pools. I swam So God allows you to be

tempted to show you that you are strong and how encouraging is

that when you overcome that Temptation through Jesus Christ,

praise and glory to his name. Secondly, Saint John.

Chrysostom goes on to say that God allows Temptation that you

may remain humble and not be puffed up by the greatness of

your gift since the Temptations have power to limit.

You You know, end in my, in my ministerial, life, my priesthood

alive. I've seen people come to Christ.

I've seen people be so committed to Christ and to appoint Pride,

kicks in, and they think that they can take on the world and

they dare to Take On The World and, you know, take their focus

of Jesus Christ and try to go into the world to take on the

evil of the world. They come back, second best

beaten battered Bash. But they come back as the

prodigal son. So, the key is coming back.

So, don't you when you go through, Temptations, God is

teaching, you don't think so. Highly of yourself that you can

take Temptations. You know, lightly as I said,

take him, seriously. But know that these are your,

you know, the or strengthening pot strengthening point.

And humble yourself before the gracious mercies of the Lord.

In 1, Peter 5:8, that is the first first Epistle of st.

St. Peter 5:8 Simon, The Rock goes

on to say, be alert, be reflective because your enemy

Satan Roars like a lion and he's walking and seeking whom he may

devour. Don't take Satan lightly.

Yes, Satan's X is limited. For a period of time, when the

Lord returns, he will be cast out in the Eternal fire and

whole, all he's demons all his angels, but at this moment,

Satan is allowed to roam the world.

Now you may say well, that that's not fair.

So God is allowance allowing Satan to roam the world and he

expects you and I to overcome. Yes, we have the power.

That is why God is allowing Satan to roam the world because

you have been equipped You have the armor to defeat each time.

He attacks. And thirdly Saint, John.

Chrysostom writes that God allows us to be tempted.

These are the benefits of Temptations, you know, in order

that, that Wicked demon who remains for a while, doubtful

about your abandonment of him when you flee from him, when you

focus totally on God, that he may be well assured by the

standard of Temptation that you have utterly Forsaken and fallen

from him. It's a lesson for Satan.

He allows us to be tempted just like the righteous job to teach

Satan a lesson. Hey, you may harm physically,

you may cause physical death, a temporal death, a temporal

Infliction. But you cannot affect the soul

because the soul is totally rejecting you.

And the soul is totally submissive to God.

So Temptations. This is a, this is a very

encouraging point for me. When I read this, that when I'm

being tempted, God is using me. My trust in him.

My faith in him, my perseverance in him.

My total obedience to him to teach Satan a listen.

Oh wow. Come on, guys, you know, you

feel like going out and saying, come on Satan, bring it on, but

no, you don't do that. It's not according to your

knowledge and understanding its according to God's perfect will

and perfect ways. You know, Jesus said to Satan,

when he tried to tempt him with Glamour and that he would

worship Him. He said, basically, let me use

it in this time. Get lost, get out of here.

We see get out of here. Get lost.

Depart from me away. from you and if lead, we too So that he

will see our submission to God and will flee when we continue

to focus on God, when we continue to reject, not give him

the time of the day. But constantly focusing on God's

promise that he has a perfect reason why he's allowed you.

And I to be in that situation. James, 4:7 instructs, that we

must submit therefore to God and stand, East Satan, not go.

What is it? What do I say?

When they chest-to-chest in this area?

They say there, but not go up against eating with your, you

know, ready to spar with him? No, totally stand against flee

from him and he will flee from you.

And fourthly God allows us to be tempted and does not prevent

Temptations to come. Is that you?

And I met in this way, be made stronger and better toughened

than any Stills, and John chrysostom rights.

This is the life of the Holy Saints.

Beloved, yes, we are all Saints. Yes, Amen.

To that we have been Sanctified and we are Saints by virtue of

our baptism. We have received the Holy Spirit

and we have been set apart as being Saints to God, but there

are those Saints. Our holy saints, that reached a

level of sanctification, where they claim that that we must

imitate them say Paul was one of those to imitate them him

because he amend imitated Jesus Christ.

This is the level of sainthood, that the Saints reached st.

George, I reading his biography, he was thrown into a room, I

think I've mentioned it, but if not, you know, if you've heard

this great, it's a reminder or refresher.

If not, here, it is st. George the illustrious martyr

martyr, we call and make his prayers be a blessing to.

All of us was thrown in a room with a prostitute.

Shoot. And she was ready to offer his

Services services, but he got on his knees and he started praying

for hours, praying for hours. And that's what he was a

because, you know, there's there was the Temptation God, put him

in that situation. But there was perfect reason why

the prostitute asks and George. What are you doing?

Who youth praying for? How are you praying to?

He said my God, the one God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel.

And to my Lord Jesus Christ. And His holy spirit, she had one

son and she It her son to him said she actually says, I have

one son, I want to submit him, I want to hand him over to you,

that you may take care of him. You see how God works in our

Temptations, the benefits. But the key is that he got on

his knees and he started praying, didn't take on The

Prostitute to try to reach out to her and preach to her and

Bible Basher. Some say, no.

He consulted his Lord because he knew that the the enemy the the

demons that were trying to bring him down, were fearfully trying

to do that, but he overcame through prayer to the Lord.

And lastly God allows temptations that you.

And I may obtain a clear demonstration of the treasures

entrusted to us for the devil listen to this.

For the devil would not have attacked you unless he had seen

that you had been brought to Greater honor.

When the devil sees people that are in sin, that have been so

destroyed by sin that have so fallen for Temptation that are

enjoying their sins that are trying to impose their evil ways

on the children of God. He lets them be because that's

where he wants them to be. But when he sees that the great

honor, the children of God have got have received and are

preserving a nurturing and holding in great esteem.

That's when he demonstrates he's attacked and that's where that's

where he tries to come to us. But when we uphold and we honor

those great, great honor that God has given us.

We are during Temptations demonstrating to him that we

have been entrusted with this and what is the greatest honor?

Let me ask you a question. What do you think the greatest

honour of a Christian is Salvation, that's Yet.

To Come. The day of salvation is

returning to living Christ. Amen, to that to living Christ,

but before that What are we called, beloved?

I mentioned it a few times. The children are the sons of God

John 1:12, but those that received him, that is Jesus

John 1:12

Christ to them. God gave authority to become the

sons of God. Even to them that believe on his

name. Being called the children of God

not just a creation of God, not just a creature of God beloved

being called a children of God. And Al Saint Paul States.

This in Galatians chapter 3 verses 26 to 27 you are all

Galatians 3:26–27

children of God through faith in Jesus Christ for as many of you

as were baptized have been clothed with Christ vesture.

We have been clothed with Christ.

There's there's a there's a gift of holy baptism being vested

with Christ. Matthew 5:9 peacemakers

Matthew 5:9

peacemakers will be called the children of God.

So what is Satan tried to do? He will try to devour your love,

your desire, your will your tempt attempt to make peace so

that he can take away that precious honor the title of

being the child of God? So let's not be reactive to

Temptations beloved, let's not quickly ask God, why am I being

tempted? Oh Lord, take away this

temptation for me. No.

But rather, let's be proactive in Temptations to use them to

glorify our living God. When we are tempted, we ask God

to strengthen us and Jesus taught us do not lead us into

temptation, not do not tempt. Us, many people ask, why are we

praying that? God doesn't lead us into

temptation? God, doesn't tempt.

There's a difference between. Do not tempt, me or do.

Lead me into temptation. Lord.

We are admitting admitting that we are so and this is coming

from the mouth of Our Lord. We are so weak, we are so

vulnerable that we ask you that, you don't lead us into

temptation. However, Lord, if you do if it

appeases you, if it's your will that I am permitted to enter

into temptation, but deliver me from the evil one so that I can

overcome through Jesus Christ. Praise glory.

Honor, Thanksgiving P2 His holy name now in at all times and

forever and ever. Amen.

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