BBD 06.20.14 Run to Jesus! (New)

#1 · June 20, 2014, 11:39 am

Quote from Forum Archives on June 20, 2014, 11:39 am
Posted by: theburningbushdevotional <theburningbushdevotional@...>

If for
some reason you do not receive your email version of the devotional please
check the Burning Bush website at www.theburningbush.net for the “Devotional of the Day”
and read the devotional there.

The Burning
Bush Devotional

06.20.14

Run to Jesus!

Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should
not lust after evil things as they also lusted. And do not become idolaters as
were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and
rose up to play.” Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and
in one day twenty-three thousand fell; nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them
also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; nor complain, as some of them
also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now all these things
happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon
whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands
take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is
common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond
what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape,
that you may be able to bear it. - 1 Corinthians 1:6-13 NKJV.

I’ve
been trying to remember the name of a song for several weeks and could only
think of a few words. Finally gave up this morning and looked it up on google.
The name of the song is… “Somebody’s
Knockin” by Terri Gibbs. Terri was born blind and began to play the piano
at the age of three. Here are a few of the lyrics of the song:

Somebody's knockin' should I let him in,

Lord it's the devil would you look at him

I've heard about him but I never dreamed,

he'd have blue eyes and blue jeans

If you have ever struggled with any kind of temptation, you know
the truth contained in those words. That old devil knows exactly how to tempt
you and those temptations can be very powerful indeed. The apostle Paul
apparently knew all about temptation too as the Holy Spirit moved him to write 1 Corinthians 10:13. Reading from the first of the chapter we
are given a brief history lesson about temptation. Temptation has been around
for a long time and it has been causing a tremendous amount of pain for a long
time. The solution we are told through Paul is to find “the way of escape.”

The “way of
escape” may not
be obvious at first and we must be looking for it, seeking it, and trying to
find it. What will work for one person may not work for another. Here are some
examples. İbrahim Yücel, who
lives in Turkey, had been trying to stop smoking for many years. His way of
escape was a metal wire cage helmet he created that made it impossible to light
a cigarette or to smoke it. I don’t know how that has turned out for him, but
hope it worked! Mark Malkoff found an unusual way of escape from his Internet
addiction. He was online every waking moment and it was interfering with
everything in his life. His way of escape was to shut himself up in a tiny
bathroom for five days sleeping in the bathtub. Locked in the bathroom for five
days seems to have worked for him at least temporarily. It appears that the “way of escape” for one person may not be the “way of escape” for someone else.

The
apostle Paul gives us the recommended “way of escape”
in whatever form it may take. He says this, “Therefore,
my beloved, flee from idolatry.” Run, don’t walk, as fast as you can
away from the temptation. I am reminded of Joseph of the Old Testament, who did
exactly that. Potiphar’s wife continually tempted Joseph: “So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did
not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her. But it happened about this
time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of
the house was inside, that she caught him by his garment, saying, ‘Lie with
me.’ But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside (Genesis
39:10-12 NKJV).” Joseph did run from the temptation. In the short run,
it was a costly decision, in the long run the decision resulted in the
salvation of millions of people. So flee from temptation and run where? Run
into the arms of Jesus! Run into God’s Word, run into fellowship with other
believers, and run into communing with God in prayer. Run to Jesus!

_______________________________

Update to yesterday's devotional, "Just One Person": The wording of the last paragraph of the devotional should updated to the following:

The woman of John 4, the man of Mark 5, and the apostle Paul were absolutely fearless in delivering the good news of Jesus. Jonah was absolutely fearless in delivering God's message of the coming destruction that was planned for Nineveh. Nothing could stop them from sharing God's truth. Just one man, just one woman can transform the world around them when they are empowered by the Spirit of God. What about your world? Is the world around you different, better, since Jesus came into your life?

Copyright © 2014. Ed Wrather. The
Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998
the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent. Ed Wrather
began writing devotionals in the early 1990s. The distribution of these first
devotionals was primarily through the Burning Bush Newsletter sent to prison
facilities throughout the United States and Canada.

Visit the
Burning Bush websites:

www.theburningbush.net

www.theburningbush.org

The .org
Burning Bush website

is being updated.

The Burning Bush websites have
received visits from more than 170 countries. Celebrating 15 years online since
January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the Burning Bush Devotional has been
spreading the truth of God's Word to more than 14,000 subscribers across the
world.

You can leave comments/feedback
about the devotionals at www.theburningbush.net.

There is a translation tool on
theburningbush.net website in the top left hand corner of all of the pages.

Prayer Warriors Wanted! Please join the
Burning Bush Prayer Group. The group began in 1998. Send prayer requests and
receive prayer requests. To join send an
email to: bbpg-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Ed Wrather has retired from
pastoring full-time and has more time to pursue other ministry opportunities.
You can make contact at edwrather@yahoo.com or theburningbushdevotional@gmail.com View LinkedIn profile with
endorsements at http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=92988105

Prayer Requests: Please pray for
the situation Iraq and Syria. Please pray
for the return of the Nigerian school girls. Please pray for Debby
Burroughs who had stage IV cancer which started out in her colon and
metastasized to her liver. She is very ill after surgery and surely needs the
prayers of many to survive and for her lungs to recover. I want to encourage
you to pray for Debby and to ask others to pray for her as well. Thank you!!!
Here is Debby’s facebook support page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Debby-Burroughs-Support-Page/197118363821211 Many prayer needs are posted at the Burning Bush
website on the Prayer Request page. You can also post your prayer requests
there (Of course, I am always in need of prayer - please pray for me.).

If you enjoy the devotional
please recommend it to your friends. They may subscribe by sending a blank
email to burningbushdevo-join@welovegod.org

There is a complete devotional
archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here is the URL: http://www.theburningbush.org/DevotionalArchive.html.

You can unsubscribe to the
burningbushdevo devotional group by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email.

You may subscribe to the html
text group (Because of time constraints the devotional is only being sent now
in html format) by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-join@welovegod.org
and you may unsubscribe by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email.
If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.

--

To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org

Posted by: theburningbushdevotional <theburningbushdevotional@...>

If for
some reason you do not receive your email version of the devotional please
check the Burning Bush website at http://www.theburningbush.net for the “Devotional of the Day”
and read the devotional there.

The Burning
Bush Devotional

06.20.14

Run to Jesus!

Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should
not lust after evil things as they also lusted. And do not become idolaters as
were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and
rose up to play.” Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and
in one day twenty-three thousand fell; nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them
also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; nor complain, as some of them
also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now all these things
happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon
whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands
take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is
common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond
what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape,
that you may be able to bear it. - 1 Corinthians 1:6-13 NKJV.

I’ve
been trying to remember the name of a song for several weeks and could only
think of a few words. Finally gave up this morning and looked it up on google.
The name of the song is… “Somebody’s
Knockin” by Terri Gibbs. Terri was born blind and began to play the piano
at the age of three. Here are a few of the lyrics of the song:

Somebody's knockin' should I let him in,

Lord it's the devil would you look at him

I've heard about him but I never dreamed,

he'd have blue eyes and blue jeans

If you have ever struggled with any kind of temptation, you know
the truth contained in those words. That old devil knows exactly how to tempt
you and those temptations can be very powerful indeed. The apostle Paul
apparently knew all about temptation too as the Holy Spirit moved him to write 1 Corinthians 10:13. Reading from the first of the chapter we
are given a brief history lesson about temptation. Temptation has been around
for a long time and it has been causing a tremendous amount of pain for a long
time. The solution we are told through Paul is to find “the way of escape.”

The “way of
escape” may not
be obvious at first and we must be looking for it, seeking it, and trying to
find it. What will work for one person may not work for another. Here are some
examples. İbrahim Yücel, who
lives in Turkey, had been trying to stop smoking for many years. His way of
escape was a metal wire cage helmet he created that made it impossible to light
a cigarette or to smoke it. I don’t know how that has turned out for him, but
hope it worked! Mark Malkoff found an unusual way of escape from his Internet
addiction. He was online every waking moment and it was interfering with
everything in his life. His way of escape was to shut himself up in a tiny
bathroom for five days sleeping in the bathtub. Locked in the bathroom for five
days seems to have worked for him at least temporarily. It appears that the “way of escape” for one person may not be the “way of escape” for someone else.

The
apostle Paul gives us the recommended “way of escape”
in whatever form it may take. He says this, “Therefore,
my beloved, flee from idolatry.” Run, don’t walk, as fast as you can
away from the temptation. I am reminded of Joseph of the Old Testament, who did
exactly that. Potiphar’s wife continually tempted Joseph: “So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did
not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her. But it happened about this
time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of
the house was inside, that she caught him by his garment, saying, ‘Lie with
me.’ But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside (Genesis
39:10-12 NKJV).” Joseph did run from the temptation. In the short run,
it was a costly decision, in the long run the decision resulted in the
salvation of millions of people. So flee from temptation and run where? Run
into the arms of Jesus! Run into God’s Word, run into fellowship with other
believers, and run into communing with God in prayer. Run to Jesus!

_______________________________

Update to yesterday's devotional, "Just One Person": The wording of the last paragraph of the devotional should updated to the following:

The woman of John 4, the man of Mark 5, and the apostle Paul were absolutely fearless in delivering the good news of Jesus. Jonah was absolutely fearless in delivering God's message of the coming destruction that was planned for Nineveh. Nothing could stop them from sharing God's truth. Just one man, just one woman can transform the world around them when they are empowered by the Spirit of God. What about your world? Is the world around you different, better, since Jesus came into your life?

Copyright © 2014. Ed Wrather. The
Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998
the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent. Ed Wrather
began writing devotionals in the early 1990s. The distribution of these first
devotionals was primarily through the Burning Bush Newsletter sent to prison
facilities throughout the United States and Canada.

Visit the
Burning Bush websites:

http://www.theburningbush.net

http://www.theburningbush.org

The .org
Burning Bush website

is being updated.

The Burning Bush websites have
received visits from more than 170 countries. Celebrating 15 years online since
January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the Burning Bush Devotional has been
spreading the truth of God's Word to more than 14,000 subscribers across the
world.

You can leave comments/feedback
about the devotionals at http://www.theburningbush.net.

There is a translation tool on
theburningbush.net website in the top left hand corner of all of the pages.

Prayer Warriors Wanted! Please join the
Burning Bush Prayer Group. The group began in 1998. Send prayer requests and
receive prayer requests. To join send an
email to: bbpg-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Ed Wrather has retired from
pastoring full-time and has more time to pursue other ministry opportunities.
You can make contact at edwrather@yahoo.com or theburningbushdevotional@gmail.com View LinkedIn profile with
endorsements at http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=92988105

Prayer Requests: Please pray for
the situation Iraq and Syria. Please pray
for the return of the Nigerian school girls. Please pray for Debby
Burroughs who had stage IV cancer which started out in her colon and
metastasized to her liver. She is very ill after surgery and surely needs the
prayers of many to survive and for her lungs to recover. I want to encourage
you to pray for Debby and to ask others to pray for her as well. Thank you!!!
Here is Debby’s facebook support page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Debby-Burroughs-Support-Page/197118363821211 Many prayer needs are posted at the Burning Bush
website on the Prayer Request page. You can also post your prayer requests
there (Of course, I am always in need of prayer - please pray for me.).

If you enjoy the devotional
please recommend it to your friends. They may subscribe by sending a blank
email to burningbushdevo-join@welovegod.org

There is a complete devotional
archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here is the URL: http://www.theburningbush.org/DevotionalArchive.html.

You can unsubscribe to the
burningbushdevo devotional group by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email.

You may subscribe to the html
text group (Because of time constraints the devotional is only being sent now
in html format) by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-join@welovegod.org
and you may unsubscribe by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email.
If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.

To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org