Ablaze Church Sermon Podcast (Video‪)‬ Ablaze Church

Jesus celebrated “First Fruits” in the most appropriate manner by rising from the dead on that day. Easter represents the whole point of Christianity as Christ rose from the dead, so shall we. He is our, “First Fruits” proof of God’s promise to bring us back from the dead, “So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable” (1 Cor. 15:42).

Ever since that fateful day in Eden, temptation has been the primary factor that leads men and women away from God. Temptation affects everyone. It does not matter who you are, how strong, how knowledgeable, how Biblical, or how respectful you are; temptation is out to get you. Temptation is the lure of attraction, the pull toward pleasure, the seduction of the will to abandon what we know is right and to indulge in the act of the moment that seems immediately satisfying. Temptation is attractive; otherwise, it would not be tempting. It is also very dangerous and deadly.

Solomon wanted to be able to discern between good and evil so he could act in obedience to God’s will. Such discernment required a mind capable of analytical judgments. Solomon knew a heart that listens to the Lord could supply the basis for making correct decisions. His desire was
to conform to the Lord’s way and for the willpower to act accordingly. That is why Solomon said, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov. 9:10). Along with Solomon, this week we will learn how to overcome confusion with wisdom from God.

May we never forget that we, through faith, have been integrated into the body of Christ that we may help, encourage, and move into action, as a body of believers rather than as individuals. To grow faith that dispels fear, we need other people of faith. This is the power of symbiosis among Christians, a mutual beneficial relationship between people of faith.

The peace that Jesus offers us is not a promise to remove the pain and difficulties in our lives. Those troubles are always a part of daily living. Someday when Jesus returns, all our troubles will be gone; until then, He offers a peace that is calm, unafraid, unruffled, and confident because we place our lives in His hands. When we trust the Lord, nothing can harm our innermost being, nothing can shake us from the intimate connection we have with the Lord. Through our saving faith, despite external circumstances, we have a peace that cannot be destroyed and is beyond our understanding.

There really is no limit to what evil the human heart can conceive. So before we try to confront the evil outside of us, we need to examine the evil within every heart. It is Jesus who pulls no punches when describing the evil that comes out of the human heart. The bad news is that we all have evil inside of us. The good news is that Jesus Christ, in His goodness and mercy, overcame that evil for us by dying on the cross and then offering us His righteousness as a free gift that can only be received by faith. Through the gift of faith our hearts can overcome the evil within. All glory, for overcoming evil, be to Him!