Welcome to the weekly Encouragement letter #9 For Previous letters click here.

Here are some new things:

1. A new web site ccnet.web.com/ with a new design containing all the details, including the 'coming events'.

2. A new addition to the web site: Daily Devotions- under 'Light for Today' to start the day with hope and courage.

3. The present home page calvary.web.com is being redesigned, as some pictures were not opening.

Now, I suggest that you save the following encouragement letter on 'How to overcome temptation?' as it will help you to help others too. So go and read this week's special and let me know if you have any comments.

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 How to overcome Temptation?

Do you know what unhappy secret I find more discouraging than anything else in my life? It's the feeling I get right after I have given in, again, to temptation. So, I have thought about temptation, wondering if there is a key, a magic secret, or any religious techniques to resisting it. But I found there is no any such thing to escape or run away from temptation. It has helped, though, to think through the nature of temptation. Is there any consistent trend I can discern in it? I have found three different components to temptation, and all three must be dealt with at once.

Temptation is a beautiful woman you can easily turn into an object instead of a person, by letting her body preoccupy your thoughts.

Temptation can be piece of pie when you are trying to lose weight.

Temptation is a pornographic magazine.

Temptation is too much change returned by a cashier. If you want to avoid temptation, avoid these objects as much as you possibly can. Unfortunately, some of those objects are not easy to stay away from without becoming a hermit.

When everyone kids you and eggs you to do something you would rather not.

Temptation is when your boss jumps on your back, and you feel like lashing out at him or her.

Temptation is when you are in a group of strangers who are laughing and having a good time among themselves, and you feel like creeping away and feeling sorry for yourself.

In other words, temptation comes with pressure situations. By yourself you might not want to dot he things toward which those situations tempt you. Some of those situations you can stay away from, just as you can stay away from tempting objects. Other situations you may be able to defuse. Unfortunately, some of those pressure situations are not easy to avoid or change. Temptation seems inevitable.

3. Temptation is voice in your head.

Temptation suggests, "you are worthless. Why try?"

Temptation says, "If they treat you like that you ought to treat them the same way. They deserve it."

Temptation says, "what difference doe it make if you foul things once more time?"

Temptation works from inside, calling into question what God says is true and scattering half-truths inside your mind. This is the most devastating aspect of temptation. Tempting objects and pressuring situations are not enough: they have to be accompanied y thoughts that operate inside your brain. Obviously you can't run away from these. You can be tempted anywhere, anytime-in church, alone, in the wilderness (where, in fact, Jesus was most severely tempted). So how are you going to avoid temptation? You can't really!

Romans 12:2, a noted passage of the Bible essentially says this: "Don't be squeezed into the mold of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Pressure from the outside wants to make you conform- to be just like everyone else. The spirit of God counteracts that from the inside, through your mind.

It's no use telling yourself temptation doesn't exist. Since sin is fun, though for while, it is very attractive.

What makes temptation not fun in the long run are the things that come with it. You may enjoy a piece of pie today, but that means tomorrow you won't enjoy standing on the scales. Premarital sex may be enjoyable today, but what kind of attitudes and relationships are you building for tomorrow?

To change your mind, so it will have strength to resist temptation, you need to appeal to higher loyalties, stronger desires. Resisting temptation is basically simple, if you think of it. It's a choice. You can look over the options and decide what you want to do. The problem is that temptation's pleasures are often more obvious and immediate than the pleasures of not giving in. Besides, your mind has been twisted again so you can not always see clearly what is really good for you. It does seem better to be loved by your crowd of friends than to be loved by God. So you need to renew your mind-get in touch with what's really best for you.

You need to restrain your mind so that those rewards become as obvious, as the rewards you get for giving in to temptation.

1. Know what you're getting into. Think about the long-term results of how you act. Today it may b easier to fight with your fiancé' and get your own way. But what kind of relationship are you building for the future? On the other hand, what will obeying God lead to? If you can see the attraction of the kind of life God wants to plant in you, you will be less tempted to choose some other, short-term pleasure. The Bible is full of commentary on how good God's life is. Read the psalms and work on appreciating the advantages of not giving in to temptation.

2. Replace tempting thoughts with something better. You can't ignore temptation, but you can fill your thoughts with something else. Often prayer helps. Sometimes it is very helpful to remind yourself of the power and love of Jesus, who is on your side, who lives with you (if have already accepted Him into your life). Some people use this verse to help them remember: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Phil.4: 13).

But you don't have to fill up your mind with religious thoughts. Sometimes the best thing you can do is to pick up an interesting book, call up a friend, or start working on a project. If you are tempted to go to an X-rated movie, look for another movie instead. The problem with many temptations is that they are close and immediate. If you can put them off a while and give your mind a chance to recover from its panic, you will be in better shape to see the bigger picture.

3. Your mind tends to follow patterns. Change the patterns, and you change your mind. In a family, kids are always fighting over what TV programs to watch. They should change the patterns by figuring out ahead of time what shows they will watch and reach some compromise long before the tube is turned on.

4. Break the pattern of failure by confession. When you go over your mistakes with another person, it changes your attitude. For one thing you receive forgiveness, mind your mind is put at rest. For another thing, a friend can help you to hold to your decision not to give in to temptation any more. He or she can check up on you, encourage you, and pray for you. Read James 5:16.

5. Above all, remember who you are: a child of God, loved by Him. (I.e. if you have accepted the Lord Jesus into your life by faith) When tempting thoughts come, recall that fact to your mind: "I could act that way, but does that really bring honor to God? I want to be loyal and loving to Him the way He is to me." The more you understand God's love, the more you will want to be close to Him and obedient to Him. Some of your temptations will simply vanish-they will begin to seem stupid. Their pleasures will be insignificant compared with the good things you are experiencing.

Reinforce this understanding of your own identity by reading the Bible and applying what it says by talking to God, by talking with friends, by listening to what matured believers say, and especially by worshipping and thanking God for what He has done for you. Christ's message is this: you simply don't have to act in the old sinful way. You are a new person with a whole new way of acting. As much as God has loved you, how can you reject that love by ignoring what He says?

You get stronger every time you beat temptation. Each success is an exercise building you up. The more you experience what joy God has for you in life, the less appealing that old sinful life seems. There will always be more temptations as long as you live on this earth. But the closer you come to God, the less you will want to disappoint Him.

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If you have any questions/ problems or need counsel/ help: aocc@vsnl.com

For more encouraging messages visit: http://comforting.web.com/

To know about our ministry visit Home page: http://calvary.web.com/ & http://ccnet.web.com/

To read previous encouragement letters visit: http://encls.web.com/ and the Daily Devotions for today.

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Encouragingly Yours,

Othniel.