Bible in One Year:
Saturday, October 10, 2009
(Lk 18 - Lk 21)

Memorise: "It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding hath wisdom" (Prov 10:23)

Read: Proverbs 26:18-19
18 As a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death,
19 So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Am not I in sport?

"Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil" (Matt 4:1 ). After Jesus was water baptized at River Jordan, as He stepped out of the river, the Heavens opened unto Him and there was a public proclamation from Heaven that He was God's beloved Son. Yet, He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. One lesson here is that the Spirit led Jesus up. Whenever the Holy Spirit leads, it is meant to take you up. Even when He leads you into a wilderness situation like He did to Jesus, your promotion is around the corner. Whenever you follow the direction of the Holy Spirit, you will find yourself on top. His guidance will take you up. On the other hand, whenever the devil or your flesh leads you, it is meant to bring you down. Even when the devil declares he is taking you to a destination at the top, that person will terminate that trip at the valley - in sorrow, shame, regret and disappointment. When your flesh pushes you into fornication, it will not tell you that you could be caught. It will paint the sin as something pleasant, or even an achievement. But by the time you fall into it, you would have lost all the graces of God. You would be totally drained, empty, without any spiritual cover, and vulnerable to Satan's manipulations. 

Some people compete on the basis of sin. Proverbs 26:18-19 talks about some people who are thrilled by their ability to defraud others. To them it is sport. Proverbs 10:23 says, "It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding hath wisdom". Some friends compete on who will be able to take a particular lady to bed. Whoever succeeds in doing so is seen as a winner. To them it is sport. Sin is no sport! It does not take you up but down. The rewards of fornication does not take the fornicator up but down. Each time you go into Egypt, you go down. Every competition that does not glorify God is not meant for believers. No matter the prize money or items attached, it will take you down. In some countries, they show live sex competitions on television. There they celebrate the most seductive, proficient fornicator. That is the pathway to hell! Are you involved in any competition that is not meant to glorify God but the lust of the flesh? Stop it and come out of it today. It will take you down. 

ACTION POINT:
If you want negative and positive events to continually move you up, remain attached to the Lord Jesus Christ.