Temptations

 ... are like mosquito bites.  You don't usually notice at initial contact, only later when the itch begins.  You want to scratch the itch, because it feels good to scratch.  But don't!  Scratching even briefly feels good, but then it itches worse.  Scratching the itch is not required.  If you don't scratch, it will eventually subside.

The Priority of Christ

 ...should move from Present ---> Prominent ---> Preeminent.

God answers prayer often with small vector changes.

12 Stages of Temptation

1. Readiness to temptation
2. Alertness to temptation
3. Innocent meeting
4. Intentional meeting
5. Public lingering
6. Private lingering
7. Purposeful isolating
8. Pleasurable isolating
9. Affectionate embracing
10. Passionate embracing
11. Capitulation
12. Acceptance

Defense to this:

• Be in the Word of God on a daily basis
• Be accountable to others
• Limit the amount of time spent with a person other than your spouse
• Don't be in the pastorate or counseling
• Admit it can happen to you

Picture of the Trinity

Lots of analogies for the Trinity have been proposed over the centuries, some of which have been called heretical, so this is murky water to wade in, but this analogy helps me best:

The Godhead is analogous to a develop/design/build firm which acquires property, subdivides and designs communities, builds out infrastructure and properties within it, then shows and sells/leases those to others.  Maybe it's all one coordinated Heavenly Enterprise, perhaps in a single Divine Holding Company comprised of three businesses.  This would be not unlike Ghidorzi in Wausau, WI who provides the above services, plus management services, all on property they own and lease to others.

God the Father (Theos, Creator God) is the Designer/Architect, who conceptualizes the community and the plan for structures within it.

God the Son (Logos, Word of God) is the Builder/Maker (Tekton), who expresses the design in reality and forms it into existence.

God the Spirit (Sophia, Pneuma, Breath of God) is the Representative/Agent, who moves people to join the community, take up space in it, and assures their satisfaction with it.

Logos: see Origen's Commentary on the Gospel of John, Book 1, Chs 22-23,42, and most chapters of Book 2.

THINK Before You Speak

T - is it True?

H - is it Helpful?

I - is it Inspiring?

N - is it Necessary?

K - is it Kind?

How Is God Transforming Me?

1)  Understanding how He uses crisis to transform character.  James 1:2-4 = embracing the trial.
2)  Humility - being willing to serve from underneath, do work that is "beneath me".
3)  Other-centered - what God is doing in me is for others around me.  Open up and reach out.
4)  Obedience problem is really a love problem - stop keeping sin around like you might return to it one day.  Get rid of it.
5)  Transformation is a God-sized task.  I can't do it myself.  He must make up the difference.

Jehovah Anah

Shortly after the previous post in which I discovered a name for God that related to my experience with Him, I received an answer to a desperate prayer for help.  The answer was unexpected and very welcome, helping us to deal with our dilemma of living in two different cities seven hours apart.  In response, I came to another name of God that related to my experience with Him: Jehovah Anah, which means "The LORD will answer".  And He has.  Faithfully.  Not always with a Yes; sometimes with a No, or a Wait and See.  But always an answer.