Second Friend Day - Elmer Towns

First, God reminded Elijah of His power. As Elijah stood before his cave, "Behold the
Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks
before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord
was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire; and
after the fire a still small voice" (I Kings 19:11-12). God's word to Elijah came in a whisper.
When you get discouraged, remember God's small voice is recorded in the Scripture. Study the
Bible and remember that God is all-powerful. God loves you and wants His best for you. When
you accept the power of God, you can have victory over fear.
Next, God gave Elijah a job. He was to anoint one man king and another to carry on his
ministry. If you are discouraged, start serving God. When you begin binding the wounds of
others, you forget about your own cuts.
Finally, God reminded Elijah that he was not the only faithful one in Israel; there were
seven thousand who had not bowed their knee to Baal. Quit feeling sorry for-yourself. God has
promised, "Fear thou not; for I am with thee, be not dismayed for I am thy God; I will strengthen
thee; yea, I will help thee; Yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness" (Isa.
41:10).
Steps to Victory Over Temptation
Temptation falls into two categories; first the desire to sin, and second the temptation not
to do right. Temptation is a desire to slip into an X-rated movie, commit adultery, drink just one
beer, walk out of a store without paying and a million other things you know are sin.
Temptation also is wanting to stay home from church services, criticize the minister, not
tithe, and a second million things that you also know are wrong.
"I don't get mad and fly off the handle too often,” a wife once justified her temper.
"Our car loaded with kids has to skid into the ditch only once to hurt someone," the
husband replied.
Don't justify your faults, do something about them. Jerry Falwell often repeats, "The test
of a man's character is not what trips him up but what keeps him down. "
1. You can have victory through the Bible. Jesus was the only person never to sin (II
Cor. 5:21), yet he was tempted (Heb. 4:15). His steps to overcome temptation are a pattern for us
to follow. He quoted the Bible, "It is written" (Matt. 4:4). Jesus memorized the Scriptures as a
boy and defended Himself with them as a man. The Bible can defend us. "For the word of God
is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword" (Heb. 4:12).
The Bible is not magical, so don't rub it like a rabbit's foot when tempted. That is not the
way to get victory. First, constantly study the Bible. It will give you strength of conviction to
stand against sin. Second, if you are caught in lust, quote the Scriptures. It will remind you of
God's will and put your thoughts back on God. Third, constant study of the Bible will keep you
clean. The Bible is called "water" (Eph. 5:26) which washes away dirt. When you cut the grass,