The Day of Atonement is the time when God judges the works of Satan in us. God is ready to drive from us all that is of Satan, but our steadfast faith and cheerful, joyous cooperation are necessary if we are to be able to go though God's judgment without becoming gloomy and introspective.

You may have been a Christian for many years. You thought the sin in your life was forever hidden from God. Now you find you are thinking, saying, and doing things you never imagined would be true of you. Rejoice! This is the Holy Spirit beginning to bring you through the Day of Atonement.

There are three great domains of sin and rebellion in us. These three are portrayed in the three temptations of Jesus Christ. Every son of God must be tested in each of these three areas.

Finding our survival and security in the world.

The lusts and passions of our flesh and soul.

Self-will.

The first temptation is the question of bread—how we are to survive.

The second temptation is that of the kingdoms and pleasures of the world. This is the area of joy and also of worship.

The third temptation has to do with our willingness to be nothing, to die to our own ambitions and wait patiently on the Lord for every aspect of our life.

These three areas of testing are absolute foolishness to the world and to the carnal Christian. But they are the stuff of life to the saint who is walking with God.

Finding our survival and security in the world has to do with money and material things. Some believers can do without these with no problem. There are other believers who have a terrible time doing the Lord's will because of their trust in the things of the world to save them.

The day may come when we in America are destitute. Will you be able to keep on rejoicing in the Lord when you do not know where your next meal is coming from? How you will get enough money to pay next month's rent?

Millions of people in the world live from hand to mouth. Yet God keeps them. God will keep you also in the time of famine.

Pray right now and ask God to give you total victory over dependence on the resources of the world. Of course you are to keep on working. It is a change in the heart that God is after.

Then we come to the lusts and passions of the flesh and soul. How many pastors and believers have fallen away from God in the last few years because they could not gain victory over their passions?

The demons of lust are everywhere in America. Every spiritual monster of perversion and pornography is tempting Americans, young and old. Our culture is sick with sexual lust. Sexual lust is portrayed everywhere from the filth of the Hollywood productions to the advertisements in the family newspapers that present women and men in various stages of undress.

Some of our leading politicians are afflicted with uncontrollable lust. There are problems in the military because of lust. Rape and murder are common in our nation's capital because of uncontrollable lust.

Sexual lust is glorified in most of the major institutions, it seems.

America is sick in this area!

To be continued.