“And when he had fasted 40 days and 40 nights, afterward he was hungry” (Matthew 4:3).
There is only one recorded time when the devil comes to tempt Jesus. Matthew chapter four recounts it. Now, an interesting fact about the words he chooses to record: it mentions that Jesus was hungry. Usually the Bible just says the bare facts and doesn’t make a fuss over things like hunger and love and happiness and such, but this time, it speaks of Jesus hungering. At first I was surprised, as this was not expected, but as I think on it more, I realize that this is not an excess adjective, because right after it mentions his being hungry, Satan comes to tempt him. Moreover, Satan tempts him the area of food—challenging him by saying to turn the stones into bread.
I believe the reason God chose to place those words in there was to teach us a lesson. A lesson where we learn that, like Jesus, who ‘was tempted in every way we are’ (Hebrews 4:15), the tempter comes when we are hungry. And I should hope you know that I don’t mean physical food! I mean when we allow ourselves to fast from God’s Word, which is the bread of the life, it is detrimental.
God calls his Word our sword (Ephesians 6:17). When that was written, it was during the time of Roman soldiers with their swords and armor, and those Romans had their swords with them all the time. They never, ever let that weapon out of sight or out of reach, but kept it constantly sharp, and at the ready. We are obliged to imitate this if we don’t want to be ‘hungry.’ Many times in my life, I have decided it would be alright to just skip reading my Bible for one day, because I was so tired or too busy. That is such a terrible mistake! Days when I make that decision, and am hungry, the tempter comes much oftener, and I don’t have the strength I need to resist, causing me to be prone to anger and pride and all manner of unseemly things.
We can’t let ourselves get hungry. We have got to decide to read our Bibles every single day, and never, ever miss.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Lots of Liberty, Lack of Law
I remember that first time I prayed with an eight year old girl to receive Christ. We were sitting on the edge of a playground, me with a wordless book in my hand, and she with her hands folded as she prayed. When she looked up, she had tears in her eyes and a smile on her face. It is something I won’t forget, and I think of her often to pray for her. I would love to see her again, to know how she’s doing. I think my situation is very similar to Paul’s. He went to Galatia and stayed with the people for awhile, preaching to them, and showing them the gospel. After a while, many were saved and a church was established. I can only imagine the joy Paul felt over that. I’m sure he could think back to those days and see the changes in their life. Well, later, after he had been away for quite a long time, he did hear how they were doing, and it just saddened him immensely, because he found that there were some people coming into the Galatian church, telling them to follow the law, and encouraging them to exchange their faith in God’s grace for a life in the law.
So what did Paul do? He sent them a letter. In that letter, he told them how absolutely unacceptable it is to put our faith in the keeping of the law (some would call it good works), and that when we do so, we are “frustrating grace” (Galatians 2:21). They simply must trust in Christ for their salvation. Of course, we know that God gave Paul the words to say, and that they are for us to read and practice. Most of us know that we aren’t saved by works/the law; instead by faith in God, but this can also be a valid lesson to learn even after we are saved. It is sometimes thought that if a Christian does not follow every rule that God has set, it is impossible to please Him, and they are not living a fruitful and godly life. This isn’t true! God gives grace, so that when we do mess up Jesus’ blood covers that, and God still sees us as righteous!
The fact of the matter is, although God wants us not to live in the law, there certainly are some things He tells us are absolutely imperative that we do. I have been very confused many times because of this, trying to figure what it means to live trusting in God’s grace, but at the same time doing the things that please Him. So here’s the test: “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13). This verse binds both concepts together by saying that we are indeed called to live in freedom, not in a strict keeping of the rules. Instead, we focus wholly on the most important command, which is to love God with everything that you have, and to love other people more than yourself. If we love God and other people with everything inside of us, we will fulfill the law. Every other command that God gave is fulfilled if we do this.
I think that it would benefit each Christian to think about the things they do and the rules they have, and to be sure that they are not done to keep the law, but to please God and to love others. If we notice an excess of strife, anger, or disagreements, perhaps we are not truly seeking to serve one another and please God. And if that’s the case, it needs to change!
So what did Paul do? He sent them a letter. In that letter, he told them how absolutely unacceptable it is to put our faith in the keeping of the law (some would call it good works), and that when we do so, we are “frustrating grace” (Galatians 2:21). They simply must trust in Christ for their salvation. Of course, we know that God gave Paul the words to say, and that they are for us to read and practice. Most of us know that we aren’t saved by works/the law; instead by faith in God, but this can also be a valid lesson to learn even after we are saved. It is sometimes thought that if a Christian does not follow every rule that God has set, it is impossible to please Him, and they are not living a fruitful and godly life. This isn’t true! God gives grace, so that when we do mess up Jesus’ blood covers that, and God still sees us as righteous!
The fact of the matter is, although God wants us not to live in the law, there certainly are some things He tells us are absolutely imperative that we do. I have been very confused many times because of this, trying to figure what it means to live trusting in God’s grace, but at the same time doing the things that please Him. So here’s the test: “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13). This verse binds both concepts together by saying that we are indeed called to live in freedom, not in a strict keeping of the rules. Instead, we focus wholly on the most important command, which is to love God with everything that you have, and to love other people more than yourself. If we love God and other people with everything inside of us, we will fulfill the law. Every other command that God gave is fulfilled if we do this.
I think that it would benefit each Christian to think about the things they do and the rules they have, and to be sure that they are not done to keep the law, but to please God and to love others. If we notice an excess of strife, anger, or disagreements, perhaps we are not truly seeking to serve one another and please God. And if that’s the case, it needs to change!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Working Out
So Paul and Silas travel all over the world preaching the gospel. They don’t go anywhere unless God tells them to, but for a while He doesn’t tell them to leave the place they’re at. Finally, while at Troas, God sends a vision to Paul of a man in Macedonia, beckoning to him. So the two set out for Macedonia to look for that man calling them over.
Lots of people have visions. Maybe not in the form of special dreams that come to them, but just in a calling from God. My mom had a dream a long time ago of having lots of kids, a little while later, she had one of those real visions the she would end with two sons. My dad is another one of those people. He is a pilot. He has loved flying for years and years, and he's been very excited about living next to an airstrip and having our own hangar so he can fly often. He really thought God was calling him to be a missionary pilot. He even went through an aviation program and everything. He was pretty sure he was headed for the mission field.
Once the two men arrive at their destination, I’m sure they’re desirous of finding that man calling them. But they have an interruption. By the shore of the island, a crowd of ladies are hanging out, washing their laundry. And Paul and Silas stop to talk with them. Now, I can see how it would be frustrating to be deterred from their vision.. They’re thinking that they’re on a mission to find man who desperately needs them, that they share the gospel with him, and change his life. Rather than being angry, however, Paul’s missionary heart kicks in and he begins to witness to these women. In the end, he meets Lydia, who is a Christian and he really encourages her and her family.
Well, Paul finishes talking to the ladies, and is on his way. And yet, something occurred to distract from his mission again. This time there is much more cause for frustration because he is arrested! So Paul and Silas are stuck in prison—completely a dead end. Why did God send him a vision of a man beckoning for help, only to let them be in prison? But Paul trusts God, so (we know what he did) he and Silas pray and praise God with singing!
Both of my parents were distracted from their visions they had. Amongst all of us kids, my mom had 8 miscarriages. So many times, she would be excited to add another to her “collection,” but would be let down in a situation that seemed tragic. The last two were especially difficult. They were twin boys and they came right after her ninth child. It just seemed so perfect. She had 9 children, and was reaching the end of her fruitful years and now this would fulfill her vision—ending with two boys. So she named them and prepared for their birth, but they also miscarried. God fulfilled her dream though, because after 8 years in between Mark, Malachi was born. He was her last kid, and she ended with two boys. My dad never did become a missionary. Why would he have had that desire and that calling, only to be disappointed? But what he did end up doing was teaching at a college to train younger people to go be aviation missionaries.
God also works it out for Paul and Silas. As they’re singing, He sends an earthquake, breaking their chains, and busting the doors open. The jailer freaks out and is about to kill himself, when Paul stops him. The man believes on Jesus, and he and his family’s lives are changed. I think this was the man in Paul’s vision. It took distractions, problems, and prison, but God caused it to work.
God always fulfills what He starts with us!!!!
Lots of people have visions. Maybe not in the form of special dreams that come to them, but just in a calling from God. My mom had a dream a long time ago of having lots of kids, a little while later, she had one of those real visions the she would end with two sons. My dad is another one of those people. He is a pilot. He has loved flying for years and years, and he's been very excited about living next to an airstrip and having our own hangar so he can fly often. He really thought God was calling him to be a missionary pilot. He even went through an aviation program and everything. He was pretty sure he was headed for the mission field.
Once the two men arrive at their destination, I’m sure they’re desirous of finding that man calling them. But they have an interruption. By the shore of the island, a crowd of ladies are hanging out, washing their laundry. And Paul and Silas stop to talk with them. Now, I can see how it would be frustrating to be deterred from their vision.. They’re thinking that they’re on a mission to find man who desperately needs them, that they share the gospel with him, and change his life. Rather than being angry, however, Paul’s missionary heart kicks in and he begins to witness to these women. In the end, he meets Lydia, who is a Christian and he really encourages her and her family.
Well, Paul finishes talking to the ladies, and is on his way. And yet, something occurred to distract from his mission again. This time there is much more cause for frustration because he is arrested! So Paul and Silas are stuck in prison—completely a dead end. Why did God send him a vision of a man beckoning for help, only to let them be in prison? But Paul trusts God, so (we know what he did) he and Silas pray and praise God with singing!
Both of my parents were distracted from their visions they had. Amongst all of us kids, my mom had 8 miscarriages. So many times, she would be excited to add another to her “collection,” but would be let down in a situation that seemed tragic. The last two were especially difficult. They were twin boys and they came right after her ninth child. It just seemed so perfect. She had 9 children, and was reaching the end of her fruitful years and now this would fulfill her vision—ending with two boys. So she named them and prepared for their birth, but they also miscarried. God fulfilled her dream though, because after 8 years in between Mark, Malachi was born. He was her last kid, and she ended with two boys. My dad never did become a missionary. Why would he have had that desire and that calling, only to be disappointed? But what he did end up doing was teaching at a college to train younger people to go be aviation missionaries.
God also works it out for Paul and Silas. As they’re singing, He sends an earthquake, breaking their chains, and busting the doors open. The jailer freaks out and is about to kill himself, when Paul stops him. The man believes on Jesus, and he and his family’s lives are changed. I think this was the man in Paul’s vision. It took distractions, problems, and prison, but God caused it to work.
God always fulfills what He starts with us!!!!
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
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