Archive for January, 2010
Dealing with Temptation
Posted by: | CommentsThe Scripture tells us that "Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil." Then it says that Jesus fasted for forty days and forty nights.
We know as we look back to this occasion that Jesus was about to begin his earthly ministry. Can we draw the conclusion that we might also face seasons of temptation before we are released into new levels of ministry?
The final temptation was a temptation for Jesus to receive power and glory if he would fall down and worship the devil. It came right on the heels of two other powerful temptations. Yes, temptations. Hebrews records for us that Jesus was tempted in all points as we are, yet he never succumbed to the temptations. He never sinned.
So imagine Jesus after forty days and forty nights of fasting. Tired. Lonely. Hungry. And here comes a third temptation.
Power and glory belong to Jesus. They are rightfully his. Yet Satan tried to get Jesus to receive what was rightfully his by short cutting God’s plan. "Just do it the easy way. You can have the glory and power now. Just worship me."
This wasn’t a new song and dance for Satan. He was kicked out of heaven for the same issue.
Jesus answered the temptation by saying "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, "You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve."
Truth Brings Freedom
Posted by: | CommentsTomorrow I will continue on the temptations of Jesus. Today I want to talk about how the truth brings freedom.
Jesus said, "You will know the truth and the truth will make you free."
There is such warfare over knowing truth. We are often not willing to know truth. We sense that we are wrong about a matter or we have an inner knowing that we are denying truth by not acknowledging it, but we are not willing to experience the discomfort and/or pain that comes by stepping fully into the realm of truth.
Truth is costly. Knowing truth and then acting on truth will cost us. It will cost us convenience and our comfortable paradigms. It will cost us because it requires change.
We all have areas where we need more freedom. Truth is the catalyst which births the freedom. Freedom comes in many ways. Sometimes it is instantaneous. Sometimes it comes like peeling the layers of an onion. Usually both processes are working at the same time.
Even though truth is costly, it carries the fragrance of Christ because Christ is the truth.
You Can Make It!
Posted by: | CommentsThe second temptation of Jesus in the wilderness was, in part, one of identity.
Matthew 4:5-6
Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, sat Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If you are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written,
"He shall give His angels charge over you." and
"In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone."
Jesus had completed forty days of fasting. He was physically weak. He was hungry. He went head on with the Devil, passing the first test and boom, here comes test two. Ever noticed how when one temptation or struggle passes, there is often another one right on its heels?
Satan again tempted Jesus in the area of his identity. He taunted Jesus just as in the first temptation, "IF you are the Son of God…" He even quoted the Scripture this time answering Jesus method of passing the first temptation.
Knowing who we are is a struggle we can all have at times. Fasting helps to clarify that. As we deny our flesh in pursuit of God, our ability to hear and know gets sharper.
Jesus once again uses the Word of God to rebuff the enemy. And there is yet one more test before God will send the angels to minister to Jesus. Hang on, dear child of God, when the testing seems relentless. God will send help. You can end the season of testing with God’s strength for your weakness. You can grow in your understanding of who God has created you to be.
Remember that Jesus passed these tests as a man full of the Spirit of God. The same Spirit dwells inside you as a believer. "I can do all things through Christ who is my strength." Philippians 4:13
And at just the right time, God will minister to you, just as He ministered to Jesus.
Finding Strength for Your Weakness
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The Inward, Outward, and Upward Journey
Posted by: | CommentsYesterday I shared with you about how fasting ups our awareness. Today I want to take that a step further.
Life is an inward, outward, and upward journey. Fasting touches all three of those areas.
The inward journey is the one in which we allow God to go inside our hearts and show us what is not pure. He also gives us revelation as to why certain issues are a struggle for us. Maybe he reveals an issue we have with rejection and then takes us even deeper to look at a significant life relationship that this struggle stems from.
In our outward journey, fasting causes us to see others with new eyes. Isaiah 58 is clear about the fact that our fasting ought to result in tangible care for others, whether that care be helping someone with groceries, encouraging someone, ministering to the about Christ’s love, or fixing their car.
The upward journey is the one in which we are taken deeper into the experiential knowledge of the love of God.
I pointed out yesterday that we are triune beings; our body, soul, and spirit are all interconnected and affect one another. In the same way, these three journeys are interconnected and affect one another.
