Trials, Tests and Temptations

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God,

tell these stones to become bread.”

 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Matthew 4:1-4

                                  

Maybe you’ve noticed that the greatest time of testing occurs when we are discouraged or disappointed? A difficult situation comes into our life; we get our eyes off of Jesus, and then trouble comes.

We can often handle one discouragement okay; but when two or three come, we really struggle. Or, if the negative situation lasts for a lengthy time, it discourages us, and often sin follows. Negative situations can set us up for temptation.

Satan’s mission or purpose in life is to cause us to sin. He wants to test us, and he hopes that we will sin. Satan is not our friend. His goal is to cause us to sin. His goal was to cause Jesus to sin!

Satan is after us. Satan is after you! There is only one way to fight him. We can win the fight only with the armor of God. Jesus used all of the armor. He was truthful and righteous in His conduct. He exercised faith and trusted the scripture.

Through each temptation Jesus trusted God and He used scripture – the Word of God. The only way we can do this is to know the Bible, and to ask Him to help our unbelief or our lack of trust.

I find that the tests are difficult when I lack faith or trust in God. Since Satan is coming again, let us pray and ask God to help our unbelief and to give the correct scriptures when we are tempted. Thank you Lord.

Stand Firm on His Word

“Then God said, “Let Us (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) make man in Our image, according to Our likeness [not physical, but a spiritual personality and moral likeness]; and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle, and over the entire earth, and over everything that creeps and crawls on the earth.”

Genesis 1:26 (Amplified)

In today’s passage we find evidence of the Trinity at the creation.

God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit were active together in what we just read.

Does that truth change because of someone’s belief or non-belief in it?

Does that truth change because of someone’s understanding of it?

Finally, does that truth change because of how effectively or ineffectively someone conveys or teaches it?

The answer to all three questions is an unequivocal no!

So it is with the Word of God. 

It is eternal and unchanging.

God is not a man that He should lie.

But many will not receive or believe His word.

They will go all out to disprove it, to claim it is nothing more than mans’ words.

But this does not and never will change the eternal truth of His word.

When all around is shaken you can stand firm on His word!

The Spirit of the Lord is on You Too!

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4:18-19

 

These words read by Jesus would be literally fulfilled by Him in His ministry. As you work your way through the Gospel’s note how/when Jesus:

•        proclaims Good News to the poor

•        proclaims freedom for the prisoner

•        recovery of sight to the blind

•        when He sets the oppressed free

•        proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor

As you do, you will find that over and over Jesus fulfills the words of the verses above which He had quoted from the Prophet Isaiah. To be sure He also harsh words for many of the religious leaders and their hypocrisy but for the crowds who brought him their blind, sick and desperate, He healed them all while also sharing the Good News of the Kingdom. His ministry was, in many ways, a model for us. We too can fulfill the prophetic mandate from Isaiah. Jesus did not go about doing good without modeling for His Apostles and by extension for us what ministry to others should look like.  

Mustard Seed People

“He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Matthew 17:20

God is raising up a ‘Mustard Seed People’ who will see mountains moved through their faith in Him.

It will be a faith exercised on behalf of others who cannot see past their own mountains of debt...of disease...of despair.

There is no shortage of needs.

Will you be a part of that army that God can use?

The mustard seed is tiny.

Maybe you say – “So is my faith, it’s pretty tiny.”

But surrender that faith to Him and watch what mighty mountains move in the lives of other people.  

The hour of the super-hero one man show is over and the army of God is on the rise.

Are you part of that army?

Let the faith of God arise in you!!!

When God Hands Me More Than I Can Bear

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind.

And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.

But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

I Corinthians 10:13

  

Does God ever give you more than you can bear?

“What a dumb question to ask”, you say, “in light of the verse posted above!”

But look again at that verse.

It is speaking only in the context of temptation.

Walk through the scriptures and it is filled with stories of men and woman who were faced with situations that overwhelmed them.

On their own and apart from God they had much, much more than they could bear.

Let me ask you a question and be honest as you answer it -

If you could handle everything in your life – how often would you call on the Lord?

If life never was too much for you would you grow in your relationship with God?

Remember your child or sibling as they took their first steps?

It was step, step, fall; step, step, fall!

It may have seemed at the time like something as simple as walking was more than they could bear.

But with the steadying hand of mom or dad and a lot of perseverance they got through it.

We must recognize that if we are to do great things for God it requires us to develop that trusting relationship where we learn to rely on Him when difficulties come.

And make no mistake – difficulties will come.

I challenge you to go through the scriptures and find a great man or woman of God who only knew the mountaintop experiences of life.

You won’t find them.

They didn’t exist then and they don’t exist now.

So if you and I settle that question where does it lead us?

It should lead us to God.

When life overwhelms you can run from God or you can run to God.

If you run to Him, persevering through the difficult times under the steadying hand of God, you will grow stronger and He will release more of His power and anointing in your life.  

He gives you more than you can bear so that He can pour more of Himself into you!

Before the Birth is Something Called ‘Labor’!

“But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.  

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.”

“I am the Lord’s servant,”

Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.”

Luke 1:30-31; 33-38

 

What do Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and Jesus all have in common?

Some might say that all of them are make believe, there to grant you all of your wishes.

Of course, if you are a disciple of Jesus Christ you ought to know better.

I am not just talking about the fact that Jesus is not ‘make believe’ – certainly we believe in Him and understand He is real – but what about the second part?

Is Jesus in your life just to smooth out all the rough spots?

Is it His job to simply make all your dreams come true?

When you make Him Lord, do all your problems vanish just by uttering a prayer heavenward?

In some ways, not only will Jesus not solve all your problems, He will even bring you a few!

Mary was pregnant – and not by Joseph her betrothed either!

You see Jesus had not even come in the flesh yet and He was already a ‘problem’ for Mary!

 Sure, she was carrying the Son of God but try to tell that to her friends and relatives.

She saw the fingers pointing at her and knew the whispers were about her ‘condition’!

She responded to the angel’s news by saying: “May it be to me as you have said.”

But the very next words were: “Then the angel left her.”

The angelic visitation was over but Mary’s troubles were just beginning!

The angel left without posting his message on the internet.

Sure, Joseph had a dream but what of the rest of Mary’s family and friends.

Maybe God has spoken to you of what He wants to do in you and through you.

But then, like Mary the visit is over and you feel like you are left to deal with the aftermath all by yourself.

I wonder how many times during those nine months she wondered where her ‘super-hero’ was?

I wonder how many times she questioned why she ever said yes and whether or not it was all a bad dream.

After all, God is there to make everything easy and to grant all my wishes; right?

Maybe not.

Yes, His plans for you and I are good.

The ‘working out’ of them is not always pleasant!

Before the birth, there is something called ‘labor’!

Are you prepared to say “May it be to me as you have said”?

It may not always be easy but it will be worth it.

“R” and “R”

“Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.”

Luke 1:36-37

Life will have difficulties.

We have built the case for this fact over the last couple of days.

So how do you deal with the overwhelming situations inevitably faced by all of us?

Let me offer a couple of helps today and tomorrow.

When you are overwhelmed, reach out to others and rely on God.

Mary received the news of the birth of Jesus from an angel but she was also ‘given’ her cousin Elizabeth as someone she could reach out to.

She was not all alone.

Sometimes, when we find ourselves in difficult and overwhelming situations we can go into ‘hiding’.

 This is not healthy.

We can draw strength and encouragement from others and we can also learn that others want to help and bless you as you reach out to them.

Stop trying to make it on your own.

God never meant for you to do that.

It is no accident that we are called a ‘body’ of believers and the ‘family’ of God.

But understand that as wonderful as others will and can be, your reliance must be on God and not on man.

He can and will bring others into your life when you need them but of God alone can we say: “Nothing is impossible.”

Isn’t that talking out of both sides of my mouth?

Not at all.

Mary could, and did, rejoice with her cousin Elizabeth but her through it all she needed to rely on God.

So, some twofold counsel if you are struggling with what seems to be an impossible situation.

Reach out to others and Rely on God     

“R” and “R”

Who Will You Partner With?

“God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

Genesis 1:28

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

Genesis 3:1

Suppose you had never read any scriptures before and knew nothing of

God or the devil until you read the two verses above.

Now further suppose that you were told you could partner with God or the devil to accomplish things in the earth.

Who would you choose to partner with?

Well, your distant (in the past) relative made just such a choice.

Adam and Eve were blessed by God and given dominion over the earth.

God desired to partner with them but when they were faced with a test Adam and Eve made their choice and the rest – as they say – is history!

Imagine surrendering what was theirs in the Garden.

Imagine surrendering fellowship with God – face to face in Eden.

Imagine surrendering the plans God had for them.

God is prepared to do great things in your life.

He desires to partner with you to accomplish His purposes in the earth.

But just as Adam and Eve did, you too will face a test.

The plans of God always bring the testings of God before the manifestation.

You will always have to make a choice.

Just as Adam and Eve had that choice to make in the Garden; just as Abraham did on the mountain; just as Jesus did – yes even Jesus – in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Shortcuts may work on a computer or they may work on a road trip but they will not work with Gods’ established purposes in the earth.

He desires to partner with you but His power is released in those who have been tested and have passed the test.

Do you want to partner with God?

Be prepared for the testings that will come!

The "All Our Ducks In a Row" Church

““Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart,

who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.”

Jeremiah 3:15

God never calls ‘managers’ to shepherd His church.

He calls leaders.

Leaders lead.

To lead is quite different than to manage.

Some of the best leaders tip over the apple cart, they break it into pieces and they burn it up.

Why?

Because, so often a ‘well managed’ church is a church where everything runs so smoothly that there are absolutely no hiccups and the last time God stopped by for a visit He was escorted out the door.

Ministry can get messy.

We have looked at the fact that if your God can only do what you can explain then you have a pretty shallow God!

But we like routine.

Our flesh likes all our ducks in a row.

We put plans and programs into place that may not, of themselves, be wrong but too often they exclude the supernatural move of God.

After all, that wasn’t planned for nor is it welcome.

A manager will not do well with this.

The man called of God to lead will recognize that ultimately he leads under the authority and direction of the Holy Spirit and the church is not a business, it is the very Body of Christ to do with as He wills.  

Of course, we do not have license to surrender to reckless abandon. 

Rather, it is a surrender to the Spirit of God, allowing Him to move as He will!

I don’t want to reduce this blog simply to trite sayings and cliché’s but I do remember something I used to hear that makes a lot of sense:

Let go and let God!

God will lead us to the degree we learn to follow Him.

An Inexpressible and Glorious Joy

“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,”

 I Peter 1:8

I love the Lord!

Do you?

I have not seen the Lord as some men have.

But I still believe in Him as well.

Do you?

There is a wonderful hope we have as those who have received Him.

How sweet it was to have been one who walked when Jesus walked.

But the reward of believing though we have not seen is richer and greater.

Peter spoke of an inexpressible and glorious joy.

We, as those who have believed though we have not seen, are partakers of that joy.

We love Him though we do not see Him and He fills us with His joy as a promise and as a sign of our faith in Him.

Take that joy with you today.

I don’t know what this day has in store for you.

It may be filled with great things.

It may be a day of monumental challenges.

Either way, take His inexpressible and glorious joy in your heart as you walk out the next twenty-four hours...and beyond

Living According to Spirit or Flesh?

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.”

Romans 8:12-13

There is a life that leads to death.

There is a life that leads to eternal life.

When you walk after the desires of the flesh, you are walking to death.

When you walk after the Spirit of God you find life.

Not simply meager, squeak by life but rich abundant and full life.

And that is but a taste of the life to come.

Your choice.

And it is not a one and done choice.

It is one we make over and over and over.

You can certainly be a believer and still live below the inheritance we have in Christ.

Like the billionaire who chooses to live like a pauper, you too can choose to walk after the flesh.

Again I say – your choice.

What will you choose today?

In Delightful and in Difficult?

““Never will I leave you;

    never will I forsake you.”

Hebrews 13:5b

Yesterday, the title of my post was: “Is God with You?”

I could almost hear the refrain from some of you saying:

Of course He is with me.

He said He would never leave me and would never forsake me.

You would be correct in that answer.

But I asked the question from a different perspective.

You see, God is indeed always with us but it is possible that He is with us but we are not with Him.

Of course, what I mean is that we forsake His ways.

We may turn down a path He did not direct us to.

We may, in anger, turn our back on Him.

Truly, He will not leave us even in those times as He is faithful even when we are not.

So really the question might better be framed this way:

Are you with God?

Are you following after Him through the difficult and the delightful?

Do you serve Him only when life is wonderful or do you stay close to Him when life is woeful too?

It is one thing to ask if God is with us, it is an entirely different question to ask if we are with God.

Will you remain close to His side today no matter what comes your way?

Is God With You?

“Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph,

they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him”

Acts 7:9

In the verse above, so much hinges in that simple three letter word – ‘but’.

Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt.

But not by slave traders (as if that would make it any easier.), Joseph was sold by his very own brothers.

Jealousy, that so-called green-eyed monster, will make you do crazy things.

But God was with Him.

Maybe it didn’t seem like it to Joseph but that little phrase led off by our three letter word ‘but’ made all the difference.

It may seem bleak to you right now.

You cannot find the light at the end of the tunnel.

Have you invited God into your situation?

He can work all things together for good to them who are called according to His purposes.

Joseph ended up in a far-away land.

He was accustomed to the finer things in life given to him by his father Isaac.

But slaves rarely enjoy the finer things.

Joseph had to maintain a hope in God even when it seemed hopeless.

Is that where you are?

Then, again, I encourage you to invite God into your struggles.

They may not cease, but you will find purpose, promise and hope in spite of them.

May it be said of you: God is with him!

His Anointing Oil

“You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God,

your God, has set you above your companions

by anointing you with the oil of joy.”

Psalm 45:7

“Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.”

James 5:14

“It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe.”

Psalm 133:2

“The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.”

Matthew 25:4

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”

Psalm 23:5

Morning Speaks

“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,

    for I have put my trust in you.

Show me the way I should go,

    for to you I entrust my life.”

Psalm 143:8

The morning does indeed bring us word of Gods’ unfailing love.

It does so in hundreds of ways.

Do you see that sunrise?

Beautiful isn’t it?

Let it remind you of Gods’ unfailing love for you.

Just getting out of bed in the morning can be a reminder.

Hs mercies are new every morning and they are there to greet you as your feet hit the floor.

Speaking of the floor -  

Did you sleep in peace through the night, safe in your home?

That is just another way to recognize His love for you.

There is an old song that says:

“Count your many blessing

Name them one-by-one

Count your many blessing

See what God has done.”

It is so easy to count complaints but let me challenge you to turn that around and count your many blessing!

Grumble Bumble

“Do everything without grumbling or arguing,”

Philippians 2:14

Have you ever met anyone who is just the opposite of the admonition above?

Instead of doing everything without grumbling or arguing they are contentious at every opportunity.

It wears on you.

Jesus offered a different approach.

He said: “Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God.”

Certainly, it is better to be known by that title than as one who never has anything good to say.

One looks for the silver lining while the other just sees the cloud.

Avoid those whose goal it is to argue about anything and everything.

 All of the grumbling accomplishes nothing but alienating those around them.

The peacemaker, on the other hand, is much like a magnet.

They attract people with their attitude and willingness to seek peace.

So which will you choose to be – grumbler or peacemaker?

More Than Sunday

“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

Deuteronomy 6:6-7

God’s commandments are to be on our hearts.

We are to impress them on our children, to talk about them when we sit at home and when we walk along the road, when we lie down and when we get up.

That certainly would not describe a Sunday-only relationship.

We are to be in intimate relationship and fellowship with the Lord through our spirit in communion with His Holy Spirit.

His commands are not burdensome but a delight to those who are in that relationship.

When I fell in love with my wife, my goal wasn’t to be with her one day a week.

I looked for and took every chance I got to spend time with her and get to know her.

When we set as our goal to know the Lord that will include knowing and loving His Word.

The two are inseparable.

If I say I love God but do not hold His Word in my heart then something is missing.

The Psalms are rich with encouragement to hide His Word in our hearts.

I would encourage you to spend a little time there today.

Tear Down That Wall!

“For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,”

Ephesians 2:14

There certainly is plenty of conversation nowadays about walls and barriers.

No, I’m not here to pick a side when it comes to that conversation.

I am here to say that no greater barrier ever existed than the wall of sin between us and a perfect, loving Father.

We were on one side with God on the other.

But God, through Jesus Christ, destroyed that barrier through the innocent blood of His son which was shed on the cross.

The way that once was impenetrably blocked by our wrongdoing has been made open.

We have access and fellowship once again with the Father.

He became our peace and our reconciler with the Father and has given us adoption into the family of God.

Peace with God – now there’s something worth shouting about!