Big "WOWS!" in Just a Few Words

And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.  And the devil said to Him, “I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours.” Jesus answered him, “It is written,‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’” Luke 4:5-8

Has it ever triggered your imagination when reading this passage to contemplate what actually occurred between Satan and Jesus when it says Satan “showed Him all the kingdoms of the world ­in a moment of time.”?  How did that occur? Could you be shown all the kingdoms of the world in only a moment of time?  I can’t explain that because I am human and finite, but it strikes me clearly that Jesus was divine as well as human in being able to be shown so much in so little time.

One more big thing about this little incident:  There were just three temptations Satan chose to target on Jesus at this occasion.  It would make sense that they would have been pivotal issues, not just incidentals of little consequence.  In this one, the issue was who would be the object of worship.  Jesus responded quickly by quoting the eternal word given to Moses and etched in stone by the hand of God: “Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.”  

Such a headline commandment from God thru Moses, thru time, and now challenged by Satan and answered by Jesus ought to resonate with us who read it today as still being the litmus test or yardstick by which we evaluate our affections, allegiances, and investments of our life resources.  Am I worshipping and serving the Lord my God and Him only?  It’s a contemporary as well as ancient question demanding honest response.  Jesus turned down the opportunity to worship anything else, and so must we. 

God is on Your Team!

He is the Captain.

Are You Judging Me?

That question often gets asked more like an indictment, and “You are judging me.” or “Who are you to judge?” are common accusations when a person feels censured or corrected about something.  In essence, someone taking a negative view of them, “judging them”,  is automatically judged (yes “judged”) to be an offensive foul, regardless of whether they were indeed right or wrong in their actions.

People like to use the Bible as a shield whenever they can.  After all, it says, “Judge not, ...” (Matthew 7:1-5)  Those two words, “Judge not” taken out of context seem like a great defense against anyone’s correction of us.  However, taken in context it is obvious the point of Jesus warning was to be sure we are not hypocritical or unwilling to have our own ways examined if we are going to call someone else to account. 

Jesus also said in John 7:24: “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."

In reality, we all have to make judgments (decisions) every day about whom to trust, whom to do business with, or with whom to fellowship.  We don’t need to pronounce our judgments most of the time, and it’s usually best we don’t, but we nevertheless need to make them as we determine what courses of action we will take. 

If we are to some degree responsible for someone else as in a parent, mentor, or supervisory role there are times when it is indeed our duty to inquire, investigate, prayerfully examine our own heart, actions and motives, and then lovingly, but with commitment to the truth and a desire for a positive outcome, correct someone about their actions, attitudes or words. 

They may or may not receive it well, but if it is indeed our responsibility to deliver such a message to them, then “Who are you to judge?” should not come to their mind.  If it does, we should know who we are to them and be prepared to answer.  If we don’t have a relationship which qualifies us to judge them, then indeed their question is a rightful challenge to us and we need to step back in bounds.

Hold On To Your Kite!

Yesterday, when I heard Dr. Michael Brown say that only 8% of Christians read their Bibles regularly, I thought, it’s no wonder many people lack consistency in their behavior and have no good foundation for making important decisions.

If you recall what you know about flying kites, you remember that in addition to the kite itself, which is designed to catch the wind, the tail and the person holding the string are both vital stabilizers which allow the kite to attain and maintain its flight.  A kite cut loose becomes a victim of the wind and takes the path of least resistance toward the ground.

Similarly, when a person intends to live for Christ he is attempting flight far above the heads of those who are content to follow a crowd, do whatever seems right at the time and brings immediate gratification.  However, to attain and maintain such flight requires the anchoring of Scripture as well as the stabilizing tail of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus said that the Holy Spirit will lead us (tail) into all truth and remind us of the things Jesus has said (Scripture).   John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.  ALSO: Psalm 119:9-11 How can a young man keep his way pure?  By keeping it according to Your word.  With all my heart I have sought You;  Do not let me wander from Your commandments. Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You.

“Hold on to your kite” is a reminder to stay invested in the Scriptures on a regular basis.  The Holy Spirit will remind us of what we have put into our minds and hearts, but “re-minding” is dependent on having “minded” something in the first place.

Sunday After-Words

"TRANSFORMERS: Most will destroy us; some will rescue us."  That was yesterday's message title.

The message focused primarily on our need to be in the process of being transformed by God’s Word, His Spirit, and those whose transforming lives encourage and challenge us toward further transformation.  If we deliberately and consistently follow this course we will experience transformation into true Christ-likeness.  We were encouraged to fix our eyes on Jesus and determine to run toward Him along with others who are also passionate about becoming like Him.  

The phrase “Most will destroy us” applies to the transformative power of those influences which encourage us toward taking life easier, following the path of least resistance, and listening to the voices which tell us “we deserve it”.  Its various transformative messages include such things as the following:

     “Do what you feel like doing.  It’s easier to get forgiveness than permission.”

     “Don’t make commitments to serve because you need more time for yourself.” 

     “Give in to your kids on whatever they want so you don’t have to be the ‘bad guy’ or deal with their displeasure.”

     “Spend on yourself first, and give to God from whatever is left.  He’s responsible to see you have plenty for both.”

     “Church should be convenient, entertaining, and helpful for keeping a positive attitude.  It’s supposed to be a blessing to me, not a place where I sacrifice to serve others or where others challenge the way I think and act.”

These messages and others like them are “transformers” that are active in our world and can destroy us.  We need to watch out for the bad ones while we seek out the good ones.