Category: II Corinthians

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Victory Is Ours

Yesterday we celebrated the ultimate victory, the resurrection of Jesus from the dead! He defeated death for us and in turn, brought us to a place of new life. Our new life in Christ is one of victory.

The Christian life is not for the passive or timid. Each day we will need to stand strong against our enemy when he attacks. The difference with our war is that we win IF we continue to stand and not give up. It doesn’t matter how big the enemy MAY appear, God is greater and He has secured our victory with the power of His word.

The weapons that our enemy uses most are lies, discouragement, fear, and deception. Those have been his tactics from the beginning. He used the same arsenal of weapons on Jesus so why should we think it will be any different with us.

The Apostle Paul tells us what to do when such weapons are being used. “We live in this world, but we don’t fight our battles in the same way the world does. 4 The weapons we use are not human ones. Our weapons have power from God and can destroy the enemy’s strong places. We destroy people’s arguments, 5 and we tear down every proud idea that raises itself against the knowledge of God. We also capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ.” II Corinthians 10:3-5

We must protect what thoughts we allow to enter and reside in our minds. Whenever thoughts that are contrary to God’s Word show up we must immediately capture that thought and replace it with one that does reflect Christ. Best way I’ve found to do that is to begin praising God for what I know is true. Tell the enemy you know who he is and that he is a liar; always has been and always will be. He’s never told the truth yet and then begin to praise God that His word is true; always has been always will be.

“To end my letter I tell you, be strong in the Lord and in his great power. 11 Wear the full armor of God. Wear God’s armor so that you can fight against the devil’s clever tricks. 12 Our fight is not against people on earth. We are fighting against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world’s darkness. We are fighting against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly places. 13 That is why you need to get God’s full armor. Then on the day of evil, you will be able to stand strong. And when you have finished the whole fight, you will still be standing.” Ephesians 6:10-13 ERV

Stand strong today and when you’ve done all you know to do stand on the promises of God. STAND!!

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Stuck, Really Stuck

Dave and I have been watching a show made for Australian television that focuses on a ranch run by women and the struggles they face. They have both cattle and sheep. It seems they are always out on a muster. At least once of twice a season they come across a sheep that has gotten stuck in the deep mud at the edge of the creek. It takes a lot of hard work to get them out. That happened again when we were watching the program last night and it made me think of a verse in Psalm 40.

I shared with you from the middle of Psalm 40 yesterday. These verses at the beginning of the chapter had a greater impact after watching the struggle of both the shepherd and the sheep on that show.

“I waited patiently and expectantly for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. 2 He drew me up out of a horrible pit [a pit of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay (froth and slime), and set my feet upon a rock, steadying my steps and establishing my goings. 3 And He has put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many shall see and fear (revere and worship) and put their trust and confident reliance in the Lord. 4 Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who makes the Lord his refuge and trust, and turns not to the proud or to followers of false gods.
5 Many, O Lord my God, are the wonderful works which You have done, and Your thoughts toward us; no one can compare with You! If I should declare and speak of them, they are too many to be numbered. 6 Sacrifice and offering You do not desire, nor have You delight in them; You have given me the capacity to hear and obey [Your law, a more valuable service than] burnt offerings and sin offerings [which] You do not require. 7 Then said I, Behold, I come; in the volume of the book it is written of me; 8 I delight to do Your will, O my God; yes, Your law is within my heart.” Psalm 40:1-8AMP

It amazes me how often King David talks about being in a miry pit (adverse circumstances) or facing enemies (personal or spiritual ones) and how over and over again he thanks the Lord for delivering him out of them all. It’s always something to sing about. David drew on his work as a shepherd as a correlation to the way the Lord provided for him when he faced troublesome times. He saw the Lord’s deliverance on more than one occasion; he lived it daily.

God was always faithful! And David was always ready to do what God had asked of him – he delighted to do God’s will. He had learned that in doing God’s will there was protection, peace and provision. It was a place of blessing.

The Apostle Paul’s greatest desire was to share the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ with others. He was always ready to share when given the opportunity and he prayed for opportunities. Paul faced many obstacles on his missionary journeys. He was thrown into prison, beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, lied about, mistreated constantly but he said the hardship couldn’t compare to being able to share the Gospel.

“He answered me, “I am all you need. I give you My loving-favor. My power works best in weak people.” I am happy to be weak and have troubles so I can have Christ’s power in me. 10 I receive joy when I am weak. I receive joy when people talk against me and make it hard for me and try to hurt me and make trouble for me. I receive joy when all these things come to me because of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” II Corinthians 12:9-10 NLV

Paul knew that Christ would be his strength. He knew that there was no situation where he was weak that the Lord wouldn’t strengthen him. Maybe you feel like you’ve been stuck in some pretty deep mud. Immobilized by your circumstances. Don’t lose hope! God is there and He will bring deliverance and strength.

“Christ is the one who gives me the strength I need to do whatever I must do.” Philippians 4:13 ERV

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Love to Give

If you were crippled and had been for many years and someone offered you money or healing which would you chose?

That’s exactly what happened in the story I was reading from the book of Acts this morning. Peter and John were on their way to the Temple at the time of prayer. A man was there begging, he was crippled. He asked for money. Peter told him they didn’t have any silver or gold but they had something to give.

“One day Peter and John went to the Temple area. It was three o’clock in the afternoon, which was the time for the daily Temple prayer service. 2 As they were entering the Temple area, a man was there who had been crippled all his life. He was being carried by some friends who brought him to the Temple every day. They put him by one of the gates outside the Temple. It was called Beautiful Gate. There he begged for money from the people going to the Temple. 3 That day he saw Peter and John going into the Temple area. He asked them for money.

4 Peter and John looked at the crippled man and said, “Look at us!” 5 He looked at them; he thought they would give him some money. 6 But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold, but I do have something else I can give you. By the power of Jesus Christ from Nazareth—stand up and walk!”

7 Then Peter took the man’s right hand and lifted him up. Immediately his feet and legs became strong. 8 He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk. He went into the Temple area with them. He was walking and jumping and praising God.” Acts 3:1-8 ERV

Peter and John had been with Jesus for three years. They had experienced similar miraculous acts when Jesus encountered people who needed to receive a touch from God. Jesus would meet the physical needs of people and then minister to their spiritual needs.

Giving isn’t just about money, although that can be important. Giving is seeing a need and being used of God to meet it. Zacchaeus, the tax collector, needed to be accepted. Jesus met that need by going to his house for dinner. The adulterous woman needed a kind and loving heart. Jesus ran off her accusers and then gave forgiveness. The leper needed to be cleansed, the blind needed to see, the father needed his son delivered from demonic oppression, the multitude needed lunch and Peter needed the removal of the shame he felt for denying Christ.

Each and every time Jesus met the physical need and then offered the love and forgiveness that comes only from the heart of God.

“This crippled man was healed because we trusted in Jesus. It was Jesus’ power that made him well. You can see this man, and you know him. He was made completely well because of faith in Jesus. You all saw it happen!” Acts 3:16 ERV

Who is around you that needs a touch from Jesus? Maybe it’s the neighbor down the street who needs someone to help babysit for a few hours or perhaps the lady who sits next to you at work is feeling overwhelmed you can help by making a dinner for her family. Does someone need a hand with household repairs or is it the man at the gas station that could really benefit from someone filling his tank with fuel?

If we ask the Lord to show us people in need, He will! He will never ask us to give something that He hasn’t supplied to us in the first place. He asks us to be willing to give what we have. Peter and John didn’t have money but they had something much more valuable!

Once they met the physical need they were able to share the love of God with the man. When people know we care about them as a person, they will be more open to hearing what we say about the Father.

“Each of you must make up your own mind about how much to give. But don’t feel sorry that you must give and don’t feel that you are forced to give. God loves people who love to give. 8 God can bless you with everything you need, and you will always have more than enough to do all kinds of good things for others. 9 The Scriptures say,

“God freely gives his gifts to the poor, and always does right.”

10 God gives seed to farmers and provides everyone with food. He will increase what you have, so that you can give even more to those in need. 11 You will be blessed in every way, and you will be able to keep on being generous. Then many people will thank God when we deliver your gift.” II Corinthians 9:7-11 CEV

When we have a cheerful heart, God gives us what we need to help others. We get the joy of giving and God gets the glory!

Look for opportunities to be like Jesus. It’s fun!

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Where Am I Going? How Do I Get There?

Confusion is not from the Lord. Absolutely not!

He has always done everything in an orderly and well planned fashion. He created light and the dry land before He created the animals and plants. He put the grasses on earth before He created the cows, deer and elk.

He foretold the birth of Jesus thousands of years before the event and when it came time for Jesus’ earthly entry everything was in place. The wise men even followed the information Daniel had written hundreds of years before.

The crucifixion was orchestrated down to the words that were spoken on the cross. Every detail had been foretold and everything came to pass without deviation. God does things orderly. Even now, heaven is being prepared for us. Every desire and detail that will make heaven, heaven, is being fashioned as we live and breathe.

When we look at a situation or circumstance and try to plan our path or gain understanding and our minds are spinning, it’s time to call on the Lord for order and wisdom. From His vantage point He can see the details, the delays and the detours.

“If any of you need wisdom, you should ask God, and it will be given to you. God is generous and won’t correct you for asking. 6 But when you ask for something, you must have faith and not doubt. Anyone who doubts is like an ocean wave tossed around in a storm. 7-8 If you are that kind of person, you can’t make up your mind, and you surely can’t be trusted. So don’t expect the Lord to give you anything at all.” James 1:5-8 CEV

Once we’ve asked for wisdom we need to wait for it.

Expect God to show up with a game plan. Don’t become impatient or we will be tossed back and forth in our storm of indecision and misinformation. We can trust God to provide when we ask.

The Apostle Paul says that we battle in our minds, but the way we emerge victorious is to bring every thought “captive”. Rein it in, bring it under control but not a control of our own making, we bring it under the control that comes from knowledge in Christ.

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” II Corinthians 10:3-5

So when confusion comes and it does, it’s our duty to cast it down, take it captive and renew our minds to God’s way of thinking.

Ask for wisdom and then be still and listen for God’s voice on the matter.

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Pitch Black

Last night I learned what the saying actually means – “can’t see your hand in front of your face”.

Our power went out about 1:30 a.m. We were awaken by hearing all the little beeping alerts from the appliances and electronics throughout the house. That lasted about 2 seconds and then the power was out again and it was black.

Dave ventured out of bed to find a flashlight so he could see to turn off the heater, mission accomplished and then light was out again. Little Glory got very nervous after a few minutes of the darkness and began panting. I was really concerned for her but could see nothing. That’s when I decided to test the above cliché. I put my hand in front of my face and brought it closer. I could see nothing, I even had my hand touching my nose and couldn’t see it.

It was the strangest thing.

I had Dave give me the flashlight and I came out to the living room to find a candle. The strike of the first match lit up the room. The small candle gave off a glow that could be seen in the adjoining rooms. I lit two more – one I placed in the bathroom and the other on the kitchen bar.

Now we had light!

Glory relaxed and I read some on my phone but decided it would be best not to run the power down since I didn’t know how long it would be before we had electricity again. I did go outside to see if it was just us or the whole neighborhood was dark. Everyone was without power, there was a glow to the south from the lights in Nogales but that was it. The night was cloudy because we had rain about sunset. No moon or stars to be seen.

As I laid down on the couch these words came up in my heart.

“People don’t hide a lamp under a bowl. They put it on a lampstand. Then the light shines for everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:15-16 ERV

Let your light shine! Let the Father receive praise!

There are so many ways we can let our light shine. Friendship is one of the first things that come to mind – genuine friendship. Loving people who think that no one cares is like a beacon to that one. Kindness to a stranger; buying someone a tank of gas, a bag of groceries; giving them your coat or your parking space and doing it with a smile.

Jesus greeted a prostitute with forgiveness, a tax collector with acknowledgement of his value, a demoniac with peace and a divorcee with non-condemning words. He played with the children and wept with those who had lost loved ones.

He was love in action. His light was shining brightly.

There are so many around us who live in darkness. Theirs might not be a physical darkness but it’s darkness just the same. Depression. Low self-esteem. Heart ache. Financial destitution. Loneliness.

“It was God Who said, ‘The light will shine in darkness.’ He is the One Who made His light shine in our hearts. This brings us the light of knowing God’s shining-greatness which is seen in Christ’s face.” II Corinthians 4:6 NLV

We’ve had God place His light of love in our hearts. It’s up to us to set it on a lampstand for others to see. I know how important just a small light can be. Thankfully, the power came back on about an hour or so later.

Ask the Lord to show you how you can light up the darkness for those around you.

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No More Patches

Quite often Dave and I will use a line from the movie Lonesome Dove when it comes to our wardrobe. “No point in givin’ up on a garment just cuz it’s got a little age on it”. Well, the other day I had to do just that – give up on a garment.

I had a pair of jeans I’ve been wearing for the last ten to twelve years. They were just so comfortable and fit me like a glove. The hems were worn off where I had walked on them with my boots, the back pocket rivet had pulled away from the fabric and they were patched where I caught them on a barbed wire fence. The belt loops were pulling free but the final determination came when the zipper broke. They served me well and I hated to see them go but go they must.

This morning I was reading in Mark 2 and I had to stop and ponder, I love that word, what Jesus was saying here.

“No one patches old clothes by sewing on a piece of new cloth. The new piece would shrink and tear a bigger hole.” Mark 2:21 CEV

When I read that I thought of the pants I mentioned above and in my heart I said “Lord, but I loved those old patched pants”. What am I supposed to be learning here? As soon as I asked that question this thought came to mind.

“For if a man belongs to Christ, he is a new person. The old life is gone. New life has begun.” II Corinthians 5:17 NLV

When we accept Christ as our Savior we receive an entirely new life. God doesn’t take our old life and patch it up; He gives us something completely new. Now, if you’re like me and those jeans, I was glad to have them patched because I was comfortable with them. I liked the fit. It was ok they had a few patches.

But God has better things in store for us. He has designed a life for us using the things we love, our talents and abilities. He gives us something new and wonderful. It fits better and looks better and He gives it to us as a free gift. This new life is designer quality and custom fit.

“When you were baptized, you were buried with Christ, and you were raised up with him because of your faith in God’s power. God’s power was shown when he raised Christ from death.

13 You were spiritually dead because of your sins and because you were not free from the power of your sinful self. But God gave you new life together with Christ. He forgave all our sins.” Colossians 2:13ERV

Christ is our example of what this new life looks like. He showed us how to love the Father and love the people that God created. He showed us how to walk in forgiveness and victory.

“You were raised from death with Christ. So live for what is in heaven, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Think only about what is up there, not what is here on earth. 3 Your old self has died, and your new life is kept with Christ in God. 4 Yes, Christ is now your life, and when he comes again, you will share in his glory.” Colossians 3:1-4 ERV

Amazing! I have a new life. A life where all my sins are forgiven. God isn’t condemning me for my past. He has wiped that out and has given me a new life in Christ.

Thank you Father that you didn’t patch up my old life. Thank you for giving me something completely new!

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Identity Crisis

Good morning. I’m so glad to be back with you today. My recovery is just starting but now on morning three I am feeling better than I did on morning one. Thank you for your prayers and I appreciate you continuing to pray for me over the next few weeks as well.

This morning I was reading in Matthew 16 where Jesus asked His disciples who the people were saying Jesus was.

“Jesus went to the area of Caesarea Philippi. He said to his followers, “Who do people say I am[a?” 14 They answered, “Some people say you are John the Baptizer. Others say you are Elijah. And some say you are Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

15 Then Jesus said to his followers, “And who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:13-16 ERV

The crowds had been following Jesus for quite sometime and had seen many miracles. The Pharisees and religious leaders were very upset by the things Jesus was doing and they were doing all they could to get rid of Him. They knew the longer Jesus associated with the common people the harder it would be to remove Him from public life. They had to try and discredit him.

Jesus wanted to know who the disciples believed Him to be. They were the ones who had lived with Him and associated with Him on a daily basis. Did they believe that He was God’s Son? Were they willing to follow Him without hesitation? Jesus had a mission from the Father. He was sent to reconcile the relationship between God, the Father, and mankind.

He came to earth to be the Savior of all.

“God did not send his Son into the world to condemn its people. He sent him to save them!” John 3:17 CEV

The last few days I have had a lot of time to sit and think about that truth, what it means to be reconciled with God. Some of the people of Jesus day were confused about who Jesus really was. Was He the Messiah or just a man? There are many of us now, after His death, burial and resurrection, who recognize Jesus as God’s Son. No confusion here.

However, there is still an identity crisis that needs to be addressed. Let me paraphrase Jesus words and ask “who do we say that we are”? Do we overestimate our own potential by thinking that it is our hard work and superior intelligence that has gotten us the good things in life? Or do we underestimate our value and see ourselves as unworthy of being loved and ill-equipped in life?

When we accept Christ as our Savior we become new; we take on a whole new identity, we become the children of God Almighty!

“The Word (Jesus) was already in the world. The world was made through him, but the world did not know him. 11 He came to the world that was his own. And his own people did not accept him. 12 But some people did accept him. They believed in him, and he gave them the right to become children of God. 13 They became God’s children, but not in the way babies are usually born. It was not because of any human desire or plan. They were born from God himself.” John 1:10-13 ERV

The Apostle Paul, who wrote a large portion of the New Testament, spent most of his time instructing us on who we are in Christ and how we should live to reflect our relationship with our Father.

“When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world. The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new! 18 All this is from God. Through Christ, God made peace between himself and us. And God gave us the work of bringing people into peace with him. 19 I mean that God was in Christ, making peace between the world and himself. In Christ, God did not hold people guilty for their sins. And he gave us this message of peace to tell people. 20 So we have been sent to speak for Christ. It is like God is calling to people through us. We speak for Christ when we beg you to be at peace with God. 21 Christ had no sin, but God made him become sin[b] so that in Christ we could be right with God.” II Corinthians 5:17-21 ERV

We should be humbled by the fact that God has chosen us to be His children. He has made everything new. Jesus spoke boldly about His Father, we should too. How is it possible for us to be accepted by God as His children? It’s only possible through our relationship with Christ. This life we have been given isn’t mission impossible.

The mission, my friend, should you choose to accept it is entirely possible through Christ.

“When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? 26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:25-26 KJV


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Good Bones

I like to watch those home improvement shows on television. Some of those houses are in bad shape. You would think the best thing would be to tear down the entire structure and start over. But that’s when you hear the host of the program say “this house has really good bones”.

Good bones.

Years ago I became aware of a verse in the Bible about bones. Before I give you that verses I want to share this experience I had last May while we were at the Indy 500. Each morning I would get up and take my coffee and my Bible then go outside the RV to have my morning quiet time. Dave and Koy were sleeping inside and I didn’t want to disturb them.

I loved it. Sitting in the camp chair I could enjoy my coffee, read my Bible, pray and listen to the cars going through their morning tune-ups over at the track. Not really quiet but it was my time with the Lord. One morning I left my Bible on the outside table while we went about our day. That afternoon we had a brief rain shower. Things under the awning got damp but not really wet. Koy wanted to know if he should move my Bible inside but I said it was ok.

Later that day my Bible began to expand, literally! The pages got fatter as they began to absorb the moisture. When it dried out it never did shrink back to the previous size. Now, when I pick it up to read if I squeeze it together it crackles. It is daily reminder to me of this verse.

“The Lord is far from the sinful, but He hears the prayer of those who are right with Him. 30 The light of the eyes makes the heart glad. Good news puts fat on the bones. 31 He whose ear listens to careful words spoken will live among the wise.” Proverbs 15:29-31 NLV

Good bones, fat bones.

Good news puts fat on the bones. Another version of this verse says “a good report maketh the bones fat”. Each day when I pick up my Bible and open it to where I’m going to read I say “Thank you Father. The Good News in this book is making my bones fat. Just like the pages of this Bible got fat, when I read the words of this book they are making me strong, healthy and giving me wisdom.”

I truly believe that. God’s word is our good news. In fact, it’s the best news ever. Where else will we find unconditional love, unending mercy and infinite grace? Where else we find direction, peace and complete forgiveness? There is nowhere on the face of the earth, there are no other books that contain life-giving words and there are no computer programs or data updates that bring us into a loving relationship with Almighty God.

“My soul will be happy in the Lord. It will be full of joy because He saves. 10 All my bones will say, “Lord, who is like You? Who saves the weak from those too strong for them? Who saves the poor from those who would rob them?'” Psalm 39:9-10 NLV

“Because of Your Word and Your own heart, You have done all these great things to let Your servant know. 22 For this reason You are great, O Lord God. There is none like You. And there is no God but You, by all that we have heard with our ears.” II Samuel 7:21-22 NLV

It’s time for self-assessment. If I compare myself to a fixer-upper I must admit that I have some rehab work that needs to be done. There’s some selfishness that needs to be scrubbed off the walls and some spots of pride that have stained and discolored the countertops. There are other issues that the Lord needs to replace, I’m still under construction. But…I have good bones!

The framework, the support beams, have been furnished by the Holy Spirit and they are strong. I am His dwelling place.

“Do you not know that your body is a house of God where the Holy Spirit lives? God gave you His Holy Spirit. Now you belong to God. You do not belong to yourselves. 20 God bought you with a great price. So honor God with your body. You belong to Him.” I Corinthians 6:19-20 NLV

My foundation is solid, it’s built on the rock of God’s word. God has placed His light in my soul and He causes me to shine with His glory.

“It was God Who said, “The light will shine in darkness.” He is the One Who made His light shine in our hearts. This brings us the light of knowing God’s shining-greatness which is seen in Christ’s face.” II Corinthians 4:6 NLV

The good report, God’s Good News, is putting fat on my bones. Yes, I’m going through some renovation but I’m so glad to be the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. I have strong bones!

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Responding to “If”

Have you ever gotten trapped in the maze of “what if”? At one point or another I think we all have. There are all sorts of “if” questions; some are personal, others are intellectual or career oriented and others are more philosophical.

What if: I were taller, smarter, my nose were smaller…What if: I had continued with college, become a doctor instead of a plumber…What if: there is life in outer space. And then there are the what if’s that are related to Scripture.

In yesterday’s blog, we saw how Satan used one of those what if’s in the garden with Adam and Eve. He introduced an element of doubt into Eve’s thinking. Did God really say? What if He doesn’t want you to be as smart as He is?

“4 But the snake said to the woman, “You will not die. 5 God knows that if you eat the fruit from that tree you will learn about good and evil, and then you will be like God!” Genesis 3:4-5 ERV

When we begin to study the Bible and see what God says to us Satan will try to use the same tactic on us.

What if: God isn’t real, He’s just a myth, His Word isn’t true, there is no heaven or hell, you don’t need faith. All of these are doubting thoughts that I have had at one point or another.

When these thoughts occur the first thing we should do is realize we aren’t the only ones having them. Christians who came before us and millions who come after us will all be plagued with thoughts of doubt.

How do we deal with doubt? I’m glad you asked. As always, Jesus is our perfect example.

“ Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit to a desert. There He was tempted by the devil. 2 Jesus went without food for forty days and forty nights. After that He was hungry. 3 The devil came tempting Him and said, “If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to be made into bread.” 4 But Jesus said, “It is written, ‘Man is not to live on bread only. Man is to live by every word that God speaks.’”

5 Then the devil took Jesus up to Jerusalem, the holy city. He had Jesus stand on the highest part of the house of God. 6 The devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. It is written, ‘He has told His angels to look after You. In their hands they will hold You up. Then Your foot will not hit against a stone.’” 7 Jesus said to the devil, “It is written also, ‘You must not tempt the Lord your God.’”

8 Again the devil took Jesus to a very high mountain. He had Jesus look at all the nations of the world to see how great they were. 9 He said to Jesus, “I will give You all these nations if You will get down at my feet and worship me.” 10 Jesus said to the devil, “Get away, Satan. It is written, ‘You must worship the Lord your God. You must obey Him only.’” 11 Then the devil went away from Jesus. Angels came and cared for Him.” Matthew 4:1-11 NLV

There are three important “if” issues in these verses. Satan questions the deity of Christ, “If you are the Son of God”. Satan is a crafty enemy, one we are incapable of defeating on our own. He came to Jesus when He was at one of his weakest moments. Jesus had been fasting for forty days and now He had begun to hunger.

The important thing to see is that Jesus didn’t react rashly in His weakness, instead He let God’s word answer for Him. The power to resist temptation came from God’s word. We will overcome our temptations the same way.

“So anyone who thinks they are standing strong should be careful that they don’t fall. 13 The only temptations that you have are the same temptations that all people have. But you can trust God. He will not let you be tempted more than you can bear. But when you are tempted, God will also give you a way to escape that temptation. Then you will be able to endure it.” I Corinthians 10:12-13 ERV

In the second temptation the devil quoted Scripture to give his argument validity. Jesus didn’t take the bait; he didn’t need to prove who He was. He left that up to God, the Father. And He countered with Scripture.

Satan had been cast from heaven because he wanted to be greater than God. He coveted a position of honor. He wanted God’s Son to bow down at his feet.

” 13 You said in your heart, ‘I will go up to heaven. I will raise my throne above the stars of God. And I will sit on the mount of meeting in the far north. 14 I will go much higher than the clouds. I will make myself like the Most High.’ 15 But you will be brought down to the place of the dead, to the bottom of the grave.” Isaiah 14:13-15 NLV

One more time Jesus used God’s word as a weapon and landed blows of defeat on His enemy. This time it was too much for the devil and he fled. This is what we need to do each and every time temptation comes.

” 4 We do not use those things to fight with that the world uses. We use the things God gives to fight with and they have power. Those things God gives to fight with destroy the strong-places of the devil. 5 We break down every thought and proud thing that puts itself up against the wisdom of God. We take hold of every thought and make it obey Christ.” II Corinthians 10:4-5 NLV

And here is what God gives us to fight with.

” 11 Wear the full armor of God. Wear God’s armor so that you can fight against the devil’s clever tricks…13 That is why you need to get God’s full armor. Then on the day of evil, you will be able to stand strong. And when you have finished the whole fight, you will still be standing.

14 So stand strong with the belt of truth tied around your waist, and on your chest wear the protection of right living. 15 On your feet wear the Good News of peace to help you stand strong. 16 And also use the shield of faith with which you can stop all the burning arrows that come from the Evil One. 17 Accept God’s salvation as your helmet. And take the sword of the Spirit—that sword is the teaching of God. 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times. Pray with all kinds of prayers, and ask for everything you need. To do this you must always be ready. Never give up. Always pray for all of God’s people.” Ephesians 6:11-18 ERV

Our sword in this battle is the word of God. It is sharp enough to cut all the “what if’s” out of our lives. We will be able to stand strong and never give up when we are standing on God’s word!

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God’s Not Mad

I got to thinking after I did yesterday’s post on pruning that some may think that God is mad at them. He’s not!

We all have things that need to be pruned away, removed from our lives, so that we can grow strong and healthy. But God never does any of that with an attitude of anger, He is always led by His compassion.

That was a wonderful part of the angels message “Peace on earth, goodwill toward men.” The sacrifice of Jesus ended the war between God and man. God judged our sin by placing it on Jesus and He paid the price. He was convicted, found guilty and punished with death for crimes (Sin) He didn’t do. Paid in Full.

“But I tell you that I am going to do what is best for you. That is why I am going away. The Holy Spirit cannot come to help [a you until I leave. But after I am gone, I will send the Spirit to you.

8 The Spirit will come and show the people of this world the truth about sin and God’s justice and the judgment. 9 The Spirit will show them that they are wrong about sin, because they didn’t have faith in me. 10 They are wrong about God’s justice, because I am going to the Father, and you won’t see me again. 11 And they are wrong about the judgment, because God has already judged the ruler of this world.” John 16:7-11 CEV

The Holy Spirit will reprove or correct men in their sin, but the sin is not believing that Jesus was and is God’s Son and He is the sacrifice for our sins. He will reprove of righteousness, showing us that through Christ we have been made righteous and that judgment belongs to satan and those that follow him.

The Apostle Paul put it this way in II Corinthians 5.
“For if a man is in Christ he becomes a new person altogether—the past is finished and gone, everything has become fresh and new. All this is God’s doing, for he has reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ; and he has made us agents of the reconciliation. God was in Christ personally reconciling the world to himself—not counting their sins against them—and has commissioned us with the message of reconciliation. We are now Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were appealing direct to you through us. As his personal representatives we say, “Make your peace with God.” For God caused Christ, who himself knew nothing of sin, actually to be sin for our sakes, so that in Christ we might be made good with the goodness of God.” II Corinthians 5:17-21

It is our job, as ambassadors, to tell people that God has made a way of “peace” for them through Christ. Reconciling us to Himself, God has made a way for us to become righteous, complete new creatures.

Today I want to do my job as an ambassador of Christ and bring this good news to you. Now I ask you to share it too.

7 “For a short time I turned away from you, but with all my love I will welcome you again. 8 I was so angry that for a while I did not want to see you. But now I want to comfort you with kindness forever.” The LORD your Savior said this. 9 “Remember, in Noah’s time I punished the world with the flood. But I made a promise to Noah that I would never again destroy the world with water. In the same way, I promise that I will never again be angry with you and say bad things to you.” Isaiah 54:7-9

God isn’t mad at us – He is reaching out to us with arms of love!

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