Here in this chapter we have Matthews account of how Jesus' earthly mission began. It was no easy beginning. Sure the Baptism of chapter three was nice and a great celebration. Right away, however, Jesus is faced with temptations. Before Jesus preaches one word, before he heals a single person, before he has a follower other than John, Satan messes with Jesus. If Satan can derail Jesus before he gets started then, the rest of the story will never happen.
All of the temptations are answered with Scripture. Even Jesus did not have to use his own strength and power, he left that up to God the creator. Once Jesus clears the temptations the mission goes into full swing. The first followers are invited and the work of preaching, teaching and healing is under way.
I am amazed at how often Satan tries to derail something before it even gets out of the gate. Even more surprising is the number of times we let him. There are always solid earthly reasons for not doing something. The risk can be high and the cost more than one can bear. Possible there are people who become an unknown agent of the enemy who try to slow things down. No matter how it looks, we have all faced the start of something, and had plenty of reason to not go any further.
The battle we fight is already won. We do not have to fight it. All we must do is remind the Enemy, of the fight which he lost. This is done by turning to the holy Scriptures.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Matthew 3 -- Understated Ministry
Other than Jesus, I think John the Baptist is my favorite person from the Bible. He was rough around the edges. The religious people hated him. He was bold and straight forward, and did not care if you liked what he had to say. I am sure John never shrunk back from a challenge. John also know his role in what God was doing. Many people became disciples of John, and he kept pointing them to the One who is to come. It was never about John. When Jesus comes to be baptized John refuses out of a feeling of unworthiness. Yet Jesus insists and baptizes the Lord.
John himself said that he must decrease and Jesus must increase, but I think we miss something when we brush past John's ministry too quickly. Jesus was pardoning sins, healing the blind, lame and possessed, acting with great compassion and grace. John was doing the same, but with a different style and edge. If Jesus was the ultimate revival, as He is, then John is the the ultimate agent of God who quickens the souls of humanity to be ready for revival. John prepares the way. This is needed but difficult ministry. John knows it will be Jesus in the lights not him. John knows that the one who comes after him will be the one who reaps the harvest. Sowing the harvest is often much more difficult that reaping, especially when you know you will not be the one reaping your effort.
John is not slowed. He understands the role God has raised him up to play in the redemption of the world. I wonder if we are able to the same, or if we are seeking more recognition and fame?
John himself said that he must decrease and Jesus must increase, but I think we miss something when we brush past John's ministry too quickly. Jesus was pardoning sins, healing the blind, lame and possessed, acting with great compassion and grace. John was doing the same, but with a different style and edge. If Jesus was the ultimate revival, as He is, then John is the the ultimate agent of God who quickens the souls of humanity to be ready for revival. John prepares the way. This is needed but difficult ministry. John knows it will be Jesus in the lights not him. John knows that the one who comes after him will be the one who reaps the harvest. Sowing the harvest is often much more difficult that reaping, especially when you know you will not be the one reaping your effort.
John is not slowed. He understands the role God has raised him up to play in the redemption of the world. I wonder if we are able to the same, or if we are seeking more recognition and fame?
Matthew 2 -- The Early Years
We have come to expect the birth of Jesus to be accompanied with much fanfare. When his actual birth took place there was fanfare but not by all the people. Not everyone was excited about the idea of the Messiah being born. A group that were excited were "outsiders" the Magi were most likely astrologers who had heard the teachings about the coming Messiah. God had revealed to them just who was being born. The come with gifts and worship to offer to the new born king as the song says. In other Gospel accounts we get the story of the shepherds and the angels. We get a more developed story of John the Baptist and other surround events. Not in Matthew, some understood and some did not, and those who understood who had been born were outsiders.
Early in life Jesus was on the move. From Bethlehem to Egypt and back to Judea. Finally stopping in The Galilee, more specifically in the town of Nazareth. There are not many details from the early years of Jesus. We know there were people celebrating him, and there were those trying to kill him. It seems this is the lot of God who enters into our world. I suppose things have not changed all that much since then. Some are willing to give everything and follow anywhere, while others will do anything to kill or ruin. I am glad I know how the story ends and where I need to align myself.
Early in life Jesus was on the move. From Bethlehem to Egypt and back to Judea. Finally stopping in The Galilee, more specifically in the town of Nazareth. There are not many details from the early years of Jesus. We know there were people celebrating him, and there were those trying to kill him. It seems this is the lot of God who enters into our world. I suppose things have not changed all that much since then. Some are willing to give everything and follow anywhere, while others will do anything to kill or ruin. I am glad I know how the story ends and where I need to align myself.
Matthew 1 -- Genealogy
For many years I wondered why in the world the genealogy was included in the scriptures. I know in the Old Testament there was more emphasis on the family connections as the primary way of being a part of the people of God, Israel, was through birthright. But why would they put all those pain inducing names in one sting, right at the beginning of the New Testament. Obviously they did not have a good editor working for them and the marketing department did not get to review the layout. Is it possible the problem is not the book and its layout? Could it be my understanding is limited?
As I have wrestled with the genealogy I have gained a different understanding. I am still not enamored with it, but that is not always the point of Scripture. The first revelation I have had is that Christs appearance on earth was intentional. That might sound obvious, but I mean the person to who Jesus was born and the family line was intentional. God did not randomly pick some peasant girl in the middle east to inflict being the mother of Jesus upon. The family line of Joseph mattered.
Second the genealogy shows that not all the members of Jesus earthly family line had it all together. King David, the one who murdered Uriah, Solomon the arms dealer, see Rob Bell's writings. Included are some of the Old Testament Kings, who have a sketchy past. It was not out of perfection and purity Jesus earthly family emerged. It is almost as if anyone of us could be a part of that.
The genealogy is tedious, and hard to pronounce. Easily one could skip right over it. Yet it seems there is something important in those words about who God is, and about how God relates to us.
As I have wrestled with the genealogy I have gained a different understanding. I am still not enamored with it, but that is not always the point of Scripture. The first revelation I have had is that Christs appearance on earth was intentional. That might sound obvious, but I mean the person to who Jesus was born and the family line was intentional. God did not randomly pick some peasant girl in the middle east to inflict being the mother of Jesus upon. The family line of Joseph mattered.
Second the genealogy shows that not all the members of Jesus earthly family line had it all together. King David, the one who murdered Uriah, Solomon the arms dealer, see Rob Bell's writings. Included are some of the Old Testament Kings, who have a sketchy past. It was not out of perfection and purity Jesus earthly family emerged. It is almost as if anyone of us could be a part of that.
The genealogy is tedious, and hard to pronounce. Easily one could skip right over it. Yet it seems there is something important in those words about who God is, and about how God relates to us.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
2 Timothy 4 -- Be Prepared
Are you ready for anything? If someone asked you to teach them something about God could you do it right there and then? If the answer is no, you have some work to do. We are to be ready, at a moments notice to teach something about God. Further what we teach ought to be truth, not simply our impressions of truth. This will mean a life drenched in God where we are connecting with God. If we do not we could fall pray to all sorts of teaching.
We are warned the day will come when people will gather around them people who tell them what they want to hear. I cannot help but think of Michael Jackson. Since his death we have heard from several people who were advising Mr. Jackson in his life and affairs. Many of them did so at great personal financial gain. It is easy to see how some of these people did not do what was in the best interest of Jackson, rather they did what he asked them to do. The results were tragic.
It is important we a rooted and grounded in truth, and we surround ourselves with people who will hold us accountable, not only tell us what we want to hear.
We are warned the day will come when people will gather around them people who tell them what they want to hear. I cannot help but think of Michael Jackson. Since his death we have heard from several people who were advising Mr. Jackson in his life and affairs. Many of them did so at great personal financial gain. It is easy to see how some of these people did not do what was in the best interest of Jackson, rather they did what he asked them to do. The results were tragic.
It is important we a rooted and grounded in truth, and we surround ourselves with people who will hold us accountable, not only tell us what we want to hear.
2 Timothy 3 -- Beware
In chapter 3 Paul warns of people who have the form, or appearance of godliness, but do not have the life to back it up. These people worm their way into the homes of weak women and take advantage of them. The first thing I though about was the televangelists of our day. To watch them they talk a great game, and I think God uses their ill-gotten ministry for kingdom purposes. Still when the curtain is pulled back truth about them is revealed.
Before we launch into attacking such people, we must realize that could be any of us. I am not sure we are going to have a TV ministry empire, but we could have the appearance of godliness with out the life to back it up. It is no wonder after that sobering thought Paul turns attention to the Scriptures. In many circles the scriptures have fallen from favor, diminished in their value and believed to point to truth but not contain it. This is very dangerous, and Paul words are vital to the landscape today.
When we are in relationship to the Scriptures, and allow our lives to be shaped by them, conviction is high. Allowing ourselves to be convicted will increase the chances of living a life that matched the godly appearance. In fact we will not have to worry about the appearance, the more we allow God to shape our lives through the scriptures. God will take care of our appearance.
Before we launch into attacking such people, we must realize that could be any of us. I am not sure we are going to have a TV ministry empire, but we could have the appearance of godliness with out the life to back it up. It is no wonder after that sobering thought Paul turns attention to the Scriptures. In many circles the scriptures have fallen from favor, diminished in their value and believed to point to truth but not contain it. This is very dangerous, and Paul words are vital to the landscape today.
When we are in relationship to the Scriptures, and allow our lives to be shaped by them, conviction is high. Allowing ourselves to be convicted will increase the chances of living a life that matched the godly appearance. In fact we will not have to worry about the appearance, the more we allow God to shape our lives through the scriptures. God will take care of our appearance.
2 Timothy 2 -- Arguments
"Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels." v.23. The easy at which I can be pulled into a foolish or stupid argument is alarming. There is something with in me that loves a good fight. When it comes to physical fights, I would not do well. If the battle is one with words, I can hold my own with the best of them. The result is I can find myself in an argument that I do not need to be in.
I cannot help but imagine Paul is counseling Timothy out of some pretty serious life experience. Paul does not seem like a guy who would back down from a challenge, especially a debate or argument. It seems as Paul is sitting in a Roman prison reflection on his life is well under way. In this reflection he offers to Timothy and us, to not get into foolish or stupid arguments. How is this done?
There are not words from Paul on this specifically, but I think it starts by us knowing who we are, and what God has called us to. Being clear about who we are means we understand how God has put us together. It means understanding that our primary identification is not with anything of this world, rather it is of the inbreaking Kingdom of God. Knowing what God has called us to will give us clarity of priorities. We will know which battles are important and which ones are foolish and stupid by how they relate to the call.
Not mentioned by Paul, yet worth mentioning, when we get sucked into these arguments, Satan gains a huge foothold. In fact Satan will bait us into these arguments that we might get sidetracked or trapped. This is why we must do all we can to steer clear.
I cannot help but imagine Paul is counseling Timothy out of some pretty serious life experience. Paul does not seem like a guy who would back down from a challenge, especially a debate or argument. It seems as Paul is sitting in a Roman prison reflection on his life is well under way. In this reflection he offers to Timothy and us, to not get into foolish or stupid arguments. How is this done?
There are not words from Paul on this specifically, but I think it starts by us knowing who we are, and what God has called us to. Being clear about who we are means we understand how God has put us together. It means understanding that our primary identification is not with anything of this world, rather it is of the inbreaking Kingdom of God. Knowing what God has called us to will give us clarity of priorities. We will know which battles are important and which ones are foolish and stupid by how they relate to the call.
Not mentioned by Paul, yet worth mentioning, when we get sucked into these arguments, Satan gains a huge foothold. In fact Satan will bait us into these arguments that we might get sidetracked or trapped. This is why we must do all we can to steer clear.
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