Greetings Family,
I have finally been able to reconnect to the blog, so i am posting an update. Many of you, if not most of you, know that i will be posting a weekly blog with Sunday's Scripture focus, so i can discern your thoughts and feelings and revelations about the text. I will post a few thoughts of my own, maybe some historic significance of the text, and then i am trusting and praying for God's Spirit to move us, so WE can create a message that flows from our community. The message, on Sunday, is all of ours to work with and form, so any and all thoughts are not only welcomed but encouraged and appreciated.
Let's talk temptation. This is our second Sunday of Lent, and our goal remains the same: holistic discipleship. We talked about the need for our emtional/soul to be whole, as we dealt with any and all dark sins that chain us and confine to a life that is void of joy, peace, and God's blessings, and now we want to talk about the necessity of our minds to be used to glorify God. In our culture, which is so visual, our minds are bombarded with images. Sex. Violence. Materialism. Power. Greed. And the list goes on and on and on. There is, seemingly, an endless supply of messages that distract us from what God wants from: our whole being.
But, i hear you thinking, what we see doesn't affect us. We are still able to work. We still come to church on Sunday. We come to the meetings, so what if we happen to run across a bunch of images throughout the week, right? Wrong. At least in my perspective. In my understanding, folks, we are at war, spiritually and mentally, against this world, and when we surrender to the god of image, we cannot give the God of creation our full attention. When we succomb to the god of lust, we cannot honor the God of love. And when we bow to the god of war, we cannot and will not be able to worship the God of peace. Jesus makes it clear: You cannot serve both God and money, or in more contemporary understanding. You can't serve God and the world; you are going to have to choose.
I feel that one of the foundational means to stop the god of this world from destroying us, completely, is our minds. God gave us beautiful minds and powerful minds, so that we can fight off a multitude of attacks by the enemy. However, if we spend our days, engorged in the TV, our minds become mush. If we spend our hours gossiping and anguishing in our anger and resentment, our minds become resevoirs of hatred and rage that make it impossible for God to break through with his Light. And if and when we focus our minds on that person of the opposite sex, who keeps our eyes on her/him, well then our eyes, our minds, our thoughts, become cesspools of lust that steal time from God. Our minds are a powerful tool against the enemy. But on the other hand, our minds are a powerful weapon for the enemy.
Which brings us to Jesus. After his baptism, God sent Jesus to the desert for 40 days. No food. We do not know if Jesus had water, but we do know that He was without food. After Jesus' 40 day fast, God let Jesus be tempted. God left Jesus vulnerable. God left Jesus weak. And Satan sprung into action. Three times Satan tried to tempt Jesus, all weak points for most people, especially someone who hasn't eaten for 40 days, and Jesus repelled each temptation. But how? Did Jesus simply say, "Hey I'm cool with my life, i don't need what you are offering." No. Jesus used Scripture to ward off Satan's attacks. Scripture. Jesus knew the power of Scripture, and He knew that Satan could nothing against God's Word. Which raises a few questions for me.
If the Son of God needed and used Scripture, daily, why don't we? Why is it so hard for followers of Jesus to dive into the Word? It seems to be a struggle to get people to open their Bibles, daily, and yet we are somehow supposed to know how to live, how to listen, and how to honor God, without using His resource for our lives? Jesus stands as a testimony to how Scripture, when used correctly, can ward off the strongest attacks of the enemy. But how do we have that resource handy when we need it? Satan could attack at any moment, and we might not have a Bible handy when Satan attacks, so how do we use Scripture to ward off his attempts to destroy us?
We have to have a resource stored up in our minds. We have to meditate on Scripture. Memorize Scripture. Be so familiar with the Word that it's teachings become second nature to our lives. This was how Jesus lived. Paul too. Why not us? These are some thoughts i have for Sunday's text, what thoughts do you have?
To help spur your imagination and creativity, i am including some thoughts from the small group on Sunday, and i am hoping and praying I will have a deep pool of Godly ideas to weave a message that honors the Author of life.
*The Devil attacks Jesus when Jesus is most vulnerable and alone. That's how the Devil gets people, when they are tired, lonely, and vulnerable. It seems Satan left Jesus, only temporarily, and Satan will come back and tempt Jesus again, maybe when Jesus is more tired, and more alone.
*Do not put the LORD your God to the test, seems to come to mind while i read this Scripture. If Jesus was tempted, many times, we, as Christians, should expect to be tempted. More than that, we will be tempted. Life will not be easy. Jesus answered from memory, no second guessing. Jesus responded, second nature, to Satan's attempts to sway Jesus. Which leads me to think that i should ask God to give me the words/actions of what i should to against the tempter--without second guessing my response. Temptation is necessary for Jesus to be fully human. Jesus had to be tempted. And to illustrate the power of Satan.
*Christ had the answer for Satan, Christ always aligned Himself with the will of God. When would Satan attempt to tempt Jesus again? In the New Testament, Paul wrote about having answers to questions about faith.
*Seems unusual that Jesus would be killed by another member of the Trinity. Seems odd that Jesus, being without food for 40 days, was only "hungry." Another oddity is that Satan was given the kingdom to this world. And though it is a mystery, the temptation of Jesus was necessary.
*Satan's temptation of Jesus: prove who Jesus was/is. Wanting, in essence, to control Jesus. If Satan can get Jesus to reveal Jesus' true identity, Satan has all the power. Even over Jesus/God. Humans need more than food to nourish us. Food is not enough. We need God to fortify our bodies and souls. Jesus' temptation was necessary, so that Jesus knew the power of Satan, but also so Jesus could show the power to stop Satan.
*Satan wants Jesus to turn away from God. Jesus is demonstrating, for us, how to stop Satan's attacks, turning our backs against the temptations. Even if the offer seems/ feels good, we must be on our best "watch" to follow Jesus and not what "feels" right/good. We must be leary of the temptation the world offers, so that we can live lives that are godly/Christlike.
Those are some ideas and thoughts, what do you have to share? We are a community of believers, joined together, to worship our God. All of us have a responsibility to offer ourselves to God, this is our spiritual act of worship. So. Offer your ideas. Your thoughts. Your stories. And, with God's help, we will create a message, together. Amen..
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