Looking For A Life Hack
I love YouTube. I’ve learned a ton watching videos. I’ve learned how to fix and replace our garbage disposal. I’ve learned how to fix our dishwasher. I’ve learned how to fix things on our car. I’ve learned how to replace a lawnmower blade. Basically, I used YouTube to learn how to “adult.” Years ago, I used YouTube to teach myself about the ins and outs of photography, Lightroom, and audio/video recording. YouTube is a great tool to figure things out!
YouTube is also great if you’re looking for a “hack.” You can search anything and find a hack. Like, “How to grow your Instagram to 300,000 followers in 30 days.” Or, “How to learn how to play guitar in two weeks.” Ok, I made that one up. But if you’re looking for a life hack or a quick fix for something, I’m sure someone made a video that is now getting over a million views.
We’ve all looked for a life hack at one time or another… Or at least wished for a life hack to get to be where we wanna be bigger, stronger, better… you know faster. But this isn’t usually the case. There isn’t a life hack for you know… real life. It’s true for us. And it was true for Jesus as well. Check this out:
The Spirit then compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness, where he was tempted by Satan for forty days. He was out among the wild animals, and angels took care of him. – Mark 1:12-13
Pause. Pause. Pause. Did you see the length of time Jesus was in the wilderness tempted by Satan!? Forty days. Four. Zero. 40. This wasn’t a pit stop. There was no life hack to get through this time. Jesus spent forty days by Himself, among wild animals, with Satan himself tempting Jesus.
I’m no wilderness guy. I’ve never been tent-camping. And the only time I want to see wild animals is at the zoo. And honestly, I don’t really like visiting a zoo either. Forty days! Um, no thank you. I would have been like, “Yo God, can’t we just skip this part and get to the good stuff. You know, like healing people. Raising people from the dead. Maybe You and I could maybe roll up to a party and turn some water into wine!” But Jesus didn’t say any of that. He simply walked into the wilderness where Satan tried his hardest to get Jesus to fall. The Gospel of Mark doesn’t give us all the deets of the temptation of Jesus. But two other Gospels do. Check out the Gospel of Luke:
Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry. Then the devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.” But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone.’” Then the devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. “I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them,” the devil said, “because they are mine to give to anyone I please. I will give it all to you if you will worship me.” Jesus replied, “The Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’” Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect and guard you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’” Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’” When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came. – Luke 4:1-13
You see, Jesus was specifically tempted in three separate areas of his life:
- Physical needs
- Power and authority
- Pride and testing God
Do these areas feel familiar? Satan specifically tempted Jesus in these three areas. Satan tempts Jesus to turn stones into bread to satisfy His hunger after fasting for 40 days (Luke 4:3). This temptation focuses on meeting His physical needs in a way that is self-serving. Secondly, Satan shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and offers Him authority over them if He just worships the Satan (Luke 4:5-7). This temptation focuses on the desire for power and control. And third, Satan takes Jesus to the very top of the temple and tempts Him to throw Himself down, challenging Him to test God's protection by quoting Scripture (Psalm 91) (Luke 4:9-11). This temptation revolves around testing God's faithfulness.
Did you see what happened in verses 10-11? Satan himself quotes Scripture. The dude is tricky. Satan knows Scripture. But he used it out of context to try to get Jesus to not only doubt God’s faithfulness, but to take His life into His own hands. And Satan tries to do the same thing to each one of us. Sure, it doesn’t necessarily look like this. But Satan most certainly tempts us in the area of our physical needs. Maybe you’re married and you feel like your husband or wife isn’t meeting your physical needs. But that guy or girl you work with will. Satan wants us to give in to our selfish needs. Or maybe it’s in the area of power and control. We see this playing out all over the place in the world… maybe even right in our own home. This most presents itself in the area of a negative attitude, constant complaining. Why? Because we aren’t the ones in control. Or maybe we’ve seen it in the area of pride or testing God. I’m taking my life into my own hands. Things suck now. God’s obviously not real. So I’m doing things my way because I know best for me!
Here's the thing… Jesus was tempted in all the same areas that you and I are tempted, and He didn’t give in to Satan’s temptations. Why? Three reasons… Check them out and then we’re done:
First, Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit. Jesus didn’t overcome temptation based upon His own effort; He had the Spirit to rely upon. Check out Luke 1:1 - Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness.
This is the first and most important thing to walk away with from this blog post! If you are not full of the Holy Spirit, you cannot begin to resist the temptations Satan brings your way. Facts. No question or doubt about it. Our lives are being constantly lived within an unseen spiritual battle.
The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. – Galatians 5:17
Listen. Listen. Listen. The only way to be full of the Holy Spirit and to want what the Spirit wants… The only way to begin to have a chance to overcome the temptations of Satan is to give our life to Jesus.
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. – Galatians 5:24
Secondly, Jesus wasn’t full of excuses. Check out Luke 1:2b - Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry.
This is something I can relate to… being hungry. There have been times where I’ve been so hungry that I become “hangry.” In fact, my daughter has called me out multiple times saying, “Man, someone’s hangry.” And you know what, it’s always true. When I get overly hungry there are times where I give in to my sinful emotive flesh and let my “hanger” take control and I make excuses it’s because I’m hungry. You see, even after we’ve given our life to Christ, Satan will still try to tempt us. And there will be a time where we will have to choose… Will we choose to not give in, or will we make some excuse as to why we should give in to the temptation in front of us? Because here’s the thing, there will always be a ready excuse that we think justifies us for giving in to the temptation.
So, to recap… One, Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit. That’s the first step in being able to overcome temptation. Two, Jesus didn’t make excuses. Excuses will always be available to try and justify why we gave in.
And third, Jesus was filled with Scripture. Over and over again we see in each instance of Jesus’ response to Satan’s temptation, “The Scriptures say…” We see it in Luke 1:4, 8, and 12. Jesus lived and breathed the Word of God. He studied and knew the Scriptures. When He was tempted, He quoted Scripture back to Satan in response. It was His weapon to overcome Satan’s temptation. If this was Jesus’ weapon to overcome Satan, how much more should it be our weapon in response to the attacks of Satan!
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. – Hebrews 4:12
The Bible, the Word of God is alive… It’s powerful. Jesus knew this. It’s why He quoted it in response to the attacks of Satan. And when we read the Word of God… When we study it… When we memorize it… It lives within us, changes us from the inside out, and gives us the help we need to resist the temptations we face every day. The Scriptures were a source of life to Jesus. And when we read them and internalize them, they become life, the very air we breathe in our very own life.
Here's the thing, if we want change in our life… If we want change in our children’s lives… If we want change in our marriage… It starts and ends with Jesus and the powerful Word of God. Nothing more. Nothing less. Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit. Jesus wasn’t full of excuses. And Jesus filled Himself with Scripture. This is the path to overcoming temptation and living a joy-filled life.
The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. – 1 Corinthians 10:13
One Day
“One day…” Two simple words. Six letters in all. Just about two weeks ago we dropped off our son Carter at Liberty University for his… Sophomore. Year. Of. College. It seems like it was just the other day that Jami and I were saying, “One day we’ll be dropping Carter off at college” as he was starting high school. Our youngest, Morgan, is entering her senior year of high school. One day very soon we’ll be dropping her off at college too. If you’re in any stage of parenting you know, or you’ll soon come to understand, that the days are long, but the years are short. I can’t remember who said it, but it’s true.
One day
We’ve all said these words at one time or another. We see these two words show up in Scripture as well. Check this out:
“One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, ‘You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.’” (Mark 1:9-11 New Living Translation)
You see, this day, this one day went from being ordinary to extraordinary. The day we dropped our son off at college and drove home ten and a half hours away went from being a typically normal day to an extraordinary day. It was anything but normal! And this day, the day when Jesus went from being an unknown carpenter to starting His public ministry was anything but normal.
One day
We’ve all had these “one day” moments. Some of these one-day moments are crazy amazing and great. Some of these one-day moments come and they are some of the most horrible moments of our lives. And no matter what kind of one-day moments we’ve had, we can all learn from this one day when Jesus appeared on the scene.
First, Jesus arrived humbly. Check this out:
One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. (Mark 1:9)
This is Jesus arriving on the scene ya’ll. This was His first public appearance. You’d think that His entrance would be more hype. Afterall, He had spent years in Nazareth preparing for this moment. You’d think it would’ve started with a cool hype video, then His hype men would’ve come out first to get the crowd… you know… HYPE! But it wasn’t like that at all. Instead of Jesus arriving on the scene and start baptizing the probable thousands waiting, He instead humbly let John baptize Him. This, of course, fits the nature of who Jesus is. He was born in a barn around animals. He lived in Nazareth. He grew up and worked as a carpenter. Jesus walked in humility His entire life up unto this point. And His first public appearance would be no different. Jesus’ first act within His public ministry was to humbly submit to God, His Father, in obedience.
This act of humble obedience to God was done as a sign of fulfilled prophecy, and more importantly to identify with you and I. Jesus, who was without sin, was identifying with us so that He could represent you and I as He would eventually hang on the cross. This baptism is a symbol of commitment and surrender. In essence, Jesus was publicly committing to His mission.
Second, God recognizes His Son. Check this out:
As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove.” (Mark 1:10)
This must have been a crazy sight to see! The heavens literally being split apart. Typically, when the heavens open it is usually a sign that God is about to speak or do something so that we can get a glimpse at His purposes. This sight of the heavens splitting apart is a sign that God is about to do something amazing! The Old Testament prophet this very thing…
“Oh, that you would burst from the heavens and come down! How the mountains would quake in your presence!” (Isaiah 64:1)
This prayer of Isaiah was fully answered in this one day. Not only did the heavens split apart, but the Holy Spirit came down like a dove and rested on Jesus. Can you imagine being at the Jordan River in this moment? Not only did everyone who was there see this take place, but Jesus Himself also saw the heavens open and the Holy Spirit descend. Listen. Listen. Listen. Jesus not only saw the glory of God in this moment. He could also see the suffering He would experience three years later. Yet He would still go through with everything in obedience to the Father’s will for the restoration of humanity… for the possibility that you and I could be restored back to the Father through Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection. And so too, we through Scripture and the testimony of others can see the victory and glory both for the future and now as we place our faith in Jesus Christ.
And third, Jesus received His Father’s love. Check this out:
“And a voice from heaven said, ‘You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.’” Mark 1:11
God the Father let Jesus know, and everyone else in earshot and those who can read Scripture now, that despite having taken on human flesh and coming as a humble servant, He still loved Him. This love of God the Father for Jesus makes His love for us possible. God declared from the heavens His love for Jesus. And as this voice from heaven spoke to Jesus one day, this voice from heaven still speaks to each of us today through Scripture, the Bible. The Word of God, the Bible, Scripture, is the voice of God speaking to each one of us today. We can trust it. We can depend on it. What it says is true. When God spoke to Jesus that one day, it was significant. And when God speaks to us through His Word, the Bible, it’s still significant today. This great joy that God the Father has in Jesus, is the reason we have hope today.
“So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.” (Ephesians 1:6)
So what does this mean for each of us? It means that because Jesus arrived humbly… Because God recognized and loved Jesus as His Son… And because received His Father’s love… we have the possibility to experience new life that makes us whole if we give our lives to Jesus, the one who gave His life so that we might have life. So why not make this the one day an amazing day by transforming your life through faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus for the cleansing of your sin by the grace of God?
Listen. Listen. Listen. There is a danger in trying to live your life by your own rules. Jesus’ baptism is His recognition that He was submitting to His Fathers will. The greatest gift you can ever receive is to humble yourself… Recognize Jesus as God’s Son… And to receive God’s love by trusting in Jesus as the One who saves your soul and gives you new life.
Make this one day, your day.
“For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.” (Romans 6:4)
Not About It
I love me some me. This goes all the way back to my baseball years in high school. You see, more than being cheered, I loved to be boo’d. Not from our team’s fans, no. I loved it when the other team’s fans boo’d me. When those guys boo’d me it meant that I had gotten into their heads. The game transitioned from being about their team to being about me. I told you… I love me some me. I did a Google search on the phrase, “I love me some me.” You know what comes back? This video...
I don’t mind the spotlight. I actually like being the center of attention. In one aspect it’s helpful in connecting with people. In a completely different aspect, it can be a problem if that becomes my life philosophy. At one time it was. For many of us the main struggle in our relationships is that we “love me some me” too much. And while there’s an aspect of life that is about us, it’s not the end all be all of the matter. But if we’re honest, it’s easy to get caught in the “me” trap. So how can we either avoid this trap or find a way out of it? Check this out:
This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. It began just as the prophet Isaiah had written: “Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way. He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him!’” This messenger was John the Baptist. He was in the wilderness and preached that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. All of Judea, including all the people of Jerusalem, went out to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. His clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey. John announced: “Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to stoop down like a slave and untie the straps of his sandals. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!” – Mark 1:1-8
This dude John the Baptist, a relative of Jesus, could have made this preaching tour all about himself. He could have titled it the, “I Love Me Some Me” tour. And whether or not John consciously thought this way or not, he knew that this line of thinking was a trap. Yo, the “Me” trap wasn’t invented in the 21st Century! The “Me” trap has existed since the beginning. Adam and Eve fell into the trap. King David fell into the trap. Judas fell into the trap. This trap has been around for a while. So how did the John in these verses not fall into the “Me” trap?
First, John knew that the God of the Old Testament… Jehovah… the God of Moses who said in Exodus 3:14, “I am who I am” … this God fulfills His promises. John understood this and placed his trust in this God. He knew his Scripture. John knew that the Old Testament predicted that God would send a messenger to “clear the way ahead” of Jesus in Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3. John knew that Jesus fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament and the promise of God to provide the One who would restore humanity back to right relationship to God by trusting and believing in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When we realize that God fulfills His promises, we can then place our trust in Him to make a way out of the “Me” trap.
Secondly, John committed to living a life devoted to God. John lived and preached in the wilderness (Mark 1:4). The wilderness in Biblical tradition is often associated with spiritual renewal, purification, and a return to God. It was in the wilderness that the Israelites wandered for 40 years and learned to rely on God. By preaching in the wilderness, John was symbolically calling the people to leave behind their sins and worldly attachments to seek spiritual renewal and repentance. It emphasized the need for a radical break from the old ways of life and a fresh start in anticipation of the coming of God's kingdom. And by choosing the wilderness as his place of ministry, John identified himself as the one preparing the way for the coming of the Messiah, as foretold by the prophet Isaiah. And maybe this wilderness is where you find yourself today. Sure, it may not look like a wilderness, but it sure feels like you’re mentally and spiritually in a desert land. Maybe God right now is telling you right now that you need to confess your sin, leave your worldly attachments behind you and seek Christ to renew you spiritually. It’s in the wilderness where John was preparing the people to connect with the Word, Jesus. And maybe right now, you need to reconnect, or connect for the first time, with the Word, Jesus. A step you can take is to begin by reading the book of Mark in the Bible. Not only did John live and preach in the wilderness, but he also chose to live differently than most if not all of the other people in the region. Check this out:
“His clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey.” – Mark 1:6
You see, this diet that John ate connected him to the Old Testament prophets who also lived in the wilderness. This diet demonstrated that he was separated from worldly comforts and committed to spiritual matters. Locusts were a natural and available food source in the wilderness and were considered a permissible food to eat in Jewish law. Additionally, wild honey was also natural and often symbolized the sustenance provide by God in the wilderness. Now I’m not saying that we need to change our diets to only eat locusts and wild honey, although my gut and waistline would benefit for sure. But maybe just maybe God is calling you to a different diet of what you watch, what you listen to, who you find yourself interacting with… Maybe God is calling you to a whole different way of living that recognizes your need for Jesus to enter your life.
Third, John recognized his standing in comparison to Jesus as the Messiah. Check this out:
“John announced: “Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to stoop down like a slave and untie the straps of his sandals. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!” – Mark 1:8
John knew that his purpose in life was to prepare the way for Jesus to arrive. He knew that he himself wasn’t the answer, it was Jesus. John didn’t point people back to himself, he pointed people to Jesus. I used to think I had all the answers. “Hey, you need help? I got you. Listen to me.” Maybe that’s you right now… you got all the answers… you just depending on you and your efforts to get by. Or… you may not have all the answers, but you got some self-help books to see you through. Here’s the thing though… you and your self-help books aren’t Jesus. Sure, you might get by for some time, but in the end, you come to the end of yourself. John didn’t fall into the “Me” trap because he pointed people to Jesus. It’s hard to fall into the trap when you’re saying don’t look at me, look at Jesus.
I love me some me. It’s funny when we watch Terrell Owens shout it from the sidelines. But “Me” isn’t the answer. John the Baptist didn’t “love me some me,” he loved Jesus and pointed people to Him. And maybe it’s time you put your trust in the God who fulfills His promises, change your way of living as Jesus enters your life, and recognize your need for Jesus to rule as King of your life.
“Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” – Philippians 2:9-11
Right Before My Eyes
I love to hike and explore. I hate camping. I don’t want to camp. But I absolutely love to explore, hike and even climb around on the side of a mountain. Whether it’s in Israel climbing up the face of a rock to get to a cave, wandering around Charleston, climbing rocks at Joshua Tree, climbing down the side of a mountain in Palm Springs, or walking out to the edge of a cliff in the Grand Canyon, I love to explore and hike. For me, there’s just something about hiking, especially on a mountain to get a whole new, different view of what I've seen before.
As I was reading my Bible, I came across someone named Elijah who also found himself in a cave on the side of a mountain. Check this out:
There he came to a cave, where he spent the night. But the Lord said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” – 1 Kings 19:9
On the surface, this seems pretty straightforward. I mean, many people have spent the night in a cave after a long hike, right? But for Elijah, this was no normal hike. You see, Elijah had been on the run for some 40 days and nights from someone who wanted to kill him, Queen Jezebel. So, desperately afraid, Elijah took off and went on the run and eventually found himself at Mount Sinai. Now, check out Elijah’s answer to God’s question:
Elijah replied, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.” – 1 Kings 19:10
And here we see why Elijah is on the run. Elijah was one of God’s prophets. And because He loved God, he took on all the prophets who worshipped the false god, Baal. After the Lord, God, proved that He was and is the God of Israel by sending fire from heaven, Elijah had all of the prophets of the false god Baal rounded up, and he killed them… all 450. Let me spell that out for you… Four Hundred and Fifty. The courage and faith that it took to take on 450 people who worshipped, not only a false god, but the false god that the queen worshipped, had to be massive (1 Kings 18). But once Elijah heard that the queen wanted him dead, something changed, and fear took over his life.
Maybe that’s where you find yourself today. Maybe you’re facing a job change and you’re fearful, feeling like you aren’t qualified to do the work. Maybe you’re a student, looking at moving away for college for the first time, and you’re fearful because you’ll be by yourself. Maybe you’re a parent who’ll be an “empty nester” and you’ll be by yourself or by yourselves for the first time. Maybe you’re facing a health crisis and you find yourself living in fear. I don’t know what your situation is, but there you find yourself. Look at what God told Elijah:
“Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. – 1 Kings 19:11-13
Here's what’s interesting to me about this specific passage of Scripture, this area that Elijah finds himself in is the same Mount Sinai where Moses had received the two stone tablets of the 10 Commandments from God Himself! Look at Exodus 33:
The Lord replied, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out my name, Yahweh, before you. For I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose. But you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live.” The Lord continued, “Look, stand near me on this rock. As my glorious presence passes by, I will hide you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. – Exodus 33:19-22
When 1 Kings talks about Elijah coming to a cave, it is alluding to the “crevice of the rock,” or cave in Exodus 33. But more importantly than the cave, in the first part of the Exodus passage in verse 19, God told Moses, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out my name, Yahweh, before you.” Both of the passages, the Exodus passage and the 1 Kings passage, mentions God’s “passing by” and connects the two together. As a result, we get a better picture of God’s relationship to Elijah during this time. You see, the desperate prophet of God, Elijah, needed exactly what Moses had received from God. He needed a whole new view of the living God as God caused His presence and His attributes to pass by Elijah as a reminder of who and what He is. And maybe, just maybe that's where you find yourself today.
Maybe you need a whole new view of the living God in your life.
And like Elijah and Moses before him, God wants to remind you of who and what He is, namely, the Lord of all creation. He wants you to know that, even in your fear and desperation, He will care and provide for you in a way you might not expect. Maybe that’s what He wants to remind you right now, that He has sent His presence to us that will give us the strength and peace we need to go forward.
If you don’t know about God’s presence or have never received this gift from Him, it’s found in giving your life to and trusting in Jesus as the One who saves you from yourself and your sin. As you do, God leaves with you His Holy Spirit to fill you will the strength, peace and hope you need for today and tomorrow. So, stand so that the presence of God may pass by you as you get a renewed view of who God is in your life today.
“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. – John 14:27
Deep Roots
The other day our family began a weeding project for the front yard of our house. None of us like to weed. I mean, does anyone!? I still have flashbacks to when I was a kid weeding the sidewalk that ran alongside our backyard on our Altgeld street house in the summer. It was not fun. And guess what… It still isn’t fun. So, after one of our kids finished weeding in the side yard up against the house, we took a look to see what the ground looked like without weeds. It looked good as we scanned along the ground. As we were scanning, however, we noticed a vine that had started to grow up the side of our house. It was crazy. This vine had crawled up the house in and around the siding so high that it had grown to nearly seven feet tall. To my amazement, as I pulled it out of the siding of our house it just kept going. I’m glad Jami had seen this vine growing. Had she not, it would have ruined the siding on our home. I got all of the vine out of the siding and reached the ground at which point I pulled it out at the roots. If I hadn’t gotten to the root of the vine, it would have grown back and began its destructive process up our home all over again.
Roots are important. They are the lifeblood to the growth of the “thing” that depends upon its life. The Bible talks about a specific root. Check this out:
“Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.” – Hebrews 12:15
You see, most of the time bitterness isn’t easily seen by the one in whom the root of bitterness is growing. But as it grows, it invades every area of the person’s life. This is tough because when bitterness grows like this, it doesn’t only affect the one who is bitter, it affects and influences those around that person.
Maybe you’ve been there. Maybe you’re there right now. It’s an easy pattern to fall into and a hard one to crawl out of. Maybe you’ve been hurt by those who were in your life to care for you. Maybe you put your trust in someone and they repaid you by betrayal. Maybe the people you thought were friends never reached out to you in your time of need. Maybe someone’s words cut so deep they attacked your identity. Here’s what I know, because I’ve experienced all of these things, the root of bitterness that can grow inside of us has nothing to do with “them” but everything in “us.” And God is saying to those of us who need to get rid of bitterness’ roots…
Let Me replace your root system.
God wants to replace your root system because He knows what the destructiveness of the root system of bitterness can do. Because here’s the thing, bitterness never rolls out alone. It’s always got an entourage… A bunch of hype men. Check out bitterness’ hype men…
Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. – Ephesians 4:31
These are they hype men for bitterness… Rage. Anger. Harsh words. Slander. I’ve noticed these things creep into my life for a time. But here’s the thing, instead of the hype man who builds the person and the crowd up, these hype men tear people down. You see, if the root of bitterness isn’t dug up, destruction is sure to follow. So how can you tell if bitterness is creeping up in your life? One, you need to check your words. Or as I have told my kids over and over again, “You need to check your mouth.” I did this when they had ketchup on it or if they were being unkind with their words. Both aren’t a good look.
You see, it’s often true that what comes out of our mouths is actually connected to our hearts.
Check this out:
But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you. – Matthew 15:18
Maybe it’s that we find ourselves critical or rude. Maybe it’s that we find ourselves talking poorly about someone (even though their actions might “justify” the descriptive words). Maybe, just maybe, the words that are coming out of our mouths are rooted deeply within our heart. Or secondly, are my branches of bitterness spreading to others? You see, when we walked outside and saw the vine-weed crawling up our home, it was also spreading on the ground to the point we couldn’t see the flowers that were trying to sprout up. Not only was the vine covering the flowers, had it been left unchecked, it would have sucked the life out of the flowers. The same is true for bitterness. It spreads. The last part of Hebrews 12:15 tells us so… “Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.” This bitterness has the potential to spread. Maybe your friends have become bitter. Maybe your kids have become bitter. Do your friends sit around to gripe and gossip? Maybe it’s spread to your spouse. Bitterness spreads.
But there’s hope if you find yourself here today. As long as you’re breathing there’s always hope. But unlike today’s culture, it isn’t found in self-help books or cute quotes. You can’t get rid of the root of bitterness on your own efforts. And that’s really good news. In a land far away and at a time that was long ago, God made a covenant with His people.
I am making this covenant with you so that no one among you—no man, woman, clan, or tribe—will turn away from the Lord our God to worship these gods of other nations, and so that no root among you bears bitter and poisonous fruit. – Deuteronomy 29:18
And God today, has brought a new covenant with us through His Son Jesus. A covenant is a fancy word that simply means “contract.” You see, it’s only through Jesus that we can rid all bitterness in our life. When we confess our sin to God, declare that Jesus is Lord, and believe that God raised Him from the dead, then we will be saved. We are made new from the inside out.
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! – 2 Corinthians 5:17
As we trust in Jesus, bitterness no longer has to rule in our life because God has given us a new root system. So where are you today? What is your root system like? Is bitterness growing? If so, there’s hope through Jesus. Confess what you need to today and pray that God gives and cultivates His root system in your life.
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! – Galatians 5:22-23
And Runnin' Runnin' and Runnin' Runnin'
Have you noticed that young kids run everywhere? Maybe it was just our kids, but when they were younger, they ran everywhere. It didn’t matter where we went. We would drive them to a friend’s house, and they’d get out of the car and run to the door. We’d go to church, and they would run into the building. We’d drop them off at practice and they would run to their team. It didn’t matter where we were at, who we were with or what we were doing, they ran everywhere at all times! They were so filled with joy that they couldn’t help it! Morgan, to this day, at 17 years of age still runs places. It’s awesome.
As we read Scripture, we get another picture of a person running. It’s not a young child. It’s an older man and it’s found in a story that Jesus told in earshot of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you know the really “religious” people. You see, Jesus was teaching and eating with tax collectors and other notorious sinners. Pause. Stop. I love those two words… “notorious sinners” and the fact that Jesus took time to reach even “those people.” Well, this made the really “religious” people angry. So, Jesus, knowing that the Pharisees and other religious teachers were actively complaining, told two quick stories and one longer story. Maybe you’ve heard of them… The parable (story) of the Lost Sheep, the parable of the Lost Coin and the parable of the Lost Son. In one story, a shepherd has a 100 sheep and loses one at which point he leaves the 99 to find the one. In another story, a woman has 10 coins, loses one, and goes about the entire house until she finds the one. In both stories, there is rejoicing in the finding of the lost sheep and the lost coin.
This now, brings us to the story of the Lost Son. This one is a bit more complicated. It’s familial, it’s relational and it’s conditional. You see, in this story, a father has two sons. The younger son gets fed up with his life and his circumstances, and he demands that his father gives him his share of the estate now before he dies. What a brat, right! Isn’t that what we’re all thinking? Pause. Stop. The request, this demand of the son to the father to give him his share of his inheritance, would likely have been interpreted in that culture as a wish for his father’s death. It would have created a large rift between the son and his family, and most likely the whole town. Talk about a family beef! But, his father, upon hearing his younger son’s demands, decides to divide up his wealth and give it to his son’s before he dies anyway. The younger son gets his cash and says, “Bet,” and dips out to parrrrrtayyyyy. (Insert a Miami Vibes Spotify playlist and Will Smith here)… “Party in the city where the heat is on. All night, on the beach till the break of dawn… Bienvenidos a Miami." (Todd Stop). Okay. You get the point. He turnt up in the place. (Really Todd, stop).
So, the younger son wastes all, and I mean, ALL of his money. He had nothing left. After trying to make it on his own, starving on the streets feeling hopeless and stressed out, he decided to go back home. Pause. Stop. Maybe you’ve been there… Maybe not starving or left on the streets… But feeling hopeless and/or stressed out… Decisions you’ve made that have had horrible consequences… Maybe you’re there now… Or worse yet, maybe it’s the result of someone else’s decisions… Keep reading… The story gets better.
As the story goes, the younger son decides to go back home and throw himself at the mercy of his father. As he’s still “a long way off,” his father sees him. Check out what happens next…
“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.” – Luke 15:20
You see, when it comes to grace and forgiveness, it’s not necessarily us running to the Father, it’s that the Father has run to us.
This. Is. Massive. The fact that the father ran to his son is crazy. As Americans in our American culture, we miss this cultural note. In our culture we see running as simply as an expression of joy. But, in the Middle East, especially in rural areas, a man of this age would be expected to always walk slowly, with dignity. This father didn’t do that… He ran to his son… And he did so most likely to protect his son from the children of the town who might have decided to meet the son by throwing stones at him. The father humbles himself as he reconciles with his youngest son and becomes a powerful picture of the God of grace. Can you imagine the tax collectors and other notorious sinners hearing this message? Those were the most hated people within that culture. And hearing that story, maybe for the first time, now have hope.
Can you imagine the Pharisees and other teachers hearing that story? There’s one other son in this story… The older son. He too accepted his father’s inheritance early. He knows the beef his younger son created and accepts his own share of the inheritance and actually shares in the sin of his younger brother. The drama in this family would have made the drama of the Kardashians seem small! So, when the younger brother comes back, you might think the older brother would be happy and want to share in the celebration that his father is asking for. But he doesn’t. He becomes angry and throws a baby fit.
“The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends.’” – Luke 15:28-29
And his father, who humbled himself to reconcile his little brother back to the family, replies to the older brother with just as much grace. Check this out…
“His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’” – Luke 15:31-32
And in this moment, the Pharisees and other teachers would have likely known that Jesus was comparing them with the older brother’s attitude. And here’s the thing, whether you see yourself as the younger son, without hope and stressed out… Maybe you’ve strayed away from your relationship with God… Like the father in this story, He has humbled Himself enough to be born in the flesh, live among His creation, die at the hands of humanity, and rise again in victory.
Jesus is the humble grace that God has offered to us.
Maybe you’re the older son or the Pharisees in this story. You’ve stood in anger at people. You’ve sinned in your own way or maybe have stood in judgment over others. While we don’t know how they responded, this same grace is offered to you. Jesus has come to change lives and reconcile each one of us to God.
One more serious question… If you’re a follower of Jesus, is this the type of grace you’re offering to others? Are you willing to humble yourself… To look like a fool and extend the grace we see in this story to others?
No matter who you relate to in this story, God the Father has brought the possibility of reconciliation between all of His children.
“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” – Ephesians 2:8-9
Connected
I’m gonna say something that might be controversial…
“I love to play video games.” There. I said it. Soccer. Football. Baseball. COD (IYKYK).
Even though I’ve reached the age where I’m not as good as I used to be, I still love playing video games. I grew up playing them, and I’ll probably never grow out of playing them. When I first started playing video games, I had a controller that was connected to the console with a wire. Now, my controller is connected via Bluetooth. As a result, I either need to replace the batteries in the controller from time to time, or I need to place it on a charger. Regardless, if the batteries in the controller go out, I can’t play because there’s no connection between the controller and the console. The design is such that unless there’s an active connection between the controller and the console, I can’t play the game… I can’t even get the game started… nothing can be accomplished. It’s designed in such a way that without connection, there is no sign of life.
As I look out over humanity in general and my life specifically, we are designed in the same manner. Check this out:
“Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.” – Genesis 2:7
From the very beginning of time, God created humanity to have connection with Him. God literally breathed life into the one He created in His likeness. This is much different than the way God created everything else. Outside of humanity, God simply spoke the world into existence. While this is a miracle in and of itself and shouldn’t be overlooked because it links power to the very word of God, His creation of humanity was much more intimate. God’s relationship to humanity was different than His relationship with the rest of creation. After creating Adam, we see God speaking directly with him just a few short lines still in chapter two of Genesis. Right away we see that humanity was created to communicate with God. Even prior to Adam sinning, Adam was dependent on revelation from God in order to live in the world that God created.
And what happens next? The connection is interrupted. It gets disconnected. The Bluetooth stops working. Not because of anything God did, no. It’s like my controller when it stops working. It doesn’t stop working because of the console or the people who made it, it stops working because I didn’t replace or recharge the batteries. And the same is true with humanity. It’s because of what Adam and Eve did to their relationship with God. And what their decision did not only broke their connection to God, but it also caused us to be born into a broken connection with God as well. And without connection to God, there is no sign of life.
God designed humanity in such a way that without connection to Him, there is no sign of life.
And what happens when that connection with God is broken? At the most basic level our eternal destination after we die is to be without relationship with God. Most of us has seen the billboards asking the question, “Do you know where you will go after you die?” or have heard someone with a megaphone on the street corner yelling about heaven and hell. And yes, that is a real concern, but this broken connection affects each one of us in a more immediate, deeper level. When my batteries go out on my controller, I’m not worried about tomorrow’s game, I’m concerned to get the connection back up and running for the game I’m currently playing. When my connection with God is broken, it affects my life right now. When my connection with God is broken, I’m not living life to the full because my perspective is skewed because I’m not connected to the One who can wholly comfort me, wisely counsel me and willingly convict me.
While this connection to God was broken leaving humanity in despair, God in His kindness made a way for the connection to be reestablished through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus. Jesus is the Source of life. Check this out:
“Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.’” – John 14:6
Not only is Jesus the Source of eternal life, but Jesus is also the Source of the full life every one of us is seeking. As our connection to God is restored through Jesus, as we accept Jesus into our life as our Savior, we have access to the life Jesus offers and connection to God.
“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” – John 10:10
This means that Jesus isn’t just the Source of life, He’s also the Course of life. That’s cute Todd… You can rhyme. But what does that even mean for me? That’s a very valid question. You see, when Jesus becomes the Source and Course of our life, we are changed from the inside out. Our perspective changes. Our response to people becomes different. Our reaction to life’s circumstances reflects the character of Christ. And hear me when I say this… This has nothing to do with what we can do differently; this is in direct correlation to the working of Jesus in the life of the follower of Jesus. Jesus as the Course of life means that our path of life is to live the life of Jesus as He lives in and through us wherever we are. Again, this can’t happen through our own efforts. It’s. Not. Possible. It only happens when our connection to God is restored through our trusting in and following Jesus.
“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” – John 15:5
This, my friends, is the hope that Jesus offers… connection to God for life now. Jesus doesn’t promise that life will get better or easier, but He does promise to wholly comfort you. He promises to wisely counsel you. And He promises to willingly convict you. And in everything, He promises that in Him you will find the joy of true life as you are connected to Him.
God designed humanity in such a way that without connection to Him, there is no sign of life.
Trust in Jesus today, allow Him to change you from the inside out as you are reconnected with God Himself.
“You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.” – Psalm 16:11
The Weight of It
As I stand typing this, I turned 48 just eleven days ago. (Now’s your chance to wish me a belated birthday if you missed it on May 11!) And at age 48, I feel as if I’m at a fork in the road… a turning point if you will. I’m at the point age wise where it’s getting harder and harder to get into shape. If I’m honest (which I will be by the way), I’m not ok with where I’m at physically. There are things I need to begin to do to get back into shape sooner rather than later… thus, the fork in the road. What you’re looking at is a dismantled weight bench. It’s waiting to be put together. If I choose to remain on the road I’m currently on and not put together this weight bench, I’ll continue to get the results I don’t want and put on weight in places I don’t want it which changes me into the person I don’t want to be. Or I can choose to put the weight bench together and begin my new exercise routine.
Here's what I know from previous experience and by watching others, the weight I allow myself to carry will either produce positive results or negative results physically. That bowl of ice cream at midnight carries weight. That bag of chips I eat right after dinner has weight. Yo, that popcorn with butter, salt and parmesan cheese (don’t hate – it’s realllllllllllly good) carries weight with each amazing bite I take. And it changes me… for the worse. Likewise, when I allow myself to lift the weight off of the bench, after time, it changes me for the better. The weight molds me into the person I want to become. You see…
What we allow to carry weight in our life has the power to change us.
Check this out:
The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” – Genesis 3:1
In just two short chapters Adam and Eve give in to the serpent’s lies… “Sssssssooooooooooo Eve… did God say?” (Cause that’s how snakes talk…) And in one moment, Adam and Eve allowed someone else’s words to carry weight. Quick back story here, the first two chapters of Genesis paint a picture of earth as a paradise. It’s everything as God intended it to be. God made Adam and Eve, male and female in the image of Himself. God saw everything He had created, and it was good. Humanity living in perfect unity with God and creation. As God placed Adam in the garden, there was one thing God wanted Adam and Eve to keep in mind...
But the LORD God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden — except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” – Genesis 2:16-17
God Himself knew with Adam as He knows with us…
What we allow to carry weight in our life has the power to change us.
It’s what happened to Adam and Eve. The weight of satan’s words changed them forever. “Ssssssooooooo Eve… Did God really say…” “You won’t really die!” Satan knew he was lying. It’s what he does. He’s the author of lies. His goal is to trick people into not trusting the Truth of God’s Word. It was his goal for Adam and Eve, and it’s his goal for us too. Satan knows that…
What we allow to carry weight in our life has the power to change us.
Maybe you’ve been there… maybe you’re there right now. You’ve been walking around… Doing your thing… Everything seems to be going great… Great house… Great job… Great life… You’re looking at things and you’re thinking things are good. And out of seemingly nowhere it happens… Little lies start to capture your attention. For some of us, maybe it’s the following lies:
• It’s not hurting anyone…
• Nobody will find out…
• It’s just one time…
• It’s fun…
• Surely God didn’t mean what He said
• The Bible isn’t really true
And satan starts to place little lies into your thoughts to question God’s Truth. Or maybe it’s little lies that someone says to you that makes you question your worth. Maybe it’s the comment of a boss who tells you they wanted someone else in your position. Maybe it’s the comment from a person you thought was a friend. Maybe it’s your own thoughts of hopelessness and depression because of a situation you’re simply trying to endure.
This is what satan does… he comes to us in ways we aren’t expecting and whispers lies into our ears… ”It doesn’t really matter…” “You’re not good enough…” “It’s just one time…” “You’re not smart enough…” “What does it matter if nobody finds out…” “God’s Word isn’t true…” “It’s just one time…” “God can’t comfort you…”
Satan is subtle like that. He’s not going to come stand in front of us dressed in red with a pitchfork yelling. He’s going to be dressed as something that looks good on the surface as he whispers lies into your ears to make you question everything. It’s what he does. He did it with Eve. And he’ll do it with us. Satan wants to get us to the place where we say to God, “You might be the author of my life, but You’re not the authority in my life.” Because satan knows…
What we allow to carry weight in our life has the power to change us.
Maybe you’re at your own crossroads right now… A fork in the road. Adam and Eve allowed satan’s words to carry weight, and they not only changed their whole life for the worse… They changed the whole creation for the worse so much so that we’re still feeling and operating in a world that was changed because Adam and Eve allowed someone else’s words other than God’s to carry weight.
There is great news though. If you’ve allowed satan’s lies to carry weight in your life and you feel stuck, there’s hope. If you’re reading this right now, you still have the chance to be changed by the weight and power of Jesus and the Word of God. There’s only one person who can cause you to overcome the lies, it’s Jesus. There’s only one book that can change us from the inside out, it’s the Bible. If you find yourself in the same place as Adam and Eve, there’s hope for you today. If we give weight to God’s Word, they’ll change us for the better AND we’ll find hope and peace and life… we’ll be transformed by the power of Jesus.
I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. – Romans 15:13
A Christmas Message for my Friends
What is your favorite Christmas song?
Asking that question will lead to all sorts of answers such as a Mariah Carey song, to a Michael Bublé hit, to the classic Randy Brooks track… Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer. Those are all great. And I love all of Bublé’s songs, most of Carey’s Christmas music, and I still sing the lyrics when Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer when it comes on the radio.
But one of my all-time favorite songs is O Holy Night. I heard it again, this time produced by Tomme Profitt and performed by Tauren Wells and SVRCINA. It was AMAZING. Actually, the whole The Birth of a King production was crazy amazing. (You can find it on YouTube or Spotify.) In any case, there are a few lyrics within this song that hit me as I look at, not only my life, but the world in general…
“A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices.”
As I sit and think about this verse, it was written about a time and people when Jesus was born… When God Himself came to earth… I wonder if today is any different. We look out from our little window at a world that seems weary. And as we reflect on the year, weariness might be the word that describes and depicts the status of our lives and maybe even our own soul. We feel it deep inside our being.
And in the middle of the world’s weariness… In the middle of the weariness that we are surrounded by, that we might be experiencing ourselves… Here is the message to receive…
“‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior— yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!” [Luke 2:10-11]
The song goes on to tell us exactly why we can experience joy in the middle of the weariness…
“The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger
In all our trials born to be our friend
He knows our need, to our weakness is no stranger”
God Himself, Jesus, came to this world not to rule over us as a worldly king would. Jesus was born to rescue us from ourselves. To be a divine friend in the middle of our trials. He knows all our needs and experienced all our weaknesses. In other words, the King… The Savior understands. And in that and in Him we can find joy.
In the middle of our weariness we can rejoice because our joy is found in Jesus, the One who also experienced weariness and overcame. God wants each one of us to experience and know the real joy, the lasting joy that won’t grow dim even in the middle of weariness and what’s going on around or to us. This joy isn’t found in things, it’s found in Jesus and knowing Him, it’s the gospel of joy.
This time of year, I pray you come to know the One who truly knows you, who’s experienced all our weaknesses and trials and still overcame… It's Jesus.
Are We There Yet
I love New Years. I love the start of things. With it can bring new vision. New beginnings. New focus.
There have been years when I’ve made New Years resolutions. There have been years where I’ve kept resolutions all year long. And then, there have been years where I’ve broken my New Years resolution within the first couple of weeks. And then there have been years where I haven’t made any resolutions. My resolution was to not make any resolutions.
Whatever the case may be for you this year, one thing is true about resolutions… They typically are all about ourselves. And while that’s not a terrible thing, we as a Granger Students and Young Adults staff want to challenge you to possibly think a bit differently this year… What if we, instead of only making or asking ourselves what our own New Years resolutions are, what if we asked God to give us His resolutions… What if we made…
God resolutions
One of the many things that is clear when we look at the life of Jesus, is that Jesus was all about listening to and obeying God. Jesus, with His whole life, His whole being, wanted to do what His Father wanted Him to do. The Son of God, wanted to do His Father’s will. And over the next four weeks, we’re going to take a look at a few God resolutions… Looking at what God had for the life of Jesus to see what might God have for our lives as well.
God is up to something.
I love wondering about things. Wonder is a gift that God has given me. It’s not on the list of spiritual gifts, but it’s definitely a gift from God in my life. I wonder about all kinds of things. When we were in Charleston, SC, I walked around that city and wondered what it was like when George Washington walked those streets. As a kid, when we went to the Baseball Hall of Fame, I wondered what it was like when Babe Ruth, Willie Mays and the rest of the greats walked those streets.
I’ve wondered what it was like to be Walt Disney just before he built Disney World. I’ve wondered what it must be like to be the president of the United States. I wonder about all sorts of things. If you see me walking around this place, it’s almost certain that I am in wonder mode. It comes natural to me. It’s how ONE came to life. And when I read Scripture, I often wonder what it was like to be in the situation i’m reading about.
As I thought about this message tonight, it hit me. As much as I wonder, I’ve never really wondered about the start of Jesus’ ministry. If I’m honest, I’ve never given it much thought. Maybe you’re like me. I kinda skip right past it. Not because I want to. But because it’s easy to. It’s easy to jump to the miracles He performs.
Turning water into wine is more exciting. Walking on water is more eye catching. Raising the dead is more breathtaking. It’s so easy to gloss over the beginning. But the beginning of anything is too important to miss. Because…
God is up to something
So, in this new year… in all of our new beginnings, let’s look at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry on earth…
Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. But John tried to talk him out of it. “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,” he said, “so why are you coming to me?” But Jesus said, “It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.” So John agreed to baptize him. After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” – Matthew 3:13-17
You see, the start to Jesus’ ministry on earth is quite different than how I would start. I’d walk up like, “I’m here! Holla at ya boy! Let’s get this party started!” But Jesus’ first act of His public ministry wasn’t an announcement of His presence… it was an act of obedience to God.
Because God was up to something.
When Jesus came to John to be baptized, John was like, “What? Why you coming to me?” Look at Jesus’ response:
“…it should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires…”
Jesus’ primary concern was being obedient to God’s will. At the beginning the heart of Jesus was obedience to God because Jesus knew that...
God was up to something.
Jesus didn’t pull up to a party and turn water into wine. He didn’t show up healing people. He knew and understood the God resolution for humanity and He simply obeyed His Father.
And God’s response? “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” We need to see this statement. We need to remember this statement because of what comes next. We might think that after Jesus is baptized and God makes this statement about Jesus that Jesus would then start ministering to people, right? I mean, isn’t that why He came… to heal people spiritually? To restore humanity back to right relationship with God?
The answer is yes to each of those questions. But Jesus didn’t jump straight into ministry from this mountain-top experience. There was one more thing Jesus had to go through before He started his public ministry. Check this out…
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.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, satan! For it is written: ‘worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. – Matthew 4:1-11
In Mark’s Gospel, it says...
The Spirit then compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness, where he was tempted by satan for forty days. He was out among the wild animals, and angels took care of him. – Mark 1:12-13
For some of us, we might see this as a detour. I mean, we’ve got work to do. We’ve got things to do. Why go through something this hard!?
As our kids were growing up, we’d take roadtrips to different locations. Shoot, just a couple of years ago when we flew to Phoenix and then drove to the Grand Canyon, our kids would ask multiple times, “Are we there yet?” I did it as a kid. Our kids, and even I at times, just want to get to our destination so bad that we miss what we could see on the way. We miss out on the relationships we could be building during the ride.
And as I read and look at these passages of Scripture, I wonder how many of us look at this and think, why? Why did He have to go through something so hard? And then we look at what we’re currently going through, or what we’ve gone through, and we say to God, “Ok! Enough! Are we there yet?” And we want to rush through the hard things we’re facing or have faced and we miss what God is trying to teach us… We miss out on the relationships that God wants us to build.
And so, when we look at these passages, we might be tempted to think the same thing… but Jesus is on mission and knows that what He’s going through has purpose because He knows...
God was up to something.
And as we look at these passages, there are things we can learn because in our lives, the temptations we face from satan, can a lot of times be masked by what we think are hard times.
First, our hard time or temptation we face, will come after what might be viewed as a mountain-top experience. Check this out:
The Spirit then compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness, where he was tempted by satan for forty days. Mark 1:12-13
You see, Jesus had just come from what could be viewed as a mountain-top experience. He was fulfilling scripture when John baptized Him and His Father announce who Jesus was and how He loved Jesus and the joy Jesus brought Him.
I cannot begin to tell you how many times I’ve experienced a hardship or a temptation after experiencing a mountain-top experience. When I was offered this job and accepted this position, a huge mountain-top experience, the next few months was filled with what I would consider satan, the enemy, whispering lies to cause me to question my calling.
Many times, I wanted to just get past what was going on. I just wanted to rush through it. But in rushing through it, I would have missed what God wanted to teach me… That ultimately, the only thing that matters is that I’m listening and obeying Him. And that, as I stay in the Scripture, to trust in the vision He’s giving me.
Secondly, our temptation we face oftentimes comes when we are exhausted or hungry... When we are worn down. We see it in these passages with Jesus…
Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry. - Luke 4:1-2
It’s in the times when we are the most tired that the devil knows we are at the most susceptible in the temptations and hardships he throws at us.
As I look back over the times when I’ve been most susceptible to hardships and/or temptations, it’s when I’ve been tired… When I haven’t gotten enough sleep or when I’ve just had a long run of busyness. It’s when the devil came at Jesus at the start of His ministry. And it’s when the devil came at Jesus towards the end of His ministry.
I believe this is one of the biggest reasons why it’s so important to rest. It’s one of the biggest reasons why God designed a rhythm of work six days and rest one. It’s one of the biggest reasons why God designed a sabbath. So we could rest and… and this is a big and… and focus our attention on Him.
So your hardships or temptations will come one, after a mountain-top experience. Two, when you’re exhausted and run down. And three, our hardship or temptation oftentimes come within our greatest desire.
Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. “i will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.” - Matthew 4:8-9
Many times, our temptations we face come at the point of our greatest desire at the time. But here’s the thing, the enemy doesn’t have the power or authority to give the thing that will fill that desire. Sure, there are temporary things that we can chase. But ultimately, the enemy, the devil doesn’t have what we need to fill that desire. Only God himself is able to fill that need. Jesus knew that. And Jesus was able to overcome His hardship… His temptation.
Jesus stayed on mission. Jesus knew what the God resolutions were. And He was able to stay on mission and not rush past His hardship or fall to the temptations of the devil because Jesus combatted the battle of His mind with Scripture.
Time after time we see Jesus respond to the devil…
When the devil tempted Jesus to turn a stone into a loaf of bread, Jesus’ response was: ... But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone.’” - Matthew 4:4
When the devil told Jesus that he would give Him all the kingdoms of the world, Jesus responded: “The Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’” - Matthew 4:10
And when the devil took Jesus up to the highest point of the temple to throw Himself off to see if God would send angels to catch Him, Jesus replied back: “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’” - Matthew 4:7
And after all of that, after 40 days and 40 nights of temptation and hardship, the Bible says that...
When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came. - Matthew 4:11
You see, when Jesus faced this hardship… When Jesus was tempted… The greatest weapon to get Him through was God’s Word…
And it’s the same for us. As we face our hardships… The temptations we face… Our greatest weapon to get us through is the Bible… God’s Word. The point of the hardship isn’t that we rush through to get to the other side… To ask, “Are we there yet God!?” The point of the hardship is that we lean on Scripture to learn what God wants to teach us. For me, when I’ve gone through a hardship or temptation, especially in this last year, it’s to learn that I can depend on and trust God more with my life.
It’s to learn that, as i read God’s Word, He’s there to comfort me and lead me even more. But that only comes as I read His Word. That’s my challenge for you all as you’re in your hardship or your temptation… Or maybe before you’re in next hardship or temptation, dive into god’s Word so that as you’re in it, God can use it to battle the enemy’s attack on your mind… And so you can say… I wonder what God is up to.