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Matthew 3-4 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Matthew 3:1-4:25.

“Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Be gone, Satan! for it is written, ” ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve” ‘ ” (Matthew 4:8-10).

Don’t miss the real temptation. Satan is not tempting Jesus with kingship, rule, and power. According to Psalm 110:1-7, Jesus was already promised all this from His Father. He was going to rule all the kingdoms of the world anyway. The temptation was that God’s way to the throne was going to be hard. He had already had to leave heaven to accomplish it. He was going to spend 3 years wandering as an itinerant teacher. He was going to be rejected, mocked, ridiculed, and eventually crucified to get to rule. Satan essentially said, “Hey, why bother with all of that? Here is an easier, softer way. Just bow down and worship me once. Just once. You don’t have to do it for the rest of your life. If you just worship me here and now, you won’t have to take up that cross.” But Jesus refused. He chose God’s way, though it included the cross. And I’m so thankful, because God’s way allowed me to be saved. Satan’s way might have given Jesus rule of the world (though I’m convinced Satan is a liar and would have yanked it out from under Jesus instead of really giving Him the rule), but it would have kept me and you from being saved.

I’m so glad to see this. First, because it lets me know I’m not alone. Satan tempts me all the time. Sometimes I begin to think I’m the only one going through this pressure. But even Jesus went through it. Second, it lets me know how to defeat the temptation. Just rely on God, His Word, and His way. God’s way always works. Third, I’m glad to read it because it helps me really identify Satan’s temptations. I often overlook temptation and sin with a dismissive, “Oh, surely God wouldn’t have a problem with that.” What I need to look for is when my choices include God’s way and the easier softer way. Satan often promises me the very same thing God does. He simply says I don’t have pick up my cross to get the promise. I need to be able to say, “Not today, Satan. I’m going God’s way. It may be harder, but it works.”

Which way are you going today? God’s way or the easier softer way?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Add your input by clicking the following link: Post a Comment.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Today’s reading is 1 Corinthians 10:1-11:34.

“Therefore let anyone who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).

“Oh, I’ll never do that.” “I can’t believe that so-and-so did such-and-such, I’d never do that.” “I used to have that problem. Now I’ve got it under control.” These are the words of those who think they stand. They are words that I’ve said far too often. Usually I’ve said them just before a colossal fall. It almost seems like Satan is just waiting around to hear these kinds of words so he can jump on the attack and prove us wrong.

The real problem here is not with standing. It is actually thinking we can stand on our own two legs. Not so. We must quit standing and instead lean on God. We will only overcome the tempter if we rely on God. Sadly, the world wants to tell us God is a crutch. When we hear that, we think it is a negative. The problem with the world is they desperately want to stand on their own. They think they can. Yet, they are falling. I need a crutch, not in the negative connotation of  the word. But, I need to recognize that I’m broken. If I try to stand without God as my crutch to lean on, I’m going to fall.

The moment I decide that I’ve healed enough and can stand on my own without the crutch of Christ’s cross to lean on, that is when I will crumble under the weight of sin again.

Today, I’m not going to stand. I’m going to lean.

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Click the following link to add your input: Click Here.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Romans 3-4 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Romans 3:1-4:25.

“For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression. That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring–not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all” (Romans 4:14-16).

For too long, I have tried to gain the promise of God by adhering to His law. My problem has been I continually fall short. It is not that I don’t like the law or don’t want to follow God’s law. I do. But I have repeatedly fallen. What hope do I have?

Great in every respect. I have hope because I have discovered it is not the adherents of God’s law that receive the promise. In fact, so long as I’m trying to receive the promise by keeping God’s law, I won’t receive it. Rather, I make it void. How great is God!? It is not those who keep the law that receive the promise. It is those who share the faith of Abraham.

Why was Abraham righteous? Not because he kept the law. He lied and tried to get around God’s plan and who knows what else (God knows). He was righteous because he came to believe God and live by that belief. I don’t have to live in fear today because I’ve violated God’s law. I can live in faith today that He sent His Son to wipe my sins away. I can rely on His grace and know that I’m guaranteed His promise. I believe and therefore have access to His grace. I am free today to simply serve God as best I know how, turning to Him when I mess up because He is my gracious and loving Father.

Praise God!

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? You can add your input by clicking here.

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*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Today’s reading is John 19:1-20:31.

“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30-31).

A disciple’s testimony. Evidence submitted for review and consideration. But submitted for an ultimate purpose. John, as tradition tells us, wasn’t simply telling us stories about some man. He was telling us about a Savior. He was telling us about the hope we might have of life. Over and over again he talked about the life we might have through Jesus. In fact, Jesus is the life.

I have been dead in my trespasses and sins. There is only one way to have life. That way is not to somehow pay for my sins. In fact, the only way I can pay for my sins is through my death. But Jesus has paid for my sins that I might have life if I will simply believe Him.

As John had just written, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is 2 Timothy 2:1-3:17.

“…always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7).

I have heard this passage referenced for years. In fact, I have referenced it for years. Usually, this verse is pulled out when talking about some preacher, teacher, or elder who keeps vacillating on some issue. This verse is especially handy when trying to push someone into making up their mind about some tough doctrinal question. If he won’t make up his mind quick enough, we can just point out how wicked he is because he keeps learning but doesn’t come to the truth. Of course, he only comes to the truth if he agrees with the one who is using this verse to push him.

There may be an appropriate application of this verse to that situation. However, in the immediate context, I’m no  longer sure Paul is talking about that person. Look at the preceding verses. He is talking about someone beset by recklessness, carelessness, lack of control, and sin. I can’t help but think of John 8:32. “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” The issue is not that these people study and study an issue but never make a decision about it. The issue is they keep learning about God’s will but they aren’t letting it change them. They aren’t being set free by it.

I must let God’s word change me. If I don’t, I may know a whole lot about it, but I’m never really arriving at the knowledge of the truth. If I knew the truth, it would set me free.

Keep the faith today, and keep reading.

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Hebrews 11:1-12:29.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us…” (Hebrews 12:1).

What a cloud of witnesses: Able, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets. Here are children of God that wrestled with different issues, committed different sins, struggled in different ways. But they all had one thing in common. They believed God. Because they believed God, they cast off their sins, their doubts, their hindrances and they grabbed hold of God.

Instead of letting the obstacles get in the way, they held on to God and received His blessing. I can’t help but think of Jacob wrestling with the angel as a very literal example of this. Here are people just like me who increased their faith and through that cast off their weight and sins. Because they removed the excess baggage, they were able to run with endurance the race God set before them. I can do the same. The fact is I can’t become more like Christ if I continue to feed the obsession with sin. I have to stop feeding it, cast it off, quit pursuing it. I have to let it go even if it means cutting off my own hand or plucking out my own eye. Half measure will avail nothing.

Today, instead of hanging on to my sins, I must lay them aside, no matter how closely they cling. Then I will be able to run with endurance.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Hebrews 5:1-6:20.

“He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness” (Hebrews 5:2).

No doubt there is a time to rebuke the arrogant and impenitent sinner. Those who wish to treat God with disdain need to be chastised and disciplined. But through all of this, I need to have a healthy respect for my own sins. I cannot stand up as anyone’s judge and jury. After all, if I were living under the Old Covenant as a priest, I would have to offer sacrifices for my own sins as well as everyone else’s.

When I have a healthy recognition of my own sins and struggles, I can deal more appropriately with the sins of others. This doesn’t mean ignoring the sins of others. That would be wrong. But it does mean dealing gently with the ignorant and wayward. After all, aren’t I in the same boat as they are? Should I act as if I have the right to blast and belittle? Or should I recognize we both need the same thing? We both need Jesus to be our guide and strength.

Today, I need to think about my own weakness before I start commenting on someone else’s. That is when my comments will be appropriate.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Hebrews 3:1-4:16.

“Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:12-13).

I must take care that I do not fall away from the living God. I must do that. But, I can’t help but see that I don’t have to do it alone. Instead, we must do it together. We must encourage one another. We must exhort one another. We must help one another. Otherwise we will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

I need others. I need others to encourage me. I need others to build me up. I need others to exhort me. But, of course, if I will gain this from others, I have to open up to them. Certainly, the general nature of encouragement can be helpful. But I do know I receive a lot more help from those who know what I deal with in specific rather than just the general. I’m so glad I’ve got brothers who know me and still are willing to encourage me.

Thank you, God, for brethren.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Hebrews 1:1-2:18.

“For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted” (Hebrews 2:18).

For the longest time, I thought the help I needed from Jesus was forgiveness after I’ve already sinned. I do need that help, but that is not the help the Hebrew writer talks about. He says Jesus can help me when I am being tempted. I do not have to face the temptation fight alone and then turn to Jesus if I failed. Rather, when I’m in the temptation, I can turn to Jesus.

I can turn to Jesus by getting into His word. I can turn to Jesus through prayer. I can turn to Jesus by getting help from Jesus’ people. I can ask for strength. I can ask to find in Jesus whatever I’m looking for in the proffered temptation. I do not have to wait to receive God’s grace through Jesus after I’ve sinned, I can seek His grace to have the strength to overcome my sins.

I’m not facing temptation alone. I’m facing life with Jesus at my side.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?