Today’s reading is Acts 11:1-12:25.

I don’t have much to say today. However, I’m extremely motivated by the story of Peter’s release. I simply cannot help but learn from this if God could deliver Peter from the hands of Herod and the evil intent of the Jews against him, He can deliver me from Satan and sin. If God can unbind the shackles, walk past the guards, and open the gates for Peter as he walked out of the prison, the God can unbind my shackles of sin and guilt, march me past Satan, and open the gates to the kingdom of heaven for me.

Some days I find it hard to believe this. That is why I’m glad this story is here. It is a reminder to me that I serve a powerful God who in His time and in His way will set me free, providing me progressive victory over sin and Satan. Sometimes there are victories and I sit there like Peter saying, “Wow, I can now see how God delivered me.” It really is amazing to see God work in our lives, setting us free. 

No matter what you are facing today, rely on God. He is the only one who can set you free.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Luke 3:1-4:44.

Back in Luke 1:35, Gabriel told Mary her son would be called the Son of God. In today’s reading, Luke 3:22 shows the Spirit of God descending on her son as He was baptized and proclaims the voice of God saying, “You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased.” Then Luke caps off the genealogy of Jesus saying, “Jesus…the son of God.”

However, out of the starting gate, Jesus goes into the wilderness and is tempted by the devil. In two of the temptations, Satan said, “If you are the Son of God” (Luke 4:3, 9). The question was, “Do you really believe what God said to you at your baptism? Prove it.” No doubt, Satan was tempting Jesus to test God and worship him, but another subtle temptation is going on behind this. Satan wanted Jesus to question God’s word and promise to Him. Satan wanted to produce an identity crisis in Jesus. “If you were really God’s Son, then…”

Satan does that to me to. “If you were really a child of God, then you would do such and such, you would be better at this and that, you would never have done thus and so.” I can get really messed up spiritually about that because, unlike Jesus, I really have messed some things up. I really do have some things about which I can think, “Man, maybe I’m not really God’s child.”

The point I need to remember is that being God’s child is about being in Christ, it is not about relying on my own righteousness. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying I’m in Christ if I’m going off and doing my own thing. However, what it means is my mess ups as I’m growing in Christ are not reason for me to question my adoption by God. The reason He sent Jesus is because I’m a sinner. The reason He adopted me was not because I am perfect but to perfect me in His time. Philippians 2:12-13 says God is working on me. Romans 8:28-30 says that I will be conformed to Christ’s image because God has predestined that those who love Him will be conformed to His image. 

Satan wants me to question my adoption as God’s child. I must not let him cause an identity crisis. I am God’s child. God loves me and sent my older brother Jesus to die for me. If God loved me so much to reconcile me by Jesus’ death, He will save me by Jesus’ life (Romans 5:10). I can have confidence in my identity as God’s child and I don’t have to prove it to me, to Satan or to anyone else. I can simply rest in that today.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is John 19:1-20:31.

Doubting Thomas. What a bum. Why couldn’t he just accept the testimony of the other apostles. They said they had seen Jesus, but he wouldn’t believe unless he saw the hands and feet. We’ve held that over poor Thomas’s head for centuries. We completely forget Courageous Thomas who encouraged the disciples to go with Jesus to Jerusalem even if it meant they all died (John 11:16). We don’t remember him for his greatest moment. We remember him for his weakest moment.

Of course, it would have been different if he had not stood out as so unique. If the others had doubted like him, maybe we wouldn’t remember him that way. Ooops. There’s the problem. We have a tendency to talk about Thomas as if he was so alone in his doubts. But didn’t the apostles hear testimony from Mary? Didn’t some of them go to the tomb and find it empty? Yet, they didn’t believe. 

(Yes, yes, I know John 20:8 says John believed. However, based on vs. 9, I don’t think the text means he believed Jesus was raised from the dead. The next verse says he didn’t understand the scripture. I think it just means he believed the tomb was empty. If he believed in a resurrected Messiah, why is he holed up with the other apostles “for fear of the Jews” [John 20:19]?)

When did they believe? John 20:20, “When had had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.” When were they glad? Not when Mary reported it. Not when they saw the empty tomb. They were glad when they saw Jesus’ hands and side for themselves.

Did you see that? Thomas actually wasn’t alone. Every single one of the apostles believed when they got to see Jesus’ hands and side for themselves and did not believe before that.

Why am I going into all this? Because I often treat myself like I have treated Thomas. I know my own doubts, fears, struggles, temptations, failures. I have a tendency to think I’m alone in that. I attend the church’s assemblies and see smiling faces and hear polite conversation. I think that no one here faces the battles I do every day. No one here knows what I’m going through. No one can help me. I’m alone. I’m so very alone. But I’m not. We’re all dealing with this stuff. Perhaps what we need to do is take the masks off. Be up front like Thomas and share what we are facing. Only then can we help each other.

***Question: What do you do to get help from brethren spiritually?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

Jesus was tempted in the Judean Wilderness; perhaps on one of those hills

Today’s reading is Luke 3:1-4:44.

Satan’s Shortcuts

The temptations of Jesus stand out to me in this reading. Specifically, the one Luke lists as Jesus’ second temptation. In Luke 4:5-8, Satan showed Jesus the kingdoms of the world. His promise to Jesus was, “If you will just worship me, I’ll give you all these kingdoms to rule.” 

Often, we just see this as a play by Satan to tempt Jesus with power, fame, and rulership. That is not the case. God had also promised Jesus to rule all the kingdoms of the earth in Psalm 110. The issue was that God’s path to authority and kingship meant living on earth as a human. It meant being rejected by all around Him. It meant being persecuted. It meant being beaten. It meant being crucified. It meant be separated from the Father. 

Satan wasn’t offering Jesus rule of the world as a temptation. He was offering Him a shortcut. It was as if Satan was saying, “Look, I know God has said if you do all this stuff down here, you’ll beat me and the kingdoms of earth will be given to you. Why bother with all that? I’ll give up and concede the world to you if you will just worship me. There is no need to go through all that pain and anguish. I’ll give it to you right now. It can really be just that easy. How about it?”

Of course, we know what would have happened had Jesus submitted to Satan’s terms. Instead of gaining control of the world, Jesus would have lost His relationship with the Father. The torment and anguish Satan promised to relieve would have come in spades. Further, by this one act, Jesus would have forfeited any right to rule the world. Satan was offering, but Satan was lying.

Here is the point for us. This is exactly how Satan tempts us as well. God has promised us love, joy, peace, patience. He has offered us comfort, encouragement, maturity, satisfaction. However, the path to God’s promises is not easy. It is a strait and difficult path. Enter Satan. “Oh, it doesn’t have to be like that. There is no need to deny self or carry a cross. If you want peace, harmony, and satisfaction, I’ll show you the way. I promise you if you take vengeance on those who have hurt you, you’ll have peace. I promise you if you lust and have sex with as many people as possible, or at least with that person over there, you’ll have connection, relationship, and happiness. I promise you if you just had your neighbors house, car, job, wife, husband, computer, jewelry, clothes, you would be satisfied. I promise you if you really want security and protection you just need to tell this lie.” On and on Satan goes. He promises us the same thing God does, but the picture he paints is one of ease. 

Sadly, every one of us has chosen Satan’s shortcut. What have we found? Satan is a liar. He offers, but doesn’t give. All his shortcuts do is give us greater pain and heartache. Yet, for some reason, when he comes back around offering the same empty promises, we have the idea that this time it will be different. This time it really will work. This time we really will get satisfaction, contentment, love, happiness, harmony, joy, peace. And every time, for a brief moment we think we have attained it all. Then it all comes crashing down and the cycle begins again.

Break the cycle. No, it is not an easy path. But God’s difficult way actually provides what it promises, sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly. But it always comes through. Satan’s shortcut always leads to disappointment. 

Satan is offering you shortcuts today. Don’t take them.

***Question: Okay, I know I’m getting a little personal with this one today. But I think it is good for us to think through these things. When you have taken Satan’s shortcuts, where has it led you?

A Little Something Extra Thrown In For Free

The third temptation in Luke was where Satan took Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple and quoted Psalm 91:11-12 to Him saying, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here.” The psalm said God would protect His servant. Jesus said He wouldn’t put the Lord God to the test. When God has promised something, you don’t go testing it to see if God really meant it. That doesn’t show faith in God, but distrust.

What caught my attention about this was Luke 4:29-30. The folks in Nazareth drove Jesus out of town and were going to throw Him down a cliff. The text just says, “But passing through their midst, he went away.” Wow! I can’t see that as being anything short of a miraculous deliverance. I’m pretty sure if a mob were driving Jesus to the cliff, it is not just a walk in the park to “pass through their midst.” 

He refused to jump from the Temple’s pinnacle and test God. However, when Jesus really was in danger, God did protect Him and kept Him from dashing His foot against a stone.

I had just never made the connection between these stories before and wanted to share.

As always, let us know what you got out of today’s reading.

Keep the faith and keep reading.

ELC

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

I’ve read I Corinthians 10:13 hundreds of times. It is an anchor passage for me to remember that God cares for me and won’t let me endure more than I can, through His grace, handle. While I’ve often read on to I Corinthians 10:14, today, the “therefore” struck me. Paul says, because God doesn’t allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able, but always provides a way of escape, therefore, we must flee idolatry.

I can’t help but notice, Paul’s conclusion was not to rub up as close to idolatry as possible and then take God’s last minute escape route. Rather, since God provides a way of escape we should flee idolatry. God’s escape route is not a last minute escape hatch that falls open beside us at the very moment we are about to pursue sin. Rather, the escape route is often laid out very early. We take God’s escape route by fleeing away from things that will tempt us. Flee idolatry, flee sexual immorality, flee grumbling against God, flee sin. 

We must not get close and then hope we’ll have the strength to take God’s escape route at the last minute. Rather, we must take that escape route early and thank God for giving it to us.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What did you get out of today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Mark 11:1-12:44.

I needed today’s reading. It just reminds me again and again how God’s word really does help. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ.

Mark 11:23 hit me today. “Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.”

This verse is not a blank check. Romans 10:17, which I quoted above, provides some interesting commentary on this verse. I can only have the kind of faith mentioned in Mark 11:23 about things taught in God’s word. It is not saying if I pray for $1 million and believe really, really hard that God will do it. It is saying when I pray for things I can have faith in based on God’s word and I do have that faith, God will do what He has promised.

That hits the doctrine. The practical reason I needed it is because of temptation. I guess being away from my wife and kids this week has been hard on me. I’ve felt a great amount of temptation this week. I’ve been shouting (mentally) get behind me, Satan, all week long. Sometimes it feels like I’ll never overcome. Yet, here is Jesus’ promise. I can pray that this mountain be cast in the sea. If I really believe it, it will happen.

Thank you, God, for tossing this mountain of temptation into the sea.

Now, having said that, I have a question for all you Bible readers and students out there. What’s up with getting so upset at a fig tree that is not producing fruit during a time when it’s not supposed to be producing fruit anyway? Can someone give some insight into what this is all about?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What did you get out of today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Romans 3:1-4:25.

I’ve been a Christian for almost 23 years. In that time I’ve fought with varying degrees of success against sin. However, in that fight, for a long time, I maintained that really I had never been that much of a sinner. I had done a few things here and there, but it’s not like I was a murderer or anything.

As you can see, I was easily growing into the Pharisee who looked at the publican and essentially said, “Hey God, be thankful I’m not like that guy.”

All that changed when I was encouraged to actually write out an inventory. Go through my history and write down the sins I’d committed. Pick the top couple and give as complete a history of my involvement in those sins as I could. I was amazed. No, I didn’t suddenly remember that I had in fact murdered someone. However, I was brought face to face with the fact that I don’t just kind of need a Savior, I absolutely need a Savior.

Of course, this is what Paul is driving at in Romans 3:10-18. No one is righteous. We’ve all turned aside. Our throat is an open grave. Venom is under our tongues. Our feet are swift to shed blood. We have no fear of God in our eyes. That is exactly where we were before Jesus came on the scene. Even if you really can write out your list and it only contains a handful of minor infractions (though I doubt you can do that), sinning at all puts us at odds with God. Jesus is the one who reconciles us.

If you haven’t done it, I encourage you write your own inventory. Be gentle with yourself. Make sure you have someone you can call when the emotions overwhelm you and make you want to escape through your favorite sin. Come face to face with how much you really need Jesus. It is humbling and helpful.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What did you get out of today’s reading?

Have you ever wondered why God sent Jesus into the world to die? Yes, I know He came into the world to die so we could be saved by His sacrifice. But why is that what was needed?

Think about it. God created the world. He then created the plan by which we could be saved. He could have come up with any means to save us. But He came up with the plan to sacrifice Jesus so we could be saved. Wow! I know we could talk about the meaning of sacrifice, we could talk about God’s justice and mercy. But, in reality, it doesn’t matter what we say about it, the sacrifice of Jesus works because God says it works. If God had said something else could work, then it would work. God got to decide what would work for our salvation and He set up this plan of sacrifice.

With this in mind, I find a great deal of comfort in Hebrews 2:14-18. Jesus came to share in flesh and blood because God decided that was what was needed. But was it needed because God somehow needed to know what our lives were like? Was it needed because God needed to learn what it was like to be us? Of course not. God created us; He knows. Rather God did this so that we, in our finite minds, could grasp that He knows. No doubt, without the incarnation, we would always wonder if God could know what it was like to be us. Now we can know that He knows and therefore, we know we can go to Him for help. 

He has faced what we face and overcome. He has experienced what we experience and been victorious. He has lived what we live and come out unscathed. Who else would we remotely want to turn to for help but the one who has been there, done that and knows the way through. When you are faced with temptation, don’t feel alone. Turn to Jesus for help. He knows how to overcome and He will provide strength and help. Even if that help is in the form of greater knowledge of His word or help from His people. He knows how to deliver you from temptation. Turn to Him. Don’t face temptation alone.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

I’m so excited about being able to take this trek through the New Testament with you. I hope you find it beneficial, not because you are hearing from me what I got out of it, but because it lifts you up to keep reading God’s Word.

I had a surprising, yet comforting, thought today as I read Luke 3:8–“Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham” (ESV)

My mind immediately jumped to Galatians 3:29–”And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise” (ESV).

Sometimes I struggle thinking that I can not possibly be a part of God’s family. I know too much about me and I know God knows it all also. However, it just struck me as comforting that if God could raise up offspring to Abraham from a rock, He can also make me an offspring of Abraham. He can make me an heir according to promise by the power of Christ’s blood and grace. He can do the same for you.

I was also impressed in this reading with how important what we are doing on this blog really is. Three times in Luke 4:1-13, Jesus said, “It is written.” Each was a response to Satan’s temptation. If anyone that ever lived in the world had the ability to respond to Satan with “I think…” or “I know…” or “I say…” or “I feel…” it was Jesus, God the Son in the flesh. However, that is not how He responded to Satan’s snares. Instead, He responded, “It is written.” 

If God in the flesh overcame Satan by His knowledge of God’s Word, how much more do I need to be in God’s Word constantly to overcome Satan. As Psalm 119:11 says, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (ESV). 

That always gets me back to the armor of God in Ephesians 6:12-18. Have you ever noticed how many pieces of the armor are actually tied to God’s Word?

• Belt of truth–God’s word is truth-John 17:17
• Breastplate of righteousness–Scripture trains us in righteousness-II Timothy 3:16
• Feet shod with gospel of peace–The Word of truth is the gospel-Colossians 1:5
• Shield of faith–Faith comes by hearing the word of God-Romans 10:17
• Helmet of salvation–The Word builds us up and saves us-Acts 20:32
• Sword of the Spirit–Well, duh, the text we’re looking at says that is the Word of God

Keep the faith today and keep reading!