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Temptations of Jesus, Pt. 4

Posted on by Wick

Temptations_of_Christ_(San_Marco)If we’re willing to reject the temptations of Satan, along with Jesus and by the power His Spirit brings through us, big things can happen. All over the world, March 9th was acknowledged as “FREEDOM SUNDAY”. God’s people are being broken for the sake of the poor and lonely, the imprisoned, the trafficked, and the powerless. You see, when humanity gives into the temptations Satan has offered Jesus here…this is what happens. Other people become consumed. Walked on. Imprisoned as objects. Treated like animals.

When we believe that inanimate objects are more important than living faithfully – people (our brothers and sisters) become sacrificed on the altar of low prices. Most of the products you and I use on a daily basis were made from materials and minerals taken from countries where laborers are paid next to nothing – if they’re even paid at all. Now I’m not gonna call us to boycott a specific store, give up clothes, and stop using cell phones. But I am going to ask you – when’s the last time you prayed for those communities? When’s the last time you treated someone the world called “insignificant” with the significance Jesus gives them by dying on their behalf?

Just one of the many reasons our family is in the midst of an adoption process, is to give a voice to the voiceless. To tell a story about a place and a people who are being taken advantage of by the world, and call God’s people to pray. Because as we see in the Lords’ Prayer – how we pray, leads us to how we live.

And that’s only the first temptation. How about the second? When we let go of all that God’s done, and all that God will do in the future – living only according to what it seems like God is doing right now in this moment – it can lead us to wrong thinking. It can make us lose hope, and forget all that God has done. It can seem incredibly hopeless for the 30 Million slaves living in our world today, and those of us who are enslaved by behaviors or sins that we need God to provide freedom from. Instead, we remember that God has provided freedom, and will provide complete freedom and healing someday for every single of the 30 million. Until then…we lift them in prayer, and support organizations and movements that embrace bringing freedom and release from bondage, wherever and however it exists. Even something as simple as sponsoring a child through ICCM can save a child from becoming a slave tomorrow. How is your life connected to Christ bringing freedom in our world?

And finally, the third temptation. The temptation to see statistics like “30 Million”, or Bible verses like “For all have sinned and fall short”, and throw our hands up saying, “We give up.” This is giving value, and bowing to something that does NOT deserve our worship. We believe in a God who is Lord over ALL creation. A God who has provided release from sin and bondage both NOW and FOREVER. We will not worship the forces of evil that pretend to be in control, but we will boldly declare by our life and resources today, GO AWAY SATAN. You have no right to declare ANYTHING over my life. God has already declared powerful words of Love, Grace, Release from Sin, and New Creation, and those are the words that will reign.

And in response, the devil will leave…and we will find ourselves in the midst of those serving God together. The whole world will be transformed as we go out into creation as those who have been set free in Christ. Will you allow yourself to be “of freedom”?  Will you respond as Jesus has, decide even now how you will live before temptation even comes to you?

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Temptations of Jesus, Pt. 3

Posted on by Wick

Looking back at the story of Jesus being tempted, we see Satan grasping for straws with one final attempt at throwing Jesus off track. He takes Jesus to “very high mountain”, and shows him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. Then he offers to give Jesus all these things if he will “fall down and worship me”. This is crazy. You know how crazy this is, right? It’s incredibly hard to understand, and yet at the same time reveals something important about this ‘being’ known as “the deceiver”. He’s apparently so good at painting his deceptions, he has deceived even himself here. God, who has created all things and to whom all things are subject – especially any earthly powers or splendor. God himself comes in human form, as the Son. He’s already been declared such at His baptism, just in case any of us wonders if he really knew. And yet here is Satan, promising to give something to Christ that was not quite His to give in the first place. His desire to deceive Jesus runs so deep, he has deceived even himself to think that in this moment, Jesus might look at him and say, “Well actually that sounds quite nice. I’d love to have all of that, and worshiping you is a fairly small price to pay.”

So how does Satan justify even making such an offer? I don’t know.

Perhaps it has something to do with knowing how powerful a draw that offer might be. He knows the hearts of humans. He knows we love to be in power, we love to receive praise. We love to be in control. His offer to Jesus sounds a lot like a promise of power, praise, and control over these Kingdoms. These are all healthy things to appreciate, in the context of serving God. But the tempter was trying to see if, even for a moment, He could catch Jesus in a moment of weakness. If he would turn toward Satan as the source of power and control, turning away third-temptation-of-christfrom God for these things. Doing so, would have given far more than just a foothold.

Such temptation works its’ way into our lives as well. We’re tempted on a daily basis to think there are other sources of power, and other sources of control. The world screams at us to be anxious about this or that happening in other parts of the world, or even events happening in our own country, state, or community. Tempting us to think that we need to serve the powers that be over listening to the voice of God that desires to free us to live in peace. Jesus has become Lord of all, not by bowing to Satan, but by sacrificing Himself out of love, allowing these “powers” to do their worst…yet being revealed as powerless against God.

Jesus responds to Satan one more time, but 3 times is enough. He commands Satan to go away from him. It’s easy to wonder why He didn’t use this response the first time, but maybe it was so that we would have these specific interactions to wrestle with, and connect with our lives. It must be because each of these 3 interactions has something different to offer us, and reveal about God. Again, just another reason I found myself unable to escape a sort of “3 point message” on this one.

So Jesus responds again with words from Deuteronomy, words that every follower of God would be familiar with, and a phrase that appears multiple times throughout the Old Testament, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve only Him.” Above any powers of this world, above any glory this world has to offer, we are called to worship and serve God.

The words come as a challenge to us as well, as we begin our season of preparing for Easter. What are we serving? What are we “working toward”? What do we hope to gain each day as we leave the house, and what do we dream about as we head to sleep each night? Are they the things of God, or are they offerings of the world?

The honest answer is this: None of us can stand above the rest and claim to not have desired the things of this world. Scripture tells us that none of us is without sin. That the only person who met with these temptations and remained faithful is Christ. And even He didn’t do so for His own sake, but for ours. That through his obedience and standing before God…we might have access to the throne. That through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, we are actually enabled to celebrate Easter! Not as the arrival of our judge, but as the arrival of New Life even NOW!

Will you receive the reminder, to repent and turn toward God? Can we confess together, we’ve not responded as Jesus did in these moments. That we’ve given in, accepted the lies and offerings of power, control, and fulfillment. If not with significant things, then in small ways. Tiny footholds where we’ve bought into the ways of this world, instead of living as citizens of the Kingdom. This morning, Jesus stands as the one we’re to follow, and proclaims to Satan, “GO AWAY!” Can we join together in proclaiming that today? Declaring God as the only Lord we have, and the only One we will serve….no matter what?

If so, look out….transformation is going to happen…come back for the final “Temptations of Jesus, Pt. 4″…

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On the Cosmos…

Posted on by Wick

“For God so loved the (kosmos) that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16

This week, my family is diving into a unit on the Solar System & Space.  This past week, the Church began the season of “lent”, which recognizes our origins and size in this great and mysterious universe.  This past week, the popular scientific television show “Cosmos” returned to a giant set of ratings.  I’d heard it advertised, and knew people were looking forward to it, and after seeing the ratings I knew I should probably check it out.  I’m glad I did.cosmos

This post definitely will not serve as a “summary” of thoughts, as the show is best seen as a “conversation starter”.  Tons of statements/revelations throughout the show did a great job of revealing just how much of our universe is unknown/unexplored/mysterious.  Although I do think they treated as “solid fact”, things that it seems like they’re simply assuming based on scientific evidence available. Here’s just one example:

In the opening description of his “Spaceship of the Imagination“, where he points through the bottom hole at how “The earth looked 250-Million Years ago” (Pangea) stated definitively.   Then he points through the top viewing hole at how “The earth might look 250-Million Years from now”.  Even with all of the scientific data available, we don’t know “exactly” what the earth looked like from space precisely 250-Million years ago.  Their choice to not use conditional words like “probably”, or “could have”, shows they just might have an agenda that goes beyond the stated “Question Everything” motto mentioned in the introduction.  Especially since it’s a “Spaceship of the Imagination”, not an actual time-machine.

I’m not a professional scientist, nor was I there when I believe God created the universe….so my ability to speak on either is limited to my faith/belief system.  I do think it’s a show worth watching, simply because of it’s desire to reveal just how amazing our world/universe is.  As Christians, we would “high-five” that kind of revelation any day of the week.  Just understand, and explain to any kids watching, we probably have different beliefs about how it all started….and why it all started/continues.  That we’re more than just “space dust”. We are the living, breathing, images of a very complex and creative God.

The first episode begins with an awe-inspiring journey into the depths and reaches of our ability to see via telescopes.  To recognize just how vast the viewable universe is….it’s a bit ridiculous, really.  Our observable universe is so crazy big!!!  Awe-inspiring at very least.  Our God is an awesome God.  Unfortunately, going through the history of our understanding of the cosmos, the show spends quite a bit of time illustrating how ignorant and self-confident the early church was, punishing/torturing scientists who claimed the earth was not the center of the universe.  While the story might have been worth mentioning, I don’t think animations of priests lighting fire to scientists did any favors to the relationship/conversations between faith & science.

Also note, because it’s based on scientific observations, the show begins with the “best assumption” of a “Big Bang“.  This theory was proposed first by a Catholic priest who observed that the universe was constantly expanding.  If we were expanding, it only makes sense that if we go back far enough in time we must have originally been only a tiny speck.  But again, this theory is presented as fact and part of the pretty nifty “timeline” of humanity’s existence in the known universe as a calendar year.  (On their timeline of a calendar year with January 1st being the “Big Bang”, we began to exist close to midnight on December 31st.)

Obviously “Cosmos” and I have different opinions on how it all began, and how the development/creation of all things went about.  But I still think, for the actual current scientific observations being made, and getting glimpses of a universe that loudly proclaims a God that is larger than our imaginations…it’s a show very worth checking out.