April 21, 2010

"And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered." Luke 4:1-2

Wow! Is this confusing!

It was the Holy Spirit that lead Jesus into temptation? I thought Jesus taught us in the Lord's Prayer to pray, "Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil."

So, how is it that the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted?

This apparent inconsistency provides a good opportunity to clarify what Jesus meant when He gave us this pattern for prayer. Notice that the end of the verse says, "but deliver us from evil."

When you understand what Jesus was REALLY praying here you will get a greater appreciation for it. He is teaching us to daily implore the Father to never lead us into temptation unless He delivers us from doing evil. In fact, when you have prayed that prayer and God does lead you into a time of testing you can be assured that He plans to deliver you!

What Jesus knew when He went to the wilderness, led by the Holy Spirit, to be tempted by the Evil One that God would deliver Him from evil. God did not lead Him out there to fail.

This is akin to what Paul writes in I Corinthians 10:13 regrading temptation and trials, "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

The alternative to having God lead you into temptation would be to go in alone. You don't want to do that! There is only one reason to go into temptation - TO COME OUT STRONGER! Only God can do that!

Jesus discovered first hand that God only leads us into temptation in order to deliver us from evil.

April 20, 2010

"The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" Jeremiah 17:9

I watch planes fly over my house all the time while I am out walking my dog. Usually they are on their approach to one of the airports in DC. They are directed by a controlled in the tower to lock in on a certain heading. That heading has to be exact if they want to end up on the runway. Even one or two degrees off and they will drift off course.

There was an article in the local paper about a couple who programmed their GPS device for Potomac Mills the shopping center north of us and they ended up in the village of Potomac Mills somewhere south of us. They were about 80 miles off course.

The only way you can end up where you want to be is to get on the proper course to where you want to be. Get off that course and you will end up somewhere that you didn't plan to be.

Such is your plight. Due to the fall of Adam you have inherited a nature that is corrupt and misguided and beyond your ability to correct it. Everything in your nature is pre-programmed to guide us to eternal damnation. Without a supernatural mid-course correction you have no hope to land in heaven when your journey ends.

Enter, Jesus, the Second Adam. He came to provide the way for you to get your corrupt nature uncorrupted and your course adjusted. By His sinless life, His death and His resurrection, He undid what the devil did.

If you will repent of your sin (repent literally means change direction) and aim your life toward God rather than away from Him. He promises to forgive your sins, connect you spiritually with God and set you on the course to Heaven by tranforming how you think. When He puts you on the path of truth, you will not be so easily deceived. Therefore, you will be less susceptible to temptation.

Until you decide to repent and turn to God. You will continue to drift further from Him and further off course. Why would you do that when you can have God reprogram your GPS - God Positioning System - and get you on the course toward Heaven?

Today would be a great day to put some joy in your journey and some destiny in your destination!

April 19, 2010

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." James 4:7

There is a lot of commotion these days about the bullying issue. I personally think it is way overblown. As long as there have been kids there have been bullies. While I am not condoning it I do believe it is part of the process of growing into adulthood.

I had to deal with bullies growing up and so did my kids. I turned it into an opportunity to teach life principles. One thing that helped in dealing with bullies was having a big brother who would help protect you from the bullies. Life was safer when you were with your big brother!

In this verse, James, who ironically was the brother of Jesus, reminds us that we have a big brother Who can help us against the spiritual bully known as the devil.

If you you were not too proud to admit to your older brother that you needed protection and if you would submit to his protection, life would get a whole lot safer and stress free. It is the same with Jesus.

James says, "Submit to God". The word "submit" means to "line up with" or "surrender to".

If you line up your heart and your mind with God and surrender your will you can have His protection. You get all of His other blessings as well!

Notice also, James says "resist the devil and he will flee from you". The thing you have to understand about this statement is the "you" refers to you AND God! In other words, "you and the God you have submitted to resist the devil" then he will flee from you!

There is a bully in the world who delights in harrassing you and terrorizing you. You can face him alone or you can unite with an advocate, a protector, a big brother! Somebody is going to flee, it may as well be him! Let him flee - you be free!

Where do you need to "line up" with God today?

April 18, 2010

I read an interesting article on 21 things that became obsolete in the last decade. Many of them were once the rage but now are passe’: Maps, the Palm Pilate, landlines, film development, video rental stores, dial-up internet, newspaper classifieds – just to name a few. These things served a need but were short-lived and replaced by something more modern. I bring that up to contrast it with the fact that the devil been using the same four-step strategy to tempt people for centuries and it still works as well as ever! Those four steps and what we are studying this month:

DOUBT – DELAY – DECEIT – DESIRE

THIS MORNING WE WILL TALK ABOUT DELAY – The devil will try to get you to sin by giving temptation a second thought.

Last Week’s Principle – We are tempted because we are sinners.

This Week’s Principle – Temptation exposes what we truly love.

Bob had been on a diet. Bob was always on a diet but this time he had sworn off donuts. They were his weakness and everyone knew it. That’s why they were impressed when he went several months without a donut. And then one day he showed up at work carrying a box of bakery fresh donuts!

“Bob! What’s going on?” Declared one of his co-workers! “What are you doing with those donuts? Did you give into temptation?”

“Not at all!” Bob insisted, “It was God’s will!”

“Really?” His friend asked, “Are you sure? How did you know?”

“Well, I prayed that if it was God’s will for me to have donuts then let there be a parking spot open right in front of the bakery! And sure enough, on the tenth time around the block – THERE IT WAS!”

Temptation is a test of our will that exposes what we truly love. We should never give temptation a second-thought!

WHAT’S THE DEAL?

I didn’t get into a definition of temptation last week because it was so obvious in the context of the story from Genesis 3.

Definition of temptation – “an enticement toward evil” “it is the conflict between two wills” - Those are classic definitions but this morning I want to add another thought – “temptation is a test that exposes what you truly love”

Wesley’s definition of sin - John Wesley's own working definition of sin: "A willful transgression of a known law of God" (Based on I John 3:9)

Sin is a decision of the will. There are sins of ignorance and sins of judgment, etc. Therefore, temptation is directed at the will. The lure of temptation is to get you into a conflict of wills where you will decide to choose your will over God’s will. Where you will love yourself more than you love God. THAT IS THE DEAL with temptation and sin. We will examine that idea.

If we, as we established last week, are tempted because we are sinners, how is it that Adam could be tempted and Jesus could be tempted when neither of them had a sinful nature?
Neither of them had a sinful nature but they DID have a human nature and a will. Adam, because he was created that way and Jesus, because He was conceived that way.

WHAT’S THE DELAY?

The “DELAY” is double-mindedness. The Delay was a hesitation of the will caused by giving temptation a second thought. If you give temptation a second thought you will become double-minded.

The Greek word translated "double-minded" is dipsuchos, from dis, meaning "twice," and psuche, meaning "mind." James uses it to describe someone who is divided in his interests or loyalties, wavering, uncertain, two-faced, half-hearted.

Temptation can really play havoc with our lives. Especially when you give temptation a second thought. There was a humorous "Cathy" cartoon strip sometime back. Cathy is struggling with her diet. See if this progression is familiar:

Frame 1: I will take a drive, but won’t go near the grocery store.Frame 2: I will drive by the grocery store, but will not go in.Frame 3: I will go in the grocery store, but will not walk down the aisle where the candy is on sale.Frame 4: I will look at the candy, but not pick it up.Frame 5: I will pick it up, but not buy it.Frame 6: I will buy it, but not open it.Frame 7: Open it, but not smell it.Frame 8: Smell it, but not taste it.Frame 9: Taste it, but not eat it.Frame 10: Eat, eat, eat, eat, eat!

Os Guiness gives a very helpful definition of doubt in his book In Two Minds. He says, "When you believe, you are in one mind and accept something as true. Unbelief is to be of one mind and reject that something is true. To doubt is to waver between the two, to believe and disbelieve at the same time, and so to be in ’two minds.’" That is what James calls, in Chapter 1, a "double minded man," or as the Chinese say, "Doubt is standing in two boats, with one foot in each."

E. Stanley Jones stated it graphically, "If you don’t make up your mind, then your unmade mind will unmake you. Here is the place where there must be no dallying. For any dallying will be the Trojan horse that will get on the inside and open the gates to the enemy. God can do anything for the man who has made up his mind; he can do little or nothing for the double-minded"

Let’s Glance At Two Temptations – Adam’s and Jesus”

Adam hesitated because his will was operating separately from God’s will.

Jesus didn’t hesitate! Why? What’s the difference?

Genesis 3:1- 6; Luke 4: 1-13

WHAT TO DO? (James 4:7-10)

Become single-minded! Be of one mind and one will – God’s!

Like Joshua - “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15

Like The Three Hebrews - “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." Daniel 3:16-18


Like Daniel, who disregarded the Kings order against praying to God – prayed to God as usual. He was single-minded that here is what the King said when he threw Daniel into the lions den - So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions' den. The king said to Daniel, "May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!"

How?

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” James 4:7-10

SUBMIT = “LINE UP WITH” – Line your will up with His – Like Jesus Did. Stop trying to get God to line up with you!

STAND = Stand on the Word and resist the devil – Like Jesus Did. Put on the armor!

SANCTIFY = Cling to God, Repent of sin, Receive the Holy Spirit, and Know His Will

SERVE = Humbly live God’s will with one heart and one will.

WHAT DOES TEMPTATION EXPOSE IN ME?

Am I “double-minded”?

What do I love more than I love God?

Do I give sin a second thought?

Where do I need to submit to God?

Where do I need to stand and resist the devil?

Will I sanctify my will and commit to single-minded love for God?

Will I serve God in the Holy Spirit with one heart and one will?


WOULDN’T IT BE NICE IF WE COULD MAKE THE DEVIL’S FOUR STEP STRATEGY OF TEMPTATION OBSOLETE?

April 16, 2010

"And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." Genesis 2:16-17

God is all-knowing, right?

So He knew that Adam would buckle to temptation and sin, right?

Why, then, did God give Adam a free-will knowing he would sin?

When you understand that answer you gain a meaningful insight into the heart and mind of God.

The answer is - God is love. To quote the great philosopher Tina Turner, "What's love got to do with it?"

Love is a choice. Choices are made with the will. A will is meaningless unless there are clear options to choose from. Adam and Even had loved God but God was all they had known. God wants us to love Him because we choose to love Him. When Eve was lured to the tree by the serpent and he tempted them, they were faced with an alternative to the love of God. That alternative was self-love. By the time the tempter was finished they had decided to choose against God and chase their own desires. They were guilty of sin - a willful transgression of a known law of God (which was actually the only law of God).

Can you imagine a God Who loves you so much and Who wants desparately to be loved by you so that He is willing to risk not being love by you?! That's our God! That's what's at state with temptation! Temptation is a test of love!

Free-will is freedom to love God! Or freedom not to.

How will you will your will today?

April 15, 2010

"The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." Genesis 2:15-18

I noticed something today in the story I have read hundreds of times. Maybe you have noticed it before but I hadn't.

God gave Adam the command concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil before He created Eve. So obviously it was Adam's responsibility to share that important prohibition with his new helpmate.

Based on her answer to the serpent in 3:2-3 that she had found out about it, so we would assume Adam told her.

Therefore, it begs the question, why didn't Adam jump into the middle of the conversation with the serpent and take the lead? Why didn't he intervene when he saw her beginning to waiver? If it was his responsibility to tell her in the first place would it not have been his responsibility to help her obey God's command? I think so. It tells us in Genesis 3:6 that Adam was with Eve in front of the forbidden tree.

Why were they in front of the prohibited tree? Why did Adam not make sure they stayed away from the tree?

The fact that they were in front of the tree and the fact that Adam stood by silently while Eve was being enticed by the devil, and the fact that he never intervened and allowed her to act upon the temptation shows a major failure of leadership on Adam's part. If Adam had "manned up" in that moment, we wouldn't be having this conversation.

Although Adam later blamed Eve for their failure (and indirectly blamed God) it was clearly his responsibility to keep her from being in the wrongs places and to protect her from danger and evil.

Husbands clearly have a role to play in protecting their wives spiritually and provide godly leadership. If Adam had done that how different our world would be today!

Guys, what are you doing to keep your wife safe from the attacks of the enemy? Are you providing good spiritual leadership for your wife? Are you teaching her and praying for her and standing guard over her soul?

I Wish to God Adam would have! What a different world this would be today if Adam had simply provided Eve with the moral and spiritual leadership. God expected it. Eve needed it. Adam didn't give it. That was his first failure that lead to the devasting act of disobedience.

You are responsible for the spiritual climate of your marriage and your family. To fail to do so can have serious ramifications.

Just ask Eve.

April 14, 2010

"Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous." Romans 5:18-19

One of the age-old theological struggles has been the debate regarding the sovereignty of God and the free will of man. Where does one stop and the other begin? How do they interplay?

Good people line up on all sides of this debate and can offer Scriptural support for their views.

As Wesleyans, we are stronger on the free will side of the argument, although we fully believe in the sovereignty of God.

Another way of framing this argument is this, "How free is the free will?"

I can't conclusively resolve this debate and I won't even try, but I do want to assert that because of what the Second Adam did to atone for the sin of the First Adam, the free will is freer that it was!

When the first Adam exercised his free will against God he lost full control over the free will surrendering it to the devil. Now his judgment was impaired. Now his mind and emotions were contaminated. Now sin held sway over his moral decisions. He was separated from God and in bondage to sin. Human nature was now disconnected from its Creator.

What could be done to change this desperate situation? Was the human race condemned to spiritual slavery?

Only God could figure out how to solve this dilemma. He did! He sent His Son, the second member of the Trinity, to become the second Adam.

Just like the First Adam, He was born without a sin nature. Just like Adam He was a mysterious combination of divine and human, meaning that two natures existed within them.

Both were tempted by the devil. One failed the One didn't. One was conquered by sin, the other conquered it. One used his free will against God and the other surrendered his free will to God. One lost his free will while the other maintained it.

Because the Second Adam, Jesus, did not choose to sin. Because He used His free will to obey God and deny His human desires, He was able to undo what the first Adam did. His sinless relationship with God allowed Him to become the perfect sacrifice for the sins caused by the First Adam. He chose not to sin so He could BECOME sin! All the penalties and condemnation wrought by the sin of Adam were atoned by the blood of the sacrifice of Jesus, the Second Adam.

Now the free will is free again - free to choose God and free to choose against sin and free to live in unbroken fellowship with the Living God!

"If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed!"