True Power

And the devil took [Jesus] up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written,

             “‘You shall worship the Lord your God,

                        and him only shall you serve.’” Luke 4:5-8

            The temptation of power. Humans crave it. It was the root of the original sin. Satan tempted Eve with the prospect of “becoming like God” (see Genesis 3:5).  Power is addicting. When our goal is to become powerful, our power becomes the object of our worship – our focus, our primary agenda, our priority, and the consumption of our resources, energy, and time. 

            Jesus cut through the image of Satan’s words and went to the heart. Worship and serve God alone. Our greatest calling, our embodiment of God’s image-in-us, is not how great we become, but how well we serve. To follow Christ is not to aspire to greatness, but to be compelled to service. Jesus told his followers,

“You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Mark 10:42-45

Seeking earthly power is the exact opposite of the attitude of Christ. Beware of seeking earthly power, for it is not far from the enemy’s domain. 

Let’s Do Something About It

·      Prayerfully consider if there is an area of your life where you are demanding authority over others. Ask God to show you how you might turn that area of your life around to being a place of serving others instead.

·      Meditate on Philippians 2:4-11. Consider journaling any insights or questions you may have.

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who,

      though he was in the form of God,

did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,

      but made himself nothing,

      taking the form of a servant,

      being born in the likeness of men.

And being found in human form,

      he humbled himself

      by becoming obedient to the point of death,

      even death on a cross.

Therefore God has highly exalted him

      and bestowed on him the name

      that is above every name,

so that at the name of Jesus

      every knee should bow,

      in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

 and every tongue confess

       that Jesus Christ is Lord,

      to the glory of God the Father. 

Necessity or Accessory?

 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” Luke 4:1-3

            The enemy tempted Jesus to prove His identity by using His powers to turn something of no value into something supposedly essential. The true nature of the devil’s temptations are revealed in Jesus’ responses. The enemy assumed that bread was essential – but Jesus counters, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” (Luke 4:4). Jesus is quoting from the book of Deuteronomy, when God addresses the Jews after forty years of desert wandering,

You shall remember … that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. Deuteronomy 8:2-3

The point of fasting is to test the heart. Can we rely on God alone and for a time, forgo physical gratification? God fed the Israelites with a substance they had never experienced before, manna. It was totally different from what they were used to, from what they believed was essential, and from what was “normal.” It showed them that not only is God’s provision enough, but that there is a much more important realm we live in than our physical desires; we are spiritual beings that require the spiritual nourishment that comes from God’s Word alone.

            Jesus would not waste using His power to turn a worthless stone into a mere physical commodity. He knew that what is truly essential only comes from God.

Let’s Do Something About It

·      Take a few moments today to consider your priorities. How much of your “power” (financially, physically, emotionally, intellectually…) is spent converting things of no true value into “essentials” in your life or lifestyle? Consider if it is time for some “house-cleaning” and a restructuring of you priorities regarding the “things” in your life.

·      Consider if it is time for you to “fast” for a season from certain items or practices that you consider “necessities” but are really just physical accessories to your life.

Who Are You Listening To?

 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God…”           Luke 4:1-3

            The devil waited until the end of Jesus' forty day fast, when He was weak and hungry. Then he came to tempt and challenge Jesus.  

            It is in times of testing, or crisis; in periods of desperation and desolation; it is when we are facing disappointment or transition; when we are at our weakest, our emptiest, at the end of our rope, or have come to a blind curve in the road of our life and have no idea what lies ahead; that is when the enemy comes to prey on our self-identity, to challenge the nature of our calling, or to tempt us with false promises.

“If you are…” he chides.

“If you were really loved, then these things wouldn’t be happening.”

“If you really believed you wouldn’t have fear or doubt.”

“ Who are you really? Prove it!”

In our times of stress, that inner voice of doubt challenges what we profess to be true about our most inward, secret self.  It is in these times that we must be oh so careful to whom we are listening.

Let’s Do Something About It

·      If you are at a crisis or transitional point in your life right now, schedule significant periods of time for prayer and fasting to help you identify and rely on God’s voice, direction, and provision for you at this time. Consider getting a prayer partner for this season to help you discern God’s presence in your life.

·      If you are questioning the nature of your calling or the direction of your life, consider spending time with a trusted friend or confidante to help you discern the path you are on and to partner with you in prayer.

·      If you are on firm ground right now, spend some time journaling or recording the nature of your calling and the affirmation and confirmations that God has given you, so that, when a time of questioning arises, you have a record of God’s directive.

From/To

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. Luke 4:1-2

From the Jordan to the wilderness

From presentation to preparation

From affirmation to testing

From the crowd, to isolation

From fullness to hunger

From “You are” to “If you are”

And finally, from wild animals to angels (See Mark 1:13)

The way of Christ is the way of movement. From high to low; from low to high. With little plateau in between. God does not call us without preparing us to face the challenges we will encounter; and the enemy will always defy our calling and affirmation (unless of course we offer no threat to his attempts to overthrow the Kingdom of God.) It is a cycle of contrasts. It is important for us to note the movement of cycles in our life – to record growth and progress in our preparation times, to draw encouragement and inspiration in our plateaus, and to prevent the distraction of pridefulness in our fruitfulness.

Let’s Do Something About It           

Where are you in the cycle of contrasts? Prayerfully consider your spiritual journey over the last year. What have been your contrasts? What do they tell you about the path God has you on right now?

Solitude and Fasting

            …when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness…for forty days             Luke 3:21-22; 4:1

            Having been affirmed by God, the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness before beginning His public ministry. Why the wilderness? The wilderness was a place of solitude and fasting.

            Solitude, coupled with silence, is essential if we are going to quiet the myriad of outside noises and distractions that muddle our ability to hear the “small, still voice of God.” It is a place to still all other opinions, agendas, interpretations, and priorities. It familiarizes us with the inner-voice of God’s love and direction.

            Fasting releases us from dependence on the physical realm, self-reliance, and independency and compels us to rely more fully upon the spiritual sufficiency of God’s provision. It trains us on how to depend completely on God.

            But the wilderness is also a place of testing where the enemy will use our vulnerability to challenge our calling and to question our identity by tempting us to “prove it.” If we have not developed a full sense of recognizing God’s voice and relying on His provision, we will be more likely to succumb to the enemy’s tactics. This is why periods of solitude and fasting are so essential to effectively living out God’s calling for our lives and ministry.

Let’s Do Something About It

The practices of solitude and fasting are long held tradition in the Christian church. They are effective soul-training. Henri Nouwen called such disciplines, ways to create space in our lives for God to work. Consider if it is time for you to spend some time fasting or in solitude.

·      Solitude: Schedule some time in the next week where you can spend at least ½ hour in complete solitude and silence. Take a walk, sit in your back yard, create a cozy corner in your home. Turn off the phone, the TV, the computer, all “noisy distractions.” Put a “do not disturb” sign on your front door. If time is important set a timer so that you don’t have to keep checking your watch.

1.     Spend the first few moments just quieting your mind. Have a paper & pencil close where you can jot down any “urgent” thoughts that rise up, so that you can release them.

2.     Try to visualize just you and the Lord in a beautiful, quiet, private, safe place. The point here is to just be with Him, to just experience His Presence with you.

3.     Don’t worry if you doze-off. The point is to draw close to Him. At the end of the time, thank Him for spending this time with you, and make a plan on when you will do it again.

4.     If you have had any impressions or insights during this time, jot them down in your journal.

·      Fasting: Consider setting aside an intentional time of fasting in the near future, whether it is for 1 meal, 24 hours, or several days.

1.     Make sure that you are physically healthy before fasting (if you have any doubts, ask your Dr.) Do not stop taking any medications according to instructions, and make sure to drink plenty of water during your fasting.

2.     Do not over-eat before you fast. Rather, the last meal you have before your fast should be light and healthy. During your fast, spend the times you would be eating reading the Bible, praying, worshipping, or journaling.

3.     Consider your “hunger pains” as calls to prayer.

4.     At the end of your fast, before your first meal, thank God for His provision during your fast. Consider journaling any insights you may have. And ask a special blessing upon your meal. Make sure this meal is light and healthy.

Filled

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness Luke 4:1

            Jesus was filled by the Holy Spirit and then led by the Holy Spirit. How often have I prayed for the Spirit of God to lead me, direct my actions, guide my words, give me discernment, and on and on. And yet, I ignore or minimize the first part of this process: the necessity of being filled by the Spirit. Not “full of spirit” – oh, I can be as enthusiastic as the next guy, no, being filled with the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit. To fully respond to the Spirit of God I must be first filled with Him.

            Can we in fact scripturally determine that to the extent we are Spiritually led is directly reciprocal to the extent we are Spiritually filled? Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “… do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,” (Ephesians 5:18). The analogy is obvious. We’ve all seen the results when someone becomes so full of alcohol that the alcohol actually takes over their behavior. That is to the extent Paul encourages us to be filled with God’s Spirit – until it literally compels our words and actions and attitudes!

            But there is another nuance to Paul’s words. Scholars tell us that the Greek verb Paul uses for “be filled” actually means “be being filled.”  In other words, this is a constant and continual process. Before we ask for God’s guidance today, lets take a moment to examine the extent of our own ability to follow that guidance – our degree of Spiritual filling.

Let’s Do Something About It

·      Try and schedule a time in the very near future when you can spend a half-hour or more alone, in a quiet, comfortable place. Consider where you hear God best – in a church, outside, in a favorite room… intentionally pick a special “date place” with God.

·      In the quiet of that place, slowly and purposefully read Luke 4:1,

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness

·      Prayerfully consider, how full of the Holy Spirit are you? How surrendered are you to His influence? How aware are you of His Presence in your life? Do your words, actions, attitudes, priorities reflect His?

·      Ask the Holy Spirit to make you aware of His Presence in you, and fill you anew.

·      Consider journaling your insights.

Preparation

…when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, Luke 3:21-22; 4:1-2

            From the Jordan to the wilderness. The scriptures tell us that immediately after His baptism, the Spirit drove (Mark 1:12) Jesus into the wilderness for a period of solitude and fasting and yes, temptation. There is in scripture, consistently a time of preparation before God acts.

·      Beginning in Genesis 1:1, the Spirit hovers over the void, preparing it to receive the creative Word of God

·      The Prophets consistently call for the people to “get ready” for God’s movement among them

·      The Baptizer’s call of “repentance” for the One who was coming

·      And even The Son, before His public ministry would begin, was compelled by the Spirit to an isolated time of preparation.

How many times do we, in our fervor, rush into ministry or service – fueled not by Spiritual compulsion, but giddy excitement or worse, a burning desire to not be left out, and then we wonder why we end up feeling over-committed, stressed out, and burned out? The Wilderness is not a place of fruitlessness, but a place of preparation. Listen to the Spirit. Discern His leading. Where are you being lead today?

Let’s Do Something About It

Prayerfully consider:

·      Where is the Spirit leading me today? Before heading out all willy nilly, spend a few moments in silence, detecting and discerning the Spirit’s movement in you soul. Then make your plans.

·      Do I have a sense of what God is preparing next for/in my life? What season am I in now? What season am I heading for? How am I prepared or preparing for God’s movement in my life?