The Battle We all FAce

"Temptation" We all battle it, why don't we just admit it?  Too many times i think we put up a front like everything is ok, like we have no problems, and we face no temptation.  Listen to me, we ALL face and battle temptation.  For me it's an everyday thing.  So in today's reading (Luke 4:1-13) was about Jesus and when He Faced Temptation:

4     Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, ^2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

^3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

^4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone.’^a”

^5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. ^6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. ^7 So if you worship me, it will all be yours.”

^8 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’^b”

^9 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. ^10 For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you

to guard you carefully;

^11 they will lift you up in their hands,

so that you will not strike your foot against a

stone.’^c”

^12 Jesus answered, “It says: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’^d”

^13 When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.  (Lk 4:1-13, NIV)

^a Deut. 8:3

^b Deut. 6:13

^c Psalm 91:11,12

^d Deut. 6:16

I needed to be reminded of a few things about Temptation, and here they are:

1. Jesus was tempted too, therefore I (we) are in good company (vs.2)
2. He was tempted at His weakest point (vs. 3), He was hungry, therefore His weakest point food at that time. Lesson:  KNow YOUR WEAKEST POINT
3. He was tempted with the "power Magnet"; who doesn't want to be "all powerful" and prestigious. (vs. 5,6) Lesson:  Jesus was already all powerful, and the Devil was trying to give away what wasn't His to give away
4. He was tempted to Test the power of God.  Lesson: come on really use your brain, it's like standing on the railroad tracks and saying "God will Stop the Train", granite He could, but He also told us not to test Him (vs. 9)  Lesson:  Don't test God...Ever.
5. Everytime Jesus was tempted He had a response, note the footnotes that Jesus responded with scripture EVERY TIME. Lesson:  Read, STudy, and Know the Word, besides Jesus it's our greatest weapon
6. The Devil is a quitter (vs.13) Lesson: The devil is a quitter, He will go away once he figures out you won't fall to the tempation; warning though, he will be back.  So when He does begin at step one and follow through. 

We are in this together, have a great weekend and enjoy worship of almighty God somewhere

Chris

That Thing You Do

My apologies to my readers, I was slack last week, hopefully back "with it" this week.

Luke 3 records when John the Baptist begins preaching repentance and preparing the way to Christ.  The people begin asking the right question:

^10 “What should we do then?” the crowd asked. (NIV)

John's response addresses several issues going on at the time, notably most of them had to do with abuse of power:

^11 John answered, “The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.”

^12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”

^13 “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them.

^14 Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”

He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”(Lk 3:11-14, NIV)

 

It's a lengthy response that can be summed up with one line, "Stop breaking the Law"..... I stole that line from a movie.  You ever seen Liar, Liar starring Jim Carrey?  The plot is essentially this:  Jim Carrey is a lawyer that his son get's tired of Him not telling the truth, so on the son's birthday party before he blows out the candles he makes a wish that His dad HAS to tell the truth for one whole day.  For one whole day, Jim Carrey is incapable of telling a lie.  Well there is a scene where a repeat offender calls because he is in jail again, Jim Carrey pick up the phone and yells "STOP BREAKING THE LAW".....

 

Abuse of power is a common thing (unfortunately) and in John's time it was no different than now.  The people where feeling guilty for what they had done and posed the question:  What do we do about it?  John tells them not only to "stop breaking the law" but also they need to right the wrongs in their life. 

 

one of the hardest things you and i will ever have to do is not only to say I'm sorry to those we have wronged but also to try and right that wrong.  One of the most liberating things i have ever done was when i picked up the phone and called someone that i knew i had wronged, and apologized.  I have since tried to right most of the wrongs i have done, some have been successful some have not.  However, i have the peace inside of actually doing something about it, after i had posed the question, "What shall i do?"

 

Right the wrongs in your life, it will make you feel better and God smiles upon it.

 

blessings on your day, Chris

Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth???

One of my favorite lines out of the movie "Rush Hour", but really how many times have we wanted to say that.  It's like we are talking as clearly as possible and yet still parents, peers, and people in general still don't get what we are trying to say.  Its called being misunderstood, and boy i would say we have all been there.  Guess what we are not alone.  At 12 years old Jesus was already misunderstood. 

Setting the scene, Jesus and His family traveled to Jerusalem annually for the Passover Festival.  Now when they traveled it's not just Jesus and immediate family, It's Jesus and His whole family, friends, neighbors, and anyone else who wanted to travel the journey with them.  They attended the Festival, then began the trip back home.  Joseph and Mary "assumed" Jesus was with them, somewhere.  Now come on before you judge them, how many times have you assumed something, especially when it comes to family.  Really reminds me of the movie "Home Alone", you know big family together, mad rush to get somewhere and poor Kevin gets left behind.  Well, in this case family is all together and leaves Jerusalem, sometime on the trip back they begin to ask around, "Have you seen Jesus?" and can't find Him.  Parent's worst nightmare:  missing child.  The mad rush now to return to Jerusalem is on, they get there and return to the temple find him.

^8 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” (Lk 2:48, NIV)

Isn't that a typical Mother, scolding the son, most of us know exactly how Jesus felt right there, He knew He was in trouble, this would be one of the times we would have gotten called by our first, middle, and last name (ex.  Christopher Lloyd Reese) , boy I've heard that a time or two, how bout you?  Essentially she tells Him, Jesus we have been worried Sick about you!  Now Check out Jesus' response:

^49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” ( Lk 2:49, NIV)

Here is essentially what He says, "Why? I'm doing what i am supposed to"  Hmmmm, How many times have you and i felt like we where doing what we are supposed to, and someone says Where have you been? What have you been doing? or Why are you doing it? We respond that we feel like we "need" to, that we "have" to, and still they don't get it.  Jesus knows and dealt with it, His own parents didn't "get it" yet (although they soon will).

^50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them. (Lk 2:50, NIV)

So what usually happens at this point?  Well i would venture to say most times an argument ensues, feelings get hurt, we may get angry, and we definitely get frustrated.  We get stubborn, we clash and won't bend on anything.  Jesus being perfect, pure and holy responds very differently:

^51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. ( Lk 2:51, NIV)

Wow, did you catch that.  No argument, no heated discussion, no stubbornness, and no feelings hurt.  Jesus was obedient to His parents.  Think about that.

What happens is that Mary remembers this, and the puzzle begins to fit together for her.

Have a great weekend, and go worship somewhere. 

Chris

The Mute Button

What does it take for us to trust God, I mean really trust Him?  We come before Him in prayer and ask Him to help us over, and over, and over.  Then we walk away an wonder if we can trust Him with handling it.

Zechariah and Elizabeth wanted a child really, really bad, but it just wasn't happening.  Zechariah served the church faithfully for years and his wife was a Godly women who loved the LORD but also loved her husband.  They wanted desperately to have and raise a child and felt they could honor God well in doing so.  Now time and age was working against them, and they had all but given up.  Then something amazing happened, God sent an angel to tell them the wonderful news that not only was God going to give them a son, but this son would point everyone to the Messiah. Here is Zechariah's response:

^18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” ( Lk 1:18, NIV)

Unfortunately Zechariah is just like us, he was letting the circumstances dictate his view on whether or Not God could or could not answer his prayer.  God responds by telling Gabriel to tell Zechariah that He was going to give them a child anyway, but God was going to press "the mute button" on Zechariah to teach him a lesson on faith:

^19 The angel answered, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. ^20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time.” (Lk 1:19-20, NIV)

Now before you pass too much judgment on Zechariah, imagine how quiet it would be around if God pressed the "mute button" on everyone who lacked faith on God answering their prayers.  Why we would all have to learn sign language or walk around with note pads and pens.  Well, for the next nine months Zechariah had to do that, when it was time for the baby to be born he handed them a note that read "Name Him John", the very next thing that came out of His mouth:

 ^64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God. ^65 The neighbors were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. ( Lk 1:64-65, NIV)

He praised God!  HE PRAISED GOD!!!

You and I don't have the mute button pressed, you and i have the opportunity everyday to praise God, pray to God, and speak to others about God.....let's take that opportunity

have a blessed day..... Chris :)

Who then shall I fear??

My apologies to my readers, it has been a week, but hopefully I am back with it now.  I was searching for some encouragement in scripture this morning and ran across these verses that i thought i would share:

^1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.^a

^2 I will say^b of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom I trust.” (Psalm 91:1,2)

^a Hebrew Shaddai

^b Or He says

 

Thunderstorms don't really bother me, periodically they may wake me up at night, but for the most part I have no fear of them.  Now, my four year old twins are absolutely petrified of them, especially if they get awaken at night.  When thunder wakes them up at night guess what they do?  Yep, you know it, they come running to daddy's room and want to lay in my bed, because they will feel safe, secure, and calm.  The peace they get from daddy's arms allows them to get past the fear and go back to sleep.  Did you know that is what our Heavenly Father Creator wants us to do, God wants us as His children to run (not walk) to Him, and let Him be our Shelter, Him be our Comforter, and Him be the one to bring us peace.  I love my girls so much that i would do anything to make them feel safe, and God feels the same way about you and I.

 

Psalm 91 beautifully ends this way:

 

 

^14 “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;

I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

^15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble,

I will deliver him and honor him.

^16 With long life will I satisfy him

and show him my salvation.” (Psalm 91:14-16)

 

Have a blessed day and enjoy mid-week service!  Chris

 

How will you be remembered?

So yesterday i was morbid and talked about if you knew when you would die, well interestingly, today I ask what will people remember you when your gone?  I was continuing reading in 2 kings today, and now Josiah has become king.  As Josiah has become king (at 8 years old mind you) he began a great reform in Jerusalem.  They found the book of the law (Moses' writings), and he read it and began a great reformation in the life of Israel.  He brought the people together and they made a covenant (promise) with God to uphold his commandments.  Josiah led the people to tear down all the temples of the false Gods, and they began once again to worship the True God.  At the end of King Josiah's life this is what was written about him:

^24 Furthermore, Josiah got rid of the mediums and spiritists, the household gods, the idols and all the other detestable things seen in Judah and Jerusalem. This he did to fulfill the requirements of the law written in the book that Hilkiah the priest had discovered in the temple of the Lord. ^25 Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did—with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses. (2 Ki 23:24-25, NIV)

Verse 24 restates things he had done, but i really want you to read and reread what is stated in vs. 25.  Josiah was known and remembered after he was gone as "a man who turned to God with all that he had". 

Josiah could have been remembered for many things, a good king, a good leader, a good husband, a good father, a good politician, a good business man, a good friend, or as a good neighbor.  But the most important way to be remembered is as a good God follower.

We all want to be remembered in good ways, we all want to make impacts, and we all deep down inside want to do what is right.  But let me as you something:  when it's all said and done, when your life is over and people are gathered around and they are talking about the life you lived and the person you are what would they say?  Does it even matter to you?

Mine is this:  I want Brandy, Ginny, Rebekah, Samantha, and Olivia to know beyond the shadow of a doubt that Chris loved the Lord with all his mind, heart, and strength; and may the life i live show evidence of that.

have a blessed day, ps its mid week so Go to worship Him who is worthy of your praise.

chris

What if you knew the day you would Die?

I know kind of a morbid question right? But seriously think about it, what if God sent you a messenger and told you to get your affairs in order because you where about to die.  How would you react, how would you spend your time, what would you do?  True story happened to a man named King Hezekiah:

In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.”

^2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, ^3 “Remember, O Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

^4 Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him: ^5 “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the Lord. ^6 I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.’”(2 Ki 20:1-6, NIV)

 

Scripture tells us that "it appointed to man to die" (Heb. 9:27) that means that God has set the time for us to be born and has set the time for us to die.  However, none of us know that time, but what if you did?  Hezekiah had been a good king, his time had come, and God warned him.  Hezekiah prays and asks for more time.  God grants it to him.  Interestingly enough, this is the only recording that i am aware of where God actually "changes" His mind, then He tells Hezekiah guess what, you have 15 years.  Wow, you talk about a man that would have been on a mission after that, his life was literally extended, and he KNEW for how long.

 

Personally, I don't think i would want to know (or maybe i would).  Ha ha, i know that is kinds wishy-washy huh (LOL).  Reality is we don't know, so in not knowing, we have to give it all we have while we have the time.  I personally want to live life with no regrets.  I don't want to be sitting in a nursing home at the end of my life with a list of "wish i had done it" things.  God has granted me a second chance at life, which He granted me on Nov 30, 1997, when i turned my life over to Him.  He has given me a wonderful wife, four amazing daughters, and an unbelievable chance to work with youth.  I have made a determination that i will live everyday like it could be the last, because it very well could be.

 

Have a blessed day :) chris