I'm privileged to be part of a small group of guys who meet regularly and are committed to becoming leaders of themselves, their families, in their church and on the job. We're using readings from the One Year Bible as our topic of discussion, and I'll be posting a summary of what we learn together.
As a starter, I thought it might be helpful to look at a few key reasons a daily dose of God's Word is so important. Here goes...
1. It shows us who we really are. (Hebrews 4:12)
Simply put, the Bible is unlike any other book. We don't just read it; it reads us! It's alive. It does more than inspire or motivate me, it convicts me. It reveals my motives and attitudes. Without it, I can't even begin to understand myself or what my next move should be.
2. It’s God-breathed and useful. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
You know what people have a problem with? The Bible's own interpretation of itself! No one debates the pure historicity of the Scriptures. In fact, nothing even comes close to it in terms of internal and external textual criticism. The problem people have is accepting the Bible's own interpretation of itself---that it is the inspired Word of God, that it is useful to teach, rebuke, correct, train and equip us. Admittedly, this is decision of faith, but until you accept the Bible's authority as God's Word the "usefulness" of it will be severely limited in your life.
3. It gives us direction. (Psalms 119:105)
Whenever you're wondering what you should do next, God promises to illuminate it through His Word. He doesn't want us wandering around in the dark or guessing about His will. He clearly paints a picture of His character and purpose, His desire for our life through the Bible.
4. It’s our weapon. (Ephesians 6:10-15)
Whether we realize it or not, we are in a battle. We should never forget the reality of a spiritual battle in our lives over our thoughts, our marriages, our families, our destiny. But how do you fight a spiritual battle? With the Word of God. In fact, the Bible is the only offensive weapon mentioned in Ephesians 6. It is the Sword of the Spirit. It's how we combat the lies of the enemy that would plant doubt and discouragement. Now, if I'm in a battle I can tell you right now that I want a weapon. Yes, a helmet is good, a belt is nice, a shield will be very important...but give me something to fight with! We would never dream of going into a physical battle without a weapon so why would we attempt to fight a spiritual battle without one?
5. It is our life. (Matthew 4:1-4; Deuteronomy 8:1-5)
When tempted, Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 8 that instructed God's people as they were about to enter the Promised Land. It recalls God's miraculous provision as they journeyed through the wilderness. One of the reasons God provided manna was to teach His people that He can provide for them any way He wants to, even if it means creating a brand new category on the food pyramid! The point? We don't truly live by our own provision, striving, or effort, but by every word from God's mouth. Our participation in eternal life is our daily decision to rely on and trust in Him.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Temptation Part 1: The Appeal of Temptation
Temptation is part of what it means to be human.
It's everywhere, everyday, always attempting to lure our heart away from God and hijack our destiny. Though we are all tempted, we can be profoundly encouraged by the fact that even Jesus was tempted. Jesus, however, overcame and because He overcame we can too (Hebrews 2:17-18).
Therefore, overcoming temptation is part of what it means to be christian.
Our victory over temptation is possible because of the finished work of the cross and the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus' blood sets us free from the penalty and the power of sin (Romans 6:5-7). This doesn't mean we are no longer tempted; it means we have power to overcome.
Looking at how Jesus handled temptation can help us better understand how it works to deceive us, and what our response should be. I believe tucked inside Jesus' answers to the devil's temptation are key truths that reveal the appeal, essence, and result of temptation.
Let's start with the appeal of temptation.
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."
Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" Matthew 4:1-4
The appeal of temptation is that it promises to meet our needs. It would not be tempting to us if it did not appeal to a perceived need. The danger of temptation is that it is outside of God's provision. In fact, all sin is our attempt to have a need met outside of the provision of our loving Father. The need for food is the most basic human need, and it was no doubt well within Jesus' ability to turn stones into piping hot loaves of bread. It was not, however, within the provision of the Father.
But beyond that, Jesus reveals the true nature of our need--it is not primarily physical, but spiritual. Although our needs includes physical things like food, clothing, and shelter, our deepest and most important needs are unmistakably spiritual. Accordingly, the biggest mistake we so often make is trying to meet a spiritual need with a physical substitute. The result is something like trying to turn rocks into loaves of bread. We must understand that because the nature of our need is, at its core, spiritual and NOT physical, it requires spiritual provision. We can never satisfy a spiritual need with a physical substitute.
This is why Jesus said that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word from God's mouth. The true source of provision for every need you and I have is God's Word. He created all things through the power of His Word, and in His Word is our very life. One of the things I've discovered as I walk with Jesus is that the temptations I struggle with are never surface missteps that I simply need to keep in line. They always point to a deeper issue. Behind every temptation and sin is a broken place in my heart that needs to be healed and made whole by Jesus.
The need is spiritual; the answer is spiritual.
If you're struggling with temptation right now in an area of your life ask yourself,
What need am I trying to fill?
What's the deeper issue happening in my soul?
What does God's Word say about having this need met?
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you figure it out. He will.
And remember, you can't live on bread alone.
It's everywhere, everyday, always attempting to lure our heart away from God and hijack our destiny. Though we are all tempted, we can be profoundly encouraged by the fact that even Jesus was tempted. Jesus, however, overcame and because He overcame we can too (Hebrews 2:17-18).
Therefore, overcoming temptation is part of what it means to be christian.
Our victory over temptation is possible because of the finished work of the cross and the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus' blood sets us free from the penalty and the power of sin (Romans 6:5-7). This doesn't mean we are no longer tempted; it means we have power to overcome.
Looking at how Jesus handled temptation can help us better understand how it works to deceive us, and what our response should be. I believe tucked inside Jesus' answers to the devil's temptation are key truths that reveal the appeal, essence, and result of temptation.
Let's start with the appeal of temptation.
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."
Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" Matthew 4:1-4
The appeal of temptation is that it promises to meet our needs. It would not be tempting to us if it did not appeal to a perceived need. The danger of temptation is that it is outside of God's provision. In fact, all sin is our attempt to have a need met outside of the provision of our loving Father. The need for food is the most basic human need, and it was no doubt well within Jesus' ability to turn stones into piping hot loaves of bread. It was not, however, within the provision of the Father.
But beyond that, Jesus reveals the true nature of our need--it is not primarily physical, but spiritual. Although our needs includes physical things like food, clothing, and shelter, our deepest and most important needs are unmistakably spiritual. Accordingly, the biggest mistake we so often make is trying to meet a spiritual need with a physical substitute. The result is something like trying to turn rocks into loaves of bread. We must understand that because the nature of our need is, at its core, spiritual and NOT physical, it requires spiritual provision. We can never satisfy a spiritual need with a physical substitute.
This is why Jesus said that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word from God's mouth. The true source of provision for every need you and I have is God's Word. He created all things through the power of His Word, and in His Word is our very life. One of the things I've discovered as I walk with Jesus is that the temptations I struggle with are never surface missteps that I simply need to keep in line. They always point to a deeper issue. Behind every temptation and sin is a broken place in my heart that needs to be healed and made whole by Jesus.
The need is spiritual; the answer is spiritual.
If you're struggling with temptation right now in an area of your life ask yourself,
What need am I trying to fill?
What's the deeper issue happening in my soul?
What does God's Word say about having this need met?
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you figure it out. He will.
And remember, you can't live on bread alone.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Get More From Your Bible
If I had only one spiritual habit that I could impress upon you it would be the habit of getting into God's Word daily. Nothing has done more for me personally than the decision to make the Bible my starting place and the reference point for each day. I don't mind telling people that without God's Word I would be crazy! I have about a zillion thoughts flying through my mind that need to be reoriented and renewed according to the truth of God's Word. God's Word brings clarity, confidence, and a deep communion with the Lord.
But where do you start?
Let me give you a couple of suggestions that have helped me over the years really enjoy my Bible.
1. Get a good plan.
For a long time I had good intentions, but no good plan. The result was a series of sporadic success and false starts. Often the only thing missing in turning intention into action is a good plan. By a "good" plan I mean one that works for you and helps you get where you want to get. For me, it's the One Year Bible. I love it! It's about 15 minutes worth of reading and includes Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs every day. This year I'm doing it for the sixth time. The whole Bible, cover to cover. It just works for me. I love reading God's Word and it's not because I'm more spiritual than anyone else, it's because I found a good plan!
(check out www.youversion.com for free reading plans you can download to your smart phone or tablet or access online)
2. Get a time and a place.
If anyone was ever truly busy with extremely important work it was Jesus, and yet He found a time and a place to be alone with the Father (see Mark 1:35-37). Jesus modeled the importance of finding a time and place. Should we do any less? If the Son of God needed a time and a place I can assure you that we do too. Find somewhere you can meet alone with the Lord, free from distractions. Make it a regular thing, put it on your calendar, and guard it like gold!
Go ahead...do it right now. When is the best time you can give to God? Add it to your schedule and don't let anything or anyone get in the way.
3. Go for quality over quantity.
When I was in high school I wanted so bad to have a great devotion time with God. I'd get up early before school, crack open my Bible, and eventually fight to stay awake. It was horrible! Really. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't focus. I was tired. I felt like I was failing God. Then I discovered a great little devotional called, My Upmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers. It took me five minutes, and gave me a verse and a thought for the day. It was perfect for where I was at that time, and that five minutes of quality time with God was so much better than the thirty to forty-five minutes I was trying to power through before.
You don't have to start with an hour of prayer and five chapters of Bible reading every day. Start with one verse and a five minute prayer if that's where you are, but make it quality--time where you are still within and connect with your Creator. If you do that consistently, those five minutes will make all the difference and pretty soon they'll turn into ten minutes. Then fifteen. Then a half-hour...You'll love that quality time with the Lord and won't want to miss it.
So...Get a good plan. Get a time and a place. And go for quality over quantity.
Try it this year and watch what happens.
But where do you start?
Let me give you a couple of suggestions that have helped me over the years really enjoy my Bible.
1. Get a good plan.
For a long time I had good intentions, but no good plan. The result was a series of sporadic success and false starts. Often the only thing missing in turning intention into action is a good plan. By a "good" plan I mean one that works for you and helps you get where you want to get. For me, it's the One Year Bible. I love it! It's about 15 minutes worth of reading and includes Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs every day. This year I'm doing it for the sixth time. The whole Bible, cover to cover. It just works for me. I love reading God's Word and it's not because I'm more spiritual than anyone else, it's because I found a good plan!
(check out www.youversion.com for free reading plans you can download to your smart phone or tablet or access online)
2. Get a time and a place.
If anyone was ever truly busy with extremely important work it was Jesus, and yet He found a time and a place to be alone with the Father (see Mark 1:35-37). Jesus modeled the importance of finding a time and place. Should we do any less? If the Son of God needed a time and a place I can assure you that we do too. Find somewhere you can meet alone with the Lord, free from distractions. Make it a regular thing, put it on your calendar, and guard it like gold!
Go ahead...do it right now. When is the best time you can give to God? Add it to your schedule and don't let anything or anyone get in the way.
3. Go for quality over quantity.
When I was in high school I wanted so bad to have a great devotion time with God. I'd get up early before school, crack open my Bible, and eventually fight to stay awake. It was horrible! Really. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't focus. I was tired. I felt like I was failing God. Then I discovered a great little devotional called, My Upmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers. It took me five minutes, and gave me a verse and a thought for the day. It was perfect for where I was at that time, and that five minutes of quality time with God was so much better than the thirty to forty-five minutes I was trying to power through before.
You don't have to start with an hour of prayer and five chapters of Bible reading every day. Start with one verse and a five minute prayer if that's where you are, but make it quality--time where you are still within and connect with your Creator. If you do that consistently, those five minutes will make all the difference and pretty soon they'll turn into ten minutes. Then fifteen. Then a half-hour...You'll love that quality time with the Lord and won't want to miss it.
So...Get a good plan. Get a time and a place. And go for quality over quantity.
Try it this year and watch what happens.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)