Anyone who is angry

Anyone who is angry

Scripture:

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. Matthew 5:21-22

Observation:

Our Lord now goes into practical Christian living on a day to day basis starting with a focus on the 6^th commandment which says “You shall not murder”. Since, the days of Moses, the Lord in the 10 commandments clearly spelt out that murder is wrong, and it was decreed in Numbers how intentional murderers were to be put to death. However, the Lord throws His listeners a bombshell. Look, I tell you, anyone who is angry with a brothers or sister will be subject to judgment.

The Lord goes on to compare the rule of the day forbidding the people from calling others “Raca”, a contemptuous word with the meaning “to spit”. To our Lord, even cursing someone ‘You fool’ causes one to be in danger of the fire of hell.

Immediately, we see that upon His coming, the Lord immediately established a far higher standard of conduct for mankind. The Lord looks directly at the heart, way before the outward sin is committed.

Application:

Consider the two very practical issues of anger and cursing that we all face today. Lest we forget, the Lord reminds us today, anger is not becoming of Lord’s holy people, and we must not be controlled by rage and anger. In practice, those, this is much easily said than done.

In another part of Scripture, Paul writes how we should not let the sun go down when we are angry. Anger is part of our response towards things that don’t go as we like in life. We are not to deny our anger. Rather, we are to bring our anger to God, and tell Him how we feel. We need to learn to pour out our frustrations and feelings to Him. Our God always listens. And then that is where faith comes in. We ask Him to give us His faith, and we then begin to see His deliverance and His help in working in us. It is the Lord who helps us release and forgive, and then peace returns.

In regard to insults, we must be aware that insulting others is a sin. Our insults usually stem from our anger. Likewise, once we deal with the root of our anger, and let God’s peace flow in, we can then express outwards words of blessings rather than curses.

Prayer:

Precious Lord, there are times when I am so angry, and I snap and retort so easily and impatiently. Teach me O Lord to learn to pour out my feelings to You, to depend on You and let You work Your marvelous change in me. I recognize O Lord, that on my own I cannot overcome my anger, but in You, O Lord, I am able to do all things. Make me more and more like You, Lord Jesus. Praise You O Lord. In Jesus name, Amen. 

Righteousness surpassing the Pharisees

Righteousness surpassing the Pharisees

Scripture:-

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:17-20

Observation:

In today’s portion of Scripture, we encounter quite a difficult passage in which the Lord talks about the Law and the Prophets which refers to the Old Testament. The Lord explains to His disciples that He has not come to abolish to Old Testament but to fulfill it. He goes on to warn the disciples that anyone who sets aside the least of the commands and teaches others to do likewise will be called least in the kingdom of heaven while those who uphold and teach the commands will be called great. The Lord then concludes by saying that our righteousness has to surpass that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law to enter Heaven.

How relevant is the Old Testament to us today? With great pains, the Apostle Paul clearly taught that we are not under the law, but under grace and under the New Covenant and we cannot gain salvation by observing the Law of Moses and the prophets. In a sense, Jesus too gave a hint of this fact by his statement that even the righteousness of the religious elite i.e. Pharisees and teachers of the law, was not good enough for Heaven.

Straight after this passage, the Lord goes on to effectively set a much higher standard of righteousness than what was expressed in the Torah, classifying even the lust of the eyes, and angry words and putting one in danger of hell. Effectively, anyone’s human righteousness, held up against the standard of the Sermon of the Mount would fail miserably, but that is what God wants of His children.

Thanks be to God that Jesus’ fulfilling of Scripture involves the provision for us to receive His righteousness through faith in Him who died for us and rose again on the third day so that we may have life! We can never be righteous enough in our own strength, but it is through faith in Him that we die to self and let Him live in us and thus, He becomes our righteousness.

Application:

Reflect on the perfection of the law, God’s great standard of holiness, and recognize how impossible it is for us to attain it in our human strength. Then reflect on Jesus’ provision of salvation for us when He fulfilled Scripture by dying on the cross as the sacrifice for our sins. Search our hearts to weed out pride where we may think we are good and righteous from our own efforts. Instead, in humility, let us look to God in thankfulness for His mercy, and allow Him to work His righteousness in us and through us as His humble servants.  

Prayer:

I praise You, O Lord, for Your law, which shows us how we can never attain Your standard of righteousness. Praise You, dear Lord, for the gift of Your Son Jesus Christ, who came down from Heaven to fulfill the Scriptures and provide the way of salvation and righteousness for us sinners on earth. Help me cease O Lord, to depend on my own efforts, but instead trust in You to impart Your righteousness in my life. Help me, Lord, live not by my human wisdom and intellect, but instead more and more by Your Holy Spirit, in Your faith and righteousness. In Jesus name, Amen.

Light of the world

Light of the world

Scripture:

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16

Observation:

Our Lord then goes on to depict his followers as light, and in particular, the light to the world. The clarity of light shining in the darkness is given to us in the picture of a town on a hill, which can be seen from far away. Then the Lord further contrasts the correct and wrong ways of using light. No one puts light under a bowl, which will only shut out the light. Instead, people put light on a stand, to give light to everyone in the house. How do we give out light? By our good deeds, which will glorify our Father in Heaven.

Application:

Many of us tend to be lights shining under a bowl or a certain type of undercover Christian whereby people around us see us as no different than anyone else. We are mainly concerned with our own personal lives and sadly, have no time for the needs of those around us. Where does our light come from? In the book of John, Jesus also said “I am the light of the world”. The light that is in us, comes from the great light, our Lord Jesus Himself. When we have Jesus, light is something naturally within us, and it is for us to let it shine before others in the form of good works. We are not saved by good works, but rather, good works, are the natural outcome of those who are truly saved in Jesus. They are done not out of compulsion or reluctance, but out the joy and love of doing Jesus. If we feel we don’t have light to share, it is because we have not spent enough time with the Great light ourselves. Just as the moon reflects the light of the sun, we too are meant to reflect the light of our Lord. So let us endeavor to draw close to the Lord, and from there, let His light shine out to others in doing good!

Prayer:

I praise You, Lord Jesus, for You are the light of the world. You came to our world which was in absolute darkness and gave us light and hope. Forgive our sins we pray. Forgive us when we draw far from you, and allow our lights to dim. Draw us near again, precious Lord. Bathe us in Your precious light and so empower us that we cannot help but be a blessing to others. May Your name be praised forever, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.                                               

Salt of the earth

Salt of the earth

Scripture:

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

Matthew 5:13

Observation:

Continuing our journey along the Lord’s great Sermon of the Mount, we see the famous references to the followers of Jesus as the salt of the earth.

First, Jesus likens us to the salt of the earth. What are the main functions of salt? There are many, but three in particular stand out in application. Firstly is the use of salt for preservation. Just like salt preserves and prolongs the life of food, we too as followers of Jesus are meant to preserve God’s standard of righteousness in a fallen world. If we become like the world, what good are we? We need to maintain our distinctiveness for that is our calling.

Secondly, salt is used in healing. The healing properties of salt have been well known for ages. Almost everyone knows a great way to cure a sore throat is to gargle with salt water. We too as followers of Jesus are meant to be bringers of healing to the sick and fallen world around us.

Finally, salt brings taste. The pleasures of the world only satisfy for a short time, leaving behind a sad emptiness once they are gone. It is only in knowing the Lord that we can know lasting peace and fulfillment in life. O taste and see that the Lord is good! Those of us who have Christ with us, also bring taste to the fallen world, of whom many weary souls are attracted to us because of the Lord, who is with us.

Application:-

Remember that we are the salt of the earth. We are called to preserve righteousness wherever we go, in the workplace, at school, at home. We are also called to be healers. The Lord promised that certain signs would accompany those who believe. As we believe, we will lay our hands on the sick and bring the healing of God to many. Remember too that we also bring taste. Pray and strive to let our lives be fragrant offerings to God that we may bring good testimony to all around us by our godly conduct.

Prayer:

We praise You, Lord Jesus, for the great words that You teach us. Help us O Lord fulfill our purpose to be the salt of the earth. Help us preserve Your righteousness and teachings clearly in our lives. Empower us and give us more faith, that we might lay hands on the sick and bring healing according to Your word. Let Your Spirit dwell so deeply in us that we will be fragrant living sacrifices for Your sake, bringing the smell of life to the many who need You. Blessed be Your name O Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

Great is your reward in Heaven

Great is your reward in Heaven

Scripture:

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 

Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Matthew 5:9-12

Observation:

Moving on to the last three beatitudes, there are the peacemakers, those persecuted because of righteousness and in a special class, those insulted, persecuted and called all kinds of evil because of Jesus.

Peace, the third fruit of the Spirit, is a primary hallmark of a Spirit-led believer. Still, the role of peacemaker can be anything but peaceful, having to sometimes put himself in the firing line in between irate, angry persons. In a sense, all who do not know the Lord do not have true peace, and so every Believer who brings the good news of the gospel of peace can be a bringer of peace to unbelievers. Jesus told His disciples, my peace I give unto you. It is in having the peace of Jesus, that we too are able to bring peace and reconciliation to others around us, and that is the hallmark of those called the children of God.

Then there are those who are persecuted because of righteousness. Their reward is the kingdom of Heaven. When we seek to uphold God’s standards of righteousness in the world, there will be persecution, but we are to take comfort in the fact that all this is temporary, and our reward is so great no words can describe it, the kingdom of Heaven.  

After that Jesus focuses on a more specific group of those persecuted, those enduring insults, persecutions and false accusations because of the Lord Himself. Later on, these words would be deep encouragement to the hundreds of thousands of Christians martyred and enduring severe persecution over the ages because of the name of Jesus. Great is their reward in Heaven. It is not just that they get to Heaven, they also have great reward there!

Application:

Let us seek to be peacemakers, seeking to reconcile men and men, and even more so men and God. When we are persecuted because of righteousness, let us be glad, for ours is the kingdom of Heaven. When we are persecuted specifically because of our Lord Jesus, let us rejoice even more, for great is our reward in Heaven!

Prayer:

Praise thee, Father in Heaven, for You are the God of peace. Praise thee, Lord Jesus, for You give us Your peace. Fill us more and more with Your peace, and let this peace overflow to bring forth reconciliation and peace between brother and brother, sister and sister, and even between You and men. Strengthen me O Lord, and give me perseverance even when persecuted for righteousness. Let me always have that fresh vision of Heaven, and look forward to Your glorious return. May Your name be praised forever. In Jesus name, Amen.

Seekers of righteousness

Seekers of righteousness

Scripture:

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Matthew 5:6-8

Observation:

Continuing our study on the great Beatitudes of Jesus, we see three more honorable characteristics of the blessed. Firstly, they hunger and thirst for righteousness. It is not written that they are already righteous, but that they want to be righteous. There are some who teach that we are already 100% righteous because of Jesus and there is no point hungering and thirsting for something you already have. However, we are still in the world, and there are many temptations that call us towards unrighteous acts. In our own power, it is impossible to be absolutely righteous no matter how hard we try. Rather, Jesus tells us to hunger and thirst for His righteousness and He will fill us with the Spirit of Righteousness and in His power, we can live righteous lives.

Secondly, the Blessed are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. When the religious leaders brought the woman caught in adultery to Jesus, He famously declared “let he who has no sin cast the first stone”. If we only truly understood the depth of mercy that has been shown to us, we too would be likewise know how to show mercy to others.

Finally, the blessed are pure in heart. Purity of heart denotes a genuine, humble heart, open and sincere to God. The natural human heart is naturally devious, full of ulterior motives and selfish plans. The heart the Lord desires is one that will come to Him and say “Lord, you know how I am. I have nothing I can hide from you. Work in me I pray. Let me be Your humble servant. In Jesus name, Amen.

Application:-

Do we hunger and thirst for righteousness? Let us aim for His righteousness, but not by trying harder. Instead, let us endeavor to open our mouths to the Lord, that He may fill us with His Spirit of righteousness, who will work within us, and live out in us lives of righteousness. Are we merciful? Look within ourselves and thank God for His mercy to us, and let that mercy flow out to express mercy likewise to others. Are we pure in heart before God? Or are our hearts clouded with many things, many wants and ambitions? Endeavor to pray like the Psalmist “Create in me a pure heart O God.”

Prayer:

Father Lord, blessed be Your holy name. You deserve all the honor, all the glory and all the praise. Fill me O Lord I pray with more and more of Your holy righteousness! Flow out of me Holy Spirit, in helping me express a righteous life of worship to God! Let me know and experience the great depths of Your mercy to me, O Lord. Teach me to be merciful just as You have shown me such great mercy. Create in me a pure heart O God. Open my eyes that I may see You. In Jesus name, Amen

Blessed are the poor in spirit

Blessed are the poor in spirit

Scripture:

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. He said:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
    for they will inherit the earth.

Matthew 5:1-5

Observation:

After giving a general description of Jesus’ ministry in teaching, preaching and healing, Matthew now goes into the Lord’s specific teaching in the Sermon of the Mount which begins with the famous Beatitudes.

In today’s passage, we look at the first three beatitudes, which declare that blessed are the poor in the spirit, the mourners, and the meek. Blessed means “how happy” and they are happy because theirs is the kingdom of heaven, because they are comforted, and because they will inherit the earth.

Application:

What does it mean to be poor in spirit? Does God expect us to be constantly in gloom and down in heart? Certainly not! The joy of the Lord is our strength. The first three fruits of the Spirit itself, love, joy, peace give us very positive vibes. Being poor in spirit here does not refer to the state after salvation. Rather, it belongs more in the earlier state of realization when a person realizes his true lowly situation of sinfulness. It is only when we realize how sinful and wretched we are in our own selves that we can reach out to Jesus in desperation for salvation. The tax collector who beat his chest and prayed to God “have mercy on me, a sinful man” went home justified before God rather than the Pharisee who thought he was perfectly fine as he was. There are times, when Christians, after walking many years with God, may mistakenly think they have become acceptable because of their deeds and service and forget that they too are sinners saved solely by grace. Though we are joyful because of the great salvation we have, at the same time, we need to maintain that sober attitude of reverence in remembering the Lord’s great sacrifice for us. That’s why in the Holy Communion, we partake in solemn reverence.

Theirs is the kingdom of heaven. It is the repentant sinner who finds the doorway to Heaven through Jesus Christ. The self-reliant Pharisee cannot find it, not realizing that his righteousness are but like filthy rags to the Lord.

How about those who mourn? What are they mourning about? This Beatitude seems connected to the further Beatitude referring to Christian persecution. Although few of us today have really faced persecution, there are many brothers and sisters around the world today who really mourn for their Christian loved ones who have been killed or imprisoned. Early Christians were fed to the lions, sawn in two, crucified and burned alive and there would have been much mourning indeed. Despite this, Jesus promised that they would be comforted. Our God is the God of all comfort. We too, at certain times in life may encounter times of deep sadness where we mourn but as we lean on the Lord, and pour out our emotion to Him, we will find that He really comforts us.

And now, consider the meek, the humble, the lowly. Jesus chose humble fishermen to be His disciples. Jesus Himself came meek and humble. As Christians, we are encouraged to live quiet and humble lives, in submission to authority and serving each other. When Jesus Christ comes back again, and establishes His millennial kingdom, it is then that His meek ones will truly rise up and reign with Him on the earth.                            

Prayer:

Praise thee O Lord, for the greatness of thy name. You reached down from on high and raised us up. When we were overwhelmed in our sins, You forgave us, preparing the way through Your Son, so that we might be made righteous. We thank You, Abba Father, that You are the God of all comfort. In our darkest times, You are there for us, giving us comfort. Let our hope ever be in You, O Lord. Forgive us, O Lord, for the times when we have let pride overcome us. Let us learn to be humble like King David of old who declared “My eyes are not haughty, my heart is not proud, I do not concern myself with great things, of things too wonderful for me”.  Praise thee Lord Jesus, for Your great love for us. Blessed be Your Holy name. In Jesus name, Amen.

Three main things

Three main things

Scripture:

Jesus went throughout Galilee proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region accross the Jordan followed Him Matthew 4:23-25

Application:

In this passage, it is good for us to focus on the three functions performed by the Lord during His ministry.

The first is teaching. In His time on earth, Jesus was a teacher par excellence, using parables and memorable sayings to bring out great truth about how people should live their lives. The sermon of the Mount is so great, that it even impacted the non-Christian Indian leader, Gandhi, who used its principles to bring a remarkable revolution of non-violence in India. In every church today, in every Christian group, teaching is a most important priority. Jesus commanded us to make disciples of all nations. The process of training disciples to walk deeper and deeper in the Lord is an important, ongoing responsibility. Many churches today provide not only training during Sunday messages but also Spiritual development classes for their members. Individually as Christians, we need to realize our need to grow in the Lord, moving away from just milk to solid food, so to speak.

Secondly, there is the function of preaching. Preaching is seen to be mainly for unbelievers, those who have not heard or have not yet accepted the good news of salvation which comes through believing in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Just as the church ought to have regular outreach events and programs, individually, we too, should seek to be involved in evangelism,  sharing with our neighbors, praying for the lost, and supporting evangelistic initiatives where we can.

Finally, there is healing. The Scripture says that Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever. His healing power is just as present today as it was more than 2,000 years ago. He has send forth His Holy Spirit to heal the sick. Praying for the sick is one of the most important ministries of the church. And healing here also includes deliverance, the casting out of demons. We too, are called to bring healing. Jesus said that certain signs would follow those who believe. If we believe, in Jesus name, we will lay hands on the sick and they will get well. In Jesus name, we will drive out demons. It is for us to simply believe on this Scripture and pray in faith.

Prayer:

Praise You, Lord Jesus, for the great example that You showed us even as You walked the earth. Teach me and help me grow strong in knowledge of You I pray. Lead me to places and resources where I can grow and become stronger that I may serve You in greater maturity and depth. Give me a deeper heart for the lost I pray, that I might become more and more involved in reaching those who do not You. Give me Your courage and faith I pray, even when I lay hands on the sick, that I might believe and see many healings take place. May Your name be glorified Lord Jesus in all the things I do. In Jesus name, Amen.

They were fishermen

They were fishermen

Scripture:

As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him.

Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Matthew 4:18-22

Observation:

Right at the start of His ministry, Jesus then proceeds to call His first 4 disciples. The scene Matthew paints shows Jesus walking on the beach beside the Sea of Galilee, where he notices Peter and Andrew fishing. He calls out to them “Come, follow me, and I will send you out to fish for people.” They immediately leave their nets and follow Jesus. Going on from there, Jesus sees two more brothers, James and John, and calls them too. And the immediately leave their boats and follow the Master.

Now, at first reading, we may tend to conclude that this was the first time Jesus met the four disciples. However, when we compare this to the account in the gospel of John, we will realize that Jesus had already met them before. John the Baptist had asked John and Andrew to follow Jesus and the Lord already spent some time with Andrew and Peter.                                    

Application:

There are three great lessons we can learn from this passage. Firstly, Jesus’ calling comes to anyone who is willing. One does not have to be a great scholar or rich and famous person to follow Jesus. Jesus called first of all humble fishermen to be the core among all His disciples. All of us can be of great value to the Lord, if we only let Him use us. It is the willingness that makes all the difference!

Secondly, God loves families. Peter and Andrew, James and John, were 2 sets of brothers. We are not to serve God in isolation, but seek to serve God together as families.

Thirdly, we are likewise called to be sent out to fish for people. Evangelism has always been a difficult task in the eyes of most in the church. However, it is still our calling, and when the Lord is with us, we can do the impossible. Evangelism is not always about going far away to preach the gospel. Evangelism starts right at home when we go out and choose to be a blessing to others, open to being there for our neighbors and colleagues as an available friend. When an opportune time comes, we can rely on the Holy Spirit to teach us what to say.,

Prayer:

Praise You, Father in Heaven, for You look with favor upon the lowly. You call us not by greatness or qualification, but simply by humility and willingness. Help me always be humble and willing to serve You O Lord, that I might be Your vessel to the world around me. Open my mouth and my heart to love others more and more, so that I might know how to speak to them, and show them Your love. Thank You, Lord, that You love families. Help me and my family, I pray, be willing and able living sacrifices for Your glory. In Jesus name, Amen.

A light has dawned

A light has dawned

Scripture: When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:

“Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Matthew 4:12-17

Observation: After the period of the Lord’s temptation, Matthew next highlights the incident of John the Baptist’s imprisonment which serves as the catalyst for Jesus to withdraw to Galilee. The role of John the Baptist had been to prepare the way for the Lord, and now that his work was done, the Lord proceeds to commence His public ministry from the base of Capernaum, which was by the lake of Galilee.

We see here how the Lord’s every action was with a purpose, and the timing and place of His ministry was carefully planned to ensure the fulfillment of Scripture. The land of Zebulun and Napthali, called the Galilee of the Gentiles was so named because of the Assyrian captivity of Israelites and introduction of many Gentiles into the area. It was called the land of the shadow of death because of the heavy afflictions inflicted upon the people during the cruel Assyrian invasion. Yet, it was especially in such a dark and hopeless place, that the Lord chose to begin His ministry of bringing life. Jesus said that He is the light of the world, and where else can the light shine brightest than in the deepest darkness?

Jesus then takes on the same message John the Baptist declared. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near”. Traditionally, the word “repent” gives us the imagery of remorse, of being deeply sorry for one’s sins and seeking mercy and forgiveness. Literally, to repent means to change one’s mind in Greek, and in Hebrew, it means to turn around. Repenting therefore occurs when a person may be walking in a set way, but after a deep conviction causing a complete change of mind, turns around and starts walking in an entirely new direction. The human short-term view of thinking is to enjoy life now, to eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die. However, when a person changes to a kingdom view, a long term view, he realizes that there is a God and a judge, and that he must be accountable for what he does on earth. So he begins to live life in fear of God, turning away from sin and instead seeking righteousness and mercy from God.

Application:

We highlight 3 main applications here. Firstly, we see that there is a proper time and place for everything. God knows the best timing, the best place, the  best method for us. It is for us to learn to trust God and listen to His Spirit to help us on the best timing, place and way to do things.

Secondly, we need to remember that Jesus is our great light. We may go through valleys of great darkness, and we may despair and see little hope on the horizon. However, we can rest assured that we have a great light indeed to help us, our Lord Jesus Christ. With His light, we need not fear nor doubt, but always have faith and peace in the God of love.

Finally, we need to repent because the kingdom of God is near. Repentance is not a once in a lifetime thing but a continual renewal of our minds, a constant turning away from the sinful desires and temptations of the world and constant turning towards the righteousness and holiness of Jesus who call us, and gives us His Holy Spirit to help us.

Prayer:

Abba Father, hallowed be thy name. You hold all things in Your hands, even time itself. Lead me by Your Holy Spirit I pray According to Your perfect timing, lead me O Lord, to the right place at the right time where I might glorify Your name. Praise You, Lord Jesus, for You are my great Light, who shines brilliantly in my darkness and shows me the path and way I should go. Teach me O Lord to continue in repentance, turning away from the world, and continuing to turn to You and Your righteousness. Grant me more and more of Your Spirit, to help me as I seek to follow You. Bless Your holy name O Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

And angels came

And angels came

Scripture:

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. Matthew 4:8-11

Observation:

This study, we now look at the third of Jesus’ great temptations, where the devil takes Him to a very high mountain and shows Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. There, the devil offers to give Jesus all of these kingdoms if only the Lord would bow down and worship Him. Here, we learn one very important truth, that the devil has authority over all the kingdoms of this world and he has the power to give anyone great fame, riches, success if they would only follow him. Yet, as Jesus says later “What good is it if a man gains the whole world yet loses his soul?” Even the whole world is not worth it if we lose our salvation!

At this repulsive offer, Jesus commands the devil “Away from me, Satan, for it is written: Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.” And so the devil leaves Jesus, and angels come and attend the Lord. How comforting and precious it must have been to see the marvelous angels after that difficult time of temptation!

Application:

There are 3 main lessons we can learn from this passage. Firstly, we always need to have an eternal perspective of things. The world controlled by the devil may offer us great pleasure, fame and satisfaction in innumerable ways but we need to remember that our time on earth is short - so incredibly short compared to the timelessness of eternity that there is simply no comparison. Those words of Jesus – “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world yet lose his soul” need to remain fresh in our minds. The temptation to be drawn into the splendors of the world does not usually come directly but slowly, bit but bit, and if we are caught unawares, we find ourselves drawing closer and closer to it, like Lot and the city of Sodom.

Secondly, we must remember the great command to “Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only” Later, Paul writes, “whether you eat or drink, whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God”. Our whole lives, lived for the glory of God, can be worship unto God. This is what it means to be living sacrifices. Even office work is holy when committed to the Lord. Even simple actions like playing with our children or driving on the road can be done unto the Lord. It is a lifestyle that we can learn and let the Holy Spirit inculcate in us, an attitude of living daily for the glory of God.

Finally, we can be grateful to God for the angels that He sends to minister to us. We usually do not see them, but they are ministering spirits sent by God to those who will inherit salvation as stated in the Hebrews. We can pray to God to send His angels to bring peace and protection to our homes, our offices, to our cars when we drive. Angels are very powerful beings, and their presence makes a wonderful difference indeed.

Prayer:

Praise thee, O Father in Heaven, for Your great power and love. Even in this temporal place on earth, let Your presence and Spirit always be with me, to counsel me and guard me, that I may not be drawn to the wiles and temptations of the world which is under the control of Satan. Let me always have Your eternal perspective, knowing that this world and its desires will fade away. May my life be a living sacrifice to You O Lord. Day by day, let me learn to do all that I do for Your glory, even as Your Holy Spirit leads me. Let me worship and serve You alone always I pray. I thank You, Lord, for the mighty angels You send to serve us. Send forth Your angels we pray, to watch over us and our families at home, at work and on the road. Let Your angels be with our children at home and at school, at classes and at play. Let them guard our sleep, and protect us from evil. We will ever trust in You, dear Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

Beware the rising pride

Beware the rising pride

Scripture: Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Matthew 4:5-7

Observation: Moving on to the second great temptation of Jesus, we see the devil take Jesus to the holy city of Jerusalem and having Him stand on the highest point of Herod’s rebuilt temple. There, the devil throws a fiery challenge to Jesus “If you are the son of God, throw yourself down”. This was a direct challenge to Jesus’ pride. Curiously, this type of challenge seems quite common in school, where naughty boys may challenge a foolhardy friend “Go on, show how brave you are, jump down from the 2^nd floor, leap over the wide drain”. When we, especially boys and men are challenged in such a manner, there is something in us that rises up and wants to retaliate. “I’ll show them”, we so easily think.    

To push Jesus even more, the devil then quotes from the Psalms how God has promised to send His angels to lift Jesus up so that He would not fall to the ground. What if Jesus really jumped? Would God have saved Jesus just as the devil said? Yes, Scripture indicates that God is faithful to His Word, and if Jesus, in His perfect faith, believed that God would send angels to save Him, that would happen exactly. At his arrest, Jesus told His disciples “Do you think I cannot call on My Father, and He will immediately put at my disposal 12 legions of angels?”

However, the point was not whether God would save Jesus if He jumped. The point was to jump in such a manner would be putting God to the test. Jesus reply was quoted from Deuteronomy 6:16 where Moses commanded the Israelites not to out God to the test as they did in Massah. In Massah, when the Israelites were thirsty and had no water to drink, they tested God by grumbling and saying “Is the Lord among us or not?” Their attitude was akin to a spoilt child who tells his father “Since you love me, buy me this toy”. The Lord would have listened and helped the Israelites most willingly if they had cried out to Him humbly and reverently. Instead, their attitude was unthankful and irreverent, even sort of challenging God “If You are God, give us some water to drink here.”

Application:

There are 3 main lessons we learn from this passage for ourselves. Firstly, beware of rising pride. An uncouth driver on the road, an impatient colleague, an intolerant spouse can so quickly cause rising pride in us that leads us to respond in a rash and unwise manner. Secondly, know that God is able to save us, even in impossible situations. We are not to foolishly put ourselves in dangerous situations, but if somehow we find ourselves in need of help, know that we can ask God for help, and He can even send powerful angels to help us. Thirdly, we need to examine our hearts to ensure we do not have an attitude that takes God for granted like the Israelites did, to the point that they were willing to test God to fulfill their selfish interests. 

Prayer:

Forgive me O Lord, for the times I have let pride get the better of me. Teach me patience O Lord, and give me a gentle spirit even in the face of nasty challenges and situations. Praise You, O Lord, for Your power and greatness, and how You look down to save us when You are in need. Help us always trust in You. Create in me a pure heart O Lord. Let my heart not grow cold and unthankful, but help me always remember Your goodness with love and thanksgiving. Praise Your Holy name, Amen.