Glossa Water: March 2015

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Time Peace...

In Sunday’s sermon, Pastor Andy shared from the eleventh and twelfth chapters of John. Today, I’d like us to reflect on something that our pastor shared (paraphrased here): Jesus is not compelled to honor our idea of “timeline”.

As we read John 11 and 12, we notice a theme that threads through the account of Lazarus’s sickness and the account of the crowd witnessing Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem. It may be your theme as well. It is a theme that pleads, “Jesus, do something now!”

In John 11, Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus of Lazarus’s illness, believing that Jesus would come and heal him right away. Their disappointment at Jesus's delay was expressed in a simple sentence: “Lord, if You had been here, our brother would not have died.” (John 11:21; John 11:32)

In John 12, the crowd shouted for Jesus to save them. Our pastor noted that the crowd was expecting Jesus to rescue the Jewish people from the political oppression they experienced. Their disappointment at Jesus's delay was also expressed in a sentence: “Give us Barrabas!” (see John 18:36-40)

Though Mary, Martha, and the crowd longed for Jesus to respond to their sense of urgency, Jesus instead showed that His power to heal and deliver was not bound to man’s sense of time. As Pastor Andy noted, Jesus has the ability to change situations that seem hopeless. Mary and Martha experienced the joy of having their brother brought back to life. The crowd was given the offer of a spiritual rescue through eternal life in Christ, a deliverance far more valuable than a short-term respite from Roman tyranny.

Are you in an urgent situation? Are you wondering why Jesus is taking so long to respond to your prayer? Do you think that it's too late for God to act on your behalf? Be encouraged. We serve a God who stands outside of time, whose timing is perfect, and who knows what is best. Trust Him today.

Lord Jesus, give us grace to trust Your timing.

Friday, March 27, 2015

So Excited About "Tomorrow..."

At the beginning of Pastor Joy’s sermon on Sunday, she reminded us that chapter 7 of Second Kings continues a narrative that began in chapter 6. In the middle of the sixth chapter, we see that the siege against Samaria caused a severe famine. Towards the end of the sixth chapter we read that the king is wearing sackcloth (a sign of contrition and repentance). However, the words he spoke had no connection to the symbolism of the fabric he wore.

Decapitation of God’s prophet. He said, “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today!” (Second Kings 6:31) The head is where God has placed the means of communication (brain, eyes, ears, mouth). By removing Elisha’s head, the king would have removed the source and symbol of prophetic communication to the community (the means by which the people of God received the word of God).

Dismissal of God’s process. The king said, “This disaster is from the Lord. Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?” (Second Kings 6:33b) The king, faced with the sufferings of his people, was frustrated at the length of the siege and the severity of the famine. He was ready to take matters into his own hands, beginning with the removal of God's authority in his realm, so that he could act without waiting on God.

Well, that siege was thousands of years ago... and yet it's not so far away.

Though we are not currently experiencing nationwide famine here in the U.S.A, we do have “pockets of crisis” where communities are suffering unimaginable things. You may even be experiencing personal, multiple crises that are painful, and that have been going on for years. Do you think that God is taking too long to rescue your community from disaster? Are you tempted to ignore God’s voice and God’s timeline for your deliverance? Pastor Joy shared something (paraphrased here) that I’d like us to reflect on today: We are called to have faith. We are called to refute the thoughts that are sent from the enemy. Amen. Let’s pray that we, today, will not permit the trials of life to shake our faith in God.

Lord God, please help us. It’s so easy to forget You when we are in the middle of hardships. It’s so easy to take out our frustrations on Your ministers of grace. It’s so easy to ignore Your timetable for deliverance and restoration. It’s so easy to give up. But You have given us a word! “Tomorrow, at about this time…” Yes. We trust You. We embrace You. We know that it is You who gives us grace to endure hardships. We thank You for walking with us, even as we starve under siege. We hunger, and yet we live in joyful expectation of all that You will do. We will not move prematurely. We will wait in expectation of “Tomorrow”, with full confidence that Your timing is perfect. Thank You, Lord.

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Four, By Two.

Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate. They said to each other, “Why stay here until we die? If we say, ‘We’ll go into the city’—the famine is there, and we will die. And if we stay here, we will die. So let’s go over to the camp of the Arameans and surrender. If they spare us, we live; if they kill us, then we die.” (Second Kings 7:3-4)

It’s very interesting that over the past two Sundays, our morning sermons have featured four unnamed men. On March 15, we considered the Mark 2 account of the paralytic whose healing was appropriated through the faith of four friends. This past Sunday, we read the story of a nation rescued from famine by the hope of four men. As we continue this week's reflection on Second Kings 7, let’s take time to consider one of the points shared by Pastor Joy (paraphrased here): When we are besieged, and it seems there is no way out, we must remember that the Lord is nigh.

Our pastor noted that these four men found a “ray of light” in the midst of famine and despair. On the surface, it was a crazy idea: go and surrender themselves to the enemy. But their hope was evident in their logic: If they spare us, we’ll live. If they kill us, it’s okay—we were going to die anyway.

Pastor Joy reminded us that we are able to have hope even in the darkest situation. The four men certainly could have focused on the sufferings they had endured: they were lepers, they were outcasts, and they were starving to death. Their choice to take hold of hope changed their outlook on life.

What a radical hope they professed: There's a possibility we might be sustained by our nation’s enemy for the duration of this siege. The four lepers didn’t add on hopes for healing, or acceptance, or understanding. They simply expressed their hope for a basic need, food, and God came through with far more than they had hoped for. I wonder if we, today, would express a hope so bold… so simple… so radical.

Are you hopeful?

Lord God, You are the God who moved four men to make a radical move that saved not only themselves, but their nation. Help us to have hope so that we, like them, will see a “ray of light” emerge out of our darkest circumstance. Help us to understand that You can provide sustenance from our enemies just as easily as You provided manna from heaven. Help us to petition You with the words You gave us: "Give us this day our daily bread." Help us to be one of the "four" whose hope can save a nation. We ask this in Jesus's name, thankful for the basics, and conscious of Your ability to do the miraculous. We love You, Lord.

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Oh Yes, There Was Lack...

Elisha replied, “Hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Lord says: About this time tomorrow, a seah of the finest flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.” The officer on whose arm the king was leaning said to the man of God, “Look, even if the Lord should open the floodgates of the heavens, could this happen?” “You will see it with your own eyes,” answered Elisha, “but you will not eat any of it!” (Second Kings 7:1-2)

It happened as the man of God had said to the king: “About this time tomorrow, a seah of the finest flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.” The officer had said to the man of God, “Look, even if the Lord should open the floodgates of the heavens, could this happen?” The man of God had replied, “You will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat any of it!” And that is exactly what happened to him, for the people trampled him in the gateway, and he died. (Second Kings 7:18-20)

In Sunday’s sermon, Pastor Joy noted that the seventh chapter of Second Kings begins and ends with the same form. We read of a prophetic promise, an expression of unbelief, and a pronouncement of consequence.

As we have spent this Lenten season in reflection on temptation and its role in the life of the Christian, we must remember that God allows temptation to serve as a “litmus test” of our relationship with Him. Our external response to the temptation is the evidence of the thoughts and motives at work inside of us.

In the case of the king’s officer, we see that he gave in to the temptation of focusing on his years of lack instead of embracing God’s promise of plenty. The response of the king’s officer to the prophetic word, when boiled down to its core, was a response of unbelief: God can’t do that. His negative response to the prophetic word was the evidence of his lack of faith and trust in what God had said through the prophet Elisha. And the end result was that the officer experienced two profound phenomena: the experience of seeing the promise come to pass, and the experience of losing any chance of participation in the promise.

How have we responded to the men and women God has sent with a prophetic promise? Have we embraced the word of the Lord, anticipating the miraculous, or have we dismissed His word as ‘no longer possible’?

God, in one day, can change everything. Believe it.

We thank You, God, because You still speak, and You have spoken to us. Give us the wisdom to listen. Give us the wisdom to align ourselves with the word You send through Your prophets, men and women empowered by the Holy Spirit to speak in accordance with Your word. Please help us to agree with Your word regardless of what others might be saying or doing. We thank You and we look forward to the fulfillment of the promises You have spoken to us. In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen.

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Of Course.

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven. For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying? If it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray. So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.” (Matthew 18:10-14)

“They’re just ninety-nine ‘ones’ anyway.” –Andrew Palau

During Sunday’s sermon Andrew Palau noted that, as we expend great effort in seeking the lost, we must remember that all of us at one point were lost. There is no reason for those of us in the “ninety-nine” to hold animosity toward the one who has not yet returned to the fold of God.

In Matthew 18:10, we are warned: “See that you do not despise one of these little ones.” Who are the little ones? They are not just children in terms of chronological age. In response to His disciples’ question about greatness, Jesus said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3, emphasis mine)

Little children sometimes have a tendency to wander, and we find this is also true in our faith-journey as children of God. Sometimes we take wrong turns. Sometimes we try to operate in realms where we lack understanding. Sometimes we just, as Isaiah 53:6 says, “go our own way.” And as we wander, our gracious Lord seeks us out in love, and He gently corrects us and leads us back home. Who does He use to correct us? Angels. Ministers. Family. Friends.

Since we are called not to despise the wandering sheep, how do we treat the little ones? What is our evangelism strategy for them? As Andrew spoke on Sunday, he recalled how his own years of wandering from the faith were addressed by his parents and family. There was patience. There was love. There was prayer. There was testimony. Their word to him was: We love you. Jesus loves you. Let us share His grace with you. And, though the process took years, Andrew was reconciled to God.

Have you noticed someone wandering from the fold? Don't despise them. Leave the ninety-nine. Seek the one.

God, I was the “one” once, and You sent people to rescue me. Please give me the grace to do the same for others. Cause me to pour Your love into them and to point the way back to You. I ask this in Jesus’s name. Amen.

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Martha. Mary. Michael. Henry. Delia. Samuel. Ronald. Joseph.

A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. (Mark 2:1-4)

During Sunday’s sermon, Andrew Palau asked us a question: “Who are your ‘four’?”

It’s a great question. Some of us know, by name, men and women who were instrumental in bringing us into contact with the presence and power of Christ. Others of us may have forgotten names, but we remember a face, a moment, a God-ordained and God-arranged encounter that changed our lives forever.

In the Mark 2 narrative, the four men who carried their friend to Jesus displayed certain characteristics:

v They were unified in objective. Their purpose was to carry their friend into the presence of Jesus. This endeavor required the agreement and cooperation of everyone involved.

v They were unfazed by obstinacy. Instead of being angry at the crowd who would not make way for their friend in need, the men instead turned to their own resourcefulness to get into the home.

v They were undeterred by obstacles. While the narrative does not contain any dialogue between the men, the actions recorded indicate that these men overcame every challenge they encountered.

Time has passed… methods have changed… but we still have the privilege of being instruments of God. We can have a role in bringing others to the Lord for salvation, healing, and deliverance. And though Sunday’s question was “Who are your ‘four’?”, I’d like to flip the question for our reflection today: Is there someone that you have carried, lifted, and placed at the feet of Jesus?

Lord God, we have looked back on our faith-journey and we are so grateful for the men and women You used to draw us to Yourself. Lord, how we pray that You will use us to be one of the “four” for someone else. Give us Your grace to bear the burdens of others. Give us Your grace so that we are not discouraged by the insensitivity of those who block the path that leads to You. Give us Your grace to stay on task, not giving up until we have placed at Your feet those who need Your word spoken into their lives. Thank You for helping us. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Mark His Words.

On Sunday our guest speaker, Andrew Palau, spoke on Mark 2:1-12. This second chapter shows us key aspects of Jesus's earthly ministry: teaching, fellowship, forgiveness, and healing.

For today let's read all of Mark 2, the lens through which we'll consider this week's reflections.

Mark 2

Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, “How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?” Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast. No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”

One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

Friday, March 13, 2015

The Equation For Effective Evangelism

During Sunday’s sermon, Pastor Sam shared from Acts chapter 2. He noted that the disciples experienced a particular dynamic in worship that caused outsiders to witness the miraculous:

Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” (Acts 2:7-11)

As we in Bronx Bethany Church of the Nazarene partner with other New York City churches in evangelism, we can be encouraged by the example of the church in Acts 2. Our pastor summarized this in a statement (paraphrased here): This is the witness: people will come to us to ask what is going on, and we will give them the authoritative word that came forth out of our authentic worship.

Our first task, then, is to be grounded in what ought to be our deepest joy: authentic worship. As we worship our great God, He sends His Spirit to fill our mouths with His authoritative word. When this happens, people will come to us… and we will point them to Christ.

What is the “language” that the Spirit of God has given us? Some of us may have the experience of communicating, clearly, in a language that we never studied. Others of us may have the experience of being able to accurately give travel directions in a region we’ve never lived in. Some may have the experience of full immersion in a culture they’d never been exposed to previously. If the Spirit is present, then we need not be concerned about what we appear to lack. Our lack of experience, and even our lack of education in particular areas, is not a problem for God. If we are found worshiping the Lord in spirit and in truth, then we can trust the Holy Spirit to make a way for the love and grace of God to be shown in and through us in ways that make it clear that the power is His and not our own.

But, we are warned with the same words Jesus said to His beloved disciples: On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.” (Acts 1:4) If we attempt to go out and do the work of the Lord without the presence and power of His Spirit, we will not be effective in evangelism-- even if we are doing things that we believe are easy to get done (see John 15:5).

As we go through our day today, let’s make time to reflect on Acts 1 and 2. And let’s remain prayerful, and let’s be patient, as we wait for the Lord to empower us for ministry in the places He will send us.

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Beautiful.

On Sunday, Pastor Sam shared that in Acts 2:42-47 we see several components of devotion in the early church. These are the characteristics of what our pastor termed "the beautiful (attractive) community":

attention to apostolic doctrine;
fellowship;
atonement (reconciliation);
prayer;
sharing with one another in order to meet needs.

If we engage in all these devotions as a beautiful community, then we will find that others are drawn to us by the desire to share this experience of authentic Christianity. But, of these, perhaps the most compelling devotion is the act of giving. Pastor Sam said (in commenting on the devotional life of the Acts 2 church): "The beautiful community will liquidate things in order to establish people."

There is a verse in Acts 2 that shows the extreme, extravagant giving of the early church: "They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need." (Acts 2:45) Divestment is a public announcement that one is willing to be content with less, for the sake of the other. And, let's not restrict our amazement to those who sold homes and lands. Whether someone gives away a home or a handbag, the act is unusual in a world where self-preservation is the norm.

But, there is a passage in Acts 5 that warns of the danger of divesting with impure motives (Acts 5:1-11). Ananias and Sapphira, sadly, have an eternal epitaph of having lied to the Holy Spirit. On the outside, from the view of man, their sale of their home seemed like a great gift to the church. But God, looking at their hearts, saw that their desire for man's praise had overtaken their desire for God to be glorified.

As we reflect on giving, and indeed on all devotional life, as evidences of a beautiful community, let us remember that God's intent is for our beauty to begin on the inside.

Do I give my attention to apostolic doctrine?
Am I involved in both large and small group fellowship? (Acts 2:46)
Have I experienced forgiveness and reconciliation?
Have I extended forgiveness to others?
What is the state of my prayer life?
Am I a giver?
What is my motivation for being a giver?

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Periodic Maintenance

This past Sunday, Pastor Sam reminded us of the mission and vision of Bronx Bethany Church of the Nazarene. He noted that when our mission statement was written, it was not an indication of a new thing nor a new direction in ministry. It was, and is, a statement of what God had already set into motion-- a documentation of what our local church has been doing, in obedience to the direction of our Lord, through the years of Bronx Bethany's existence.

Our pastor also warned us of the risk of mission creep—a slow drift away from the mission that our church has embraced. He noted that the best way to avoid mission creep is to periodically reflect on the mission statement, and this is what we will do in this week's blog posts.

For today, let’s ask ourselves a few questions in light of Bronx Bethany’s mission. Below is our mission statement in bold print, followed by questions in italics.

Bronx Bethany Church of the Nazarene is a Spirit-filled community of love…

Are we participants in this Spirit-filled community, or are we merely spectators? Love is a characteristic of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22): are we living in love? Are we extending the love of God to others?

…with a place for everyone…

Have we indeed made a place for everyone? Are we willing to share the love of Jesus with everyone? Do our actions indicate that we are happy when visitors join us? Are we open to God's promptings regarding movement and change, or is our energy expended in preserving our own comfort zone?

…where people may experience the forgiveness of sins…

What is the experience of those who attend Bronx Bethany? Are they made aware of the availability of God's forgiveness? What part have we played in maintaining an atmosphere of love and forgiveness, even as we make room for the Holy Spirit to convict us of sin and move our hearts to repentance?

…and the cleansing of their hearts through faith in Jesus Christ.

Do the inner thoughts of our hearts help to maintain the atmosphere of healing and deliverance that God has established in our local church? Are we supporters of God’s desire for His people to be saved and sanctified?

Friday, March 6, 2015

Seeds In The Core

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. (Matthew 4:1)

I am laid low in the dust; preserve my life according to your word. (Psalm 119:25)

During Sunday’s sermon Pastor Sam quoted First Corinthians 10:13:

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

Do we believe this?

If so, then we can walk through our wilderness experience with joy and peace in our hearts. As our pastor shared on Sunday, God knows the strengths He has given us, and He knows the level of testing that we are able to endure. As we bear the temptations we face, without giving in, we become aware of what Heaven already knows: It’s not an easy road, but he can handle it. It’s a painful process, but she can handle it.

But, what of the persons who don’t want to submit to the process? Pastor Sam said, concerning ancient Israel, “A whole generation was buried in the wilderness.” As we look back through the story of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt, it is amazing to see how the celebration of crossing the Red Sea quickly turned into a series of complaints and doubts concerning God’s power to act on behalf of His people. Only two men, Joshua and Caleb, endured and overcame the temptation. That generation’s repeated failure to honor God eventually led to their forfeiture of entry into the promised land.

Today, we face the same temptation. We are tempted to look God in the face, conscious of all He has done for us, and in His presence dare to make declarations of what He cannot do, or what He ought to do. “Well, it’s getting late and I can’t wait for You anymore.” “I know You can do anything, but I don’t see You doing anything.” “God, I don’t want to walk the path You set before me; I’m gonna take this other road.” “God, You made a mistake.” These are the seeds in the core of temptation. It is what Jesus faced in His wilderness experience, and it is what we face today.

In this Lenten season, God is encouraging us through His word and through the leaders He has blessed us with. Here is the word: Submit to My process. Endure the trial. I will be with you. You will overcome.

Walk through the wilderness, knowing that God’s grace is available every step of the way.

Suggested additional reading: James chapter 1

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Search Warrant

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24)

“Some people fail to benefit from the time of testing.” –Rev. Dr. Samuel Vassel

From time to time at Bronx Bethany Church of the Nazarene we sing a wonderful hymn. The first stanza of the hymn says:

Search me, O God, and know my heart today,
Try me, O Savior, know my thoughts, I pray;
See if there be some wicked way in me;
Cleanse me from every sin, and set me free. (James E. Orr, 1936)

In light of this past Sunday’s sermon, I wonder if we realize the seriousness of these lyrics. When our heart is searched by our Lord, how will we know what He sees? Often, the way we find out is through the way we speak and act during trials and temptations. As Pastor Sam shared on Sunday, it’s very easy to sing a song of praise in the sanctuary, but it’s in the moments of crisis that we get to know what’s really going on in our hearts.

Another point Pastor Sam made is that if we are to be examined, then there is to be an examiner. Our pastor reminded us of the story of Job, whose integrity was put to the test by Satan himself. What was the temptation offered to Job? Job, just lash out at God for His unfairness to you; complain bitterly; blame the LORD for your afflictions and your losses.

Today, let’s read a passage from the book of Job-- one of the few places in Scripture where we see a crisis unfold from both Heaven’s and Earth’s perspectives. My prayer is that our reflection on this text will encourage us to live as people of integrity, people who are found with praise and blessing on their lips even in the midst of severe trials and temptations.

Lord God, as I walk through this wilderness season, please show me what's in my heart. Search me, O God.

Job 2:1-10

On another day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them to present himself before him. And the Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”

Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.”

“Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give all he has for his own life. But now stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.” The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life.”

So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.

His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!” He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Text In Context

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 4:3-4)

“Temptation is something that must be approached with serious and sacred awe, because it is a thing that God utilizes in order to bring His people, that are His very own, from deliverance into promise and purpose.” –Rev. Dr. Samuel Vassel

During Sunday’s sermon Pastor Sam noted that when Jesus said “It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone…'” in Matthew 4:4, our Lord was giving more than just a Scripture verse. Jesus was sharing the context through which we are to understand the role of temptation in the life of God’s people. Deuteronomy 8:2-3 says:

Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

Pastor Sam shared that when we face a wilderness experience, our words become an open display of what has been residing within our hearts. Our pastor gave a contrast between two sorts of wilderness-walkers: the grateful and the grumbling. The ancient Israelites who had left Egypt with victorious shouts soon made it clear, through their words, that they despised the atmosphere and discipline imposed by their season in the wilderness. They despised the hunger, and they despised the manna. Sadly, their despising attitude morphed into outright disregard for God's servant Moses, and overt disobedience to God's law (see Exodus 32 and Acts 7:35-43). An entire generation died without moving into the promise and purpose God desired for them.

Let’s reflect on this today. And let’s ask: What about us? As we go through our wilderness experience, what is the response that courses through our hearts and out of our mouths?

Are you grateful, or are you grumbling?

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

... And It's Only Day Ten...

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. (Hebrews 4:15)

For many Christians, Lent is a season in which there is reflection, contemplation, and fasting. Here at Bronx Bethany Church of the Nazarene, we are also very aware of Lent as a season of testing and temptation. On Sunday Pastor Sam spoke on the temptation of Jesus. The account is recorded in Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13.

Speaking personally, I can say this is a very different Lent for me. In past years I’ve done all the externals of Lent: had ashes imposed by my colleagues at a liturgical church in the city, fasted, did lectionary readings, attended special services. Those things were all helpful. But, in all my years as a Christian, this is the first time that I’ve engaged Lent deeply conscious of the struggle to remain faithful to God in the face of a season of temptation.

How about you? Have you considered the depths and subtleties of the temptations Jesus faced at the launch of His earthly ministry, and of the temptations we face today? This week we’ll reflect on some of the things our pastor shared on Sunday. For today, let’s take time to read both Matthew’s and Luke’s accounts (included below).

Lord God, we recognize that You allow us to pray “Lead us not into temptation…”, and we ask You that today. Please deliver us from the evil one. We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Matthew 4:1-11

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.’”

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.’”

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.

Luke 4:1-13

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 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. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”

The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”

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. For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.