Why Jesus Came

 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. (Hebrews 2:14–15)

This, I think, is my favorite Advent text because I don’t know any other that expresses so clearly the connection between the beginning and the end of Jesus’s earthly life — between the incarnation and crucifixion. These two verses make clear why Jesus came; namely, to die. They would be great to use with an unbelieving friend or family member to walk them step-by-step through your Christian view of Christmas. It might go something like this, a phrase at a time:

“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood . . . ”

The term “children” is taken from the previous verse and refers to the spiritual offspring of Christ, the Messiah (see Isaiah 8:18; 53:10). These are also the “children of God” (John 1:12). In other words, in sending Christ, God has the salvation of his “children” especially in view.

It is true that “God so loved the world, that he gave [Jesus]” (John 3:16). But it is also true that God was especially gathering “the children of God who are scattered abroad” (John 11:52). God’s design was to offer Christ to the world, and to effect the salvation of his “children” (see 1 Timothy 4:10). You may experience adoption by receiving Christ (John 1:12).

“ . . . he himself likewise partook of the same things [flesh and blood] . . . ”

This means that Christ existed before the incarnation. He was spirit. He was the eternal Word. He was with God and was God (John 1:1; Colossians 2:9). But he took on flesh and blood, and clothed his deity with humanity. He became fully man and remained fully God. It is a great mystery in many ways. But it is at the heart of our faith — and what the Bible teaches.

“ . . . that through death . . . ”

The reason he became man was to die. As God pure and simple, he could not die for sinners. But as man he could. His aim was to die. Therefore he had to be born human. He was born to die. Good Friday is the purpose of Christmas. This is what most people today need to hear about the meaning of Christmas.

“ . . . he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil . . . ”

In dying, Christ de-fanged the devil. How? By covering all our sin. This means that Satan has no legitimate grounds to accuse us before God. “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies” (Romans 8:33) — on what grounds does he justify? Through the blood of Jesus (Romans 5:9).

Satan’s ultimate weapon against us is our own sin. If the death of Jesus takes it away, the chief weapon of the devil — the one mortal weapon that he has — is taken out of his hand. He cannot make a case for our death penalty, because the Judge has acquitted us by the death of his Son!

“ . . . and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”

So, we are free from the fear of death. God has justified us. Satan cannot overturn that decree. And God means for our ultimate safety to have an immediate effect on our lives. He means for the happy ending to take away the slavery and fear of the Now.

If we do not need to fear our last and greatest enemy, death, then we do not need to fear anything. We can be free. Free for joy. Free for others.

What a great Christmas present from God to us! And from us to the world!

THE SIN OF EVIL DESIRES!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY DECEMBER 10, 2021.

SUBJECT: THE SIN OF EVIL DESIRES!

Memory verse: "But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.” (First Timothy 6 vs 9.)

READ: Matthew 5 vs 27 - 30:

5:27: You have heard that it was said by those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’

5:28: But I say to you that whoever looks on a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

5:29: If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out, and cast it from you; for it is profitable for you that one of thy members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

5:30: And if thy right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

INTIMATION:

A desire is a craving or longing for something. Some desires are evil or sinful and is frequently translated as “lust.” Some desires are good. For instance, the apostle Paul had the good desire to be with Christ; “For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better” (Philippians 1 vs 23). Just as the Lord’s desire concerning the last Passover; “Then He said to them, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.” (Luke 22 vs 15.)

For evil desires, or inordinate affections, the apostle Paul says, such should not be tolerated by believers because, “Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passion and desires.” (Galatians 5 vs 24.) When we accept Christ as our Savior, we need to turn from our sinful ways and willingly nail our sinful nature to the cross. This doesn’t mean, however, that we will never see traces of its evil desires again. As Christians we still have the capacity to sin and sometimes sin, but we have been set free from sin’s power over us and no longer have to give in to it. We must daily commit our sinful tendencies to God’s control, daily crucify them, and moment by moment draw on the Spirit’s power to overcome them. 

“Lust” is a devilish desire. Jesus said “lust” is as good as the “deed” itself. For instance, the Old Testament law says that it is wrong for a person to have sex with someone other than his or her spouse (Exodus 20 vs 14). But Jesus said that the desire to have sex with someone other than your spouse is mental adultery and thus sin. Jesus was emphasizing here that if the act is wrong, then so is the intention. In the passage we read today, Jesus is condemning the deliberate and repeated filling of one’s mind with fantasies that would be evil if acted upon. Therefore, desires that will lead you to wrongdoing should not be accommodated. 

Some people may desire to be rich, which in itself, is not wrong or evil, but the desire to be rich at all costs will definitely build up ideas in their minds that will expose them to temptations, snares, and many foolish things that are harmful and destructive. For instance, somebody might desire to make wealth by all means, and will be harboring stealing, money rituals, or obtaining by false pretenses, and if such desires are acted upon, the person may be committing murder, and other heinous crimes that are evil in themselves. Sinful actions are more dangerous than sinful desires, hence desires should not be acted out. Nevertheless, sinful desires are just as damaging to obedience as the actions proper. Left unchecked, wrong desires will result in wrong actions and turn people away from God.

Jesus was speaking figuratively when He said you should get rid of your hand or your eye, He didn’t mean literally to gouge your eye, because even a blind person can lust. But if that were the only choice, it would be better to go into heaven with one eye or hand than to go to hell with the two. It takes the help of the Holy Spirit to resist any actions on our evil desires. The world is full of enticements. Daily we are confronted with subtle cultural pressures and overt propaganda. The only way to escape these destructive influences is to ask God to help crucify our interest in them.

Evil acts begin with evil desires. It isn’t enough to ask God to keep you away from temptation, make you stronger, or change your circumstances. You must ask Him to change you on the inside—at the level of your desires. The Scripture says, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it springs the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4 vs 23.) We should keep our hearts with all diligence, making sure we concentrate on those desires that will keep us on the right path. Make sure your affections push you in the right direction. 

Put boundaries on your desires: Don’t go after everything you see. And don’t get sidetracked on detours that lead to temptation: “Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things that are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things that pure, whatever things that lovely, whatever things that are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” (Philippians 4 vs 8.)

Prayer: Abba Father, give me the grace to put boundaries on my desires, to concentrate on those desires that will keep me on the right path of obedience to You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen. 

PRAISE  THE LORD!

Two Kinds of Opposition to Jesus

 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. (Matthew 2:3)

Jesus is troubling to people who do not want to worship him, and he arouses opposition against those who do. This is probably not a main point in the mind of Matthew, but it is an inescapable implication as the story goes on.

In this story, there are two kinds of people who do not want to worship Jesus.

The first kind is the people who simply do nothing about Jesus. He is a nonentity in their lives. This group is represented at the beginning of Jesus’s life by the chief priests and scribes. Matthew 2:4 says, “Assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, [Herod] inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.” So they told him, and that was that: back to business as usual. The sheer silence and inactivity of the leaders is overwhelming in view of the magnitude of what was happening.

And notice, Matthew 2:3 says, “When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.” In other words, the rumor was going around that someone thought the Messiah was born. The inactivity on the part of the chief priests is staggering: why not go with the magi? They are not interested. They are not passionate about finding the Son of God and worshiping him.

The second kind of people who do not want to worship Jesus is the kind who are deeply threatened by him. That’s Herod in this story. He is really afraid. So much so that he schemes and lies and then commits mass murder just to get rid of Jesus.

So today, these two kinds of opposition will come against Christ and his worshipers: indifference and hostility. I surely hope that you are not in one of those groups.

And if you are a Christian, let this Christmas be the time when you ponder what it means — what it costs — to worship and follow this Messiah.

WHY SATAN TEMPTS US!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY DECEMBER 09, 2021.

SUBJECT: WHY SATAN TEMPTS US!

Memory verse: “Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.” (Luke 4 vs 13.)

READ: Genesis 3 vs 1 - 8:

3:1: Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Had God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

3:2: And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden;

3:3: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat of it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’”

3:4: Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.

3:5: For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like Good, knowing good and evil.”

3:6: So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of the fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her; and he ate.

3:7: Then the eyes of both them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves coverings. 

INTIMATION:

Temptation is Satan’s invitation to give in to his kind of life and give up on God’s kind of life. It is often the combination of a real need and a possible doubt that creates an inappropriate desire. At one time Satan had been a glorious angel. But in pride he rebelled against God and was cast out of heaven. As a created being, Satan has definite limitations. Although he is trying to tempt everyone away from God, he will not be the final victor. Satan will be finally crushed by one of the woman’s offspring—the Messiah.

Satan tempted Eve and succeeded in getting her to sin. Ever since then he is busy getting people to sin. By deceiving Eve that she ‘will not surely die,’ (the first lie recorded in human history) he identifies his deceiving nature (John 8 vs 44). However, Eve eventually died a spiritual death with Adam. Satan tempts man with being a god who is dominant over all things.

Satan appealed to Eve’s lust of the flesh (“the tree was good for food”), lust of the eye (“pleasant to the eye”), and pride of life (“desired to make one wise”). The temptation resulted in her action to commit sin. Adam and Eve were created as free moral individuals, just as we are, and were placed in an environment wherein they could be tempted because there was an opportunity to sin, just as we are. The same ploy Satan used on Eve he has continued to use on us till date. 

Notice what Eve did; she looked, she took, she ate, and she gave. The battle is always lost at the first look. Temptation often begins by simply seeing something you want. You will always win over temptation if you run away from those things that produces evil thoughts (Second Timothy 2 vs 22). Adam and Eve got what they wanted; an intimate knowledge of both good and evil. But they got it by doing evil, and the result was disastrous. The restrictions God gives us are for our own good, helping us avoid evil. You don’t have to do evil to gain more experience and learn more about life.

Satan tempted Eve by getting her to doubt God’s goodness. He implied that God was stingy, strict, and selfish for not wanting Eve to share His knowledge of good and evil. Satan made Eve forget all that God had given her, and instead, focus on what God had forbidden. We fall into trouble, too, when we dwell on what God forbids rather than on the countless blessings and promises God has given us. The next time you are feeling sorry for yourself over what you don’t have, consider all you do have and thank God. Then your doubts won’t lead to sin. 

We must realize that being tempted is not a sin. We have not sinned until we give in to the temptation. To resist temptation, we should adopt the following guidelines: (1) Pray for strength to resist, ask God in earnest prayer to help you stay away from people, places, and situations that may tempt you. (2) say no when confronted with whatever you know is wrong, (3) run, sometimes literally, from temptation, (4) memorize and meditate on portions of Scripture that combat your specific weaknesses. At the root of most temptation is a real need or desire that God can fill, but we must trust in His timing, and (5) find another believer with whom you can openly share your struggles, and call this person for help when temptation strikes. 

Self exaltation leads to rebellion against God. As soon as we begin to leave God out of our plans, we are placing ourselves above Him. This exactly is what Satan wants us to do. Prepare yourself for the attractive temptations that may come your way. We cannot always prevent temptation, but there is always a way of escape (First Corinthians 10 vs 13). If we attempt to meet life’s challenges with human effort alone, we will find the pressures and temptations around us too great to resist.

You may have strong faith, but you will also have areas of weaknesses—and that is where temptation usually strikes. Strengthen and protect yourself where you are weak because a chain is only as strong as it’s weakest link. Also, it is easier to resist temptation if you have thought through your convictions before the temptation arises. We get into trouble if we have not previously decided where to draw line. Before such situations arise, decide on your commitments and what to do. Then when temptation comes, you will be ready to say no.

Prayer: Abba Father, You have given us all that pertains to life and godliness, and in You all things consist. Endue me with the spirit of absolute trust and commitment to You in all things. Give me the grace never to give in to the lies of the devil, and his temptations, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD! 

Bethlehem’s Supernatural Star

 

“Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:2)

Over and over the Bible baffles our curiosity about just how certain things happened. How did this “star” get the magi from the east to Jerusalem?

It does not say that it led them or went before them on the way to Jerusalem. It only says they saw a star in the east (Matthew 2:2) and came to Jerusalem. And how did that star go before them in the little five-mile walk from Jerusalem to Bethlehem as Matthew 2:9 says it did? And how did a star “rest over the place where the child was”?

The answer is: We do not know. There are numerous efforts to explain it in terms of conjunctions of planets or comets or supernovas or miraculous lights. We just don’t know. And I want to exhort you not to become preoccupied — not to become fixated — on theories that are only tentative in the end and have very little spiritual significance.

I risk a generalization to warn you: People who are exercised and preoccupied with such things, as how the star worked and how the Red Sea split and how the manna fell and how Jonah survived the fish and how the moon turns to blood, are generally people who have what I call a mentality for the marginal.

You do not see in them a deep cherishing of the great central things of the gospel: the holiness of God, the ugliness of sin, the helplessness of man, the death of Christ, justification by faith alone, the sanctifying work of the Spirit, the glory of Christ’s return, and the final judgment. They always seem to be taking you down a sidetrack with some new article or book that they’re all excited about dealing with something marginal. There is little rejoicing over the great, central realities.

But what is plain concerning this matter of the star is that it is doing something that it cannot do on its own: It is guiding magi to the Son of God to worship him.

There is only one Person in biblical thinking that can be behind that intentionality in the stars: God himself.

So, the lesson is plain: God is guiding foreigners to Christ to worship him. And he is doing it by exerting global — probably even universal — influence and power to get it done.

Luke shows God influencing the entire Roman Empire so that the census comes at the exact time to get an insignificant virgin to Bethlehem to fulfill prophecy with her delivery. Matthew shows God influencing the stars in the sky to get a little handful of foreigners to Bethlehem so that they can worship the Son.

This is God’s design. He did it then. He is still doing it now. His aim is that the nations — all the nations (Matthew 24:14) — worship his Son.

This is God’s will for everybody in your office at work, and in your classroom, and in your neighborhood, and in your home. As John 4:23 says, “The Father is seeking such people to worship him.”

At the beginning of Matthew we still have a “come-see” pattern. But at the end the pattern is “go-tell.” The magi came and saw. We are to go and tell.

But what is not different is the purpose and power of God in the ingathering of the nations to worship his Son. The magnifying of Christ in the white-hot worship of all nations is the reason the world exists.

GREATNESS IN GOD’S EYES!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 08, 2021.

SUBJECT: GREATNESS IN GOD’S EYES!

Memory verse: "But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.” (Matthew 23 vs 11.)

READ: Mark 10 vs 42 - 45:

10:42: But Jesus called them to Himself and saith to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.

10:43: Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.

10:44: And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.

10:45: For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.

INTIMATION:

Our care for others is a measure of our greatness—our position of authority—in God’s eyes. In both our memory verse and the passage we read today, Jesus challenged society’s norms. To Him greatness comes from serving—giving of yourself to help God and others. Service keeps us aware of others’ needs, and it stops us from focusing only on ourselves. Jesus came as a servant. The greatest person in God’s kingdom is the servant of all. God gives us authority, not for self-importance, ambition, or respect, but for useful service to God and His creation. 

Jesus is great, and a perfect example of lasting greatness in the eyes of God. During His earth walk, He said, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve” (Mark 10 vs 45). He was the model servant, and He showed is servant attitude to His disciples when He washed their feet (John 13 vs 1 - 17). Washing guests’ feet was a job for a household servant to carry out when guests arrived. But Jesus wrapped a towel around His waist, as the lowliest slave will do, and washed and dried His disciples’ feet. If even He, God in the flesh, is willing to serve, we His followers must also be servants, willing to serve in any way that glorifies God.

In contemporary society businesses, organizations, and institutions measure greatness by personal achievement. In Christ’s kingdom, however, service is the way to get ahead. Jesus said that true greatness comes from serving others. The desire to be on top will hinder, not help. Rather than seeking to have your needs met, look for ways that you can minister to the needs of others.

When a dispute arose among the disciples of Jesus as to which of them would be greatest, Jesus brought a child before Himself, and said to His disciples, “Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great.” (Luke 9 vs 48.) In Jesus’ eyes, whoever welcomes a child welcomes Him. Ministering to the need of a less privileged person is the same as giving an offering to God. By contrast, harming others or failing to care for them is a sin, even if they are unimportant people in the world’s eyes. It is possible for thoughtless, selfish people to gain a measure of worldly greatness, but lasting greatness is measured by God’s standards. What do you use as your measure—personal achievement or unselfish service?

How much we love God can be measured by how well we treat others. Jesus’ example of giving a cup of cold water to a thirsty child is a good model of unselfish service (Matthew 10 vs 42). A child usually can’t or won’t return a favor. God notices every good deed we do or don’t do as if He were the one receiving it. Is there something unselfish you can do for someone also today? Although no one else may see you, God will notice.

Greatness is measured not by what you have but by your faith in God. Are you willing to follow Christ’s example of serving? Whom can you serve today? There is a special blessing for those who not only agree that humble service is Christ’s way, but who also follow through and do it (John 13 vs 17).

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of selfless service to You and others, just as Christ gave us example, that I may achieve greatness in Your eyes, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

GOD’S GRACE MANIFESTS AT HUMAN IMPOSSIBILITIES!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY DECEMBER 07, 2021.

SUBJECT: GOD’S GRACE MANIFESTS AT HUMAN IMPOSSIBILITIES!

Memory verse: "Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?” (Genesis 17 vs 17.)

READ: Genesis 18  s 8 - 14:

18:8: And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.

1&:9: And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.

18:10: And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.

18:11: Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

18:12: Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?

18:13: /And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?

18:14: Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

INTIMATION:

When we come to the point of human impossibility, God’s grace is manifested. God delivers to man such things that are impossible with man through His grace (unmerited favor of God to man to achieve the impossible). God loves us and sees our situation. Nothing is difficult or impossible with God. All He demands from us is our trust and faith in Him. When faced with an impossible situation, seek His grace to come to your aid. 

The passage we read today is about Abraham and Sarah whom God gave a child at old age. It seemed incredible that he and Sarah in their advanced years could have a child. He questioned the possibility of childbirth simply because in human ability, such would be impossible for both he and Sarah since they were old. But the point is that the promise was to be the work of God, not man. It would have been impossible with man, not with God. 

In this event, therefore, both Abraham and Sarah would understand the grace of God as God worked directly in order to make it possible for Sarah to have a child. The child was given through grace, not through the works of man. Abraham, the man of God considered righteous because of his faith, had troubles believing God’s promise to him. Despite his doubts, however, Abraham followed God’s commands and received the seemingly impossible promise by God’s grace.

Isaac came forth as the result of God’s grace, not by the parental planning work of Abraham, and Sarah. The conception of Issac was miraculous in the sense that Abraham and Sarah were past the age of child beating. Therefore, the promise was the result of grace. 

It is noteworthy that even people of great faith may have doubts. When God seems to want the impossible and you begin to doubt His leading, be like Abraham. Focus on God’s commitment to fulfill His promises to you, and then continue to obey.

It was impossible for us to save ourselves from the clutches of sin and Satan, but God did the impossible. He sent His Son as a propitiation for our sins. He paid the wages we owed; He gave His life of inestimable value for our lives of sin that are completely worthless, that we may live. He saved us by grace through faith in Him. His grace is always available to the believer to do the impossible.

God is personally involved in the life of a believer, and nudges him or her to ask for His power to help, even in impossible situations.

Now, one may ask, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Asking the question this way reminds you of the obvious answer which is, “Of course not!” This question reveals much about God. Therefore, as a child of God, make it a habit to insert your specific needs into the question, such as, “Is this day in my life too hard for the Lord?” “Is this habit I’m trying to break too hard for the Lord?” “Is the communication problem I’m having too hard for the Lord!” Of course not! Then trust completely in His power (grace) to come to your aid in that specific situation.

Trust doesn’t come easy. Instances abound in the Bible on this; It wasn’t easy for Moses to believe that he and his people, the Israelites, would escape Egypt, even after God spoke to him from a burning bush. But he trusted God (Exodus 3 vs 1 -  4; 20). It wasn’t easy for David to believe that he would become king, even after he was anointed. But he trusted God (First Samuel 16!- 31). It wasn’t easy for Jeremiah to publicly buy land already captured  by the enemy. But he trusted God (Jeremiah 32 vs 6 - 15). It wasn’t easy for us to believe that God can fulfill His “impossible” promises either, but we must trust Him. God, who worked in the lives of biblical heroes, will work in our lives, too, if we will let Him.

Prayer: Abba Father, You are God of the whole heavens and the earth. In You all things consist. There is nothing difficult or impossible with You. Endue me with the spirit of absolute trust and commitment to You in all things. Give me the grace to aid me in any impossible situation I find myself, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!