Category: The Gospel of Matthew

Yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.19 The Lord God is my strength, And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, And makes me walk on my high places.(Habakkuk 3:19)

The next several weeks our blogs will focus on the Six Mountains of Matthew.  A brief survey reveals several PEAK moments in the life of Jesus where He is on a mountain doing the work of the Father.  Each mountain gives us insight into a specific revelation of Jesus Christ and the corresponding needful discipline of the Christian to walk in the “high places” of the Lord and learn His ways and heart.  

If we want to see victory in the valleys, we will first climb the mountains!

!❖ The Mountain of Temptation (Matt.4:8): The Discipline of Worshipping and Serving

❖ The Mountain of Revelation (Matt.5-7): The Discipline of Listening and Obeying

❖ The Mountain of Transformation (Matt.17:1-23) The Discipline of Beholding

❖ The Mountain of Prognostication (Matt.24-25) The Discipline of Watching & Praying

❖ The Mountain of Crucifixion (Matt.27) The Discipline of Believing

❖ The Mountain of the Great Commission (Matt.28:16-20) The Discipline of Waiting and Going

Read Matthew 4:1-13

The first “very high” mountain we observe is in Matthew 4:8 is the MOUNTAIN OF TEMPTATION. The follower of Jesus must come to embrace Jesus as the Second Adam and the High Priest. Jesus by His Spirit in us will help us navigate the mountainous terrain surrounding our temptations, lest we stumble and unnecessarily fall. When we face the Tempter, the Second Adam will help us practice righteousness “so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, having done everything, to stand firm” (Eph.6:13). Jesus, the High Priest will instill in us the value of “confession” our sins and faith in Him when we do sin. This is third of three (for Luke it is the 2nd temptation) temptations by the devil which Jesus faced ALONE in the wilderness. After this temptation Jesus the angels came and ministered to him and He began His powerful public ministry. The nature of this particular temptation was to exchange allegiance or loyalty from God to the Devil in order to secure power and fame.

Again, the devil *took Him to a very high mountain and *showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; 9 and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus *said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’” 11 Then the devil *left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him. (Matt.4:8-11)

What is “temptation” by definition? The Greek word is PEIRAZO which can be translated, “test or tempt”. The context determines whether the connotation is good or bad or mixture of both. The idea of PEIRAZO is that “temptation” or “testing” is meant to reveal what character is in the person. Therefore, we begin to see how critical the CONTEXT is to understanding this word. God “tests” us to refine us and bring out the best results in us. Satan “tempts” to bring out the worst in us to destroy us. The Source of the Test determines the goal of the temptation. Satan “tempts” us to be swept away with unbelief, pride and concupiscence into a life course of destruction. God “tests” us to refine our faith and trust in Him alone, to humble us in reliance upon His strength and to follow His impulses to lovingly help others.

Get this straight…God tests us all but tempts nobody.

The classic story that illustrates this mixture is portrayed in Peter’s denial that He knew Jesus while standing around a campfire during the trial of Jesus. Jesus warned Peter that Satan had desired to “sift” Peter but that He was praying for him that his “faith” would not fail.  The pride in Peter’s heart became the CONTEXT of Satan’s access.  Jesus permitted the “temptation”to refine Peter’s faith and “sift” out Peter’s impulsive pride. Jesus, the Second Adam, permitted Satan in order to purify Peter. Satan’s temptation was to destroy Peter’s faith and leave him in a ditch of unbelief and despair over his failure. Jesus “tested” Peter for his own good; Satan “tempted” Peter to walk away from his call to be a strategic leader in the emerging church. How unfathomable are the riches of God’s grace in Christ, who can allow an enemy to get in our “space” and seemingly get the upper hand, but then turn the our obvious  defeat back on the enemy in order to set us free from debilitating pride and self-righteousness. The Tempter can only go as far as God allows him. 

This single Wilderness encounter between Jesus and the devil reveals so much about the nature of evil, temptation and sin. There are three basic categories of temptation revealed in wilderness narrative.  As we climb the Mountain of Temptation we will gain a new perspective on how to walk in victory by God’s grace in the midst of evil, sin and a world gone crazy.

First, we will look at the nature of Temptation:

:➢ The Sourcing of Temptation

➢ The Seasonality of Temptation

➢ The Specificity of Temptation

Second, we will develop a strategy of obedience in the midst of temptation:

:➢ Normalizing Temptation

➢ Submitting to God

➢ Resisting the Devil

The Sourcing of Temptation

• The Devil: The Scripture is very clear on this point. The devil, the adversary, Satan is the primary source of all temptation. Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness BUT He was “tempted by the devil.” If you are not careful, you can transfer the leading of the Spirit onto the leading of the devil. Luke’s narrative sheds further light on this distinction between the leadership of the Holy Spirit and the leadership of the Devil. Luke, who focuses both the Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles on the person and work of the Holy Spirit, shows that Jesus was “being led about the wilderness” by the Holy Spirit. The verb tense for “being led” is in the PASSIVE voice, suggesting He was under the influence or “filled” with the Spirit of God as he walked about. The word for “led” is also used for a ship being “driven or carried” along by the wind that fills its sails or a driving storm. Like Israel, who spent 40 years in the wilderness, was “carried” by God like an eaglet on the wings of an eagle.

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. (James 1:13)

The Spirit of God is ALWAYS leading us toward victory and the purpose to serve and glorify God. God Himself has no sin nature, He is entirely and utterly pure and without mixture. There is nothing in God that would be vulnerable to being carried away by evil.  Satan learned through his temptations of the Son of God that there was nothing in Jesus that would cause Him to be carried away contrary to the will of the Father.

This leads to the second source of temptation…

• Humankind: People can be a source of temptation to what is sinful in the eyes of God. You and I can tempt someone to stumble. For the love of God, Paul warns strong Christians not to put “stumbling blocks” in front of weaker saints (1 Corinthians 14:13). I remember a specific instance I was led by a co-worker and friend to a place I should not have been. We were rooming together and we a few hours before we had to be on the tradeshow floor to represent our company. I was leaving the room because I wanted to get a swimming workout in before a long day on my feet. My roommate invited himself and said he would go with me. On the way, he suggested we go to another pool to work out that I did not know about. Oddly, we had to pay to get into this pool, at this point I should have realized this was not a good idea and fled for the other pool. I foolishly went along and the rest was an embarrassing page in my work history. Fortunately, God had mercy when I owned up to my actions.

*Sarah Tempted Abraham by Giving Hagar to Prematurely Fulfill Promise of an Heir (Gen.16)

*The Israelites Tempted Aaron to Fashion an Idol while Moses Delayed On Mount Sanai

*Peter Tempted Jesus to Avoid the Cross (Matt.16:23)

The other day I was speaking to a brother who has a drinking problem. He had broken off a relationship that was highly dysfunctional, even though he really cared about this person. However, this person had decided they did not want him in their life anymore.  He was living a sober life and had recovered a very good job that he had lost due to his drinking. One day he was unpacking some clothes that he had picked up from his former girlfriend’shouse. As he was unpacking she had put three bottles of whiskey in the midst of the belongings.  He was carried away with desire and drank all three bottles over the next few days of Christmas break. By the grace of God, hewas able to recover himself but nearly lost his home and job again. His X-girlfriend knew his weakness and wanted to see him fail in his sobriety.

If we are not careful, we can be a source of leading others to a “cess- pool” of carnality, sensuality or bitterness. We are called to “love one another” and lead each other to the depths of God’s love and fountain of His Spirit to drink deeply.

• The Human Heart: Temptation emerges from the blackness of our own heart. Our heart has the ability to tempt us to take a path of potential destruction. Listen closely to these two passages of truth from God’s word…

“But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.” (James 1:14)

“The heart is more deceitful than all else; And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)

Satan is limited in his power, knowledge and presence. I highly doubt Satan himself has the time to fiddle around with you. The “Devil made me do it” is a fundamental case of mistaken identity. The truth is “YOU made yourself do it.” However, you are in a battle against “spirits of wickedness”, the warfare is personal and it is strategic against us. You and I are culpable for our sins. People around you are also limited in their ability to influence for better or for worse. Yes, good company can corrupt bad morals. We need to be a force for the goodness and grace of God. The problem with evil and sin is it resides in the human heart…YOUR HEART…MY HEART. Our hearts lead us and tempt us to disobey God. Jesus was alone in the wilderness; his only interaction was with the Father, the angels, the wild beasts and the Devil. He was tempted in every possible way we have been tempted but HE WAS WITHOUT SIN. His heart was wholly devoted in His Father in perfect love and obedience.

However, we still wrestle with our sin nature. Romans 7 is the watershed for understanding evil, sin and temptation.

If we can learn to wrestle with God in our falleness, we can learn to stand strong in the day of temptation by the grace of God.

For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate……I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good…22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, 23 but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin. (Romans 7:15,19,21-25)

Some scholars would argue this is Paul’s struggle BEFORE his conversion to Jesus Christ. The argument is understandable because someone truly “born of God” does not “practice sin” according to the Apostle John. However, John and all the Apostles teach that Christians do in fact SIN AFTER BAPTISM(1 John 1:1-9). The early church really struggled with how to handle post-baptismal sins. WHY? They believed in the radical nature of our conversion to Jesus Christ and the impartation of the divine nature which can’t sin. They rightly believed that the grace of repentance truly laid the axe to the root of sin, thus, expecting the fruit of the Spirit to flourish in the new believer. Water Baptism was often performed only once per year on Easter Sunday. WHY? The new believer spent an entire year preparing through instruction, fastings, and watchings, renouncing the devil and his works. Before they would enter the waters of baptism they would “spit” on the ground and renounce the devil and his works. After baptism, they would anoint the new Christian with oil and pray they would be filled with the Holy Spirit. I do not advocate this kind of approach to spirituality as it may tie “saving grace” to the sacrament of Water Baptism. However, there is something redemptive in the seriously sober approach to deep repentance and preparation to walk as a Christian to face the world, the flesh and the devil. The early church leaned toward the expectation that the Christian should be sinning far less as they grow in holiness. The modern evangelical church leans toward a licentiousness that expects Christians to fall and fall often. We must embrace the paradox of our two natures. I am both a saint and sinner. We are pursuing holiness in a body not yet redeemed and by the grace of God and the resident Holy Spirit bring forth fruit in keeping with our repentance and faith in God.

THERE IS NO CONDEMNATION FOR THOSE IN CHRIST JESUS, BUT THERE IS CONVICTION BY THE HOLY SPIRIT (Romans 8:1)

Once we embrace that truth that our “heart” can be a source of temptation we will guard it with the vigilance of Christ. We will give the indwelling Christ full access to every room of our heart to full occupy us and transform us on a daily basis.

The devil is the father of lies. He promises everything and delivers nothing. Do not be fooled…he can’t give you all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. He can’t give what does not belong to him. The truth is all things belong to the Son and will eventually be subjected to the Father.

But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. 21 For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, 24 then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. (1 Cor.15:20-24)

Worship God and serve Him alone and the devil will fail to distract or derail you and will flee from you!

Father, we humbly bow before You. You are the Father of lights, the Father all goodness who works all things together for Your glory and our joy. You are the source of “testing” for our own good. You are not the author of temptation; you do not seek to lead us on paths that would bring out the worst in us. In fact, you “deliver us from evil”. Father, you seek worshippers who come to You in ny grace and in the Spirit of truth. Satan seeks worshippers to fall down before him in a spirit of deception and lies, for he is the father of lies. We choose to bow down before You and not fall down before the the Devil. We rededicate ourselves to gain only what you give to us in accordance with Your will. We reject the ‘shortcuts’ to prosperity and success built on pride. Give us the humility of Jesus to reject all premature solicitations of the devil to circumvent your provision. We devote ourselves again to walk as Your true worshippers and servants. We trust you to protect us while we walk with You. AMEN

Read Matthew 4:1-25

This narrative by Matthew reveals the marks or evidences of living a life yielded to the Holy Spirit. I have included an old journal entry from a couple of years ago for your perusal. I used the word “LED” Matthew 4:1. However, I then found where the word “LED” is used by Luke in his gospel in reference to the life of Jesus being “LED” by the Spirit.

The Leadership of the Holy Spirit is not a bed of roses nor is it always a bed nails.

The first time I hugged my wife I fell over a railing into a prickly rose bed. As Cheri picked out the thorns in my arm and side, the Holy Spirit told me our relationship would be both a fragrance and painful. He led us into our marriage but warned us it would not be easy but it would be rewarding.  We have experienced great joy and sorrow…this is the baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire in relationships…mingled joy and sorrow!

Surely the Spirit will lead us beside a ‘still waters and restore our soul’. He will also lead us to stop destructive behavior or attitudes that can destroy our soul. The Spirit will lead us to seasons of solitude and intense relationship. The Spirit can’t be controlled, but He requires our self-control or yielded-ness. We may be led to a bloody field of courage or a green pasture of retreat. The Holy Spirit will lead us into the AWE of God.

THE BAPTISM OF REPENTANCE MUST PRECEDE THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT. THE NEXT MOVE OF GOD WILL BE MARKED BY REPENTANCE AND A RECOVERY OF THE AWE OF GOD. THE FATHER INTENDS TO EXTUBATE THE CHURCH FROM ITS OVER-RELIANCE ON PROGRAMS, CONFERENCES, LITERATURE, DEMOGRAPHIC STUDIES AND MARKETING TOOLS. WHAT IS WRITTEN IN THE BIBLE WILL BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHAT IS WRITTEN IN THE LITURGY. THE CHRONOS WILL SUBMIT TO THE KAIROS. THE ROCK WILL RULE THE CLOCK WHILE WE LEAVE THE DOCK OF PLAYING IT SAFE.

Now is the Time to board the ship of Jesus Christ and open the sails to a fresh wind of the Spirit to carry us forward to new lands, new horizons and new challenges. 

ENJOY THE JOURNEY LED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD!

How do you know when you are “high”? Under-the-influence.

I was HIGH in the Sierra Nevada Mountains several times as a teenager growing up in Northern California in the 1970’s. The summer of 1980 I graduated from high school and our seniorclass celebrated by going to Hawaii for $600.  However, my closest five friends (4 swimmer’s and a hockey player) we went back packing for $60 in Desolation Wilderness in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Yes, I did inhale… a lot. I will never forget catching a Golden Trout in the above timberline Mary’s Lake. We hopped through glacier fields, fished in lakes and streams, and built campfires together. One night we freaked out that our campsite was being invaded by fresh water crawdads.  When ‘under the influence’ everything around you seems so raw and primordial.  You endanger yourself and others, but in that moment of impaired judgement you are often more willing to take risks OR you can become paranoid.  I never did hard drugs just marijuana and alcohol.  The physical evidence of being ‘HIGH’ was blood-shot eyes,  euphoria, extreme hunger, laughter, desire to hang out with others, dreaming about the future etc. You may say things and do things under normal circumstances you would never say or do. Basically, when you are high on drugs or alcohol you have yielded yourself to an outside stimulant or depressant to get INSIDE you and influence your thinking and behavior. If you are not careful, this can lead to disastrous results and lifelong addictions or it can just be a phase of life that is discarded like old clothes that you have outgrown.  

Thankfully, in January of 1981 I went on a Youth Retreat to the Sierra Nevada’s. I had been recently born again and had just quit swimming in college a couple of weeks earlier. This act of obedience (See December 31, 2019 Sink or Swim? Blog) enabled me to attend the retreat. This gathering in the mountains changed the course of my life forever. I was baptized in the Holy Spirit by Jesus Christ while I was in a pre-service prayer meeting with my Youth Pastor John Baffert and my good friend Kerry Kingsland. I was praying for individuals in the youth group and a burden came on me for one of the girls in the group. As I prayed I begin to feel intensity in me and heat come upon me and I began to weep. The weeping and burden then became a stream of communication to the Father with very simple words that I thought sounded like a foreign language. John told me what was happening and I was filled with life and joy and peace. I felt as though I was completely new and nothing mattered but what God was doing in my life…nothing mattered but Him and how I could help others. The evening gathering started with some songs of praise. John then asked me to share with everyone (about 40 people) what happened to me during prayer. As I began to talk about my experience the floodgates of heaven opened in me and above me and I was totally immersed by Jesus in the Holy Spirit. I began to tremble and weep as my heart was overflowing and thoughts began to fill my mind with a prophetic word (I did not know it was a prophesy). God was so near to me, He was IN me and wanting to communicate His words to His people. So I began to prophesy, “I am Jesus Christ, I am the Resurrection and Life, I am the God of the Living. I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!” When I finished proclaiming this, it was like a storm moved into the room and people began to weep and cry and pray. People were kneeling, sitting, standing and laying on the ground as God’s Spirit swept through the room. Many began to pray in tongues and pray in English. We started praying for each other and it was like a river had filled a Wadi and washed us down into a pile of wood floating down a river together. I will never forget several hours later sitting on a bench by a window with Steve Roberts (now a retired Army Chaplain) and we were so filled with joy and laughter because we could not speak in English to each other even though we tried! Every single person in that gathering was filled with the Spirit of God, some for the first time. The one gentleman did not manifest supernatural communication with and or for God, Burt, had an open vision. Burt saw a shaft of light come down from heaven and settle on my head while I was prophesying. In the shaft of light, he saw giant drops of rain descending one drop at a time from heaven.

THIS NIGHT I EXPERIENCED GETTING HIGH, GETTING FILLED WITH GOD’S SPIRIT TO OVERFLOWING. JESUS BAPTIZED ME…IMMERSED ME…TOGETHER WITH MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS.

Thankfully, I learned early in my Christian experience that there are three primary Baptism’s for the follower of Jesus:1. Baptism into the Body of Jesus Christ. Through the New Birth the Holy Spirit places us into the Body of Jesus, the Church, as an individual vital member and minister (Eph.4).  The initial Evidence is we want to fellowship and serve alongside other Christians.2. Baptism in Water. The minister baptizes us in physical water. The Evidence is we get wet!3. Baptism in the Holy Spirit.  Jesus baptizes us in the Holy Spirit and fire. The Evidence is we receive supernatural power to communicate the Gospel in love. I spoke in tongues (and still do) and prophesied. This watershed moment is meant to become a river of purpose, power, and purity by God’s Spirit. 

The key is we need to CONTINUALLY be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:15-21). The truth is you may have been “baptized in the Holy Spirit” 38 years ago or 1 year ago but you’re not currently “filled with the Spirit”. Oh my friend, you are INDWELT by the Holy Spirit as a Christian, but are you currently in tune, in step, UNDER THE INFLUENCE Of THE HOLY SPIRIT? My father-in-law pointed out many years ago, “you are like a glass, when you get bumped what comes out is what you are filled with.”

Our story in Matthew 4 begins with the narrative that Jesus ‘after he was baptized by John in the River Jordan, was then filled with the Spirit (according to Luke 4:1) and was led about the wilderness by the Spirit. After Jesus was in the wilderness for 40 days, the Gospel of Luke records, “And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through the entire surrounding district. And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all” (Luke 4:14-15).

Jesus is our example of living for the glory of God the Father. Anyone truly “born of God” has an innate desire to know God, obey God and please God. Jesus said it this way, “if you love Me, obey my commandments.” 

Matthew 4 through the lenses of the life of Jesus reveals several EVIDENCES of being High in the Spirit…filled with the Spirit …led by the Holy Spirit.

• The Evidence of Opposition (Matt.4:1-11)

Opposition is often a clear indication that you are being led by God’s Spirit.  My beloved  father-in-law, an International Pentecostal preacher for 60 years, often said, “What is theEVIDENCE of being baptized in the Holy Spirit?…TROUBLE!” Keep in mind, God will also “oppose” us because of our pride. We need Divine Permission…Divine Leadership to enter this warfare wilderness. 

You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith,” (1 Peter 5:6-9)

Spiritual warfare is not an option for the Christian. Confrontation with an adversary should not just be expected but provoke our preparation. We must walk in humility.  The image employed here by Peter is that of a slave washing the feet of the Master’s guest(s). Jesus himself put on a slaves apron and washed His disciples feet the night of Passover and His betrayal. He washed the feet of Judas, who would soon be filled with Satan and use his feet to guide the Jewish religious authorities and Roman soldiers to arrest Jesus in Gethsemane under the cover of night. We must be awake and sober. Isolation is also a ploy of the Devil.  In our narrative Jesus was “led” into the lonely wilderness “to be tempted by the Devil.”  Too often our ISOLATION is our own stupidity, and the devil pounces on us like a African lion on an unsuspecting water buffalo. 

The Holy Spirit leads us to know and understand WHAT IS WRITTEN to prepare us for the inevitable temptation. We must know accurately the word of God before the war!

• The Evidence of a Home Base and a Divine Message(Matt.4:12-17)

Jesus filled with the Spirit and power had a home church in Capernaum and a Divine Message.

Jesus was LED to withdraw into Galilee because of the arrest of his cousin John. Hostility had built in Judea toward John because of John’s calling out Herod’s adulterous relationship. In Nazareth (where he was raised) the citizens were at first “speaking well” of Jesus.  However, they were a bit cynical thinking to themselves, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”.  Jesus performed a miracle in the synagogue of Nazareth.  His teaching and healing were met with resistance and unbelief in his hometown. In fact Luke writes they were “filled with rage” and they “led” him to the brow of a cliff and intended to toss Jesus to His death (Luke 4:28-29). Jesus’ knew His hour of death was not to be in Nazareth but in Jerusalem in the future, so he passed through the crowed unharmed. 

Popularity may or may not be evidence that you are following the lead of the Holy Spirit. We must have discernment to avoid unnecessary conflict and or the lure of popularity.

Jesus then “SETTLED” in Capernaum with a home base out of Peter’s house which was the street from the synagogue. The House Church movement began at this juncture in the history of the church. The idea behind “settle” is to have an address, somewhere your reside. In order for you and I to get a drivers license we have to have a permanent address, somewhere we can verify that we live.

Here are some examples how this word for “settle” (Gk. Katoikeo) is used in the New Testament. All these point to a place of belonging or possession.

*God “settled” in Jerusalem in the Temple (Matt.23:21)

*The fullness of the God head “dwelt” in Christ (Col.1:19)

*Christ and through the Holy Spirit “settles” or “dwells” in the heart of the believer (Eph.3:17;James 4:5)

*Demons “dwell” or “possessing” a man (Matt.12:45)

SPECIFICITY: A follower of Jesus has a place they call home and they have a specific message.

Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand! (Matt.4:17)

• The Evidence of an Intense Desire to Fellowship and Pour Your Life Into Others (Matt. 4:18-20)

This evidence kind of follows along the line of recognizing a specific home church that you belong. However, we all know you can attend church but not be truly in meaningful relationships within that church community.  I have been aSenior Pastor, an elder and a congregant in churches. I have also been ABSENT from the local church for seasons.  I know that ATTENDING church does not been you are SERVING or PARTICIPATING in the life of that church. We can become experts at ducking responsibility and accountability in the body of Christ. I remember a season I was attending a church and some of the most loving brothers were pursuing me because they honestly loved me and cared about me.  They liked me and even were interested in learning from me. However, I was filled with so much “church pain” I finally and basically said to a dear brother over coffee, “I don’t want to change for anyone but God.”  My wife told these friends “Jeff does not want to be man-handled”. WOE…that was my pivot to some pretty rough roads for next couple of years.  What sounded so spiritual and in tune with God and God-alone was really the voice of satanic pride that led me to isolation and near destruction. We need each other to “change”.  If you don’t believe that you had better take inventory of yourself and repent of pride.

When Jesus called John and his brother James, the Scripture says they were “mending” their nets (Matt.4:21). This word is such a powerful foreshadow and picture of the ministry of the Apostles. This same word “mending” (Katarizo) is translated “equipping” of the Christian for the work ministry (Eph.4:12). In Galatians 6:1, KATARIZO is used to describe a fallen Christians who needs to be restored. The idea here is medical imagery of bone or joint being reset and healed to fully function again. In Luke 6:40, KATARIZO is used to the process and progression of true discipleship. A teacher “equipping” with instruction and living life together with his or her students to bring about transformation in order for them to then replicate the paradigm. Discipleship was never intended to be solely in an academic setting or relegated to a pulpit or program in the church. True discipleship was modeled by Jesus around the Sea of Galilee with his disciples. He modeled and they watched. He “mended” men and women. He then let them do what He did while He watched. Then He left and let them continue His work in the power of the Spirit

.• The Evidence of Truth and Power and Spreading the Influence of God’s Goodness (Matt.4:23-25)

A Spirit-filled follower of Jesus will walk in both truth, power.  The Spirt-filled believer will release an overall DIVINE VIBE that the ‘goodness’ and grace of God is the most powerful force on planet earth! People are exposed to the goodness of God through us and this goodness leads to repentance. People get saved by God’s grace around Spirit-filled and led Christians. As we cleave closely to the goodness of God we will witness the defeat of evil.  As we follow closely the leadership of God’s Spirit we will always find a reason to rejoice even in the most difficult of circumstances because we know God’s Goodness does not retreat in the face of anything but charges ahead to victorious transformation of our lives and those around us! The love of God pouring through the believer will be manifest in proclaiming in word and deed the presence of Jesus. I see the triad of this verse as Revelation, Demonstration, and Transformation. We need a Truth-encounter and a Power-encounter with the living God. Jesus, according to Luke, was filled and driven by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness (Luke 4:1). Jesus fasted, prayed and obeyed for 40 days. Luke then records, Jesus came OUT OF THE WILDENERNESS IN THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT and began to do good works, preach, tick people off,  disciple others, heal the sick and cast out demons (Luke 4:14-15). 

“You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing goodand healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him”. (Acts 10:36-38).

• The Evidence of Holiness, Genuine Prayer and Intimacy with the Father (Romans 8:12-17)

“ So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you [f]must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery [g]leading to fear again, but you have received [h]a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.”

Wow…this is power pact load of transformative truth. The EVIDENCES revealed her have more to do with SANCTIFICATION, the process by which the Christian BECOMES RIGHTEOUS! We are justified freely by the grace of God. We are sanctified by the person and work of the Holy Spirit in us. The evidence we are being led by the Spirit in our sanctification is taught in these verses. We know we are cooperating with the Holy Spirit

*New Impulses (Romans 8:12) You are have a new sense of freedom to be governed by God’s ways, His heart and impulses.

*New Behavior (Romans 8:13) You Sin Less! The doctrine of mortification teaches us we are “putting to death the deeds of the body”.

*New Leadership (Romans 8:14) We are sons of God and we seek to be led by the Spirit of God in our motives and choices.

*Fearless Love to Draw Near to the Father in Dependence and Prayer (Romans 8:15-16)

*The Assurance of Salvation (Romans 8:16). We no longer fear damnation. On the contrary, the Spirit of God communicates that we belong to the Father and He will lead us through this life to a heavenly home prepared for us in heaven.

*The Best is Always Yet to Come (Romans 8:17) As “heirs” we will receive all God the Father has freely given us in Christ. Our full redemption and inheritance is yet to be possessed.

(PRAYER)

Father, we are so very grateful you recorded the life of your Son Jesus in the Gospels.  He is our example of a life lived “well-pleasing” to You.  We realize how far we fall short of following His example. We cry out for mercy and grace to intercept our misguided attempts to be effective. We specifically ask you will teach us the difference between being led by the Spirit and led by our best intentions. We do not need good intentions, but we need Your Good Spirit to pervade our spirit, our heart, our will, our emotions, our thoughts and the deeds of our body. Immerse us in the lifestyle born of God and continually filled with the love of God and obedient faith to produce the fruit that brings you into forefront of our lives and those around us. AMEN

“Now John Himself had a garment of camel’s hair, and a leather belt about his waist and his food was locusts and wild honey…. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. 17 It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Matthew 3:4; Luke 1:15-17)

John was the only son of a priest. His lifestyle of simplicity, starkness and poverty was likely a self-imposed choice. He was dedicated as a Nazirite forbidden to drink any alcohol. He was the first disciple of Jesus to be filled with the Spirit while in the womb of Elizabeth.
As you read today, Ask yourself the question, “What am I willing to change about myself to remove obstacles to prepare a clear straight path so others can know JESUS, the wonderful Lord and Savior?”

Read Matthew 3:1-17

John was a prophet. He was the cousin of Jesus. Mary went to visit Aunt Elizabeth when John was in the 3rd Trimester of development. The Scripture reveals that John “leaped for joy” in the womb of Elizabeth when she heard the greeting of Mary. Perhaps this was the last time John was happy. He was the son of priest who grew up in the deserts of Judea rather than the courts of the temple. In that parched cold and hot wilderness John grew in his capacity to listen to the heart of God, growing in grace and wisdom. In the wilderness, unplugged from common society John became the Baptist, the Way Maker. How much wiser and gracious might we be if we would but unplug from our smartphones, laptops and SmartTV’s?

Silence is the home of the Word. In Solitude we can receive the Spirit to then bear to the community (Isaiah 30:15).

John was such an enigma. Jesus said there was no one greater born of a woman than His cousin. He was highly esteemed by the Lord Himself. “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” (ESV,Matt.11:11)

John the Baptist lived with one purpose only…TO POINT OTHERS TO JESUS CHRIST. The main two points of John’s message was…

1) Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).
2) Jesus would baptize in the Holy Spirit and fire (Matt.3:11).
John was the epitome of having a laser focus and free from distractions.

From the moment “he leaped with joy” in the womb of Elizabeth, baptized Jesus in the Jordan River and was finally beheaded by Herod…John did not get out of his lane. John stayed his course until it cost him his life. His lifestyle was a rugged individual choice to not be softened by the plush culture of religion and Hellenization. His lifestyle was a preparation for the opposition and persecution he would attract.

We are entering into a New Year. Resolutions are being made to present a better version of ourselves to the world. Let’s think about John the Baptist for a moment. John’s resolute character was based on REVELATION he received from God. His outward dress and diet simply reflected his inward devotion to a higher purpose and cause of Jehovah.

Personally, I enjoy fine dining and occasional fast food. I have become much more careful with what I eat the older I have become and for health reasons. My wife is a phenomenal scratch cook. In the morning, give me a couple of fried eggs with a slice of whole grain Dave’s bread and cup of tea and I’m good until late into the afternoon. I was raised with a very simple taste in clothes. I never recall my father or mother shopping much for clothes. We got our clothes for each year at Christmas and before school began….that’s it. I had a pretty simple upbringing when it came to food and clothing. My parents never openly drank and certainly never saw them intoxicated. Thank God! However, compared to John, I lived in the lap of luxury. I did love to wander the prairies of Pueblo during the summer months. I would spend hours often by myself pursuing snakes, tarantulas, lizards and birds, basically, anything that moved may be caught and or killed.

John knew who he was…he was a prophet…no apologies, no excuses…John was going to bring the word of the Lord unapologetically to whoever would listen. Judgement is coming you better repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins.

The wardrobe and diet of John I believe speaks to our lifestyle as followers of Jesus. Personally, I believe to some degree Jesus was more pleasant to be around than John. Jesus hung out at parties; John hung out in the desert. Hygiene and Cuisine are important. I went through a phase where once a year I would go to Macy’s or Nordstrom and search for the SCENT of the year for me. After much ado about nothing, I would find MY SCENT and those around me would suffer the lingering effects. We should be more eager to manifest the “sweet aroma” and “the fragrance” of Jesus’ victory everywhere we go. Jesus addressed “food and clothing” as essential but a potential distraction from awareness of God the Father’s presence and provision in our life. How many Instagram’s, snapchats and Facebook posts about our greasy or grainy lunch does this world need to behold. Jesus challenges the Jew to not behave like the Gentiles.

“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” ( Matthew 6:31-33)

The Greek verb for “SEEK First” is “ zētéō – properly, to seek by inquiring; to investigate to reach a binding (terminal) resolution; to search, “getting to the bottom of a matter” (HELP Word Studies).

Interestingly, Jesus refers to the Gentiles disposition toward hydration, food and clothing as those who “EAGERLY SEEK”. The word is an intensive verb form of ‘zeteo’ by adding the preposition ‘epi’ or ‘epi-zeteo’. Jesus is saying the Gentiles sole craving and all consuming appetite focuses on what or when they will drink next, wear next and eat next….hmmmm sounds familiar doesn’t it?!

John the Baptist’s appetite or intense craving is for the word of God, the presence of God and the things of the Holy Spirit. Contrary to the Gentiles, John was fixated on where, when and how God would appear to His beloved creation. Jesus during His fast in the wilderness battled the Devil with the understanding that the word of God is more nourishing than bread. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matt.4:4). Jesus compared obeying the will of the Father to eating a good meal, ““My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work (John 4:34)… For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink (John 6:35). Communion and Union with the Father and Son marked with loving trust and obedience is the TRUE FOOD that feeds the muscles of our souls. As the old saying goes, “you are what you eat.” There is urgency in these days to be careful what we DRINK. Jesus warns against ‘drunkenness’ in the last days, advocating SOBRIETY and PRAYERFULNESS and being DRESSED IN READINESS. Paul tells the Ephesians to not pursue drinking too much, but on the contrary “be filled with the Holy Spirit”. There were some seasons in my walk where I was more focused on drinking ‘spirits’ than being immersed in the Holy Spirit. The net result was a lot of wasted time. By God’s grace He has drawn me out Babylon into the wilderness and back into the flow of His Spirit and Word!

“Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil. 17 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; 21 and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. (Ephesians 5:16-21)

WE NEED TO GO ON A BIBLICAL DIET…THE WORD, THE SPIRIT AND WILL OF THE FATHER!

The time is NOW to “put off” the old man and “put on” the new man. Wake up and Rise up and “put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh in regards to its lusts”. John clothed himself with an abrasive coat of camels long hair to remind himself that “he must decrease” and Jesus must increase. John lived in a spirit of repentance knowing the judgement of God was coming. John’s sparse diet reminded him to commit fully to doing the will of God according the word of God.

REPENTANCE IS ALWAS IN VOGUE!

Meditate on the following Scriptures in the spirit and power of John of the Baptist. These Scriptures will help us BECOME FOREUNNERS PREPARING THE WAY FOR THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS CHRIST:

The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

Romans 13:14: But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.

1 Corinthians 15:53: For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.

2 Corinthians 5:2-4: For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life.

Ephesians 4:24: and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

Ephesians 6:11: Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

Colossians 3:12: So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;

Colossians 3:14: Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

1 Thessalonians 5:8: But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.

1 Peter 3:3: Your adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses;

Father, we humbly come to you in the name Jesus. We repent of our softness in such critical days of your activity. Transform our appetites so we will eagerly seek You with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. May we draw by Your Spirit the most essential qualities of your servant John who prepared the way to behold Your Son Jesus as the Lamb of God who saves us from our sins. Toughen our skin and tenderize our hearts with the salt of your grace, mercy and peace. Invigorate our minds with the silence and solitude of the wilderness as we disconnect from World Wide Web of deception. May you teach us humility and simplicity in the lonely places, so we can be strong and helpful to those who are crushed in the market place, bruised in households of abuse and broken in spirit by constant failure. Father give us A VOICE that weeps in the wilderness and rejoices when one sinner repents and enters the kingdom of heaven. AMEN

Five Seasons of Growth are given by God to help the Christian to follow Jesus Christ.

Read Matthew 2:1-23

The recent hit Disney + series The Mandalorian is directed by Happy Day’s Ron Howard’s daughter and actress Bryce Dallas Howard. For Star War lovers it is a lot of fun to watch. The Mandalorian is the story of a Mandalorian certified Guild bounty-hunter who captures fugitives for pay all over the known galaxy. Mandalorian’s are considered the greatest warriors in the galaxy.” Mando” is the name or the star of the show. His planet was wiped out by the evil empire and his parents killed by droids. He was rescued by a Mandalorian and then raised “in the Way”. Eventually, Mando’s exploits land him the job to pursue and capture an asset who is of great concern to the remerging dark Empire. The payday is enough to retire on and live the good life. He accepts the assignment and eventually captures alive an adorable little green bi –pedal carnivorous swamp creature about 18” tall. Thus, into the story enters “Baby Yoda”! BY (Baby Yoda) is 50 years old at the time of the capture. Yoda is around 900 years, about the age of Biblical Methuselah, when he incorporeally transitions to the good side of the force. After this miracle, BY goes into a coma for a few days to recover from this miracle. BY has a little white Egg Crib that floats around as he follows Mando around through various battles and tricky situations. In one early episode, BY saves Mando from a wild gigantic hairy Rhino beast by levitating the Rhino beast so Mando can knife the Rhino in the side of the head. This all makes for great fun and entertainment. BY attaches himself to Mando as a surrogate father. In time Mando develops a fatherly affection for this mysterious sorcerer, who later becomes one of the founding leaders of the Jedi’s. Mando delivers alive BY to an evil empire politician but changes his mind and manages to escape with the money and BY! The story unfolds from there as Mando and BY avoids capture and death as bounty hunters from all over the galaxy pursue them.

As I have been reading and meditating on Matthew 1 & 2 I keep thinking about Mando, Baby Yoda and the evil leaders of the empire. Likewise, In the Matthews account of the Christmas story you have Joseph, Jesus and Herod. Some of you may already be offended by this comparison. My intent is to just raise awareness how hungry or world is for a ‘messianic’ figure or hero. BY does it all…he heals, he performs astral projection by moving objects with mental telepathic powers, he can even choke people out who might be trying to hurt Mando, he just doesn’t seem to worry about anything but KNOWS (Yoda can be Sanskrit for “warrior “or Hebrew for “know”) everything…BY is somehow BORN TO OVERCOME no matter what comes against him. One minute he can be cooing and chasing frogs for food and the next scene he is pushing back nuclear fire balls back on his enemies! BY seems to always pass out after does a good deed.

My oldest brother John taught me to enjoy Science Fiction and Fantasy. John has been reading Sci-Fi for 50 years. He is a world-renowned expert in the Nuclear Power industry. He frequently travels around the world as a key note speaker at Nuclear and Utility Conferences. I’ll never forget when John came to the revelation that Jesus Christ was Lord and Savior and believed Jesus was the Son of God. One of the first things John said to me was, “Little Bruder, I have been reading Science Fiction most of my life, but there is nothing that compares to the stories I read in the Bible. It’s like every story of the Bible is in some way the seed thought in all literature.” What John was saying is the common anecdote, “truth is stranger than fiction.” All Truth, the Bible is non-fiction, it is God-breathed and capable of breathing life into a dead hopeless soul. The Madalorian is fun but falls very short of bringing life to someone who is hungry and thirsty to know The Truth and to know The Way and to walk with The Life. Baby Yoda has no known genealogy. He is fictional for crying out loud…hahaha. The world is more excited about a fictional green swampy space creature than the Incarnate Son of God, who came to save us from our sins. We must throw off the heavy blanket of entertainment and be awed once again by the truthful history of salvation found in the Bible. I enjoy some good ‘ole fictional literature or movies but not at the expense of my bible gathering moss on my bed stand.

TODAY, WE NEED TO GO ON BIBLE BINGES

Matthew 2:1-23 again reveal some tried and true tips on how to OVERCOME the world, the flesh and the devil. You and I, like Jesus, are “born of God”. Jesus said to the elderly Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, “unless one is born again (born of the Spirit) he cannot see the kingdom of God”.

Peter said, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.” 1 Peter 1:3-9

The Apostle John said, “No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God… Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God… For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith…Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him.…”
( 1 John 2:23;3:9;4:7;5:1,4,18)

Allow me to pivot to the truth of the matter. Matthew 2:1-23 gives us a few more keys to living overcoming lifestyles as those who are born of God’s Spirit and follow Jesus Christ as Lord. There are divine seasons of growth for the Christian. These seasons cycle much like our natural season of Fall, Winter, Summer and Spring. We are predestined to be conformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ (Rom.8:29). We are called to “follow in His footsteps” (1 Peter 2:21). Therefore, the early years of Jesus Christ are footprints that help us understand these seasons. The language of the New Testament uses the work KAIROS to understand these DIVINE SEASONS of OPPORTUNITY.

Galatians 4:4-6 reveals, “But when the fullness of the time (KAIROS) came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”

Matthew 2:1-23…Five Seasons of Growth for the Christian Man or Woman of God:

1) Seasons of Celebration (vv1-2,9-11)

This is the season of the new birth! We celebrate newness of life. We have new hunger and thirsts for the things of God. Like the wise men, we love to worship and sing praises to the Lord and Savior Jesus! We love giving gifts to others. Our First Love is ablaze with forgiveness, faith and fervor. Church attendance is a joy and privilege. We can’t get enough of God’s word and prayer. We are free from church pain and delight in deep fellowship. Nothing can stop us from our journey to give all we have to Jesus our Lord!

2) Seasons of Mixture (vv3-8,12)

All of a sudden we encounter ‘mixture’. Like Herod, we encounter a situation or system or religious leader who should know better. The encounter leaves us wondering, who is this ‘kill-joy’. The “troubled” (v3) Herod agitates everyone around us. Somehow we managed to agitate someone and they are upset with us. Our “zeal without knowledge” steps on somebodies religious toes. We here the crowd say “he is so heavenly minded he is of no earthly good.” For the first time we question ourselves, our motives, our service and our worth. We are shaken a bit, but we move on. The purity and simplicity of devotion to Christ is subtlety used against us to kill our faith and love. We were just seeking God and bringing Him our best and all of sudden someone is threatened and jealous that we are slaying our 10,000’s! Goliath’s head is in our hand with his sword tied to our back. Next thing we know is there is a price on our head and somebody wants to take our sword…stop us from proclaiming the truth of Jesus.

We find mixture in ourselves too. We do and say some things we thought we would never do. Romans 7 and Psalm 130 become our bread and water day and night. Eventually or duplicity and humanity opens us up the deeper grace of God and His continual choice and forgiveness. God warns us not to feed the flesh and sends us on our way back to a place of solid ground, devotion and service. Like Peter we must be “sifted” before we are ready to serve God and truly strengthen our brethren. The Father will allow our enemy to sift us, so the enemy of pride in us will be defeated with humility.

3) Seasons of Hiddenness (vv13-15)

Like Joseph and Mary we flee to Egypt for a season of hiddenness. Life is more precious than death in this case. We have to do what we have to do to survive to fight another day. Destruction is on God’s terms not the Devils. In this cave of anonymity we learn to listen to the “still small voice of God”. All the pomp and circumstance associated with the ministry fades away into a resolute focus. Pillar of fire by night and pillar of smoke by day is exchanged for a blue-fame of assurance and the smoke of wilderness camp fire. You see this “hiddenness” is an essential step in the process of becoming free of pride. Loneliness can purge us of the need to please others and subject ourselves to manipulation and control. Something or someone will try to DESTROY you before you are release to partner with Jesus to destroy the works of the devil. Hiddenness is a mandatory season to learn to wait on God to purge you of pride and release you on his terms and timetable. David learned to hide in the caves and trust God BEFORE he sat on the throne to rule. Jesus too lived in hiddenness before He was released and anointed with the Holy Spirit to do good. Mixture should drive us to the Refiner’s fire to be purified and shaped into vessels of honor.

4) Seasons of Weeping (Matt.2:16-18)

Jesus wept over the death of his beloved friend Lazarus (John 11:35). Peter wept bitterly because of his failure to stand boldly for Jesus (Matt.26:75). Profound loss and failure are seasons during which the Father prepares us to love deeper and be truly humble and reliant upon Him to help others with His strength. Tears need to flow before we can truly move with compassion. Rachel prophetically wept over this senseless slaughter of innocent male children by the power monger Herod. This is the Dark Night of the Soul. Saint John of the Cross was thrown in prison by his brothers for 9 months for exhorting them to be more Christ-like. St. John said something to the effect, “Dusk purifies the mind…the Dead of night purifies the body…the Dawn purifies the Soul”. Jeremiah said “weeping may endure for a night but rejoicing come in the morning.” Seemingly senseless suffering must be embraced in intercession to free the human spirit from passivity. The deluge of “bad news” and “fake news” through the media can lull us into a state of passivity if we are not careful. Intercession, fasting, and weeping must seize us to deal with the blackness and deep darkness settling up on our world. I believe a spirit of grace and supplication is coming upon the church to prepare us for great persecution. We must groan and yield in Gethsemane BEFORE the “swords, torches and lanterns” come to betray us and deliver us into the hands of enraged leaders and mobs. The God of all Grace must be embraced so we can endure the short seasons of suffering.

1 Peter 5:8-11 declares, “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. 10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. 11 To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

5) Seasons of Transition (vv19-23)

Transition is not doing things you can do better. Transition is doing things you have never done and doing them well. Recently, Cheri and I realized we have moved 23 times in 35 years. I was stunned with this fact of reality. In Egypt and in Israel, the Lord appears to Joseph in two dreams to move back to the Galilee. Once again Joseph obeys. I find it amazing that we do not have a single word spoken by Joseph recorded in Scripture. The father who adopted Jesus never gives a prophesy, a song, a prayer or even asks a question. He is simply a SILENT GIANT. Transition is about obedience not sacrifice. Transition is about fulfilling God’s word and obeying His voice. Godly transitions can set the tone of our lives for years. As those born of God, we know His voice like a sheep know the voice of the Shepherd. God has a place for you to take root, grow in greater wisdom and greater grace in order to release greater faith, greater love and greater works!

“Whatever is born of God overcomes the world.” 1 John 5:4

This passage reveals some tips from the example of Joseph, the stand-in father of Jesus and husband of Mary. These mannerisms will help you to nurture an overcoming life for years to come.

Read Matthew 1:1-25

Urghhh…not the Christmas story again! I am tired of the Christmas story. Turn off Jingle Bell’s and Silent Night please, I have a headache. It’s January 1, 2020 for crying out loud. Hangovers rule this day for most of humankind. I’ve taken down the Christmas lights, chopped up the Christmas tree for firewood and returned most of gifts for what I really wanted. The Virgin Mary, the blue-collar Joseph, the sophisticated wise-men, the surly shepherds, and the smelly manger animals are neatly wrapped in and sentenced to solitary confinement again in the attic like Steve McQueen in the Great Escape. You might be saying, “enough with last year, I’m ready to lose weight, to exercise, to stop drinking, cussing and smoking. “ I promise I promise” I won’t do that stuff ever again. I want to know my future, enough with the past. I get it …it’s a bit anticlimactic to revisit the glorious Incarnate Son of God, Jesus the Jewish Child Messiah after you stayed up to watch the Times Square Ball drop. I rather listen to the Top Ten Songs of 2019 then the raw unrehearsed song of angels celebrating the virgin birth of the long awaited “seed” that would save us from our sins and crush the head of Satan, our chief adversary and Ultimate Hater.
Christmas if we are not careful can lull us to sleep. We sleep from overeating, materialism, the sorrow of broken family relationships. 

Depression can sweep in like a toxic cloud robbing us of the joyful and peaceful atmosphere of the First Advent. Then all of a sudden it’s New Year and we wake up like Peter groggily and grumpily swinging swords of RESOLUTION to stop this that or the other.

We often start our OVERCOMING resolutions without much thought or REVELATION on the things that matter to us the most.

Thank God for Joseph who stops us in our tracks and begs the observation, “seems like a different kind of dude, man.”

OK…so I’ll keep it focused on one simple narrative, the way Joseph treated Mary…the way of a man with a virgin. 

Proverbs 30:18-19:
“There are three things which are too wonderful for me, Yes, four which I do not understand:
The way of an eagle in the air
The way of a serpent on a rock,
The way of a ship in the midst of the sea,
And the way of a man with a virgin.”

As we observe Joseph we get a glimpse of someone or something so ‘other-worldly’ yet of this world. If Joseph can do something WONDERFUL so can I!

Joseph is the patron saint of how to handle something or someone born of God. The Scripture declares, “Whatever is born of God overcomes the world.” As you enter the New Year 2020 what do you have inside of you that is born of God? Possibly the year 2019 did not turn out to be defined by victory but more or less by failure? Maybe you did not handle some situations or relationships in a healthy manner? Maybe you are carrying a dream, a vision for ministry of some type to be realized? Perhaps you are trying to break free from debilitating sin and Jesus is your only hope to set you free? 

Since we are human, not being sure how everything is going to unfold is normal. But like Joseph, we must realize…how we treat or steward the word and promises of God will determine the future quality of life and the  fulfillment of God’s will for you. 

You can be an OVERCOMER IN 2020!  You are born of God, and whatever or whomever is born of God’s Spirit is destined to OVERCOME this world! The manner or way that Joseph handled his situation with Mary is an example of how we should steward the gifts of God in our lives. Joseph is a picture of how we can manage a promise of God until it comes to fruition.

Six Proven Principles of being an OVERCOMER:

“Overcome” is the Greek word Nike. Therefore, to OVERCOME implies a battle. We must subdue the enemies of our faith. Whatever is born of God is born into a battle. We must build the mentality of an overcomer with God’s word and the stories of faith found in the Scripture.

Overcome Principle #1:  Read Matthew 1:1-17: Genes Matter but You Don’t Have to Wear Them.

The genealogy of Joseph was far from perfect. Spend some time reading the story of some of Joseph’s ancestors. The gene pool was filled with some pretty bad apples. Some of those ‘fathers’ were considered bad kings who did “what was evil in the sight of the Lord” (Rehoboam, Ahaz, Manasseh, Amon). All the kings were clearly mixtures though some had better report cards than others. 

We must recognize the battle of Nature vs. Nurture.  We are sinners by nature in Adam and we are now saints by nature in Christ… BORN AGAIN.   In addition, We are being nurtured by the word and Spirit of God…and our flesh is being nurtured by the world, the flesh and the devil.  Therefore, it is imperative that we “pick up and carry  our cross daily and follow Jesus”.  The CROSS puts to death or sinful nature and the RESURRECTION of Jesus brings to life and to the forefront His divine nature in us to OVERCOME sin, the world and the devil. 

For example, Josiah rules so well that it is said “He did right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of his father David and did not turn aside to the right or to the left… Josiah removed all the abominations from all the lands belonging to the sons of Israel, and made all who were present in Israel to serve the Lord their God. Throughout his lifetime they did not turn from following the Lord God of their fathers” (2 Chron.34:2,33). On the other hand Josiah’s grandfather Manasseh and father Amon were horrible kings. Amon was murdered by his servants and Josiah installed at the age of eight as king of Judah. The epitaph of Manasseh and Amon was “He did evil in the sight of the Lord according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord dispossessed before the sons of Israel… 9 Thus Manasseh misled Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the sons of Israel… He (Amon) did evil in the sight of the Lord as Manasseh his father had done, and Amon sacrificed to all the carved images which his father Manasseh had made, and he served them. 23 Moreover, he did not humble himself before the Lord as his father Manasseh had done, but Amon multiplied guilt.” Mannaseh and Amon ruled for 57 years prior to Josiah. If there was ever a case for genetic disposition to kick in for the worse, it was Josiah.

Look at the women or the mothers in this genealogy. Tamar, the spurned daughter-in-law of Judah, who disguised herself as a temple prostitute. Rahab the prostitute, Ruth the widowed Moabite and Bathsheba the wife of Uriah whom David murdered to cover up his adultery are all mentioned by Matthew the former Jewish traitor and Roman IRS agent.  

Joseph had many excuses in his gene pool to be a rebel. He could have justified all kinds of destructive behavior, but he chose to not wear the JEANS of his ancestors but identify with the PRESENT word of the Lord and overcome the world of failure and fear. The critical concluding genealogical narrative is found in verse 16…Joseph was fathered by Jacob and the husband of Mary, BUT HE IS NOT MENTIONED AS THE FATHER OF JESUS. Jesus was born of God, conceived of the Holy Spirit (v20). This is the critical point of the Gospel. Jesus was born in “the likeness of sinful flesh” but he was NOT conceived in sin and born in iniquity. Mary was a Virgin Mother. Jesus was the Second Adam and He would OVERCOME the temptations that Adam failed in!  Hallelujah!!!! 
Imitate the Faith not the Failure of those whom you love and respect in your family.  Overcomers Sin Less not More.

Overcomer’s Principle #2: Overcomers Respect the Gestation Period and Handle with Care (Matt.1:18-19)

I remember a Scripture my wife Cheri received when she was pregnant with our first son Jeffrey. She got a Scripture that talked about how the Lord leads with gentleness those who are with child. We were making a major move from NorCal to SoCal to attend Fuller Theological Seminary. We had a word from God to attend Fuller, $300, a Ford Pinto and a temporary place to stay. I was far from the perfect husband and father but the Lord Himself always managed to fulfill that promise to Cheri.  As I observe Joseph in this story, I am struck with WONDER how seemingly gracefully he walked with Mary. Clearly, she could have been stoned for her seeming adultery.  A ‘betrothal’ was as binding as marriage and required two witnesses to dissolve the betrothal.  Engagements today are non-binding and require no legal judgement to dissolve.

  The period of engagement preceding marriage; betrothal was a binding contract established between two families and sealed by the exchange of gifts. During this period the couple did not live together; sexual relations with each other at this stage was regarded as equivalent to adultery.  Betrothal describes the relationship between God and his people and between Jesus Christ and the church” (Dictionary of Bible Themes). 

Joseph by God’s grace and warning obeyed the messenger to identify with Mary as his wife not to bring her to a public arena to condemn her. 
Joseph chose grace over disgrace! 

Choose Grace Over Condemnation! 
Overcomer’s  Pick up the Cross to Carry NOT Stones to Throw. 
You Can’t Carry Two Stone Tablets and the Cross at the same time.

Overcomer’s Principle #3: Know Scripture (Matt.1:22-23) 

The Holy Writings enable us to be properly oriented when we are faced with life decisions and challenges. Matthew was writing his gospel to Messianic Jews. He wanted to show how Jesus came to fulfill the promises of the Law and the Prophets. The Scripture is the Sword of the Spirit to fight our battles against evil forces bent on our destruction. The backdrop of this entire story is a cosmic battle between Satan, the adversary and Accuser of the Brethren. Revelation 12 reveals the nature of our warfare when we are born of God. We must wield the Sword of the Spirit to overcome the power of sin, Satan and this world system,

“Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. 2 Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth.3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. 4 His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. 5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne. 6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.”

Overcomer’s Principle #4:  Recognize the Supernatural Presence of God and Obey His Will (Matt.1:20-24)

Joseph was visited by an angel in his sleep. He was given very specific instructions to not put Mary away secretly, to take Mary as his wife and to name the Child Jesus. Joseph woke from his sleep and obeyed the commands of the angel of the Lord.  Your entire life can pivot for the best with a supernatural visitation of God. In JR Tolkien’s, Lord of the Rings,  Bilbo Baggins and Frodo both allowed their lives to be interrupted by the visit of Gandalf the Gray.  An epic adventure unfolded once they left the comfort of their hobbit hole and sedate life.  Several times when I least expected, the Lord showed up in my life to communicate a critical truth or a word of direction or encouragement.  On one particular occasion, He gave me a dream to warn me I was moving in the wrong direction in my heart. I did not heed the dream and destruction followed. Thankfully, He countered this destruction with restoration through the encouragement of Scripture, forgiveness, dreams, visions and fellowship. 

Pay close attention to the voice God. The burning bush can happen anytime and anywhere!

Overcomer’s Principle #5:  Defer Pleasure to Embrace the Way of Jesus (Matt.1:25)

This is a tough truth to obey in love.  Joseph knew that Mary was a Virgin not only with Child, but she would give birth to the Child AS A VIRGIN. Joseph did not have a sexual relationship with Mary until after she gave birth to Jesus. Joseph took Mary as his wife by shortening the betrothal and getting married. Overcomer’s know how to moderate desires and bring them under subjection to the Spirit of God. I am not suggesting Joseph’s desire to be intimate with his wife was sinful. Sexuality is God-given and to be enjoyed in marriage. The greater truth is found in the principle of “Yielding” the members of our body to be instruments of peace, love, and joy in the midst of strife, passion, appetite, war, violence and sorrow can be very difficult.

The Scripture in 2 Corinthians 11:2-3 declares:
“For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 3 But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”

Overcomer’s Principle #6:  Stay Current with the Holy Spirit through Humility & Repentance. 

The Book of\][[[[[[[[[ Revelation teaches that continual disposition of OVERCOMER’S is REPENTANCE. Jesus speaks to each of the Seven Churches calling them to Repentance and to be Overcomer’s. May the way Joseph treated Mary and managed the Christ Child become our example of keeping ourselves from the temporary sinful pleasures offered by this world. This world wants to defile us with a false gospel and lead us astray. Like Joseph we must simply focus and devote ourselves to Jesus Christ.  As we look to Him and Hope in Him , this Hope “purifies us as He Himself is pure.

“ See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” 1 John 3:1-3