Deuteronomy 1:1-46; Luke 6:1-11; Psalms 67:1-3; Proverbs 17:6

Psalms: “May God be gracious to us and bless us; may he make his face shine upon us Selah so that your way may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, God; let all the peoples praise you.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭67:1-3‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

This psalm begins with an excerpt from the Aaronic Blessing – the blessing that God gave to Aaron the High Priest to proclaim over the nation of Israel. That blessing has, in recent days, been popularized into a song that is sweeping the world. It is so encouraging to hear words of blessing spoken over you – especially when those words of blessing come from the heart of God Himself for His people. In the midst of all the calamity that has occurred this year, those words have served as a reminder that God is for us and not against us… and that His blessing is not just for us, but for a thousand generations after us, if we and our posterity continue to serve the Lord. God desires for His people to be sanctified from the rest of the earth’s population – to be markedly different from the world. This psalm goes on to explain why. God blesses those who fully follow Him so that His ways can be seen in stark contrast to the ways of the world – that the surety of His salvation can be obviously evident among all the nations. What good is it if our lives look just like everyone else’s? The fullness of God’s blessing and favor are on those who have rejected the systems of the world and their own self-rule, and have fully surrendered their lives to God’s word, will, and ways. Those who have fully surrendered to God are His people, and His favor rests upon them. Then they become a sign and a wonder to the rest of the world that continues to slog through life without God’s favor. Why? To exclude those who are not His? No. He does it to make His ways known and to draw people to Himself that all may be His – that all may be saved from this world and brought into His blessing and favor. We, as a world-wide body of believers, love to sing of His promised blessing. The promise that He is for us brings us comfort. But do we fully experience His blessing and favor? Are the words of the song words that we hope to one day experience, or are they words that testify of our present reality? If we take a look at our lives and find that we aren’t fully experiencing the blessing and favor of the Lord, it may be possible that we haven’t fully allowed ourselves and our families to be fully sanctified to the Lord. Are our homes fully integrated into the word, will, and ways of the Lord, or are there areas of compromise? Do we try to live our lives in solidarity with the world’s causes, or do we first live in solidarity with the word of God and the ways of His kingdom? I dare say that if we fully surrender our lives to The King and live fully in His Kingdom, then the Lord will fully bless us with all of the things that the world truly desires but cannot bring to fruition: true peace, love that transcends understanding, joy, contentment, unity, equality among all peoples. Those are the products of God’s blessing and favor, and can only fully be found as we allow God’s Kingdom to be established in us. Those should be fully evident and lived out moment by moment, day by day among God’s people. They can be if we will rid ourselves of mixture and seek first The Kingdom. Then, we as a sanctified people, will become a compelling people that make God’s ways known, His salvation a reality, and lead the world in praise to The God of all gods, the King of all kings, and the Lord of all lords. Amen!

Numbers 36:1-13; Luke 5:29-39; Psalms 66:8-20; Proverbs 17:4-5

NT: “Then Levi hosted a grand banquet for him at his house. Now there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others who were reclining at the table with them. But the Pharisees and their scribes were complaining to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus replied to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a doctor, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Then they said to him, “John’s disciples fast often and say prayers, and those of the Pharisees do the same, but yours eat and drink.” Jesus said to them, “You can’t make the wedding guests fast while the groom is with them, can you? But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them — then they will fast in those days.” He also told them a parable: “No one tears a patch from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. Otherwise, not only will he tear the new, but also the piece from the new garment will not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, it will spill, and the skins will be ruined. No, new wine is put into fresh wineskins. And no one, after drinking old wine, wants new, because he says, ‘The old is better.’”” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭5:29-39‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

One thing that Luke’s gospel brings to light is the availability of the Kingdom of God to any and all peoples, no matter their past behavior nor present entanglements. Jesus intentionally went to the oppressed and outcast of society and brought the good news of the Kingdom to them as well as to the socially accepted. Levi, later renamed Matthew, was a tax collector – and because of his occupation alone was despised and rejected by the religious elite. Jesus didn’t despise him or reject him. Jesus went so far as to go to his house and make Himself available to all of Levi’s uncouth and socially outcast friends. Unlike the religious elite, Jesus didn’t see them as defiled people that would make Him dirty. He saw them as sick people who needed to be made well – and He was the one with the cure. The religious elite were so consumed with their outward piety that they had no room for joy and celebration. Jesus, on the other hand, came to bring the abundance of life, peace, and joy that comes from a right relationship to The Father. Jesus didn’t come to put a new face on an old system. He came to preserve and fulfill the old while initiating and releasing something completely new. Most people are resistant to change and prefer doing things the way they have always done them… but for those who would welcome and embrace His gospel – they would be made new. How often do I – do we become slaves to our categories and become hardened in our attitudes, our thoughts, and our behaviors – relegating people who are not like us as beyond the reach of what we have experienced in the Lord? The Kingdom is open and available to all. Am I… are we willing to embrace change to take the good news of the kingdom to all who need to hear? The greatest inalienable right of humanity is the right to hear the gospel of the Kingdom of God combined with the opportunity to respond to it.

Psalms: “Bless our God, you peoples; let the sound of his praise be heard. He keeps us alive and does not allow our feet to slip. For you, God, tested us; you refined us as silver is refined. You lured us into a trap; you placed burdens on our backs. You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us out to abundance.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭66:8-12‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

This year has been a year of trial and challenge – a year unlike any that most people alive today have ever experienced. Are we being punished or are we being refined? Those who will embrace the Lord through all of this will experience the refining… They will come through this and out of this stripped of their hardened categories and ready for a new way and a new day… stripped of the weight and sin that so easily holds the back – ready to run with endurance the race that is set before them as they look to Jesus who is not only the author, but the finisher of their faith. Those who claim to be followers of Jesus and who have placed the entirety of your faith on Him – remain in Him… blessing Him for His goodness and faithfulness. He will keep us alive and will not allow our feet to slip… and He will bring us out on the other side gloriously transformed and new, blessed to be a blessing to the rest of the world, and filled with His abundance.

Numbers 35:1-34; Luke 5:17-28; Psalms 66:1-7; Proverbs 17:2-3

NT: “Just then some men came, carrying on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed. They tried to bring him in and set him down before him. Since they could not find a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the stretcher through the roof tiles into the middle of the crowd before Jesus. Seeing their faith he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to think to themselves, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” But perceiving their thoughts, Jesus replied to them, “Why are you thinking this in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” — he told the paralyzed man, “I tell you: Get up, take your stretcher, and go home.” Immediately he got up before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God. Then everyone was astounded, and they were giving glory to God. And they were filled with awe and said, “We have seen incredible things today.”” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭5:18-26‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus was able to discern the root cause of the man’s paralysis. Apparently, the man’s past sins had somehow led to his condition, and the way to heal his paralysis was to address his unforgiven sin. So Jesus forgave his sins… and the religious leaders freaked out a little. To prove that He, the Son of Man, had the authority to forgive sins, a miraculous sign followed Jesus’ claim and the paralyzed man got up, picked up his stretcher, and walked out the door. The people were in awe: not only could Jesus heal and cast out demons – He could forgive sins! Oftentimes, our sin can paralyze us as well. Unforgiven sin will paralyze us from walking in righteousness… doing what is right. Unforgiven sin will paralyze our process of drawing near to God and receiving His life and blessing. Unforgiven sin can even paralyze us in fear – fear of the unknown… fear that our past will come back to haunt us… fear that we will be found out. How many of us are paralyzed in their ability to think and do rightly because of unconfessed and unforgiven sin? Imagine what the world would be like if more people were forgiven of their sin and were given the grace to think right thoughts, do right things, and behave in right ways? Jesus has the authority to forgive our sin and restore our ability to walk in our true purpose and calling. That is awesome!

Psalms: “Let the whole earth shout joyfully to God! Sing about the glory of his name; make his praise glorious. Say to God, “How awe-inspiring are your works! Your enemies will cringe before you because of your great strength. The whole earth will worship you and sing praise to you. They will sing praise to your name.” Selah Come and see the wonders of God; his acts for humanity are awe-inspiring.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭66:1-5‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

God’s ability to forgive sin, renovate people’s lives, reform people’s thinking, and reorient the direction of their lives is awe-inspiring. The work of God goes way beyond just behavior modification. It is complete and total transformation. People that surrender to Him are born again. Their past is expunged and all charges are dropped. He makes all things new. Come and see the wonders of God. What He does in and through lives that are truly surrendered to Him is indescribably awesome!

Numbers 33:40-34:29; Luke 5:12-16; Psalms 65:5-13; Proverbs 17:1

NT: “And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately the leprosy left him. And He charged him to tell no one, “But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as a testimony to them, just as Moses commanded.” However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭5:12-16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

First of all, notice that Luke intentionally mentions that Jesus often withdrew from the crowds to pray. Jesus, as a Holy Spirit-filled and anointed man, had to remain in prayerful relationship with His Father. If He needed regular and frequent prayer, how much more do we? What struck me in this passage was Jesus’ willingness to make Himself ceremoniously unclean in order to make the leper clean. Throughout scripture, leprosy was used as a metaphor for sin. It manifested itself outwardly, but went deeper than a superficial cleansing could go. Anyone who had leprosy was defiled, and would defile anyone who touched them. The leper didn’t doubt Jesus’ ability to cleanse him. What he wasn’t sure of was Jesus’ willingness. But Jesus was willing… and as He touched the leper, Jesus’ cleanness overcame the leper’s defilement, and the leper was healed. Nowadays, it seems like people don’t question Jesus’ willingness for they believe Jesus to be kind, good, and willing. What people doubt now is His ability. Can Jesus cleanse us of the things that defile us? Can He cleanse us of bitterness and hatred. Can He wash every ounce of racism or bigotry out of our heart and give us a love for all people that transcends understanding? The reason why there is doubt is because there are so many people, for whatever reason, who wave the banner of Jesus over their heads, but have never fully allowed Him to touch and clean those deep areas. So people doubt Jesus’ ability. But Jesus is both willing and able to cleanse us of all sin and defilement and create in us a clean heart that loves God and loves people… all people. We just have to be willing to let Him touch us.

Psalms: “By awesome deeds in righteousness You will answer us, O God of our salvation, You who are the confidence of all the ends of the earth, And of the far-off seas; Who established the mountains by His strength, Being clothed with power; You who still the noise of the seas, The noise of their waves, And the tumult of the peoples. They also who dwell in the farthest parts are afraid of Your signs; You make the outgoings of the morning and evening rejoice… You crown the year with Your goodness, And Your paths drip with abundance.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭65:5-8, 11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

God the Creator is God over the earth. Although much of the inhabitants of the earth have rejected His role and rule, He still, in His goodness and mercy, sustains the earth. Because of Him, from where the sun rises to where the sun sets… from east to west… over the entire face of the earth, there can be rejoicing because He is the source of joy – there can be peace because He is the source of peace – there can be love because He is the source of love. This same faithful God has committed Himself to hear the prayers of those who seek Him and His purposes. He has committed to answer prayers that are aligned with His purposes. Even as the inhabitants of the earth roar and rage in hate and anger, and even shake their fists in His face, this God of creation is both willing and able to still the noise and bring peace to the tumult, if we but recognize Him as Lord and ask for His involvement. This year that has been fraught with upheaval of all sorts can be crowned with His goodness, if we would just humble ourselves before Him and recognize Him once again as God.

Numbers 33:1-39; Luke 5:1-11; Psalms 65:1-4; Proverbs 16:31-33

NT: “As the crowd was pressing in on Jesus to hear God’s word, he was standing by Lake Gennesaret. He saw two boats at the edge of the lake; the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the land. Then he sat down and was teaching the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” “Master,” Simon replied, “we’ve worked hard all night long and caught nothing. But if you say so, I’ll let down the nets.” When they did this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets began to tear. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them; they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’s knees and said, “Go away from me, because I’m a sinful man, Lord!” For he and all those with him were amazed at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons, who were Simon’s partners. “Don’t be afraid,” Jesus told Simon. “From now on you will be catching people.” Then they brought the boats to land, left everything, and followed him.” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭5:1-11‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Oftentimes, Simon Peter gets a bad rap for his impetuousness. But you must give him props for his faith and willingness to obey, even when it doesn’t make sense. Simon and his partners had worked all night long and had caught nothing. Their efforts were a complete bust. When Jesus was on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, they were wrapping up their shift and washing their nets. Fishermen had to wash their nets after each fishing excursion and then stretch them out to dry or else the nets would rot and fall apart. So when Jesus asked Simon to allow Him to use his boat, I’m sure Simon kept on washing his nets while Jesus preached. Imagine the thoughts that went through Simon’s mind when Jesus told him to go out to the deep and fish again. First of all, Simon had probably just finished washing his nets. If we went fishing, he would have to wash them all over again. Plus, the best fishing was at night in the shallows. No one fished during the day in the deep waters. What Jesus was asking him to do was a complete inconvenience and a complete waste of time. Most of us would have told Jesus no, saying, “I don’t have time… I’ve just washed my nets, maybe another time… Jesus, you don’t even know what you are talking about – that’s not how it’s done.” Yet, despite all the things Simon was probably thinking, he replied, “If you say so, we’ll do it.” Because Simon went against convention and his better judgement to obey Jesus, he had a face to face encounter with the inexhaustible Kingdom of God that is never short of resources. Simon and his partners had a financial windfall. Oh the money they would make with that miraculous haul of fish. Simon’s mind was complexly blown – his categories shattered and in disarray. That choice to obey the Lord changed Simon’s life forever. How many opportunities do we miss out on because the Lord’s timing is inconvenient, His requests don’t make sense, or we think that obeying His word will be a complete waste of time? Lord, help me to hear Your voice clearly and obey without reservation, for Your ability to work through my obedience is inexhaustible.

Psalms: “Praise is rightfully yours, God, in Zion; vows to you will be fulfilled. All humanity will come to you, the one who hears prayer. Iniquities overwhelm me; only you can atone for our rebellions. How happy is the one you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We will be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭65:1-4‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

As I look at the state of the world today and consider all that is going on, it can be completely overwhelming. It seems that no matter where you look, it is almost impossible to find a voice that it worthy to be trusted – almost every side has an angle and trying to leverage current events to go beyond what is needed to enact their own agenda. Is there even a way for justice and righteousness to be fully accomplished – for true and lasting peace to be made? The remedy can only be found at the feet of the God of all gods, Whose ability to forgive our rebellious hearts and transform our hardened hearts is inexhaustible. The needs of all humanity will be satisfied with the goodness of His kingdom, but only if we come humbly to Him and submit ourselves before His holiness and choose to abide with Him – in Him by faith. Lord help us.

Numbers 32:1-42; Luke 4:31-44; Psalms 64:10; Proverbs 16:28-30

NT: “Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbath. They were astonished at his teaching because his message had authority. In the synagogue there was a man with an unclean demonic spirit who cried out with a loud voice, “Leave us alone! What do you have to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are — the Holy One of God!” But Jesus rebuked him and said, “Be silent and come out of him!” And throwing him down before them, the demon came out of him without hurting him at all… After he left the synagogue, he entered Simon’s house. Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked him about her. So he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up immediately and began to serve them. When the sun was setting, all those who had anyone sick with various diseases brought them to him. As he laid his hands on each one of them, he healed them. Also, demons were coming out of many, shouting and saying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah.” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭4:31-35, 38-41‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Anointed and filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus, the Christ in a body, spoke with authority and moved in power. He claimed that He was anointed to heal and set people free, and that is exactly what He did. In verse 43 of this same chapter, Jesus stated that He was also sent to proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God… that the Kingdom of God had come and was at hand. The Kingdom of God on earth is not a physical place – at least not yet. It is the rightful rule, power, and authority of God. Not only did Jesus demonstrate that He was indeed the Anointed One, but that He represented the fullness of the Kingdom of God, and that the kingdom of darkness had no power or authority over Him. That is what signs and wonders do – they validate the claims of the gospel of the Kingdom. Jesus, filled with and anointed by the Holy Spirit, went throughout the region speaking in the authority of the Kingdom and proclaiming the gospel of the Kingdom… and signs and wonders followed Him to validate His claims. The same can be and should be true of us. If we truly are in Christ, this His anointing is on us. If we have truly been redeemed by His sacrifice, then we are agents of the Kingdom of God and endowed with Kingdom authority. If we have been filled with His Holy Spirit, then we are empowered with Kingdom power. That is why, in Mark 16, Jesus said that as we go into all the world preaching the gospel of the Kingdom, signs and wonders would follow us. We don’t have to become weird and try to “manufacture” signs and wonders. The supernatural will naturally follow those who follow Jesus’ example. That begs the question, why do we not experience what we can and should be experiencing? Are we fully in Christ or are we in our flesh? Have we been baptized and remaining full of the Holy Spirit or are we walking in our own limited abilities? Are we proclaiming the gospel of the Kingdom or are we keeping that glorious good news to ourselves? Are we making bold claims of God or do we hold back because we don’t really believe in the power and authority of the Kingdom, and that it rules and reigns in us… or perhaps that’s it: the King and His Kingdom doesn’t have dominion because we would rather be lord of our own lives. Lord, show me where and why I am not fully walking in Kingdom power and authority, and work in me to will and do Your good pleasure.

Psalms: “The righteous one rejoices in the Lord and takes refuge in him; all those who are upright in heart will offer praise.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭64:10‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

The righteous are those who have placed their complete trust in God. The righteous are those who set aside their own desires and agendas and pursue the plans of God. The righteous are those who have placed there faith on God, on His word, who His word has revealed Him to be, and in His Son Who is the Word if God made flesh. The righteous are the people of God – citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, and they take their refuge in the preeminent power and authority of the Righteous and Just One from whom all righteousness and justice originates. All those who are upright in heart – who have had their hardened heart of stone reborn into a fully alive heart of flesh – offer praise to God. How could they not, for God, above all, is worthy.

Numbers 31:25-54; Luke 4:14-30; Psalms 64:1-9; Proverbs 16:26-27

NT: “Then Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread throughout the entire vicinity. He was teaching in their synagogues, being praised by everyone. He came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. As usual, he entered the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him, and unrolling the scroll, he found the place where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. And the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on him. He began by saying to them, “Today as you listen, this Scripture has been fulfilled.”” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭4:14-21‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Just as Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Spirit, and victoriously endured the temptation in the wilderness by the power of the Spirit, He returned to Galilee and began His ministry in the power of the Spirit. Everything He did was by the power of the Holy Spirit that was upon Him and within Him. When He came to his hometown and entered his home synagogue, He was given the opportunity to speak. Intentionally, He asked for the scroll of Isaiah the prophet and found this specific passage (what we know as Isaiah 61:1-2). He proclaimed, “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me and has anointed me to preach good news… to heal the broken hearted, release the captive, give sight to the blind, set free the oppressed, and proclaim Jubilee! Then He stopped. He intentionally didn’t finish the thought. The passage goes on to say, “and the day of God’s vengeance,” But Jesus hadn’t come to bring vengeance (even though that is what the people wanted). Jesus’ first coming was to win freedom. His second coming will be the day of vengeance. At that time, He was anointed to give sight to blind people (both physically and spiritually) and set imprisoned and oppressed people free… to reconcile men to God and man to man. Those who are now in Christ have that same Spirit upon them and that  same anointing. We are anointed by the Spirit to cause people to see what they couldn’t see before… to bring the light of truth to their eyes. We are anointed to set imprisoned and oppressed people free. We are anointed to heal the broken-hearted. We are anointed to first bring people to God and reconcile them to our Heavenly Father, so that they may truly be reconciled to one another… to see walls of division, walls of prejudice, walls of hatred, walls of devaluation and dehumanization come down. If we are truly in Christ and filled with His Holy Spirit, we are specifically anointed to do this until the end of the age. Then at the end of the age, God will have His day of vengeance on those who refused to be reconciled.

Psalms: “God, hear my voice when I am in anguish. Protect my life from the terror of the enemy. Hide me from the scheming of wicked people, from the mob of evildoers, who sharpen their tongues like swords and aim bitter words like arrows, shooting from concealed places at the blameless. They shoot at him suddenly and are not afraid… But God will shoot them with arrows; suddenly, they will be wounded. They will be made to stumble; their own tongues work against them. All who see them will shake their heads. Then everyone will fear and will tell about God’s work, for they will understand what he has done.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭64:1-4, 7-9‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

This is good news for those who are in Christ… those who have been reconciled to God. God will protect us from those who seek our harm. He will protect us from mobs formed with evil intent. He will protect us from slanderous accusations. As we remain humble before the Lord, sincerely following Him and completely submitted to His word, will, and ways; He will turn the plans of those who are against us back on them. Their plans for our destruction will destroy them. Their words of accusation will be pointed at them. Our work is reconciliation. Our responsibility is to be at peace with God and as much as is possible, to be at peace with men. Trust the Lord. As we do what we have been anointed to do, He will bring justice.

Numbers 30:1-31:24; Luke 3:29-4:13; Psalms 63:6-11; Proverbs 16:25

NT: “Then Jesus left the Jordan, full of the Holy Spirit, and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days to be tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over, he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” But Jesus answered him, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone.” So he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. “…If you, then, will worship me, all will be yours.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.” So he took him to Jerusalem, had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here.” …And Jesus answered him, “It is said: Do not test the Lord your God.” After the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him for a time.” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭4:1-5, 7-9, 12-13‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

After Jesus was baptized with the Holy Spirit at the Jordan River, He was full of the Spirit and was led by the Spirit. He didn’t go His own direction. He didn’t start following the 7 steps to success. He didn’t start winning friends and influencing people. He allowed the Holy Spirit to lead Him… and the Holy Spirit led Him into the most unlikely place: the wilderness to spend 40 days alone fasting and meditating on the word of God and the God of the word. At the end of those 40 days, when He was especially vulnerable and weak, the devil seized the moment. In the garden of Eden, the devil was successful at tempting the first Adam to sin. This time, surely in the wilderness after no food for 40 days, he could tempt the second Adam to sin. In 1 John 2:16, John explains that all temptation can be reduced down to 3 categories: 1) the lust of the flesh, 2) the lust of the eyes, and 3) the pride of life. The devil hit Jesus with all 3. First he appealed to Jesus fleshly desire for food after not eating for 40 days. Jesus retorted with the word of God. Next, the devil presented the nations of the world before Jesus’ eyes and said all could be His if He would fall down and worship Satan. Again, Jesus retorted with the word of God. Finally, the devil challenged Jesus’ identity by saying Jesus needed to prove who He was… even quoting scripture as leverage. How did Jesus respond? He responded with the word of God. Jesus had the word of God hidden in His heart through memorizing scripture. Each time He was tempted, the Holy Spirit brought to the forefront of His mind the specific scripture that would strengthen Him and combat the enemy. Jesus resisted all of the devil’s temptations by remaining full of the word and the Spirit, and standing on the authority of the word and being led by the Spirit. The same can and should be true of us. When we are led by the Spirit, the Spirit may lead us to some unconventional, challenging, and sometimes dangerous places. Yet, if we submit to the Spirit and the word of God, the Spirit will grace us and empower us to go through those unconventional, challenging, and dangerous places and come out the other side victorious, tested, proven, and beautifully refined.

Proverbs: “There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭16:25‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Life is full of options and choices, but ultimately there are two ways that you can go: the way that seems right to you, or God’s way. Those are the proverbial two paths that diverge in the woods. Well meaning people will say, “follow your heart… be led by your passions… pursue your dreams… say yes to you because you deserve it.” However, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and/or the pride of life – the ways that seem right to us – will lead us into sin, away from true and abundant life, and ultimately to death. The other option is to humble ourselves and submit to God, pursue Him and His desires for us, and allow ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit as God molds us, shapes us, refines us and works through us in miraculous ways that lift us ever upward and glorify Him.

Numbers 29:12-40; Luke 3:23-28; Psalms 63:1-5; Proverbs 16:24

Psalms: “God, you are my God; I eagerly seek you. I thirst for you; my body faints for you in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water. So I gaze on you in the sanctuary to see your strength and your glory. My lips will glorify you because your faithful love is better than life. So I will bless you as long as I live; at your name, I will lift up my hands. You satisfy me as with rich food; my mouth will praise you with joyful lips.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭63:1-5‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

David wrote this psalm when he was in the wilderness of Judah. It was likely when his son Absalom attempted to overthrow his kingship and he had to flee Jerusalem. This was probably the darkest and most challenging times of David’s life. His own son was seeking his life, some of his closest confidants had turned on him, he was run out of his home, and was camped out in the desert where water and food were scarce. In the midst of all that upheaval and calamity, David said that more than food and water, he hungered and thirsted for God. What did he do? Did he look at all the wrong that was going on around him and give up hope? No. Instead of looking around, he looked up and eagerly sought the Lord his God. How did he fill himself with food he needed to sustain him through this difficult time? He lifted up his hands in praise to the Lord whose faithful love was better than life itself. As David looked up and eagerly sought God… as he lifted up hands in praise,  he was satisfied with the rich and sustaining spiritual food that only the Lord can give, and was able to then look around at the circumstances and be filled with peace and hope. If ever there was a season in my lifetime that was “dry, desolate, and without water,” it would be now: devastating storms, a global pandemic, businesses shutting down, loss of income, horrifying racial injustice, violent riots and anarchy. This year, life as we know it has spiraled out of control with upheaval and calamity everywhere… and it doesn’t appear to be letting up. How do we face all the things that 2020 have brought us without falling into despair and hopelessness? We first look up and say, “God, You are my God.” We eagerly seek the God whose faithful love is better than life itself… we lift our hands in total praise to the God who can cause streams to flow in the desert and can sustain us through years of drought. Then, with the peace, hope, love, and wisdom that He fills us with, we turn and face this year with grace.

Numbers 28:16-29:11; Luke 3:15-22; Psalms 62:9-12; Proverbs 16:21-23

NT: “Now the people were waiting expectantly, and all of them were questioning in their hearts whether John might be the Messiah. John answered them all, “I baptize you with water, but one who is more powerful than I am is coming. I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing shovel is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with fire that never goes out.” …When all the people were baptized, Jesus also was baptized. As he was praying, heaven opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in a physical appearance like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased.”” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭3:15-17, 21-22‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

One of the things that Luke’s gospel focuses on in Jesus’ manhood. While Jesus was, is, and will ever be the Son of God, He limited Himself by becoming a man. He set aside all of His omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence to become manifested in a human body, with all of its finite limitations. When He walked the earth, He was not omnipotent, omniscient, nor omnipresent. The reason He walked in power and knew things that were beyond His natural capacity to know was because He was baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit. The prophecy that John gave of the Messiah was a foretelling of the Messiah in His glory that had not happened yet. It was not true of Jesus who was among them at the moment. However, when Jesus presented Himself to John to be baptized, not only was Jesus baptized in water, He was baptized with the Holy Spirit. From that point on, Jesus walked in heavenly insight and heavenly power. Jesus, from that point on, was a man empowered by the Holy Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit is often overlooked, but nevertheless, He is just as much a part of the Godhead as the Father and the Son. Just as Jesus didn’t start His ministry until He was baptized with the Holy Spirit, He told His disciples to not start their ministry until they were baptized with the Holy Spirit. This past Sunday, we celebrated the day of Pentecost, when the Apostles were baptized with the Holy Spirit and with fire, and the church of Christ was launched. When we are in Christ through faith in Him, we are given the same anointing that He has, and we are given the opportunity to be baptized with the Holy Spirit, just like He was, to walk in the same heavenly power and insight that He walked in… that His apostles walked in after Him. As John prophesied, Jesus will baptize us with the Holy Spirit and with fire, if we allow Him.