When Jesus Got In Satan's Face

June 17 (Matthew 4:10)

Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”  (ESV)

We often read the temptation of Jesus as a story about the power of knowing Scripture and using it to fight temptations in our own lives.  This is a perfectly good way to read the story, and indeed Jesus does use Scripture to combat Satan.  Yet if Jesus really is God, the second person of the Trinity and the Lord of all, then there is another way to see this interaction between Him and Satan.

Picture it.  There is Jesus, exhausted in His humanity from forty days of fasting, and the smiling, oily, manipulating tempter approaches, challenging His identity as the Son of God by suggesting He turn stones into bread.  Jesus fills His lungs with hot, desert air and replies that man doesn’t live by bread alone (verses 3-4).  Satan tries again (verses 5-7) by suggesting He throw Himself off the top of the temple in Jerusalem.  This time there is fire in Jesus’s eyes when answers, “Don’t tempt the Lord your God!” Remember, He is not only a human quoting Scripture, He is also talking about Himself.  He is God and He is the Lord.  It is as if He is saying, “Back off, if you know what’s good for you,” for tempting God is exactly what the devil is doing.  And then the tempter shows his hand.  He wants to be God himself and commands Jesus to worship him.  This time there is thunder in His voice and lightning flashing from His dark eyes.  “Get out of here, Satan!  YOU will worship ME!”

This is not a story about a super nice guy at church who has a Bible verse ready for all occasions.  This is the story of your big brother stepping in between you and your enemy and getting in that enemy’s face.  And the natural response of any child, and we are all children before God, is to say, “I want to be just like Him when I grow up!”

Jesus, I do want to be just like You.  I want to be strong in the face of weakness and steadfast in the face of temptation.  Make the words of Scripture become my own flesh and help me to stand boldly against all that comes my way, just as You did.  Amen.

Copyright © 2018 by Steven R. Perkins

A Lion At Christmas

December 25 (Revelation 5:5)

Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered….    (ESV)

Many of us will see nativity sets under our trees today or on tables amid candles and cards.  Often those sets will have a sheep or two, for the shepherds were there to welcome their Lord as a baby.  The sheep are also a reminder of the gentle love of our Savior, Who is the Lamb of God.

Yet this Lamb is also a lion, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, spoken of in the last book of the Bible as the One Who has conquered.  And what has He conquered?  He has conquered everything…sin, death, separation from God…and every other ill that has sprung from the attempts of Satan to bring harm to God’s creation.

So what are you waiting for?  Laugh, celebrate, and sing loudly for joy!  Joy to the world, the Lord is come!  Let earth receive her king!  Let every heart prepare Him room, and heaven and nature sing!

Lord, I am so grateful to You this Christmas Day!  The gift not only of eternal life is mine through Jesus, but the gift of life to the full, as it was meant to be, with You.  Glory be Yours this day, Lord, from the depths of my heart and in all I say and do.  Amen.

Copyright © 2016 by Steven R. Perkins

A Warrior At Your Side

February 7 (Jeremiah 20:11)

But the Lord is with me as a dread warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble; they will not overcome me.  (ESV)

Weak.  Slacker.  Lazy.  Fearful.  Coward.  These are not words we want to hear.  We would prefer words like:  strong, independent, go-getter, bold, aggressive.  The problem is that we get locked into an either-or mentality.  Either we are being weak or we are being strong.  On top of that, we define all these terms solely with references to our own selves.

There are times, however, when we need to be a bit smarter about the whole thing.  It makes no sense to tackle certain matters alone to prove our strength, nor would it be right to run from them.  In such circumstances, we need to remember that the toughest Green Beret-Spartan-ninja-robot armed to the teeth is a rag doll compared with God.  He is a dread warrior Who strikes terror in the hearts of His enemies and has in fact already won the war of which each of our daily battles is a part.

Where could you use a dread warrior right now?  Feel free to keep swinging your sword as long as you want, but when you are ready to enlist the help of God Almighty, remember that it is no sign of weakness.  It is simply the smart thing to do.

Father, I am worn out from the battles of life.  Strengthen me for the ones in which You want me to take the lead, show me where I should step back to let You fight, and give me the wisdom to turn over the sword.  In the name of Jesus, a warrior so fierce He conquered death and so loving that He shared His victory with me, amen.

Copyright © 2016 by Steven R. Perkins

Some Kind of Wonderful

January 31 (Isaiah 9:6)

…and his name shall be called Wonderful....  (KJV)

It was a few minutes before the start our worship, people were coming in and finding their seats, and all of a sudden our praise team started up a song that was, well, unexpected.  It was Grand Funk Railroad’s “Some Kind of Wonderful.”  Our pastor waved everyone to their feet, as if that were necessary, and I was rocking out to the altered lyrics, “My Jesus, He’s all right.  My Savior, He’s clean out of sight.”  (The lyrics were changed by Grand Funk guitarist Mark Farner after he came to follow Christ.)

Why is Jesus wonderful, other than that the Bible says so?  Is He wonderful because He died so you would not have to?  Is He wonderful because He speaks to you?  Is He wonderful because He leads you through challenges, stays with you in dark times, and comforts you when and in ways no one else can?  Why is Jesus wonderful?  Is He wonderful because He set the world into motion?  Is He wonderful because He has created beauty in the depths of the oceans and in the far-flung reaches of space?  Is He wonderful because is the bridge for all people to be reunited with God?

Take a moment and think about it.  Why do you think Jesus is wonderful?  As the infinite number of reasons begins to unfold before the eyes of your heart, you will be drawn into worship.  You won’t be able to help yourself.  If you find yourself worshiping in a lukewarm way, or only rarely, or not at all, reflect on how Jesus has shown Himself to be wonderful to you.  You will be rocking His praise in no time.

Lord, I want to take some time right now to honor You by recalling what You have done in the world and in my life.  I spend too much time in my day and even in my prayers thinking about myself.  Call to my mind Your glory and Your amazing deeds.  I want my heart to be filled with nothing but You.  In the name of Jesus, my Savior, amen.

Copyright © 2016 by Steven R. Perkins

November 23 (John 1:3, Matthew 5:17, Revelation 21:6)

All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.  (ESV)

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.  (ESV)

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.  (ESV)

Is there even one issue facing the world, our government, your state, your place of business, your community, your family, or yourself that could not be answered or solved by Jesus Christ?  I am serious.  We sing our praise songs and then go right back to purely human reasoning to approach the issues of our day.  As I listen to plans and ideas and grand designs for handling this or that, I have to shake my head.  Much of what I hear is based on speculation of what people think will work, when the true solution stands available, yet ignored.

Jesus is it, folks.  As the verses above testify, He is the whole deal.  Approaching anything…from war and taxes to family challenges…without appealing to God and being guided by His Holy Spirit is ultimately a waste of time.

Thanksgiving is this week.  Families will gather, and talk will turn to politics and jobs and the issues in our lives.  When the armchair philosophies have all been exchanged, will those who follow Christ speak the truth?

Father, it is so tempting to follow the logic of others and to engage in conversations on purely human terms.  Help me to speak the simple truth in love.  Give me the words that You would have me say.  In the name of Him Who is the way, the truth, and the life, Jesus my Lord, amen.

Copyright © 2014 by Steven R. Perkins