“Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” (Luke 12:15)

            Wealth is never a replacement for identity.  You could own all the world’s possessions, and yet, those goods would never be you.  In fact, many wealthy people find it quite frustrating when they realize that others no longer see them as people – they just see their money.

            Who you are is not your stuff.  Who you are is your soul, and no increase (or decrease) of possessions will ever alter that.  Your soul needs to be cultivated, cared for, fed, and exercised because that is what matters.  Be very intentional to not confuse acquisition of goods with value of person.  Who you are is what matters, and that is found in your connection to God through Christ and the Christ-like character you cultivate.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“…yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.” (Luke 11:8b)

            Our Father rewards persistence.  He is impressed when His children don’t give up and show the maturity to endure – even when that endurance is shown in asking Him for something.  Our prayers are meant to leave room for His will (see James 4:13-15), but we are also allowed to continue to petition Him until a clear answer has been shown.  God does not mind hearing from us again and again.

            Do you give up too easily in your prayers?  Do you pray once or twice and then stop?  God recognizes when something is only “kinda” important to us.  Tepid commitment sometimes receives a tepid response.  Be diligent and committed in your prayers.  The Lord rewards the bold in faith.

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“Go; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.” (Luke 10:3)

            This verse sounds like a terrible idea.  Lambs versus wolves? That never ends well for the lamb!  Why would Jesus do that?  Why would He compare evangelism to the idea of sending sheep out amongst ferocious predators?

            Perhaps He used the analogy because that is exactly what sharing the message of Jesus is like – we are entering hostile territory, and we aren’t allowed to be hostile back.  The fear of persecution, verbal assault, and personal loss is a very real deterrent for all of us.

            However, the sheep must remember they aren’t alone amongst the wolves.  The Shepherd is with us, just as the Shepherd was with the apostles.  His rod and staff comfort us and protect us from the hungry wolves and predators.  We are lambs, but He is the wolf-slayer.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“And they were all amazed at the greatness of God.” (Luke 9:43)

The crowds watched a young boy with an incurable ailment.  The demon threw him on the ground in convulsions, left him screaming in pain, and his body mauled by its possession.  The crowds knew this boy, and anyone with any heart would have been touched by his predicament.  Likely all of them felt some level of sympathy, but they couldn’t do anything but stand by helplessly.

Jesus wasn’t helpless, though.   When Jesus rebuked the demon, the people witnessed the power, mercy, love, and grace of God melded together in one act of healing.  The miracles of Jesus don’t just show us His strength – they show us His character.  The same Jesus who healed that boy can redeem you, too.

We may be helpless without Him, but through Him, all things are possible.

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“Return to your house and describe what great things God has done for you.” (Luke 8:39a)

            When Jesus healed the man called ‘Legion’, the man begged for the right to be with Jesus right then and never leave Him.  Jesus rejected that request but instead gave Him the command you see above.  The time was not right for this man to be at home with Jesus – instead, it was time for him to go back to his house and tell them about Jesus.

            Folks, that’s us.  Someday, we will be with Jesus… but not today.  Today, we must return to our houses, return to our quiet lives, and describe to those around us what great things God has done for us.  We must speak a word on behalf of our Lord.

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“But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God’s purpose for themselves…” (Luke 7:30)

            God has plans for you, but He will not force those plans upon you.  Our lives are intended to be one gigantic trust fall – a series of cascading events guided by the hand of God who lands us gently and intentionally in the direction and purpose He has for us.

            Unfortunately, many of us fight those plans.  God leads, but He will not drive us into His purpose against our own will.  We must give ourselves up to His will.  He will woo, but He will not coerce.

            Ask yourself today – is my life falling into His pattern and purpose, or am I rejecting His plans because they do not match my own?

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“It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God.” (Luke 6:12)

            The pattern of prayer we see in the Bible seems to be quite the opposite of the one that is often practiced.  The shortest prayers are found in public settings, and the longer prayers are found in private.  As you scan through the Bible, you will read word-for-word prayers which were collectively prayed by disciples, congregations, even entire nations – they typically take no more than a few minutes to read out loud. 

            Yet, private prayer sessions of men like Ezra, David, Nehemiah, and Elijah are often found to extend for large periods of time as they sit upon mountaintops, in their inner rooms, or upon their beds.

Jesus is the ultimate example of this.  Jesus’ “model” prayer takes only a few seconds to speak and can be quickly memorized in a single session by most school-age children.  Yet, Luke 5:16 describes Him often slipping away to the wilderness to pray, and Luke 6 gives us at least one occasion where that prayer extended all night long.

If your public prayer life is more robust than your private one – it may be time to re-evaluate the pattern.

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But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus’ feet, saying, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!”  (Luke 5:8)

            When Peter realized how powerful Jesus was and what authority He had – Peter’s reaction was one of unworthiness.  An honest heart when confronted with the glory of God will see all of its flaws and acknowledge its own inferiority.  Like a peasant standing in rags before gleaming royalty – the contrast is almost painful.

            Yet, Jesus ignores Peter’s pleas for distance.  Jesus doesn’t leave; He draws near.  After all, Jesus already knew the ragged edges of Peter, and He also already knew His own greatness.  Peter was merely recognizing what Jesus had already known.  Peter needed Jesus, and Jesus didn’t go away.  Jesus stayed.

            Remember what John said: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

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 “When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.” (Luke 4:13)

Jesus’ temptation teaches us many powerful lessons about Jesus, but it also teaches us some lessons about the devil.  For one, he’s only got a few tricks in his bag.  Temptation may look different in different circumstances, but it always comes down to the same appeal to the lust of our eyes, the desires of our flesh, and our prideful hungers.  He will always target those three things.

He also follows a pattern – strong, merciless attacks which seem like they will go on forever… but don’t.  Every temptation has a finish. Afterwards, he flees and leaves until another opportune time presents itself.

The lesson? Hang in there.  Don’t let the voice of discouragement and weariness decide your future.  Your marriage will make it through this season of heartache.  Your teen years won’t always feel so fitful and hopeless.  Your sorrows won’t always feel like you are drowning in them.  Your job won’t always be so unreasonable or frustrating.  These are seasons, and after the hard work comes the enjoyment of the harvest.

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“And the crowds were questioning him, saying, ‘Then what shall we do?’ ” (Luke 3:10)

When John the Baptist preached, the people weren’t satisfied to merely listen and enjoy the sermon – they wanted to know what they could DO about the sermon.  Today, churches have turned worship into a spectator sport.  The preacher puts on a good show, and then we all file out after the spectacle.

That’s never what it was meant to be.  God didn’t pattern His church for worship-tainment.  Sermons should be fuel for living and jabs in the side which prod us to action.  If the sermon stays in the building, it was a waste.

Want to shock your preacher?  Next Sunday, after the sermon, ask him, “Then what shall we do?”

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites