When we accept God as our Father, and Jesus as His Son, and our Savior, we struggle and suffer immensely in our newly found life. During these early days we are tempted and challenged; in them we have to determine whether we will go forward in our faith... or not. Suffering for our faith is not a punishment for the believer, but hardens us like cold water tempers iron, and sets in us the image of Christ.
Have we prayed for our faith today, and if so, how about the faith of another? Jesus prayed for the faith of Peter when Satan asked for permission to sift him Like wheat, then He went on to tell him that he would deny him three times before the cock crowed. What would have happened to Peter without the prayer of Jesus? What would happen to us, and those we know without our prayers for strengthened faith?
Yesterday was Palm Sunday, and via a live broadcast, my pastor spoke of our Holy Week expectations this year in the face of the Coronavirus Pandemic. Then he went on to lay out our church’s online services this week, and how we would go about celebratIng each of them from our homes given the quarantine we find ourselves under. This is not to be a year like any other we have experienced, but though we are separated from one another, we are not separated from Jesus. This is the year we hit the reset button on our spirituality, and sift it, seeing it for what it should have always been... a deeply personal relationship.
How is it that we fall into sinful behavior? Are we outwitted by Satan, or do our own base desires draw us into the unrighteous behavior we blame solely on the dark one? Are we tricked, or do we simply ignore our own part in this disobedient, and damning behavior? If we are honest with ourselves we will admit that Satan might tempt us, but more times than not, the desire to sin is ours alone. Satan simply knows our ways better than we know his.
Standing guard over our faith is not an occasional duty, and requires constant attention day and night. It also means that we spend long monotonous hours walking the way, and watching for something out of the ordinary to occur; something good to celebrate, or bad to defend against. If we neglect our watch, we may well find ourselves lost, and many other souls along with us. This is why the military penalty for sleeping on guard duty during wartime is death, or some severe court marshal punishment. As Christians we are under the constant threat of attack. We are forever at war against sin... be diligent!
The world is writhing under the torment of Coronavirus, and other plagues, yet those known as men of God are remiss in mentioning His name In association with these times. Perhaps this explains why the call for every soul to return to God in the places of worship is so faint. Are the believers praying fervently as if they trust in God’s ability to save us in these times of plague, or has their faith become so watered down and weak as to be useless? Have we turned to other men, and governments, as we cry out “Save us!“, when we should be looking to God and saying such things as “Forgive us Lord!”, “Rescue us from this scourge!”, “Strengthen our faith!”, “Heal our land!”, and “Jesus is worthy! Hear our prayers in His name!”?
Are you dealing with temptation in your life right now? Is there a fragrance that wafts around you like a vapor and whose scent lures you towards something sinful? Perhaps it is an attraction to someone other than your spouse, or to a person who is already married. Maybe you are hungry, and are being drawn to steal a meal, or thirsty and want to grab another’s flask. Whatever it is, and temptations abound, do you linger in these thoughts, or do you pray for freedom and release from them? Do you ask God for an escape?
In this time of Coronavirus , complete with its “Safer at Home”, and “Social Distancing”, mandates, Pastors and churches have for the most part complied with these ordinances, but with tithes dwindling, and bills to pay, there is a temptation to go ahead with normal church activities by convincing ourselves, and our members, that as believers, and people of faith, God will miraculously protect us, and treat us differently than others. Satan tried to convince Jesus to behave in this same manner during his third temptation when he tried to convince Christ to throw Himself from the pinnacle of the temple. Jesus resisted by refusing to “tempt the Lord”. Are we prepared to face the consequences of tempting God by our actions today? Actions that don’t mirror those of Jesus?
Last night a message popped up on my phone, and the husband of a couple that Ann and I hold very dear was asking for prayer. He had just taken his wife to the hospital with the symptoms of a heart attack or stroke. I read the text message aloud to Ann, and then we began to pray together for her, and them. Have you ever been tested by such events in your life, and how did you react to them? Did your trial cause you to dig deep into your faith, or was your faith and prayer just a side note, or perhaps an afterthought?
Are we watching and praying to protect ourselves against temptation, and bolster our faith in these times of great sickness and death in the world? As Easter quickly approaches we are reminded, like the disciples were, of what lies ahead for Jesus, and our relationship with Him. He told His apostles that when the shepherd goes away the sheep will scatter, and Peter quickly said that he would never fall away. Jesus responded by telling him that he would deny him not once, but three times. Today, He tells us just as directly that His return is close at hand, and what the signs of its arrival will be, but are we any more prepared to live out our faith in Him now than Peter was then?
We concentrate on the fact that we have all sinned, and are sinners, but in order to be transformed we need to redirect our focus. Jesus died to sin once and for all, and as we strive to be like Him we must also die that same death, and consider ourselves dead to sin. Jesus didn’t die just to give us a topical treatment for sin, that we apply every time we sin, no, he died to provide us with a lasting cure. Are you using the Cross as a Band-Aid that you apply to each wound of sin, or as a vaccination against sin in your life?
We look around us in life and it seems that there are those who always have it easy as compared to us. These people have money, power, prestige, all the nice things in life, and even in church they give the most, and often have the greatest say as a result. Life just seems to flow smoothly for this elite few, while most of us are struggling along, calling out to Jesus at every turn. Jesus spoke about what should really matter to us as we travel through our lives... our salvation, relationship with God, and entering the kingdom of heaven. He said that the wealthy, and privileged can become entrenched in what the world provides, whereas those who are poor, downtrodden, or struggling, cling to God for their survival, and look towards heaven for their ultimate joy, and relief.
Do we hold back our commitment to faith, and belief in the Lord because we are yet sinners? Do we back away from faith because we have stumbled? Well there is something amazing about how God deals with our failures, and that is that His grace grows all the more to cover them. We are never too stained that the blood of Jesus can’t wash us clean. What God values most is our love for Him, our obedience, and our contrite heart that mourns every sin, bringing us to tears as we confess them and ask for His forgiveness.
Has your life been impacted in some way by the Coronavirus epidemic, or the attempts being made by governments to combat it? Perhaps you are watching as it is making life hard for someone you love, know, or are aquatinted with. Regardless of whether it strikes close to home, or is far away, we can’t escape the feeling it leaves us with. When we are in trouble, hurting, afflicted, or watching the suffering in someone dear to us, we are tempted to separate ourselves, and then, as the silence of God continues, a sense of helplessness, and loneliness sets in. As Christians we are never alone; nor without help, even when our prayers are met with silence God is with us always... this is our promise, and our firm belief.
Did you preach a wonderful sermon this week, or do something amazing for your church? Have you been given accolades for your teaching ability, or praised for a miracle that God performed following your intercession in prayer? Perhaps you were recognized for years of service to your congregation, and puffed out your chest in satisfaction. Well, If we claim the glory for any of these things publicly, or even privately in the depths of our heart, then whose will were we serving if not our own? Our service to God should be performed by humbly Seeking and doing God’s will, then stepping back and yielding all glory to Him.