Faithful on Fridays Blog

How would you like to have God say there’s no one like you anywhere who trusted Him completely; that’s how He described Hezekiah. This king of Judah (the southern kingdom) reigned during the time the Assyrian Empire was capturing Israel (the northern kingdom) and they were continuing south to Judah. Fortunately, Hezekiah had already established an intimate relationship with God through prayer following Him whole-heartedly and was encouraged; it wasn’t the time for their destruction, as the prophet Isaiah said.

The character of Hezekiah as he followed the LORD doesn’t mean he was sinless, far from it, however, he shows us that when times are scary God is faithful and listens to our cries. His name means Yahweh strengthens and we clearly see that in the account of his life in three books of the Old Testament: 2 Kings 18-20; 2 Chron. 29-32; and Isaiah 36-39: that’s impressive. Scripture compares him to David, his father and shows us Hezekiah is in the bloodline of David and Messiah will come from that line. At this point Hezekiah has no heir and that presents a problem. No heir means no Messiah promised to David.

Running parallel to Hezekiah’s reign of trust we find another main character in his story: the Rabshakeh which means the King of Assyria’s top military commander. His goal is to use every strategy available to capture Judah taking them into captivity as he did in Israel. We can never forget that our enemy, Satan, will use anyone at his disposal to destroy our lives; he hates the worship of God that much. Hezekiah threw more wood on his fiery anger when he tore down the places of idol worship, reinstituted the celebration of Passover, and restored Temple worship, consequently, he became Satan’s target of destruction. 

The Rabshakeh used psychological warfare against the Hebrew people attempting to sow seeds of discouragement and questioned God’s destiny for them but Hezekiah had his own strategy: silence, don’t engage the enemy. I wonder how often we should take that advice and not respond to every method Satan uses against us. We can follow Hezekiah’s example; he began praying. 

The two words that describe King Hezekiah are trust and prayer repeatedly displayed in his story. He was very courageous when he tore down the places of idol worship and instructed his people to come back to God worshipping Him alone, apparently that set the stage for a ‘suddenly’ (2 Chron. 29:36). I wonder how many of you reading this are hoping for ‘suddenly’ in your life; you’ve been praying for a long time with no results. My advice to you is to persevere in trusting God and praying as Hezekiah shows us knowing that when the time is right God will send a ‘suddenly’ into your life as well.

The enemies of Judah seemed insurmountable in man’s eyes but Hezekiah kept his eyes on the LORD and was strengthened: He’ll do the same for you.

Peter, the Listener

This week I’m beginning a series on Leadership. You may think, well, I’m not a leader. Yes, you are. Everyone leads someone, even if it’s your dog! As Christians we’re all role models and re-present Christ in our lives and that, my friend, requires leadership training. I’ll be focusing on the Apostle Simon Peter as our example, his life as a follower of Jesus, and an eventual leader. If it was necessary for him to be trained by the Master learning how to be effective how much more for church leaders today?

Simon’s (Peter) name means ‘he who hears‘. That’s critical because listening is the first leadership trait developed in his life. Jesus observed listening, a necessary character trait, in Simon Peter’s life and yet it needed some ‘tweaking’ or maturing. Let’s think about listening skills in his story.

How about listening to Jesus? Before his name change, Simon (later called Peter) was an impulsive spewer. He reacted with his mouth often before he took the time to think. Even though rebuked by Jesus he eventually matured into a seasoned listener. He sat at the feet of Christ and listened for three years allowing the Messiah to speak into his life. How about you? Are you listening to the Lord or constantly talking? Is your prayer time like a grocery list or have you become intimate with your Savior? Scripture is clear; we need to develop our listening skills as we spend time with Him. 

My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart. Proverbs 4:20, 21 

What about listening to others? Would people say you’re a good listener? Do you give eye contact? Do you listen while checking email or texts? Do you put people on speakerphone so you can do other things while they talk? When someone trusts you enough to share something important listen with your ears but also learn to involve your heart as you focus on them. Listen without responding, without giving advice, and without drawing attention to yourself is a challenge I hope you’ll accept.

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. James 1:19

Who are you listening to? Leaders shouldn’t be afraid to take advantage of good counsel. Moses listened to Jethro and David listened to Nathan; both made good choices. Listening to the ‘right voice’ will keep you on a straight path in leadership. Since there’s a ‘right voice’ we’re assured there’s a ‘wrong voice’. Discerning between the two is crucial to a leader, however, time with God helps you distinguish His voice from a stranger’s: check out John 10:1-5.

Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others. Proverbs 12:15

Effective leaders have learned to be good listeners; trust me when I say you can improve.   

Well, today is Christmas Eve. The hours of decorating are being enjoyed, gifts will soon be presented, the pre-Christmas get togethers are over, and all the special foods and baked goods are nearly completed. Whew! I’m tired. 

In order to get everything done efficiently and on time we needed a Plan. Well, I’m known in my family as the one who always needs a plan; it comes naturally to me and makes life seems less complicated and stressful. However, keep in mind that God is the Supreme Planner and His Plan was created way before it was ever needed and even His Plan was planned.

The family of Abraham was chosen to inaugurate His divine blueprint and it progressed through the generations of shepherds and nomads until the family of King David. This royal family line would produce another king unlike any royalty they had seen before. The coming Messiah would be a spiritual King at His birth (Jesus was not a king in Bethlehem) and a physical King at His Return, which we eagerly anticipate. Now stay with me…

God’s Plan was to give mankind the opportunity to be cleansed from sin and therefore its punishment but also the privilege of joining Him again, as in the Garden of Eden, participating in His rule and reign. That’s why we celebrate Christmas. God became part of us, a human being, in order to suffer our death sentence; in order to restore our true destiny. Wow, what a Plan.

There’s a passage in the Bible, Isaiah 9:6, that tells us this Child born to us would be a miracle-worker (Wonder-ful), He would be a Counselor (attorney at no cost!), He would be the Father of Eternity (Everlasting Father), God of all Might and Power, and the Prince of Peace. Now that’s Good News! 

But I like verse 7 which is often left out of the Christmas scriptures:

His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of His ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen! Isaiah 9:7 NLT

This tells us the Plan didn’t end with Christmas, His birth, or even Easter, His death and resurrection. The Plan will continue throughout all eternity! Bottom line: the kingdom living that God wants us to experience, that He’s passionately committed to, began in the Garden of Eden, continued through history to the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and consummates at His Return and lasts forever. Now, that’s something to meditate on and celebrate this Christmas.

May we never get over the wonder of this miraculous virgin birth, the appearance and proclamation of the angels, and even the lowly shepherds visiting the Christ Child. Jesus was now presented to the world as God in the flesh whose Plan was to become like us in order for us to become like Him. Never get over that.

The Nativity

Have you noticed the nativity scenes displayed this year in people’s yards, in front of buildings, churches, and even some brave, local businesses? Some cities have displayed nativities for decades but now are threatened with lawsuits if they’re not removed. Why? What’s the big deal? Why does anyone care about a representation of a 2,000 year old story?

Part of the answer is that the nativity of Christ depicts the fulfillment of the promise God made to man back in the Garden of Eden. 

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will crush your head, and you will strike His heel. Genesis 3:15 

The nativities remind us that God’s Son, born of a woman, would crush Satan’s head and destroy his authority. Our enemy, who hates God and believers, is constantly reminded as well with these displays. What is that crucial reminder? Remember, Satan wanted to be like the Most High God, the king of his kingdom, so to speak, so it must exasperate him to no end when reminded he simply will never be a king. God spoke to Satan,

How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world. For you said to yourself, ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north. I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High. Isaiah 14:12-14 NLT

However, the angel Gabriel announced to a young virgin named Mary:

You will conceive and give birth to a Son, and you will name Him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His ancestor David. And He will reign over Israel forever; His Kingdom will never end! Luke 1:31-33 NLT

There can be only one king in this world and His name is Jesus.

Yeshua is the Hebrew name we translate ‘Jesus’. It means the One who will save, deliver, and rescue us. We’re reminded in the nativity scenes that Jesus came to rescue us: then and now. Living in the kingdom of God is the privilege of being delivered from evil and constantly calling on Him to save us from circumstances out of our control. His desire is to hear us call out and answer those prayers; this shows us that His love is eternal, whether in this world or the next.

God is all about memories so go ahead and remember this Christmas that God’s Kingdom, which is our Kingdom, endures forever. Now, that’s good news of great joy! Have a Merry Christmas this year full of memories and enjoy viewing the nativity scenes with new eyes and a fresh look: view them with a kingdom perspective. 

Part Five

Last week we arrived at a cliff-hanger with the conflict of Jesus and Satan and why the story is recorded but it doesn’t end there; we need a resolution. How does the story end? I know it’s not a ‘w’ word but it’s valuable nonetheless. The falling action from the top of the cliff (climax) tells us how it all worked out; the problem was resolved and we wrap up the story.

Matthew wrote the devil simply ‘left Him’ with angels arriving to minister to His physical needs, however, Luke adds the ‘devil ended every temptation until the next opportunity came (NLT).’ If we simply stopped there we would’ve gained more understanding of the story but keep reading: there’s more to the resolution.

All three synoptic gospels (telling the same story) launch the reader into Jesus’ public ministry. He began to preach, teach, heal, and deliver people from demons. Mark (at Peter’s direction) wrote that Jesus began to proclaim gospel of the Kingdom of God including two directions: repent and believe. That’s good news and it’s not complicated. 

Luke adds that Jesus ‘returned in the power of the Spirit’ with His Word providing evidence of His astonishing authority and power by those messages that changed lives, healed physical needs, and delivered people from demonic oppression. Now there’s the resolution; He’s the same today, with the same power and authority, but now He’s imparted it to believers.

What did you learn from this story; what’s your ‘take home’ that can change your life as well? First of all, if Satan tempted Jesus then he’ll tempt you as well. He’ll choose the right time and right place even knowing you’re filled with the Spirit because he desires to bring you down. Remember, he’s your enemy … not people.

If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure.

1 Corinthians 10:12-13 

What was the one strategy Jesus used to endure His time of temptation? Scripture. He knew the Word and quoted it aloud to His enemy. That teaches us how critical it is to read, quote, study, meditate, and memorize His Word: it’s a powerful weapon.

… take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Ephesians 6:17

For the Word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword,

Hebrews 4:12a

Let the praises of God be in their mouths, and a sharp sword in their hands—Psalms 149:6

Understanding the Jesus Story will change your life giving you encouragement, comfort, strength, and authority over the devil to lead a God-pleasing life reigning victoriously until He returns: we have it already but not yet completely.

Incarnation

Scene Four

And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” Luke 2:10 

A glistening angel appeared at night to some low-class shepherds and gave them a message from God that was good news to bring them joy. What news could these Jewish shepherds receive that could possibly make a difference in their life? Here it is; they were chosen to witness the sign: Messiah had arrived.   

After thousands of years, generations of patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob), and hundreds of years of prophetic messages the kairos moment had arrived. The Plan of Redemption God instituted before time was manifested on the earth. How? A baby born to a virgin in Bethlehem.

The angel used the word behold meaning to listen carefully or pay attention to this message because it’s important! I should say so.

This good news, the gospel, is vital to all people because it offers great joy. Not simply joy: great joy. That’s mega-joy, super-sized joy, available to all people. All people? Even Herod? The Pharisees? The tax collectors and prostitutes? All people. Will all people receive it? No.

But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12 

This joy of the incarnation, God becoming man, brings jubilant ringing and singing pleasure to the heart. Those who receive Him will experience excitement, merriment, and a sense of triumph. Joy isn’t about being happy; joy is deep in your spirit bringing hope in a hopeless situation, confidence when doubt creeps in, and it’s your source of well-being or wholeness. 

This sign, the baby in a manger, was to remind the people that God hadn’t forgotten His promise of a Rescuer, Savior, and Deliverer and prophecy was fulfilled. The Plan before time was continuing: 🎵God and sinners reconciled.🎵

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!” Luke 2:14 

The armies of heaven gathered to declare to these shepherds that God was connecting heaven and earth: shalom had arrived. The brokenness of mankind could be made whole again, the meaning of shalom, by this baby found in a manger and it was God’s sign of a good plan. 

… with whom He is pleased. Is He pleased with everyone?

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him. Hebrews 11:6 

The Greek word for ‘pleased’ means God is good, really good, and He’s pleased with those who have faith in Him. His favor and satisfaction is shown to us in so many ways. Think about it … it’ll cause you to sing …

🎵 Joy to the world, the Lord is come. Let earth receive her King. 🎵

NCIS tells a good story often beginning with, “Previously, on NCIS …” to jog your memory to what’s already happened. Let’s do that. We’ve seen the value of characters, visualizing the setting, recognizing the plot, and now, the most critical part of the story: the conflict or the ‘why’. It’s what keeps you tuned in.

We’ll use Matthew’s account to dig deeper into the ‘why’ of Satan’s proposals (4:1-11), why he specifically chose them. The first two temptations repeat the same phrase, 

“If you are the Son of God … command”

“If you are the Son of God … throw Yourself down”

Why was Satan so concerned about Jesus being the Son of God? First of all, it wasn’t just the devil but the religious leaders as well. If Jesus was God’s Son (which, by the way, was blasphemy) then there’s a logical conclusion:

… He was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God. John 5:18b

There it is: Jesus was claiming to be God. John records a conversation between Himself and the leaders: here are some high points of John 10:30-38.

I and the Father are one. 

The Jews responded,

… (You) make Yourself God. 

… the Father is in Me and I am in the Father.

Jesus was clear, however, why did Satan care; were there repercussions for him? By going back to his beginnings (Is. 14:12-17) you’ll find five “I wills” of Satan, previously named Day Star (Lucifer), which all point to his ultimate goal: I will make myself like the Most High.

He undoubtedly heard the angel Gabriel tell Mary, “… the Child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God … of His kingdom there will be no end. This child will be heir to the eternal throne not Satan. If that wasn’t enough another angel explained to Joseph the child to be born will fulfill prophecy; they shall call His name Immanuel: God with us.

There’s the conflict; ‘why’ Satan needed Jesus to prove Himself: If You are the Son of God. The last temptation finalized his plan of action, … if You will fall down and worship me. BINGO

Jesus’ response was the truth that worship is reserved for God alone leaving Satan’s plan paused for now. How irritating for him that his own demons to declare Jesus was the Son of God (Matt. 8:29) or when He continued to call God His Father; even from the cross (Luke 23:46). 

Going deeper into the conflict of this story gives us greater understanding of Jesus’ deity and the devil’s frustration that we know it and can use it against him. Satan’s plan was foiled and Jesus retains His authority which He delegates to believers. 

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations …” Matthew 28:18-19a 

The great commission is to go in His authority and tell others; He is the Son of God. 

Incarnation

Scene Three

One of the reasons Christmas is so enjoyable is presents, just admit it, we like presents but a mysterious gift, hidden until the right moment is the most fun. The incarnation was planned before the world began; it was a secret, previously hidden gift but now a revealed plan: an unwrapped gift. What was this mystery? Jesus Christ, the wisdom of God.

When Jesus became flesh and lived among us it was the predestined plan of the ages. Every part of history was lined up, every prophecy fulfilled, and the hearts of the people, for good or evil, were prepared. John the Baptizer, Joseph, Mary, King Herod, and even the magi were all in alignment for this event. 

And this is the plan: At the right time He will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for He chose us in advance, and He makes everything work out according to His plan. Ephesians 1:10-11 

There’s someone I haven’t mentioned, we don’t usually talk about him at Christmas: Satan. The previous scripture mentioned the authority of Christ in heaven and on earth; why is that important? Since the timing of the plan of redemption was a hidden and secret mystery that means Satan and his cohorts didn’t know when it would happen either. It was decreed that the Messiah would crush Satan’s head (Gen. 3:15) but when? No one knew.

None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory. 1 Corinthians 2:8 

Human rulers, yes, Herod, Pilate, even the religious leaders, but also the heavenly prince or ruler of this world: Satan. Jesus said,

Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. John 12:31 

Now that’s something to celebrate! The kingdom of God which was prepared for us since creation has arrived with the incarnation of Christ. The authority that God delegated temporarily to Satan was ripped from his grip when Jesus descended into hell and that authority has now been gifted permanently to the Church.

God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display His wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was His eternal plan, which He carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 3:10-11 

You’ve been given the gift of eternal life through the incarnation of Christ, God becoming man, but life isn’t simply about dying and going to heaven; it’s about kingdom living now. It’s about the privilege of asking for His wisdom to make the right decisions at the right time and in the right place. It’s appreciating the love that compelled Him to become a human sacrifice thereby assuring our forgiveness. As you open your gift this Christmas rest in that love.

Part Two

Any good story has interesting characters (the ‘who’), a setting you can visualize (the ‘where and when’), and now the plot or the ‘what happened’ in the story. We’ve been digging deeper into the temptation of Jesus (Matt. 4 and Luke 4) so let’s learn the facts: what happened?

An intriguing plot, from beginning to end, always adds facts to a story; let’s discover them. Fact one: Jesus was led by the Spirit into a 40 day fast in the wilderness. Fact two: the devil was granted permission to present Him with three temptations. Fact three: Jesus responded to each one with victory. Fact four: the devil gave up and left Him.

Let’s go deeper into those three temptations. Satan’s first attempt was to entice Jesus to prove He’s the Son of God by performing a simple miracle of turning stones into bread. He chose the perfect time and place, however, Jesus’ response was the powerful strategy of quoting Scripture directly to the temptation declaring He needs God’s Word more than food. 

The devil caught on to Jesus’ strategy of using Scripture so he tried it too. Taking Jesus to the highest place of the Temple he gave Him the opportunity to offer evidence He’s the Son of God by falling off and depending on angels to rescue Him. Isn’t that what’s written? Jesus counteracted with Scripture once again, “Don’t test God.” 

Even though Matthew and Luke differ in their order Matthew lists the final temptation as one of authority; Satan had better try another angle since the first two failed. Taking Jesus to a higher place, a mountaintop, he reminded Jesus of his authority over all the kingdoms of the world. He promised to give Jesus the rights and wealth of these empires if He’d simply worship him. Jesus didn’t refute Satan’s declaration because He knew it was true; God delegated temporary authority to Satan but the time had not arrived to annul it. Jesus answered him a final time with Scripture declaring worship is reserved only for the Lord, your God. 

There was a definite ending to this story of Jesus’ temptations which included angels serving Him in His physical weakness but more than that Luke tells us he left Jesus until another opportunity presented itself. 

This short tete-a-tete, a private conversation between Satan and Jesus, gives us the opportunity to imagine, analyze, and apply the plot to our own temptations. When we take the time to study and think, not just a quick read, we’ll find many similarities to our own weaknesses and temptations. Matthew records Jesus demanding Satan to ‘beat it!’; don’t miss that. He has the higher authority and the devil must obey, in a similar manner, God’s given authority to His children to demand he leave us as well. Take advantage of your God-given authority more often telling the devil to “get out of here!” This simple plot prepares us for the conflict next week; don’t miss it.