since…

Then the Spirit led Jesus up into the wilderness so that the devil might tempt him. After Jesus had fasted for forty days and forty nights, he was starving. The tempter came to him and said, “Since you are God’s Son, command these stones to become bread.” Jesus replied, “It’s written, People won’t live only by bread, but by every word spoken by God.” After that the devil brought him into the holy city and stood him at the highest point of the temple. He said to him, “Since you are God’s Son, throw yourself down; for it is written, I will command my angels concerning you, and they will take you up in their hands so that you won’t hit your foot on a stone.” Jesus replied, “Again it’s written, Don’t test the Lord your God.” Then the devil brought him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. He said, “I’ll give you all these if you bow down and worship me.” Jesus responded, “Go away, Satan, because it’s written,You will worship the Lord your God and serve only him.” The devil left him, and angels came and took care of him. (Matthew 4:1-11, CEB)

I remember this verse used to be translated as if. If you are the son of God.

The Greek word means if or since. And since seems like a better fit, because the tempter, or the devil, is not questioning if Jesus is the son of God, maybe the devil is trying to get Jesus to question if that is true or not, but no one in this story is actually questioning that.

Since you are the son of God, all of these things are true for you.

The thing we learn from this passage is simple. Do not put God to the test. Trust.

Because the devil knows your name and calls you by your sins, and God knows your sins and calls you by your name.

humble

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Then he called a little child over to sit among the disciples, and said, “I assure you that if you don’t turn your lives around and become like this little child, you will definitely not enter the kingdom of heaven. Those who humble themselves like this little child will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. “As for whoever causes these little ones who believe in me to trip and fall into sin, it would be better for them to have a huge stone hung around their necks and be drowned in the bottom of the lake. How terrible it is for the world because of the things that cause people to trip and fall into sin! Such things have to happen, but how terrible it is for the person who causes those things to happen! (Matthew 18:1-7, CEB)

When we are humble, we know we need others. We know we rely on others to make life the best it can be.

We realize that we can not do everything on our own.

Be humble and childlike.

Share God’s love in all you do.

encouraged

First of all, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because the news about your faithfulness is being spread throughout the whole world. I serve God in my spirit by preaching the good news about God’s Son, and God is my witness that I continually mention you in all my prayers. I’m always asking that somehow, by God’s will, I might succeed in visiting you at last. I really want to see you to pass along some spiritual gift to you so that you can be strengthened. What I mean is that we can mutually encourage each other while I am with you. We can be encouraged by the faithfulness we find in each other, both your faithfulness and mine. I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that I planned to visit you many times, although I have been prevented from coming until now. I want to harvest some fruit among you, just as I have done among the other Gentiles. I have a responsibility both to Greeks and to those who don’t speak Greek, both to the wise and to the foolish. That’s why I’m ready to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome. I’m not ashamed of the gospel: it is God’s own power for salvation to all who have faith in God, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. God’s righteousness is being revealed in the gospel, from faithfulness for faith, as it is written, The righteous person will live by faith. (Romans 1:8-17, CEB)

May we all be mutually encouraged by other believers. By the faithfulness of others to follow God’s call. May we see that and live in the faith we have received from God.

Lifting each other up and encouraging the saints.

See what we have in common and move together to bring the world to love.

Grace and Peace

From Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for God’s good news. God promised this good news about his Son ahead of time through his prophets in the holy scriptures. His Son was descended from David. He was publicly identified as God’s Son with power through his resurrection from the dead, which was based on the Spirit of holiness. This Son is Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him we have received God’s grace and our appointment to be apostles. This was to bring all Gentiles to faithful obedience for his name’s sake. You who are called by Jesus Christ are also included among these Gentiles. To those in Rome who are dearly loved by God and called to be God’s people. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 1:1-7, CEB)

We are all called by love through God’s grace to be beacons of hope and love to the world.

Jesus was descended through David and foretold through the scriptures to be the Messiah, the one coming from God.

He came to show us love and how to live. To give us grace and empower us to go and tell the world what God has done.

You were appointed to be a beacon. Go and share God’s love with the world.

Ash Wednesday

“Be careful that you don’t practice your religion in front of people to draw their attention. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. “Whenever you give to the poor, don’t blow your trumpet as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets so that they may get praise from people. I assure you, that’s the only reward they’ll get. But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing so that you may give to the poor in secret. Your Father who sees what you do in secret will reward you. “When you pray, don’t be like hypocrites. They love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners so that people will see them. I assure you, that’s the only reward they’ll get. But when you pray, go to your room, shut the door, and pray to your Father who is present in that secret place. Your Father who sees what you do in secret will reward you.

“And when you fast, don’t put on a sad face like the hypocrites. They distort their faces so people will know they are fasting. I assure you that they have their reward. When you fast, brush your hair and wash your face. Then you won’t look like you are fasting to people, but only to your Father who is present in that secret place. Your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “Stop collecting treasures for your own benefit on earth, where moth and rust eat them and where thieves break in and steal them. Instead, collect treasures for yourselves in heaven, where moth and rust don’t eat them and where thieves don’t break in and steal them. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21, CEB)

We are not supposed to make a public spectacle of our faith so that others see what we have done. It is about us loving God and doing for others because that is what God did for us.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, 40 days, not including Sundays, before Easter. It is a time for renewal and to remember the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness and the 40 years the Israelites wandered in the wilderness. It is to help us remember that we do not do this alone and God is always with us.

So as we enter Lent, focus on God and how you can serve Them and how that will allow you to help those around you.

grace

So I ask you, has God rejected his people? Absolutely not! I’m an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. God hasn’t rejected his people, whom he knew in advance. Or don’t you know what the scripture says in the case of Elijah, when he pleads with God against Israel? Lord, they have killed your prophets, and they have torn down your altars. I’m the only one left, and they are trying to take my life. But what is God’s reply to him? I have kept for myself seven thousand people who haven’t bowed their knees to Baal. So also in the present time there is a remaining group by the choice of God’s grace. But if it is by grace, it isn’t by what’s done anymore. If it were, God’s grace wouldn’t be grace. (Romans 11:1-6, CEB)

God did not give up on the first covenant and abandon Their people.

God has always been with and will always be with Their people.

That is grace. We do not deserve it, but it is always there.

Sending

“Forty years later, an angel appeared to Moses in the flame of a burning bush in the wilderness near Mount Sinai. Enthralled by the sight, Moses approached to get a closer look and he heard the Lord’s voice: ‘I am the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Trembling with fear, Moses didn’t dare to investigate any further. The Lord continued, ‘Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. I have clearly seen the oppression my people have experienced in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning. I have come down to rescue them. Come! I am sending you to Egypt.’ (Acts 7:30-34, CEB)

I am God and I am sending you to Egypt.

Again, I would have been like, nope sorry, I’ve got sheep to tend, send someone else. In fact, my call story has that running. I did not immediately go when God showed up and invited me to be a pastor. I find such comfort in Jonah’s story and in those who knew they were called.

Where is God sending you?

Transfiguration

Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and brought them to the top of a very high mountain. He was transformed in front of them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Jesus. Peter reacted to all of this by saying to Jesus, “Lord, it’s good that we’re here. If you want, I’ll make three shrines: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, look, a bright cloud overshadowed them. A voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son whom I dearly love. I am very pleased with him. Listen to him!” Hearing this, the disciples fell on their faces, filled with awe. But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Don’t tell anybody about the vision until the Human One is raised from the dead.” (Matthew 17:1-9, CEB)

Every year when we get to this passage want to know how Peter, James, and John knew who was with Jesus. I mean, it is not like there were pictures of Moses and Elijah for them to have seen them, so they knew what they looked like. Did they have on name tags, “Hello, my name is Moses?”

And Peter is so flabbergasted, as I would have been, he is like, let us make three tents, so the three of you can be comfortable, and James, John, and I will just lie out here on the ground. We will be good.

But honestly, think how you would have reacted if it were you up on that mountain?

Probably the same way Peter did, because it was the wow factor.

No one outwows God.

Take a walk with God and hang on for the wow.

Do we get it?

As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them not to tell anyone what they had seen until after the Human One had risen from the dead. So they kept it to themselves, wondering, “What’s this ‘rising from the dead’?” They asked Jesus, “Why do the legal experts say that Elijah must come first?” He answered, “Elijah does come first to restore all things. Why was it written that the Human One would suffer many things and be rejected? In fact, I tell you that Elijah has come, but they did to him whatever they wanted, just as it was written about him.” (Mark 9:9-13, CEB)

Did the disciples get it? Do we?

They were on the mountain with Jesus when the cloud lowered, the voice spoke, and Elijah and Moses were there with Jesus, probably enjoying a coffee.

Then it all went away, and they came down the mountain, and Jesus told them not to tell about this until after He had risen from the dead. They did not ask about the rising from the dead, but about Elijah. Why did he have to come first, and Jesus informed them that Elijah had already come and was not treated well, and so it will be with me as well.

Did they get it?

Do we get it?

Again sometimes we just need to go ok, and realize we will not understand but it will all be ok.

Moses

By faith Moses was hidden by his parents for three months when he was born, because they saw that the child was beautiful and they weren’t afraid of the king’s orders. By faith Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter when he was grown up. He chose to be mistreated with God’s people instead of having the temporary pleasures of sin. He thought that the abuses he suffered for Christ were more valuable than the treasures of Egypt, since he was looking forward to the reward. By faith he left Egypt without being afraid of the king’s anger. He kept on going as if he could see what is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, in order that the destroyer could not touch their firstborn children. (Hebrews 11:23-28, CEB)

Moses was hidden for the first three months of his life because the Pharaoh was killing male Israelites so they could not reproduce and keep growing in numbers. It was the way God protected him.

And God protected and watched over Mose, just like God walks with you.

Faith is what keeps us connected to God, and it is God who helps us in our faith.