Preparing for Temptation (Post 9)

Jesus warned Peter about the temptation from Satan that was coming his way.  I don't think Peter ignored it - I just think he had no frame of reference to accept it.  So Jesus goes the next step - he had warned Peter - now he would show him how to prepare for temptations that are sure to come.

Read Mark 14: 32 - 42

You prepare through prayer.  This reading has been such a strong reminder to me about being diligent in prayer.  I can get careless, can you?  I have a tendency to go to prayer when I need something - or when someone I love needs something.  Jesus knew what was coming - both for himself and for Peter.  Jesus needed these closest of his disciples to watch over him and cover him in prayer.  Jesus knew that the temptation to avoid the will of God was powerful, compelling.  And he needed support.  But, alas, these three men were tired.  It had been a long few days in Jerusalem.  And, once again, they did not realize the seriousness of the situation.  

"Keep watch with me," Jesus told his friends.  Is anyone in your life asking that of you?  Are you willing to ask those closest to you to "keep watch" over you?  Most of us do not.  We ask for prayer when we are sick - or suffering loss.   But as a protection against temptation?  

Jesus gave a model prayer for his disciples.  We call it the Lord's prayer.  You may know it by memory.  It is a wonderful thing to have in your mind and memory.  Recall this line:

"Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."

That is still an important part of our prayer life.  Pray it for yourself.  Pray it over your friends.  Pray it over your children, your spouse.  Keep watch.  Don't get careless.  Don't assume that you cannot prepare for the temptations that Satan will bring your way.  I think Jesus is telling us in this passage that we CAN prepare.  We CAN keep watch over our own souls and the souls of those we love.  Are you willing?  Or are you too tired?

I cannot know what you will have to face tomorrow.  Nor can I know what is in my immediate future.  But we can know that the tempter will be there and will subtly throw things our way to get us off course, to cause us to walk outside the will of God for us.

My desire is to be "prayed up" ... to be ready ... and right now, I pray for everyone of you who will read these words:

Our Father, lead us not into temptation.  Deliver us from the evil one.  Guard our hearts and our minds from the temptations of worldliness.  Wake us up to the evil one's schemes.  Give us alert minds and hearts.  To you is the glory and the power for evermore.   Amen.

Crisis Warning - Post 8

Jesus has worked to shape Peter for nearly 3 years.  We have observed the gentleness, the intensity and the training our Lord focused upon him.  It provides us with a beautiful example of spiritual formation.  Peter was a faithful follower of Jesus - a leader in the band of apostles - a true disciple of this Rabbi.

The three years were nearing their end.  Jesus knew it.  It was Passover time and Jesus, with his band of followers, made their way to Jerusalem, the Holy City, for the festivities and memorial.  They had time together during which Jesus talked with them about what was coming.  He washed their feet to teach and train them about kingdom principles.  They celebrated the Passover meal together and Jesus used the opportunity to speak to them about a new covenant - a covenant in his blood - that was about to be cut.  And in the midst of this intimate time together, the apostles' lack of understanding and their humanity once again rose to the surface.  They began an argument and debate about which of them was the "greatest" in this new kingdom of which Jesus spoke.  Let's go to scripture ... watch Peter ...

Read Luke 22: 24 - 38

Some observations from the reading:

First, Jesus reaffirmed the kingdom principle of service.  He reminded them yet again that the world's system of hierarchy and "pecking order" had no place in His kingdom.  He was turning that whole mentality upside down.  Have we heard that message?  I know we have read it - numerous times - but have we "heard" it?  How it must grieve the heart of God when we play the same power games and set up power structures in the church  that do nothing but mirror the thinking of the world.  When we continue to work adopting the world's methods, I suspect Jesus says to us, "Oh ye of little faith."  How do we break that pattern?  If you have done intentional work to practice this principle ... would you share with us?  What did you do?  How did it turn out?  What did you learn?

Secondly, the "you" in verse 31 is plural.  So it seems that Jesus is warning all of his disciples that Satan had permission to come at them.  Do you think that warning could be applied to us as well?  It is of utmost importance that we take seriously the phrase from the Lord's prayer ...

"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil ..."  (Matthew 6:13)

There is no reason to be fearful.  It is just the reality of spiritual warfare.  So we must never loose sight of the following:

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.  And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.     (1 Corinthians 10:13)

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.    (1 John 4:4)

So hear the warning ... don't be surprised ... prepare yourself to stand firm ... to be faithful ... to trust God.

Third, the "you" in verse 32 is singular.  Jesus seemed to turn specifically to Peter to warn him of his coming crisis.  But Peter couldn't take it in.  He just couldn't - in the furthest stretches of his imagination - believe that he could turn from Jesus, abandon him.  Isn't that like us?  Have you ever had this experience:  You said something and later, in a more rational moment, said to yourself, "I cannot believe I said THAT.  It was cruel.  That's not even me.  Where did that come from?"  Or, you do something that so violates your morality and in the quiet of the night, you say to yourself, "I can't believe I've done that.  I always said I would NEVER do that.  What is wrong with me?"  

You see, Peter is not unique.  He saw himself strong on his own.  He saw himself able - on his own - to do what he wanted to do.  And Jesus knew that was not so.  Jesus knows it not so for you and I either.  On our own - that is always the potential for gigantic crashes!  There is always the potential for falling into sin.  So what do we do with that horrific knowledge?  Here's the good news:

Humble yourselves before God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Come close to God, and God will come close to you.  Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.  Let there be tears for what you have done.  Let there be sorrow and deep grief.  Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy.  Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.     (James 4: 7 - 10  NLT)

The message of repentance stays constant - and contemporary - and relevant - and necessary.  Why not close today's time of thought with a prayer of repentance to your gracious, merciful God.  Recognize that without Him and His strength ... we are nothing ... and can do nothing of eternal significance.  

Let's not only "hear" Jesus' warnings ... let's "heed" them.  

Lessons from the Conflict (Matthew 22 - P 58)

Jesus was in Jerusalem.  He was being confronted and challenged by "leaders" of his society.  All of this was being done in front of the crowd in an attempt to discredit him before the people.  There were three groups that were on the attack - three groups that were at odds with each other usually, yet joined forces in their common hatred of Jesus and their desire to eliminate him.  Let's consider the three before we read today.

The Pharisees - these were the super-orthodox of the day.  They resented the Roman occupation.  They resented paying taxes to Rome.  After all, the Jewish nation had one king - God.  To pay taxes to Caesar was an admission that he was a king, their king.

The Herodians - these were the party of Herod, the king of Galilee.  He owed his power to Rome and worked hand-in-glove with the Roman authority.  They marched in line with Herod.

The Sadducees - these were the wealthy, aristocratic and governing class.  While small in number, they were large in power.  The chief priests were Sadducees.  Politically, they were collaborators with Rome.  Religiously, they were traditionalists, accepting only the Pentateuch as binding and unwilling to accept the scribal and oral law which was held in such high esteem by the Pharisees.

Strange bedfellows ... but a common enemy leads to such bizarre alliances ... still does today.  Let's read

Matthew 22: 15 - 33

What lessons can we learn from these encounters for ourselves ... for our day and time?

First ... sarcastic complements are odious!  The seeming complements in verses 16 - 17 are not genuine.  They were designed to look good to the crowd and to set Jesus up.  Have you ever been the recipient of such twisted language?  Have you ever been guilty of using it?  Paul said in Ephesians 5:29

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

As Jesus people, we MUST guard our speech and avoid manipulative language.  It reeks ... and we see it powerfully demonstrated in this encounter with Jesus.

Secondly ... Jesus people take civic responsibility seriously.  We are citizens of two countries ... the one in which we live on this earth and the kingdom of God.  Jesus told these Pharisees to pay their taxes ... coin belonged to Caesar ... so give it back to him.  God requires your heart, soul, mind and money ... so give to him what belongs to him.  Jesus did not say we had to love paying our taxes ... he just said pay them.  When the two citizenships clash, our primary allegiance is to the kingdom of God.  Barclay writes: 

 "Where the boundaries between the two duties lie, Jesus does not say.  that is for our own consciences to test.  But real Christians - and this is the permanent truth which Jesus here lays down - are at one and the same time good citizens of their country and good citizens of the kingdom of heaven.  They will fail in their duty neither to God nor to society."

And remember what the apostle Peter wrote in 1 Peter 2:17:  

Show proper respect to everyone:  Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.

Third ... quit trying to define heaven and eternity by earthly customs and standards.  The whole scenario about the 7 brothers and the one wife was absurd.  It was using earth to define heaven.  Eternity is not going to be an extension of life on earth.  It will be different ... at its core ... in its essence.  We sing songs about "mansions" in heaven.  Maybe we, too, think of heaven as an extension of life on earth.  I think perhaps we are better served by the willingness to embrace the mystery of it.  There is little reason, in fact there is no reason, to confuse and argue about relationships or housing in heaven - because we do not have a frame of reference for eternity.  Bottom line ... TRUST GOD.  It will be splendid!  And it will be alive!

Our passage today closes with the statement that the "crowds were astonished at his teaching."  Are you?  Where will you apply these principles in your own life and thinking right now?  Do a self-check on 

• your speech habits
• your civic habits
• your willingness to embrace the mystery of God

Spiritual Formation - Part 4 (Post 7)

Let's consider two more principles of spiritual formation today as we watch Jesus train Peter.
First, as you read, watch Peter ...

Mark 10: 17 - 31

Verse 24 tells us that the "disciples" were amazed at this conversation.  The Jewish mindset at the time believed that prosperity was a sign of God's blessings on an individual - so they were pleasing to God.  And yet Jesus had challenged this prosperous, young 'ruler' with the fact that he was not right with God.  O, he was a law-keeper, all right, but Jesus had looked into the heart of the man and seen an idol.  He had seen a love of money that took the place of God.  Therefore the challenge.  "Go - sell it all and come, follow me," Jesus said.  You see, "following" is the most important thing.  It takes precedence over everything else.

I suspect that realization is what may have led Judson W. VanVenter, in 1896, to pen these words:

All to Jesus I surrender,

All to Him I freely give;

I will ever love and trust Him,

In His presence daily live.

All to Jesus I surrender,

Humbly at His feet I bow;

Worldly pleasures all forsaken

Take me, Jesus, take me know.

I surrender all ...

VanVenter must have understood this principle of spiritual formation ...

"Following" Jesus takes precedence over EVERYTHING

I wonder how much you and I really understand this principle.  For those of us who have grown up in churches around the country, how many times have we sung those words in a service?  Have you (or I) ever sung them flippantly - perhaps liking the music or the harmony - but paying little attention to the commitment they promise?   

Jesus' response to the rich young man caused Peter to pause.  That response caused Peter to ask the Lord about himself.  Will you do that right now?  Will you ask Jesus to look deeply into your heart and see if anything is taking the place of following?  Ask Him - then decide if you will surrender it - or walk away "sorrowfully".

The final principle for spiritual formation that we will consider in this particular study around Peter if found in the following passage.  It's familiar to many of you, so slow down and read carefully, asking God to remove blinders.  And watch Peter ...

Read John 13: 1 - 17

What is the principle for spiritual formation that arises out of this scene?  It's not obscure!  It's overt.  It doesn't take any advanced theology degrees to get it!  Service to others matters.  What did Peter learn that day?

One must practice the spiritual discipline of service

And it is a discipline.  It is a choice.  It is a decision.  It is not an option.  It is not reserved for those who are particularly gifted at it - or find it easy to do.  Richard Foster offers a definition that I find helpful.  He defines the spiritual discipline of service as follows:

"Loving, thoughtful, active promotion of the good of others and the causes of God in our world, through which we experience the many little deaths of going beyond ourselves."

Let's make some observations that flow out of this definition:

How is this service to be done?  Loving (that's the attitude we incorporate), thoughtful (as opposed to random - planned), active (intentional more than accidental), 

What is the goal of service?  promotion (we promote things we find to be important) of the good of others (it shows we care about what is for your 'good' - it is what Paul meant when he said in Philippians 2:4 "Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.")  and the causes of God in our world (it shows that, to us, the character and the heart of God is most important for us to reflect to this broken, diseased world)

What is the benefit to the "doer" of the service?  through which we experience the many little deaths of going beyond ourselves.  (It is the best way I know to literally practice Galatians 2:20  "I've been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.")

Spiritual Formation ... the forming of spiritual life in each of us ... Peter had to learn ... you and I have to learn ... and then, like Peter, we must surrender so that the Spirit of God can do the work in us.  Will you?  

Trust God - and DO Kingdom of God work
Keep your focus on the Lord - not on your circumstances
Choose faithfulness - even when the instructions are difficult
Be more concerned about the condition of your heart than for outward forms & ceremonies
Listen to Jesus - hear His voice FIRST
Forgive - ALWAYS
"Following" Jesus takes precedence over everything

Practice the spiritual discipline of service

Spiritual Formation - Part 3 (Post 6)

As we consider some of the ways we observe Jesus' forming Peter, today

Read Luke 9: 28 - 36

This is one of the monumental hinge points of Jesus' earthly years, his work.  And Peter was allowed to be an eye witness!  Jesus was about to set out for Jerusalem and for the trauma that would face him there.  He knew it.  So he went up on a mountain to pray, taking 3 of his closest and dearest apostles with him.  

The affirmation Jesus needed before he walked into Jerusalem came.  It came by way of Moses and Elijah - the quintessential representatives of all of Judaism.  These two men represented the "law" (Moses) and the "prophets" (Elijah).  And they came from the "other side" to encourage and affirm the Son of God.  Astounding!  Jesus would not take one step without it being the will of God the Father.  In this encounter, we see him seeking and receiving affirmation and approval from God.  

What about Peter?  I think he was absolutely overwhelmed with the situation.  I can't even imagine what it would have been like.  He was so stunned ... and so moved ... and so intent on honoring those three men standing before him ... that he made the recommendation.  Let's build three tabernacles to honor each of the three.  And God again broke the barrier and spoke into time-space history.  God wanted Peter to know that these three men were not all equal.  The Jewish people had been instructed to listen to Moses and to listen to Elijah ... but there was one greater than either now.  And they were to listen to him - listen to Jesus.

The next principle in our spiritual formation observations is:

Listen to Jesus - hear his voice first

First means "first" - before our culture - before our friends - before advice from other humans.  As you read and study scripture, be sure to continue returning to the gospels.  Keep going back to the words of Jesus. Let them be the plumb line by which all other words are measured.  Listen to Jesus ... hear him.

Let's consider one other scene today.

Read Matthew 18: 21 - 25

I wonder how long Peter had been thinking about this question.  He was a good Jew - a law-abiding Jewish man.  The rabbis at this time said if a man offended you, you should forgive him two times.  But if he did it a third time, you were not under obligation to forgive.  So Peter, knowing that Jesus was a merciful rabbi, stretched it far ... up to 7 times?  And Jesus responds with this story.  

What's the point of the story?  It's not obscure.  It's not difficult.  Forgive - always.  The reason it matters so much is because it is necessary for our own hearts.  It is the only way to guard your heart and mind against bitterness and resentment.  It frees you to get on with your own life.  The message is not hard - but the "doing" of it is extremely difficult!  It takes practice.  It takes diligence.  It takes determination.  It takes the mind of Christ. Ask God to bring to your mind any person toward whom you may be harboring unforgiveness.  Ask Him to help you put it down - help you move beyond the chains.  Remember, we just noticed that we are to listen to Jesus.  So, my friends, that means - forgive!  

The principle?

Forgive ---- Always!

And by the grace of God ... you can!

Spiritual Formation - Part 2 (Post 5)

How do I "grow up" in my faith?  What shapes faith?  Amy Grant, early in her career, sang a song that has stuck in my mind over these many years.  The title?  "Fat Little Baby".  It was not about an adorable, round, precious little baby.  It was about Christians who never grow past the fat baby stage.  They remain stuck, by their own choice, in the demanding, self absorbed stage of an infant.  They never grow.  Peter addressed the problem in the first of his letters. He said,

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. (1 Peter 2: 2 - 3)

You see, the goal of spiritual life is to grow up - not stay a fat little baby.  Are you growing?  The question in front of us is one of spiritual growth.  What forms us spiritually?  To try and answer we are observing the way Jesus shaped Peter.

We discovered two principles for spiritual formation in Post 4.  They are:

1. Trust God ... and do kingdom of God work.
2. Keep your focus on the Lord ... not on your circumstances.

Today let's continue our observations as Jesus shapes Peter ...

Read John 6: 60 - 69

Jesus is a popular figure.  People all over Galilee flocked to hear him - to experience the wonders he performed - to be healed - to be fed - the LOVE this Rabbi!  We read a discourse in John 6 that marked a change in the crowd's mindset.  Jesus began to do more than perform miracles.  He began to teach hard things.  I think these few verses are some of the saddest in all of scripture.  Masses turned and walked away. They deserted this Rabbi.  They didn't understand or like what he taught.  So they left.  You can feel the heaviness in the atmosphere as Jesus asked his 12 closest followers about their intentions.  Peter responded with his faithfulness.  He would NOT leave.  He would stay.  He would follow.  What do we learn?  What principle can we add to our own knowledge of what it means to be a growing disciple?

Choose faithfulness - even when the instructions are difficult.

Read Matthew 15: 1 - 20

An interesting conversation!  Peter heard it all.  And Peter was serious enough about his own "spiritual formation" that he questioned Jesus to be sure that he understood.  These Pharisees were challenging a basic premise of Judaism's understanding of "cleanness" before God.  Ceremonial hand washing was basic in Judaism - foundational.  So was Jesus saying it didn't matter?  Peter said, "Explain it."  And Jesus does.  God requires a pure heart.  Everything else spills out of the heart.  Ceremonial hand washing was just that - ceremonial.  It was not the core.  Jesus took his twelve disciples to the core - the root.  And he would take you and I there as well.  Do you want to "grow up" spiritually?  If your answer is "yes", then you must check your heart.  Listen to what comes out of your mouth.  Observe your attitudes and behaviors.  When we erupt in rage - know that it comes from the heart.  When we gossip and slander another - know that it comes from the heart.  When we wallow in self-indulgence - know that it comes from the heart.  When we refuse to forgive and desire revenge - know that it comes from the heart.  When we are hypocritical, saying one thing and doing another - know that it comes from the heart.  What principle can we add to our growing list?

Be more concerned about the condition of your heart than with outward forms and ceremonies.

Let's close our reflection today with the words of David - a prayer - one that we would benefit from praying each and every morning before our feet hit the ground - before the business of our day begins.  If you have not prayed it yet today, I invite you to join me right now ...

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

 (Psalm 51:10)

Spiritual Formation - Part 1 (Post 4)

Peter, as one of Jesus' close and intimate disciples, was following, listening, learning from his Rabbi.  In the process, he was being formed by Jesus.  He was being shaped spiritually.  That's what spiritual formation is all about - that shaping.  That's what discipleship is all about - being transformed to be like the Lord.

Dallas Willard speaks of spiritual formation:

The reason for the recent abrupt emergence of the terminology into religious life is, I believe, a growing suspicion or realization that we have not done well with the reality and the need.  We have counted on preaching, teaching, and knowledge or information to form faith in the hearers, and have counted on faith to form the inner life and outward behavior of the christian.  But, for whatever reason, this strategy has not turned out well. the result is that we have multitudes of professing Christians who well may be ready to die, but obviously are not ready to live, and can hardly get along with themselves, much less with others.

What did Peter have to learn?  What did Jesus use to shape him spiritually?  In our study together, we are going to observe several instances - both conversations and events - where Peter is being spiritually formed.  And by the grace of God, we can glean some principles and guidelines that will help us as we long to be shaped so that we reflect the image of Christ in our worlds.  

Let's read ... watch for Peter and think about what he would be hearing and learning ... and then join me for a few observations:

Read Luke 6: 1 - 6

Observations:
          1.  Jesus gave the 12 both the power and the authority to do His work.  Power has to do with ability and authority has to do with the right to do it.  I think Peter needed to learn that his work was now kingdom work ... which is to be an extension of Jesus Himself.  

          2.  Peter and the others had to learn that their trust was to be in God - not in themselves or their abilities or their resources.  

          3.  They had to accept the kindnesses of others as they were serving.  Why is it so often easier to be the "helper" than to be the recipient?  Does it have to do with pride?  

Principle #1 for Spiritual Formation:

Trust God and do the work.

Read Matthew 14: 25 - 33

Observations:

          1.  Peter was willing.  Peter's desire was to be a faithful and responsive disciple.  I love him for that.  

          2.  Peter voiced his doubt.  He asked, "Lord, IF it is you ..."  I love his honesty.  God can handle our doubts.  I believe God is honored most when His followers are willing to step out in faith even when there are pesky, nagging thoughts of doubt and confusion.  

          3.  Jesus knew Peter would sink.  Jesus knew Peter would loose his focus and become afraid of the circumstances.  So why did He invite Peter to come on out?  I think it is because Jesus is in the business of shaping him.  And Jesus knew (and still knows!) that lessons learned through failure are the most powerful ones.  

Principle #2 for Spiritual Formation:

Keep your focus on the Lord, not the circumstances.

(to be continued)