Nothing But An Opportunist

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And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time. Luke 4:13

After having made three tries and failed, the devil departed from Jesus. A defeat didn’t end his attempts. The retreat only meant he went to the shadows to regroup. Luke says that he departed from Jesus until another opportune time. When would be an opportune time?

  • When his mother and brothers thought he was under demonic influence.
  • When he was called the illegitimate son of Mary.
  • When Judas betrayed Him in the garden.

King David reinforced the truth of this experience with different wording. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support. Psalm 18:18  

Nothing has changed. Today, the devil still looks for fainthearted saints. He waits to see ‘blood in the water’; knowing that a weakened enemy is more easily taken down. Don’t expect your worst battle on a good day. It’s on an awful day, when you don’t feel like fighting, that you need to put on your armor.

Jesus had an advantage we don’t have. He knew Lucifer in heaven. He knew his passion for power and revenge. He knew that three defeats in some wilderness wasn’t going to send him away for good.  He was out to take God’s people down to the very end of the age, if possible. God has allowed him to have limited power until that final victory but it’s always under the umbrella of God’s promises of redemption and glory.

What’s the bottom line? We have to know how to fight when we’re weak. 1.) Clothe yourself in the Word. 2.) Pray, pray, pray! 3. ) Live holy. 4.) Rest in God’s love and favor. Remove one of these and there’s a chink in our armor. Without the word, we’ve abdicated our sword. Without prayer, our communication lines to power and authority are crippled. Without holiness, we’ve opened doors to the kingdom of darkness. Without resting in love and favor, we’ll experience a loss of resolve to do the first three. I mean, why bother!

No matter how tough it got for Jesus, no matter how hot the temptation, no matter how bloody the path, our Savior never forsook the Word, prayer, holiness, and an assurance that He was indeed God’s beloved Son ~ destined for glory.

If ever it were time for me to walk in Your footsteps, Jesus, it’s in this. Amen

 

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The Battle Of Unbelief

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Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”  John 20:29

It’s hard to trust something or someone that you can’t see.  Jesus knew that and and said that those of us who place all our confidence in Him will be blessed.  Faith can erode quickly when we see no evidence of an invisible God.  I knew what it’s like to arrive at a place where I had no confidence in Him anymore.  I ceased to see the vastness of God but the issue was not about a God who had grown anemic; it was about how the enemy had deceived me through my adversity. He lied and I bought it.  I had fallen into the black hole of unbelief.  I found myself on a dead end street until faith was restored.

Now that I’m older, here’s what I’ve learned.  At the point where belief and unbelief meet at the fork in the road, self-preservation is born.  When I believe God to be impotent, I rise to the occasion to take care of myself.  In arrogance and in fear, I conceive ways to cope in order to survive.  This is all a reaction to the lie that God is powerless.  I do not realize that my plans, oaths, and new alliances will be wasted.

What is the battle plan?  1. Confess my unbelief and my fears.  2. Ask God to comfort me and give me faith.  3. Force-feed the Word into my heart.   4. Go back to the specific place where belief ended and unbelief was conceived; ask the Holy Spirit to speak to me about that tenuous place so that I can understand and learn from it.

Jesus is tender with my wounds.  He is the gentle healer.  His heart is for me but I must be tough on my sin of unbelief.  Healing comes when I find the corresponding truths from God’s Word that confront my specific lies.  I begin to live differently when I recite God’s Words out loud.  (“I once believed _________ but God said ______________.”)  This takes time.  There must be a daily resolve to keep embracing what God says by asking Him to write His Word on my heart.  What follows if I am diligent?  Spiritual prosperity.  An enlarged view of God.  The glorious freedom that comes from living in truth.

You meant it!  “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.”  I believe.   Amen

God Shining Through Me. Why Wouldn’t I Want That?

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Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.  Psalm 143:10

 If each of us is a container for the Spirit of God to live His life, why is He not on full display through the people of His church?

I’m convinced that life is one long series of choices where I choose whether or not to quench the Spirit. He speaks; but then I turn my ear toward more enticing voices. He suggests; but I ignore His suggestions and adopt something that promises instant gratification. He begs obedience; but I procrastinate and then live in perpetual guilt. He woos me to behold Him in all His glory; but my desire for him is dulled by the lights and glitter of Babylon.

The only time I am more than willing to drown out everything that competes with the Spirit is when I suffer. My need of Him is stronger than my need for things that offer little consolation. Stripped of everything that used to matter, Jesus is in full view. His voice is clear and merciful. “I’m here!” His invitation is gracious though I don’t deserve the welcome He extends for this prodigal’s homecoming. As I sink into waves of mercy, He proceeds to say what He has said across the ages to repentant sinners. “Go and sin no more.” Of course. How could I think of doing less after such a lifesaving encounter!  And yet I do.

Are you in great need today?  Need is a gift because it focuses our eyes on the One we need but rarely depend on.  Like you, my greatest God-moments were experienced in fiery trials.  And like you, my dullest spiritual experiences were lived in the ‘valley of no need.’  The truth is ~ I am always in great need but shy away from asking God to show me exactly where.  My pride tempts me to pretend that I’m stronger than I really am.  Then, self-sufficiency quenches the Spirit.  I lose.  My world loses.

Show me my need, even when Your conviction burns.  In Jesus name, Amen

Healing From Destructive Words

Published on by Christine Wyrtzen2 Comments

As for God, His way is blameless; The word of the LORD is tried; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.  Psalm 18:30

Truth and love are always paired in the context of the Gospel. God speaks that way and as His child, I am asked to communicate with others like this too. Truth can be brutal but when wrapped in love and kindness, it need not injure needlessly. It can instruct and encourage. But how many have claimed to be truth tellers in the name of Christ, only to do long-term damage to a child or young disciple? Even the most seasoned Christian can be brought low in an instant by reckless words spoken without grace.

The only cure for the deep pain of others’ words is to allow God to speak the truth in the context of love and tenderness.  I must be willing to disown hurtful words and no longer have them define me in any way. These injurious comments should be dealt with severely at the cross, in prayer.  What do I do with the hurtful attitude of the one who originally spoke it?  I ask God to remove the arrows of their intent.  If their comments came with anger or revenge, Jesus will deal with the spirit that came with the words and cleanse me from all their effects.

For each of us who has sustained damage from the words of another, I must isolate the words, reflect on them, examine the damage, and then talk to Jesus about it all. I must own any sinful reactions I had to their sin against me. Anger, revenge, sharp retorts, etc.. How do I heal?  Here is a prayer.

“Lord, nullify the effects of these comments under the power of Your shed blood. Take these words from my mind and my heart.  Remove the arrows that wounded my soul so deeply.   Make it as though the words had never been spoken.  I forgive the person who spoke them and give up my right to take revenge.  I put this person in Your hands for You to rule righteously.  Arise on my behalf.  Hear my prayer.  Hold me, breathe over me, kiss my heart with Your living Word and may I live in abundant life.  Lord, I stand today on Your promise.  “The Sun of righteousness will arise with healing in his wings.”  Malachi 4:2   Because of Jesus, I pray…Amen

To Whom Am I Grafted?

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I am the true vine.  John 15:1

For a vine to produce fruit, it must first be planted in the earth.  God knew that and placed his Son here.  Jesus lived, laughed, wept, made friends, and was betrayed here.  Through it all he became our friend.  If we cultivate a relationship with him, we will enjoy spiritual riches.

Because he was planted as the Vine, he made it possible for us to be grafted to him.  When we are, we flourish and begin to bear the spiritual fruit for which we were born.  This brings a profound sense of well-being not found anywhere else.

If we are grafted to any other vine, the fruit may look good but will eventually be revealed as counterfeit.  Time spent attached to the wrong vine will result in a river of tears when its fruit is finally exposed.  We will grieve over wasted years and suffer disillusionment.

The vine of other relationships will leave us wanting, for other people cannot give all that our souls need.  The vine of prestige will be satisfying momentarily, but the fickle public will replace us with someone new and better in their eyes.  The vine of materialism will offer us trappings that look good, but they will become obsolete or wear out over time.

Only the true Vine can nourish us with everlasting life.  “I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion.  I will betroth you in faithfulness.”  Hosea 2:19-20  Such connection to Christ will bear fruit identical to his.  WE will be righteous, just loving, compassionate, and faithful.  If we lack anything of Jesus, we may be grafted to a wrong vine.  Time to do some gardening.

Jesus, I want to be completely grafted to You.  Amen

When I Can’t See

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At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.  John 20:14

Nothing short of seeing Jesus would make Mary stop crying.  Two angels appeared earlier, and though she experienced a conversation with heavenly beings, her weeping continued.  She had a one-track mind, and it was focused on Jesus’ absence.  She grieved that he was not where she expected him to be.  Yet he was there.  She simply didn’t recognize him.

Mary had a crisis of faith, as I do when I’m tossed by the storms of life. The roaring sound of the waves drowns out Jesus’ whispers.  The fog and the mist obscure my sight of him.  I think he’s missing yet he stands near.  I weep for his absence though he has his arms securely around me.  I accuse him of abandoning me but he has already moved heaven and earth to give me intimate access to him.

King David reassured me of this.  “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted.”  Psalm 34:18  I may rest in this certainty.  If I seek Jesus, he is near.  My relationship with him is driven by faith, not by sight.

Mary would have been comforted if she had recovered the dead body of Jesus but Jesus gave her more than what she asked for.  He appeared alive, not dead.  We who seek heaven’s treasures always find riches beyond our wildest imagination.  God gives us more than we could have dreamed of.  He is generous, extravagant, and delights in giving lavish gifts.  If we weep at our tomb of loss today, let’s hang on.  Jesus is with us and our sorrow will turn to indescribable joy.

Lord, I trust that you’re here.  You will reveal yourself in your time, by your mercy and by your loving-kindness.  Amen

Our Cross Versus Satan’s Mirage

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Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out.  John 18:4

The time for the cross is upon Jesus.  He knows it and surrenders willingly to the authorities coming to arrest him.  This is not the first time that his life has been in danger.  Numerous times before, he fled to retire for a while to some obscure place because he knew that the timing for his death was premature   Satan would have loved to tamper with God’s timetable but Jesus never allowed it.

We’re told that we will be called upon to take up our cross and follow Jesus.  However, knowing the proper time is as critical for us as it was for Jesus.  Satan brings crisis after crisis meant to overwhelm us and to bring us to destruction.  Often unaware of his tactics, we mistake painful scenarios as our time for bearing our cross rather than treating them as a mirage of the Evil One.  When we should be engaging in spiritual warfare, we retire instead, and then carry our counterfeit cross on the shoulders of immature, feeble faith.  Not able to withstand the pressure, we crumble in defeat and wonder why God wasn’t faithful to give grace in our time of need.

On the flip side, there are conflicts we should excuse ourselves from.  There are illnesses to pray against.  There are blows to our character needing a tough-love response rather than a turning of the other cheek.  Knowing when to retire or resist is critical.  God can show us what is needless pain meant to harm us and what is his cross, the cross that allows us to share in Jesus’ suffering.

If I face suffering that is in your perfect, plan, Lord, I surrender.  To all else I take up a sword of your Word against the plans of our enemy.  Amen

Picking Through My Past

Published on by Christine Wyrtzen1 Comment

Deep calls to deep at the noise of your waterspouts; all your waves and your billows are gone over me. Psalm 42:7

The waves of trouble that passed over the head of this psalmist have, by his own admission, passed through the hands of God first. In speaking to God, he labeled them ‘your waves.’

The theological precedent is set. All the troubles of my life have also passed through the hands of God. Satan was given permission – not free reign! God ached with the evil that would ensue but triumphed in the redemption that would follow. Knowing that God was ultimately in control was a comfort and the peace of that knowledge has only grown with the years. I once feared becoming a sad old woman who never made peace with her past but today I can say, with years of hindsight, that I am struck by the kindness of God.

I can muse endlessly about my yesterdays. As I rehearse my choices, I play the ‘what if’ game. What if I had chosen differently and been spared the consequences? What if I had trusted others wisely and escaped betrayal? What if I had been born into another family and dodged the wounds of childhood? What if I had chosen another career path and done what I dreamt of doing instead of what others expected of me?

Focusing on ‘what ifs’ bring torment. I never stop to consider how each wound ultimately saved me. Each piece of suffering sent me further and further into the abyss from which there was no escape without God. To finally wrap my arms around my Savior was worth any price.

What piece of thorny history are you resenting today? Perhaps the past keeps repeating itself and you believe that you deserve what’s happened to you. Whether your suffering is due to poor choices or the result of injuries others inflicted, the results are the same. Bruises of the soul are invitations for God’s saving intervention. Every thorn is a saving thorn if it leads to the arms of God.

I don’t want to re-live any of it but I have lived long enough to see You reveal the treasures of the darkness. I wouldn’t change anything. I can trust Your sovereignty ~ past, present, and future. In Jesus’ name, Amen

Looking Where We Last Had It

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As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb. John 30:11

Jesus was last seen in the tomb, so when Mary discovers that Jesus’ body is missing, she begins her search there.

Losing someone can be frightening. Some years ago, my husband and I took our two children and Scott, the six-year-old son of some close friends, to a large amusement park for the day. I stopped to order drinks for all of us and dropped Scott’s hand to pay. When I turned to hand him his soda, he had vanished. For the next thirty minutes, there was sheer panic. Scott had wandered to the other side of the park and had asked for help from someone in uniform. We eventually recovered him in the lost and found area eating ice cream. But my point is this: The park employees suggested we begin our search around the area where he first disappeared.

This principle extends beyond what we can see. What are you missing today? Perhaps it’s the ability to trust. Where did you lose it? Go back to where you first learned to distrust. What happened? How did your beliefs about life change? We were not born distrustful. We lost trust when life’s experiences appeared to prove it invalid. As God helps us pinpoint places on our individual timelines, the events that caused us to lose trust, he holds us while we grieve, and then he slowly begins to realign our belief system. We can be whole. We can be free of childhood vows of distrust that, though they protected us for a time, are no longer expedient or necessary with God as our Father.

Oftentimes we get stuck in relational ruts and think we’re doomed to live in emotional exile. Our distrust, our cynicism, our inability to receive or give love, all these keep our hearts from thriving. God wants to heal us and he can with our cooperation. He wans to lead each of us on a search-and-rescue expedition. He designed us to live as much loved children in his kingdom. Where growth was stunted, limbs can heal and bear fruit.

One last thing. Scott is a powerful man of God, a pastor, the one seen in this picture. Some years after our incident in the amusement park, we learned that the name Scott means ‘wanderer.’

Mary’s weeping led to searching. May my tears be proactive, Lord. Amen

New Patch On An Old Coat

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Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” Jesus said to them, “No one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results.” Matthew 9:14,16

Don’t mix the new with the old. This is the principle behind Jesus’ words.

An old cloth shrinks considerably over time because of repeated washings. The new cloth is something that has not yet shrunk. Cut a patch out of it and get it wet, and it will shrink, pulling and tearing the old fabric.

So what doesn’t mix, according to Jesus? Religious rituals of the past and new faith in Him. Jesus came to do something entirely new by fulfilling the Law, something we couldn’t do with a pile of good works. The Law was meant to show us that we couldn’t keep it. It was not meant to turn us into kiss-ups that try to make God happy with our rule keeping.

The Pharisees were upset because they were fasting (and keeping all the other rules) but the disciples weren’t. The Pharisees were self-impressed but Jesus is impressed by those who acknowledge their sin and look to Him to make them righteous.

The Gospel is dazzling all by itself. The message is too good to be true. Sinners are forgiven; no strings attached. They are made righteous and have to do nothing to earn it. They enter into an intimate relationship with their Savior. No more priests. No more veil. But oh, how quickly something dazzling can be dulled when we add on anything that’s not supposed to be there. We put a new patch on an old coat and disfigure what is beautiful.

As a believer in Jesus, I need to keep things simple. I am a sinner, saved by grace; a woman grateful for God’s mercy. I want to share the news of this incredible gift with others, but when I do, I want them to see the Gospel in its beauty and brilliance. As soon as I add rules and expectations, mixed with a little church tradition, the Gospel is skewed and leaves a very bad taste in their mouth. What was supposed to be good news actually repelled them. May it not be.

Am I mixing the New Covenant with the stuff of the Old? Show me. Shatter all vestiges of self-righteousness. In Jesus’ name, Amen