Kenneth Winter's Blog, page 5

Judas Iscariot (A Story of Selfish Ambition)

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NOTE: This week and next, as we prepare for Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, i want us to look at the events leading up to those days through the eyes of two of Jesus’s disciples. But in so doing, i want us to see how the sin they both harbored in their hearts kept them from seeing the truth of God in those events.

Too often, the sin we harbor in our hearts keeps us from seeing God’s truth. Instead of confessing our sin, we justify it, and thus we fall headlong down the slippery slope. Let’s see if we can learn from two men who despite their personal walk with Jesus became blinded to truth. And let’s see if we can learn from them.

Though elements of the story you are about to read are fictionalized, the ultimate truth it reveals is very real!

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My name is Judas and I grew up in the village of Kerioth, about ten miles south of Hebron in Judea. You have often heard me referred to as Judas Iscariot because the word “Iscariot” means “man of Kerioth.”

My father grew up as the eldest son of a poor man who worked in the fields of a wealthy landowner outside of Hebron. My father became a hired hand for that same landowner and worked for him well into adulthood. But he desired more for himself and more for his young son.

When I was still a boy, the Romans announced an opportunity for people to settle in the uninhabited lands of southern Judea. The Romans wanted those areas populated in order to better secure the eastern frontier of their empire. As an inducement, settlers were promised ownership of their own land. My father seized that opportunity and led our family from Hebron to Kerioth to join in the eastern expansion. He could finally own a piece of land where he could raise his own crops.

Life was hard there. There was a reason the land had been uninhabited for so long. It was a desert with minimal rainfall and no rivers or streams nearby. We prayed each year for enough rain to keep our wells from running dry and our crops irrigated. But some years the rain didn’t come, and those years we had little to show for our efforts.

Though my father had been “given” the land, the Roman authorities failed to tell him we must pay an annual tax on the land. And that tax was due whether his crop was plentiful or not. My father’s dreams of achieving his own success became swallowed up by one hardship after another.

But my father never stopped encouraging me to dream and pursue my ambitions. He told me not to settle for what I had but always reach for more. He had worked in the fields since he was a child, so he had a very limited education. My mother, on the other hand, had always been an avid learner. She passed along her hunger for learning to me, and my father passed along his ambition.

When I was fifteen, my mother died from complete exhaustion. Both she and my father had aged twenty years in the five years we had lived in Kerioth. Five years after my mother passed, I witnessed my father’s death as the pressures of paying his unpaid taxes took a toll on his already weak heart. I blamed the Roman occupation for both of my parents’ deaths, and I vowed I would do everything in my power to see their oppression brought to an end.

There was nothing left to keep me in Kerioth. The day after I buried my father, I set out to pursue my own ambitions. I eventually made my way to Tiberias. I decided I would join up with the growing movement of zealots seeking to cast off the chains of our Roman oppressors.

Over time, I realized the zealot movement lacked cohesive leadership. They had recently attempted to overtake a group of Roman soldiers who were transporting taxes to Caesarea. Unfortunately, the mission failed miserably and most of the raiding party was killed, including one of the main zealot leaders. When I heard about the disastrous results, I knew the current leadership did not have the foresight or the leadership to oppose the tyranny of the Roman regime. I needed to look elsewhere if I hoped to see Roman oppression brought to an end.

I had heard rumors of a baptizer at the Jordan River who was preaching about the promised Messiah. The prophets had said the Messiah would deliver our people and establish His kingdom. That was a plan and someone I could follow, if the baptizer was correct.

I was told I would find the baptizer, whose name was John, in Aenon, so I purposefully made my way there. It had been several weeks, and I kept hearing the baptizer refer to a Man called Jesus. According to John, this Jesus was the promised One. I learned that He and His followers were traveling through Galilee, so I decided to head back north and find Him.

I eventually found Jesus on the shore of the Sea of Galilee at Bethsaida. He was in a boat just offshore teaching a large crowd that had gathered. When He was done teaching, Jesus instructed the fishermen to cast their nets. When they did, their nets, and very soon their boats, were filled with fish to overflowing. The crowd around me gasped. I heard them talking about lepers whom Jesus had healed, and the lame who could now walk, the blind who could now see, and the deaf who could hear. This Man was able to perform miracles! I could follow such a Man!

I knew this Jesus was different from anyone I had ever seen or heard. He taught with great authority. Here was a Teacher! When He directed the fishermen to take their boats back out, they had obeyed without question. Here was a leader of men! This Man could lead our people to overthrow the oppression of Rome.

And if He was the promised One, His closest followers would become the leaders in His kingdom. Then and there, I made the decision to do whatever was needed to become one of His closest followers. As Jesus and His disciples began to walk along the shore, I joined the crowd following Him. 

I began looking for every opportunity to make myself known to Jesus. I looked for ways to get close to Him and His closest followers. I knew that in order to become a leader, they must first see me as a servant. So, I became a servant to all. I watched for a need to arise, then promptly went about meeting it. I quickly became known as the one to turn to if you needed anything done. Gradually, I began to earn their trust.

Peter, who was becoming the leader of the smaller circle of disciples around Jesus, started drawing me into that inner circle. Jesus began to take notice of me. Soon, He called me by name. As the days continued, I began to notice He was treating me differently from the others. There was something keeping me at a distance, but I didn’t know what it was. Perhaps Jesus was waiting to see what I could do for Him as one of His followers … and one of His future leaders!

Several days later, after Jesus healed a paralytic man who had been lowered through the roof of the synagogue, we departed from the village of Capernaum. On our way out of town, we passed a tax collector sitting in his collection booth on the side of the road. He was collecting taxes from anyone bringing goods to sell into the village, as well as from those who had made a purchase and were taking goods out of the village. I quickly noticed he was having a very profitable day. Jesus stopped directly in front of him, turned and said, “Matthew, follow Me and be My disciple!”(1)

Peter and James looked at one another and James said, “Doesn’t Jesus know what this man does for a living? There isn’t anyone lower than a tax collector! Why would Jesus invite him to become one of us?” But they – and I – were even more surprised when Matthew immediately got up, left everything, and joined us. I was wary of this new addition. I had already set my eye on becoming treasurer of this group, and I did not want that honor to fall to this tax collector!

But I was relieved when soon after that Jesus called all of us together and announced He had chosen twelve of us to be His apostles. I listened intently as He called out the names. It was no surprise that Peter, Andrew, James the son of Zebedee, and John were the first named. They had a unique relationship with Jesus, and I would have been greatly surprised if those four fishermen were not a part of this group.

He continued to call out the other names – “Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, and Matthew.”(2) Matthew? How could Jesus choose that tax collector over me? I began to quietly seethe. Was Jesus not going to choose me?

Jesus continued, “James the son of Clopas, and Thaddeus.”(3) They, too, were to be expected. After all, they were Jesus’s cousins. That was ten; only two names to go!

The next name Jesus called was Simon. The other apostles called him the zealot to distinguish him from Simon Peter. Obviously, Jesus had chosen him because he had been a revolutionary. But why hadn’t Jesus chosen me? There was only one name left!

“And Judas Iscariot,”(4) Jesus said to complete His list of apostles. Jesus had chosen me! I could barely contain my excitement. There for a moment, I thought He was going to overlook me. I was afraid that all of my hard work and effort had yielded no results – just like my father. But when Jesus said my name, I felt a rush of relief and accomplishment course through my veins. My work had paid off! I was now in the inner circle! I would continue to show my worth to Jesus as one of His trusted lieutenants. When Jesus had called my name, I had to suppress the big smile that tried to spread across my face. I had to receive this good news with humility. It took all I had to look humble!

My second pleasant surprise was just a few days later when the inner circle chose me as treasurer. Even Matthew had surprisingly voted for me. Again, it was all I could do to react with grace and humility. “Each of you is so much more qualified to assume this responsibility than I am,” I said. “But I will bow to your wishes and endeavor to prove worthy of your trust.”

Watching over the treasury would be an important leadership role with this group, but it would become an even greater role when Jesus established His kingdom. Everything was going according to my plan! And I didn’t mind having the treasury at my disposal when I needed a coin or two!

As the months continued, I kept watching for Jesus to make His move and declare Himself as the Messiah. I could not imagine why He had not already established His kingdom. There had been many perfect opportunities for Him to do so. He was attracting larger crowds every day.

As a matter of fact, He had recently taken a young boy’s sack lunch and fed a crowd I estimated to be fifteen thousand people. When everyone had eaten their fill, the other apostles and I collected twelve full baskets of leftover food! The crowd had begun to clamor for Jesus to be their King. They had witnessed what Jesus could do, and they wanted Him to rule so they would never have to work for food again.

It was clear they were preparing to force Jesus to declare Himself as King. I could not contain my excitement as I watched the reaction of the crowd. Now was the moment when Jesus would be raised to His rightful position as Messiah.

But instead of embracing the will of the people, Jesus told us to get into the fishing boat and cross to the other side of the lake. He would meet us there. He then slipped away quietly into the hills to escape the crowd. Another moment had come … and gone!

But the ultimate moment occurred just a few weeks ago. Jesus’s close friend, Lazarus, had died while we were in Bethabara. When He heard the news, Jesus delayed traveling to Bethany to console Lazarus’s sisters, or so we thought. He kept telling us we were going to witness His glory, but we didn’t know what that meant. Yes, we had previously witnessed Him raise two people from the dead on the day they died. But the body of Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. His body would have begun to decompose. What glory is in that?

After we arrived in Bethany, Jesus told the crowd that was gathered to roll away the stone. Then He had shouted, “Lazarus, come out!”(5) Lo and behold, Lazarus came walking out of that tomb! The crowd stood there in awe! Peter, James, and John lifted their outstretched arms in praise and worship as tears streamed down their cheeks. They fell to their knees in adoration before Jesus. Andrew and Phillip removed their sandals as they lay prostrate before Jesus. The rest of the apostles, except me, lifted their voices and began to sing “Holy, Holy, Holy” as they, too, fell to their knees before Him. Martha and Mary ran to their brother to embrace him, then together they all knelt at the feet of Jesus.

I couldn’t refrain from smiling as I thought to myself, “Finally Jesus will take His rightful place on the throne. All that I have waited for will now occur. Having performed this miracle, there is nothing to stop Jesus from establishing His kingdom!”

In the days that followed, people throughout the provinces heard what Jesus had done. They were ready to crown Him King. The religious leaders were frightened of Him. They knew their days of power were over. I knew that our Roman and Herodian leaders had only a few thousand soldiers at their disposal. They would easily be overthrown when all of our people rose up behind Jesus. And after what I had just seen, I knew that even Rome with all of its military power and might would be forced to bow before Jesus!

But the weeks continued to pass, and Jesus still hadn’t made His move! Seven weeks had gone by without Jesus taking a solitary step toward assuming His rightful throne. Tonight, we had dinner with Lazarus and his family. As we began to eat, Lazarus’s sister Miriam slipped into the room carrying a beautiful alabaster jar. Quietly, she knelt beside Jesus’s feet and opened the jar. She began to anoint His head and His feet – wasting that expensive perfume! Jesus continued to eat without acknowledging her. The rest of us remained silent as we watched.

Suddenly, I couldn’t take it anymore and had to speak up. “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.”(6) A few of the other disciples nodded in agreement and joined me in scolding Miriam for what she had done.

Then Jesus spoke up and told us to leave her alone. “Wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.”(7)

I was seething. Jesus’s rebuke made me look foolish in front of the others. I had faithfully followed Him for almost three years. Sure, I had helped myself to a few coins from the treasury here and there, but that wasn’t my problem with what Miriam had done! The money we could have received for this perfume was nothing compared to the big treasure that awaited us when Jesus establishes His government. Why is Jesus wasting His time sitting at this table, when He could be sitting on His rightful throne in Jerusalem? This young woman’s expression is nothing compared to what the masses would do if Jesus stepped up and assumed His rightful position as King.

I decided I could no longer rely on Jesus to do what needed to be done. Someone needed to force His hand. Suddenly, the thought crossed my mind that perhaps that was exactly what Jesus was waiting for. Perhaps He was waiting for one of us to step forward and take the initiative. Jesus had specifically selected each one of us to be His apostles. Had He selected me for just this purpose? Had nothing yet occurred because I hadn’t taken the initiative? Is that why Jesus had kept me at more of a distance than the other apostles?

At that moment, I knew what I needed to do. I would help Jesus take the steps He needed to take. Jesus would be grateful to me! Perhaps that was why Jesus had rebuked me tonight – not because of what I said, but because Jesus was frustrated that I had not already acted.

The high priest and the rest of the high council were obviously plotting to kill Jesus. But they seemed to be incapable of executing a plan. They lacked proper leadership – just like the zealots. Jesus had probably frustrated their effort while He waited on me to step forward. That made perfect sense! No one was able to take the next step until I did.

This is my moment! After we arrive in Jerusalem tomorrow, I will find time to slip away and talk to the high priest. Jesus will know what I am doing. He is counting on me to work out the details. I will help the religious leaders arrest Jesus. I will arrange the best time and place so the crowd won’t interfere. Then when the religious leaders make their move, Jesus can declare Himself and call out the crowd to follow Him as their promised King. Finally, He will establish His government and I will ascend into my rightful position. Victory is in sight!

I turned from my thoughts and looked at Jesus. He was looking back at me. Our eyes met. I smiled and nodded. He didn’t smile in return, but I didn’t notice. I would take care of this for Jesus. All was forgiven. Jesus hadn’t really meant to rebuke me, He was just getting my attention. It had worked. I was truly sorry I hadn’t realized it sooner. After all, it had been seven weeks since He raised Lazarus from the grave!

Finally, the One who stood before me will receive the honor that is due Him … and I, Judas, the man from insignificant little Kerioth, will make it happen!

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As a reminder, this is a fictional depiction of true events. The explanation i have given may not have been what was in Judas’s mind. But what we do know, he was blinded to truth – either by a reason like i have given, or by greed, or by expectations of what the religious leaders were going to give him or grant him. Regardless, Satan tempted him through selfish ambition – just as he does us, if we permit him to gain a foothold.

Parts of this story line are taken from the Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, however, certain fictional events or depictions of those events have been added.

This story is excerpted from my book The One Who Stood Before Us , a collection of forty short stories. The complete collection is available through Amazon in standard print, large print, for your e-reader. Click HERE for more information on how you can obtain your copy.

You can listen to an audio recording of this story by tuning into this week’s episode of my podcast by CLICKING HERE

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In multiple instances the dialogue in this story comes directly from Scripture. Whenever i am quoting Scripture, it has been italicized. All Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

(1)  Luke 5:27

(2)  Matthew 10:3

(3)  Matthew 10:3

(4)  Matthew 10:4

(5)  John 11:43

(6)  John 12:5

(7)  Mark 14:9

 

Copyright © 2024 Kenneth A. Winter All rights reserved.

Photo by Jacob Abshire on Lightstock

Leaning On Our Own Understanding

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The situation had changed, and Joshua and the Israelites had no idea. The memory was fresh of their absolute defeat of Jericho. The imposing walls of Jericho had proven to be no problem whatsoever! The men had just returned from spying out the city of Ai.(1) It was nowhere near as imposing as Jericho! Defeating Ai would be a piece of cake – it would not require any effort.

And though the spies didn’t say this, the confidence in their remarks communicated – “we don’t even need God to defeat Ai! We can defeat them ourselves!” “We can even leave 597,000 of our fighting force back in the camp. We only need 3,000 warriors to do this. And they won’t even break a sweat.” Obviously i am putting words in their mouths, but i believe it fairly expresses the sentiment of the spies.

The reason i can so confidently express that sentiment is because i have acted in that same manner myself. i’ve walked through a Jericho-sized situation where the odds i was facing were so overwhelming, i knew if God “didn’t come through” i was sunk. i enlisted a multitude of prayer partners to intercede with me and call upon the Lord for His intervention and favor. And then i saw Him work in an overpowering way. You know the feeling!

After that took place, i was basking in His goodness and grace – and feeling a might bit invincible. So when the next circumstance i encountered seemed so minor – so insignificant – i didn’t think there was any need to even pray about it. But then – SMACK! There was that unexpected blow that knocked the wind out of my sails.

Where did we get this idea that we go to God for the BIG stuff, but trust ourselves for the “small” stuff? And even if we would never actually say that, why do we live that way? Jesus said, “Apart from Me you can do nothing.”(2) And when Paul wrote to the church in Philippi, he said, “Be anxious for nothing, but in EVERYTHING by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”(3)So what part do we get off thinking is excluded from “everything”?

In the case of the Israelites, they went to battle with the people of Ai without some very important information. As a result, they went to battle without the presence of God going with them – and they didn’t even know it. It would have been very helpful for them to know the information that we read as the chapter starts: But Israel violated the instructions about the things set apart for the LORD. A man named Achan had stolen some of these dedicated things, so the LORD was very angry with the Israelites.(4) Later in this same chapter of the Book of Joshua we read about Achan’s sin of commission, but for right now let’s continue to look at the people’s sin of omission.

The Israelites were facing an enemy – Ai. So what did they do? Joshua sent men to spy out the town – just like he had for Jericho. They returned with a favorable report for the people to advance on Ai – just like they had for Jericho. And the people by faith sent forth the warriors. The problem wasn’t their hubris in the small size of the force they sent out. The problem was that nowhere do we read that they talked to God about it. We don’t see one mention of Joshua – or anyone – talking to God… until after the defeat.

Is it not reasonable to presume that if they had sought the Lord before advancing on Ai, He would have told them about the sin in the camp? Is it not reasonable to presume that if they had sought the Lord before advancing on Ai, they could have prevented their sound defeat and the death of many of their warriors?

When will we learn that our Lord God Jehovah is the Sovereign and Almighty God of creation? He is omniscient and omnipotent. There is nothing that we will encounter that He doesn’t know. He knows what is ahead. He knows what He wants to accomplish through the encounter – in and through our lives. He knows what we need. He knows if there is something going on in our lives that will cause us to be ill-prepared. And He desires for us to seek Him – with the promise that if we seek Him we will find Him.(5)

And when the Israelites suffered defeat, they blamed God! (Of course, we would never do that, would we?) They cried out to Him that He had let them down and brought dishonor to His own name. Set aside Achan’s sin for a moment. They went off to Ai with their own plan, having never asked God what He would have them do, and then had the audacity to tell God it was His fault! It would behoove us to ask – how many times have we done the exact same thing? And then questioned God as to where He was!

Wherever we are in our journey, whether we are approaching a circumstance the size of Jericho, or one the size of Ai – we must remember that apart from Him we can do nothing! We can’t handle it apart from Him – no matter how insignificant we may think it is. Solomon wisely wrote: Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.(6)

Let’s learn from the lesson at Ai, and not lean on our own understanding!

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You can read about the defeat of the Israelites at Ai in the seventh chapter of the Book of Joshua.

This post is taken from chapter 19 of my book, Possessing The Promise. For more information about the book, click here.

 

(1)  Joshua 7:1-9 (NLT)

When they returned, they told Joshua, “There’s no need for all of us to go up there; it won’t take more than two or three thousand men to attack Ai. Since there are so few of them, don’t make all our people struggle to go up there.” So approximately 3,000 warriors were sent, but they were soundly defeated.

(2) John 15:5 (NLT)

(3) Philippians 4:6 (NKJ)

(4) Joshua 7:1 (NLT)

(5) Jeremiah 29:13

(6) Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)

 

Copyright © 2024 Kenneth A. Winter All rights reserved.

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Why Were We Chosen?

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We live in a culture that believes life centers around us. It is about “my” dreams, “my” ambitions, and “my” goals. Our fulfillment most often comes from our needs being met, our dreams being achieved, and our achievements being recognized. We’re striving for the “trophy,” even though it has taken on different forms and shapes as we’ve gotten older. It’s the lie that our culture feeds – that “it’s all about me.”

In the Book of Exodus, we read that Aaron and his two eldest sons, Nadab and Abihu, together with seventy of the elders of Israel, climbed partway up Mount Sinai with Moses.(1) There they saw the God of Israel and shared a meal together in His presence under His feet. By the way – if you can imagine being a part of that group – it was pretty heady stuff. Imagine being invited to sit at God’s table! Then, having seen God, Aaron and his sons were given an opportunity to serve Him as doorkeepers in His House.

Aaron and all four of his sons were chosen by God to serve Him and intercede for the people as High Priests.(2) God gave them very specific instructions on how offerings were to be presented before Him. He left nothing to their imagination, their intellect, or their discretion. He knew that an unholy people could not conceive or comprehend of how to worship a holy God. He directed Moses to consecrate Aaron and his sons to their priestly service through the ceremonial washing with water, the robing in their priestly vestments, the sprinkling of sacrificial blood, and the anointing with oil.(3)

The washing with water signified the cleansing that must take place in the priests’ lives before they could serve the Lord. They must be holy and pure before they could enter into His presence. The same is true of us. We, too, have been chosen by God to serve Him. We can only enter into that service through our salvation through Jesus Christ – because apart from Him we can do absolutely nothing.

And before we can be used, we too must be cleansed of unconfessed sins and impurities in our lives. Jesus taught this very principle to His disciples in the upper room that night before He was arrested, when He washed His disciples’ feet. But as He explained to Peter, because of their relationship with Him, they did not need to be washed all over; only their feet needed to be washed. By doing so, they would be prepared for service and prepared to enter into fellowship with Him. Moses washed Aaron and his sons in the same manner that Jesus washed the disciples’ feet.

Next, Moses clothed them in their priestly garments. The clothing was made of white linen signifying the righteousness of God. As they served Him and entered into His presence, they could only do so clothed in His righteousness – just as we, as followers of Jesus, can only enter into God’s presence clothed in the righteousness of Christ.

Then Moses applied some of the droplets of blood of the sacrifice to their right ear lobe, right thumb, and right big toe. This represents for us that only through the shed blood of the perfect Sacrifice, Jesus, can we hear the voice of God, be fit as His hands in service, and be prepared to walk with Him. It symbolized that our total personality is cleansed by Christ’s blood and must therefore be presented to Him as an act of worship.(4)

Lastly, Moses anointed the priests with oil. In the case of Aaron, this involved pouring the oil on his head and allowing it to drip down over his beard and his clothing. For us, this represents the anointing of the Holy Spirit and symbolizes that He is free to move and to work in our worship and service.                

But just as God had consecrated them for His purpose, His consecration led them to greater accountability before Him, and greater consequence for disobedience. God’s anointing is His empowerment to the obedient; it is not His shelter to the disobedient. Jehovah God is a jealous God who will not be mocked. And He can only be approached in one way – His Way. Just as all roads don’t lead to a relationship with the Holy God, all roads are not acceptable to Him in worship and in service.

God gave His high priests very specific instructions on how they were to serve Him and worship Him in the tabernacle. Nadab (meaning “spontaneous”) and Abihu (meaning “worshiper of God”) made the decision to spontaneously worship God in an unauthorized way – a way contrary to what God had commanded. They got caught up in their own self-importance and lost sight of the One they were serving – and the consequence was death. Therein is an important reminder: God will not ignore disobedience – even the disobedience of His anointed children.

But God will accomplish His purpose – His purpose will continue. Though Nadab and Abihu had no children to follow them as high priests, they did have two younger brothers, Eleazar and Ithamar. God had chosen them, He had prepared them, He had consecrated them and now He placed them in service. God will always accomplish His work and His purpose – nothing will prevent Him from accomplishing His appointed task, including our disobedience. At the very least, our disobedience will render us ineffective and therefore unable to experience the blessing of being used by God. In other instances, like these young men, our disobedience could render us permanently disqualified from service. But, in either case, the sovereign and almighty God will not be thwarted in His purpose.

Through the shed blood of Jesus and through the wooing of His Holy Spirit, God has consecrated and called us unto Himself. And He has done so for His purpose – to worship Him and serve Him. Let’s not lose sight like Nadab and Abihu did and forget that our very existence centers around God’s purpose and plan for our lives. It is not about us; it is all about Him! Let us listen carefully, heed His instruction, and experience His blessing as we worship and serve the One, who by His grace, has chosen us.

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You can read about the appointment of Aaron and his sons in the third chapter of the Book of Numbers.

This post is taken from chapter 4 of my book, The Wandering Years. For more information about the book, click here.

 

(1)  Exodus 24:9

(2)  Numbers 3:1-4 (NLT)

This is the family line of Aaron and Moses as it was recorded when the LORD spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai: Aaron's sons were Nadab (the firstborn), Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. They were anointed and set apart to minister as priests. But Nadab and Abihu died in the LORD's presence in the wilderness of Sinai when they burned before the LORD a different kind of fire than he had commanded. Since they had no sons, this left only Eleazar and Ithamar to serve as priests with their father, Aaron.

(3)  Leviticus 8

(4)  Romans 12:1-2

 

Copyright © 2024 Kenneth A. Winter All rights reserved.

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What Will We Do?

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Early in their journey through the wilderness, God led His people to a fertile part of the peninsula called Rephidim, which means “places of rest or refreshment.”(1) But it turned out to be a place that didn’t quite live up to its name. They couldn’t find any water there to drink! Though they were apparently surrounded by luscious vegetation, just like they had seen in previous oases, there was no spring in Rephidim from which they could quench their thirst.

And we read, “So once more the people grumbled and complained to Moses.”(2) As if Moses could do something about it! Had Moses parted the Red Sea? Had he turned the bitter water into sweet at Marah? Was it Moses who was providing the manna every morning – including that very morning? Are you starting to wonder why these people are not sensing a pattern here?

Are you getting exasperated as you read this and want to call out to them – “People, H-E-L-L-O, have you tried calling upon Jehovah God? You know, the One who is leading you with that large pillar of cloud up there in front! What part of ‘God is your Provider’ do you not understand? All this grumbling and complaining is doing is giving you, Moses and everyone around you one giant headache! I’m not even there; I’m just reading about it, and you’re giving me a headache!”

But as their thirst increased so did the volume of their complaints, including repeated choruses of “Take Us Back To Good Ol’ Egypt”. The people were working on their solution to the problem – they were determining how best to stone Moses. That would have solved everything! At least Moses wouldn’t have needed to listen to their complaints!

As i recount what is happening here, albeit “somewhat tongue in cheek,” i am again reminded that i have done the exact same thing. Time and again God has faithfully provided, and time and again as i have encountered a crisis, i am ashamed to confess, He is the last one i have turned to! i have allowed the dryness of my throat to restrict the blood flow to my brain, hardening my heart, blinding my eyes, and deafening my ears to the reality that He is my Answer!

He is my Source! He is the only One who can take this situation – whatever it is – and transform it for my good. Perhaps it is time for me to drop the stones i was preparing to throw at the one on whom i am projecting blame, and drop to my knees and call upon the only One who can truly make a difference. If God has led me to Rephidim, He intends to refresh me.

i’d like to report that the Israelites came to this reality, turned to the Lord, and experienced, not only His provision, but through it, a greater intimacy with His Person. But that didn’t occur that day. That day they determined in their hearts to test the Lord and defiantly cried out at Him while shaking their clenched fists: “Is the Lord going to take care of us or not?”

But Moses turned to God and pleaded on behalf of the people. And because of His promise to Moses, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob – even to the people themselves – God provided the water, and the people were able to drink. God met Moses at the rock by Mount Sinai, and as the people looked on, the water gushed out. Because of God’s promise and His faithfulness, the people experienced His blessing – the water; but because of their obstinance and their arrogance, they missed the intimacy of His presence.

That place and that time would thenceforth be remembered as Massah and Meribah – “the place of testing and of arguing” – not Emmanuel – “God with us” or Emunah – “the place of faithfulness”.

The other unfortunate part of this event is that the people appear to have been content with just experiencing His blessing without experiencing His presence. They were content to settle for that which would only temporarily satisfy instead of the deeper blessing that God desired to give them through a more intimate relationship with Him.

What about us? Do we thirst for the water that will temporarily satisfy our immediate need or do we thirst for a deep drink of Living Water that will always satisfy and can only come through an intimate relationship with our Living Lord? The choice that day at Rephidim was much like the choice on the day many years later, when the Samaritan woman encountered Jesus at the well. She chose Living Water – an intimate relationship with the Son of God – and left her bucket at the well – never to thirst again.

Which will we choose today? Will this place in our lives be known as Meribah – the place of arguing – or will it be known as Emunah – the place of faithfulness?

* * * * *

You can read about the day God brought forth water out of a rock at Rephidim in the seventeenth chapter of the Book of Exodus.

This post is taken from chapter 18 of my book, The Journey Begins. For more information about the book, click here.

 

(1)  Exodus 17:1-7 (NLT)

At the LORD's command, the people of Israel left the Sin Desert and moved from place to place. Eventually they came to Rephidim, but there was no water to be found there. So once more the people grumbled and complained to Moses. "Give us water to drink!" they demanded. "Quiet!" Moses replied. "Why are you arguing with me? And why are you testing the LORD?" But tormented by thirst, they continued to complain, "Why did you ever take us out of Egypt? Why did you bring us here? We, our children, and our livestock will all die!" Then Moses pleaded with the LORD, "What should I do with these people? They are about to stone me!" The LORD said to Moses, "Take your shepherd's staff, the one you used when you struck the water of the Nile. Then call some of the leaders of Israel and walk on ahead of the people. I will meet you by the rock at Mount Sinai. Strike the rock, and water will come pouring out. Then the people will be able to drink." Moses did just as he was told; and as the leaders looked on, water gushed out. Moses named the place Massah--"the place of testing"--and Meribah--"the place of arguing"--because the people of Israel argued with Moses and tested the LORD by saying, "Is the LORD going to take care of us or not?"

 

(2)  Exodus 17:2 (NLT)

 

Copyright © 2024 Kenneth A. Winter All rights reserved.

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A Miraculous Escape

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* * * * *

God was at work in a new way! Many of those who were alive during those days had been born during the latter part of the four hundred years of silence between the last prophet of the Old Testament – Malachi – and the arrival of John the Baptist. During those years the people had not heard a fresh word from God. Then God Himself showed up on the scene in the form of Jesus and the religious leaders rejected Him and crucified Him. When they should have been hungry to hear afresh from God, they had become quite content with their traditions and their own religious practices. They had settled into a very comfortable rut and were dedicated to maintaining their status quo. They thought their problems were over when they crucified Jesus. They thought they would be returning to “the good old days” of tradition and no longer having their leadership challenged.

But now, two years later, these followers of the very Jesus whom they had crucified were still on the scene performing miracles that even went beyond what Jesus had done.(1) They boldly proclaimed that Jesus had risen from the dead.(2) They preached a truth that was alive about a Living Savior that didn’t square with the religious leaders’ dead traditions. The apostles were disregarding the warnings from the religious leaders to stop teaching about Jesus. They were refuting the doctrine of the Sadducees by openly teaching that Christ had risen from the dead. And the people were being drawn to the apostles by their teaching and through the miracles they performed.

The streets were abuzz with excitement. The sick were being healed simply by the shadow of an apostle passing over them. No one had ever seen anything like this. Caiaphas and the other religious leaders were again envious and saw their positions being threatened. They wanted the miracles to stop. They wanted the sick to remain sick. They wanted the dead to remain dead. They wanted this emerging living faith to be silenced and dead tradition to again become the order of the day. They wanted these uneducated, ordinary Galileans to know their place and leave the teaching to the educated, ordained, and “approved” professionals.

But those “ordinary” apostles, now filled with the Holy Spirit, could not be silent. They could not be disobedient to their Lord’s direction to make His Name known among people everywhere, beginning right there in Jerusalem. Their mandate was to go and tell, and they could do no less. They were prepared to risk everything so that the Good News could be proclaimed through the power of the Holy Spirit. The religious leaders, who were preoccupied with protecting themselves and their way of life, could not understand these uneducated men who were willing to risk it all.

The Sadducees failed to understand that the obedience of the apostles was, in itself, the evidence and sign that the Holy Spirit had been given. Their radical obedience came from the power of the Holy Spirit. They filled Jerusalem with their teaching because, in the face of great danger, they obeyed God and not man. They obeyed God and not man because they had received the power of the Holy Spirit. They could not be silenced, regardless of the threat of persecution. Hugh Latimer, martyred for his faith in 1555, once said, “Whenever you see persecution, there is more than a probability that truth is on the persecuted side.”(3) The apostles were on the side of truth and by the power of the Holy Spirit, they could not be silenced.

Just as Jesus promised,(4) the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples with unusual fullness, and the result was supernatural power leading to courageous, life-giving witness. And that power was not merely the quiet power of preaching that looked natural, it was supernatural. It was life-changing. It was manifestly supernatural – tongues of fire, the sound of wind,(5) a shaking building,(6) and remarkable healings and deliverance.(7) The result was that  “more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord.”(8) Acts 1:8  was unfolding: the Spirit came upon the church in an unusual way, extraordinary power was manifested, and life-giving testimony was bringing people into the Kingdom.

Power is a very dangerous thing – both for those who have it, and for those who don't, but wish they did. The danger if you have it is pride, and the danger if you don't is jealousy. And both are based on bad mistakes. Pride is based on the mistake of believing that the power is ours, or that we in our own strength fulfilled the conditions to get it. But in fact the power is God's, and if we fulfilled any conditions to get it – like faith or prayer or purity – it was not us, but the grace of God in us.(9)

On the other hand, jealousy is not just the passion to have the power that someone else has. In itself, there may be nothing wrong with that – to desire to see God's power working in and through your life that you see in the life of another. Jealousy goes beyond that desire, however, and becomes the anger and the resentment that someone else has it and you don't. Jealousy doesn't just want you to have what another has; it wants them to no longer have it.

The root of jealousy is three-fold. First, it is lovelessness.(10) If you love another person, you will rejoice if God gives them power, even if He doesn't give it to you.

Second, it is faithlessness. If you have faith in the sovereign grace of God to give power according to His own divine wisdom, then you will praise Him for the times and ways of His outpouring, and not question Him or resent His choices. God knows what He is doing, and He is wise and good in giving the Spirit in power wherever He pleases. Faith may cry for it to come; but faith also does not criticize God for when and where it comes.

Third, it is truthlessness. The Sadducees would have said, “there is no resurrection. The reason we are angry that these Christians are doing works of power is that they are deceiving the people to believe what is not true. There is no resurrection and they are leading the people astray." Jesus had given His disciples the antidote for truthlessness when He taught them, “You are truly My disciples if you remain faithful to My teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”(11) The religious leaders had rejected Truth and embraced their lies.

Their jealousy turned to rage which led to persecution – in this case, imprisonment. But in this instance, God used the imprisonment of the apostles as another demonstration of His power. Before we look at their escape, let’s be mindful that God does not promise that He will make a way of escape from every instance of persecution. As a matter of fact, He told His disciples they would be imprisoned, betrayed and many would be killed.(12) But He has promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us.(13)

Stephen was stoned to death even though he was filled with the Spirit and spoke with power.(14) The apostle James was later killed by Herod.(15) An angel of God came again and again for Paul and for Peter. But there were many times when God did not stop the beatings and lashings, or the stonings, or the shipwrecks. And there was one last time when He did not stop their instruments of death. In those instances, no angel came to rescue them, but the Holy Spirit walked with them every step of their way.

But on this particular day, God sent an angel to lead the apostles in the way of miraculous escape. The miraculous spiritual power of God is precious because it is God's and it comes – or does not come – according to His sovereign plan. It is a precious thing for such great power to be in the hands of an all-wise, loving God. It is God's power and not ours. It is in God's control and not ours. It comes – or does not come – according to God's perfect plan. Upon rescuing the apostles from prison, the angel of the Lord told them to return to the very place where they had been arrested. He told them to: “Go to the Temple and give the people this message of LIFE!”(16)

When escape and deliverance come to us and we are freed and empowered to serve others, the purpose of our deliverance will be that we give LIFE. And when deliverance does not come and we are left in our suffering, the purpose will be that we might live LIFE. If we are delivered from distress by the power of God, His purpose is that we be ambassadors of life to other people – true life, eternal life, the forgiveness of sins and a personal relationship with the ever-living God. It is a precious thing to be empowered to give life to others.

But if you are not delivered, if the angel does not come to open the door, what then? Well, then the time may have come to simply live LIFE. There may be nobody else to whom you are to give it. Your days of giving may be over. They will be over for each of us sooner or later. But this too is precious: When God withholds delivering power, He gives us the grace and strength to endure. Be mindful that “in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”(17)

Let’s be mindful of these closing thoughts. The apostles did not resist arrest. Filled and empowered by the Spirit of God, they trusted Him completely. They knew that they need not take anything into their own hands. They simply needed to follow Him, trust Him, and obey Him. They could trust Him for the outcome. As a result, the more the Sadducees tried to stop the miracles, the more their actions only multiplied the miracles.

God’s purpose would be accomplished – His Name would be made known. By their own admission the Sadducees bore witness that Jerusalem was filled with the teaching about Jesus, and the accusers (the religious leaders) had now become the accused(18) – all through the obedience of uneducated men walking in the power of the Holy Spirit.

So, with our eyes open to the price and the preciousness of the power of the Holy Spirt, let us also “give the people this message of life”(19) either by giving it or living it… until He returns… as His Spirit rests upon us.

* * * * *

You can read about the miraculous escape of the apostles in the fifth chapter of the Book of Acts.

This post is taken from chapter 16 of my book, Until He Returns. For more information about the book, click here.

 

(1) John 14:12

(2) Acts 5:12-28 (NLT)

The apostles were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers were meeting regularly at the Temple in the area known as Solomon’s Colonnade. But no one else dared to join them, even though all the people had high regard for them. Yet more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord – crowds of both men and women. As a result of the apostles’ work, sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter’s shadow might fall across some of them as he went by. Crowds came from the villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by evil spirits, and they were all healed.

 

The high priest and his officials, who were Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. But an angel of the Lord came at night, opened the gates of the jail, and brought them out. Then he told them, “Go to the Temple and give the people this message of life!” So at daybreak the apostles entered the Temple, as they were told, and immediately began teaching. When the high priest and his officials arrived, they convened the high council – the full assembly of the elders of Israel. Then they sent for the apostles to be brought from the jail for trial. But when the Temple guards went to the jail, the men were gone. So they returned to the council and reported, “The jail was securely locked, with the guards standing outside, but when we opened the gates, no one was there!” When the captain of the Temple guard and the leading priests heard this, they were perplexed, wondering where it would all end. Then someone arrived with startling news: “The men you put in jail are standing in the Temple, teaching the people!” The captain went with his Temple guards and arrested the apostles, but without violence, for they were afraid the people would stone them. Then they brought the apostles before the high council, where the high priest confronted them. “We gave you strict orders never again to teach in this Man’s name!” he said. “Instead, you have filled all Jerusalem with your teaching about Him, and you want to make us responsible for His death!”

 

(3)  Hugh Latimer, chaplain to King Edward VI (1487-1555)

(4)   Acts 1:8

(5)   Acts 2:2–3

(6)  Acts 4:31

(7)  Acts 5:16

(8)  Acts 5:14 (NLT)

(9)  1 Corinthians 15:1

(10) 1 Corinthians 13:4

(11) John 8:31-32

(12) Luke 21:12-16

(13) Hebrews 13:5

(14) Acts 7:58  

(15) Acts 12:1

(16) Acts 5:20 (NLT)

(17) Romans 8:37 (ESV)

(18) Acts 5:28

(19) Acts 5:20 (NLT)

 

Copyright © 2024 Kenneth A. Winter All rights reserved.

Photo by PhotoGranary on Lightstock

In the Coming Days

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* * * * *

It was the end of the third day of the week of Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Two nights hence, He would be betrayed and arrested. He had taken His disciples to the Mount of Olives that evening to spend the night. It was a place to which Jesus often retreated when He was in Jerusalem. It was a place where He could have long conversations with His Father in prayer. And it was a place that evening at which He chose to have a long conversation with four of His disciples – Peter, James, John, and Andrew.

Earlier, to the full group, Jesus had already begun to speak about the end of the age and the events which would signal His return. Having Jesus all to themselves, the four disciples drew close to Him and asked, “Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will show us that these things are about to be fulfilled?” (1)

Before we look at those next “signs” for which He instructs them to watch, let’s talk about “time”. The persecution that Jesus said would occur actually began with the apostles in just a few short weeks after that very conversation. In many respects, the coming of the end of the age began right then, early in the 1stCentury. The penultimate event of history is the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Jesus. In God’s plan:

·      First, He created the heavens and the earth in order to raise up and gather worshipers unto Himself, through whom He would ascribe glory to His Name. But we immediately separated ourselves from our Creator through our sin and disqualified ourselves from being able to worship a Holy God, so…

·      Secondly, He unfolded His redemptive plan to reconcile His sinful creation back to Himself through the death, burial and resurrection of His Son, which leads us to the final part of the plan…

·      Thirdly, through the power of His Holy Spirit, now working in and through the followers of His Son, He multiplies that multitude of worshipers from every language, people, tongue and tribe, culminating in that final day when He gathers us all together before His throne (the end of the age).

So truly, the final days began after Christ completed His redemptive work and returned to the right hand of the Father, thereby enabling the Holy Spirit to be sent to earth to be about His work. The period between the first to the second part of the plan was approximately 4,000 years, and now the Holy Spirit has been about His work for the last 2,000 years since Jesus had this conversation with His disciples. There is no question we are in those final days. Only God knows how long they will continue. “But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.”(2) So, it should not come as a surprise to us that the disciples began to experience some of the very occurrences that Jesus described as being signs of the last days. Nor should it surprise us that we are today.

Jesus taught that His followers would experience persecution – “officially” from their governments, and “personally” from their families.(3) Believers will stand before local councils, governors and leaders and be beaten, persecuted, imprisoned and even executed for their faith in Christ. It began with Peter and John being arrested in Acts 4, and it continued with all of the apostles and many of the 1st Century followers being martyred or persecuted. And it has continued throughout history to this day. Today, it is estimated that there are 317 million Christians that are experiencing high levels of persecution in the “fifty most difficult countries in which to be a Christian”(4). And that persecution is not confined to “official” authorities, it continues and is often even more severely inflicted “personally” by family members and neighbors.

God has used a good friend, Nik Ripken, to open my eyes to the ever-growing reality of persecution around the globe.  Nik and co-author Kurt Nelson write, “Christians who live in nations where persecution is not a normal occurrence often cringe in horror upon hearing reports that their brothers and sisters around the globe are experiencing the atrocities of suffering and death for their faith in (and their witness of) Jesus Christ…. Admittedly, we cannot fully comprehend all of God’s purposes in allowing Christ’s followers to be persecuted. Only those purposes which are clearly articulated in Scripture may be known to us, and they are few in number. The book of Acts records the fact that the early believers left Jerusalem and scattered to other key cities as a result of intense persecution (Acts 11:19). Here, one may conclude that God purposed to use persecution to spread and multiply the Church. Persecution serves to test and strengthen one’s faith (Romans 5:3-4; James 1:3, 1 Peter 1:6-7, 4:12). There is a mysterious purpose in persecution and suffering related to bringing about the Kingdom of God (2 Thessalonians 1:4-5). Scripture tells us that Jesus was “perfected” as the author of salvation and in His obedience through suffering (Hebrews 2:10, 5:8-10). This principle has limited but valid application to God’s purposes for suffering in the lives of Christian leaders. And, finally, one of God’s purposes in affliction and suffering is to equip His servants with the ability to comfort and sustain others who endure similar afflictions (2 Corinthians 1:3-11).” (5)

Jesus said, “everyone will hate you because you are My followers.”(6) If they hated and crucified Him, why would we expect anything different? We cannot expect the world to treat us any differently than it treated Jesus. And as the end of the age draws closer, this will only increase.

Jesus went on to teach, “For the Good News must first be preached to all nations.”(7) In the first century, the Apostles and other followers of Christ scattered to the nations to proclaim the Good News to all that had not heard. Today, men and women are still scattering to the nations, having been sent out to continue that mission. Currently 4.8 billion people live in areas where less than 2% of their population are followers of Jesus, and 283 million of those live in areas where there are no known believers or churches to provide a witness.(8) We are to be witnesses in these last days. We must go, we must send, and we must undergird those who have been sent.

Lastly, in this portion of His conversation with His closest disciples, Jesus told them that His followers must endure to the end. Enduring faith is not the product of our profession of faith. Our profession of faith opened the door for the Holy Spirit to enter into our lives and indwell us. Enduring faith is then the product of God’s Spirit at work within us and through us. John Piper said it well – “’We must’ becomes ‘we will’ because ‘God will’.”(9) And the Apostles wrote these truths to those new followers of Jesus in the early church to encourage them that “God will”:

 

“He is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory.”(10) 

“He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”(11)  

“{Christ} will sustain you to the end…. God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son.”(12) 

“The Lord will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom.”(13)

 

And those words are as true for us today as they were when they were written. As we take up the cross to follow Jesus – no matter where we may be walking – we must continue to be like the people of Issachar(14)– understanding our times, walking in the mission of our Master and enduring to the end – no matter how many days there are yet to come.

* * * * *

 

You can read about this conversation that Jesus had with His disciples in the thirteenth chapter of the Gospel of Mark.

 

This post is taken from chapter 18 of my book, Taking Up The Cross. For more information about the book, click here.

 

(1)  Mark 13:4 (NLT)

(2)  2 Peter 3:8 (NLT)

(3)  Mark 13:9-13 (NLT)

“When these things begin to happen, watch out! You will be handed over to the local councils and beaten in the synagogues. You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are My followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell them about Me.  For the Good News must first be preached to all nations.  But when you are arrested and stand trial, don’t worry in advance about what to say. Just say what God tells you at that time, for it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit. A brother will betray his brother to death, a father will betray his own child, and children will rebel against their parents and cause them to be killed. And everyone will hate you because you are My followers.  But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”

 

(4)  OpenDoors.org

(5)  NikRipken.com

(6)  Mark 13:13 (NLT)

(7)  Mark 13:10 (NLT

(8)  PeopleGroups.org

(9)  DesiringGod.org - “Will You Be a Believer Tomorrow Morning?”

(10) Jude 1:24 (NLT)

(11) Philippians 1:6 (NLT)

(12) 1 Corinthians 1:8-9 (NLT)

(13) 2 Timothy 4:18 (NLT)

(14) 1 Chronicles 12:32

 

Copyright © 2024 Kenneth A. Winter All rights reserved.

Photo of the Mount of Olives by Esther Havens on Lightstock

Then the Devil Came

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* * * * *

At the Jordan River, Jesus identified with us through His baptism; in the Judaean wilderness, He identified with us through His temptation.(1) Do not miss this – the Father ordered His steps into the wilderness, just as He had ordered His steps into the Jordan, so that He might there be tempted, tested and proven. Not proven to the Father; the Father knew that He could not fail. Jesus was led into the wilderness to prove to us that He could not fail.

Another important distinction we must understand before we look at the events that unfolded in the wilderness is that Jesus was not tempted as the Son of God; He did not use His divine power to overcome the temptation. If He had, there would be nothing for us to learn. Remember, He came to teach us how to live, to enable us to live, and to empower us to live. You and I will never have divine power; we’re not God! We have access to divine power, but we do not ourselves possess it. Therefore, if Jesus had responded to Satan as the Son of God, He would not have taught us how to respond to temptation. Rather, He responded – and was proven – as the Son of Man using the same spiritual resources that are available to us in our journey today – the power of the Holy Spirit(2) and the authority of the Word of God.

A preacher by the name of J. Vernon McGee once told a story that beautifully illustrates this idea of His being “proven”:

“The Santa Fe Railroad crossed the left fork of the Brazos River near our town in West Texas. One winter we really had a flood, and it washed out the rail bridge over the Brazos River. One day, after they completed building the new bridge, they brought in two engines and stopped them in the middle of the bridge, and tied down their whistles. When we ran to the bridge to see what all the noise was about, one brave citizen asked the engineer in charge, ‘What are you doing?’ The engineer answered, ‘Testing the bridge.’ The brave citizen countered, ‘Are you trying to break it down?’ ‘Of course not’, the engineer sneered. ‘We’re testing it to prove that it can’t be broken down.’”

That is exactly what the Father was doing; He was proving that Jesus couldn’t be broken down – He could not (and cannot) fail! And the Father permitted Him to be tested in ways greater than any limit we could bear.   

The Father also ordered Jesus’s journey into the wilderness so that the devil’s tactics might be exposed. Satan is a predictable foe. His pattern has remained unchanged since the days in the Garden of Eden. His temptations will come on three fronts.

First, he will tempt us according to our physical needs. He will call into question the Father’s care and concern for our physical well-being. He will tempt and test us through the senses. He appealed to Eve through the physical appearance of the fruit on the tree (the fruit looked fresh and delicious). He appealed to Jesus’ physical hunger after forty days of fasting. In both instances, Satan’s implication was that God’s provision was inadequate and unreliable.       

Second, he will tempt us according to our “soulish” desires. He will tempt and test us to exercise our own will and desires, instead of those of the Father. He will test us to presume upon the Father’s power and protection in order for us to do things our way. When we attempt to do God’s work man’s way, we are succumbing to this temptation. When we fail to seek the Lord and instead make our own plans and then ask God to bless them, we are succumbing to this temptation.

When we are driven by selfish ambition based upon “what’s-in-it-for-me”, we are succumbing to this temptation. He tempted Eve, that disobeying God and eating the fruit would make her wise; and he tempted Jesus with the idea that He could redeem Himself and the world without having to suffer the cross. In both instances, Satan’s implication was that God’s will was fallible and His character was undependable.      

Third, he will tempt us to deify ourselves. The second temptation is disregarding the Father’s will; the third temptation is to elevate our will over the Father’s. He will tempt us to supplant the Father’s honor and homage in a feeble attempt to gain glory for ourselves. Years ago when I was ordained into the Gospel ministry a wise man told me that if I was faithful to pass on all the glory to God, I could just as confidently pass on all the criticism and suffering to Him as well.

You see, if we would share in the honor, we must share in the suffering. Satan tempted Eve with the idea that by disobeying God she would become like God. He tempted Jesus with the idea that by worshipping Satan He would be the God of this world. However, that honor is not Satan’s to give; it is God’s, and His alone! Satan’s implication was that God’s glory was undue Him.  

Yes, the Father led Jesus into the wilderness so that Jesus might be proven, Satan might be exposed, and to reveal that Satan is a defeated foe. The answer to temptation is ALWAYS in the Word. We don’t have to depend upon what we think; rather, we can trust and stand confidently on what God has already said. And apparently that was good enough for the devil, because after Jesus responded with the Word of the Father … Satan ran away. He left with his tail between his legs as a defeated foe. No, he didn’t leave for good – that hasn’t happened yet – he would return to tempt Jesus another day. But each time he did go away, he did so as one who is defeated; one that can never be victorious. And he will return to tempt us . . . time and again. But remember – the answer . . . and victory . . . is ALWAYS in God’s Word!

The Father led the Master into the wilderness to be tempted, and as we walk with the Master, the Father will permit us to be tempted that we might be proven, and Satan might be exposed and revealed to be a defeated foe. Paul wrote, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”(3)

Jesus told His disciples, “Here on earth you will have many trials… but take heart, because I have overcome the world.”(4) No one has the right to call others to obey until he has obeyed himself. When the Father led the Son of Man into the wilderness, the Master obeyed.

Yes, the devil came… but then he left as a defeated foe. Our Master has called us into our wilderness. It is our turn to obey. He has shown us how, He has enabled us, and through God’s Spirit and God’s Word He has empowered us . . . to overcome whatever temptation the devil puts before us.

* * * * *

You can read about the temptation of Jesus in the fourth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.

This post is taken from chapter 2 of my book, Walking With The Master. For more information about the book, click here.

(1)  Matthew 4:1-3 (NLT)

Then Jesus was led out into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tempted there by the Devil. For forty days and forty nights He ate nothing and became very hungry. Then the Devil came….

(2)  Matthew 4:1

(3)  1 Corinthians 10:13 (NKJ)

(4)  John 16:33 (NLT)

 

Copyright © 2024 Kenneth A. Winter All rights reserved.

Photo by DCPmedia on Lightstock

Get Ready! We’re Leaving in Three Days!

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* * * * *

The Israelites had been camped on the plains of Moab on the east side of the Jordan River for many months. During that time Moses had written the book of Deuteronomy. God had taken him up onto Mt. Nebo to see the land that the Israelites would inhabit. Moses had died, and God had made Joshua their new leader.

The Israelites had planted crops and were augmenting their meals of manna with fresh produce from the land. They had begun to put down modest roots. As a matter of fact, the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh had petitioned Moses to make their permanent dwelling place on this side of the Jordan, and God had permitted them to do so.

So, when Joshua sent out word that they were leaving in three days,(1) it was very short notice for a move of that magnitude. Sure, they knew that the day would one day arrive, but until that moment they had no idea that it was only three days away.

Two things come to mind as i write this. First – the prophet Isaiah describes the glorious kingdom that Christ will establish when He returns to earth to reign.(2) At the end of that chapter, he writes, “I, the LORD, will hasten it in its time.”(3) He will hasten the arrival of His Kingdom in His time, just as He hastened the time for the Israelites to cross over into the Promised Land – in His timing. And in the same way, He will hasten the time for you to cross over into the promise that He has given you. Though much time will have seemingly passed, when His timing is perfect, He will hasten it!

Second – the Israelites were crossing over into a new life three days hence. i first wrote this chapter in my book just four days after Resurrection Sunday – and i was struck by this perfect picture of a death of a life as the Israelites knew it (Christ’s crucifixion) to be raised into a new life (Christ’s resurrection) in just three days’ time. What a perfect picture of the abundant life that awaited them on the other side of the Jordan! What a perfect picture of the abundant life that God has promised us. And the immediate promise He is leading you to possess is only a hint of what is to come. And He will hasten it in His time! Be prepared.

That preparation will require work. The Israelites needed to harvest and prepare the produce they would be taking. They needed to pack all of their belongings and break down their camp for travel. They were a people of over 600,000 fighting men plus women and children. Metro Richmond, where i live, has a population of approximately one million people. The Israelites numbered almost twice that many. Imagine moving everyone out of Metro Richmond in three days’ time.  Think about the coordination, the logistics and the preparation required. God’s promise to you may require just such a move – and it could entail just such a short timeframe, But the same God who is leading you to possess will enable you to make the needed preparations. Get to work!

Joshua told the people they would be crossing the Jordan River. And bear in mind, the river was at flood stage. But it is telling what he did not tell them! He did not tell them to craft any boats or prepare any rafts for a water crossing. They were to prepare their belongings but trust God for the mode of transport. He would make a way! Here they were three days out, needing to cross a river to get to where they needed to go, and they didn’t have a clue as to how God was going to bring it about!

What i love about this picture is that we don’t read that anyone was grumbling or complaining or wringing their hands over how they would cross the river. And let’s remember the Israelites were well known for complaining and grumbling. (They sound like us, don’t they?) And yet, there wasn’t a hint of a question or expression of distrust! They trusted that the LORD who was leading them into the promise was able to accomplish all that was needed to fulfill the promise. Whatever the water is that is in the path leading to the place God is leading you to possess – trust Him! He knows it’s there. He will make the way.

They were to prepare. They were to trust God. And they were to adjust their lives – adjust to what God was telling them to do. They were to “take possession” of the land. They couldn’t do that from where they were. It has been said countless times and ways – “you can’t stay where you are and go with God.” That can sometimes mean a physical move, but it more often means a move outside of our comfort zone – a move to do something we have never done before. The Lord is leading us to possess His promise – but we must take possession – we must make the needed adjustment in our lives – whatever it is. And He will be faithful to show us, just what that is!

And lastly, the LORD was giving the land to the people. This was a gift. The Israelites had done nothing to earn or deserve God’s favor. He was imparting His gift to His children according to His purpose for His glory. All that was left was for the people to gratefully receive the gift of His promised land. Yes, it would require them to continue to prepare and work and trust Him and adjust their lives – but the reality was that no amount of work, preparation and adjustment would elicit the promise on its own. The promise could only be possessed because of the graciousness of God. And His graciousness deserves our gratefulness.

So has the time come for you to enter into the promise that God has given you? Be ready. Trust Him. Adjust your life to Him. And gratefully receive His gift.

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You can read Joshua’s charge to the Israelites in the first chapter of the Book of Joshua.

This post is taken from chapter 2 of my book, Possessing The Promise. For more information about the book, click here.

 

(1)  Joshua 1:10-15

“Go through the camp and tell the people to get their provisions ready. In three days you will cross the Jordan River and take possession of the land the LORD your God is giving you.”

(2)  Isaiah 60

(3)  Isaiah 60:22 (NLT)

 

Copyright © 2024 Kenneth A. Winter All rights reserved.

Photo by Ontheroad on Lightstock

Called to Stand Guard

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God called the Levites to be in charge of the Tabernacle, and all of its furnishings and equipment. He called them to stand guard and protect it.(1) When the Israelites were camped in the wilderness, God’s Spirit dwelt in the Tabernacle in their midst, but the area immediately surrounding His dwelling place was the home of the Levites. Whenever the pillar of cloud moved from the Tabernacle to lead the people, the Levites took down the Tabernacle and carried it. Whenever the cloud stopped, the Levites would set up the Tabernacle and prepare it for the indwelling presence of God’s Spirit.

The Levites were chosen by God and called to this role because of their response after the people had rebelliously worshiped the image of the golden calf. You may recall that Moses stood at the gate of the camp and said, “All of you who are on the LORD’s side, come over here and join me.”(2) And all of the Levites came to him.

Moses had then instructed the Levites to strap on their swords and kill those who had been responsible for this abomination against Jehovah God. Now, lest there be any confusion, some of the Levites had also taken part in worshiping the golden calf. Aaron, who had formed the golden calf, was a son of the tribe of Levi. They had been as much a part, if not even more responsible, for the sin of the people. What differentiated them on that day, and as a result, for every day thereafter, was their immediate repentance before the Lord. They recognized their sin, they repented of their sin, and they immediately responded in obedience to the Lord.

Scripture records that the Levites killed 3,000 Israelites that day, including some of their own sons and brothers. i believe that left them with a memory that they would never be able to forget and a stain of blood on their hands that they would never be able to wash away. Because they were God’s instruments of death, they saw God’s wrath poured out upon His rebellious people firsthand. They saw the payment of the wages of sin. With this reminder imbedded in their memories, they understood their charge by God to now protect the people of Israel from the LORD’s wrath. They took seriously this charge to protect not only the Tabernacle, but also the people, that they might not do anything again that would incite the LORD’s wrath.

All of the tribes displayed their family banners in their designated camping area, except the Levites. On that day when Moses had told them, "Today you have been ordained for the service of the LORD, for you obeyed Him even though it meant killing your own sons and brothers. Because of this, He will now give you a great blessing."(3) From that day forward Jehovah Nissi was their banner. They had need of no other. His dwelling place was in their midst and He alone was their banner.

In that calling, the Levites served their Lord and they served the people. They stood guard so that nothing would disrupt the Lord’s dwelling place, and nothing would disrupt Him from dwelling among the people.

The Levites are a picture for us of what Paul was describing when he wrote, “We are Christ's ambassadors, and God is using us to speak to you. We urge you, as though Christ Himself were here pleading with you, ‘Be reconciled to God!’”(4) We have been called to be Christ’s ambassadors; we have been called to stand guard.

We have been called to communicate His Good News of reconciliation. We are His earthly dwelling place. We have been ordained to this place of service, not because of our goodness but because of His grace. If we have repented of our sin and turned to Him in obedience, He has blessed us with His presence. He has become our banner. Just as the Levites and the Tabernacle became inseparable, so His presence must be equally conspicuous and inseparable in our lives. He has called us to be His salt and His light. He has called us to be His ambassadors to a world that so desperately needs Him. He has called us to stand guard!

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You can read about the assignment God gave the Levites in the first chapter of the Book of Numbers.

This post is taken from chapter 2 of my book, The Wandering Years. For more information about the book, click here.

 

(1)  Numbers 1:47-53 (NLT)

But this total did not include the Levites. For the LORD had said to Moses, "Exempt the tribe of Levi from the census; do not include them when you count the rest of the Israelites. You must put the Levites in charge of the Tabernacle of the Covenant, along with its furnishings and equipment. They must carry the Tabernacle and its equipment as you travel, and they must care for it and camp around it. Whenever the Tabernacle is moved, the Levites will take it down and set it up again. Anyone else who goes too near the Tabernacle will be executed. Each tribe of Israel will have a designated camping area with its own family banner. But the Levites will camp around the Tabernacle of the Covenant to offer the people of Israel protection from the LORD's fierce anger. The Levites are responsible to stand guard around the Tabernacle."

(2)  Exodus 32:26 (NLT)

(3)  Exodus 32:29 (NLT)

(4)  2 Corinthians 5:20 (NLT)

 

Copyright © 2024 Kenneth A. Winter All rights reserved.

Photo by Sky Light Pictures on Lightstock

Sign Me Up For One of Those Staffs

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i don’t know about you, but if i’m getting ready to head out into the wilderness, i want one of those shepherd’s staffs like Moses had when he was leading the Israelites. From the very first day at the burning bush, God had demonstrated His power through that staff.(1) He had turned it into a snake. He had turned the water of the Nile River into blood with it. God had Moses outstretch it to part the waters of the Red Sea, and He had him strike a rock with it to bring forth water. Then God used it to ensure a victory in the battle with the Amalekites. Sign me up for one of those staffs!

Wouldn’t you like to have a staff that you could use to turn the tide of every trial you encounter? Every time you encounter an obstacle, you could pull out the staff. It’s better than any laser weapon ever devised by those science fiction writers. Every obstacle and every enemy would cower at its mere presence. It’s not much to look at, but it packs a powerful punch. As a matter of fact, if you’re going to get one, why not get two and you can pack double the punch. But why stop there, order a truckload. And do you know what you’ve got when you’ve got a truckload of staffs? Yes, that’s right, you’ve got a whole lot of . . . wood!

You and i both know there was no power in that staff. It was merely an instrument – a tool – that God chose to use in the hands of His servant. It was an outward expression of the power of God manifested through His servant, through which He intended to bring Himself glory. That’s why the consequence for Moses was so severe when later He misused the very same staff God had given him.(2)

Let’s look at how that staff came to be used. Moses had been tending Jethro’s flocks with it for almost forty years.(3) For all that time it had been an instrument of protection, as Moses used it to chase away any predators of the sheep. It had been an instrument of rescue, as Moses used its crook to rescue stranded lambs from the dangerous places into which they had wandered. It had been an instrument of strength, as Moses leaned on it to steady himself after many hours of labor.

It had been a symbol of his calling, as Moses carried it leaning on his shoulder as an outward reminder to all that saw him that he was a shepherd – a tender of sheep. Yes, that staff had been used for noble service for forty years – just like every other shepherd’s staff had been used. But something happened that day at the burning bush that forever transformed it into the staff that overshadows all others. God called out to Moses and said, “What do you have there in your hand?” And when God instructed him, Moses surrendered it to God. He dropped it right there before God. And when God told him to pick it back up, from then on, it became an instrument of His glory.

On our journeys through the wilderness, God is desiring to demonstrate His presence and His power through our lives each and every step of the way. He desires to part the seas that obstruct our paths, draw out the waters that will satisfy our thirst, and defeat the enemies that oppose us. He has permitted us to encounter each and every one of those obstacles so that He might manifest His power through our lives, and a watching world might see His power working on our behalf for His glory. You may have heard the saying, “In God’s hands, any old staff will do.” Well that’s right. It’s not about the staff. It’s not even about the one who is carrying it. It’s about the One to whom it has been surrendered. God desires to bring honor to His name through His children. He desires to use our talents and possessions – those things in our hands – for that same purpose. It wasn’t coincidental that Moses came to the bush that day with the staff in his hand. God had already provided it many years before for His divine purpose. It was a purpose that became clearer that day at the bush when God called Moses to that wilderness journey. When God called him to the journey, He called all of his person and all of his possessions.

Take whatever it is that God has placed in your hands and renew your commitment to Him – not only of your person, but also of your talents and possessions. Allow Him to take them and use them to manifest His presence and His power though your life in a way that only He can – a way that brings glory to Him before all people. That’s why He gave them to you to begin with. They were a part of His provision for the journey. And in His hands – yes, any old staff will do!

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You can read about Moses’s staff in the Book of Exodus.

This post is taken from chapter 19 of my book, The Journey Begins. For more information about the book, click here.

 

(1)  Exodus 4:2; 17:5-6, 11(NLT)

Then the LORD asked him, "What do you have there in your hand?" "A shepherd's staff," Moses replied. …The LORD said to Moses, "Take your shepherd's staff, the one you used when you struck the water of the Nile. …Strike the rock, and water will come pouring out. Then the people will be able to drink." Moses did just as he was told; and … water gushed out. …As long as Moses held up the staff with his hands, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites gained the upper hand.

(2)  Numbers 20:2-12

(3)  Exodus 3:1

Copyright © 2024 Kenneth A. Winter All rights reserved.

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