Winning Over Temptation

God’s Story:
There has been temptation as long as there have been people. Satan, in the form of a serpent, brought temptation to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Satan won and separated my people from me. My Son, Jesus, will go into the wilderness where Satan will tempt him too, but this time the results will be radically different. This time Satan will lose and Jesus will be victorious! As a result, instead of being separated from my children, I will be re-united with them.

Read Matthew 4:1-11

Your Story:
This time of testing in the wilderness demonstrated that Jesus really was the Son of God. Jesus remained perfect and sinless, able to resist the devil’s evil temptations. You too will be tested throughout your life. Although you are not blameless and without sin like Jesus, you are able to resist temptation when it comes your way. No one said it would be easy, but if you are aware and ready, you will be more prepared for the fight. Like Jesus did (3 times), you can resist the devil by relying on God’s Word. And through your faith in God, you have more strength on your side than you can possibly fathom.

John The Baptist Prepares the Way

God’s Story:
My Son is an adult now and ready to begin his public ministry. At his baptism in the Jordan River, the Holy Spirit will come upon him to anoint and equip him for his work as the Messiah. And I will openly announce that he is my Son. Those who hear my words will not really understand them. But there is time. My pronouncement will be the first of many that will reveal who Jesus really is.

Read Matthew 3:1-17

Your Story:
Although John the Baptist was a well-known preacher who attracted large crowds, he was content for Jesus to take the higher place. This is true humility, the basis for greatness in preaching, teaching or any other work you might do for Christ. When you are content to do what God wants you to do and let Jesus Christ be honored for it, God will do great things through you.

The Plan Unfolds
Backstory:
Luke and Matthew cover different but complementary events pertaining to Jesus’ childhood. Luke 2 records Jesus’ birth and earliest days, then tells the story of Jesus at age 12 at the temple. Matthew 2 fills in some events that happened in between Jesus’ birth and age 12. The Magi were likely astrologers, perhaps from Persia or southern Arabia, both of which are east of the Holy Land. Unlike the shepherds, the Magi did not visit Jesus at the manger on the night of his birth; they probably came some months later and visited him as a “child” in his “house” (Luke 2:11)

God’s Story:
This has been a long time coming. I have planned the events of my Son’s life since time began. Those who know the words of the prophets and are attentive to the life of this child, Jesus, will realize that he is the one the prophets spoke about hundreds of years ago.

Read Matthew 2:1-23

Your Story:
Your birth and life may not have been foretold by prophets, but you can be absolutely confident that they were carefully planned. God has a plan for your life, just as he did for his Son. He knew all about you before you were conceived. He was there when you took your first breath, and he is with you now. The Son of God became flesh, coming to earth as a baby to live song God’s special creation. And his Spirit remains with you always.

God’s Story:
The Jews believed that the long-awaited Messiah would be a human king who would rescue them from their Roman oppressors and establish a new earthly kingdom. They have waited a very long time for this promised Messiah. Jesus, the promised King, will come to earth to inaugurate the kingdom of heaven, which I have been planning to reveal since the Garden of Eden. He will disclose the essence of true faith: belief in him provides access to the kingdom.

Your Story:
How far back can you trace your family tree? You may have discovered everything about your history or you may know little about your ancestors. The Jews needed to know Jesus’ lineage in order to believe that he was the “real deal,” the one whom God promised throughout the Old Testament, so Matthew opened his recollections of Jesus’ life with Jesus’ genealogy.

Read Matthew 1:1-17

How many of these names do you recognize from the Old Testament? How do their stories fit into Jesus’ story? And remember, God wants you to receive Jesus as your Messiah, if you haven’t already done so, so that God’s story can become your story.

Hey Church family! I would like to invite you to go on a historical Bible study with me through the New Testament. I will be basing this study on a book published by Zondervan that I have read entitled: “The Story: Going Deeper.” I have received permission to use excerpts from this book for the study. We are going to go chronologically through the New Testament studying the important highlights.
I am calling this study “HIS – story” because it is the story of God. The format will be a little different than normal: I will give you a Backstory (background information), then I will give you God’s Story (a view from God’s perspective), then there will be a passage of Scripture to read, and then I will give you Your Story (how that passage may apply to your life.)
I will post one of these episodes every day for approximately 75 days after which we will have studied through the basic highlights of the entire New Testament. It should only take you 10-15 minutes each day to get through one of these episodes. I don’t think 10 – 15 minutes is too much time to set aside to study God’s Word. I hope you will join me!
We will begin this journey tomorrow on September 1 and we should be done in the middle of November. Be in prayer that God will use this study to draw each of us closer to Him! God Bless!

Pastor Ben

Stories From the Road – Part 5
By Pastor Ben

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”    (Psalm 121:1-2)

This Scripture is commonly known as “The Travelers Psalm.” Open your Bible and read the whole Psalm, paying special attention to the great number of promises God makes to you there.

We have come to the end of this devotional road trip, but let me assure you that your Guide will continue to travel with you always.

Incorporate His Word and the topics from this journey into your daily life. Find nourishment and rest in Him, praise Him for the blessing of eternal life, and do your best to proclaim His name throughout all of your life’s travels.

Remember, God’s direction is always best. He has your entire journey already worked out, and He assures us that all of it will work for the good of His people.

Best of all, Jesus and His promises will follow you wherever you go. Forgiveness frees, lives change, faith grows, and hope triumphs for those who will dwell in the presence of Jesus Christ.

May God Bless each and every one of you!    See you soon at church!

In His love and service,

Pastor Ben

Almost Home
By Pastor Ben

“Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior,
 the Lord Jesus Christ.”        (Philippians 3:20)

It’s music to your ears! Hearing “We’re almost home” after a long road trip. It’s comforting to know that you’ll soon be out of the car and back in your house, your bed, and your normal routine.

The apostle Paul took comfort in two homes — his earthly ministry and his heavenly mansion. He shared these thoughts with God’s people in Philippi:

“Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. . . . I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.”                    (Philippians 1:20-24)

Paul longed to be with Christ, but he also loved his calling here on earth. He had a passion to advance the Gospel so that more people could call heaven home. He lived confidently, knowing that if Christ returned before he died, his life would continue in his Savior’s presence. And, if he died, he knew he would continue to live in that same presence in heaven.

For Paul and for us, eternal life doesn’t start when we die or when Christ returns. We’re living it now! By faith in Jesus, we are able to know God and experience the blessings of that relationship right now! Paul describes the promise of Scripture and our sure hope:

“He who began a good work in us, will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”                                (Philippians 1:6)

We can truly look forward to Christ’s triumphant return and His gift of Heaven as we travel through this life with God as our guide. His divine direction is always best, pointing us to the life, death, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus. His way is the only way home.

Yes, the best of our travels is yet to come. We’re almost home. What a perfect ending, without an end!

PRAYER STARTER:
Dear Lord, point me in the direction of Jesus, my Savior. I’m relying on Your grace and presence as You lead me on this never-ending journey . . .

Traveling With Gratitude
By Pastor Ben

“I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus.”        (1 Corinthians 1:4)

Bickering is par for the course when you’re traveling on a family vacation. Kids become impatient, crabby, and frustrated. Even adults can be overheard saying, “I can’t spend another minute in that car!” For many of us, fighting, bickering, and anger combine in a go-to response in trying situations. An attitude of gratitude? Not so much.

Do any of these sound familiar?

Loud sighs and obvious eye rolls wile waiting in line at the Post Office.
Complaints about your non-existent raise at work.
A “not my kid!” Reaction to a phone call from your child’s teacher.

Gratitude doesn’t come easy for us, and we’re not the only ones. Remember God’s chosen people, Israel? They grumbled when they found themselves just steps away from the blessings of the Promised Land (Numbers 14:1-4). The prodigal son in his early days? A reckless, greedy jerk (Luke 15:11-13). The 10 lepers healed by Jesus? Only 1 said thanks (Luke 17:11-19).
Even though our gratitude never matches the magnitude of our blessings, God keeps on giving. When we’re at our worst — spiteful, and thinking we deserve more than we’re getting — God is still there, pouring down His blessings like rain. He sent th ultimate blessing in His only Son, Jesus:

“For while we were still weak, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person . . . But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”        (Romans 5:6-8)

Though we are ungrateful, though we often display ugly attitudes, our Lord is always ready to forgive. In infinite love and mercy, Jesus covers us in His very own righteousness!
A million songs of praise would never be enough to express our gratitude for the gift of our Savior, but don’t let that stop you! Thank your Travel Guide, Jesus — in every moment. Thank Him for His grace, forgiveness, and salvation.

As the Holy Spirit cultivates an attitude of gratitude in your life, you’ll discover easily overlooked blessings. Then, your thanksgiving will begin to multiply. Your gratitude will flow steadily to your Savior and spill over into responses of thanksgiving to those around you.

PRAYER STARTER:
Holy Spirit, fill my heart with gratitude . . .

Sharing the Memories
By Pastor Ben

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”            (John 3:16)

I have so many great childhood memories of my family gathering together in our home to watch our 16mm home movies of our vacations. Ask young people today about 16mm film and they’ll laugh you out of the room because they have no idea what that is! Today’s technology makes it possible to share our stories at any time, anywhere. You can broadcast live around the globe and share your pictures within seconds of capturing the moment.

We can share God’s story with that same speed and unlimited audience. During this pandemic, people all across the area or even the world have been able to see our worship services proclaiming the message of God’s love and salvation through Jesus. Urgent prayer requests can fly through social media and phone trees reaching hundreds and thousands of people in minutes. Everyone on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram can see how Jesus’ story has changed your story.
The potential for sharing God’s Word through technology is almost unlimited, but it can’t replace having a face-to-face conversation with someone who is missing out on the grace of Jesus.

It’s easy to overlook these opportunities. We know Jesus. Prayer and worship are integral parts of our lives. But, for many, God’s story is just a fairy tale. The Good News Jesus brings is too good to be true for a lot of people. They’ve never heard!

A foster parent shared a story with me one time. She woke up one Sunday morning after she became a foster parent and began following her usual routine of church and Bible study. She took her foster child with her to church for the first time. When they sat down in the pew, the little boy pointed to the crucifix near the altar and asked, “Who is that guy on the wood?”

 That man is Jesus — Savior, Friend, Light of the World!

You may be surprised to know just how many people live their lives apart from Jesus Christ. It’s easy to think about the millions of people all over the world who don’t yet know Jesus. But, have you considered the people right in your own neighborhood, your children’s school, and your social circle? Or your mail carrier, your boss, or your running buddy? Do they know Jesus? Do you care enough to share God’s Word and God’s love with them?

PRAYER STARTER:
Forgive me, Jesus, when I neglect to share the Good News of Calvary’s Cross with those around me . . .

I’m Hungry!
By Pastor Ben

“The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing.”     (Psalm 145:15-16)

I love eating out — especially when I’m on the road. I especially gravitate toward local fare — whatever is popular  or famous in the local area — wherever that may be.
Even though you and I can find all types of restaurants on the road, that wasn’t the case in Jesus’ time. In particular, Jesus and His disciples once faced a crowd of over 5,000 people on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.
Jesus had spent the day healing and teaching. It was getting late and the disciples were getting worried. This was a big crowd, it was almost supper time, and they were out in the middle of nowhere. So, the disciples encouraged Jesus to send the people on their way to get something to eat.
Jesus gives what seems to be a nonchalant response:

    “You give them something to eat.”        (Matthew 14:16)

I would love to have seen their faces at that point. The disciples were shocked. They didn’t have the resources to feed a crowd that big. But Jesus already had it figured out. With the power of the Son of God, two fish and five loaves of bread would be plenty. He wasn’t concerned at all!
The 12 disciples, however, were a concern. They weren’t thinking like disciples of their Rabbi. They were blind to the power of Jesus. Had they already forgotten His miracles? Couldn’t they see who Jesus really was?

The disciples were quick to doubt Jesus. Their human minds couldn’t comprehend such a simple solution to such a big problem. But, that’s who Jesus is — human flesh, just like me and you, but also the Son of God on a mission to rescue — to save!

2 fish, 5 loaves of bread, 1 Savior offers physical nourishment to thousands.

3 nails, 2 pieces of wood, 1 Savior offers endless spiritual nourishment to a world dying of spiritual hunger.

    “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”                    (Matthew 5:6)

In a crowd of 5,000 or a party of one, Jesus’ awesome and miraculous powers are for all believers. There is no problem He can’t solve. There is no hurt too big for His comfort. There is no sinner He doesn’t love.

PRAYER STARTER:
Jesus, I praise You for Your endless nourishment . . .