The Temptation of Christ

Volumes have been written by gifted and astute theologians on the analysis of this encounter between Jesus and Satan found in Luke 4, and quite honestly I still struggle to understand this passage.  But, the Holy Spirit enlightened a small portion of it to me this past week...

Satan tempted Jesus on the three aspects of who he was, in this order:  Jesus as man, Jesus as Christ, and Jesus as Son.  These are Jesus' three roles, so to speak, that embody who He is (man, Christ, and Son).  Not one can be denied and Jesus still remain the Divine God that He is.

Satan tempts us in many ways, but I wonder if the most harmful are the ways he tries to get us to fight against who we are,  or our roles that God has placed upon us.

Every role we embody is for the glory of God!

You are student for the glory of God.
You are mother for the glory of God.
You are a wife for the glory of God.
You are neighbor for the glory of God.
You are friend for the glory of God.
You are worker for the glory of God.

If we begin to question our roles that God has given us, or begin to believe the lies that accompany those questions, we should be rebuking Satan by believing God's Word and His promises for us.

Jesus was tempted to not believe who He was...
He knew the tests/lies were from Satan...
He combated Satan with God's Word, the only Sword of Truth.

Let us rest in who God made us and the role He has sovereignly given us, and denounce the lies of our subtle Enemy with His Word.

Full of the Holy Spirit

As I continued to reflect on chapters 1-4 of Luke, a phrase caught my attention.  This phrase is used to describe nearly every main character in these chapters.  And, directly after this phrase is used, God is glorified and magnified by the character in a unique and inspiring way.

• It is said of Mary, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you..." (1:35)
• It is said of Elizabeth, "Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit." (1:41)
• It is said of Zechariah, "And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit." (1:67)
• It is said of Simeon, "and the Holy Spirit was upon him." (2:25)
• It is said of Jesus at the time of his baptism, "The Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form, like a dove." (3:21)
• "And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit." (4:1)
• "Jesus returned in the power of the Holy Spirit to Galilee." (4:14)

The Westminster Confession of Faith asks this:

Q: What is the chief end of man?

A: The chief end of man is to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever.

If the purpose of our existence is to glorify God, and Luke 1-4 shows that the precursor to glorifying Him is to be filled with the Holy Spirit, it seems that this is a precursor for us as well.  In order to glorify God with our lives, we must be full of the Holy Spirit.

The third person of the Trinity, namely the Holy Spirit, is the one who makes the Christian life possible.  Our goal as Christians, in glorifying God and enjoying Him forever, is to allow the perfect life Jesus lived on earth to flow through us so He can live our lives perfectly through Him.  

How?  By allowing the Holy Spirit to come upon us, and being filled with Him.

I seek to yield myself to the working of the Holy Spirit, for His glory.  Let us be such women, for His glory!

The Posture of Mary

Luke 1 & 2

As I repeatedly read these two chapters, Mary's posture before God stands out at both convicting and encouraging.  Two times, the Scripture states that "she treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart."

But what was she treasuring up?  What was she pondering?  
She was "treasuring up" nothing less than circumstances she did not understand.  We read that she did not understand the message Angel Gabriel brought her, for she said, "How will this be since I am a virgin?"

How did she respond to this news that she was going to give birth to God's Son?
Luke 1:38 - "But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart."

How did those around her respond to the news that the Savior was being born?
Luke 2:18-19 - "And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them."

Look...the same pattern continues at the end of chapter 2 when Mary and Joseph find Jesus in the temple after three days and He says, "Why were you looking for me?  Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"  All those around her "wondered/questioned", but she continued to "treasure and ponder".

How did she respond to Jesus' explanation of having been in the temple?
Luke 2:51b - "And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart."

How did those around her respond?
" And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them."  They were wondering and questioning.

**Here is how God was convicting me.  Although these circumstances in Mary's life were heavenly inspired and directly from God, they were confusing.  Mary did not, however, wonder or question or remain in a state of confusion.  Rather, she chose to treasure up all that she saw and heard.

What in my life has come directly from God, that I continue not to understand?  Let me not wonder, not question, and not ask others for their interpretation of my circumstances.

May I rather:

• ponder in faith, in the power of the Holy Spirit
• treasure up all things quietly
• wait for the reasons to be revealed, as the Lord sees fit

May we be women who follow Paul's command.  "Rejoice in hope,  be patient in affliction, be constant in prayer."  (Romans 12:12)

Elizabeth and the Holy Spirit

Luke 1:1-56

As I read this passage, I was struck.  There was one small sentence that had large impact.
Verse 42, "Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit."  The verses that follow this short sentence are full of conviction and encouragement for me (verses 43-45).

Look at the results of a woman filled with the Holy Spirit:

• Instant understanding of what God had done/was doing.  She immediately felt the child in her womb leap for joy when her cousin Mary was coming, and thus knew that Mary carried the Messiah was in her womb.  
• Loud exclamation of joy
• A spirit of humility - "blessed are you among women," she cried.  Elizabeth must have felt uniquely special and possibly a bit of spiritual pride that God had opened her womb.  But, she put aside that feeling and rejoiced in Mary having an even greater experience than Elizabeth.  Mary was carrying the Messiah and Elizabeth rejoiced greatly. 
• A spirit of honesty - She told Mary all that she was feeling, her unabashed joy and excitement.
• A spirit of encouragement/ a lifting up of Mary - "blessed is she who believed,"  she told Mary.  Elizabeth had a sense of pride toward Mary for her godly and faithful reaction to her immaculate conception. 

May I open myself up to the working of the Holy Spirit in my life and have the same results as Elizabeth did:

• instant understanding of what God has done/is doing right in front of me - There are two ways I can go about my day: 1) seeing ciurcumstances/happenings with a temporal view, or 2) seeing them as God sees them through the understanding of the Holy Spirit. 
• joy expressed
• A spirit of humility - allow myself to rejoice in others' gifts, talents and circumstances
• A spirit of honesty - not holding back when in conversation with others regarding what God is doing in and around me. 
• A spirit of encouragement - being humble enough to encourage others - even if it means lifting them higher than me. 

All for the glory of God and the praise of His glorious grace. 

A Walk through the Gospel of Luke

Dear Women of Grace,

It has been the better part of a year since I have written an entry in Streams of Living Waters.  Pushing aside the feelings of regret, failure, or being just plain pathetic, I have decided to move forward and act on the powerful nudging of the Holy Spirit.

As many of you know, this past fall was my first season to be home without the children under toe 24/7 in 12 years.  In their absence, I was left with unexpected emotions and a strange sense of exposure, for I no longer had them to hide behind.  The last time I was alone, I was 27 and ready to change the world.  Now, I'm 40 and the world has changed me.  In place of courage, I am left with concern of failure.  In place of naïvety  I am left with a sense of reality.  In place of confidence, I am left with questions.  The beauty is, however, that although I may no longer have the charisma or fortitude or youth-filled visions, I know my Savior more intimately now which is the only true value in this life.

So, the fall began my journey of begging God to give me new marching orders, namely His marching orders. When Brannin announced that he would be preaching through the book of Luke, and encouraged us to read through Luke each week, the Holy Spirit began a work to renew my desire to make entries into Steams of Living Waters. 

I do not expect these entries to be comparable to a theological commentary, for my mind is not that astute.  I do hope that these entries will encourage us as women of God to love His Word and walk near one another in the Truth.

May the Spirit be near to us as we seek know our Lord in the Gospel of Luke.

Tanya

Volume IV

Streams of Living Waters

Entry IV

If you have yet to be led spiritually by Amy Carmichael, I encourage you to do so.  There is so much richness in being led by a saint who has gone before you.  A woman of faith and courage, who lived from 1867-1951, Amy left her life in the British Isles to love, among many others, the temple prostitutes of India’s caste system. 

When I find myself in need of a watering for my troubled soul, I often curl up on the couch with a blanket, my Bible, and a copy of Amy Carmichael’s letters written to her beloved Indian “family”.  And, last Sunday night was one of those treasured meetings.  The children were tucked in bed, my husband was resting, the house was ready for another busy week, and I needed Jesus.  Just looking at the upcoming week’s calendar made my head spin, and the homeschooling goals for the week pressed hard upon me.  I needed Jesus.  I needed the risen Jesus to invade my redeemed humanity. 

Here is what God had for me, and I pass it to you.  May you have the same experience of sheer wonder that I had.    Hear the words of Amy Carmichael,

“Have you noticed this?  Whatever need or trouble you are in, there is

always something to help you in your Bible, if only you go on reading

till you come to the word God specially has for you.  I have noticed this

often.  Sometimes the special word is in the portion you would naturally

read, or in the Psalms for the Day, or maybe it is somewhere else; but you

must go on till you find it, for it is always somewhere.  You will know it

the moment you come to it, and it will rest your heart.” 

Really?  Was she really suggesting that every time I have a need or trouble, if I keep searching His Word, He will bring me to a Scripture that pertains to that need?  So, because I was in need, I decided to try. 

First, I named my need: renewed strength in weariness.

Second, I opened a Celtic prayer book, turned to March 18, and began to read the assigned Scriptures.  First, I read the Old Testament Scripture (no, that didn’t relate), next the reading from the Psalms (no, that didn’t relate), then the New Testament reading (no, that wasn’t right either).  Amy said that I would know it the moment I come to it because it would rest my heart.  I pressed on.

Third, I put away the Celtic Prayer book and tried another devotional.  My faith was wavering at this point, but felt urged to pursue God’s holy Word for me.  After reading two more Scriptures, there it was, six Scripture passages later.  I began to weep in gratitude, for I had gone on reading until I came to the word God specially had for me.  As I meditated on the Scripture, my soul was refreshed so thoroughly.

I will spare you the remaining week’s details, except to say that there were two additional times during the week when I had specific trouble and need.  I sat again, both times, searching through His Word until He provided a word especially for that trouble.  I was in sheer wonder…He led me to such soul-satisfying Scriptures. 

So, please be encouraged!  If He can do it for me, He can do it each of you.  God’s Word is alive for you tonight, tomorrow, this upcoming week.  Name your need before Him, and ask Him to lead you into His special Word for you.

And, if the Bible seems overwhelmingly large right now, and you have nowhere to begin, I have two suggestions: 1) read the Scriptures He gave to me this week (Isaiah 58:7-12 and Ephesians 3:16-21), and 2) go online, find a yearly Bible reading schedule, and read the Scriptures for today’s date.

Remember, “you must go on till you find it, for it is always somewhere. You will know it the moment you come to it, and it will rest your heart.”

May we, as women of Grace Pasadena, be known for our great dependence upon His Word.

Tanya

Books by Amy

Volume III

Steams of Living Waters

Entry III
February 2012

My dear co-walkers in our Lord Jesus Christ,

Here we are nearly halfway through our Lenten season, and I am compelled to write a note of encouragement to you.

If you have walked closely to our Lord during this season of Lent and remembrance of Christ, then be encouraged for He has drawn you unto Himself by the power of His love.  “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13)

If you have not walked closely to our Lord, and struggle even knowing how to, be encouraged for, “He longs to be gracious and rises to show compassion.  Blessed is the one who waits for the Lord.” (Isaiah 30:18)

And, as in my case, if you walked closely to our Lord for the beginning of lent, and allowed life and circumstances to distract you, be encouraged by the words of David,

“With my voice I cry out to the Lord;

With my voice I plead for mercy to the Lord.

I pour out my complaint before him;

I tell my trouble before him.

When my spirit faints within me,

You know my way!”

Psalm 142:1-3

Early this week, I sat down, with Bible and journal in hand, desperate for my Lord to show up mightily.  The previous week had been full of demands that could not be left unattended, and wake of the week left me in need of a spiritual realignment.  I needed to hear Him, feel Him, and be touched by Him. 

There I was, ready for something amazing to take place, pen ready, Bible open, and journal open to the next clean page.  And it hit me!  During the rush of the past 5 days, I had forgotten my Lenten commitment to the Lord.  How could that happen?  I was supposed to record every day a way in which I saw the risen Christ invade my redeemed humanity. 

I felt guilty and saddened, and in searching for a familiar verse, I found myself at Psalm 141.  Ah, the Gospel burst through my guilt and I was left with great joy and hope! 

The answer for those in Christ who have temporarily lost their way is simple:

“With your voice, cry out to the Lord!”

The answer for those in Christ who need God’s help is simple:

“With your voice plead for mercy to the Lord!”

The answer for those in Christ who have circumstances they wish to change or trouble that burden them is simple:

“Pour out your complaint before Him, tell your trouble before Him!”

The answer for those in Christ whose spirit is fainting, is simple:

“When your spirit faints within you, You (God) know my way!”

So, I went forth knowing that Christ cares more about my relationship with Him than whether or not I have perfectly kept my Lenten commitment.  He cares more about humility and authenticity than sacrifice.  He cares more about my desire to offer to my life to Him than the imperfection with which I do it. 

As we enter the second half of our Lenten season, I encourage us to take Psalm 141 to heart and cry out to Him with our voice, pleading for His mercy.

May we worship Him fully as a community of believers tomorrow!

Tanya