The Primary Test

Matthew 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

Tempted : “to try to learn the nature or character of someone or something by submitting such to thorough and extensive testing” Louw-Nida Greek Lexicon

Jesus had just been baptized & declared to be the Son of God with the power of the Spirit and authority of Heaven. Now the devil wanted to learn about His character.

There are numerous aspects to temptation, but one primary test: Is my whole being submitted to the will of God or can I be seduced by something or someone less?

Satan’s main task was to find if he could influence Jesus. Temptation may not always be a seductive call to open, active sin… it may just be a test to see if I can be influenced.

If I can be influenced by the devil then I have passed his test and failed God. Satan could never influence Jesus… it was impossible. His nature was divinely perfect. Unlike Jesus, we are not perfect in character. The first “sin” of the fall of Adam and Eve was submission to improper influence. They were tempted, satan found he could influence them, they fell...

The Primary Test

Sacrificing Ourselves Together

Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

In the expression “your bodies a living sacrifice,” there is a plural: “bodies”, and a singular: “a living sacrifice”. This language usage sometimes implies a group doing a singular action together. This could certainly be the usage Paul intended in this verse. Such language would fit what I know of committed Christians, and also seems to be the common case in the New Testament. Christian history is filled with accounts of Christians sacrificially serving Christ together as one entity.

This interpretation rests well with the context. Previous chapters presented believers as a multiracial family of adopted children. The following verses, 3-8, illuminate this collective sacrifice by the illustrative use of a functioning human body.

“Our reasonable service” then, is not an independent venture. This service is given by an ordered group of followers which Jesus called His church. Each follower of Christ has personal gifts which are intended for use in a “body,” and are of little value alone. Make sure you are part of team of committed servants of Christ. Long-term group sacrifice creates a bond that is rare in this world. If you are looking for a church to serve in, feel free to write, and I'll try to help.

It has been my privilege in Christian service to work with committed, faithful men and women who are ready and willing to sacrifice themselves for the Savior as an effective, mobile group. To my family, our church staff, and our wonderful church family: I am privileged to serve with you. I am constantly strengthened by the knowledge of your sacrifice and love for our Savior.

Sacrificing Ourselves Together

Mercy Trains

The people of the mid and western United States have a unique heritage of meeting the needs of homeless children. This is also a Christian heritage. They called them Mercy or Orphan trains. As eastern cities grew in 19th and early 20th centuries so did the population of homeless children.

These children were a mix of foundlings and orphans who ended up on the streets with no home or parent to care for their needs. Children’s homes were filled to over-capacity. These were children of every age and gender who were not receiving what a child needs most: love and attention. They needed homes, parents, and families. Finally, a group of pastors devised a new method to get these children into loving homes: trains headed west.

The pastors and volunteers back east created a network of pastors and volunteers in towns along the railroads. These concerned helpers would recruit families in their region to take these children into their homes. The volunteers back east would load the children onto trains with all their earthly goods, and send them to their new homes in the west.

The west was ready for them. At every stop families and parents would be waiting at the train stations for their new child. These children were scattered all over the plains states of the US, and their children and descendants still live there today.

I am thankful to live in one of the most caring and generous nations in the world… let’s never forget our heritage, or the needs of homeless children. Open your hearts, your homes, and your wealth to these kids worldwide. They need us.

Mercy Trains

Tarantula Hawk

The tarantula hawk makes its home in the ground and can grow up to two inches long. It has a beautiful blue-black body and bright rust-colored wings. But don't let her good looks fool you... the bright coloring is designed by God to warn potential predators that they are dangerous. It is wise to heed this warning unless you are a roadrunner.

The stinger of a female tarantula hawk can be up to 1/3 inch long. These wasps are relatively docile, and rarely sting humans. That’s good because the sting is rated 2nd on the Schmidt Sting Pain Index. Commenting on his own experience, one researcher described the pain as "immediate, excruciating pain that simply shuts down one's ability to do anything, except, perhaps, scream." These wasps do live in the US.

The female wasp hunts female tarantulas which she captures, stings, and paralyzes. Then she drags the spider back into her own burrow, or to a specially prepared nest where she lays a single egg on the spider's body. The entrance is then covered, and she goes looking for another spider.

The hatched larva sucks juices from the still-living spider then enters the body to eat the organs. This is done systematically to keep the spider alive as long as possible. Later an adult wasp leaves the tarantula's body. This wasp is similar to the Jewel Roach Wasp and presents serious problems to atheistic evolution.

Tarantula Hawk

"In Christ"

Romans 16:7 Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellowprisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.

Paul used the phrase "in Christ" frequently in his writings. It is a “marker of close association within a limit.”BDAG So not everyone is “in,” and there are requirements to get “in.”

The requirement for entrance into this "close association" is personal faith in the Gospel work of Jesus Christ. Paul clearly spelled this out in Romans 3:19-31.

A person who is “in Christ” enjoys the benefits of a permanent relationship with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. These benefits include: His personal care and concern, His love, eternal life, and the perpetual presence of His Spirit.

Adrian Rogers said, “The key to living a victorious Christian life is to discover who you are in Christ. Many Christians have never discovered this. They remind me of the man who had an identity problem and an energy crisis at the same time. He didn’t know who he was and he was too tired to find out.”

For believers, “in Christ” is not where we are, but who we are. God doesn’t work from the outside in, He works from the inside out. He doesn’t modify our behavior to change us; He changes us, then everything about who we are is affected.

You’re never going to purify the water by painting the pump. That’s legalism and it’s a dead end to discovering who you are in Christ.

Search God’s Word for the phrase, “in Christ.” As you find phrases that apply to your life, write those down. Begin with phrases such as “no condemnation” now that you are “in Christ.” Romans 8:1

If you are not “in Christ,” but are curious, begin by understanding the gospel. I’ll be glad to help you, just write.

"In Christ"