In the Wilderness

   

     The wilderness is often associated with a dry and desolate place. It is defined as "an unsettled and uncultivated region, an extensive area that is barren or empty, a waste." That is why I found it interesting that Jesus was "led by the Spirit" into the wilderness in Matthew chapter 4. So many times when we find ourselves in those dry and desolate spots in our spiritual journey, our first instinct is often to blame ourselves or to blame Satan. We blame ourselves because we believe we must have taken a wrong turn somewhere, made a bad decision, and got off the path from where God intended us to be. We never take the time to consider that maybe the wilderness is exactly where God wants us to be. We blame Satan for leading us into the wilderness because we feel so vulnerable, weak, and alone. It is the perfect time for Satan to attack, but we never consider that God sometimes allows us to be tempted by Satan in order to test and strengthen our faith. I heard a message by Pastor Steven Furtick the other day in which he said, "Nothing gets stronger without resistance." That is so true! We need these times of pressure and resistance, these times of testing, in order to strengthen our spiritual muscles. The Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to fast and pray. The wilderness is an ideal place for spiritual growth because we are completely alone, with no distractions. We are completely dependent on God alone. God used this time to prepare Jesus for what He knew was coming. When we find ourselves in the wilderness, it is often difficult to see beyond our hunger, thirst, and loneliness to see what God is preparing us for.
     Jesus was prepared to face Satan because He was prayed up, He was completely dependent on the Spirit of God, and He was armed with the Word of God. Jesus endured three different temptations from Satan, and He fought off each one with the Word of God. In Ephesians chapter 6 we are told that the only offensive weapon we have against Satan is the Word of God. We need to prepare ourselves to face the enemy. We need to clothe ourselves with the armor of God, and we need to take up that Sword of the Spirit. We need to thank God for the times we find ourselves in the wilderness, because we know that God must be preparing us to face a great battle.
     I found it interesting that while the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness, Satan led Him into the Holy City. Neither God nor Satan work in the ways we often expect. God can use us, teach us, and grow in the wilderness just as Satan can tempt, mock, and try to destroy us in the Holiest of places. Satan even used Scripture to try and get Jesus to give in to temptation. In verse 6 he said, "if you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, 'He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won't even hurt your foot on a stone.'" What makes this so interesting is that this promise was ultimately fulfilled, although not in the way Satan was expecting. In verse 11, after Jesus had endured all three temptations, the Bible says, "Then the devil went away, and the angels came and took care of Jesus." He endured the temptation. He did not give in. He did not test God's promises, and yet God fulfilled them. We can rest assured that God will not leave us stranded in the wilderness. He will come to our rescue time and time again. When we lose strength. When we lose heart. We we are weak and tired. When we are lonely and afraid. When we are broken and discouraged. God will send His angels to comfort us. The Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ, God Himself, will wrap His arms around us. Jesus has been where you are at. He has been in the wilderness. He has faced the fiery darts of Satan. He has been tested. He has endured the trials and temptations. He knows exactly how you feel, and He will come to your rescue when the test is finished. Endure to the end, and you will experience the unlimited promises of God.

Like Christ

     When my face comes to your mind, what do you think of? When I tell you I'm a Christian, what impression does that give you of Jesus Christ? The term "Christian" is first used in the Bible in Acts 11:26. It says, "...And it came to pass a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch." This word "Christian" comes from the Greek word "Χριστιανός" which means "a follower of Christ." As a Christian, as a follower of Christ, it is my desire to live a life that reflects the life of Christ. When people hear my name or see my face, it is my desire that they would be reminded of the love and grace, mercy and compassion, kindness and humility of Jesus Christ. There are some people in this world who proclaim to be Christians, yet when I hear their name or see their face I immediately think of anger and bitterness, hatefulness and judgement, haughtiness and condemnation. This absolutely breaks my heart. It breaks my heart because I know that these people carry the name of my Savior. It breaks my heart because I don't know how many people have been hurt, or turned away from Christ, because of things these people may have said or done - claiming it to be in the name of Jesus. The Bible says that people will be known by the fruits they produce. As Christians, we should be known for producing the fruits of the Spirit which include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). However, it seems nowadays that if you asked a lost person on the street what characteristics described a Christian then these would be some of the last words on their mind. Why is that? I think it is because "Christians" nowadays spend more time fighting against lost people than they spend welcoming them in and showing them the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. I think it is because "Christians" nowadays spend more time fighting against one another rather than working together to help build the Kingdom of God. I find myself not wanting to be associated with these so-called "Christians" because they have no resemblance of the Christ found in Scripture.

"We are altogether ignorant of our own name and do not know why we are Christians or bear the name of Christians. Surely we are named after Christ, not because He is absent from us, but because He dwells in us, because we believe in Him and are Christs one to another and do to our neighbors as Christ does to us." 

- Martin Luther

     I have been reading through the New Testament lately, and I have found that the Christ represented in Scripture does not align much with the Christ represented in many of our churches today. I discovered that the Jesus found in Scripture reflects the image of a God who is full of love and mercy rather than judgement and condemnation. Jesus did not stir up controversy by excluding and condemning people. He stirred up controversy because He included and befriended people when no one else would. He came to redeem the world, not to rebuke it. Jesus spoke in a still small voice, and gently commanded storms to stop. He was not harsh and demanding. He went away to the mountaintop to pray, and He spoke out against those who prayed publicly on street corners. People should not have to know that we are Christians by the lengthy prayers we post on Facebook or the artsy-looking Bible verses we post on Instagram. People should know we are Christians by the way we treat people on a daily basis. Christians should not be known as people who stand on street corners with signs protesting against what we consider to be sinful, or boycotting people and places simply because they support or don't support something we do or don't believe in. Christians should be known as people who humble themselves like Jesus did and reach out to the hurting like Jesus did. Jesus Christ was, and is, a source of hope and encouragement to the despised and rejected. He never turned away those in need of help, but always had compassion on the sick and hurting. He has not changed over the years. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He may not physically walk among us, but He is still very much alive, and His Spirit lives within us. As His followers, we should extend His same love and grace, mercy and compassion, kindness and humility to the people we come in contact with every day. If we call ourselves Christians, then why should we treat people any differently than Jesus did when He lived and walked among us?

"In the light of Jesus' life we come to realize that our problem is not that we are "only human" but that we are not human enough. Blaming our shortcomings on our humanity, therefore, makes a mockery not only of the life of Jesus but also of the lives of those saints throughout the ages who have sought to be human in the ways that He was human." 

- Phillip D. Kenneson 

     So many people in the world today have been hurt by people claiming to be followers of Christ. Many people refuse to even enter the doors of a church because of the judgement and hypocrisy they know awaits them within the doors. Churches today tend to spread messages of hate, taking stands against certain sins while ignoring the sins that plague their own lives. People who proclaim to be followers of Christ have begun tossing stones at sinners, like the Pharisees whom Jesus strongly opposed did, rather than drawing in the sand so the accusers turn away - like Jesus did. I don't know about you, but I want to be like the Jesus I find in Scripture. I don't want to be associated with this altered and reconfigured image of Jesus that is found in many of the churches around the world today. I don't want to be like this Jesus that has been shaped and molded to fit the views and opinions of others. I want my life to reflect the love and grace, mercy and compassion of Jesus Christ. I want to shine the light of Christ through the way I live my life, so that others might be drawn to Him by the things I say and do. I want to reach out to the hurting. I want to have compassion on the crushed in spirit. I want to befriend those the world has pushed away. I want to welcome in the sinners like me, and the sinners unlike me. I want to worship with them, and learn from them, and grow alongside them. I want to serve those the world considers unworthy, and I want to make time for those the world considers beyond repair. I want be an extension of Christ's love and grace to this broken and hurting world. I want to be a Christian in the fullest sense of the word: I want to be like Christ. 

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     I would like to close this blog by taking the time to apologize to anyone and everyone who has ever been hurt or pushed away by someone claiming to be a follower of Christ. If I personally, or anyone else in the body of Christ, has ever judged or condemned you or ever shown you anything less than the love and grace of Jesus Christ - then I ask for your forgiveness. That is not the image of Christ that I want you to have in your mind. Please know that Christ loves and accepts you, and desires a personal relationship with you. He is full of grace and mercy, and He is ready to welcome you in with open arms.