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Connecting Points Tuesday, January 25, 2011 Today’s Topic: Priorities – Part 2 Today’s Text: Luke 4:1-2 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. I know, it’s Tuesday and it’s supposed to be my day off. But this is a wrangled week. Tomorrow I have some outpatient surgery done that will lay me up at home for a couple of days so I’m working today. Nothing serious, but will take a couple of days to heal. If I’m up to it I might be back on line on Thursday, but hopefully Friday for sure. I have an assignment for you for the next few days. I will be spending some time contemplating the whole priority issue we reviewed yesterday and deepening my understanding of the Lord’s words about denying self. To help with that process, I want to really study the life of Jesus in one particular experience He had when He was tempted to connect himself to the world’s system and values. I think it would be beneficial for all of us to spend some time looking at it. The event we will look at is the temptation of Christ in the wilderness following His baptism. Let’s read the story and see how the Holy Spirit draws some connecting points to our own lives as He helps us understand the temptations we experience to seek our value and purpose from the world. I have combined the stories from Matthew and Luke into one so we can get the whole picture. Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ The devil then led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Then the devil led him up to a very high mountain and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you bow down and worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” Then the devil left him until an opportune time, and angels came and attended him. Three specific temptations that manifest themselves in a variety of ways in our lives today. Some are very obvious. Most are very subtle and subversive. Do you recognize them? - The temptation to not trust God for our physical needs - The temptation to try to mingle the pleasures of the world with the promises of God - The temptation to find our value and status from the world and not from God I trust that the Holy Spirit will teach us all to recognize them and defend against them with the authority of God’s Word as Jesus did. This will take effort. Don’t just skim over this. Submit to the teaching of the Holy Spirit as He reveals to us the specific areas of our lives where we have fallen into sin. Denial does not help us. We must open our hearts and our minds to the cleansing and purifying work of the Holy Spirit. After all, we say we love the Lord our God with all our heart, our mind, our soul, and our strength. Maybe the priorities of our lives should reflect that. Pastor John
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Socracht Tharlódh go samhlófá féin tús an ama guí seo ar nós a bheifeá ag gabháil go croí an fhásaigh inmheánaigh - Is minic a shamhlaítear an fásach mar áit chiúin, i bhfad ó thranglam na cathrach nó ó bhéiceach an aigéin. Tharlódh go samhlófá féin tús an ama guí seo ar nós a bheifeá ag gabháil go croí an fhásaigh inmheánaigh. Ar nós a bheifeá ag cuartú áit chiúin taobh istigh díot féin ar féidir leat bualadh le Dia. Tabhair tamall duit féin agus lig do d’aird díriú isteach ionat féin, agus lig don saol mór a ghabháil i mbun a chuid gnóthaí féin. - Tabhair aird sa spás inmheánach sin ar rithim d’análaithe. Seachain a bhféachfá lena hathrú! Tarraing anáil isteach agus amach go socair ar feadh cúpla nóiméad. Scrioptúr Tháinig Íosa, agus é lán den Spioraid Naomh, ar ais ón Iordáin, agus seoladh faoi luí an Spioraid san fhásach é go ceann daichead lá, á phromhadh ag an diabhal. Agus níor ith sé aon ní sna laethanta sin, agus nuair a bhí siad caite bhí ocras air. Dúirt an diabhal leis: “Más tú Mac Dé, abair leis an gcloch seo arán a dhéanamh di.” Agus d’fhreagair Íosa é: “Tá scríofa: ‘Ní ar arán amháin a mhairfidh an duine.’” Agus tar éis do é a sheoladh suas ar ard, thaispeáin sé dó ríochtaí uile na cruinne i nóiméad aimsire; agus dúirt an diabhal leis: “Tabharfaidh mé duit an forlámhas seo uile agus a nglóir siúd, óir is ar mo láimh a tugadh é, agus tugaim dó cibé is áil liom é. Dá bhrí sin, má dhéanann tusa adhradh i mo láthair, is leat é uile.” Dúirt Íosa leis á fhreagairt: “Tá scríofa: ‘Adharfaidh tú an Tiarna do Dhia, agus is dó amháin a bheidh tú ag seirbhís.’” Ansin sheol sé go Iarúsailéim é, chuir sé ar bhinn an Teampaill é agus dúirt leis: “Más tú Mac Dé, caith tú féin as seo síos; óir tá scríofa: ‘Tabharfaidh sé ordú dá aingil mar gheall ort, chun go ngardálfaidís tú’; agus: ‘Iompróidh siad ina lámha tú, le heagla go mbuailfeá do chos faoi chloch.’” Dúirt Íosa leis á fhreagairt: “Tá ráite: ‘Ní bhainfidh tú triail as an Tiarna do Dhia.’” Agus tar éis don diabhal é a phromhadh i ngach slí, d’fhág sé é nó go dtiocfadh an uain. Déan marana An cuimhin leat féin am ar theastaigh uait féin a bheith ar an uaigneas, ionas go bhfaighfeá tuiscint níos fearr ar gach a raibh ag tarlú i do thimpeall? - Tá Íosa go díreach tar éis a bhaiste ag tús a scéil seo. Tá Spiorad Dé tar éis tuirling air, agus tá Dia tar éis Íosa a aithint go poiblí mar a Mhac. Cén chaoi ar airigh Íosa agus é ag imeacht ó bhruach na hIordáine? - Insítear dúinn go dtreoraíonn an Spiorad Íosa isteach sa bhfásach. B’fhéidir go dteastaíonn am ó Íosa anois le smaoineamh ar a bhfuil i gceist le gach a bhfuil tarlaithe. An cuimhin leat féin am ar theastaigh uait féin a bheith ar an uaigneas, ionas go bhfaighfeá tuiscint níos fearr ar gach a raibh ag tarlú i do thimpeall? - Is mian le hÍosa a bheatha a thiomnú do dhaoine eile agus cúnamh a thabhairt dóibh aithne a chur ar Dhia a dtugann seisean ‘Athair’ air. Tuigeann Seisean go bhfuil droch-bhealaí lena dhéanamh seo chomh maith le bealaí maithe. Is féidir cathú a chur air aicearra a thógáil, nó bealaí níos réidhe a roghnú. An léir duit-se an chontráil a bhaineas leis na bealaí mealltacha seo? - Cuireann Íosa suas den smaoineamh gur cheart freastal ar riachtanais ábharaíocha daoine amháin. Ní ligfidh sé i ndearmad gurb é seo fiontar Dé agus ní bheidh sé ag brath ar thaispeántais shuntasacha de chumhacht Dé. Cén cur síos a dhéanfadh tusa ar an gcaoi a gcinneann Íosa ar a mhisiún a chur i gcrích? Labhair le Dia Déan iarracht a mhíniú d’Íosa an chaoi a bhfuil do bheatha féin ag iompú amach ag an am áirithe seo. Nocht do chuid mothúchán faoi sin - Samhlaigh ar feadh nóiméid go bhfuil tú i do shuí le taobh Íosa an cheád oíche úd sa bhfásach. B’fhéidir go bhfuil sé i bhfad san oíche agus gleadhrach de thine ann. Céard ba mhaith leat a rá leis agus é ag déanamh a mharana ar an gcaoi is fearr le focal Dé a chraobhscaoileadh? - Déan iarracht san áit cheannann chéanna, a mhíniú d’Íosa an chaoi a bhfuil do bheatha féin ag iompú amach ag an am áirithe seo. Nocht do chuid mothúchán faoi sin. - Le linn na gcathuithe, aithníonn Íosa cuid de na droch-bhealaí a d’fhéadfadh sé a leanacht. An léir duit-se gur ghabh tú bealach contráilte ó am go ham? An dtig leat iad sin a thabhairt chuig Íosa anois? - Ag deireadh an scéil, tá an chosúlacaht ar Íosa go bhfuil sé níos soiléire faoin gcaoi a dtabharfadh sé faoi fhógairt Ríocht Dé. Agus é ag téisclim lena imeacht as an bhfásach agus triall ar bhailte agus ar shráid-bhailte na Gailíle, an airíonn tú fonn ort a ghabháil in éineacht leis nó rath a ghuí air. B’fhéidir gur mian leat freagairt dá bhfuil feicthe agam san am guí seo ar bhealach éigin eile.