Luke 5:16 And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.
Now if we simply scantly read only this verse we would basically understand that Christ withdrew to a secluded place and prayed. But if we get some understand of the context or the story surrounding the prayer it will help us better understand the prayer life of Christ. Beginning in verse 12 we read that Jesus was confronted by a leper. This disease is horrible and it eats away at the flesh to the point of eating the fingers off a person. Lepers were supposed to cry unclean and stay a good distance from anyone outside the leper colony or house. No doubt the leper had been crying this but we find that Jesus came close enough for the leper to fall prostrate before Him. Not only were the lepers not to come close to anyone outside the leper colony; no one was supposed to touch them. Jesus heard this leper's plea for help and reached His hand out and touched the leper. The leprosy left the man and Jesus told him to go and show himself to the priest in order to follow the law that God gave Moses. Why do you suppose Jesus told this leper to do that? Well Jesus did not want to have "fame" and "popularity" about miracles. He knew the mission He came for and did not want anything to distract or detain Him from that mission. However, the Scripture says in verse 15 "But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities."
The fact that the Scripture says "But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him" lets us know that the leper didn't keep quiet about his healing. Now what did Jesus do next? According to verse 16, "And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed." The Scripture says he withdrew in the wilderness and prayed. It does not say he healed those who came to Him, it says he withdrew Himself. Jesus did not come specifically to perform miracles. He did perform miracles and he still does but He came to fulfill the mission that God, His Father, sent Him to fulfill. He withdrew when the crowd pressed in for a miracle.
Now I want us to understand that Jesus did heal many more and performed many more miracles but He knew His purpose for coming and that He must stay focused on His Father's mission.
Let's look into the verses after he withdrew to pray. The Scripture says after some days he was teaching in a house with Pharisees and doctors of the law also there. There were four men who had a friend who was plagued with palsy to the point of making him bedfast. They wanted to bring him to Jesus but the house was so packed they couldn't get in the doorway so they took him on the roof (flat roofs in those days) and broke up part of the roof and let him down. When Jesus saw their faith the first thing He said was, "Man thy sins be forgiven thee." You see Jesus was being faithful to His mission to teach fallen man about redemption and reconciliation to His Father and forgiving this man of His sins. This infuriated the Pharisees and doctors of the law. They challenged Him. But Jesus said, verse 22 "What reason ye in your hearts? [23] Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk?" The Pharisees and doctors of the law were stunned and became indignant. They told Him only God can forgive sin. I think Christ looked at them with those piercing eyes and in the word of some of the youth today would say, "DUH!"
He shows the reason, the purpose, the mission he came to us by saying, "man thy sins be forgiven thee" and "whether it is easier to say thy sins be forgiven thee or to say rise up and walk." He is the reason today we can have the blessed assurance of the words "thy sins be forgiven thee.
Jesus first of all forgave the man of his sins and then he healed the man of the palsy. What is our focus today? Is it miracles or are we joined with Christ in His mission? Right before he ascended he did not say you shall perform miracles or your ministry will be a great healing ministry, He said, "ye shall be witnesses." He wants us to be with Him for ever and ever and ever. Share your testimony of God's saving, forgiving grace to you through Jesus Christ with someone today. If you haven't experienced that grace simply ask God to save you by telling Him you are sorry for your sins and asking Him to forgive you and you will hear the words, "thy sins be forgiven you." AMEN!!!
Monday, January 17, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Ten Days Are Gone: Today Is 1/11/11
Time moves along quickly. The Scripture teaches "us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." (Psalms 90:12, NKJV)Psalms 90:10 notes that "The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away." To have a heart of wisdom is to seek to fear God through the great love, mercy and compassion that He has shown to mankind. People live to be various ages. It is not the amount of years that people live on this earth that is vital to a well lived life; it is the amount of life lived in those years that is vital.
Psalm 90 is noted as a prayer of Moses. Perhaps Moses thought his life was about over when he fled from Egypt after murdering an Egyptian. He fled to Midian (Exodus 2:15) and there joined himself to Reuel (Jethro) to keep sheep and married one of his daughters. Perhaps he felt his life was about over at age 80 after he had fathered some children and been a keeper of his father-in-law's sheep for some 40 years. Yet, while on the backside of Mount Horeb watching sheep God had different plans (3:1). Moses was then chosen by the Lord to go lead the people of Isreal out of Egyptian bondage. He led faithfully for 40 years with one event that displeased the Lord (striking instead of speaking to the rock, Numbers 20:7-13).
God kept him strong for the mission that he was called to complete. Scripture says, ". .Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated." When he met God in the mountain and began to realize God's glory and power, he began to have a heart of wisdom. He found God to be all that God desired him to be and do. The GREAT I AM led Moses to the mission and fulfilled the mission through him. (Deuteronomy 34:7 KJV) Wisdom teaches us that to be wise is to be on target and on task in the mission that God has for each one of us. When the calling comes and the target is evident the task will become clearer. The GREAT I AM clarified the target and the task for Moses. Moses set out to fulfill that task but opposition was evident just as it is today. Moses would go to the GREAT I AM in times of those opposition and struggles.
Perhaps Moses prayed this Psalm 90 prayer during a time when he felt that it was over for the children of Israel. Perhaps it was during some of their grumbling and complaining when he was perhaps 100 years old. Perhaps he thought these people are going to continue grumbling and complaining and bellyaching and I'm really at the age to pass on out of here. God did threaten to destroy them at one point and make a nation of Moses (9:13-19) but Moses interceded to God for them. Moses realized that God's time for him and the mission he called him to was not to be squandered. He wanted to stay on target and on task. Yet, he felt the humiliation of the failure of God's people and his own insufficiency. No one is sufficient for God's mission in this life without the GREAT I AM!
Christians, our mission is clear. Our target is evident. Our task is clear. Our Captain, Jesus Christ, has called and commissioned each one to go and teach, preach, witness, love, pray for, visit those who are in the "harvest field" - needing the the Savior and Lord. Whatever age we find ourselves now, as Christians that vision and mission will remain until we draw our last breath here on this earth. We can receive wisdom and instruction from the prayer of Moses. We can understand that God is timeless; He is not bound nor limited by time (Psalm 90:4) Time is vital to us and we must "seek a heart of wisdom" to apply ourselves to the mission of God. We are alloted a measure of God's time. We can number our days - realizing at best we have have 70, 80, perhaps 90 years to fulfill our mission in life that God has given to each one. Yet, we may also feel the urgency in our time to pray the prayer that Moses prayed. Here is the last part of that prayer. Perhaps that prayer speaks to your heart today. . .will you pray it with me for the day and hour we are in. . . Psalms 90:12-17
[12] So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
[13] Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants.
[14] O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
[15] Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil.
[16] Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children.
[17] And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it. (KJV)
Here is another translation. . .Psalms 90:12-17
[12] So give us knowledge of the number of our days, that we may get a heart of wisdom. [13] Come back, O Lord; how long? let your purpose for your servants be changed. [14] In the morning give us your mercy in full measure; so that we may have joy and delight all our days. [15] Make us glad in reward for the days of our sorrow, and for the years in which we have seen evil. [16] Make your work clear to your servants, and your glory to their children. [17] Let the pleasure of the Lord our God be on us: O Lord, give strength to the work of our hands.
(BBE translation)
AMEN and AMEN!
Psalm 90 is noted as a prayer of Moses. Perhaps Moses thought his life was about over when he fled from Egypt after murdering an Egyptian. He fled to Midian (Exodus 2:15) and there joined himself to Reuel (Jethro) to keep sheep and married one of his daughters. Perhaps he felt his life was about over at age 80 after he had fathered some children and been a keeper of his father-in-law's sheep for some 40 years. Yet, while on the backside of Mount Horeb watching sheep God had different plans (3:1). Moses was then chosen by the Lord to go lead the people of Isreal out of Egyptian bondage. He led faithfully for 40 years with one event that displeased the Lord (striking instead of speaking to the rock, Numbers 20:7-13).
God kept him strong for the mission that he was called to complete. Scripture says, ". .Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated." When he met God in the mountain and began to realize God's glory and power, he began to have a heart of wisdom. He found God to be all that God desired him to be and do. The GREAT I AM led Moses to the mission and fulfilled the mission through him. (Deuteronomy 34:7 KJV) Wisdom teaches us that to be wise is to be on target and on task in the mission that God has for each one of us. When the calling comes and the target is evident the task will become clearer. The GREAT I AM clarified the target and the task for Moses. Moses set out to fulfill that task but opposition was evident just as it is today. Moses would go to the GREAT I AM in times of those opposition and struggles.
Perhaps Moses prayed this Psalm 90 prayer during a time when he felt that it was over for the children of Israel. Perhaps it was during some of their grumbling and complaining when he was perhaps 100 years old. Perhaps he thought these people are going to continue grumbling and complaining and bellyaching and I'm really at the age to pass on out of here. God did threaten to destroy them at one point and make a nation of Moses (9:13-19) but Moses interceded to God for them. Moses realized that God's time for him and the mission he called him to was not to be squandered. He wanted to stay on target and on task. Yet, he felt the humiliation of the failure of God's people and his own insufficiency. No one is sufficient for God's mission in this life without the GREAT I AM!
Christians, our mission is clear. Our target is evident. Our task is clear. Our Captain, Jesus Christ, has called and commissioned each one to go and teach, preach, witness, love, pray for, visit those who are in the "harvest field" - needing the the Savior and Lord. Whatever age we find ourselves now, as Christians that vision and mission will remain until we draw our last breath here on this earth. We can receive wisdom and instruction from the prayer of Moses. We can understand that God is timeless; He is not bound nor limited by time (Psalm 90:4) Time is vital to us and we must "seek a heart of wisdom" to apply ourselves to the mission of God. We are alloted a measure of God's time. We can number our days - realizing at best we have have 70, 80, perhaps 90 years to fulfill our mission in life that God has given to each one. Yet, we may also feel the urgency in our time to pray the prayer that Moses prayed. Here is the last part of that prayer. Perhaps that prayer speaks to your heart today. . .will you pray it with me for the day and hour we are in. . . Psalms 90:12-17
[12] So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
[13] Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants.
[14] O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
[15] Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil.
[16] Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children.
[17] And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it. (KJV)
Here is another translation. . .Psalms 90:12-17
[12] So give us knowledge of the number of our days, that we may get a heart of wisdom. [13] Come back, O Lord; how long? let your purpose for your servants be changed. [14] In the morning give us your mercy in full measure; so that we may have joy and delight all our days. [15] Make us glad in reward for the days of our sorrow, and for the years in which we have seen evil. [16] Make your work clear to your servants, and your glory to their children. [17] Let the pleasure of the Lord our God be on us: O Lord, give strength to the work of our hands.
(BBE translation)
AMEN and AMEN!
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