17 September 2007

Psalm 56, 57; 1 Kings 21:1-16; 1 Cor. 1:1-19; Matt. 4:1-11

There is no limit to the power of the queen if she chooses to exercise it. Fear of her must certainly have ruled the hearts of men in the kingdom, and they were quick to do her bidding. Naboth simply refused to give up his ancestral property to the whim of the king and for that refusal, perfectly understandable in the land which was not simply inherited land but the land promised and given to the people by the Lord Himself, was put to death by treachery. Wickedness will not tolerate anything which opposes it.

Such common temptations thrown at Jesus. Common in the sense that these would be the same basic temptations thrown at him the rest of his life, even on the cross. He would be asked by the people to start a miraculous feeding ministry and would refuse. He would be constantly asked for a sign of his provenance as son of God and would refuse even to come down from the cross and save himself, trusting the Father to the end that all was according to plan. He would be asked to submit Himself to others including religious leaders and kings and would steadfastly refuse to do so. How are these temptations common in your life?

There is no reason for division among the church, but what is the source of unity? Paul tells the Corinthians that the source of their unity is to be in their testimony about Christ Jesus and the cross. It is not in who baptized whom or who laid hands on whom in apostolic succession, but in this one simple testimony. How do we make unity about something else. The power to persevere, Paul says, is found in Christ “will keep you strong to the end.” The power of the Spirit to resist evil is beyond compare, why do we only rarely rely on it?

Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.

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