Episode 4: Who Alone Is to be Worshipped?

Matthew 4:10  Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.”

While being tempted by Satan in the wilderness, Jesus responded to Satan's calling for Jesus to worship him in exchange for all the kingdoms of the earth, Jesus said that only the Lord and God is to be worshipped and served. This is an obvious reference back to the commandments given to the Hebrew people in the wilderness so long before, and the command to have no other God before Him.

Yet in John 9:35-38, we read of a man born blind, but given sight by Jesus. The man has been cast out by the Jews for his testimony of what happened - and when Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.

Time an again throughout Scripture, when someone bowed down and began to worship any other than God, they were quickly chastised for their mistake. Yet Jesus has no chastisement for this healed man. The man was simply allowed to worship Jesus.

Hebrews 1:6  And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.”

The writer of Hebrews laid out a picture of Jesus as one to be worshipped, and to boot - to be worshipped by all of God's angels! In fact, if we go back to the beginning of Hebrews 1, we see it is all about laying out Christ's superiority, and then the writer clearly differentiates Jesus from any created being, even angels.

Then we have Paul writing to the church at Corinth, and he identifies Jesus Christ as "their Lord and ours":

1 Corinthians 1:2  To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:

The term translated as "Lord" here is κύριος, literally meaning supreme, controller, master, or God.

And let us compare that to: 1 Kings 18:24  and Elijah's challenge: And you call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the LORD ,(יְהֹוָה - Jehovah) and the God who answers by fire, he is God.” And all the people answered, “It is well spoken.” 

Zechariah 13:9  And I will put this third into the fire,

and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name,and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’”

God's resend always refer to God as "Lord" - they are terms of worship and adoration of God. So when we see Jesus referred to as Lord, and more directly  - "my God" as Thomas stated, we can understand that Jesus is the only God worthy of worship.

And this brings us to yet another reality - because who else an forgive sins? Stay tuned for the next Episode (Episode 5: Who Can Forgive Sin?)

The Heaviness Engulfs Me

A heavy heart tonight. I won't go into details, just suffice it to say that I am grieving. I was led to a passage of Scripture when I got home that so fits whats going on. My faith has never been tested as now. I don't know what tomorrow holds. I don't know what next week or beyond holds. But I do know that God holds it all in His Sovereign hand.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith - more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire - may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ...Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

I'm ready to rejoice, without having to look over my shoulder.

I will confess - I am questioning everything in my life right now.  Ok, maybe not everything - as I don't have any doubts about my love for my incredibly patient and loving wife, Diana, or my love for my precious gifts from God - Anna and Selah. One other thing that I have absolutely no doubt about is my Savior's love for me. That being said - I am doubting pretty much each and every other part of my life. In the words of Thomas Payne in his epic The Crisis, penned in December 1776: "These are the times that try men's souls."

Another fact that I have no doubt about - is that there is a very real spiritual war going on, particularly in my own context. A war that has left me bruised and beaten, and near defeat. I have spoken both privately and publicly from the pulpit of "putting on the whole Armor of God". Boy are those far easier words to say, than instructions to actually follow! Yet it seems that my best efforts to "put on" this armor simply lead to more fights.  Further - there are "fiery darts" that are finding flesh in the "cracks" between the armor. It's my fault - I don't spend enough time with the "Sword of the Spirit - the Word of God".  I struggle with personal righteousness. The command to "pray at all times in the Spirit" sometimes gets shorted on the "all" part. And to be totally honest, I'm reaching and searching for the "peace" associated with the shoes related to the Gospel...

Indeed, in some ways - I am troubled down at the very deepest recesses of my heart and mind. Have some of Satan's darts not just found flesh, but found innermost parts?

Discouragement leading to despair is before me. But I just cannot look back. Jesus said to look back is to be unworthy of the Kingdom...

I am weak. I am broken. I'm not just far from perfect, I am at the bottom of the bottom. Yet the harder I try to climb up - the farther it seems I fall.

I now better understand what Romans 8:26 means... as my prayers seem to be so very lacking and insignificant. in fact, James 5:16 is causing me quite a bit of grief right now "...the effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much." I feel neither particularly righteous nor do my prayers seem very effective these days.

I'm a great finger-pointer, yet I am reminded of the wise words I first heard from a dear friend who is already waiting for us in Heaven, "remember - when you point your finger at others, there are at least three fingers pointing back at you."

But all the finger pointing in the world, even if justified, does not take away my own responsibility for my failures and shortcomings (even when I'm unaware of them).

Something has to change. I'm not demanding that God "do something" - I am fairly certain He is "doing something", whether I see it or not. But something in my life is gong to have to change.

I am trying desperately to heed the words of Proverbs 3:5-6:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,

     and do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

     and He will make straight your paths.

Maybe (no - actually), the key is in the next two verses:

Be not wise in your own eyes;

     fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.

It will be healing to your flesh

     and refreshment to your bones.

I try to not think to highly of myself. In fact, another thing I have no doubt about - is my weakness and unworthiness. I try to combat evil in my life - seeking those things that are glorious to God and edifying to those around me.  Refreshment and healing?  Please...

I want to cry out to God the words of David in Psalm 51:

Restore to me the joy of your salvation,

     and uphold me with a willing spirit...

But instead, I again feel more like the difficulty in prayer of Romans 8:26 - and I'm in need of the Spirit Himself interceding for me...

And any prayers the reader of this feels led to offer up - thank you.