Ezekiel 8:16-18: "He then brought me into the inner court of the house of the LORD, and there at the entrance to the temple, between the portico and the altar, were about twenty-five men. With their backs toward the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east, they were bowing down to the sun in the east. He said to me, "Have you seen this, son of man? Is it a trivial matter for the house of Judah to do the detestable things they are doing here? Must they also fill the land with violence and continually provoke me to anger? Look at them putting the branch to their nose! Therefore I will deal with them in anger; I will not look on them with pity or spare them. Although they shout in my ears, I will not listen to them."
This passage in the book of Ezekiel has the Spirit of God taking the prophet Ezekiel to the temple to see the detestable things that the religious leaders were doing. Whereas these leaders were to be honoring the LORD through the required sacrifices, they were instead turning their backs upon the presence of the LORD and were worshipping the sun. Of course, this was just one episode in a plurality of scenarios in which the entire Jewish people were adulterating themselves against their covenantal commitment to the LORD alone (Ezekiel 6:9). Each man had an idol in his house . . . an idol in which he worshipped instead of the true God (Ezekiel 8:9-12). And although the idols varied from home to home, in reality these rebellious people were worshipping inanimate objects that would not reprimand them for their immoral, detestable practices. These idols displaced the One True God in the people's lives because the feigned substitutes would not hold them accountable for their debased, immoral lifestyles.
The point had been reached when the people had become rather flagrant in their detestable immorality and idol worship, for what they once did behind closed doors was now being practiced on mountaintops (Ezekiel 6:13). They had become obstinate and rebellious people who demanded that they have right to do whatever their sinful hearts desired to do (Ezekiel 2:4); thus, they were asserting their own quest for lordship over the true God. The worshipping of inanimate idols was merely a subtle way of attempting to displace the obvious fact that they worshipped themselves.
God would soon bring judgment against the Israelites through the invasion by the Babylonians (605-586 BC). First, God removed His Glory from the temple in Jerusalem (Ezekiel 10). And as He exited the temple and ascended from the Mount of Olives (Ezekiel 11:23), God removed His protective hand from His chosen people. Soon thereafter, the Babylonians would invade the land, taking some captive and destroying most of the others. Some believe that as many as 90% of the population in the land were displaced or killed as a result of the invasion. The people would cry out to God for deliverance; however, God would not hear them. The point of no return had been reached; God's patience had been replaced with His judgment.
Over 1000 years prior, God had told Moses that these events would occur. In Deuteronomy 31:16-18, God said that the people would "prostitute themselves to the foreign gods of the land they were entering" (Deuteronomy 31:16). God told Moses when He brought judgment, He would turn a deaf ear to them due to their chronic wickedness.
Today, we would do well to hear these words of the Lord. Because the Lord is not fickle and does not change like shifting shadows (James 1:17), we should examine ourselves as to our ultimate allegiance. Are we submitted to God alone or are we following after our own selfish desires? As Deuteronomy 33:3 tells us, those who bow to the Lord and are obedient to His instruction should expect to find His protection and love. They are the ones who will be set apart for His purposes and glory. Those who want to worship themselves can expect God's wrath to be poured out upon them in this life and in the life to come. They will cry out, but God will not listen
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
No Excuses
Deuteronomy 29:19-21; 30:11-19: "When such a person hears the words of this oath (God's Covenant [29:12-13]), he invokes a blessing on himself and therefore thinks, 'I will be safe, even though I persist in going my own way.' This will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry. The LORD will never be willing to forgive him; his wrath and zeal will burn against that man. All the curses written in this book will fall upon him, and the LORD will blot out his name from under heaven. The LORD will single him out from all the tribes of Israel for disaster, according to all the curses of the covenant written in this Book of the Law . . . . Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, 'Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?' Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, 'Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?' No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed . . . . This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses."
Here is the crux of salvation. God has given his covenantal oath that He will be our God (29:13). Still, the covenantal stipulations dictate that we must be yielded to God alone as our Lord and Savior. The one who would conclude that he can go his own way, to satisfy his own desires and seek his own adulation, is in effect saying that he is his own god. By his actions, this man proclaims that he has himself on the throne of his life, not the Lord. God in turn pronounces that a curse will befall that man. The Lord's wrath and zeal will burn against him, and God will enact curses upon such rebellion. Such a person has no hope for heaven, for God will "blot out his name from under heaven."
No one will have the excuse that God's Word was not readily available to all, for God has made His Word of truth readily available. That truth proclaims that we are not God; rather, we are the mere creation of a Holy, Sovereign Lord. We have all rebelled against God by seeking our own desires above Him, and this quest for personal satisfaction and aggrandizement above God (made manifest in many different forms) is called sin.
Sin (rebellion) against God brings God's wrath. Because we are not able to satisfy the penalty for our sins, God had to come to pay the penalty for us. This is why Jesus, who is the Second Person of the Triune God, came to the Earth, lived a sinless life, died on the cross, and rose again from the grave. His death paid the penalty for our sins; his resurrection proclaimed His victory over sin and death. His precious gift of salvation necessitates a response from us; to refuse to submit to Jesus as Lord and to renounce His gift of his death and resurrection for the payment for our sins is to commit treason against God. Such treason will result in utter destruction (30:18).
Even for those who do not have access to the Bible, God has revealed his "eternal power and divine nature . . . from what has been made [i.e. creation], so that men are without excuse" (Romans 1:20). All men have within them the conscious understanding of right and wrong; thus the understanding of God's expectation of righteousness is not "too difficult or beyond our reach" (Deuteronomy 30:11). Heaven and earth stand as witnesses against those who do not submit to the Lord. Eternal life and eternal death weigh in the balance. What will you decide today? You have no excuse!
Here is the crux of salvation. God has given his covenantal oath that He will be our God (29:13). Still, the covenantal stipulations dictate that we must be yielded to God alone as our Lord and Savior. The one who would conclude that he can go his own way, to satisfy his own desires and seek his own adulation, is in effect saying that he is his own god. By his actions, this man proclaims that he has himself on the throne of his life, not the Lord. God in turn pronounces that a curse will befall that man. The Lord's wrath and zeal will burn against him, and God will enact curses upon such rebellion. Such a person has no hope for heaven, for God will "blot out his name from under heaven."
No one will have the excuse that God's Word was not readily available to all, for God has made His Word of truth readily available. That truth proclaims that we are not God; rather, we are the mere creation of a Holy, Sovereign Lord. We have all rebelled against God by seeking our own desires above Him, and this quest for personal satisfaction and aggrandizement above God (made manifest in many different forms) is called sin.
Sin (rebellion) against God brings God's wrath. Because we are not able to satisfy the penalty for our sins, God had to come to pay the penalty for us. This is why Jesus, who is the Second Person of the Triune God, came to the Earth, lived a sinless life, died on the cross, and rose again from the grave. His death paid the penalty for our sins; his resurrection proclaimed His victory over sin and death. His precious gift of salvation necessitates a response from us; to refuse to submit to Jesus as Lord and to renounce His gift of his death and resurrection for the payment for our sins is to commit treason against God. Such treason will result in utter destruction (30:18).
Even for those who do not have access to the Bible, God has revealed his "eternal power and divine nature . . . from what has been made [i.e. creation], so that men are without excuse" (Romans 1:20). All men have within them the conscious understanding of right and wrong; thus the understanding of God's expectation of righteousness is not "too difficult or beyond our reach" (Deuteronomy 30:11). Heaven and earth stand as witnesses against those who do not submit to the Lord. Eternal life and eternal death weigh in the balance. What will you decide today? You have no excuse!
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Watch Those "Opened Doors"
2 Corinthians 2:12-14: "Now I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said good-by to them and went on to Macedonia. But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him."
In this passage, Paul was on one of his missionary journeys, sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ to those with whom he came in contact. When he came upon Troas (modern day Turkey), Paul believed that a door had been opened for him to share the gospel; however, his spirit did not find peace with the opportunity. Instead of acting upon the philosophy that all opened doors are God's way of beckoning us to proceed, Paul relied more upon his spirit, which was in tune with the Holy Spirit. As a result, Paul left the opened door of Troas for Macedonia.
Sometimes, opened doors are not the direction that God wants us to go. So how are we to know in which direction we should go? Well, the same Holy Spirit that is in tune with our spirits, letting us know that we are in fact God's children (Romans 8:16) also is the Spirit that will impart to us the guidance we need to do what He wills for us (John 16:13). The key for us is to be receptive to His leading by being intimately connected with Him through His Word and continual Prayer. This level of intimacy will help us avoid the pitfalls that certain opened doors might bring our way. Specifically, the Holy Spirit will impress upon our spirits that there is no peace associated with such a path, and we will be redirected toward the right course even though we are diverting our path away from the door.
Notice in verse 14 that Paul knew that God was still leading him on a path that ultimately brought glory to the Lord and furthered the sharing of the gospel message to the world. Paul's purpose in life was being fulfilled by avoiding certain doors that seemed to be opened.
We should evaluate each door that seems to open to see if God in fact wants us to enter. If our spirits, which should be in tune with the Holy Spirit, have no peace about the decision, then we should take a step back and re-examine if God would have us move in another direction. Opened doors do not necessarily mean that God's will for us is found therein.
In this passage, Paul was on one of his missionary journeys, sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ to those with whom he came in contact. When he came upon Troas (modern day Turkey), Paul believed that a door had been opened for him to share the gospel; however, his spirit did not find peace with the opportunity. Instead of acting upon the philosophy that all opened doors are God's way of beckoning us to proceed, Paul relied more upon his spirit, which was in tune with the Holy Spirit. As a result, Paul left the opened door of Troas for Macedonia.
Sometimes, opened doors are not the direction that God wants us to go. So how are we to know in which direction we should go? Well, the same Holy Spirit that is in tune with our spirits, letting us know that we are in fact God's children (Romans 8:16) also is the Spirit that will impart to us the guidance we need to do what He wills for us (John 16:13). The key for us is to be receptive to His leading by being intimately connected with Him through His Word and continual Prayer. This level of intimacy will help us avoid the pitfalls that certain opened doors might bring our way. Specifically, the Holy Spirit will impress upon our spirits that there is no peace associated with such a path, and we will be redirected toward the right course even though we are diverting our path away from the door.
Notice in verse 14 that Paul knew that God was still leading him on a path that ultimately brought glory to the Lord and furthered the sharing of the gospel message to the world. Paul's purpose in life was being fulfilled by avoiding certain doors that seemed to be opened.
We should evaluate each door that seems to open to see if God in fact wants us to enter. If our spirits, which should be in tune with the Holy Spirit, have no peace about the decision, then we should take a step back and re-examine if God would have us move in another direction. Opened doors do not necessarily mean that God's will for us is found therein.
Monday, October 15, 2007
A New Perspective On Angels
Matthew 13:41-42: "The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
In our culture today, we have a rather narrow view concerning the role and purpose of angels. Many in society see angels as feminine, starry, fairylike figures that surreptitiously follow us around, tapping us on the shoulder now and then with a magical wand of blessing. Never do we hear the argument that angels are ministers of God's righteous wrath upon the recalcitrant, wicked world.
Whereas we do find in Scripture that angels did attend to the needs of Jesus (Matthew 4:11), Elijah (I Kings 19:5); and Peter (Acts 12:8-10) and whereas there is implicit and explicit reference to angels being personally involved in the lives of followers of Jesus Christ (Matthew 18:10; Luke 16:22; Hebrews 1:14), Jesus' words mentioned above should remind us that angelic beings are not fairylike agents of blessing. In the above passage, Jesus Himself identifies that His angels will be the ones that will carry those who have not submitted to His Lordship into the depths of hell. If we know that "every knee will bow before God" (Romans 14:11), including the reprobate at the Day of Judgment, then we can picture the horror of the unregenerate being carried away against his will by the angels into everlasting torment. Although he will hope for God's eternal blessedness in Heaven, he will be thrown by the angels into the "fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Obviously, this is not a very pleasant picture on which to reflect; nonetheless, it is the future reality of so many who have disavowed allegiance to Jesus Christ. For this reason, we must first be committed to examining ourselves as to our submission to Christ; then, we as believers must be intentional at sharing the Gospel message to those who otherwise have no hope. Today is the day of salvation; tomorrow may be too late. The angels are prepared to carry out the Lord's bidding.
In our culture today, we have a rather narrow view concerning the role and purpose of angels. Many in society see angels as feminine, starry, fairylike figures that surreptitiously follow us around, tapping us on the shoulder now and then with a magical wand of blessing. Never do we hear the argument that angels are ministers of God's righteous wrath upon the recalcitrant, wicked world.
Whereas we do find in Scripture that angels did attend to the needs of Jesus (Matthew 4:11), Elijah (I Kings 19:5); and Peter (Acts 12:8-10) and whereas there is implicit and explicit reference to angels being personally involved in the lives of followers of Jesus Christ (Matthew 18:10; Luke 16:22; Hebrews 1:14), Jesus' words mentioned above should remind us that angelic beings are not fairylike agents of blessing. In the above passage, Jesus Himself identifies that His angels will be the ones that will carry those who have not submitted to His Lordship into the depths of hell. If we know that "every knee will bow before God" (Romans 14:11), including the reprobate at the Day of Judgment, then we can picture the horror of the unregenerate being carried away against his will by the angels into everlasting torment. Although he will hope for God's eternal blessedness in Heaven, he will be thrown by the angels into the "fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Obviously, this is not a very pleasant picture on which to reflect; nonetheless, it is the future reality of so many who have disavowed allegiance to Jesus Christ. For this reason, we must first be committed to examining ourselves as to our submission to Christ; then, we as believers must be intentional at sharing the Gospel message to those who otherwise have no hope. Today is the day of salvation; tomorrow may be too late. The angels are prepared to carry out the Lord's bidding.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
The Now and the Not Yet
Deuteronomy 29:5-6: "During the forty years that I led you through the desert, your clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on your feet. You ate no bread and drank no wine or other fermented drink. I did this so that you might know that I am the LORD your God."
In the Old Testament, we find wonderful imagery of our eternal progression toward Heaven, our Promised Land. The Israelites wandered for forty years through a barren wilderness. Although God provided for them as He led them through that wilderness, He did not give them the blessing of bread and wine (products of a fertile land that yields the blessing of abundant harvest). God withheld these luxuries so that the Israelites would not become complacent with their wilderness wandering, but they would look forward to their arrival in His blessed Promised Land.
So too we as Christians find ourselves on a similar trek. We find that God provides for us in this life in order that we might move forward toward our blessed eternal hope. Still, God does not shower upon us the abundant harvest of Heaven now; rather, He is grooming us for the day of our redemption. By withholding the eternal blessings, He assures that we will not become complacent with this life, but we will look forward to our arrival into His eternal presence, a place where "no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared" (I Corinthians 2:9).
In the Old Testament, we find wonderful imagery of our eternal progression toward Heaven, our Promised Land. The Israelites wandered for forty years through a barren wilderness. Although God provided for them as He led them through that wilderness, He did not give them the blessing of bread and wine (products of a fertile land that yields the blessing of abundant harvest). God withheld these luxuries so that the Israelites would not become complacent with their wilderness wandering, but they would look forward to their arrival in His blessed Promised Land.
So too we as Christians find ourselves on a similar trek. We find that God provides for us in this life in order that we might move forward toward our blessed eternal hope. Still, God does not shower upon us the abundant harvest of Heaven now; rather, He is grooming us for the day of our redemption. By withholding the eternal blessings, He assures that we will not become complacent with this life, but we will look forward to our arrival into His eternal presence, a place where "no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared" (I Corinthians 2:9).
Friday, October 12, 2007
Who's On the Throne?
Colossians 3:1-6: "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry."
With submission to the Lordship of Christ, we have been reckoned with the blessedness of eternal salvation. And with our allegiance, we are now the property of God. Thus, we are called to set our hearts upon Christ, not upon earthly things that indulge the flesh, our former idol. Our flesh desires for its appetites to be satisfied, whether those appetites be sexual immorality or impurity or lust or evil desires or greed. Persistent allegiance to these things reveals a heart that has renounced the lordship of Christ and has bowed again to the lordship of self. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. Thus, we must be strengthened in our resolve to forsake any of the alluring attacks that would have us change allegiances back to ourselves. God alone is to be worshipped and praised.
With submission to the Lordship of Christ, we have been reckoned with the blessedness of eternal salvation. And with our allegiance, we are now the property of God. Thus, we are called to set our hearts upon Christ, not upon earthly things that indulge the flesh, our former idol. Our flesh desires for its appetites to be satisfied, whether those appetites be sexual immorality or impurity or lust or evil desires or greed. Persistent allegiance to these things reveals a heart that has renounced the lordship of Christ and has bowed again to the lordship of self. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. Thus, we must be strengthened in our resolve to forsake any of the alluring attacks that would have us change allegiances back to ourselves. God alone is to be worshipped and praised.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Losing Effectiveness in Ministry
Luke 9:
1 "He (Jesus) gave them (the disciples) power and authority to drive out demons . . . to cure . . . to preach . . . and to heal . . . .
10 "When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done . . . . Then he took them and withdrew by themselves.
40 (the father of a demon-possessed boy said to Jesus) "I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.
43 "(after Jesus healed the boy) they were all amazed at the greatness of God.
46 "an argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest.
49 "'Master,' said John, 'we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.'
54 "(concerning the Samaritan village) when the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, 'Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them.'"
Luke 10:
1 "After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him.
17 "The seventy-two returned with joy and said, 'Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.'
18 "He (Jesus) replied, 'I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven . . . . do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.'"
When Jesus called, equipped, and empowered his disciples, they were able to accomplish great things for the kingdom of God. Nevertheless, the disciples quickly lost sight of the true Power Source from which they were able to perform such great miracles. They reported to Jesus what great things THEY had done. Knowing their hearts, Jesus immediately took His disciples away to a remote place in order that He might teach them not to lose focus that they had been called by God to serve God.
Apparently, the disciples were too engrossed in their own accomplishments that they did not heed the warning by the Lord; and because they lost sight of their calling to serve the Lord for His glory, they lost the power of God to accomplish miraculous things for His kingdom. In 9:40, they were asked to cast out a demon, but they were unable. Jesus responded with the miraculous healing of the demon-possessed boy, and the witnesses were amazed at the "greatness of God." Notice that Jesus made certain that God the Father was glorified through the miracle; He did not use the opportunity to exalt Himself before the people.
Still, the disciples did not grasp their egregious, prideful condition; for immediately following Jesus' healing of the boy, a dispute arose among the disciples as to whom was the greatest. This struggle for prominence manifested itself in the disciples trying to stop others who were performing miracles for the glory of God. They seemed not to want others to infringe on their "miraculous healing" turf, because that would result in their losing the prestige that they believed was rightfully due them.
As the disciples walked through a Samaritan village (a people who were already treated with contempt by the Jews), two of Jesus' disciples wanted to call down fire from heaven to destroy them, since the Samaritans did not welcome Jesus and the disciples.
Jesus knew that the pride of His disciples resulted in the sterility of their ministry. They now were not performing miracles, nor were they bringing glory to God through their witness. To teach the twelve an important lesson, Jesus then called 72 more disciples and gave them power to perform miracles for the kingdom of God. I wonder what the 12 were thinking when they realized that the Divine power that had been given to them was not for them alone? I can see the 12 coming to a realization that the Kingdom of God and its power was not for their self-adulation; rather it was for the glory of God.
Interestingly, the 72 went out and performed great miracles for God; however, they too quickly returned telling Jesus that the demons submitted to them. Jesus quickly countered by saying that it was He who had seen Satan fall from heaven . . . not them. Jesus then told them not to rejoice that the demons submit to them, but to rejoice that their names were written in heaven. In other words, they were to rejoice that they had received mercy and grace from God, something that was undue them but had been granted them through Jesus Christ.
When we think about our own lives and our calling to ministry, we would do well to reflect upon the disciples in these passages. Whenever we lose the focus of ministry and start to think that the gifts we have received from God are to be used for our own self-aggrandizement, we will never be able to tap into the power that God has in store for us to use for His Kingdom. We will become ineffective, for God will never grant us His blessing if He knows we will turn it into the sin of personal pride. We must remember that we are mere conduits of His power for His purposes and ultimately His glory. When we look upon ourselves, we clog the flow of God's power through us to the world. Spiritual sterility sets in, inhibiting God's ability to use us mightily for His kingdom.
1 "He (Jesus) gave them (the disciples) power and authority to drive out demons . . . to cure . . . to preach . . . and to heal . . . .
10 "When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done . . . . Then he took them and withdrew by themselves.
40 (the father of a demon-possessed boy said to Jesus) "I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.
43 "(after Jesus healed the boy) they were all amazed at the greatness of God.
46 "an argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest.
49 "'Master,' said John, 'we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.'
54 "(concerning the Samaritan village) when the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, 'Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them.'"
Luke 10:
1 "After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him.
17 "The seventy-two returned with joy and said, 'Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.'
18 "He (Jesus) replied, 'I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven . . . . do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.'"
When Jesus called, equipped, and empowered his disciples, they were able to accomplish great things for the kingdom of God. Nevertheless, the disciples quickly lost sight of the true Power Source from which they were able to perform such great miracles. They reported to Jesus what great things THEY had done. Knowing their hearts, Jesus immediately took His disciples away to a remote place in order that He might teach them not to lose focus that they had been called by God to serve God.
Apparently, the disciples were too engrossed in their own accomplishments that they did not heed the warning by the Lord; and because they lost sight of their calling to serve the Lord for His glory, they lost the power of God to accomplish miraculous things for His kingdom. In 9:40, they were asked to cast out a demon, but they were unable. Jesus responded with the miraculous healing of the demon-possessed boy, and the witnesses were amazed at the "greatness of God." Notice that Jesus made certain that God the Father was glorified through the miracle; He did not use the opportunity to exalt Himself before the people.
Still, the disciples did not grasp their egregious, prideful condition; for immediately following Jesus' healing of the boy, a dispute arose among the disciples as to whom was the greatest. This struggle for prominence manifested itself in the disciples trying to stop others who were performing miracles for the glory of God. They seemed not to want others to infringe on their "miraculous healing" turf, because that would result in their losing the prestige that they believed was rightfully due them.
As the disciples walked through a Samaritan village (a people who were already treated with contempt by the Jews), two of Jesus' disciples wanted to call down fire from heaven to destroy them, since the Samaritans did not welcome Jesus and the disciples.
Jesus knew that the pride of His disciples resulted in the sterility of their ministry. They now were not performing miracles, nor were they bringing glory to God through their witness. To teach the twelve an important lesson, Jesus then called 72 more disciples and gave them power to perform miracles for the kingdom of God. I wonder what the 12 were thinking when they realized that the Divine power that had been given to them was not for them alone? I can see the 12 coming to a realization that the Kingdom of God and its power was not for their self-adulation; rather it was for the glory of God.
Interestingly, the 72 went out and performed great miracles for God; however, they too quickly returned telling Jesus that the demons submitted to them. Jesus quickly countered by saying that it was He who had seen Satan fall from heaven . . . not them. Jesus then told them not to rejoice that the demons submit to them, but to rejoice that their names were written in heaven. In other words, they were to rejoice that they had received mercy and grace from God, something that was undue them but had been granted them through Jesus Christ.
When we think about our own lives and our calling to ministry, we would do well to reflect upon the disciples in these passages. Whenever we lose the focus of ministry and start to think that the gifts we have received from God are to be used for our own self-aggrandizement, we will never be able to tap into the power that God has in store for us to use for His Kingdom. We will become ineffective, for God will never grant us His blessing if He knows we will turn it into the sin of personal pride. We must remember that we are mere conduits of His power for His purposes and ultimately His glory. When we look upon ourselves, we clog the flow of God's power through us to the world. Spiritual sterility sets in, inhibiting God's ability to use us mightily for His kingdom.
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