Lord, Throughout These Forty Days...23

Jesus, as the Messiah, faces the tempter. Satan sought to sidetrack Jesus into a physical provision to overcome the curse of sin on humanity. Making stones into bread would feed the poor, to whom He came to preach the good news. It supplies the starving "sheep without a shepherd" with much needed nutrition. Jesus refused this method of supply in favor of teaching dependance on God and His Word to sustain.

But now there comes an appeal to aquire authority.

I have heard many ask, "Why didn't God just come down out of heaven and declare His dominion over all the earth?" or "Why wasn't the message more clear? " or "Why all this hidden truth rather than direct statements?" or "Why didn't God begin in Rome or Athens or some other world center?"

When Adam rebelled and attempted to usurp Divine Authority, he rejected what Divine Authority had granted to him -- His governership of earth. He subjugated himself, humanity and the creation to the direction of the tempter. Thus the world came under the dominion of the devil. Satan became the prince and power of the air. The dark lord's tyranny began. The world and its inhabitants were subverted by evil -- inherited and individual.

The Messiah came, in part, to destroy the works of the devil. He would "break the power of him who holds the power of death --that is the Devil -- and free those who all their lives were held captive by their fear of death." (Hebrews 2.14). His ministry as Messiah would destroy the dominion of darkness. His kingom -- for a Messiah rules as king -- would replace the kingdoms of the world. Daniel (2.34-35) fortold of the rock, carved out of the mountainside, crushing the powers of world empires and then itself grown into a mountain of justice, righteousness and peace that would fill the whole world.

Now in the wilderness, Satan feigns an offer of all the authority and splendor of those self-same world kingdoms. Jesus could right then claim the authority to rule the earth. Satan would relinquish control. One trade rights a horrible result of Our Rebellion. The dominion could end.

Except for the string attached...

Satan conditions the offer of all the authority and splendor of the kindoms of the world on Jesus bowing down in subjegation to him. Such a move places the one bowing in subordination to the being bowed to. The whole feudal system rested on this leige/lord ceremony. This would place Jesus under the authority of Satan and in effect not change the rulership crisis.

Jesus counters the offer with the sure Word of God, "Worship the Lord, your God and serve Him only." Jesus had already, in eternity past, placed Himself in subordination to Father-God. "The LORD said to my lord, 'sit here while I make your enemies your footstool.'" The Father would place all things under His control. And in anticipation of the day He would in fact rule the whole world, He vowed to place it at the feet of Father-God, for His glory. The LORD was the Lord of the Messiah.

So deliverance would come. Dominion would transfer. There would be an exchange that lead to the re-establishment of the Right World Order. That would happen at the cross and empty tomb. In that critical moment in space/time, Jesus would ascend the throne of governership Adam abdicated in that long-ago moment in space/time. He would aquire the keys (authority) of death, hell and the grave. He would create a beach-head for the advance of His kindom to come on earth as it is in heaven. And one day His kingdom will arrive in its fulness with Satan vanquished and Jesus as King!

"Living, He loved me. Dying, He saved me. Buried, He carried my sins far away. Rising, He justified freely forever. One day He's coming. O, glorious day! O, glorious day!"

JESUS IS LORD!

"What would it hurt, a little pinch of incense and a few mumbled words?"

That was the plea from the Roman officials in Smyrna to Bishop Polycarp, disciple of John, disciple of Jesus Christ. After all he was 86 years old and lead the worship he loved among his brethren every week. Just a pinch and a few words...

But Polycarp refused. He would not preform his "civic duty." He would not offer incense to the worship of Caesar and the Empire. He would not declare, "Caesar is Lord."

At his execution site he was asked again to preform his "civic duty." Instead he said, "Eighty-six years I have served Christ, and He never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?" He was then taken away and executed -- for just a pinch of incense and a few words.


I post today that I echo my brother Polycarp in rejecting my "civil duty" to the country I love and in declaring, "ONLY JESUS IS LORD." I have no other.

Just a little money in an insurance policy that will cover procedures YOU WILL NEVER USE. What does it hurt? You are not responsible for what others do with this coverage. Abortifacients are included along with contraceptions my Roman Catholic relatives cannot condone.

I declare today, "ONLY JESUS IS LORD." I have no other.