Author: Ben Bourland

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QTVOTD: A Flick of a Gnat…

Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon. And he cried out with a loud voice,  saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”
    But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him. Luke 4:33-35 [NKJV]

When I read this passage today…Jesus’ response to the ‘unclean spirit’ just caught me funny. Although there is nothing funny about the evil lurking in the spiritual realm and the ruler of this world who enjoys and organizes the destruction of souls, the power of my Savior the Lord Jesus Christ is demonstrated in this recollected story by Luke. Jesus’ response is almost with a tone of annoyance.

My takeaways from the passage (Luke 4:31-37).

  • This set of events (in Capernaum) happened a little after Jesus had left Nazareth and His altercation with His hometown. Capernaum is also the hometown on Simon Peter and Andrew. Jesus was spending most of His time teaching in the synagogue.
  • The man with the unclean spirit was in the synagogue when Jesus was teaching. This tells me that satan and his underlings have the ability to mingle in houses of worship. It wasn’t until the demon had an outburst that Jesus addressed the demon.
  • Jesus’ response of “be quiet” is likely due to the fact that He was still trying to manage His exposure and His ministry at this point. Jesus was silencing the demon because it was drawing too much attention to Himself as the Messiah.
  • Not only was the demon no match for Jesus but the demon knew exactly Who He was and why He was on earth – “Are you coming to destroy us?” As the eschatological High Priest, Jesus is also expected to wage a holy war against the kingdom of darkness.
  • The fact that the demon referred to itself in the plural makes me wonder if even though satan and his demons can’t be everywhere at once, they might all still be able to communicate with each other regardless of their location.
  • Jesus deals with the demon quickly and deftly. The demon responds without hesitation and obeys without harming the man it was possessing.
  • Jesus’ words have power (Raema). The people who listen to him notice the authority with which He teaches and the demons respond immediately when He commands.

Application:

I am listening to a book right now called “Truth or Territory” by Jim Osman and he has done a ton of research through the Word of God on Spiritual Warfare and this book debunks a ton of misconceptions and myths around exorcism and understanding how we combat the evil in the spiritual realm. Most important point for me today -> Greater is He Who is in me than he who is in the world. Clinging to the Spirit within me is the best way to identify (with discernment) and combat the evil in this word; as I seek to glorify God in all that I do.

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QTVOTD: Familiarity Breeds Jealousy and Unbelief…

When they heard this, the people in the synagogue were furious.  Jumping up, they mobbed him and forced him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They intended to push him over the cliff,  but he passed right through the crowd and went on his way. Luke 4:28-30 [NLT]

I’ve read this passage several times over the last 2 days…which is why nothing was written yesterday. The place I have been spending the time is after the reading of the scripture in Isaiah in the synagogue, Jesus handed to scroll back and then brought up two passages as examples of a ‘prophet not being accepted in his own hometown’. Here are the two examples:

“Certainly there were many needy widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the heavens were closed for three and a half years, and a severe famine devastated the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them. He was sent instead to a foreigner—a widow of Zarephath in the land of Sidon. And many in Israel had leprosy in the time of the prophet Elisha, but the only one healed was Naaman, a Syrian.”

Luke 4:25-27 [NLT]

What Jesus was saying was that not only was He the Messiah but that the Children of Israel would not be the ones who would be saved but foreigners (or Gentiles). All too aware of their oppression at the hands of the Roman empire (godless pagans), the townspeople are indignant at Jesus’ insinuation that the final days end would include rather than exact justice on the Gentiles.

I can’t even begin to comprehend how uncomfortable this must have been for Jesus. These were all his family, childhood friends, rabbi’s, and elders. They knew Him as the good boy of Joseph whom they were all proud of and heard of the amazing works He had done in Capernaum before coming home for a visit. Now here He was essentially blaspheming Yahweh and the only recourse for them (in their minds) was to cast Him out of town and even prepared to force Him off a cliff. Instead, He turned from the edge of the cliff and quietly walked through the crowd and on His way.

Application:

2 things -> 1) The God I serve is not intimidated by even the closest of my friends and family when I speak His TRUTH and obey Him. He has walked that road. 2) I must stay true to who God is growing me to be. My memory verse right now is:

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or discouraged. For THE LORD YOUR GOD IS WITH YOU WHEREEVER YOU GO”

Joshua 1:9 (ESV)

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QTVOTD: Lessons on Handling Temptation…

Then the devil took Him up to a high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the habitable world in a moment of time [in the twinkling of an eye]. And he said to Him, To You I will give all this power and authority and their glory (all their magnificence, excellence, preeminence, dignity, and grace), for it has been turned over to me, and I give it to whomever I will. Therefore, if You will do homage to and worship me [just once], it shall all be Yours. Luke 4:5-7 [AMP]

Today was one of those days where I read a passage, I have read a ton of times but I still gleaned so much from it that I could swear I had not consumed before. I bathed my quiet time in prayer beforehand and then followed it up with prayer for all the things/people my prayer app (PrayerMate) brought to my attention. I end up praying for everything on my prayer list every two days and a lot things, every day (its just the way the app works and it helps me make the most of the time I get to pray each day).

I am not going to be able to cover everything the Lord shared with me in my quiet time today but I will pull out the main points (essentially the main things I took away from each temptation mentioned). Although I only posted verses 5-7 above, the full passage I studied was verses 3 through 13.

First, the 3 temptations covered here are only a small part of the temptation of Jesus by satan as it says in verse 2 that satan tempted Jesus all 40 days in the wilderness. These three were the ones Luke convers because they came when Jesus was at his weakest being super hungry and tired.

Temptation 1: Knowing Jesus was so hungry, satan told Jesus “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered with scripture (Deuteronomy 8:3) “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone.'” — There is a lot here but the thing that stood out to me the most was that when satan challenged Jesus with “If you are the Son of God”, Jesus did not address satan’s challenge in His answer. Why? Because Jesus knew exactly Who He was – just ~40 days earlier a voice out of Heaven called Him ‘Son’ after He was baptized. With us, satan is always questioning our position as adopted sons and daughters, our justification is complete, we should know Whose we are.

Temptation 2: Next the devil tried to show all the land he would give Jesus; all Jesus needed to do was worship satan one time. Essentially what satan was offering Jesus was a kingdom on earth large than what the Romans had; enticing Jesus with control of a territory at which He could bring His message of hope…but it would mean compromise and accomplishing His goals by the world’s methods. Christ had already chosen the lowly path, He had already identified Himself with the sinners He was there to save. Choosing this devil’s offer would mean turning His back on His calling. Once again Jesus responds with a passage from Deuteronomy 6:13 pointing out that the worship of God is exclusive. None other than he is to be worshipped.

Temptation 3: This time satan leads Jesus to the highest point on the temple in Jerusalem and tells Jesus to throw Himself off and let spectacle show of the angels coming down to rescue Jesus before He hit the ground. Satan is again challenging Jesus’ identity as the Son of God and now satan misuses scripture to try and convince Jesus that this is supported in God’s Word. Jesus does the slap down of telling the devil not to test God – Deuteronomy 6:16.

Application:

So here is the biggest point for me in this 3rd temptation – Jesus would have to choose to jump…satan could not push Him off. The same is true for us -> satan can put things/opportunities in our way to tempt us but at the end of the day, we are the ones who choose to fall prey to it or not. In each of these circumstances Jesus’ response in combat is TRUTH. He just responds with the TRUTH of God’s Word….even when satan tries to misuse God’s Word to fool us. We must be intimate in our knowledge of the TRUTH to fight temptation and the TRUTH comes from wielding the Sword of the Spirit which is God’s Word. it is the only offensive implement in the ‘Full armor of God’ and we must engage with it deftly.

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QTVOTD: Similarities of the Wilderness…

​ THEN JESUS, full of and controlled by the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led in [by] the [Holy] Spirit
   For (during) forty days in the wilderness (desert), where He was tempted (tried, tested exceedingly) by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they were completed, He was hungry. Luke 4:1-2 [AMP]

I am back in the saddle again after taking several days off while at the PNW Biblical Counseling Conference this weekend. We were there from 5pm to 9:30pm on Friday and then 8am to 6:30pm pm on Saturday. Such an awesome time learning how to counsel those who are suffering from a Biblical approach. So thankful that our church puts this on. There were over 500 people who attended. I have soooo many notes!! This is the fourth one that Marianne and I have been to and this one did not disappoint.

Remember that when Jesus was Baptized, the Holy Spirit came down on him like a dove. Jesus was full of, controlled by, and led into the wilderness by the Spirit.

Jesus’ forty-day testing in the wilderness also has similarities with the forty-day fast by both Moses (Deut. 9:9), as he received the law, and Elijah, on his way to Horeb (1 Kgs 19:8). Both of these men show up at the transfiguration (Luke 9:30). Jesus’ ministry takes on qualities of both: like Moses, Jesus will lead an exodus; like Elijah, he will call a remnant to repentance. It seems so multilayered, yet these intertwining similarities cast no negative perspective either on the history of the event or on Jesus’ humanity. In fact, Luke’s remark that Jesus suffered hunger at the end of his forty-day fast appears to be an intentional effort to refute those who would diminish Jesus’ humanness on the basis of this story.

As Jesus gets more and more into his ministry here in Luke, I will have more Application takeaways. It is just so great to follow and dive a little deeper into the specifics of this beginning of Jesus’ Passion.

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QTVOTD: The Start of the Ministry…

When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened.  And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.” Luke 3:21-22 [NKJV]

Today I am back to Luke and the passage is the instantiation of Jesus’ ministry through Baptism and the Holy Spirit coming down on Him from Heaven. Capped by the voice of God the Father. This is such a pivotal moment in all of the bible as recorded in all four gospels.

Some interesting points:

  • The baptizing that John the Baptist was performing on all of the Jews who came was a Baptism of Repentance. It is cool that even though Jesus was without sin, He decided to take His place with sinners. At the beginning of His ministry, He publicly identified himself with the sinners He came to save.
  • Only in Luke does it say that the Dove came down on Him while He was praying which would have been after His baptism.
  • The symbolism of the dove is puzzling, as the dove was not an accepted symbol of the Holy Spirit. Rather the dove stood for Israel. However, there is no doubt that here it is a sign of the coming of the Holy Spirit. What happened at Jesus’ baptism led Christians to see the dove as a symbol of the Holy Spirit; they did not take the symbolism from Jewish or Hellenistic sources. The fact that Luke was there in person, the mention of ‘a physical dove’ descending has credence.

No real ‘Application’ to takeaway today. I am just dwelling on the divine start to Jesus’ ministry.

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QTVOTD: Publicly Living Our Faith has a Cost…Suffering

Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  As it is written:
  “For Your sake we are killed all day long;
 We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” 
Romans 8:34-36 [NKJV] - Quote in verse 36 is from Psalms 44:22

When I first read this from the New King James, I initially read it as ‘Jesus will be the One Who condemns us…”, but after some study, this is not the case. No, it is because Christ died for our sins and that the Father resurrected Him that there is NOTHING that can condemn us because there is nothing to be condemned for…Jesus has stood in the place of us and taken what we had deserved. Not only that, that same Jesus stands at the right hand of the throne and intercedes on our behalf through His Spirit Who lives IN us! So, then Paul goes on to ask rhetorically, “Who can separate us from the Love of Christ???” So, all these answers to the questions reaffirm the opening statement in 8:1, ‘There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus’ and make it clear that none could ever dare to stand up before God’s throne to condemn those who have died with God’s Son.

Here is an interesting tidbit I gleaned from the Tyndale Commentary I was reading on this passage. There are some Jewish religious texts that claim that three different levels of ‘famine’ cause drought and tumult because of the failure to pay various prescribed tithes. ‘Pestilence’ comes from the failure to bring death-penalty cases before the court. The ‘sword’ comes from delaying justice. Horrible ‘beasts’ afflict the world because of false swearing and profaning the sacred name Yahweh that it was forbidden to pronounce. ‘Captivity’ (exile) comes from idolatry, incest and bloodshed. —-> The assumption behind these assertions is that various forms of suffering are God’s proportionate punishment for our sins. Paul’s theological perspective on suffering is starkly different. First, he insists that the afflictions believers might face are not punishments for sin. Second, he insists that nothing that might happen to believers can terminate Christ’s love for us or exclude us from participating in Christ’s glory to be manifest at the end of the age. Christians are not to ask if they have done something that has brought such misfortune upon them. What has brought about their suffering is publicly living out their faith in Christ. That faith also gives them the assurance that Christ’s love for them is unwavering and everlasting.

Application:

I have to ask myself – “Am I suffering for my Faith in Christ?” The answer is YES. Now more than ever. Not only that but I am ready to suffer more if it means living according to and in obedience to God’s word. I never thought I would see the day where I might lose my job because of what I believe…but friends, that is more probable every day.

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QTVOTD: Just Who Are the ELECT?

Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.  Romans 8:33 [NKJV]

In a continuation of yesterday’s quiet time, today follows Paul’s exhortation of Who really is in control. Verse 33 is one of those verses that has caused division in denominations and between believers. It is the theology of pre-destination. Here Paul calls out the ELECT; and the way you would naturally read this is to be chosen or elected into God’s Kingdom. There are a couple of things we know about God.

  • He has always been (Omnipotent)
  • He knows everything (Omniscient)
  • He is everywhere (Omnipresent)
  • He created us
  • He knows our heart (intimately)
  • He knows what we are going to do before we do it

So, if we take these things into account then He would know, of those He created, who would accept His Son as their personal Savior. He knows beforehand who will be a part of His Kingdom and who will not. Then there is a wrinkle – Jesus said that no one comes to the Son unless the Father draws him. “No one is able to come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me attracts and draws him and gives him the desire to come to Me, and [then] I will raise him up [from the dead] at the last day.” John 6:44 [AMP]

Here is where I stand -> I believe that anyone who wants to accept Jesus, can and will. There is no one that will genuinely seek the Lord, His Truth, and Gospel and be turned away…no one (“I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, he who believes in Me [who adheres to, trusts in, relies on, and has faith in Me] has (now possesses) eternal life.” John 6:47 [AMP]). This is why it is so important for us to witness and testify to as many of the lost as we can. This concept of the Lord drawing and human responding or not is captured in Jesus teaching when He sent His disciples out on their first mission journeys…Here is what He said.

...whatever house you enter, stay there until you go away [from that place].
   And wherever they do not receive and accept and welcome you, when you leave that town shake off [even] the dust from your feet, as a testimony against them.
   And departing, they went about from village to village, preaching the Gospel and restoring the afflicted to health everywhere. Luke 9:3-6 [AMP]

There are people that refuse to acknowledge God or receive His amazing gift of grace. All those who accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior are God’s Elect.

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QTVOTD: What Do We Have to Fear?

What then shall we say to [all] this? If God is for us, who [can be] against us? [Who can be our foe, if God is on our side?]
   He who did not withhold or spare [even] His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely and graciously give us all [other] things? Romans 8:31-32 [AMP]

I have always rested on this passage as reinforcement for dwelling on what God has for me in eternity versus what pain and suffering, I am enduring here on earth…but it is so much more than that. Today it is far more about the ‘here and now’ for me than a ‘Hope’ in eternity to come.

As I have also been studying up and listening to what the Lord has to say about Spiritual Warfare, this is where these verses come into play the most. When Paul asks the rhetorical question “If God is for us, who can be against us?”; my answer is “Paul, there is no shortage of enemies who have risen up against me. The world is rising up against me and what I believe. Even my employer threatens my livelihood for what believe. There are cosmic arch-enemies deployed to strike down Christ’s followers.” Those of us who follow Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, however, need not fear them. When Elisha’s ministering servant quivered in terror at the sight of the Syrian army surrounding them, the prophet responded, ‘Be strong and of good courage. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him; for there is one greater with us than with him’ (2 Chr. 32:7).

This is the perspective I need to walk through life with….its a confidence like Elisha had ‘knowing’ that his God would ensure His own will and purposes would come to pass…will and purposes Elisha and his servant where a part of. My focus has to be to stay in God’s will and purposes. How do I do that??? I am doing it right now, dwelling and meditating on His word and communing with Him daily/hourly in my spirit.

A lot of people mis-apply the ‘All things in verse 32. ‘All things’ refers to ‘all that is necessary for our salvation’ and our glorification (8:30). We should not connect ‘all things’ to so-called material blessings. In the context, ‘all things’ refers to what God has done “for us” in the present because of what he has already done “for us all” through the work of Christ in the past.

Application:

I need to walk forward in my faith without fear of the world, only in reverent fear of the Lord. The ‘all [other] things’ in my life have already been given in the saving grace of my Lord Jesus Christ. My worldly focused existence stopped when I committed to and surrendered to following Jesus the rest of my life. Now my focus is “How can I learn as much about God as possible and then through faith in Him, do the work of building the Kingdom I will enjoy for all eternity.”

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QTVOTD: The Spirit Intercedes for Us…

A beautiful day in the PNW and I could not pass up the opportunity to sit outside for my QT. I feel so blessed to have the home we do. God has been sooo gracious to us.

So too the [Holy] Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance.
   And He Who searches the hearts of men knows what is in the mind of the [Holy] Spirit [what His intent is], because the Spirit intercedes and pleads [before God] in behalf of the saints according to and in harmony with God’s will.  Romans 8:26-27 [AMP]

I love these 2 verses so much! Essentially what Paul is telling us here is that the Holy Spirit “has our backs”. Even when we don’t know what to pray, when our hearts are in the right place, He intercedes on our behalf to the Throne room of heaven. In the days I feel my weakest or alone, the Spirit comes to my aid. The Spirit has a communication style with the Father that is beyond my understanding.

Verse 27 is even more insightful – Rather than try to explain the insight I am going to paste a really good clip from David E. Garland who wrote the Tyndale commentary on this verse :

The Spirit knows the thoughts (1 Cor. 2:11) and the will of God and intercedes for us in accordance with God’s will. It is not a one-way prayer, however, from the believer through the Spirit to God. A reciprocal interaction transpires. Through the Spirit who dwells in the believer’s innermost being, God can communicate his will to the believer. When we stop our attempts at eloquence in prayer and listen to the Spirit praying in us, a new doorway opens between heaven and earth that allows us to receive what God has to say and to give to us.

David E. Garland – Tyndale Commentary on Romans

Isn’t that awesome! Today, after I was done praying for those requests in my PrayerMate app, I just sat in quiet mind and heart, listening to what God had for me through the Spirit. I found myself praying for additional people and circumstances He brought to my mind. I will have to say that I first prayed and asked the Lord to speak to me as I closed my mind and thinking off from the world around me. It was such a wonderful time of ‘Communion’ with the Lord through the Spirit.

Application:

I already start to apply this today just in what I talk about directly above. Moving forward into the next several days and weeks, I want to continue this ‘Quietness of Mind’ in my prayer and quiet times.

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QTVOTD: Why would you hope for what you can see?

It’s that time of year. Got the Fire Pit all in shape for the weather to get nice.

...hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?  But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. Romans 8:24-25 [NKJV]

I had another wonderful day like yesterday. I got to my prayer time and reading later than I wanted but the day was still filled with contentment, and it was productive. I laughed really hard tonight…so much so that Marianne even made a comment about how long it had been since she saw me laugh that much. It was over something silly but just tickled me. The thing that came to my mind when she asked me how my day was; this is what I said–>

"It was great…I am focusing on what I need rather than what I want."

I have had unreal clarity in regard to what the Lord is helping me see. When you trust God’s word with all of the truth of His character and promises, the HOPE we can have in the ‘unseen’ is profound. That is where I am…so, when I look back over what I have studied in the chapter so far and what I have received after applying its truth, I am filled with a Hope for the reward God has already given. I get a taste of it through what I am able to do in connecting with and receiving in His Spirit, and the promise of the eternity I will spend in Heaven with Jesus as heirs.

Application:

I wait, I wait with perseverance. The Spirit is here now, I have Hope in the future, and there is work to be done for the Kingdom. Continue to focus on what I need –> a deep relationship with God, rather than what my flesh wants–> earthly pleasures, comforts, and position.