KLOVE RADIO FEATURES – DECEMBER 2024
UNHEALTHY PLEASURE & PAIN –
There are two great temptations in life that, if yielded to, will cause us to drift away from Him. The first is giving into immoral pleasures that turn our hearts away from God. Equally dangerous is allowing our hearts to become bitter and choosing to abandon God due to unmet expectations related to excessive pain. Joseph, the patriarch, experienced these temptations and refused to allow them to seduce his heart. When Potiphar’s wife tried to draw Joseph into adultery, he refused to succumb to this momentary pleasure and ran away. Likewise, Joseph protected his heart from becoming resentful when the king’s cupbearer did not remember him before the king, even though Joseph’s interpretation of a dream revealed his life being spared. “Jesus, protect my heart from temptations and help me to run from anything that would destroy my destiny and relationship with You.”
WHEN TO BUILD AN ALTAR
Is God revealing Who He is to you? It would be best if you built an altar of remembrance. It wasn’t just a pattern in the Old Testament; God commanded it. When God revealed one of His names in the Bible, it provided insight into His character, attributes, and nature. Each name reflected a different aspect of who God is: Yahweh refers to His Lordship; El Shaddai, He’s Almighty God; Jehovah Jireh (the Lord will provide); Jehovah Rapha (the Lord Who Heals); and Abba (He’s our Heavenly Father). Each name reveals God’s nature. What’s the principle: whenever God reveals a part of Who He is to us: His nature and character. Build an altar of worship and remembrance. Each name deepens our understanding of Who God is and is worth building an altar.
CALLING ALL ANGELS
When was the last time you invited thousands of angels to come and fight a spiritual battle on your behalf? Like me, I’m sure it’s been a while. Yet, in John 14:12, Jesus said, “…whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things.” The truth is, God has never asked us to limit Him but to trust and believe Him; to believe for more and not less. He also said, “…if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done.” Jesus promised it. To be sure, saying something outrageous that requires a miracle won’t make it happen. On the other hand, if you have a burden to pray for the impossible, the miraculous, go for it.
YOU DON’T NEED ANOTHER SIGN
In Matthew 26, the Jewish high priest’s encounter with Jesus reveals the danger of seeking signs without true belief. When the high priest asks, “Are You the Son of God?” (Matthew 26:63), Jesus affirms the truth, but instead of believing, the high priest reacts in anger, tearing his clothes and symbolizing his rejection of the truth. Those around Jesus mock Him, further showing how a lack of faith blinds us to God’s revelation (Matthew 26:67-68). This passage warns against asking God for confirmation when our hearts are closed to His truth. Like the high priest, we can fall into the trap of seeking signs not to understand but to accuse or condemn. True faith requires accepting God’s revelation without demanding further signs. We must trust His Word and align our actions with that trust rather than seeking additional validation.
PROCESSING BEING CALLED “JUDAS”
I recently discovered that Judas grew up with an older brother named Jesus. No, not that Judas. Jesus, the Son of God we know and love, had a younger brother named Judas. (Matthew 13:55) It made me wonder. Did Jesus know the person who would betray him would be named Judas? If he did, did He have to make any psychological adjustments because of that fact? Or perhaps, like me, when I meet someone with the same name as one of my brothers or sisters, I’m always excited to tell them, “I have a brother or sister with your name.” Did Jesus say this to Judas Iscariot? How did Jesus feel when He realized his brother’s name would be forever tarnished? Lastly, how did Judas, the brother of Jesus, feel when he found out another Judas would betray Jesus? Many are the unexpected, emotional hurdles in life.
DO YOU HAVE FAVORITES?
One encouraging quality of God is His commitment to love all His children equally. Not only is this perspective the high ground for God, but it’s also for us. I have a twin brother and twin daughters. Consequently, equity and fairness have impacted my life since I was born and since my wife and I had identical twin daughters. The end of Matthew 12 affirms that even in the heart of Jesus, unhealthy favoritism is never God’s will. When Jesus’ mother, brothers, and sisters were outside, wanting to get into a crowded meeting He was having, Christ’s response was shockingly revealing. When told His family was outside requesting entrance, Jesus said, “Who is My mother, and who are my brothers?” “Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in Heaven is My brother and sister and mother.” (Matthew 12:48-50)