Luke 4:8 (KJV) The Power of Submission

Luke 4:8 (KJV)

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 

 

These are the words of the Lord against His adversary—and ours. Matthew phrases this as, “Get thee hence.” This means to depart, and indeed, Satan did leave Him. However, the case in Luke is unique. Jesus did not tell Satan to depart but to get behind Him—to submit and subordinate himself to Christ.

 

We are not Christ, and Satan is not required to submit to us. We have no authority to demand that he depart. Scripture instructs us that when we submit to God, we resist the devil, and he will flee.[1]

 

I take it that we will never, in this life, be entirely rid of the devil. He walketh about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.[2] We have no authority to rebuke him or to demand that he leave us alone.[3] But we can do one thing—we can put the Lord before us, placing Christ as our shield against Satan’s devices.

 

#SpiritualWarfare #SubmitToGod #ResistTheDevil #ChristOurShield #WorshipGodAlone

The Power of Submission: Christ Before Us

 

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[1] James 4:7 (KJV)

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

[2] 1 Peter 5:8 (KJV)

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

[3] Jude 1:9 (KJV)

Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

Are you putting Christ before you in spiritual battles? Share your thoughts in the comments! Memorize James 4:7—"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."—and remind yourself daily that victory starts with submission to God.

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To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6600 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

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Luke 4:8 (KJV) The Power of Submission

Luke 3:6. (KJV) The Gospel for All

Luke 3:6. (KJV)

And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. 

 

Recently, someone challenged me with the idea that the gospel message teaches everyone is already saved because of Jesus. His reasoning was simple: we are all sinners, Jesus died for all sinners, and therefore, all sinners must be saved.

I suppose he might use this verse as a proof text.

However, I would counter that the verse means all will have the opportunity to be saved—not that all will accept it. An opportunity offered is not the same as an opportunity accepted.

•    All flesh shall see the salvation of God in the sense that the Word of God is preached around the world.

•    All flesh shall see the salvation of God in the sense that the name of Jesus is known, even in some of the most remote places.

•    All flesh shall see the salvation of God in the sense that no one who hears the gospel is beyond the reach of salvation.

•    Ultimately, all flesh shall see the salvation of God in the sense that Revelation 1:7 (KJV) declares, “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.”

 

The opportunity for salvation through Christ is open to all.

I pray that many more will accept it—and Him.

#SalvationThroughChrist #GospelTruth #BiblicalWisdom #JesusSaves #PreachTheWord

The Gospel for All: Offered, But Not Always Accepted

What do you think it means that "all flesh shall see the salvation of God"? Share your thoughts in the comments! Share the gospel with someone today—whether through a conversation, a message, or even a gospel tract. The opportunity is open to all, but it must be accepted!

🌎 Visit marvinmckenzie.org for more biblical insights and resources.

👉 Join our community in studying God’s Word and strengthening your faith.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6600 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
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Luke 3:6. (KJV) The Gospel for All

Luke 2:4 (KJV) Up, Out, Into, Unto

Luke 2:4 (KJV)

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 

 

It’s curious to think how much government interference there is, even in the Bible, in matters of the Spirit. Accounting only for the birth of Christ: 

• Augustus forced His mother, pregnant with Him, to make the difficult journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem—a journey that could have resulted in miscarriage or death for the child due to poor conditions.

•  Wise men, who may have been servants of an eastern government, revealed the birth and location of the young child Jesus, stirring up troubled spirits in Jerusalem.

•  Herod then attempted to kill the child Jesus, causing grief and tragic loss of innocent lives in Bethlehem.

 

Government interference runs throughout the Word of God, coloring the narrative of the Bible, but it never alters the purpose or plan of God.

A government decree and taxation led to Joseph and Mary making the journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Today, I’m interested in the tiny words used to describe their path:

Up from Galilee

It’s a climb from Galilee to Bethlehem. It’s more than distance—it’s arduous, difficult. There were, as I understand it, just two possible routes: one through the mountains, the other around them. Though the trip was generally made at least once a year for spiritual reasons, I can’t imagine they looked forward to this one.

 

Out of Nazareth

Away from what they knew, away from where they had prepared for the birth, away from their home, away from what was most comfortable, away from where most of their help would be.

 

Into Judaea

The preposition indicates a point reached or entered. Judaea wasn’t their destination, but it would play a prescient role in the significant events of their son’s life.

 

Unto Bethlehem

The city of David—a small place with a big history. The biggest moment in the history of mankind was about to take place there.

 

Life is filled with what I will call interferences. Things happen, and we are forced to move away from what is comfortable, even from those things we know to be safe. Though we never enjoy them, we can trust God through them. Who knows? We might see the Lord do something amazing through them.

#GodsPlanPrevails #TrustThroughTrials #BiblicalJourney #FaithOverFear #ProvidenceInMotion

Up, Out, Into, Unto: God Uses Life's Obstacles for His Glory

 

Are you facing unexpected challenges in your life right now? Share with us in the comments how you’ve seen God’s hand at work, even in the difficulties.

Take a step today by choosing to trust God in your current circumstances, no matter how hard the journey may seem.

🌎 Visit marvinmckenzie.org for more biblical insights and resources.

👉 Join our community in studying God’s Word and strengthening your faith.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6600 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Luke 2:4 (KJV) Up, Out, Into, Unto

Luke 1:4 (KJV) The Certainty of Preaching

Luke 1:4 (KJV)

That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.  

 

Recently, I contrasted speaking under persecution—where Jesus instructed the disciples not to give thought to what they would say so that the Holy Spirit would speak through them—with preaching, which I compared to Luke 1:1-4.

 

Preaching ought to be:

•       Prepared

•       Studied out

•       Researched

•       Investigated

 

The preacher’s purpose should be that both he and his congregation might know “the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been instructed.”

 

I note that Luke did not leave it up to Theophilus to do the study.[1] Instead, Luke took it upon himself to do that work on his behalf. It appears that Theophilus had already been instructed in Gospel truth, and Luke’s purpose was to reinforce and confirm what he had been taught.

 

Preaching and teaching serve this purpose. It’s “line upon line” work—going over the same instructions again and again, confirming and reconfirming, placing things in order and then ordering them again. The preacher's task is to deliver the truths of the Word of God in such a way that the congregation is persuaded, convinced, and convicted. They know the Word of God. They know it for certain. And they are certain of its truth.

 

Preaching includes an element that teaching does not—application. Preaching involves a call to do something with what has been taught.

 

It occurrs to me that while Luke never explicitly stated that application was his purpose—and in fact, there is no written application in his Gospel—the Holy Spirit of God often provides one for the student of this book.

 

The best application in any sermon is not merely the one the preacher has prepared and presented (though he should certainly do both). The best application is the one the Holy Spirit impresses upon the souls of those who hear.

 

#BiblicalPreaching #CertaintyInTruth #StudiedPreaching #SpiritLedApplication #LineUponLine

The Certainty of Preaching: Studied, Prepared, and Spirit-Led

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[1] Not that he should do not study but that Luke “improved upon” that study through his ministry. A pastor’s message is only as profitable as the foundation of his congregation’s own work.

What do you believe is the most important element of a strong sermon—preparation, application, or the work of the Holy Spirit? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Choose a passage of Scripture and outline how you would teach or preach it, ensuring it is prepared, studied, researched, and investigated just as Luke did.

For more Bible studies and resources, visit marvinmckenzie.org!

🌎 Visit marvinmckenzie.org for more biblical insights and resources.

👉 Join our community in studying God’s Word and strengthening your faith.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6600 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Luke 1:4 (KJV)  The Certainty of Preaching

 

Mark 16:12 (KJV) Would You Recognize Him?

Mark 16:12 (KJV)

After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country. 

 

Gill suggests that this "form" may have referred to Jesus’ habit or attire. If He presented Himself as a gardener to the women, He may have appeared as a scribe to the two on the road.

There have been many occasions when those accustomed to seeing me in a suit and tie did not recognize me in casual clothing. Just a few weeks ago, my wife and I dropped in unannounced at the church I had pastored for 25 years. (I retired just less than a year ago.)  We had rushed into town for a medical appointment, and there was no time to dress as I normally would for a church service.

I was speaking with one of the men in the church when another man—whom I have known for more than 25 years—approached from behind. He greeted and shook hands with the other gentleman. As I extended my hand to him, he shook it politely but continued on to be seated by his wife, not realizing who I was. A moment later, he returned with a smile, reached out again, and said, “Brother McKenzie, I didn’t recognize you!”

Considering that Jesus had been crucified and that He may have presented Himself differently than they expected, it’s easy to understand why the disciples didn’t recognize Him at first. It’s not that He looked completely different—for they did recognize Him eventually—but they weren’t expecting to see Him under those circumstances, perhaps appearing in a manner unfamiliar to them.

#JesusAppeared #RecognizingChrist #UnexpectedEncounters #FaithAndPerception

Would You Recognize Him? Seeing Jesus in Unexpected Ways

Have you ever failed to recognize someone out of context? Just like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, we can sometimes miss what’s right in front of us. Comment below—has this ever happened to you?

Read Luke 24:13-35 and write down one way Jesus has revealed Himself in your life recently.

For more Bible studies and resources, visit marvinmckenzie.org!

🌎 Visit marvinmckenzie.org for more biblical insights and resources.

👉 Join our community in studying God’s Word and strengthening your faith.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6600 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Mark 16:12 (KJV) Would You Recognize Him?