Before beginning his earthly ministry, Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted by the adversary. This enemy, the same one faced by believers today, sought to tempt him in every conceivable way. Jesus endured these trials as a human, demonstrating the path to victory in spiritual warfare.

He fought not with divine power but with the same spiritual resources available to Christ followers: the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. Because Jesus was tempted just as we are, yet remained without sin, he became a compassionate High Priest who understands our vulnerabilities and sympathizes with us in our moments of need.

When Judah discovered they had been ambushed, they cried to the Lord. The Bible calls us to plead to the Lord in our distress, as He knows the troubles of our souls. Judah shouted a war cry, acknowledging the fight and intending to engage. Some shout a war cry, but it is empty of power as they never accompany it with action. When they shouted a true war cry, God routed their enemies. The Lord meets those who trust in Him on the battlefield. Our enemies are routed by His power, not our own. Have you truly trusted in the Lord Jesus for salvation and power? Or have you only uttered an empty war cry?

When Rahab the harlot heard about the power of God, she showed kindness to the spies hiding in her midst. Everyone has a reaction to hearing about God; some will hear of Him with joy, others will gnash their teeth at the message. Rahab confessed the Lord and showed immediate fruit of change by helping the spies escape. Her home was marked by a scarlet cord in the window to identify her house when the city would be overthrown. The life of every believer is sealed by the Holy Spirit. When God’s judgment is poured upon the earth, only those with the seal of God will be spared. Does your life bear this seal?

Having been bothered in his spirit, Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, approached Jesus at night. Though steeped in tradition, God was able to reach his heart, demonstrating that God can reach anyone. The man from Arimathea, a prominent member of the council, did not consent to the plan of the Pharisees to crucify Jesus. Gathering courage, he made himself known. Paul of Tarsus, a Pharisee and the son of a Pharisee, was able to speak with great credibility to his former colleagues. God can reach anyone and give them the courage to allow their story to be used for His glory. Have you given your story to the Lord for His use? 

Jesus described the Pharisees as having a hardness of heart. They were hard-hearted to the gospel message. Prophets, wise men and scribes were all sent to them, and instead of responding in faith, they killed, crucified, scourged and persecuted them. They were hard-hearted to their own sin. The pride of their heart had deceived them into believing they could trust in themselves for righteousness, rather than having anything to repent of. They were hard-hearted toward the lost. They were repulsed by sinners and criticized those who showed compassion to them. Is your heart receptive to the gospel? Do you show mercy to sinners with a genuine hope for their salvation?

When Jesus addressed the religious leaders of His day, known as the Pharisees, He used jarring descriptions of their hypocrisy. He said that Pharisees served only to be seen. Pharisees used God as leverage to manipulate people to their preferences. Most alarming of all, Jesus said that Pharisees do not know God. Are you a Pharisee or a genuine follower of Jesus?

Jesus told a story of a rich man and a poor man. Both of them died. Both of their spirits entered eternity. In the afterlife, they had a memory. Their place in eternity was inescapably fixed. They believed the truth as everyone will know after death. When one man pleaded for his family to be warned, he was told they have Moses and the Prophets and must hear them. Like these two men, we all will face death and our spirit pass into eternity where our fate will be fixed. What response have we had to Moses and Prophets in this life?

The Word of God is inspired. God called men to write it down as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. Inspiration is validated in the heart of man, prophetic history and scientific accuracy. The Word of God is alive as it cuts to the heart of man, purifies his soul and shatters his hard heart. The Word of God is eternal. Jesus said the Heaven and Earth will pass away, but His Words will never pass away. The Word of God is about Jesus. Moses and prophets were all speaking things concerning Jesus. When we behold the Word of God, we will be led to Jesus. Have you surrendered your heart to Jesus by faith?

Fearing that there would be no future offspring for their family, Lot’s daughters devise an unspeakable plan. Getting their father drunk with wine, they each become pregnant with his child. This disturbing turn of events shows us how crisis reveals character. We also see that we reap what we sow as Lot becomes the horrifying thing he once suggested of others. Amid all of the sin and darkness, God still chooses to use his family for His glory. God can use our worst. Have you turned your life over to Jesus to be miraculously made new?

Having received a promise from God that the righteous would not be swept away with the wicked, Abraham looks down upon Sodom and Gomorrah as the smoke of judgment rises into the air. Seeing that the Lord rescued Lot & destroyed the wicked, Abraham sees that God is fair, kind, and severe. The Lord will one day distinguish between the righteous and the wicked. His kindness and tolerance continue to lead many to repentance. His severity will meet the many who reject Him when they stand at the judgment. Have you been made righteous by the blood of Jesus?

The angels warned Lot and his family of the coming destruction. As Lot hesitated, the angels took his hand and the hands of his wife and daughters and ushered them outside of the city. Lot and his family were warned to escape to the mountains and not look back lest they get swept away in the judgment. The coming of the Son of Man will be the same. To escape judgment, a person must believe that there is one, not trust in earthly comfort and make a choice and never look back. Have you made a choice to turn from the world and follow Jesus? 

GENESIS 19:15-22

GENESIS 19:17

LUKE 12:19-20

GENESIS 19:23-26

LUKE 17:28-33

When the men of Sodom surrounded Lot’s home and demanded his guests, Lot made a horrific offer. While he was a success in society, he proved to be a failure at home. The men of the city declined and attempted to forcibly take Lot’s guests. Angels reached out and rescued Lot, who belonged to the Lord by faith. When Lot warned his soon to be sons in law of the coming judgment, they laughed in his face. Like many who earnestly try to speak truth to those they, Lot was laughed at for the truth. Do you belong to God by faith in Jesus? Are you living a life that truly honors Him?

When two angels came to rescue Lot and bring judgment to Sodom & Gomorrah, the men of the city thought they were merely strangers passing through. Inflamed with sinful lust, the men of the city surrounded Lot’s home and demanded the visiting strangers. Lot pleads with them to not act wickedly. Along with many other sexual sins, God forbids homosexuality. Homosexuality is an abomination, a failed purpose and it is forgivable. Whether your battle is with homosexuality or you’re seeking hope for someone else, Jesus is able to make all who call upon Him a new creation.

GENESIS 19:1-7

LEVITICUS 18:6

LEVITICUS 18:20-23

ROMANS 1:26-28

EPHESIANS 5:28-32

1 CORINTHIANS 6:9-11

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:

PROVERBS 5

HEBREWS 13:4

1 CORINTHIANS 7

TITUS 3:3-6

LEVITICUS 20:13

JUDE 1:7

MALACHI 2:14

SONG OF SOLOMON

GENESIS 2:25

GENESIS 1:28

GENESIS 4:1

ACTS 22:16

Abram and Lot, having achieved great prosperity, found it impossible to live near one another peacefully. Lot, lured in by the well-watered plains and the sophisticated cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, chose to make them his home. What outwardly resembled the Garden of Eden would ultimately lead to ruin. The Bible warns that bad company corrupts good morals. While we are called to share the hope of Jesus with those who are lost, we must be careful in how closely we align ourselves with darkness. Where have you chosen to settle your soul?

In the book of Philippians, Paul calls believers to press on toward the goal. We have been rescued from sin and are set free from all sin and shame, yet we have not been perfected. The Lord gives us new mercy for each day to throw off the past and walk in freedom, righteousness and His good works until the day when we will be made perfect, fully conformed to His image.

Philippians 3:12-14

The Lord has saved us by His grace and made us His ambassadors. An ambassador serves as a faithful representative of the one by whom he is sent. An ambassador for Christ is not of this world. Believers have received a new heart, mind and citizenship. An ambassador for Christ is submitted to Jesus. Many seek to have Jesus as a sponsor for their own interests while refusing Him as their Lord. An ambassador for Christ has one message. When our own agenda is attached to the gospel, it ceases to be the pure and true gospel. The message of Jesus is relevant and true to people from every nation, tribe and tongue for all time. Are you an ambassador for Christ?