Thursday... Two different responses to two different challenges.

Matthew 4 shows us two different challenges. The first one is to Jesus.

Verse 1 (NLT) says, "Then Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil." Now this was the beginning of His ministry and He started it with a time of prayer and fasting but it was also a time of testing and tempting.

Here He was having not eaten for 40 days and He was hungry and I'm sure His desires were there to eat. And that is where temptation comes in. Verse 2 says, "For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry."

Temptation comes at the point of our desires. Verse 3 says, "During that time the devil came and said to him, 'If you are the Son of God, tell theses stones to become loaves of bread." He was tempted through Jesus' humanness. And that is where we are tempted so much.

So what did Jesus do? Verse 4 say, "But Jesus told him, 'No!'" We've got to say at the first wave of temptation, we've got to say emphatically, "No!" No chance, I'm not going to eat that cake, I'm not going to look at porn, I'm not going to flirt with that person who isn't my mate, I'm not going to take that drink, I'm not going to give in to that temptation. We must emphatically say, "No!"

And then Jesus quoted Scripture. Verse 4 says, "But Jesus told him, 'No! The Scriptures say, 'People shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.' " If you're reading the Bible on a regular basis and if you are going to church and hearing your pastor preach, if you're in a small group of fellow Christians, God will bring a word from the Bible that will reinforce your "No!" It will counteract the temptation.

Now the devil come back two more times with two different temptations and Jesus responded the same way, No! and quoted a Scripture. and then verse 11 says, "Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus."

When you have a temptation that comes back on a regular basis strive to find a Scripture that will help you after your, "No!" And then say it over and over as the temptation comes to your mind. And also rehearse the emphatic, "No!"

Here is another challenge and another response. Verses 18-19 (NIRV) says, "One day Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee. There he saw two brothers, Simon Peter and his brother Andrew. They were throwing a net into the lake, because they were fisherman. 'Come and follow me,' Jesus said, 'I will send you out to fish people.' " Jesus asked them to follow Him and He will do the same for you. He could be right now asking you to follow Him and there needs to be a response from you. It is either, "Yes! I will follow You," or "No! I'm going to live out the life that I have planned for."

Here is what these two brothers did and millions upon millions have done sense, verse 20, "At once they left their nets and followed Him."

So what will be our response to these two different challenges? And they will come. It's a very good question and our responses will make a major difference in our lives. Yes, yes! #todaysbeginnings

Tuesday... It is so worth it. It really is!

Tuesday... It is so worth it. It really is! Look at this, Proverbs 5:21-23 (CEV) says, "The Lord sees everything, and he watches us closely. Sinners are trapped and caught by their own evil deeds. They get lost and die because of their foolishness and lack of self-control." That is true of so many. Now look at this, Luke 15:1-7 says, "Tax collectors and sinners were all crowding around to listen to Jesus. So the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law of Moses started grumbling, 'This man is friendly with sinners. He even eats with them.' Then Jesus told them this story: If any of you has 100 sheep, and one of them gets lost, what will you do? Won't you leave the 99 in the field and go look for the lost sheep until you find it? And when you find it, you will put it on your shoulder and carry it home. Then you will call in your friends and neighbors and say, 'Let's celebrate! I've found my lost sheep.' Jesus said, 'In the same way there is mo...

Friday... Yes, we need them. We really do

Psalm 8:3-4 (NLT), "When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers - the moon and the stars you set in place - what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?" Friday... Yes, we need them. We really do. No, not the fact that I can go out my front door and look out at night at the marvels of the sky. I can do that and it is amazing and it takes my breath away each time I see it. Yes, that is a fact but the reality of who did that and the wisdom and the faith that I have to believe that and to marvel that the one who did that cares about me makes such a difference in how I live my life. Yes, God really does. That is so wonderful for us to believe. And that is why faith and wisdom are so important. Now whatever belief you have at how that marvel happened must also be believed through faith. And the sad thing to me is that more and more people have been taught that there is no God and therefore he did not have a h...

Monday... Three ifs and two thens. They go together!

Monday... Three ifs and two thens. They go together! They really do. And this is what caught my attention this morning as I was reading Proverbs 2. Verse 1 (NRSVUE) says, "My child, if you accept my words and treasure my commands within you." Verse 3 (NIV), "Indeed i f you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, Verse 4, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, Verse 5, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God." And verses 9-11, " Then you will understand what is right and just and fair - every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you." There will always be some effort we must do, some ifs for the thens to be realized in our lives. So many of us want to understand without the ifs. But the thens are so worth, so very worth the effort. Verses 5-6 in the Ampli...

Todays Beginning

Search This Blog