Luke 4:1-14

Luke 4

Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness

 ¹ Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, ² where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

 ³ The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread."

 ⁴ Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone.'

 ⁵ The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. ⁶ And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. ⁷ If you worship me, it will all be yours."

 ⁸ Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'

 ⁹ The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. ¹⁰ For it is written:

   "'He will command his angels concerning you
   to guard you carefully;
¹¹ they will lift you up in their hands,
   so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

 ¹² Jesus answered, "It is said: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.

 ¹³ When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

 ¹⁴ Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.

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Our sermon this Sunday was on the above the verses.  One thing that I took from the sermon was the fact that we get upset and complain about our daily struggles and the ups and downs that life brings us.  We ask God how He could allow us to go through such things and if He were a good God, He would never let anything bad happen to us if He loved us...right?  Wrong! What we view as bad is nothing compared to what Jesus went through during His life on earth.  He was mocked, falsely accused, homeless, ridiculed, beaten and tortured on a cross...and He was God's SON!!!  Jesus suffered in HIS life so that we would have the opportunity to spend all eternity with Him in Heaven!  That really had me thinking.  I have no right to complain about my life and my circumstances when I think about everything that Jesus went through for me.  I think that if we can all keep the thought of Jesus and His suffering in our minds, our bad days might not seem so bad and our good days will feel even more like blessings from God! 

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God Bless

Jon Abercrombie
holybloggers.blogspot.com

2 Peter 1:5-8

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith
   goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge,
   self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to
   perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly
   kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you
   possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will
   keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your
   knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

   2 Peter 1:5-8

Ever felt ineffective and unproductive?  I have...maybe these verses are on to something :)  What if we all made "every effort" to add the above listed qualities to our faith?  I know I lack in the knowledge, self-control, and godliness categories.  I lack in the others too, just those would probably be my top 3 lackies!  How do you feel you stack up against these verses?

 

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God Bless

Jon Abercrombie
holybloggers.blogspot.com

1 Timothy 6:1-16

Came across these verses and really liked them this morning.  Verses 11 and 12a really spoke to me and reminded me of what my mindset/goals should be day in and day out..."11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith."  We are most definitely always in some kind of fight...either an actual confrontation with a friend, family member or coworker of simply fighting our flesh and temptations.  If we can focus our minds on God and the qualities, areas mentioned in verse 11, we will have a far greater chance of winning the "good fight of the faith" day after day after day!  Praying God speaks to you through these verses!

 

1 Timothy 6:1-16
1 All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God's name and our teaching may not be slandered. 2 Those who have believing masters should not show them disrespect just because they are fellow believers. Instead, they should serve them even better because their masters are dear to them as fellow believers and are devoted to the welfare[a] of their slaves.
False Teachers and the Love of Money
   

These are the things you are to teach and insist on. 3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4 they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 5 and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Final Charge to Timothy
11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.

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God Bless

Jon Abercrombie
holybloggers.blogspot.com

John 8:1-11

But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn he appeared
   again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered
   around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of
   the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in
   adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to
   Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of
   adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women.
   Now what do you say?" They were using this question as a
   trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus
   bent down and started to write on the ground with his
   finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened
   up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let
   him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped
   down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began
   to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only
   Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus
   straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has
   no one condemned you?" "No one, sir," she said. "Then
   neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave
   your life of sin."

   John 8:1-11

 

I feel like these verses speak for themselves on how awesome the mercy, grace, and forgiveness that God has and freely gives to us!  Also gives me something to think about when I get in a judgement or revenge seeking mood.  Thank You Lord for your ability to forgive and forget!  Thank You Lord for your ability to show mercy to someone so seemingly undeserving!  Thank You Lord for your ability to see past our failures and shortcomings!  Help us to focus more and more on growing closer to You and imitating Your awesomeness through our lives!
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God Bless

Jon Abercrombie
holybloggers.blogspot.com

Building Faith

 Know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but
   by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in
   Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and
   not by observing the law, because by observing the law no
   one will be justified. For if righteousness could be gained
   through the law, Christ died for nothing!

   Galatians 2:16, 21b

I feel like these verses hit home on a few things that God's been pointing out to me lately in my relationship with Him...For far to long I've settled in the fact that I've been a "good" person, "observing the law" and thinking that because I've done that, I've been good with God.  I haven't been worried about building my relationship with God and definitely haven't been putting my faith in Him like I should.  I've been putting my faith in my job, my finances, more relationship with my wife, friends, and family.  None of those things can do for me what God can do for me.  I have to work on building my trust/faith in God.  Like these verses say, "if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"  We hear that Christ died for us...but do we truly feel/understand what that means?  He died so that we could live eternally with Him in Heaven.  He wants a relationship with each and every one of us and longs to be the focal point of our lives.  We just have to put our trust and faith in Him...sadly that is easier said than done...at least for me.  I have to dig deeper in my relationship with God and truly seek out who He is.  I need to worship God and get to know Him through prayer and reading and praying some more!


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God Bless

Jon

Mark 12:28-31

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating.
   Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked
   him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"
   "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: `Hear, O
   Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord
   your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with
   all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is
   this: `Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no
   commandment greater than these."

   Mark 12:28-31

A Different World...?

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be
   arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so
   uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides
   us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do
   good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and
   willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for
   themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that
   they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

   1 Timothy 6:17-19

How different would the world be right now if we lived by these verses?

Think about it...

Psalm 43:1-5

O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation; rescue
me from deceitful and wicked men. You are God my stronghold.
Why have you rejected me? Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy? Send forth your light and your
truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy
mountain, to the place where you dwell. Then will I go to
the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will
praise you with the harp, O God, my God. Why are you
downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your
hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my
God.

Psalm 43:1-5

Helpful Links...

Here are some links to some cool sites/blogs you might find interesting!

Focus on the Family

Plugged In (Reviews for movies, music, tv shows, and more)

100.9 Way FM (Local christian radio station)

Stuff Christians Like by Jon Acuff

Ragamuffin Soul (Director of Service Programming at Buckhead Church in GA)

Hebrews 10:35-38

So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly
rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done
the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For
in just a very little while, "He who is coming will come and
will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And
if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him."

Hebrews 10:35-38

Complacency...

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith
goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge,
self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to
perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly
kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you
possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will
keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your
knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:5-8

These verses made me think about how complacent I get in my life sometimes. I settle for where I am instead of pushing to be better...to be more like Jesus. What are some ways you can think of to always be growing in these areas?

How Did Abraham Know...?

My mom and I were talking today and she asked..."How did Abraham know that the voice telling him to sacrifice Isaac was from God?"

We went through a few different options that we thought might be right, but I'm interested to see what other people think...?

How did Abraham know that the voice he heard telling him to sacrifice Isaac was from God?