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Jesus' Nature and His Temptation

on Sep 5, 2008 in Bible Study

I have still been amazed today that Jesus really was tempted to bow down to Satan. I was talking about it at lunch and Andy G and I began talking about how it was a real temptation for Jesus to turn the rocks into bread. Andy said a good one, “He probably had to deliberately prevent Himself from doing that.” If something is in your nature, you do it based on your instinct. You do it as a reflex. When I’m hungry, I eat something, when I’m thirsty, I get up and get a drink. When you can take a rock and POOF make it into bread, you have to be deliberate about not doing it. This is where being made into a new creation comes in. I do NOT live any longer, but Christ lives in me. The life I live I live in Him. That is what works in us to put off old destructive habits and develop holy ones; habits that are in the likeness of Jesus’ habits. These habits are NOT what make us Christian...

Jesus was Tempted

on Sep 4, 2008 in Bible Study

Today I met Andy J at the bank and we talked about Luke 4. The amazing thing about Jesus being tempted in the desert, I think, is that a lot of times we‚Äôve been ripped off and analyze what the temptations represent or what they symbolize and the way He resisted w/ God‚Äôs Word or how Satan knows the scriptures blah blah blah. It‚Äôs enough for me to realize that Jesus was tempted. And he wasn‚Äôt tempted like my co-worker that doesn‚Äôt want me to leave the box of donuts near his cube. This was God, in the flesh, so he was weakened and gave up some of His power, being tempted to cheat the plan. In the Miracle Maker, a claymation Jesus movie, the do a really good job of showing Jesus being tempted. At the end He is hollering at the top of His lungs, ‚ÄúYou shall not…put…the Lord…your God…to the test.‚Äù and He says that twice, almost forcing it out. Every time...