Monday 1/18/16 The Big Trip (28)

Dear Father in Heaven: I love You. Please forgive me of my sins. Praise God for a good report at the doctor's this day. All glory and honor to You, Dear Lord. Please, Lord, watch  over Andy and help him with his struggles. Please be with Leslie as she looks for a new job. Others are looking also, Lord. Thank You, Lord, for Martin Luther King, Jr., and what he did years ago for our brothers and sisters of color. Please help us to learn from his lessons and Yours and keep growing upon them. Lord, please help me now with the daily message and then help me to get it dispatched. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.

Hi, brothers and sisters. It is a cold day here at the Southern Location of the North Pole. I think it might be warmer at the North Pole. Just kidding. Today I did want to write about the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. However, I did not get to sit down and really think it through. I do want to mention this. A lot of people  remember how he taught love and that we should all be as one. Jesus is teaching that everyday. We all need to just listen up and let Jesus take the lead and also put into practice what Dr. King was all about "loving Jesus and loving others!" We all should shout amen to that. I just wish I would have learned about all this love years and years ago. My mamma taught me, but when younger I did not follow through. With that said, let me get to the message. Oh, and after the part on Tempting Jesus is coming "Body Parts."

Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Day Monday: January 18, 2016: The Big Trip (Day Twenty-eight)

Tempting Jesus (Day Two)

Matthew 4:5-7 New International Version (NIV)

5 Then the devil took Him to the Holy City and had Him stand on the highest pint of the temple. 6 "If You are the Son of God," he said, "throw Yourself down. For it is written: "'He will command His angels concerning You, and they will lift You up in their hands, so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.'" Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"

Well, brothers and sisters, back to Jesus being tempted or tested by Satan. And yes, Satan is one who tries to tempt all of us, was doing his best to tempt our Lord Jesus Christ. Of course Jesus could have walked away from Satan but He was doing this to make His point to all of us. The highest point on the temple at that time would have been about 15 stories high. Gosh, nobody could tempt me on that one. I have a fear of height so bad that I had to stop wearing my cowboy boots because the heel was an inch high. Anyway, Satan said if You are the Son of God throw Yourself down. Well, we who are saved know that Jesus is the Son of God and we did not even see Him in person. We know Him because we have faith and believe!! There is also no doubt that Jesus could have just said Father, I am going to jump and yes, He would have been caught. But there were lessons to be learned here. We can see what Jesus said in return, and I will bring that down.

Matthew 4:7 - Jesus answered  him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.' (NIV)

There is one exception to this statement of Jesus. Does that make Jesus out to be a liar? Of course not. Do you remember what we can test Him in? I will answer that one for you, as we just talked about that one. It is in our giving, and here is the scripture to back up my statement.

Malachi 3:10 - Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house. "Test Me in this, says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of Heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." (NIV)

Now what about when we get tempted, and remember I told you a few weeks back that I think we give Satan too much credit for our sinning. Sometimes we just do it without even being tempted. Anyway, look at this scripture.

1 Corinthians 10:13 - No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (NIV)

That very first part of the scripture -- No temptation will overtake you except what is common to mankind -- Some temptations today are different than back when Jesus walked the earth. Some that are different right off the top of my head: We have cars and get tempted to speed, and those cell phones, we just need to be on them all the time. Texting while driving is against the law, at least it is in Pennsylvania, but it is going on while drivers are driving all the time. There was booze back then, more of it today. Then there are things to smoke, other drugs to take, and yes, even eating way too much ice cream. You get my point, so the Word of God is open to what is common to mankind and that will change. However, God is faithful, and that will not change. (Hebrews 13:8) Jesus will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear, and when you are tempted He will provide a way out so that you can endure it. And what is that way out?

It is the cross, it is Jesus, of course. He will provide you with the way out. However, once again we have free will and we can choose to either accept His way out or walk away from it. Again, that is personal between you and Jesus, and again, it is a relationship that you have with Jesus. Jesus will clean up your messes in life if you just let Him. Now that does not mean He will clean your house, that is a structure, but He will clean your house of bones. Did that go over your head? I pray not, but in case it did, it means He will remove all those sins. IF YOU ARE NOT SAVED, BORN AGAIN, THEN YOU DO NOT HAVE THAT WAY OUT. Come to Jesus now, please.

Here are some words to a chorus that fits this day, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Day.

We Shall Overcome (Jack Hayford)

We shall overcome, we shall overcome.
By the Word of God and the Blood of the Lamb
and the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We shall overcome, we shall overcome.
By the Word of God and the Blood of the Lamb
and the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Thank You, dear Jesus, for The Blood You shed for us on The Cross. All honor and glory to You, and yes, I pray it to our Father in Heaven through You, Jesus. Amen.

Please go forth now serving our Lord Jesus Christ. Love ya.

Pastor Dan