Saturday, June 25, 2016

JESUS KNEW! 6/26/16

WHEN Jesus left home He knew the direction He was headed.  He knew there were things He needed to accomplish.   When He quietly began, His Mother caused Him to become headlines, before He was actually ready.  Even so, in His quiet, humble ways, He continued into the field He was prepared for, and He never looked back.    From His beginning, He knew the path before Him, and He was more than ready, as He headed out.   He knew it,  and He knew the Father was with Him all the way!
WHEN we begin a new adventure, make a change, move from here to there, we prepare.   We begin to save money.   We get all our ducks in a row.   We seek help.  We begin to get excited, and sometimes we just want to call the whole thing off.    In our preparation we are not sure of the direction we are headed, for we usually only have an idea; a wish list or a dream!   As we grow older and our seasons change, we adjust to our new normal.   We look back and remember and then continue in our new normal.   We continue to wish a lot, and dream!     We are the ones who decide whether we are too young or too old!   We are the one who settles for what is, instead of keeping on in the direction that we were heading.   Sometimes we get bored!
LOOKING back is what causes us to stumble.   Jesus kept His eyes on the Father and His mind set was sure.    We change our minds all the time!   We think we have made our minds up and then something happens.  We take detours and even explore!    We have to mentally remember that even though we are not where we want to be, we are not where we use to be!  
IN MY studies this week I found myself in chapter 4 of both Matthew and Luke.  These are passages following Jesus’ baptism by John.   Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan.   In preparation Jesus fasted for forty days and nights.   Afterwards He was hungry, thirsty, and physically tired.   Two things we learn from these passages is that Jesus was tempted and sinless!    However, there is so much more to learn here!
JESUS never belonged to Satan.    When Satan came he tried to lead Jesus in tempting him.   He asked Jesus to prove that He was the son of God.   Jesus responded with “It is written;   Man does not live on bread along!”    Satan took Him up on a high place and showed all the kingdoms of the world in a flash of a moment.  “I Satan, will give you authority and all their glory, if you will worship me?”   Again Jesus answers with; “It is written; You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only will you serve!”     Quick as a wink Satan took Jesus to Jerusalem and they sat upon a pinnacle of the temple.   Again Satan wanted Jesus to show proof of His deity with; “Throw yourself off and let the angels save you, as it is written!”    Jesus responded with; “You shall not tempt the Lord your God.”   Jesus knew!
JESUS KNEW that Satan had no hold on Him!    Before His baptism the Holy Spirit came upon Him.   After His baptism, Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit.   After Satan came on the scene in the Garden of Eden, all life has been has been under his wings.   He has shown each one how to live in sin and to become accustomed to being sinners.   You and I have been there!   We know what it is like to be a sinner!  
JESUS KNEW He had the power to withstand Satan’s arrows and Jesus also knew that Satan left Him in the wilderness, only to return when it was time.    Satan did return, and used many people, to complete Jesus’s directional path on the Calvary Road.    We have known Satan but now we belong to Jesus!   We too have power to withstand Satan arrows.  Let’s be sure, not wishy washy!   Let’s know who we are when the sun rises in the morning, and sets in the evening.   Let’s understand who the Father is and who we decided to become!     Satan’s wings no longer cover us!    We are under the wings of angels provided for us by the Father, through His Son Jesus; who came to save the lost!    You and me!          Jane Ann Crenshaw 6/23/16

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