A New Year

Hello all and Happy New Year!!! I know this is a bit late, but today is my birthday so I am allowed to be late ;)

We have started NTX (New Testament Experience) at Birchwood this week and we will be reading through the New Testament by Easter. I am pretty excited about it actually and cannot wait to see what God shows Ania and myself.

The first day of reading, yesterday, we read Matthew chapters 1-4. I am always amazed at chapter 4, the temptation of Jesus. After spending 40 days and 40 nights fasting the Bible says Jesus was hungry. Let me just say... that has to be one of the biggest understatements of all time. After 40 days I am going to speculate, quite accurately I think ;), that Jesus was FAMISHED. I'm pretty sure that none of us can last that long, I know I sure can't. I start freaking out if I miss a meal. Well, let's just say my body starts getting angry at me if I don't eat something during "meal time".

After that long without food the body starts to shut down. Fatigue, dizziness, light-headedness, stress, extreme hunger, possible hallucinations, etc. begin to ravage the body after not having anything for that long. Let's just say it is not a pretty sight.

Why would Jesus do that to himself? Let me hear your answers on that question...

Then after he finished with that Satan decided to step in and start tempting him. Now the funny thing about his tempting is that he's tempting Jesus with things that Jesus already has. Power to turn stones to bread... check, power to call the angels to His side, check, power to own all the nations of the world, check. Jesus has absolutely all that within His power. However, God doesn't work that way. Even thought He can force all of those things He chooses not to. God wants us to come to Him and be saved. Also, as Jesus quoted scripture quite impressively since he is the scripture incarnate... Man lives on more than bread alone, don't tempt God, don't worship other Gods... Satan was trying but Jesus was too strong even after being weakened by fasting...

How can I show that same kind of strength.... how can you?