An Appetite for Bread

Matthew 4:3

"And when the tempter came to Him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread."

Jesus came to us as a baby. A baby that needed to be fed! Just like we ALL need to eat? How many times a day? Even if we do NOT "fast" for forty days we get HUNGRY. We need to eat to be healthy and to be strong. Sometimes we eat BIG meals and other times little snacks. Jesus would have had many meals before He came here to the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

Practitioners of fasting say it's really isn’t about NOT eating food. It’s about FEASTING on the fullness of every divine blessing secured for us in Christ. Fasting opens our hearts to experience the presence of God. It attunes our souls to hear His voice. It helps practitioners experience His love and the fullness of His joy. So, it should be seen that Jesus's time here did not make Him more venerable. No, it made Him stronger and prepared Him for what the devil is about to tempt Him with!

Today's verse; "And when the tempter came to Him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread." Don't you see how weak and pathetic the devil is? The Devil's TEMPTATION is for the "Bread of Life" to turn rocks into bread! The God who became incarnate in Bethlehem, or in Hebrew "Bet Leḥem" which means the “House of Bread.” This is The Son of GOD, son of the GOD who made manna fall from the sky to feed the Israelites when they were hungry in the wilderness. And! The devil knows it!!

The good parts of these daily devotionals are inspired by the sermon at Holy Ghost Lutheran Church in Fredericksburg Texas. You can watch it by following this link (This week we feature the children's Christmas pagent) ... https://youtu.be/54x08mraNVA

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obedient unto death

Philippians 2:8 "And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Are you offended? The creator of the universe became incarnate and walked with people. He served people. He sacrificed Himself for you and me. Was this work beneath Him? Did He have to do this? Why is THIS God's plan? Who am I to question GOD'S plan? In this letter, Paul's Holy Ghost inspired writing tells us to put others’ interests ahead of our own. Paul tells us to live from a spirit of selflessness, compassion, and unity, reflecting the character of Christ and His love for humanity. A love that is truly "MIGHTY!" "MIGHTY" is one of the names the prophet Isaiah recorded for the Messiah. This is NOT the typical way to be "MIGHTY." Jesus is GOD, and all the glory and majesty that comes with that. And God came down from heaven to be born into the family of people. GOD lived with us and died for us. ...

the donkey

Luke 19:32-34 "32 And they that were sent went their way, and found even as He had said unto them. 33 And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt? 34 And they said, The Lord hath need of him." God's Grand Plan is your REDEMPTION! Since GOD can make that happen, getting a donkey to ride into Jerusalem is easy! Before the celebratory crowd is shouting "HOSANNA!" Jesus sent 2 Disciples to get a donkey. What is described in today's verses is exactly the way Jesus said things would unfold. Here we can see Jesus is in charge of ALL creatures. The people and the donkeys! In the verses leading up to here we can read that the Disciples are not getting it. They are thinking the Messiah was going to take David's throne. Take Israel back from the Roman occupation. People did not understand God's Grand Plan. Even though Jesus told them all. On their way to Jerusalem they pass through Jericho. Zacheas was there, the...

encouragement

Ephesians 6:10 "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might." We continue our study of the Lord's Prayer. This week, "Deliver Us From Evil." is also translated as "Deliver Us From The Evil One." We need to remain "sober" and "vigilant." A big part of this is studying the Holy Scriptures, like we are doing. We want to form a solid united front against Satan. For the heart of our studies we turn to Paul's letter to the Ephesians. It was one of four letters Paul wrote while in prison in Rome. Paul cared deeply for the Ephesians. He lived with them for three years as this church was forming. He wants to encourage them and help them become successful. His words can help you and me today.

Sermon Notes; a Daily Devotional

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