One thing that Jesus was NOT - was flashy. When He cured someone, it was with a touch. When He spoke, the crowds came to Him. And when He resisted the Devil - it was through the simple mechanisms of fasting, prayer, and Scripture. These are things each of us can do daily or weekly, which fits completely with Jesus's advice to not put on a public display. Your life - your resistance to temptation - will be all the display you need.
In the Gospels, the best known examples of Jesus facing and resisting temptation are the 3 tests in the desert at the very beginning of His ministry. Just after His baptism by John, Jesus was led into the desert by the Holy Spirit, where He fasted for 40 days. At the end of that time, the Devil came and tempted Him 3 times. The first was the request to turn stones into bread. For the second test, the Devil took Jesus to the top of the Temple and bade Him leap off, and be protected by the angels. The third test was the presentation to Jesus of all the world's empires, in exchange for Jesus worshipping the Devil. What is notable about all three examples - and the most applicable to your life - is that Jesus had the strength to resist these powerful and almost overwhelming temptations by His fasting and praying for 40 days, and by quoting Scripture.
Another example is Jesus's prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus never asked to be let out of His mission. He simply asked if there were an alternative. Jesus always recognized that God's will must be done. Jesus berated the apostles who accompanied Him for falling asleep, explaining that the time could be better spent in prayer, the better to strengthen themselves against temptation.
Jesus faced several temptations during His trial before Pilate and Herod, including the mocking by the soldiers and the physical and emotional torture He faced by the whipping, crowning with thorns, and humiliating slaps from the guards. Jesus resisted the temptation to either quit His ministry or retaliate (remember, He had told Peter in the Garden at his arrest that He could summon legions of angels to His side). Jesus resisted the temptation by remaining true to His mission.
The final temptation of Jesus was when He was hanging on the cross, dying from blood loss and suffocation. The crowd and the thief to his side mocked Him, calling for Him to come down from the cross. Again, Jesus resisted the temptation by focusing on His mission, even granting eternal life to the thief who praised Him.
Jesus throughout the Gospels emphasized connecting with God, but nowhere was that more obvious than these incidents where He was tempted. He repeatedly explained that prayer and fasting were paramount in strengthening yourself to resist temptation, and quoted Scripture to answer the Devil.
A copy of "The Six Temptations Of Jesus Christ" can be purchased at: http://www.knowledge-download.com/Six_Temptations
Erik Carter is an experienced computer programmer and attorney. He has written SIX TEMPTATIONS OF JESUS CHRIST (http://www.knowledge-download.com/six_temptations) and AGGRESSIVE PLEADINGS FOR THE NON-CUSTODIAL FATHER (http://www.knowledge-download.com/six_temptations).
elite cleaning services Mundelein ..Attract and hold your family at home with some unique... Read More
Some of my greatest teachers have taught me that faith... Read More
There are many different and interchangeable terms that are used... Read More
An etheric body, also known as the aura, surrounds every... Read More
What does it mean to be comfortable in your own... Read More
In Corrogue the air is chill and the frost is... Read More
(Channelled)The greatest gift you can give me, is to acknowledge... Read More
Those of us, who are familiar with Apostle Paul's sermon... Read More
Behold, a certain young maiden did often times and at... Read More
Greetings my Dear Beloved SoulsWe have heard your cries, your... Read More
One of the things I have had to deal with... Read More
An Illuminatus Speaks:You will have to decide if this Illuminatus... Read More
Job was a spiritual man who loved and obeyed God... Read More
In looking back at my process over the years I... Read More
Is life challenging you to take a bigger leap? Are... Read More
I am a big believer in the strength of a... Read More
Five verses specify that we are to live by faith.... Read More
Many of our great religions hold that numbers contain hidden... Read More
Until recently, miracles were usually credited to a supernatural power.... Read More
Surveys show that religion and spirituality play a central role... Read More
Fanny J. Crosby's famous hymn, "Tell Me the Story of... Read More
"He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written... Read More
Taco Bell, the Mexican fast-food franchise, has a new ad... Read More
Can two walk together unless they have agreed to do... Read More
Although spring is just around the corner, there have been... Read More
Airbnb cleaning service Mundelein ..In the movie "Forest Gump" we see Forest succeed in... Read More
Love is mentioned well over 350 times in the Bible.... Read More
Universal Law is an invisible influence in every individual's life,... Read More
The teacher of the future.... will be a master of... Read More
Each time our children graduate from one stage to another... Read More
Every soul that is currently experiencing life on any level... Read More
The human body is surely a miracle of God's creation.... Read More
People rarely live up to a hundred years of age... Read More
One of the most frightening things... Read More
I have a big mouth. If you have read my... Read More
Listen to the sound of silence. Enjoy the peace and... Read More
As a Coach and Psychotherapist I have found that the... Read More
In looking back at my process over the years I... Read More
The concept of integrity has arisen often in discussions of... Read More
The word "gravity" is a word coined by Sir Isaac... Read More
I heard recently on a Christian radio station somebody talking... Read More
I can truly say to this day of August, 2005,... Read More
"Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being,... Read More
Matthew 3:1-3 The Preaching of John the Baptist1 In those... Read More
The passenger had to be carried onto the plane and... Read More
"Everything in the universe is a pitcher brimming with wisdom... Read More
On one side there is a dark cloud. It is... Read More
I have a long-term goal--a life-long goal really--to develop the... Read More
What's the difference? How are we supposed to tell the... Read More
Catch the express or the super fast bullet train. If... Read More
Spirituality |