The New Testament. The New Covenant. I'm so glad God enacted His plan (Plan A, known from the beginning) with us. Even though I wasn't around when the covenant was made, I get to benefit from its provisions.
Matthew 1shares the geneology of Jesus, going all the way back to Abraham, whom God promised a multitude of offspring. At the end of the first chapter we read that Joseph was going to quietly divorce his fiance, Mary, when he found out she was pregnant. An angel visited him and convinced him otherwise. The last verse states that "he had no union with her until she gave birth to a Son. And he gave Him the Name Jesus." I was talking to a good friend once, who happened to have a position in the Catholic church. We talked about various Catholic doctrines, one of which was the "perpetual virgin" belief that Mary was a virgin her whole life. It was the first time I ever heard an explanation as to how this last verse in Matthew would not disprove that belief. He said that there was a phrase or figure of speech that was spoken that way, that did not always mean that the action spoken of took place at the end of the time frame referenced. For example, "He did not taste wine until he reached the age of 21" would not mean that he had wine on his 21st birthday, or at any moment after that. I don't buy it, but I can see why a learned man might believe that.
In chapter 4 we read about the "temptation of Jesus." After fasting forty days and forty nights, Jesus had to be at the breaking point. Doctors say that the body will begin to devour itself, so to speak, and vital organs will get permanently damaged after the 40th day of fasting. So this was probably His weakest point in the fast. We might wonder how Jesus could be weak at all. I mean, He is God Incarnate, right? How would He be tempted at all by Satan, whom He knew to be a fallen angel, God's most prominent known enemy? Well, I have to believe the conclusion I make that Jesus lived under a self-imposed limitation, where He never used or manifested His true identity or godhood. He kept it at arm's reach, so to speak, and never grabbed for it. If that was the case, then Jesus was the perfect example of a man living filled with the Holy Spirit, completely dependent upon God. And if that was the case, then His understanding was limited, not infinite. If that was the case, then He really did have the ability to blow it and succomb to the temptations of Satan.
Food, miraculous extreme-sport death-defying power, and the power of leadership were all valid temptations for any man. The food temptation was first. Jesus passed. The thrill-seeker playing with God's supernatural powers temptation was next. That would be hard to resist if I could tap into that so easily. And then there was the third temptation, which would've cost Jesus true satanic worship. He refused. But it probably wasn't as easy as it sounds.
First of all, we know that Satan is the "Father of lies," according to the Words of Jesus. Therefore, we could deduce that he did not have the rulership of all the kingdoms of earth to offer Jesus. This might be true (it probably is), so how could this temptation not be "easy to see through?" Well, perhaps it was the miraculous power that Satan apparently used to show Jesus all the kingdoms of the world from the perspective of just one mountaintop. Surely they weren't all visible to the naked eye. It must've been some projection screens against the clouds type of action going on. This display must've been impressive. That alone might make me have some questions that perhaps maybe this guy did have the ability to deliver all those kingdoms to me. After all, he could show them to me. Anyone with the authority over them would probably have this kind of ability, too. So, maybe that's how this third and supposedly climactic temptation had some real "bait" to it. I don't know. It's just my speculation. The response of Jesus was confrontational and pretty much fighting words: "Away from Me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.'"
After this, something really cool happened. It says, "Then the devil left Him, and angels came and attended Him." Now, that must've been really cool for everyone involved. I bet Jesus got the refreshing moist towel type treatment, a neck, back and foot massage, and some really tasty food. Perhaps a choice steak, or maybe some heavenly angel food we don't know about... Nah, it was probably fish. He was living as a man, after all. I bet the angels were thrilled to offer the King of the universe some refreshment. Just serving Him had to be exciting. It must've been exceptionally exciting to talk to Him after such a great hard-fought victory. Seeing Him be tempted and being held back and not being able to help Him until afterwards must've been hard. That restraint must've felt frustrating, so when it was time to render aid, there was probably some urgency and joy involved.
Right after this, He began ministering and preaching that "the kingdom of heaven is near."
We are 3 days away from deadline. I've got about 5 days' worth of work (I think), so this will require some focus and hard work. I will dedicate this work, as well as "the move" to the Lord, not knowing how it will turn out, but thanking Him in advance for any and all the good things that will come about. Let the adventure resume!
That's an interesting idea that this person believed that Mary was a virgin her entire life. How would they explain Jesus' brothers?
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Since you're being kicked off your land, can you take your house/trailer with you if you want?
yes, i can take the house/office anywhere i want...well, not really.
i can't plant it in my backyard.
i have to buy or rent some more land.
that is the hard part...finding some land to move it on. it all takes money.