Satan – by tkbrown

All Things Work Together . . .

~~ a devotional

by tkbrown

Romans 8:24-39

24 — “For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope, for why does one still hope for what he sees?”
25 — “But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.”
26 — “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”
27 — “Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”
28 — “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”
29 — “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
30 — “Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified, and whom He justified, these He also glorified.”
31 — “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”
32 — “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”
33 — “Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.”
34 — “Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.”
35 — “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?”
36 — “As it is written: ‘For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.'”
37 — “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”
38 — “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come,”
39 — “nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Source: Holy Bible, New King James Version (NKJV).

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Notes:

In the eighth chapter, twenty-eighth verse of his letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul tells us to keep uppermost in our mind the promise: “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

Oftentimes, we tend to become discouraged by all the negatives in our lives, and we might complain there are not enough positives happening. The past year is one of the times this might be more apt to occur. Is this something you struggle with? Are you discouraged by all that has happened to you, your loved ones, your family, and your country during the past year? If so, you are not alone. Many others struggle with the same spiritual ailment. Furthermore, it is not a new trial faced by modern-day Christians. It has been here since the inception of Christ’s life on earth and before.

When we are tempted by Satan or one of his many demonic slaves, we can rest assured that nothing they do can harm our soul–unless we allow it. There is an old saying my Mama often quoted: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me,” (Anonymous). As many have pointed out, words can and do hurt, often for a lifetime. However, Paul is telling the Romans, “If you are one of those who have been called according to His purpose, Jesus life, death, resurrection, and ascension offers hope for life after death through Him becoming “sin”–all of the world’s sin–and the sacrifice of His life in place of ours. All who hear His calling, obey His commands, and continue in His Light have this “hope,” and those who abide in His Way can be assured of eternal life with Him and God the Father.

When we mess up, if we have heard and obeyed the requirements He sets forth in the New Testament, Christ and the Spirit make intercession for us with God the Father. Christ determines who is abiding Him and who is not. If I abide in His Way unto death, I not only have the hope of that gift, He assures me I will receive that gift, and I will be in heaven after I die. If I know I am abiding in Him, I no longer have to hope for eternal life, I can know I will receive it–I can “see” it.

I am not perfect. I make mistakes. I am a sinner. Because of my sin, I deserve eternal damnation, not eternal life with God and Christ. When I sin, I have the assurance, as God’s child, Christ will make intercession and insure that sin is wiped from my slate IF I repent of that sin and go back to living the way He has instructed. He also has assured me–as Paul states in Romans 8:28–I can know that whatever happens to me in “this life,” it all works together for my good.

Each trial and tribulation we endure–and remain in Him as we endure–works with all other events in my life for my good. If I learn from my mistakes, I can also learn from the mistakes of others. I can ask (pray) for guidance when I do not know what I should do in a specific situation. He will guide me to the answer in some way. I may read the answer in something I come across. I may hear someone talking and “say” the answer even though that person is talking to someone else. I can even “know” His will by the fact that I have no choice as to what I do. Someone or some statute tells me what I “must” do. Even when what I am doing appears to be sin to others, if I learn from it and address it through prayer, He makes intercession for me. If the prophets of old were hindered from attending tabernacle by being cast into a dungeon–or by some other means–it was not held against them when they addressed it through prayer to God.

Again, whatever life throws at us, we can know it will work to our ultimate good if we abide in the way Christ set forth. No one else can do it for me, and no one else can offer me forgiveness for my sin unless that sin involved that person in some way. We can rest in peace with the assurance that everything we experience and endure will work together for our good. This is faith in His promise. He said it–albeit through His apostle–but He said it; so, it is true.

God knew before we were ever birthed on this earth, what our response would be to His calling. He is omnipotent. He was, and is, and always will be. His Son is basically His apology to mankind for not having a plan for “all” to be forgiven and live eternally with Him in heaven.

I, personally, appreciate His sacrifice. What more can one do to let another know he/she loves that person? God’s Son died on the cross for MY SIN– not His sin–MINE! How can I ever justify not abiding in His Way? How can I ever “not” want to spend eternity with God and Jesus Christ?

If you heed Christ’s calling and obey the instructions He set forth, you too can be assured of your home in heaven. So, whatever happens here on earth–know there is a purpose for it in God’s great plan for things. Know, that everything will work together for your good, too–if you heed and abide in His Way!

In the book, Acts of the Apostles, chapter 10, verses one through five tell of Cornelius, an Italian centurion. He and his whole house were good people; they gave alms and prayed for guidance. Their faith and Christ-like actions came to God’s attention. As a result, God maneuvered events in Cornelius’ life so he and his house could know what they must do to be a part of Christ’s church and abide in heaven forever. Thus, Cornelius and his whole house immediately became Christians–in the middle of the night–and they became the first “Gentiles” to be added to Christ’s church.

Prior to this time, God’s plan of salvation had only been available to those of the Jewish nation. If a Gentile wanted to be the recipient of that salvation, he/she had to first become a part of the Jewish nation. Then they could be offered God’s plan. Christ’s birth, death, resurrection, and ascension changed this. He freely “gave” so that we might “freely live.”

So, if a person iis truly searching for answers, as we see in the example of Cornelius and his household, God will guide that person to the answers, or He will guide others to that person to provide those answers. Then, the choice lies with that person. He/She has the choice to obey or to reject Christ’s teachings. So, the choice that person makes determines their eternal destiny.

I pray that all will want to live with God and Christ in heaven throughout eternity. However, His Word tells me this will not be the case. Many will not believe or obey Christ’s teachings. Even so, I continue to pray all will obey Him.

My hope and prayer is that each of you will have a peaceful and blessed day amid all the turmoil in the world about you. Be Blessed and Stay Safe!

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Photo Above: by Jasmin Ne @Unsplash.com.

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Jesus Begins His Ministry — Part 4

Scripture is from the Holy Bible — New King James Version (NKJV)

Notes on Scripture (below) by tkbrown

“Sermon on the Mount”

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Lesson Scripture — Matthew 6:1-34

1 — “‘Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.'”

2 — “‘Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.'”

3 — “‘But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,'”

4 — “‘that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.'”

5 — “‘And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.'”

6 — “‘But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.'”

7 — “‘And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.'”

8 — “‘Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.'”

9 — “‘In this manner, therefore, pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.'”

10 — “‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.'”

11 — “‘Give us this day our daily bread.'”

12 — “‘And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.'”

13 — “‘And do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.'”

14 — “‘For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.'”

15 — “‘But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.'”

16 — “‘Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.'”

17 — “‘But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,'”

18 — “‘so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.'”

19 — “‘Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;'”

20 — “‘but lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.'”

21 — “‘For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.'”

22 — “‘That lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.'”

23 — “‘But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!'”

24 — “‘No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.'”

25 — “‘Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?'”

26 — “‘Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?'”

27 — “‘Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?'”

28 — “‘So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow, they neither toil nor spin;'”

29 — “‘and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.'”

30 — “‘Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?'”

31 — “‘Therefore do not worry saying: What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or What shall we wear?'”

32 — “‘For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.'”

33 — “‘But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.'”

34 — “‘Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.'”

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Lesson Scripture — Luke 18:1-14

1 — “Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,”

2 — “saying, ‘There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man.'”

3 — “‘Now there was a widow in that city, and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.'”

4 — “‘And he would not for a while, but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man,'”

5 — “‘yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continued coming she weary me.'”

6 — “‘Then the Lord said, ‘Hear what the unjust judge said,'”

7 — “‘And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?'”

8 — “‘I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?'”

9 — “Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others.”

10 — “‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.'”

11 — “‘The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men–extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.'”

12 — “‘I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'”

13 — “‘And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God be merciful to me a sinner!'”

14 — “‘I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.'”

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Lesson Scripture — John 1:4-9

4 — “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.”

5 — “And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”

6 — “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John”

7 — “This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.”

8 — “He was not that Light but was sent to bear witness of that Light.”

9 — “That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.”

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Old Testament Prophecy Related to Matthew 6:1-34

v 2 — 2 Kings 4:32, 33

32 — “When Elisha came into the house, there was the child lying dead on his bed.”

33 — “He went in therefore, shut the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the Lord.”

v 7 — Ecclesiastes 5:2 — “Do not be rash with your mouth and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; therefore, let your words be few.”

v 7 — 1 Kings 18:25, 26

25 — “Now Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, ‘Choose one bull for yourselves and prepare it first, for you are many, and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.'”

26 — “So they took the bull which was given them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying, ‘O Baal, hear us!’ But there was no voice, no one answered. Then they leaped about the altar which they had made.”

v 9 — Malachi 1:11 — “‘For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles; in every place incense shall be offered to My name. And a pure offering, for My name shall be great among the nations,’ says the Lord of hosts.”

v10 — Psalms 103:20 — “Bless the Lord, you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word, heeding the voice of His word.”

v11 — Proverbs 30:8 — “Remove falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches–feed me with the food allotted to me;”

v16 — Isaiah 58:3-7

3 — “‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice? In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, and exploit all your laborers.'”

4 — “‘Indeed you fast for strife and debate and to strike with the fist of wickedness. You will not fast as you do this day, to make your voice heard on high.'”

5 — “‘Is it a fast that I have chosen, a day for man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, and to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast and an acceptable day to the Lord?'”

6 — “‘Is this not the fast that I have chosen; to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke?'”

7 __ “‘Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; when you see the naked, that you cover him, and not hide yourself from your own flesh?'”

v17 — Ruth 3:3 — “‘Therefore wash yourself and anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking.'”

v19 — Proverbs 23:4 — “Do not overwork to be rich; because of your own understanding, cease!”

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New Testament Scriptures Related to Matthew 6:1-34

v 2 — Romans 12:6-8

6 — “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them; if prophecy, let us prophecy in proportion to our faith,”

7 — “or ministry, let us use it in our ministering, he who teaches, in teaching;”

8 — “he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives with liberality, he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”

v 4 — Luke 14:12-14

12 — “Then He also said to him who invited Him, ‘When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid.'”

13 — “‘But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind.'”

14 — “‘And you will be blessed because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid in the resurrection of the just.'”

v 8 — Romans 8:26, 27

26 — “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”

27 — “Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”

v 9 — Luke 11:2-4

2 — “So He said to them, ‘When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.'”

3 — “‘Give us day by day our daily bread.'”

4 — “‘And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.'”

v 9 — Matthew 5:9 — “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

v 9 — Matthew 5:16 — “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

v10 — Matthew 26:42 — “Again a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, ‘O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.'”

v12 — Matthew 18:21-35

21 — “Then Peter came to Him and said, ‘Lord how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?'”

22 — “Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.'”

23 — “‘Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.'”

24 — “‘And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.'”

25 — “‘But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made.'”

26 — “‘The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.'”

27 — “‘Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.'”

28 — “‘But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!'”

29 — “‘So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.'”

30 — “‘And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt.'”

31 — “‘So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done.'”

32 — “‘Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.'”

33 — “‘Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?'”

34 — “‘And his master was angry and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.'”

35 — “‘So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.'”

v13 — 2 Peter 2:9 — “then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment.”

v13 — John 17:9 — “‘I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom you have given Me, for they are Yours.'”

v13 — John 17:15 — “‘I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.'”

v13 — John 17:20, 21

20 — “‘I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;'”

21 — “‘that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.'”

v14 — Mark 11:25 — “‘And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive your trespasses.'”

v15 — Matthew 18:35 — “‘So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart does not forgive his brother his trespasses.'”

v22 — Luke 11:34-36

34 — “‘The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness.'”

35 — “‘Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness.'”

36 — “‘If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light.'”

v24 — Luke 16:9 — “‘And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home.'”

v24 — Luke 16:11 — “‘Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?'”

v24 — Luke 16:13 — “‘No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.'”

v24 — Galatians 1:10 — “For do I now persuade men or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.”

v25 — Luke 12:22-23

22 — “‘Then He said to His disciples, ‘Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on.'”

23 — “‘Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.'”

v26 – Luke 12:24 — “‘Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn, and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?'”

v33 — I Timothy 4:8 — “For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.”

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Old Testament Prophecy Related to Luke 18:1-14

v11 — Psalm 135:2 — “You who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.”

v11 — Isaiah 1:15 — “When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood.”

v11 — Isaiah 55:2 — “Yet they seek Me daily, and delight to know My ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and did not forsake the ordinance of their God. They ask of Me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching God.”

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New Testament Scripture Related to Luke 18:1-14

v 1 — Luke 11:5-10

5 — “And He said to them, ‘Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves.'”

6 — “‘for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him.'”

7 — “‘and he will answer from within and say, Do not trouble me, the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed, I cannot rise and give to you?'”

8 — “‘I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.'”

9 — “‘So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.'”

10 — “‘For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks, finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.'”

v 5 — Luke 11:8 — “‘I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is is friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.'”

v 7 — Revelation 6:10 — “And they cried with a loud voice saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?'”

v 8 — Hebrews 10:37 — “For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry.'”

v 9 — Luke 10:29 — “But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?'”

v14 — Luke 14:11 — “‘For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.'”

v 9 — Luke 16:15 — “And He said to them, “‘You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.'”

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Old Testament Prophecy Related to John 1:4-9

v 8 — Isaiah 9:2 — “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined.”

v 8, 9 — Isaiah 49:6 — “Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, that You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.'”

v11 — Isaiah 53:3 — “He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.”

v14 — Isaiah 40:5 — “‘The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.'”

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New Testament Scripture Related to John 1:4-9

v 4 — I John 5:11 — “And this is the testimony; that God has given us eternal life; and this life is in His Son.”

v 4 — John 8:12 — “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world, He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life.'”

v 4 — John 9:5 — “‘As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.'”

v 4 — John 12:46 — “‘While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.’ These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them.'”

v 5 — John 3:19 — “‘And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.'”

v 6 — Matthew 3:1-17

1 — “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea.”

2 — “and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!'”

3 — “‘For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying, ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness prepares the way of the Lord; make His paths straight.'”

4 — “Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.”

5 — “Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him”

6 — “and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.”

7 — “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, ‘Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”

8 — “Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,'”

9 __ “‘and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.'”

10 — “‘And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.'”

11 — “‘I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.'”

12 — “‘His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.'”

13 — “Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.”

14 — “And John tried to prevent Him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”

15 — “But Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.‘ Then he allowed Him.”

16 — “When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.”

17 — “And suddenly a voice came from heaven saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.'”

v 7 — John 3:25-36

25 — “Then there arose a dispute between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purification.”

26 — “And they came to John and said to him, ‘Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified–behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!'”

27 — “John answered and said, ‘A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.'”

28 — “‘You yourselves hear me witness that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.'”

29 — “‘He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore, this joy of mine is fulfilled.'”

30 — “‘He must increase, but I must decrease.'”

31 — “‘He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.'”

32 — “‘And when He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony.'”

33 — “‘He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true.'”

34 — “‘For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.'”

35 — “‘The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand.'”

36 — “‘He who believes in the Son has everlasting life, and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.'”

v 7 — John 5:33-35

33 — “‘You have sent to John, and he has born witness to the truth.'”

34 — “Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved.'”

35 — “‘He was the burning and shifting lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light.'”

v 7 — John 3:16 — “‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.'”

v10 — Hebrews 1:1-3

1 — “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,”

2 — “has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, who He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;”

3 — “who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

v11 — Luke 19:14 — “‘But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.'”

v12 — Galatians 3:26 — “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”

v13 — I Peter 1:22-25

22 — “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart.”

23 — “having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.”

24 — “because: ‘All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away.'”

25 — “‘But the word of the Lord endures forever.’ Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.”

v14 — Galatians 4:4, 5

4 — “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,”

5 — “to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”

v14 — Hebrews 2:11, 12

11 — “For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,”

12 — “saying: ‘I will declare Your name to My brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.'”

v14 — John 8:32 — “‘And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.'”

v14 — John 14:6 — “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'”

v14 — John 18:37 — “Pilate therefore said to Him, ‘Are You a king then?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.'”

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Notes on Scripture: by tkbrown

During Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount,” He instructed us to lay up our treasures in heaven rather than here on earth. When we do for others who have need, as Christians we are laying up treasures in heaven. However, these charitable deeds for others are to be done in secret. They are not to be discussed with others. Jesus said we should not even let our left hand know what the right is doing that “your Father who sees in secret may reward you openly.”

When we pray, we should not pray in vain repetitions. God knows our needs even before we ask of Him; so, there is no need to repeat the same thing day in and day out. Say what is pressing at the time. Sometimes we may be able to utter no more than, “Help me,” which is sufficient because Jesus Christ is our High Priest. As such, He mediates for us with the Holy Spirit, making intercession to clarify those things for which we can find no utterance.

When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, He prayed and exemplary prayer. Today, we know this prayer as “The Lord’s Prayer.” These are some specifics to remember, if you choose to use this as your prayer:

We are taught to not make vain repetitions in our prayers. Thus, even this prayer should not become a vain repetition. It is to be used as a guide for our prayers, not as a replacement for them.
This prayer was taught the disciples prior to Christ’s crucifixion and death. In this prayer, Jesus refers to the kingdom as yet to come. We must remember His kingdom was established before Christ’s ascension into heaven. So, today we would pray regarding an existing kingdom.
The Lord’s Prayer focuses on generalities rather than specifics. This indicates that prayers for specifics are not typically necessary.
Jesus told us not to worry about our food, our body or what to wear. God provides for the birds of the air without them having to put up in store. If He provides for the birds of the air, will He not provide for us too?
The lilies of the field are beautiful. Jesus said even Solomon was not arrayed as one of those. If God arrays them so beautifully, will he not provide for us too?
In I Thessalonians 5:16-18, the apostle Paul told them to “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and in everything give thanks.” Thus, even when things are not going good, we should rejoice and thank God for helping us to learn from what we are going through, asking that he help us through trials and tribulations that we might be stronger after they are over. That we are told to pray without ceasing indicates that we should utter our requests as the need arises. Praying throughout the day keeps one much more in tune with our need for God to help us through each day.

Jesus said, if we choose to fast as part of our spiritual routine, we should not let others know we do so. He fasted many times–sometimes at great length–during His life here on earth. In Matthew Chapter 6, He said when we fast we should not present as fasting to others. We are not to go around with a sad, downtrodden countenance when we fast. We should get up, comb our hair, wash our face and go about our business as if nothing is different from any other day. It is an individual choice as to the need for fasting. However, if we choose to fast, we are not to tell others verbally, via body language or through their observation of our countenance. Fasting is a communion with God and Christ. It is never to be discussed with anyone. Fasting can greatly enrich our relationship with God if properly engaged.

Christ told the multitudes listening to His Sermon on the Mount that we are not to be concerned with building up treasures here on earth, but rather to concentrate on building up treasures in heaven by seeking to become more Godlike. As we seek Him and His righteousness, we are presented situations to make us stronger as Christians. Part of this involves doing for others who are in need here on earth. If we do this, He will see that we have what we need (i.e., food, clothing, a roof over our head). We are not to worry about what we will eat, wear or where we will lay our head. God will provide. Worrying will not add anything to our stature physically or spiritually. The more we do for others who have need, the closer we grow to God. Jesus said we are not to worry about tomorrow. This day will have sufficient trials of its own without worry about tomorrow being added to it. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you,” (Matthew 6:33).

As Christians, we are to let our lights shine before men that they may know by our actions and countenance that there is something different about us. The peace and serenity we portray should make others want to know what we have. He said our light will shine from our eyes as a beacon to others. If we do not have this light, then “how great is our darkness.”

As Jesus said, “No man can serve two masters. We cannot serve both God and Satan. We cannot be lukewarm in our service to God. In Revelation 3:15 and 16, Jesus says, “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.”

Finally, forgive others when they do you wrong because it is the right thing to do, and so the Father in heaven will forgive you the things you do wrong. In order to have an eternal home in heaven, we must hold no malice in our hearts toward others — even those who have wronged us.

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Lesson One -- Scripture: Zacharias to Have Son . . .
Lesson Two -- Scripture: Jesus Birth Foretold . . .
Lesson Three - - Scripture: Zacharias' Son, John, is Born . . .
Lesson Four - - Scripture: Jesus is Born . . .
Lesson Five -- Scripture: And Jesus Grew . . .
Lesson Six -- Scripture: John Begins His Ministry . . .
Lesson Seven -- Scripture: Jesus is Introduced to the World . . .
Lesson Eight -- Scripture: Jesus' Ancestral Lineage
Lesson Nine -- Scripture: Jesus is Tempted By Satan
Lesson Ten -- Scripture: Jesus begins His Ministry (Part 1)
Lesson Eleven -- Scripture: Jesus Begins His Ministry (Part 2) -- Sermon on the Mount (Part 1)
Lesson Twelve -- Scripture: Jesus Begins His Ministry (Part 3) -- Sermon on the Mount (Part 2)
Lesson Thirteen -- Scripture: Jesus Begins His Ministry (Part 4) -- Sermon on the Mount (Part 3)
Lesson Fourteen -- Scripture: Jesus Begins His Ministry (Part 5) -- Sermon on the Mount (Part 4)

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Photo above by: kieutruongphoto @ pixabay.com.

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Jesus is Tempted by Satan

Scripture is from the Holy Bible — New King James Version (NKJV)

Notes on Scripture (below) by tkbrown

Matthew 4:1-11

1 — “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.”

2 — “And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.”

3 — “Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, ‘If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.'”

4 — “But He answered and said, ‘It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'”

5 — “Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple.”

6 — “and said to Him, ‘If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you.’ and ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.'”

7 — “Jesus said to him, ‘It is written again, You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'”

8 — “Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.”

9 — “And he said to Him, ‘All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.'”

10 — “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only you shall serve.'”

11 — “Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.”

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Prophecy

v4 — Deuteronomy 8:3 — “So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.”

v6 — Psalm 91:11, 12

11 — “For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.”

12 — “In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.”

v7 — Deuteronomy 6:16 — “You shall not tempt the Lord your God as you tempted Him in Massah.”

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Related New Testament Scriptures

v11 — James 4:7 — “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

v11 — Hebrews 1:14 — “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister to those who will inherit salvation?”

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Mark 1:11-13

11 — “Then a voice came from heaven, ‘You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.'”

12 — “Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.”

13 — “And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with wild beasts, and the angels ministered to Him.”

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Related New Testament Scriptures

v11 — Matthew 3:17 — “And suddenly a voice came from heaven saying, ‘This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.'”

v11 — Matthew 12:17, 18

17 — “that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying;”

18 — “‘Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He will declare justice to the Gentiles.'”

v12 — Matthew 4:1-11 (See above.)

v12 — Matthew 4:10, 11 (See above.)

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Luke 4:1-14

1 — “Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.”

2 — “being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days, He ate nothing, and afterword, when they had ended, He was hungry.”

3 — “And the devil said to Him, ‘If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.'”

4 — “But Jesus answered him saying, ‘It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.'”

5 — “Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment in time.”

6 — “And the devil said to Him, ‘All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.'”

7 — “‘Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.'”

8 — “And Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Get behind me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.'”

9 — “Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, ‘If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here.'”

10 — “‘For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you.'”

11 — “‘and, ‘in their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.'”

12 — “And Jesus answered and said to him, ‘It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'”

13 — “Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.”

14 — “Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.”

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Prophecy

v8 — Deuteronomy 6:13 — “You shall fear the Lord your God and serve Him and shall take oaths in His name.”

Deuteronomy 10:20 — “You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him, and to Him you shall hold fast, and take oaths in His name.”

v9 — Matthew 4:5-7 (See above.)

v10 — Psalm 91:11 — “For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.”

v11 — Psalm 91:12 — “In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.”

v12 — Deuteronomy 6:16 — “You shall not tempt the Lord your God as you tempted Him in Massah.”

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Related New Testament Scriptures

v1 — Matthew 4:1-11 (See above.)

v13 — Hebrews 4:15 — “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

v14 — John 4:43 — “Now after the two days He departed from there and went to Galilee.”

v14 — Acts 10:37 — “. . . that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached.”

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Notes on Scripture: by tkbrown

Here, I have presented the Scriptures which portray Jesus’ forty days and forty nights of fasting and prayer in the wilderness when Satan tempted Him. These Scriptures are found in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. While there may be slight differences in the wording of each account of the event, these are no more than would be found if three witnesses in a court of law presented accounts of a specific incident. This is important in the fact that all three testimonials also coordinate with Old Testament prophecy related to these Scriptures and with related Scriptures in the New Testament. Thus, we have ‘rightly divided the Word of Truth’ with regard to this event in Jesus’ life.

Forty days and forty nights is a long time to be without food, but this was done to show that Jesus’ Spirit form and the angels ministering to Jesus was sufficient to satisfy His human needs. This is another example of how God takes care of those who do His will. Jesus was tempted of Satan so we can know He understands the temptations we endure at Satan’s hand.

As our High Priest, Jesus’ understanding of our weaknesses regarding temptation is important. Had He never come to Earth in human form, He could never have truly understood our weakness or the desire to give in when Satan tempts us. God realized this was a faltering point in His righteous understanding of these weaknesses in man. Thus, Jesus understanding of the tendency to give in to temptations gives Him the ability to ‘argue our case’ with God and mediate with Him on our behalf. Hebrews 4:15 tells us this was God’s plan. We can look at the Scripture presented in Romans 3:21-26 to see how this all fits together.

Romans 3:21-26

21 — “But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,”

22 — “even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference;”

23 — “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

24 — “being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,”

25 — “whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,”

26 — “to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

This well-known passage from Romans chapter 3 ties in to Satan’s temptation of Jesus and of man in his struggles to overcome temptation. God’s righteousness puts Him in a position of not fully understanding these trials. Through the centuries, the Jewish Law as given to Moses on Mount Sinai allowed Jesus’ forbearance and atonement (propitiation) of their sins to go back and cover all those sins that God had passed over before Christ was born. Now, God is shown to “be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:26).

Jesus is now ready to begin His ministry on Earth. In our next lesson, we will see Jesus begin to select His disciples as he begins to preach and to teach the multitudes. Join us as we look closely at each account of this process as presented in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

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Lesson One -- Scripture: Zacharias to Have Son . . . 
Lesson Two -- Scripture: Jesus' Birth Foretold . . . 
Lesson Three -- Scripture: Zacharias' Son, John, is Born . . . 
Lesson Four -- Scripture: Jesus is Born . . . 
Lesson Five -- Scripture: And Jesus Grew . . .
Lesson Six -- Scripture: John Begins His Ministry . . . 
Lesson Seven -- Scripture: Jesus is Introduced to the World . . . 
Lesson Eight -- Scripture: Jesus' Ancestral Lineage
Lesson Nine -- Scripture: Jesus is Tempted By Satan

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Photo above by: kieutruongphoto @pixabay.com.

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