Matthew 27:32-54 shows us the third temptation again but now on the lips of the seed of Satan: "If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross." It was a temptation of "save yourself." We too are often tempted to try to save ourselves rather than to depend on the salvation Christ accomplished. The Judas method was to try to fix it himself by offering his own blood for atonement. The Pilate method was to wash his hands of it and pass the blame onto others. Neither way works. Your blood, sweat and tears cannot save you. You cannot save yourself or ignore your sins and thereby make everything ok. Depend on God for grace and salvation.

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Labels: atonement, christ, cross, death, Judas, Pilate, salvation, temptation

Deuteronomy 6:10-15 and Matthew 4:8-11 tell us, "You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve." This is a temptation with international and even cosmic consequences. And it is resumed in Matt 16:21-26. The temptation is to skip the cross for a crown. The question is whether we are seeking crowns like power and money or are we taking up our cross -- are we worshiping and serving God alone.

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Labels: cross, deuteronomy, Matthew, money, power, serve, temptation, worship

1 Corinthians 1:17-2:5 shows us how we can have unity in the message of Christ crucified. Paul was not trying to draw attention to himself, but to Christ crucified. This message is foolish to unbelieving Greeks and scandalous to unbelieving Jews, but for believing Jews and Greeks it is the power of God for salvation. Paul did not try to dress up the image of Christ crucified with flowery language or rhetorical flair, but he let it have its full effect. There are two reasons I look at briefly to show why we should be united behind this message. The first is that the philosophers, Torah scribes, and orators never would or could find this way of salvation. It is revealed by God through the preaching of Christ crucified. And secondly, we should be united behind this message because not many of us were wise, powerful, or of noble birth according to the world, but we were called by God through this shocking word of the cross. To clarify, Apollos is not Greek but he is apparently a Hellenistic Jew.

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Labels: 1 corinthians, christ, cross, salvation, unity

1 Corinthians 1:17-2:5 shows us how we can have unity in the message of Christ crucified. Paul was not trying to draw attention to himself, but to Christ crucified. This message is foolish to unbelieving Greeks and scandalous to unbelieving Jews, but for believing Jews and Greeks it is the power of God for salvation. Paul did not try to dress up the image of Christ crucified with flowery language or rhetorical flair, but he let it have its full effect. There are two reasons I look at briefly to show why we should be united behind this message. The first is that the philosophers, Torah scribes, and orators never would or could find this way of salvation. It is revealed by God through the preaching of Christ crucified. And secondly, we should be united behind this message because not many of us were wise, powerful, or of noble birth according to the world, but we were called by God through this shocking word of the cross.

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Labels: 1 corinthians, christ, cross, salvation, unity

Joshua 23 repeats the same lesson as the rest of the book with a twist: instead of stressing serving the Lord your God with all of your heart and soul it stresses NOT serving other gods. We approached the book looking to be encouraged to evangelize others, but the book tells us to start with our own hearts and souls and walk. Regarding that walk the emphasis of Joshua 23 is on not mixing with the nations so that you cannot tell them apart. This is a lesson that still very much applies to you through the cross. The reasons the text gives to encourage you to avoid getting caught up in the ways of the world are that the LORD fights for you and that not one word of all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you have failed.

Click the title or here to listen. Please pray for my bronchitis to go away.

Labels: cross, evangelism, heart, joshua, promises, serve, soul, walk, worship

Joshua 23 repeats the same lesson as the rest of the book with a twist: instead of stressing serving the Lord your God with all of your heart and soul it stresses NOT serving other gods. We approached the book looking to be encouraged to evangelize others, but the book tells us to start with our own hearts and souls and walk. Regarding that walk the emphasis of Joshua 23 is on not mixing with the nations so that you cannot tell them apart. This is a lesson that still very much applies to you through the cross. The reasons the text gives to encourage you to avoid getting caught up in the ways of the world are that the LORD fights for you and that not one word of all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you have failed.

Click the title or here to listen.

Labels: cross, evangelism, heart, joshua, promises, serve, soul, walk