Josh1Eight

"Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry." (Luke 4:1, 2 NLT) After Jesus left His encounter with the Holy Spirit by the river, immediately the climate of His life took a turn for the worse. He quickly found Himself smack dab in the middle of an uncomfortable season of life. What happened? God happened. The same Spirit that had only yesterday blessed Him and affirmed His close relationship with God had suddenly made an unexpected "wrong" turn into a radically different season of continual unpleasantness out in the Judean wilderness. God took Jesus into a place where He knew He would be tempted, tested, and tried under crushing circumstances. It puts quite a spin on the whole notion of "lead us not into temptation". Jesus was completely alone. He was in serious need. There we...

"[God] is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.” John used many such warnings as he announced the Good News to the people. (Luke 3:17, 18 NLT) So this unusual character rolls into town one day. A street-preacher with a "turn or burn" message. What's even more bizarre is that God had actually sent him to deliver this hard core public service announcement. Then along comes Jesus, the Prince of Peace, the Lamb of God. Surely he will set the record straight and tell us all about God's message of love and grace. No wait. Are you serious, Jesus? You actually agree with his message and now You're preaching it Yourself! What's going on here? How can God love us and threaten us all in the same breathe? That doesn't sound like love, it kinda sounds like oratory manipulation and scare tactics. Nobody...