T.J.I.F.A.

 

THANK JESUS IT'S FRIDAY AGAIN!
PASS IT ON…& ON…& ON…& ON.
MAY 28, 2004

 

TJIFA SALUTES VETERANS AND ALL WHO PARTICIPATED IN KEEPING AMERICA SAFE.  HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY. 
SALUTE!

 

SUBJECT:  "TEMPTING GOD?"
THE DEVIL TOLD JESUS TO THROW HIMSELF DOWN FROM A HIGH POINT ON THE TEMPLE.  THEN HE USED A QUOTE FROM THE BIBLE TO ASSURE JESUS THAT SINCE IT IS WRITTEN HE WOULD BE ASSISTED BY THE ANGELS OF GOD.  THE DEVIL WAS TEMPTING GOD TO ACT OUT OF TIME.  GOD IS SOVEREIGN.  HIS ACTIONS ARE SET, AND HIS TIMING IS ACCURATE.  DO YOU EVER THINK THAT GOD SHOULD MOVE QUICKER AND AS A RESULT OF YOUR ACTIONS?  READ ON . . .

 

NOTEWORTHY: A QUOTE SUBMITTED BY BMCC

 

FRIDAY'S WORD: CHARACTERISTIC

 

IN THE MIRROR: WAITING ON THE LORD

 

O TASTE AND SEE!  TAMMY'S AWESOME HOT-HOT WINGS FOR THE 30TH.  BE CAREFUL, THESE WINGS ARE TRULY HOT.  ENJOY!

 

LOOKING FORWARD

 

SEE YA NEXT TIME!

 

TER
TEMPTING GOD?

 

Luke 4:3-12   "And the devil said unto Him, If Thou be the Son of GOD, command this stone that it be made bread.  And Jesus answered him saying, It is written that man shall not live by bread alone but by every Word of GOD. 
And the devil taking Him up into a high mountain showed unto Him all the kingdoms of the world, in a moment of time.  And the devil said unto  Him, All this power will I give Thee and the glory of them for that is delivered unto me and to whomsoever I will I give it, IF Thou therefore  would worship me all shall be Thine.  And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me Satan, for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy GOD and Him only shalt thou serve. 
And he brought Him to Jerusalem and sat Him on a pentacle of the temple and said unto Him, IF Thou be the Son of GOD, cast thy self down from hence, for it is written, He shall give His Angels charge over Thee to keep Thee: and in their hands they shall bear Thee up least at any time Thou shalt dash Thy foot  against a stone.  And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord Thy GOD.

 

Last week TJIFA discussed ‘Juxtaposition.'  That is the comparison of two things, and the two things that we compared were death and life as seen by the world, and Born Again Believers.  It is a fact, that when there is an original, there will always be a ‘phony or counterfeit.' ANYTHING that is worthwhile will be mimicked or copied. 

 

There are laws to prevent others from taking an original work in literature; they are "Copywriter" laws.  In making inventions the same type of law is called "Patent."  These licenses are in place to protect the originator from having his product or writing confiscated by thieves.   

 

Jesus had just been announced as the Son, whom the Father called "Beloved," and confirmed Him by the appearance of the Holy Spirit (in the form of a dove) before He went up into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  Jesus was "The Original," and anything after Him claiming to be the Messiah is simply without patent or copywriter.

 

The devil tempted Jesus in every way.  Jesus had been in the wilderness 40 days and the Word said that He was hungry, so, the devil offered Him the opportunity to prove His Deity by turning these stones into bread.  But, "The Original" replied with what was already in Him…The Word!  Yes, Jesus could have turned the stones to bread, instead, He denied Himself.  Eve had fallen for this same trick.  (Eat and become as gods)  The devil told Jesus, IF You are GOD, then in your weakened state, ‘obey me and give up your Glory.' GOD sent His Son to be obedient to His Word; NOT to Satan. 

 

The sin and temptation of eating has always been problematic to the race of man.  Embodied in eating is gluttony; alcohol abuse; drug abuse; eating disorders; poor self esteem; cravings of every kind and insatiable desires.  It is important to know that Jesus OVERCAME and won over the untamed, powerful drive to satisfy the flesh, when He replied to the devil "It is written…" 

 

Unsuccessful at getting Jesus to eat, the devil relentlessly tries to insert ‘failure' into the plan, by offering Jesus POWER.  The problem with the offering is that The devil's puny power was as important to Jesus (The King of Glory) as a single ice cube is to an Eskimo; or a cup of water to a Fireman; or a water gun to a Policeman.  Did the devil have this power to give?  Yes.  It was stolen in the garden of Eden at the fall of man.  The devil probably thought that Jesus would do anything to regain the power that he had stolen.  But, GOD had another means of legally taking back that which  the devil had stolen.  It didn't include having His Son worship the Enemy.    Jesus, in His flesh, OVERCAME the desire to have power on this earth. (Remember Jesus' seamless robe?)  This victory obtained for us the ability to resist the temptation of poorly acquired power;  the urge to subject others and the inclination to worship idol gods. 

 

At this point, the devil seeing the failure of all of his other attempts, decided to use the SAME weapon on Jesus that He had used on him.  The Devil quotes scripture when he introduces the last temptation.  After taking Jesus up to a high place of the temple, the devil quotes Psalm 91.  (This Psalm is often called the Psalm of Protection.)  Knowing that GOD is Sovereign, and that He has rule over all kingdoms of this earth, the devil now, is ‘tempting GOD' to save His "Beloved Son."  But Jesus returns this folly with the anointed Word . . ."It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord Thy GOD."
The temptation in the wilderness is often viewed as The Enemy – Evil – The Devil against Good – Jesus.  But, if we look a little deeper, we will see a portrait of the imitation, religious character who shouts when you shout and lifts up unholy hands in the sanctuary.   This Character may be large or lean; the Character may also have an eating disorder or addiction of some kind.  This Character may explain away lack of over coming power in Christ to deliver because the Character's problem is …HEREDITARY. Therefore, this Character will continue in their affliction because the overcoming power of Jesus Christ to break the back of this enemy  is NULL AND VOID.  (So, Jesus may as well have turned those stones into bread and pulled up a chair and satisfied Himself, for as much as His denial helps -- The Character.)   The Character NEVER denies himself.  After all that's why the character has a Savior. Only the best will suffice.  (You must wonder if the Character even knows what is the best.) 

 

The Character rushes to be in control.  It is very important that recognition is landed squarely on the Character.  Their favorite word…"I."  The Character feels that The Savior left them in charge of the whole world.  With this rule comes  admiration and loyal followers.  The Character isn't humble and wishes only for more power.(The same power that Jesus rejected and over came.  The same power that was stolen from the beginning, and will never belong to any mortal man.  The Character is waiting for the fall.  The devil will never give anything without loss to the recipient. 

 

Note:  An Idol is anything that is mounted above GOD.  Anything that takes up the primary place in one's life. 

 

The Character runs headlong into life's situations speaking promises, naming and claiming, using GOD's Word to hedge up mistakes  and cover offenses.  The Character uses the Word of GOD as a glue to patch up their lives and as a token of mercy.  This situation would be funny and laughable IF it weren't so sad. 

 

There are many Christians who slide in and out of the characteristics of ‘The
Character.'  While attempting to believe the Gospel, we fall into disbelief thus the appearance of the Character, and  making  the Good News of the Gospel, in essence, powerless, empty and void.   

 

This article is not an opportunity to "Bash" but, an attempt to bear and bring into the open thoughts and attitudes that really have no place in the Christian's repertoire.  Do we know the "Perfect Christian?"  Yes…Jesus Christ. 

 

And in this passage, Jesus teaches us HOW to over come the temptations of this world…With the WORD of GOD.  In Revelation2 & 3; John tells us that to them that Overcome will be given:
1. He that overcomes will be given to eat of the Tree of Life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of GOD.
2. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.
3. To he who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat, and I will give him a white stone and on this stone a new name, which no one knows except for him who receives it.
4. He who overcomes and keeps my works unto the end, to him I will give power over the Nations.  He shall rule them with a rod of irons the potters vessel shall be broken to pieces as I also have received from my Father; and I will give him the Morning Star. 
5. He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; and I will confess his name before My Father. And before His angels. 
6. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the Temple of my GOD and he will go out no more; and I will write on him the Name of  my GOD, and the name of the city of my GOD "The New Jerusalem" which comes down  out of heaven from my GOD. 
And I will write on him my new Name. 
To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with me on my throne as I also overcame and sit down with my Father on His Throne. 
These rewards are impossible to assent unto mentally or physically.  The ONLY way is through the teachings of Jesus Christ in the wilderness…denial; resisting; and not tempting GOD with His Word to try and get your own way. 

 

Yield to GOD and resist the Enemy.  YOUR DENIAL TO THIS WORLD'S DESTRUCTION IS YOUR CONSCIENTIOUS ASSENT TO GOD'S CONSTRUCTION.

 

Jesus is "ORIGINAL."  Let's not use His Word as a tool of coercion to get our own way.  Rather, let us OVERCOME, as He did and taught, and thereby receive the rewards of an OVERCOMER.  GOD BLESSES!

 

Looking Forward

 

See Ya Next Time!

 

TER

 

NOTEWORTHY:

 

"It was," said   Papini, "one of those serene dawnings that reminds one of sleeping innocence; the hour when the pure and limpid atmosphere seemed still to vibrate with the recent passage of a flight of angels…."  It was the dawning of the most magnificent, the most marvelous, and the most monumental day in all of history.  It was the day of Resurrection a Resurrection of that One who had   Sundered the centuries apart and split time forever more, and now had come to break the bands of death and set the prisoners free.  Jesus Christ had risen from the dead.

 

From text of Dr. D.J. Kennedy's Easter Sunday 2003.
Submitted by BMCC.

 

FRIDAY'S WORD: characteristic-char*ac*ter*is*tic(adjective):revealing; distinguishing, or typical of an individual character

 

IN THE MIRROR:
The National Geographic sent me a Magazine recently with an article by John L. Eliot that's worthwhile sharing.

 

On page 45, I'd like to share this excerpt on the  Bald Eagle: "In the 48 states the birds fared much worse. (speaking of the Endangered Species Act)
The Bald Eagle Protection Act of 1940 prohibited shooting or otherwise harming the birds in the U.S. but didn't cover the pesticides that within a decade began to destroy eagles' eggs. By the 1960s only about 400 breeding pairs of bald eagles remained in the lower 48. ‘The trend . . .may well make it necessary for us to find a new national emblem,' Rachel Carson warned in her 1962 masterwork, Silent Spring. The banning of DDT in 1972 and other measures launched an amazing comeback by the eagles, whose status changed from ‘endangered' to ‘threatened' in 1995. Today, with more than 6,000 breeding pairs, bald eagles may soon be taken off the endangered species list entirely, their survival as an icon secured –for now."

 

The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 3:14a "I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever . . ."

 

Also in Isaiah 40: 29-31, we learn,"He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint."

 

The Bald Eagle became a National Emblem in the year 1782. The eagle is considered to be the largest, and most powerful bird in the world, with some 60 species worldwide. When taking a look at this majestic bird through the World Book Encyclopedia, you wouldn't have much trouble discovering why God would use this magnificent creature to illustrate the experience of what its like to ‘wait on Him.'

 

Before the eagle was ever an "icon" for the U.S., it was to mean something to every human being stemming  from the time when God's prophet uttered the words to Israel, to this present day, and beyond. The very idea of ‘waiting' has never been a popular item for mankind to endure, and yet it is in our willingness to wait on Him that we possess the prerogative or learning what it is to trust in Him in the midst of our greatest weaknesses.

 

God has always given unto man a sign or a  symbol of what its like when you're willing to come to Him by faith. Perhaps the next time you happen to look up or just come across one of these beautiful winged creatures, it will serve as reminder of the essence, and the inwardness of waiting on God through His Son Jesus Christ.                       S.L.C.  

 

O TASTE AND SEE!

 

TAMMY'S AWESOME HOT-HOT WINGS

 

INGREDIENTS:
CHICKEN WINGS  THAWED, CLEANED, AND DRY.
1 CUP TEXAS PETE HOT SAUCE (OR THE AMOUNT IT TAKES TO COVER THE WINGS.)
RED AND BLACK PEPPER (SPRINKLED)
SALT JUST A LITTLE
1 CUP TEXAS PETE HOT SAUCE (TO DIP CHICKEN BEFORE FRYING.)
1 CUP ALL PURPOSE FLOUR
VEGETABLE OIL TO FRY WINGS

 

DIRECTIONS:

 

IN A FLAT ROASTING DISH PLACE CHICKEN WINGS.
COVER WITH TEXAS PETE HOT SAUCE, AND SPRINKLE WITH RED AND BLACK PEPPER; AND A LITTLE SALT.
(MAKE SURE THAT THE CHICKEN WINGS ARE COVERED WITH THE HOT SAUCE.) TIGHTLY COVER WITH PLASTIC WRAP.
REFRIGERATE THIS PREPARATION UNTIL MORNING.  IN THE MORNING YOU WILL FIND THAT THE WINGS HAVE SOAKED UP THE HOT SAUCE COMPLETELY. 
HEAT VEGETABLE OIL TO FRY.
DIP EACH WING INTO THE HOT SAUCE, THEN LIGHTLY FLOUR.
PLACE CAREFULLY INTO HOT OIL AND COOK UNTIL BROWN.
REMOVE "AWESOME HOT WINGS" AND LET COOL BEFORE EATING.

 

NOTE:  YOU MAY WANT TO SERVE WITH RANCH DRESSING; BLUE CHEESE DRESSING; COLE SLAW; OR CELERY STICKS.

 

ACCORDING TO TAMMY . . .THESE WINGS ARE HOT AND GOOOOOD!  ENJOY!