TEMPTED

He was tempted.....

....to eat when He was hungry thus gratifying His flesh.

....to establish a kingdom of His own glorifying Himself rather than the Father.

....to test the Almighty in His will and His ways challenging authority and holy providence.

Then Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan. 

He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,  

 where He was being tempted by the Devil for forty days. 

During that time He ate nothing at all, 

and when they were over He became hungry. 

Luke 4:1-2

The more time we spend with our Lord, the better we know Him, the more we pray, the more we seek Him, the more we follow His ways and His will, the more we fast.....  The greater the intensity of the spiritual warfare we will experience. We WILL be tempted in the areas of:

Flesh

 The Devil told Him, “Since you are the Son of God, 

tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.” 

Luke 4:3

Self Glorification

The Devil also took Him to a high place 

and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in an instant. 

 He told Jesus, “I will give you all this authority, along with their glory, 

because it has been given to me, and I give it to anyone I please.  

So if you will worship me, 

all this will be yours.” 

Luke 4:7

His Will and His Word

The Devil also took Him into Jerusalem and had Him stand on the highest point of the Temple. 

He told Jesus,“Since you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here,   

because it is written,

‘God will put His angels in charge of you
    to watch over you carefully. With their hands they will hold you up,
    so that you will never hit your foot against a rock.’

Luke 4:9-11

Satan tempted the soon-to-be Messiah. The Son of Perdition tempted Jesus in His weakest moment. Appealing to His divine power, His connection with His Father and to His human flesh. 

 For everything that is in the world—the desire for fleshly gratification, 

the desire for possessions, and worldly arrogance—is not from the Father 

but is from the world.

1 John 2:16

 

Jesus answered with Truth. He rebuked the lies with the Word of God.

Jesus answered him, “It is written,

‘One must not live on bread alone, but on every word of God.’^"

Luke 4:4

 But Jesus answered him, “It is written,

‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’

Luke 4:8 

Jesus answered him, 

“It has been said, ‘You must not tempt the Lord your God.’"

Luke 4:12

Jesus answered lies with the Truth. And, relied on the sustenance and trusted the perfect will of His Father.



So, you say you've heard this story many times.  Me, too.  Yet how often do you recognize these temptations in your own life?  The need for power, prominence and recognition. The overwhelming pull to be perfect, to be right, to be better than others. The impulse to satisfy your deep longings, unmet needs, and hurts by reaching for food, drink, drugs and other addictive behavior. To take control of things that were never under your control to begin with. Ruin relationships over trivial issues. To take action without seeking God's will for your life or following His instructions.

We need to stop ourselves in our weakest hour, in our moments of temptation, and ask ourselves whose voice it is that we are listening to at that moment. Remember, the devil is a liar! Rebuke those lies with His Truth!

Here are six things that the Lord hates—
    seven, in fact, are detestable to Him: 

 Arrogant eyes,
    a lying tongue,
        and hands shedding innocent blood;

a heart crafting evil plans,
    feet running swiftly to wickedness,

a false witness snorting lies,
    and someone sowing quarrels between brothers.

Proverbs 6 :16-19 

If you are a follower of Christ, you will be tempted much more so than one who is not a believer.   Your spiritual battle will be much more intense and often more subtle. And, unless you rebuke the author of lies, put off the flesh and walk in the Spirit, you will fall victim to temptations of the worst kind.  You have the amazing gift of the Holy Spirit and Christ living in you to empower you to overcome the flesh. Tap into that power daily!

If you are not a believer, you are much easier prey for the Evil One. Your life will be filled with struggles, temptations and deception. You need the power of God's Spirit, a free gift from the Lord when you believe in Christ as your Deliverer and Redeemer. Through Him is the gift of eternal life and the ability to tap into His power to overcome the flesh and all forms of temptation!

"Be clear-minded and alert. 

Your opponent, the Devil, is prowling around like a roaring lion, 

looking for someone to devour."

1 Peter 5:8

It is unseen, this warfare, but it is real.  Not fiction. Not fantasy. Not fairy tale. Jesus was not immune even though He had a unique calling and divine purpose.  For now, this world is the kingdom of the Evil One. Recognize it for what it is. We are being tested and tried. 

 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, 

behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

But I have prayed for thee, 

that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, 

strengthen thy brethren. 

Luke 22:31:32

Be convicted. Be committed. Put your spiritual armor on and be ready to do battle. Moment by moment. On your knees.  In your worship. In your daily living.  For His kingdom and for His glory.  You are one of His and He has great things in store for you! Don't let the devil sift you like wheat! Stand strong on the mighty Word of God and in the power of His Holy Spirit! Resist the devil and he will flee....

 

 After the Devil had finished tempting Jesus in every possible way, he left Him until another time. Luke 4:13

A GLORIOUS CALLING

 We are all called to something higher. We are all called to something higher, Someone higher, more important, with more power than this world has to offer. We are called to be in a constant, close, connected relationship with our Creator. And, we are called to become like Him.

Most certainly, a high calling. It explains the yearning, the longing that we all experience to reach beyond the everyday, the mundane, the routine. He created us before the foundation, the creation of the world. He put this desire deep inside our hearts. To use our gifts and talents. To discover exactly who He made us to be.


Yet we look elsewhere to satisfy that longing. And, truly, the only One who can satisfy is Christ, the Son of the living God.

We are made in His image. We are to abide in Him. We are to become like Him.

Dare I say, we are to become the suffering servant?! In truth, it is the only way we will satisfy that longing within.  We need to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. Really. No, really.

Not for faint of heart. Not for the self seeking or the proud in heart. Yet when we are weak then He is strong. Glory belongs to Him alone.

Strength in weakness, in suffering, in dependence. A novel concept.

Yet, our loving God would have it no other way. Lives lived in love must sacrifice, must suffer in this world. We all want to love and be loved. Sometimes love hurts. Sometimes love suffers long. True, sacrificial love always heals.

Though I do hate to be the bearer of bad news, I do love to be the light bearer of Truth. TRUTH: His ways are not our ways. His ways are higher than ours. Don't believe the lie that this life should be easy and without suffering. If you do, you will find constant disappointment and heartache.

Let's take a look at our Savior. Jesus, the Christ, was born into a meager life. He became a carpenter. Nothing fancy. He grew in grace and knowledge of His heavenly Father so that He could be about His Father's business.  Not His own. He was taught in the temple in His younger years. He waited. He sat patient listening to scripture and being guided by the Holy Spirit. He led a simple life. He waited for His Father's timing in being called to walk worthy and share His calling with others as He had been instructed.  He sat, watched, waited. He waited for His Father's purpose for Him, in His Father's perfect timing, to be used for His Father's glory.  Not in His own timing, not for His own purposes, and not for His own glory. Sacrifice.

Jesus walked when called by His Father to preach the word of Truth in LOVE. Though all power was to be given to Him by the Father, He walked and preached with humility and love.

When His time had come, Christ stood firm in the will of God trusting in the plan and purposes of His heavenly Father. He stood against the lies of the Evil One who tried to persuade Him not to fulfill His God-given destiny.  He drew the sword of Truth in defense knowing His steadfastness would glorify His Father and draw many sons to glory.

He sat waiting patiently resting on the promises of God. He walked following the Spirit preaching to many, enduring ridicule, and all the while look to the future His Father had promised. He stood firm in the Truth based upon the plan and promises of God.

He sacrificed self in mind, in spirit and finally in body. He died once,  for all. No fanfare, no trumpets, no press releases, no praise. Yet, He inherited the kingdom from and for the glory of His Father.

We are called to such a calling. It looks different for each one of us but end result is the same. To be made in His image, to be transformed, redeemed, a witness for Truth and bear the eternal weight of glory. To sacrifice. It is a high calling. It is a glorious calling. It is a not-of-this-world calling. We must live it today.

Embrace it. Live it. Tough love. Only the best things in life come from tough love: grace, mercy, forgiveness,  justice, peace, life ever after. The BEST things in life are NOT free.  They require giving love, suffering and sacrifice. They result in freedom, healing, and reward. Loving when life is not easy. The sacrifice is great but the rewards are greater still. The giving brings more blessing than the getting.

May we believe in and live out our eternal vision in the here-and-now and give  ALL glory and honor and praise to our Father in the spectacular heavens and His Son, Jesus the Christ, our Lord and our King!