That Place Between Ministry and Open Heaven – UNITE Linky

We love to talk about the dove descending. Jesus’ baptism, the parting heavens….as well as what He did in ministry.

But could it be, the chunk of scripture cut out of our theology is…

“Jesus was led (guided) by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted (tested and tried) by the devil.”

I mean, could that mean….God’s Spirit may actually lead us to the desert too?

So, we love talk about God and His goodness, sunshine and paradise-Christianity here on this earth…

But can’t it be, God’s Spirit can actually lead Christ straight into temptation?

Like Job enduring stripping. Daniel led to the lion’s den. Daniel’s three friend’s entering the fiery furnace…

And I wonder how many of us accept our walk as Christian’s with the understanding that testing actually creates refinement in us?

The desert isn’t God’s means to destroy us, but a tool He uses to strengthen our spiritual muscles.

And I find it funny that Jesus fasted.

The Son, perfect in every way, spent forty days without food before launching into ministry….

And yet, too often we breathe a gospel that says we don’t need to surrender anything, before being His hands and feet.

In studying the temptations of Jesus, God has been showing me…

TEMPTATION #1

The first temptation was to fill the flesh. “Turn this rock into bread.”

From the days of Jesus, Satan has been tempting us to fill our flesh, get what we want. Work, earn, and satisfy our carnal selves with anything other than Jesus.

And isn’t this, the “Lust of the Flesh”, 1 John 2:16 talks about?

Yet, we have been blinded, thinking “lust” is just sex and pornography, when in actuality…

• Lust is demanding, insisting we are going to get what we want on our own strength, with our own physical resources.
• Lust is claiming Lordship over our own provision.
• Lust is cutting off relationship, and living self-sufficient, not dependent on Him.

Satan asks Christ to use His power to satisfy His outward appetites. But Jesus tennis’ back to him scripture,

“Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Deut 8:3)

And what I love about fasting is that it makes the voice of the Father clearer. It silences our appetites and forces us to hunger for things that are spiritual…

Instead of being muted by the carnal.

TEMPTATION #2

“If you are God, throw yourself down, for it is written, He will give His angels charge over you and they will bear you up on their hands, lest you strike your foot against the stone.” [Psalms 91:11,12]

Satan uses scripture to try to trick the Son of God.

And yet, we as Christian’s can walk as if heartless words alone are magic, as if mere sayings or chants can dethrone Satan…

When even Jesus was tempted through scripture, yet rose victorious, though Satan, the angel of light, also can use doctrine as a weapon to whip us.

Scripture must be discerned, not just by it’s words, but by the mouth and character, and life and fruit of the one preaching it.

And how many leaders take doctrine and use it to crush and manipulate? How many take their own power and twist it, to claim scripture to subdue and legalize us?

When scripture without context nullifies itself. When truth without His Spirit can unknowingly entrap and manipulate us.

But what I love? Jesus throws back a volley of more scripture, backed by His Spirit, “Scripture also says, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.” [Duet 6:16]

What I find funny about this temptation is we too can test God by doing what we want, and then saying, “If it’s not from God, He will stop us”.

And I think about those who have jumped off their own cliff, lost their lives, committed suicide, precious souls given into the lie, “If God is good, I can do bad and He will forgive me.”

And yet, we cannot live haphazard lives and expect God is not be just.

“If it’s meant to be, it will be,” is often an excuse for apathy, justification for not listening to His Spirit and following.

Jesus warred with Satan in the wilderness, not by posturing or posing, flexing His Lordship, or using His power to finish the devil, but by modeling…

We win our battles by humbling ourselves, denying our own will, and trusting and submitting to God.

TEMPTATION #3

Lastly, showing Jesus all He could possess, Satan tempted, “Bow down before me and I will give you the kingdoms that you see.”

And yet, Jesus knew His possession wasn’t material, but eternal. His war wasn’t to win Lordship, but to maintain the victory already given Him through obedience the Father.

By this time, Satan seems frustrated. After two temptations, The Father of Lies made it clear, His sole agenda was to….

Have good bow to evil, light bend to darkness, hoping perfection be corrupted by the lies and manipulation of the evil one.

And yet, do we bow?

Do we see things we want around us, and symbolically sacrifice His power, for a little taste of earthly kingdom and glory?

Do we live in greed, and lust, wanting visible representations that God has blessed us, that He is using us…

When maybe His Spirit simply wants to take us to the desert, purge us from the lust of our flesh, the lust of our eyes, and the pride of life that tempts us from walking in the fullness of His goodness?

Maybe an effortless life isn’t a sign that He has blessed us, be a warning that we have bowed in to one of the temptations presented to us?

Could comfortable Christianity be a sign we have left the narrow walk, and have weakened to the temptation that we can have the world and Jesus too?

When doesn’t servant-like surrender burn in us the same words the saints cried out in scripture…

• “That I might die, so that He might live in me.”
• “Less of me, more of Him.”
• “That He may be everything, and I may be nothing.”

And I love Paul’s heart-cry, “That I may know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”

And yet, we wrestle, as Christians, even today, with the same three temptations found in the dessert prior to Jesus ministry.

Earthly satisfaction, worldly reward, having our ego stroked won’t ever be our goal when we bow in servitude to the only Holy One…or have found ourselves on the other side of the desert.

For between the open heavens and a ministry of power and purpose, there is always testing.

And maybe it’s not something we should fear. But a place we should be lead to by His Spirit.

For our goal isn’t our will, but His. Our hearts should cry know, darkness can be defeated and our hope, is not to be exalted, but that in the end…we all might look…

Just a little more like Jesus.

Before you go, link up below. And if you haven’t heard already, we are going to Chi*a in February to bring wheelchairs to children in need. (You can read more about our trip, here)

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