Tempted to Give Up
Jesus was led by the Spirit to be tempted by satan. I think that is where we are in the Body of Christ today; or that is where God wants us, I feel. We learned from Job that a man can be righteous and still be “in trouble” and now Jesus is showing us that Job was a type of Jesus, a forerunner to show that sometimes God has reasons for having us openly tempted-frontally assaulted. Some of you reading this today are laughing in agreement! I hope others can shift your thinking to praise.
Tell me if you see the parallel of what is happening in the world today, and what our coroporate reaction is as believers:
1) Led by The Spirit into the desert to be tempted. All human beings, including Jesus at the time, need and are freely given the Holy Spirit to lead us. We can be uncooperative, especially when we are led to be tempted in the desert, but if we follow, God gets to show satan who is going to lose, like he did for Job unawares.
2) After 40 days and nights he was hungry. We are in a desert today: beat down, tired, hungry, or maybe we just ran away from His leading and we are living in the belly of a fish? There seems to be no escaping, we just have to decide if we want to be led by the Spirit.
3) In a time of great stress and feeling alone, Jesus was tempted with the power and money. All the time the Spirit had led this encounter. I believe this is where the church of Jesus Christ is today. The temptations are “bread,” misuse of spiritual authority (jumping off the temple mount to show off with angels,) and false kingdom rule without the Spirit under the rule of ourselves without Him.
Today I see the great temptation: lets take political power before it is too late! Lets be sure we are funded well before we go off to help the poor. Or, even, we see a complete misunderstanding of spiritual power (given often through angels.) It must be directed by the Spirit. Today we see groups of Christians ignoring angelic power and others abusing it, or certainly misunderstanding what God intends through miracles and when.
The man Job in a manner of speaking broke the windshield on the old pagan view that “if we have corn and children we are blessed by the gods, if we do not then we are cursed.” We could call this “temptation Mother Earth.” God leads us at times to the opposite, and He is not always angry. In Job, it was a setup for Job’s blessing to double his money and power-just God’s way through temptation. It was also to demonstrate faith and righteousness to the spirit world, to the demons and angels, and to satan. Commentary in the Bible nor the Bible of Job can tell us when the Spirit is leading alone. We must create a relationship with God and learn His still small voice.
Then we must obey. Jonah just did not want to do it-but his choice was summer, in Nineveh or winter, in the belly of a giant fish. Do we want to go through this temptation?
God wants us to trust Him, to rebuke satan about these temptations and to praise Him for being led into a wilderness to do what He wants-a prelude for a great ministry just begun anew. He does not want us to seek money or power as our ultimate solutions in this world. He wants us to live by the word of God, which is what Jesus was demonstrating by fasting, then quoting the written word in proper context to refute satan. His Scripture is a rock for us when it is the living word. He also “leads us” into the wilderness, so there is a personal word, clearly. Listen and obey.
Let us pray that we as believers do not give in to these temptations and can embrace a coming spiritual and physical abundance that Job and Jesus both enjoyed just after the temptations. Political power, money and showing off power inappropriately will not get us there. Here is our prayer for the believers today: “Jesus, you are the living Word;” and pray:
“Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.” Matthew 4:11 ESV
Bob
Yet another article written from the heart of God. John and I have been encouraged by these words, that is for sure. Many of us have been hidden away for such a time as this…
God is surely up to something new in the Body of Christ. A place where we have yet to be and only time will tell the enormity of what is about to happen. And then God…
“Many of us have been hidden away for such a time as this… Like David among the Philistines, hidden and learning and patiently waiting. Very well expressed, Diane. Bob Those who did not read it might refer back to Ambush in the Healing Trees.
Thanks Bob –
Another timely word for me. I appreciate your faithfulness to share what God puts on your heart. We can’t let the temptations of this world derail us from what we are each called to do.
Bless you!
[...] 2)Â Tempted to Give Up [...]
Another profound post! I was feeling discouraged this morning, but now I am ready to rebuke every discouragement Satan throws at me. You have truly revealed the heart of God. He is speaking words that you have so beautifully posted to the world. Thank you and bless you, my brother in Christ.
Hi Bob, Thanks for sharing this profound message. I say “yes” and “amen” to all you share. Blessings, Randy
I second all above opinions Bahama! Thanks so much for the admonishment to see our troubles and trials as God sees them or as Job saw them. “Coincidently”, we have been studying Job in our morning devotions!
POW!! Out of the ball park again, Bob! Whatever we do should always be about glorifying our God, period, end of story. All other work is pointless. I was one who lied to myself for years about that. Many in the business world do today even more. Now is the time to stop, be silent and hear that still small voice that whispers in the darkness where we can hear it best.
Thank you for your transparency.
Wow Carrie, that was really eloquent. You should write a book:-) I am honored to have another writer read my blog. Thank you. Lets all listen together.
Bob
[...] 2) Tempted to Give Up [...]
[...] 2) Tempted to Give Up [...]
[...] 2) Tempted to Give Up [...]
[...] 2) Tempted to Give Up [...]
[...] 2) Tempted to Give Up [...]
[...] 2) Tempted to Give Up [...]
Bob,
Thank you for your words. I have struggled with temptation my entire life, and estimate that I always will.
As an alcoholic, I credit the Lord with giving me the strength to not take a drink. Alcohol is a temptation that will haunt me forever, but it is bearable if I know the Lord is on my side.
Thanks and keep blogging!
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