The Battle We all FAce

"Temptation" We all battle it, why don't we just admit it?  Too many times i think we put up a front like everything is ok, like we have no problems, and we face no temptation.  Listen to me, we ALL face and battle temptation.  For me it's an everyday thing.  So in today's reading (Luke 4:1-13) was about Jesus and when He Faced Temptation:

4     Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, ^2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

^3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

^4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone.’^a”

^5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. ^6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. ^7 So if you worship me, it will all be yours.”

^8 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’^b”

^9 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. ^10 For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you

to guard you carefully;

^11 they will lift you up in their hands,

so that you will not strike your foot against a

stone.’^c”

^12 Jesus answered, “It says: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’^d”

^13 When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.  (Lk 4:1-13, NIV)

^a Deut. 8:3

^b Deut. 6:13

^c Psalm 91:11,12

^d Deut. 6:16

I needed to be reminded of a few things about Temptation, and here they are:

1. Jesus was tempted too, therefore I (we) are in good company (vs.2)
2. He was tempted at His weakest point (vs. 3), He was hungry, therefore His weakest point food at that time. Lesson:  KNow YOUR WEAKEST POINT
3. He was tempted with the "power Magnet"; who doesn't want to be "all powerful" and prestigious. (vs. 5,6) Lesson:  Jesus was already all powerful, and the Devil was trying to give away what wasn't His to give away
4. He was tempted to Test the power of God.  Lesson: come on really use your brain, it's like standing on the railroad tracks and saying "God will Stop the Train", granite He could, but He also told us not to test Him (vs. 9)  Lesson:  Don't test God...Ever.
5. Everytime Jesus was tempted He had a response, note the footnotes that Jesus responded with scripture EVERY TIME. Lesson:  Read, STudy, and Know the Word, besides Jesus it's our greatest weapon
6. The Devil is a quitter (vs.13) Lesson: The devil is a quitter, He will go away once he figures out you won't fall to the tempation; warning though, he will be back.  So when He does begin at step one and follow through. 

We are in this together, have a great weekend and enjoy worship of almighty God somewhere

Chris