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Choosing a Water that Makes a Difference

                  We had just studied the nighttime meeting between Christ and Nicodemus, as He tried to help him comprehend the wonder of a being spiritually reborn (see Nighttime Revelations of the Holy Spirit).

            Now, we watch Jesus and His disciples as they travel through the region of Samaria. There was a city of Samaria as well as an associated territory. The city used to be the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel. The territory was bordered by Galilee to the north and Judea to the south.

                  During the time of Jesus, the Jews looked down upon the Samaritans because it had been previously conquered by the Assyrians and the races were subsequently ‘mixed’, i.e., they were not ‘pure Jews’. Also, they did indulge in some paganistic practices.

                  Most Jews would travel around Samaria so as not to be ‘contaminated’. But look at this:

So when the Lord learned that the Pharisees had been told that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were), He left Judea and returned again to Galilee. Now He had to go through Samaria.  Jn. 4:1 – 4. AMP

            So, Jesus wanted to leave the area where His disciples (not Him) were baptizing because He didn’t want there to be any conflict with John over this misunderstanding. But look at the last sentence: ‘…He had to go through Samaria. No, he didn’t. He could have circumvented it like most of the Jews. He was being Holy Spirit-driven to go through for reasons we shall shortly see.

Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food. Jn. 4:5 – 8. NLT

The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?” Jn. 4:8. NLT

            The Samaritan woman is well-versed with the prejudices at that time. However, in typical Jesus’ fashion, He begins to open her mind:

Jesus answered her, “If you knew [about] God’s gift [of eternal life], and who it is who says, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him [instead], and He would have given you living water (eternal life).”  Jn. 4:10 AMP

            Jesus is pursuing this Gentile’s salvation!

                  She replies that He has no means to draw water and the well is deep. The Samaritan adds:

Where then do You get that living water?  Jn. 4:11 AMP

Jesus keeps her on her toes:

“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks the water that I give him will never be thirsty again. But the water that I give him will become in him a spring of water [satisfying his thirst for God] welling up [continually flowing, bubbling within him] to eternal life.” Jn. 4:13, 14. AMP

            He’s piqued her interest now. She says:

“Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.”  Jn. 4:15 NLT

                  But Jesus is not done with her. She is still not in a place where she can hear His message for her. Seemingly unrelated, He says:

“Go call your husband,” he told her, “and come back here.” Jn. 4:16 CSB

She retorts:

 “I do not have a husband.” Jn. 4:17 AMP

            Now He’s got her where he wants her, a place to begin opening her mind. And He does it through His divine omniscience:

“You have correctly said, ‘I don’t have a husband,’” Jesus said. “For you’ve had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” Jn. 4:17, 18. CSB

                  Five divorces and shacking up with a 6th partner! Jesus is purposely exposing her sin, (without condemnation) so that she can be convicted by them. No one comes to Christ unless they first feel the weight of their sins on their soul. Only then can they see the value of salvation.

            Jesus speaks no more of her sin. That’s love in action. He knows everything we’ve ever done, but His love doesn’t waver. Christ is ready to save all sinners.

The Samaritan woman is opening her mind:

“Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet. So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?” Jn. 4:19, 20. NLT

                  She is asking him what she believes is a poignant spiritual question (and perhaps she wanted to shift the focus off her sins). Jesus expands upon her inquiry:

“Woman, believe Me, a time is coming [when God’s kingdom comes] when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You [Samaritans] do not know what you worship; we [Jews] do know what we worship, for salvation is from the Jews.But a time is coming and is already here when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit [from the heart, the inner self] and in truth; for the Father seeks such people to be His worshipers.” Jn. 4:21 – 23. AMP

“God is spirit [the Source of life, yet invisible to mankind], and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” Jn. 4:24 AMP

            Jesus is saying that that time for worship is now. God is a Spirit that occupies all space and time but independent of both. Thus, He can be worshipped anywhere, at any time – regardless of race or ethnicity.

                  Worshiping in the spirit is only possible when we are spiritually ‘born again’.  

                  This must be a little over her head. She reveals her heartfelt hope:

The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ—the Anointed); when that One comes, He will tell us everything [we need to know].”  Jn. 4:25. AMP

            Jesus swings the doors of salvation wide open:

Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you, am He (the Messiah).” Jn. 4:26 AMP

                  At that very moment, the apostles return with the food He had asked for, as the Samaritan ran into town telling everyone she had met the Messiah. The disciples were taken aback that Jesus was talking to a woman, much less a Samaritan.

                  They try to get Jesus to eat, but He never lets a teaching moment pass. He says to them:

“I have food to eat that you do not know about.” Jn. 4.32 AMP

                  The disciples are scratch their heads, wondering who had brought Him any food. Christ elaborates:

“My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to completely finish His work. Do you not say, ‘It is still four months until the harvest comes?’ Look, I say to you, raise your eyes and look at the fields and see, they are white for harvest. Already the reaper is receiving his wages and he is gathering fruit for eternal life; so that he who plants and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this case the saying is true, ‘One [person] sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap [a crop] for which you have not worked. Others have worked and you have been privileged to reap the results of their work.”  Jn. 34 – 38. AMP

            In other words, Jesus is repositioning them back into His imperative – to save as many souls as possible, which outweighs the desires of the flesh.

                  Jesus and His quintet stayed in Samaria for two more days, whereupon many of the townsfolk received salvation and faithfully believed in their Messiah…

                  Goodnight and God Bless.

Nighttime Revelations of the Holy Spirit

Last time we saw Jesus gather His first five disciples, change water into wine, and cleanse the temple of ungodly practices (See Jesus Gathers Disciples, Performs a Miracle, and Cleans House).

            One night, while Jesus was still in Jerusalem, a nighttime meeting was arranged between Jesus and a leader of the Pharisees – by the name of Nicodemus. We can conjecture that Nicodemus wanted the meeting to be clandestine…

Now there was a certain man among the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler (member of the Sanhedrin) among the Jews, who came to Jesus at night and said to Him, “Rabbi (Teacher), we know [without any doubt] that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs [these wonders, these attesting miracles] that You do unless God is with him.” Jn. 3:1, 2. AMP

                  Nicodemus is approaching Jesus with a seed of faith!  Note too that Nicodemus was a member of the Sanhedrin, the ruling rabbinical body, in the upper echelon. Somone highly regarded.

(The Pharisees were a Jewish sect that existed from (536 B.C. – 70 A.D. Afterwards, they regrouped as teachers of Rabbinic Judaism, whose teachings form the foundation of modern-day Jewish theology. The problem was that they believed the Mosaic laws required continual updating, supposedly through divine revelation. Thus, these modified laws were passed down and altered by the next modifier. God told us not to add or subtract to His word.[1])

Thus, Nicodemus would have been highly trained in Jewish law and theology.

            Well, Jesus immediately throws Nicodemus a curve ball. I love to see how He gets people’s attention: (Also note: this is Christ’s first ministerial teaching.)

Jesus answered him, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless a person is born again [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified], he cannot [ever] see and experience the kingdom of God.” Jn. 3:3 AMP

                  Whoa! Nicodemus missed the point entirely. He asks Jesus how someone could crawl back into their mother’s womb to be born again.

            Jesus chips away at his misunderstanding with a repeating emphasis:

 “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot [ever] enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh [the physical is merely physical], and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be surprised that I have told you, ‘You must be born again [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified].’ Jn. 3:5 – 7. AMP

                  Christ’s reference to ‘water’ cannot be talking about water baptism, because that would hold no meaning for Nicodemus in this space of time. Jesus must be alluding to the cleansing of the Spirit.[2]

                  Because the Spirit is physically intangible, Jesus helps Nicodemus with an analogy:

The wind blows where it wishes and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it is coming from and where it is going; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Jn. 3:8 AMP

            (Our spirit and flesh are separate from each other. The flesh houses no spirit, yet it is animated by it. It is our very own piece of God. When we are born of the Spirit, it changes us inwardly, from sinfulness to holiness, so that we can enter the presence of God.)

                  Jesus is telling Nicodemus that the only way to salvation is not by being in high standing in government, society, religions, or by race or riches or by doing good deeds.

                  Nicodemus is struggling:

Nicodemus said to Him, “How can these things be possible?”  Jn. 3:9 AMP

            Jesus renders a poignant answer to this ‘Teacher’:

“You are the [great and well-known] teacher of Israel, and yet you do not know nor understand these things [from Scripture]? I assure you and most solemnly say to you, we speak only of what we [absolutely] know and testify about what we have [actually] seen [as eyewitnesses]; and [still] you [reject our evidence and] do not accept our testimony. If I told you earthly things [that is, things that happen right here on earth] and you do not believe, how will you believe and trust Me if I tell you heavenly things? Jn. 3:9 – 12. AMP

                  Jesus acknowledges Nicodemus’ struggle. He offers His bona fides:

No one has gone up into heaven, but there is One who came down from heaven, the Son of Man [Himself—whose home is in heaven]. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the [bronze] serpent in the desert [on a pole], so must the Son of Man be lifted up [on the cross], 15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life [after physical death, and will actually live forever]. Jn. 13 – 15. AMP

            Christ is revealing to Nicodemus that He came from heaven, so that He is an authority about it. He refers to Moses lifting a bronze serpent for those who were bitten by serpents for their sin,[3] that when they looked at it, that one sin was forgiven as analogous to Jesus at His crucifixion, where salvation is offered to those who look upon and accept Him as Savior for all sins.

                  Jesus continues and paints the BIG picture for him:

 “For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge and condemn the world [that is, to initiate the final judgment of the world], but that the world might be saved through Him. Jn. 3:16, 17. AMP

Whoever believes and has decided to trust in Him [as personal Savior and Lord] is not judged [for this one, there is no judgment, no rejection, no condemnation];” Jn. 3:18a. AMP

                  Accepting Christ as our savior liberates us from sin and condemnation, now and forever, if we try our best to align with His dictates and repent when we don’t.

            However, things don’t bode well for those who reject Him:

“ …but the one who does not believe [and has decided to reject Him as personal Savior and Lord] is judged already [that one has been convicted and sentenced], because he has not believed and trusted in the name of the [One and] only begotten Son of God [the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, the One who alone can save him].”  Jn. 3:18b AMP

This is the judgment [that is, the cause for indictment, the test by which people are judged, the basis for the sentence]: the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For every wrongdoer hates the Light, and does not come to the Light [but shrinks from it] for fear that his [sinful, worthless] activities will be exposed and condemned.  Jn. 3:19, 20. AMP

            Again, it doesn’t have to be this way:

But whoever practices truth [and does what is right—morally, ethically, spiritually] comes to the Light, so that his works may be plainly shown to be what they are—accomplished in God [divinely prompted, done with God’s help, in dependence on Him].” Jn. 3:21 AMP

                  Christ always has an extended hand.

                  We are not told of any of Nicodemus’ responses to Jesus’ revelations…

            Lastly, I want to segue for a moment. We learned about the cleansing water of the Spirit. But I’d like to touch upon ‘water baptism’ because that has become our public confession in the Christian faith, and we base it upon this Scripture:


“Therefore, the one who confesses and acknowledges Me before men [as Lord and Savior, affirming a state of oneness with Me], that one I will also confess and acknowledge before My Father who is in heaven.” Mt. 10:32 AMP

                  It is also a way that we can potentially help bring others to the kingdom – through our example of faith. Without faith, water baptism would be worthless. Water is only water. It is the connection of the word of God to the water, with faith, that fulfills our requirement.

                  What it is not, is the way to salvation. It is a declaration of the believer of his or her faith in their salvation, by the Holy Spirit sent by Christ.

            Water baptism is a metaphorical demonstration of you being re-birthed as a newly cleansed child of God. Freed from the penalty you rightly deserved for your old worldly behavior, which is now removed by you receiving divine forgiveness.

                  During the baptism, you are confirming that your old worldly self has been buried (symbolized by the immersion process), and that you have been resurrected cleansed from sin (represented by rising out ot the water).

                  We must die to the life we lived and the meanings we brought to it, to be able to live a new life – one that is revealed in the word of God. Water baptism begins with the repentance of the actions of your flesh and ends with your declaration of your faith in the Godhead.

            True Salvation comes (your having been made righteous from the cleansing blood of Christ), comes when you ask Jehovah for Spiritual rebirth by petitioning Him to fill you with the Holy Spirit.

                  Only then do you become related to God in the most intimate way, becoming His child for all eternity if you continue to do your best to live a godly life and repent when you don’t. Jesus will always be by your side.

                  Next time, we will learn about the living waters!

                  Goodnight and God Bless.

[1] Dt. 4:2

[2] Ezk. 36:25 – 27.

[3] Nm. 21:4- 9.

Jesus Gathers Disciples, Performs a Miracle and Cleans House

In our last encounter, we got a brief glimpse of His childhood, witnessed His baptism, and Jesus’ victory over Satan. (See Christ as a Boy and a Warrior). Here’s what happens next…

                  Immediately after His victorious battle with the devil, Jesus begins His return journey to Galilee. Along the way, He encounters John the Baptist and his disciples. John immediately exclaims.

“Look! The Lamb of God!” Jn:136 AMP

                  Two of John’s disciples decide to follow Jesus:

The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. And Jesus turned and saw them following Him, and asked them, “What do you want?” They answered Him, “Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?” He said to them, “Come, and you will see.” So they went [with Him] and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two who heard what John said and [as a result] followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first looked for and found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which translated means the Christ). Jn. 37 – 41. AMP

                  (The unnamed disciple has traditionally been identified as John). When Simon Peter approaches, Jesus says:

“You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas (which is translated Peter).” Jn. 11:42 AMP

            The following day, Jesus and His trio of disciples went to Galilee, where He conscripts a man named Philip, who in turn ran to get his friend, Nathanael, telling him that he found the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth.

                  Nathanael responded by asking if anything good could come from Nazareth, seeing as how it was a small insignificant town. Philip asks him to see for himself.

                  As they approached Jesus, He said:

“Here is an Israelite indeed [a true descendant of Jacob], in whom there is no guile nor deceit nor duplicity!”  Jn. 1:47 AMP

            Jesus is alluding to Nathanael as being a true man of faith. Nathanael retorts:

“How do you know these things about me?”

And Jesus responds: “Before Philip called you, when you were still under the fig tree, I saw you.” Jn. 1:48 AMP

                  That Jesus could have seen him in a vision, where he indeed had been under that very, tree was enough to convince him:

“Rabbi (Teacher), You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel.” Jn. 1:49. AMP

                  Jesus answers him basically telling him he hasn’t seen anything yet:

“I assure you and most solemnly say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man [the bridge between heaven and earth].” Jn. 1:51 AMP

            Two days later, Jesus and his quintet of disciples are invited to a wedding, where Mary, his mother, was in attendance as well. She approaches Jesus and tells Him that the host has run out of wine, (a social disaster in Jewish culture.)

                  Jesus answers:

“[Dear] woman, [b]what is that to you and to Me? My time [to act and to be revealed] has not yet come.” Jn. 2:4 AMP

                  Mary cleverly ignores her Son and tells the servants to do whatever He says. Jesus tells them to fill six each 20-gallon or 30-gallon pots with water, which He transforms into unparalleled wine.

This, the first of His signs (attesting miracles), Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and revealed His glory [displaying His deity and His great power openly], and His disciples believed [confidently] in Him [as the Messiah—they adhered to, trusted in, and relied on Him]. Jn. 2:11 AMP

                  Passover was approaching; so, Jesus and His retinue went to the temple in Jerusalem. In the outer courtyard, He saw money changers, and people selling animals for sacrifice. He was not pleased:

He made a whip of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; then to those who sold the doves He said, “Take these things away! Stop making My Father’s house a place of commerce!” His disciples remembered that it is written [in the Scriptures], “Zeal (love, concern) for Your house [and its honor] will consume Me.”[1]  Jn. 2:15 – 17. AMP

                  The Jews were upset at His behavior and asked what kind of miracles He could show them that would attest to Jesus’ authority for His behavior. He answers:

 “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” Then the Jews replied, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and You will raise it up in three days?” But He was speaking of the temple which was His body. So when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered what He had said. And they believed and trusted in and relied on the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken. Jn. 2:19 – 22. AMP

Jesus increases in stature every time we encounter Him, yes?

Next time, a big mental shuffling for Nicodemus…

Goodnight and God bless.

[1] Ps.69:9

Christ as a Boy and a Warrior

Last time, we looked at all the events that surrounded Jesus during and shortly after His birth. (See What Happened When Christ Came to the Earth)

            The account of Jesus’ childhood is very brief. Luke sets the stage by showing how His Father is intimately caring for His Son:

And the Child continued to grow and become strong [in spirit], filled with wisdom; and the grace (favor, spiritual blessing) of God was upon Him. Lk. 2:40 AMP

                  On an earthly level, we encounter Jesus as a 12-year-old boy, taking a caravan trip to Jerusalem for the Passover feast. When Mary and Joseph were returning home to Nazareth, they discovered that Jesus was missing. So, they returned to Jerusalem to find Him.

                  Three days later, they find Him in the Temple court:

…sitting among the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. All who heard Him were amazed by His intelligence and His understanding and His answers. Lk. 2:46, 47. AMP

                  Mary chided Him, saying she and His father Joseph were very concerned at His missing. Jesus responds:

“Why did you have to look for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?” Lk. 2:49 AMP

                  Even at the age of 12, Jesus was cognizant of who His real Father was.

                  The remainder of Jesus’ childhood is compressed into this short passage:

Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. And his mother stored all these things in her heart.

Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people. Lk. 2:51,52. NLT

            Now we are being transported into when Jesus, as a young man, encountered His 6 months elder and third cousin on Mary’s side, John the Baptist, who, at this time was consumed with doing God’s work:

…in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas [his son-in-law], the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness. And he went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin; as it is written and forever remains written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

“The voice of one shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.


‘Every ravine shall be filled up, and every mountain and hill shall be leveled; and the crooked [places] shall be made straight, and the rough roads smooth;
and all mankind shall see the salvation of God.’”  Lk. 3:2-8. AMP

                  John was baptizing people in the Jordan River – leading them to repent of their sins, transforming them into willing vessels for Christ’s redemption.

                  Even Rabbis from the Pharisee and Sadducees sects showed up. John rebuked them, knowing they believed that just by being Abraham’s descendants, their salvation was guaranteed. John chides them:

“Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.” Mt. 3:10 NLT

            Approximately 27 A.D., Jesus went to the Jordan River to be baptized. John sees Him approaching and he cries out:

“Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He on behalf of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I and has priority over me, for He existed before me.’ Jn. 1:29, 30. AMP

                  John is saying that Jesus possesses a much greater spiritual authority; and as far as ‘existing before me’, John is 6 months’ older than Jesus. So, he is referring to the fact that He has existed before time itself. He is also saying that Christ takes away the sins of the Gentiles as well. That had to rattle those Rabbis.

                  The Baptizer focuses on the supremacy of Jesus again:

“As for me, I baptize you with water because of [your] repentance [that is, because you are willing to change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret your sin and live a changed life], but He (the Messiah) who is coming after me is mightier [more powerful, more noble] than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to remove [even as His slave]; He will baptize you [who truly repent] with the Holy Spirit and [you who remain unrepentant] with fire (judgment). His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear out His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat (believers) into His barn (kingdom), but He will burn up the chaff (the unrepentant) with unquenchable fire.” Mt. 3:11 – 14. AMP

                  No fluff here!

Jesus approaches John to be baptized. John protests:

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan [River], to be baptized by him… “It is I who need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?”  Mt. 3:13, 14. AMP

                  Christ responds:

“Permit it just now; for this is the fitting way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John permitted [it and baptized] Him. 

After Jesus was baptized, He came up immediately out of the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he (John) saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him (Jesus), and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased and delighted!” Mt. 3:15 – 17. AMP

                  The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit together! Jesus’ ministerial commission has just been granted.

            Note that Jesus did not need to be baptized. He was sinless. He did so to show the people (us) that He willingly stepped into a sacrificial role for a sinful humankind, so that everyone had access to salvation. Also, He gave John a major validation for his ministry to the people present.

                  Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry. Lk. 4:1, 2. NLT

                  Nothing like facing the ultimate test at the beginning of His ministry – standing toe to toe as the Warrior) with Satan himself:

Then the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to turn into bread.” 

Jesus replied to him, “It is written and forever remains written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone’” Lk. 4:3, 4. AMP

“…but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God.” Mt. 4:4 AMP

                  Jesus is quoting Dt. 8:3. This is His approach with all of Satan’s temptations – answering them with Scripture. (This demonstrates the importance of memorizing some of them.)

            But what is the devil trying to persuade our Warrior to do? He wants Him to satisfy His own needs over His Father’s, to satiate His lust of the flesh instead of faithfully relying on God’s provisions.

                  Before we continue with this spiritual duel, let’s move back and take in the big picture. Jesus first prepared Himself for this encounter with the enemy by filling Himself with the Holy Spirit, and then fasted to bring complete acuity to His Spiritual focus. And what happens? He’s attacked.

                  This is a very common scenario with people of faith. They hit a place of higher spiritual growth, and what happens? The adversary immediately plants doubt in your thoughts – sending you back into a tailspin of your old godless behaviors or trying to make you think your new spiritual experience was inauthentic. He speaks only lies.

                  Satan is real. Jesus spoke of him more than anyone in Scripture.

                  The word of God protects us when we use it.[1]

                  The Devil tries another tactic, saying:

Then the devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. “I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them,” the devil said, “because they are mine to give to anyone I please. I will give it all to you if you will worship me.” Lk. 4:5 – 7. NLT

            Satan was granted dominance over the world by God for only a short time. It was ultimately promised to Christ. Had Jesus succumbed to the ‘lust of the eyes’, He would have forfeited His role as Savior.

                  Jesus strikes back:

“It is written and forever remains written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve only Him.’” Lk. 4:8 AMP

                  Again, Jesus fights back with the word of God.[2]

                  Finally, the devil takes Jesus to the top of the Temple, and says:

“If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect and guard you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’” Lk. 4:9 – 11. NLT

                  The Son of God hits him again by declaring His Father’s dictates[3]:

“It is said [in Scripture], ‘you shall not tempt the Lord your God [to prove Himself to you].’” Lk. 4:12 AMP

            Thus, we too must place our faith in God’s word instead of arrogantly demanding He manifest it according to our will.

                  Yahoo! Our Champion won this skirmish hands down. However, Satan has not given up yet:

When the devil had finished every temptation, he [temporarily] left Him until a more opportune time. Lk. 4:13 AMP

                  Jesus begins gathering His apostles next time!

                  Goodnight and God Bless.

[1] Eph.6:11-18.

[2] Dt. 6:13

[3] Dt. 6;16

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