The Word This Week
Matt 4:1…
Freshly ordained, where does the Holy Spirit lead Jesus?
Just like Moses before Him - and king David as well - Jesus was led into a time in the desert.
Moses spent 40 years on the backside of the desert waiting for his ministry to begin. David spent more than a decade waiting to actually become king over all Israel after being ordained so many years earlier by Samuel.
What do these seasons of ‘waiting’ produce in us? Why are they necessary?
One answer is: Faithfulness can only be proven by remaining faithful in difficult circumstances. A faith that cannot be tested cannot be trusted.
Often our faith is challenged for the sake of ourselves. (So we can see all we are capable of withstanding.)
Often our faith is challenged because of the witness our faithfulness provides for others. (So they can see all THEY are capable of withstanding when the need for faithfulness arises in their lives.)
It is difficult to imagine how faith worked in the life of Christ. After all, He was God in flesh. But apparently His body of flesh was subject to the same kinds of difficulties our bodies of flesh are subject to - hunger being one of those difficulties. That Jesus was led into hunger by the Holy Spirit is inarguable.
For forty days and forty nights Jesus fasted. The thinking might be He was at His weakest state. (That’s probably what Satan thought.) Hunger had set in to such an extent unless Jesus ate, He was in danger of starving to death.
It is in perceived moments of weakness the enemy attacks. And this is the lesson for us here. (Among many.) The enemy is ALWAYS overcome when we speak forth the Word of God. The sword of the Spirit is as effective for us as it was for Jesus.
Pastor Bill
Freshly ordained, where does the Holy Spirit lead Jesus?
Just like Moses before Him - and king David as well - Jesus was led into a time in the desert.
Moses spent 40 years on the backside of the desert waiting for his ministry to begin. David spent more than a decade waiting to actually become king over all Israel after being ordained so many years earlier by Samuel.
What do these seasons of ‘waiting’ produce in us? Why are they necessary?
One answer is: Faithfulness can only be proven by remaining faithful in difficult circumstances. A faith that cannot be tested cannot be trusted.
Often our faith is challenged for the sake of ourselves. (So we can see all we are capable of withstanding.)
Often our faith is challenged because of the witness our faithfulness provides for others. (So they can see all THEY are capable of withstanding when the need for faithfulness arises in their lives.)
It is difficult to imagine how faith worked in the life of Christ. After all, He was God in flesh. But apparently His body of flesh was subject to the same kinds of difficulties our bodies of flesh are subject to - hunger being one of those difficulties. That Jesus was led into hunger by the Holy Spirit is inarguable.
For forty days and forty nights Jesus fasted. The thinking might be He was at His weakest state. (That’s probably what Satan thought.) Hunger had set in to such an extent unless Jesus ate, He was in danger of starving to death.
It is in perceived moments of weakness the enemy attacks. And this is the lesson for us here. (Among many.) The enemy is ALWAYS overcome when we speak forth the Word of God. The sword of the Spirit is as effective for us as it was for Jesus.
Pastor Bill