....last but not least
Did you ever get an impression that somehow you were destined for greatness? That you are a very special person? There is just enough truth to that, to make this a very powerful temptation to that old first Adam in each of us. Each and every one of us is actually very special. We are created in the image of God. We are very special to Him. He sent His Son to die so we would once again be able to walk and talk with Father in the gardens of our lives! God wants to restore us to the greatness that He has destined for us....not some phony greatness that Satan is offering us.
Satan comers to Jesus this 3rd time now and tells Him just how special He is.... you are the Son of God...now that is special.... you can do something really spectacular here and everyone will know just how special you really are.... just take a dive off the top of the temple and land gently in the midst of all those religious folks down there....all those folks waiting for their Messiah ...what a grand entrance that would make for your acceptance as the really, really special person that you are! Maybe we could blow a horn first to get their attention, get them looking up and see you up here all ready to take off! Sorry... couldn't resist the embellishment..... I've seen a few religious TV shows! :)
"And he led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here; 10* for it is written, ‘HE WILL GIVE HIS ANGELS CHARGE CONCERNING YOU TO GUARD YOU, 11 and, ‘ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, LEST YOU STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.’”
12* And Jesus answered and said to him, “It is said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.’” 13* And when the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time."
That temptation comes to each and every one of us. No exceptions....unless.... we have already been convinced by Satan that we are the very opposite of special .... we are just some worthless, useless piece of dung. But then Jesus comes along and gets into our lives...... we see who we are in Him and what we can be as we fulfill His plan and purpose for our lives..... then the evil one gets nervous and goes the temptation route. Satan does not like useless Philip suddenly becoming potentially useful Philip.
I will give you some illustrations of this from my life next time..... some may make you laugh.... some may make you cry.... but whatever way it goes, my hope is that you will see very clearly how Satan uses this stuff to keep us from ever becoming everything He has designed us to be.
:)
Satan comers to Jesus this 3rd time now and tells Him just how special He is.... you are the Son of God...now that is special.... you can do something really spectacular here and everyone will know just how special you really are.... just take a dive off the top of the temple and land gently in the midst of all those religious folks down there....all those folks waiting for their Messiah ...what a grand entrance that would make for your acceptance as the really, really special person that you are! Maybe we could blow a horn first to get their attention, get them looking up and see you up here all ready to take off! Sorry... couldn't resist the embellishment..... I've seen a few religious TV shows! :)
"And he led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here; 10* for it is written, ‘HE WILL GIVE HIS ANGELS CHARGE CONCERNING YOU TO GUARD YOU, 11 and, ‘ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, LEST YOU STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.’”
12* And Jesus answered and said to him, “It is said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.’” 13* And when the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time."
That temptation comes to each and every one of us. No exceptions....unless.... we have already been convinced by Satan that we are the very opposite of special .... we are just some worthless, useless piece of dung. But then Jesus comes along and gets into our lives...... we see who we are in Him and what we can be as we fulfill His plan and purpose for our lives..... then the evil one gets nervous and goes the temptation route. Satan does not like useless Philip suddenly becoming potentially useful Philip.
I will give you some illustrations of this from my life next time..... some may make you laugh.... some may make you cry.... but whatever way it goes, my hope is that you will see very clearly how Satan uses this stuff to keep us from ever becoming everything He has designed us to be.
:)
