Several things happen during the time of temptation of Jesus, today's lesson's on the second and third temptation of Jesus. Devil took Jesus to a high mountain and shewed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time or instant/mediately. . Devil had the ability to transport Jesus, that an eery thought. It only took a moment for the devil to do this. Devil says look I can give you everything you desire if you will worship me. Now Jesus knew what heaven looked like, what the world already looked like and even hell looked like, and there is no comparison I assure you. Yet the devil tempting Jesus as he would a man. Jesus response as a man, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve. Man was only to worship the Lord God. Why then does man worship Jesus? Simple really, let us learn a little secret. Satan was testing this man to see who he was. His next temptation speaks volumes often over looked. Satan takes to the top of the temple, Get the image in your mind what this represents is God's power over the temple. Satan first recognizing Jesus as God. yet it goes further, Satan's next comment is cast yourself down. In otherwords come off your petal stool God and allow the ministers in the temple to be over you and you will not touch the ground, for the ministers will protect you. Satan was saying submit to the leaders of the temple, submit to their authority and you will not have to worry about the reason you came to earth. In other word Satan is saying if you not going to submit to me at least submit to the authority of man to save your own soul. Jesus then declare who he was by saying to him do not tempt the Lord your God. He revealed himself to Satan. The second to the final war declared.

Now I have taught this passage many times, and looked at many different ways and yet had missed the point more then once. I love when I miss a point because it allows me to go back later and pick up the point. Sometimes we need instant food and other times we need meat. This is meat today. The coming with the fact Satan is trying hard to save this man Jesus only to discover his true identy. Lord God was in the flesh as a man. This man was fully God, and the flesh was veiled his Spirit. If I take this passage all the way to the cross one might think it kind of a subtle warning of Satan to say I am going to kill you, but I got to build a case against you first and so the devil begin his plot from this day forward to destroy Jesus. Seeing him as a man not understanding the power of God to raise himself up. Not knowing God was willing to forgive us instead of all us from being a slave to Satan's power or authority.

We are instructed to be citizens of the law, so is Christ being a rebel of the laws established or only living by the law of who He is. Christ is said to be humble, but yet Paul and Old Testament teaches to respect your teachers and people in authority. Jesus through ministery showed respect but also stood up and spoke truth that at times would appear not to show the respect for there leaders. Jesus spoke and taught with authority as if he was over the Priesthood. Yet Christ served the people in humbleness, through teaching and healing. If a minister is called to speak truth he can not lie to the people. He or she must speak with authority given by God. Ministers speaking with authority of God granted by God should be able to speak truth about God's word, because they know God's word is true. They can take God's word to the bank of faith. Pharisees and Saduccees and other temple teachers did not speak with that same authority when speaking to Jesus, instead they sat and questioned Jesus of things he taught with blinders on who Jesus was truly, if they had understood and had desire to know God in the flesh they would of come to repentance. Those that were able to see spoke not, for there were a few who knew who Jesus was.

Let us go a step further the last verse said that Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit. Now we must understand Jesus body was human flesh but the spirit of Christ was God. Yesterday's lesson said God is Spirit in scripture, coming from chapter 4 of John. Yet His physical body after forty days of fasting, and the temptation of Satan his physical body needed strengthen to walk into Galilee. Spirit can move without a body. The physical body of Christ is man and is weak physically after being tempted, his body would succumb to the cross. Jesus ministry was about to begin and physically he is exhausted. Jesus is touched by our infirmities scripture declares, i have to find the verse, but the point being Jesus knows how we feel in our bodies. He knows what the flesh is enduring. These human experience would take him to the cross where He says Father just forgive them, they do not know what they are doing. Stop right there.

I want to continue in the paragraph with the thought man does not know what he is doing. Man desired both a king, and a religious leader between God and man. Moses was the first intercessor the second intercessor was a king, and he was a king who life would turn against God's authority completely. Today when the world sits down to make laws it like if this doesn't work we will try something else. In the church the rules are simple if something needs changing red tape it for a time before the right board that been established takes time to pray over it and hopefully God is then sought for direction. But in truth sometimes something is of God only to be slowed down not by God but by man and God uses it to teach man, to obey Him. The church that has committees must come to terms not everything will be approved by members. For not every members have learned to pray about decisions of the church. Yet this is the beginning of how conflicted is established in the church of things disagreed with because those without knowledge of God's word is making decision not of God based on the world's standards. It is as simple allowing circular music being used in some churches to draw a crowd or as one person said it last week to me it makes people happy. I thought to myself Lord have mercy when the church needs to be cleansed of unholiness like in the days of Christ before His persecution. Why is Jesus saying forgive us, He created us and created us with the ability to obey others that were not Him. Yet God desires us to worship him. Desires us to love Him more then His creation. Man on earth would worship the things of this earth in subjection to the earth, not understand one of the first commands of God gave man authority over the earth to subdue it and to care for it. Instead man fearful of huge animals and slithering snakes gave away their own authority God had granted them only to for them to give the devil authority that was not theirs to give. Because instead of asking God to take care of the bear and lion, they asked a devil. It is the authority of devil that is destroying God's creation instead of man caring for it.

Satan took the authority man had placed on him and tempted Jesus, to have him betray God. This my friends is why Satan thinks he can control everything, failing to remember the power of God and the fact God created even Satan. Giving rise to anyone with no authority to do so comes the responsibility of the people. The rise of God's leaders come from the authority of God. Evil leaders arise according to scripture God has the power to redeem his people from their sins. because Satan thought he could destroy God. Christ own resurrection and those raptured up at the time of Christ death was proof we are no longer prisoners of Satan authority. As a beleiver are you imprisoned by Satan's authority? If you are imprisoned by sin, you are in prison of Satan's authority. If you have no authority to change your circumstances you imprisoned by your circumstances. Christ was imprisoned by his fleshly body as he walked the earth, not complete for he has walked the earth and He baptized his disciples with His Spirit and even after His resurrection. His Spirit resting on each and every believer, we only have to obey His authority to see this world change. Now the laws of man that are for the good of the people and for the safety of the people are laws of protection. Satan does not care about your protection. He cares not if you fall and break your neck. Jesus cares when you fall and that why He right there ready to pick you up, when you reach up. The story of the good Samaritan did the angels/minister pick up the man in the ditch. If minister walked by you and refused to help you would you want to be in his church. If you knew the minister was poor would you then say perhaps he was unable to do what you needed doing? What if he say he will be praying and God opened a door for you to fix your problem, then would you believe he was called by God? Peter and John told a cripple man at the temple he had no money but he commanded him to get up and walk in the name of Jesus and He did so and the man was healed. The authority that was given to the apostles is still with us today by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on every believer. Yet not all is healed and not all are made whole and the answer lies within scripture of both lack of faith and the purpose of the miracles. Are miracles still flowing in the church world the answer is yes, God still in the miracle business. Despite myself being healed more then once, some wholeness still takes time. We can not forget the miracle that Jesus did that the man was healed part way and that stood partially blind until Christ took authority a second time. Sometimes faith has to be put into practice. Do you have that much faith. Most of us do not, yet we believe in the risen Lord.

If you think about Thomas who need to see the nail scared hands, only for Christ to say blessed are those that believed without seeing. The testimony of the Spirit is greater then the testimony of the human sight. The Holy Spirit's authority over man comes and covers us to bring us to conviction. I was listening to a story the other day online, can't remember who it was but it was of a gay man that got saved. He became straight. It was his story that caught my attention about how he was lead to Christ. A man prayed for him in a church service. He went back and sat down. All at once the power of God came upon him and convicted him of sin. Those saved know that convicting power. Yet it was his description that reminded me of that convicting power of the Holy Spirit that tells you when you sin. No this was not in my church. If we not filled up that conviction is just not as strong and our knowledge of our own sin is buried in the muck of the world. The conviction of the Spirit is what changes our life for a life pleasing to God. When that last time you asked God to clean your house. To clean out those places hidden that are filled with sin. You want change have a heart to heart talk with God. Ask Jesus to be your Savior if you have not and ask him to forgive you of your sins and fill you with HIs Spirit to teach you the right way to live and to continue to purge sin out of your life. Whose authority today do you rest in the power of the enemy or the power of God. It is your choice, make it today before it becomes to late.

Dear Heavenly Father I thank you for your authority, and I trust in your authority in my life today. Remind me daily of your power in Jesus name, Amen

Continual Scripture Study for Devotion: John 20:26-31 KJV
26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:
31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.