God Bless you Pastor Jude for your message to us today! Have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend! Love you and Liv very much!
Jude Sisneros
So these back to back things that have hit my health, my family, my finances can only lead me to Gods Word in these times.. It’s easy to say “Why us Lord?” I want resolve quickly, I want the here and now answers, I cry out to God in this wilderness time .. And I came upon this scripture seeking solace, Luke 4:2 “Jesus was in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil”. This is one of many wilderness times the Bible speaks about.. And Jesus happened to be one of them… Bottom line, Jesus spent a month and 10 days slugging it out with Satan. Sometimes the wilderness is as long as a lonely winter.. Can I get an amen? In the wilderness times we think the unthinkable.. When Jesus was being tempted by the devil, I wonder if wild possibilities crossed his mind, he was all God and yet all man, I wonder what thoughts crossed his mind when Satan asked him to team up with him? Jesus had been given a choice , to be a dictator, or a Savior.. I don’t know what he thought .. But I know what he did.. He spoke the Word of God.. I just know this.. He was tempted.. In James 1:13-15 “When tempted, no one should say, ” God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone, but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death.” Jesus was tempted , but even while in his desert time, he didn’t allow his fleshly desires to conceive…but the devil never gave up, because in Luke 4:13 it says”when the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him(meaning Jesus) until another opportune time”. The key word is ” Opportune”. And if he did it to Jesus he will wait for an opportune time for us. Bottom line… Temptation drags you and entices you.. When things are going smooth what was unimaginable prior to the wilderness becomes possible in it.. A rocky marriage can make a good man look twice at the wrong woman, sickness makes even the strongest soul consider giving up, stress makes even the smokiest nightclub smell sweet.. The wilderness can make you think the unthinkable .. Wilderness is the breeding place for addictions, binge eating, gambling, drinking, pornography.. The Devils short term solutions to deep hurts and problems.. In Jesus, they typically have no appeal, but in the wilderness , we give thought to the unthinkable.. So we must urge ourselves and others to do what Jesus did.. Rely on Scriptures.. Doubt your doubts.. Before doubting beliefs.. Jesus told Satan , ” Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4). In other words.. God is constantly and aggressively communicating with this dying world THROUGH HIS WORD!! I know my desert time will pass.. And so will yours.. And when u seek his word.. The devil will leave, he left Jesus.. And who knows.. Like Jesus.. Angels might come and assist us.. That is all