Luke 4:5-13 – The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours." Jesus answered, "It is written: `Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'"
The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. For it is written: " `He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" Jesus answered, "It says: `Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.
 
The devil tempted Jesus to make the cravings of His flesh more important than God’s Word when he prodded Him to turn a stone into bread.  Next he tempted Jesus to take a shortcut and circumvent God’s plan to grant Him authority over all things through the way of the cross.  All Jesus had to do was worship the devil and the evil one would grant him authority over all the kingdoms of the world.  The devil then tempted Jesus in a third arena that often worked for him with others who would be willing to sell their soul.  This old tempter thought Jesus might be eager to get publicity by using a stunt that would get a lot of attention, thus proving to the entire watching world who He really was!  Since Jesus was God’s Son, and since God had promised to guard Him with His angels, can’t you see that this would be a wonderful plan to accomplish what Jesus came to do without all that suffering and death that was included in God’s plan!  Then, not succeeding in these efforts, the devil left Jesus until an opportune time – probably just before He would face the cross, while He was praying in the Garden!
Jesus resisted the devil with the Word!  Each time Satan tried his wiles, Jesus said, “It is written…”  “Man does not live on bread alone.”  “Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.”  “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”  With these three rebukes from the Word, the devil was driven off!  The Word of God is powerful!  Jesus’ example ought to move us to feast from it daily!  It should inspire us to worship and serve God ONLY!  And, His example should teach us that we ought not to put God to the test, whereby we force Him to act according to His nature and promises on behalf of our personal interests. 
Let’s not miss the fact that, in His temptation, Jesus affirmed the authority of the WRITTEN WORD OF GOD!  The Holy Scripture is eternal!  Every single punctuation mark will last forever!  And most importantly, this is the document by which all mankind will one day be judged!  We are accountable to the WRITTEN WORD OF GOD!  By it, our sin is revealed!  In it’s pages, God’s salvation from our sins is made known!  If we, too, would overcome temptation from the world, the flesh and the devil, then we must know the WRITTEN WORD OF GOD and we must use it as the basis for all of our faith and life practice!
 
Thursday:                                                                                                          
  • Meet together with at least 1 or 2 other believers to enter the Throne Room of Grace.
  • Join our 6:00pm Thursday night prayer team.         
Friday:                                         
  • Thank God for His WRITTEN Word!
  • Pray for the Good News families of the week: Ruth Doolittle, Adam Doud, Joan Doud.
Saturday:       
  • Praise God that He has given us knowledge of what is sin in His WRITTEN Word.
Sunday:                                                                  
  • Thank God for making known the plan of salvation in His WRITTEN Word! 
 Monday:                                                                                              
  • Celebrate the fact that God will preserve His WRITTEN Word forever!
  • Attend “In Touch” Prayer meeting at GNCC at 10:30am or join in prayer at that time.
 Tuesday:       
  • Pray that you will become more effective in using the WRITTEN Word to resist temptation.
Wednesday:   
  • Pray that you will not enter into temptation and that God’s Word will direct your life and faith!
 
Prayer Challenge: Don’t give the devil a foothold!  Make God’s will and serving Him to be your supreme choice! Oh that His kingdom would come and His will may be done on earth as it is in heaven!  Become so thoroughly acquainted with the WRITTEN WORD and its Author that you can apply it in ever facet of life!  Allow God to lead you in paths of righteousness and trust Him to deliver you in the hour of temptation.

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