“And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” (Luke 4:5-8 KJV).
These verses give us a great demonstration of the Lord’s love for us because His crucifixion would not have happened had He not resisted the devil's lame offer. He has no authority to offer it! This deception and temptation revolves around the struggle between the spirit and the sinful physical realm. The Lord was deceptively offered a shortcut to dominion of the world, one that would not require His suffering and death. Yet, because of His love for us, He chose the long hard road of Calvary that led to Golgotha.
"In a moment of time," speaks of the fleeting nature of earthly things and the ephemeral "happen" ness it gives. Highlighting the human desire for control, fame, influence and power, it also reflects the ongoing battle between good and evil, as Satan tries to lure the Lord Jesus away from His divine mission and passion. The Lord Jesus, in the harsh rebuke of His response to the devil, would not compromise on this preeminent truth — only God alone is to be honored and worshiped as God! No matter the physical costs, risks or consequences, the Lord Jesus reminded us that we are to serve and worship God alone!
In the heavenly realm, named morning star, Satan attempted this same coup of power, hence was cast out of heaven (Isaiah 14:12-15). The Lord Jesus shows us the power of Scripture. As children of God by faith in Christ Jesus, it is our first choice of weapon against our enemies. In our battles as true believers in Christ Jesus (and there will be many) in this post resurrection time of grace dispensation we are in, we have this instruction, as it is written: “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,” (Ephesians 6:16-17 ESV).
And I say, AMEN!
Daily reflections by:
F. A. Frias
PFC Ministries
When God says... I say, AMEN! is a provocative reflection of the Lord's holy Word. It intends to challenge every seeker of truth to dig deep into the core of the Word of Life to point every being to Christ Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith, and to draw revelations for change, for nourishment and for strength of every soul.
Partners For Christ Ministries, INC
P. O. Box 773716
Ocala, FL 34477
Touching lives in Cambodia, The Philippines, The Middle East, The USA, and... other countries.
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