Matthew 4:1-2 "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred."
Jesus Christ cannot be tempted, so why did the Holy Spirit lead Him into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil? Christ fasted forty days and forty nights (forty represents probation) beforehand. It's not a coincidence that the temptation in the wilderness occurred right at the beginning of Christ's Ministry. The story is an ensample, showing you the pattern of what's ahead, what you'll face, and how to live as a CHRISTian. GOD put these lessons together for you. Christ went through this trial, as a flesh man in an extremely fasted state, and did it perfectly. Fasting demonstrates very quickly how weak and demanding the flesh can be.
Animals discriminate; bully; dominate; become jealous; get angry; experience loneliness, etc. If you find yourself behaving like a beast, carnal is exactly what you're being. The carnal mind is enmity with GOD, so cut it out. Christ is reminding you to always keep your spirit strong and disciplined, in control over the flesh. To be spiritually minded is Life and Peace. You get your spiritual stomach fuller, than your physical one, by filling up with the WORD. Don't think that your temptations are over, once you've repented and are saved. Now is the beginning of the fiercest battles that you will ever face.
Mathew 4:3 "And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of GOD, command that these stones be made bread."
Mathew 4:4 "But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of GOD."
Deuteronomy 8:3 "And He humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that He might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live."
The first lesson is man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceedeth out of the mouth of GOD. For it is written in Deuteronomy 8:3. Who is the Living Word? Jesus CHRIST. Israel was fed manna, angel's food, in the wilderness and were disobedient to GOD. Christ hungered, fasting 40 days and nights, and was obedient. Remember, also, Israel wandered in the wilderness for forty years (40 = probation.) If you want more wisdom and truth, you'll have to be consistent in nourishing your spirit with the WORD. When you go on a fast, you don't intend to never eat again. It's the same with GOD'S WORD, because you don't just stop. There is no magic pill that will instantly whip you into good shape and health. There's no quick fix in growing and maturing as a Christian, so you must put in the work. It takes some time for your mind to come out of indoctrination and to hear as the learned. You have to pass probation.
Isaiah 50:4 "The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned."
Learning and applying the WORD to your life, and sharing it with others, takes practice. Your new diet and exercise routine will not tranform your body in a few days. The same holds true concerning your spiritual and mental health. You must learn to undo and stop the indoctrination, coming from the world, from propagating within your mind. You want to feed your mind with Truth and introduce the meat of GOD'S WORD into your spiritual diet. "Morning by morning" means having discipline, consistency and persistence. If your mind functions normally, it's always ready to absorb. Treat others as you want to be treated, so treat and feed your mind well, and it will yield good strength and health. Eat from the LORD'S Table and partake of the unleavened Bread of Life. The Truth, Christ, will make you free.
Your life in the flesh shouldn't focus on self importance, but it must be Christ centered, focused on loving and serving the Living GOD. Blessing (loving) GOD and serving Him, doing the work that He has for you to do, must always come first. It's important to get your priorities in shape.
Ezekiel 20:18-19 "But I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols: I am the LORD your GOD; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them;"
Why is the WORD, Jesus CHRIST, in written form? How do you feed your spirit, the intellect of your soul, and your physical mind at the same time? You feed your spirit through reading and hearing the WORD. Learning and absorbing the WORD helps your spirit and mind stay full, healthy and nourished. Nothing exercises your mind like studying, reading, writing and teaching. There are many forms of communication that can be clear as an audible voice. We are also to help those that have disabilities and do the best we can for them, because they deserve our attention, care and assistance.
When you feed your physical body with junk, you will experience sickness and malnutrition. When you feed your mind with junk, the same occurs. You can keep your physical and mental health in order, but completely neglect your spiritual health. The programs - via the four hidden dynasties - from the world do nothing for your spirit. You must eat from the LORD'S Table and drink from the cup that runneth over with Truth. The WORD nourishes your spiritual body with wisdom, truth and understanding. Studying the Scriptures will also improve your mental abilities, such as communication, ability to focus, analytical skills and memory. Both your physical mind and body will reach maturity, blossom/peak and start heading downhill. However, the WORD blooms continually and will do the same for your spirit... it never fades away or reaches a point of diminishing returns. Your mind needs to stay sharp, because it stores the memory files for GOD'S Truth, to be utilized by the Holy Spirit. You must continuously exercise your mind and spirit in the WORD. You study; learn; absorb and digest; meditate; live and share the WORD. Some folks babysit their Bibles, carrying it around one day a week, sing a few songs, and then go right back into the ways and mentality of the world, chasing and making idols of things as the heathen.
Don't walk in the mindset and ways of worldly men nor carry their indoctrination, traditions and false doctrines. If you want to serve GOD for all eternity, He wants to know if you can be depended on and trusted. This life journey is with Christ and you'll be refined like gold through the fire, to become the man or woman that ALMIGHTY GOD intended you to be, with a calling, purpose and destiny in Him. The finished product (your faith, life and character) will be better than what you can ever accomplish on your own. Put the self, former man in the grave, for you are a new creature in Christ.
1 Peter 1:6-7 "Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:"
2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
To be continued...
Peace in CHRIST JESUS,
Spread-the-Truth
Mr baptist.
