If You...

with Lot Msipha 

Luke 4:1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,  4:2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.  4:3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.  4:4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.  4:5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.  4:6 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.  4:7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.  4:8 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.  4:9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:  4:10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:  4:11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.  4:12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.  4:13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.

Introduction

Today I will like us to look at the temptations of Jesus though I will not look at them closely because of time. For today I will look at a few things. 

A:  filled with Holy Ghost the spirit led him to the desert.

# then in our minds let's think about the desert of which my mind went to the children of Israel experience after the red sea.

# all who crossed died along the way with exception of Joshua and Caleb.

# as believers though we are worshipping together we are sent to different deserts or wilderness as I prefer to call it.

# we are in the covid pandemic I will call it a desert because prayers being offered the whole world but it is not going.

@ Here I want to draw the a paralysis.

# the SPIRIT led him to the desert, THE DEVIL led him to the Holy City the temple.

# I don't know how the holy City look like but I want us to think about the temple which l know.

- powerful pastors who are ministering deliverance,

 praise and worship team,

 a good fellowship.

- l love this what a good fellowship people sharing their victories in the Lord.

# let's move on with our message

- the spirit let him to the desert where there is a painful experience and the devil lead him to the city where there is a joyful experience.

# most of the time when we are in the desert/wilderness we blame the devil when we are in the  temple we praise the Lord.

# what l know in the wilderness / desert experience kulogcinwa [will sustain]. 

# always when l am in the wilderness my prayer is for the Lord keep me through so that one day I will laugh and testify.

# yes it good to quote other people's experiences and verses okuphuma but we need know that it not only the mater of going out of your problem but your problem to make you somebody strong to carry the cross.

B: Temptations are about you 

- when look at these three temptations we realise that though different styles the approach is one IF YOU,

- All the times we must understand we are the children of God on what basis, so that we don't abuse our rights as children.

- if you are ' a child of  God ' command; how many times were we asked to act because WE ARE what we are, so let's avoid the abuse our rights.

- If you ' worship me I will give ' Here l want to draw the paralysis Jesus calling his disciples he said come and see I will MAKE you fishers of men.

- then comes the devil and he is saying I will GIVE you.

# most of the time we find ourselves falling in the hands of the giver[the diciver] than in the hands of the maker because to made[ukubunjwa] is painful.

Conclusion

The question I ask myself who led me to be where I am. Yes I am in the church ministering like everyone but to be told l don't know you  because I am in the church because I was led by a the evil one.

# to all those are in the wilderness take heart God is with you even though those who are in the temple are say you are cursed you are being MADE to carry the cross. One day we will laugh.

*Lot Msipha lives in Magwegwe, Bulawayo Metropolitan Province with his family where they fellowship at The Salvation Army church.