God's Bible School

Chapter 1
God's Bible School
Luke 4:1-13

We see when Jesus received His call into ministry being full of the Holy Spirit He was led into the wilderness to be tempted for forty days.

God's primary training ground does not come in the classroom but in every day life. He trains us through allowing us to be tempted which is really just a test of His Word. Overcoming Temptation follows successful response with the Word to our tests. What level of responsibility God gives us is determined by how we handle temptation. We are called to be a living testimony of His Word, our ministry can only go as far as His Word is backed up with our lifestyle. We can receive a diploma or degree, but God will not promote us until we have passed His tests which means applying the Word to whatever situations we are facing.

Jesus was able to respond with the Word to temptation because He was full of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is our only power over the enemy. The Holy Spirit brings to our remembrance the Word of God. God's divine Word puts the enemy in His place. So when we study His Word we need to realize we are being equipped with weapons against the enemy.

The devil tempted Jesus first with his physical need. He will always go after where we are weak, the area in which we are most in need. Our relationship with God grows as we learn to trust Him. This comes as He follows through with what He has promised, but what brings forth His promise is faith. We must believe that He will supply all we need.

Many are those who give into temptation and follow the devils path because they don't trust God. A example of this is when Abraham used his reasoning and had a child with Hagar named Ishmael rather than believing God that Sarah his wife in her old age could become pregnant. Satan uses our reasoning as his top weapon to abort God's plans for our life that only faith can bring forth.

The second temptation Jesus faced was power and authority in the kingdoms of this world. We all want to be recognized, appreciated, respected, so it is easy to be tempted into seeking earthly fame.

The bible says to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all things will be added unto us. The kingdoms of this world are enemies of the Kingdom of God. We must expect opposition if we are seeking to advance God's kingdom. If we try to become great in the kingdoms of this world we will have to compromise the truth. Money is the god of this world and worshipping money is the key to rising to the top. The bible says we cannot worship God and mammon. We may gain great earthly power but it will be temporary for God is shaking everything that can be shaken. So I would rather seek God's authority and power, His fame and glory, for that which is of the Kingdom of God is unshakable.

The third temptation Jesus faced was of testing God Himself. The Devil wants us the student to try to usurp the master. Where we test God rather than He test us. How do we do that? When we put our life in our own hands and believe God will rescue us. We take His grace and cheapen it, making it our license to get away with sin. Many are those who take advantage of the so called love of their parents. Living destructive lives knowing their parents will bail them out. We treat God the same we go to church and call ourselves Christians thinking we can do whatever we want and get away with it because of grace.

God is just and those who live unjustly will be disciplined because real love corrects. We can be forgiven through true repentance, which means a change of lifestyle, but we cannot get away with sin. We will suffer the consequences for living apart from God just like we see with the prodigal son, but if we return He will welcome us and restore us to His divine grace.

We can even get caught up in good works stepping out ahead of God so we can look good to man and believe God will just go along with us. Many are those that allow others to use them but not God. He will not be used and abused. Judgment begins in the house of God and that which can be shaken will be shaken. Our day of reckoning will come. It is never good to become the Lord's enemy. God has away to break us reminding us that we are nothing apart from Him. For He only uses those who have a broken and contrite spirit, to those He is well-pleased.

The bible says we are not to be ignorant of Satan's devices. What He used against Jesus He uses against us. What these temptations have in common is separation from God, which is what sin truly is. It is not so much what we do but who we do what with. Whatever we do apart from God is evil no matter how good it may appear. Satan is the master of disguise and he knows if he can tempt us away from God he can destroy us. For our only protection is in God.

So if we are going to be promoted by God into ministry we must face temptation and resist it through the power of God's Word. Each test we pass our testimony grows as our life now speaks of the truth. When I graduated from High School I was so excited to leave my home and live on my own. What I soon found was life was no longer easy. The hard life I had as a kid was so much easier than the challenges and responsibilities I now face.

There is always more to learn some tests seem to take forever to finally pass and I know their is other tests still to come. Until perfection is reached God is not done with us. Satan will continue to be a puppet God uses to work the word into our life until Christ be fully formed.