Wednesday, September 16, 2009

LITN IV, Verses 1 - 13

1. Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was purposely led by the Spirit

2. For forty days into the solitude of the desert wilderness for an intentionally staged and personal confrontation with the devil (or the adversary) into a place where He could be tempted, tested and tried by him, one-on-one, for kingdom purposes. And He ate nothing during those days, but when they were completed, He was hungry.

3. And at that time the adversary came and said to Him, “If You really are who You believe and say that You are – the manifestation of God in the physical realm…His own Son – then command these stones to be made into loaves of bread.”

4. But He replied, “It has been written, ‘Man shall not live and be sustained by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth, in the now, from the mouth of God!’”

5. Again, the adversary took Him up on a very high mountain and showed Him in panoramic view all the kingdoms of the world and the splendor and magnificence of them all in a moment of time.

6. And he said to Him, "I will give You all this power and authority, as well as their glory, for it has been turned over to me, and I give it to whomever I will.

7. If You will simply prostrate Yourself before me and sincerely worship me it will all be Yours.

8. But Jesus replied to him, "You get behind Me now! It is written, 'You shall do homage to and worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.'"

9. Then the adversary took Him into the holy city and placed Him on a high gable (or turret) of the temple sanctuary and said to Him, “If You really are the Son of God as You say You are, then throw Yourself down off this tower;

10. For it is written, ‘He will give His angels charge over you, to watch over you closely and carefully;

11. And they will bear you up on their hands, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

12. Jesus said to him, “Yes, but it is also written, ‘You shall not tempt, test, or try the Lord your God!’”

13. And when the adversary had ended the complete cycle of temptation (or, once these adversarial issues were settled in the mind of Jesus)...he left Him (or, this thought process was ended)...until the temptations of Jesus took on another form at another time.

18 comments:

Son of Zadok said...

I've really had something rolling around inside of me this past week. Haven't posted about it, but without thinking how this was coming, I realize now is the time to share.

One of the many great benefits of revelation is that it can free you from things. Free you right up. Once it's revealed, well, there it is; it's there for you.

I've come to the realization if I resist the devil, he will flee from me. I strive to give no thought to evil. Now do I still have struggles? Sure I do, but it seems like since I've resisted the idea of Satan as a lesser demi-god that God has to contend with and battle, he has left me. Was he with me before? In my mind he was. In my thinking he was out to get me. I dare not blame myself.

I heard something said recently that has so hit me and stood out as truth in my heart that stated, "the devil is actually your carnal mind! Wasn't Jesus crucified at the "place of the skull". There is a clue about "picking up your cross and following me" in that parabolic locale. And how else could Jesus call Peter the Rock on which He would build his prize and then in the next breath call him Satan, telling him to get behind Him? Well, He was addressing the wheat and the tare inside of Peter, it's inside us all. But when people point out the darkness, and all its "evidence" in the world, I now realize that none of that is even real to begin with. For darkness is not real, it's just an absence of light. It's an illusion.

Make them in "Our illusion" anyone?

A shadow is a good sign that light is near by though.

Final thoughts, this really hit me the other night. You shall crush his head and he shall bruise you heel. Do we get bruised? You'd better believe it! But we will crush it's head.

I saw a show on tv the other night where they were picking up snakes. What hit me was when one more experienced handler said to the tv host rookie in panic mode, "you've got it by head, you've got it by the head, it can't hurt you, it can't hurt you!"

Once you've got the head of the snake tamed, it's over. It's ready to be crushed, it has no power in you. It really makes me glad that God showed us the reality of that illustration in the head of the snake.

Get it by the head (the carnal thought), then crush it with the now word proceeding out from God.

Went long here, but this one has been stewing in me.

Taping it tonight and will watch later, can't wait.

Bishop, my post didn't go through right the other day, I meant to tell you, Global Paradigm Shift through GITN. LITN is so rich and alive already.

Go with the flow gatekeepers.

"Revelators!! Mount Up!"

~ Young Guns

~Big Big Love

Erik said...

Bishop, all of the paraphrases are good, and LITN is really, really good (so are the others) , LITN is just so pleasing in the telling/reading. Thank You.

We each confront our adversaries, especially the adversary we are to ourselves. Those conversations are priceless, and sometimes public.

SOZ, getting the snake by the head, - seems simple after it is done.

Erik said...

Avatar, you are right, there is nothing in Holy Spirit inspired writings of all faiths (scriptures) there by accident. Thank you.

Anonymous said...

Mike Collins said...

What version is that - I do not have it and should :) Thanks

Anonymous said...

Cindye Coates said...

You make The Word come alive. Forever Grateful!

Anonymous said...

Sherry Pyron Hughes said...

Excellent, beautiful scripture! I'm so glad Jesus got the victory!

Anonymous said...

Jennifer M. Carpenter said...

Thank you for doing this, I really understand the Bible when you teach!

Bishop Jim Swilley said...

Thanks, everyone...Mike, this is a paraphrase that I'm writing (I post it as I write it)...as soon as I finish Luke, "The Gospels In The Now" will be published (before Christmas)

Erik said...

we are set free in confronting the adversary while receiving the Grace of The Redeemer.

Erik said...

Do you ever think, what is this all about? We have all authority , and yet we fumble about? Why ?

I enjoy Pastor Melissa Scott on Tivo, often on while I am watching something else, tend to watch her in the wee hours.

What have I done with my inheritance? I think I have spent it well, and that I have spent it foolishly, (she is so easy to listen to). I have asked for everything that can be given, like the younger brother, and my elder brother/sister has allowed me to ask for their portion also.

I have received what is essential, what is of substance and abundance. – The Life. I have found that Life cannot actually be wasted, only experienced, since the Breath of Life is experience. The substance of God is The Flesh experience, as we experience The Flesh, here, now, we manifest God in our daily experience.

Do I know me? ( I am having a conversation now) I really know the heathen and publicans, conceptually, the younger brother challenged the essence of who he was, and after all experiment, found there was no better alternative to the God experience, return to the homestead, asking for a smidgen and given the Glory. In Awe, humbled, and broken, appreciative.

In famine, we excel in The Spirit, I find. We are covered, God exceeds all paradigms, even mine, which excites me.

Son of Zadok said...

God's manna just shows up. I don't know how He does it. But He sure brings it.

I've really got to start taking notes on the services. There's just to much in there that you can't digest it all at once. You have extra baskets left over that you couldn't eat.

Bishop, when we start getting good at practicing His presence, waiting on God.
Sometimes in prayer I have to visualize myself tearing a piece of paper off a whiteboard and seeing a fresh sheet, and on that clean slate I quiet my mind again and allow God to fill that space. Sometimes I may think I'm on God because of some emotion I'm riding, but it never hurts to clear the slate and see what you might sense next. You can start to tell when its you trying to work something out, or if it's Gods peace, and plan, and word for your heart. That Spiritual Mind will draw us into the Presence. We can never fully know, but we can fully love and be loved. Drawing near to God, we are given our daily bread.

Everything you said about the new man is true, and add some joy, joy unspeakable and full of glory! This new man is full of rapid transmitting life! Weeping may endure for the night, but oh what JOY is riding in on the morning.

It's happening already.

So much more to come.

New things. Forgotten things restored to humankind. Shepherds leading flocks. Lead the way. Lead on higher still.

Erik said...

Have I come to myself ? Have I gone to my Father/Mother ? Have I said ‘I have sinned’ interrupted by my Lord/Lady to be blessed, am I accepting the blessing or insisting on my failure, as S/He sees my success, my understanding, even while I am engulfed by my confusion, yet S/He breathes the ‘hush now, look up, see everything and enjoy’. Believing, I say, ‘Yes, I see’.

‘Then look nowhere else, focus here, and know’. S/He responds. Yes, that is peace. – Beyond the adversary, in doing this, the adversary is satisfied and smiles, -- ‘One more has passed’. The adversary is glad one more job done well.

Son of Zadok said...

Erik, I think God expanded His paradigm when it pleased Him to separate you from your mother's womb.

11/21/2009

Erik said...

SOZ , I am humbled. AND , 112109, we will be separated and woven together in the dance of emotion. Such a joy then, either way brother.

Son of Zadok said...

Cut the spiritual mind out of this one brother. I'm goin' straight carnal here. Michigan is going down, down to the pit.

Erik said...

Get behind me satan from that state down there!

Anonymous said...

I feel like the issues were settled in His mind in verse 13. It seems at that moment His Spirit was strengthened...It's like when I start thinking the wrong thoughts...creating stories...letting my mind go in the wroung places I always come to a place, thankfully, where I say ok, STOP! Enough is enough.

Lindsey

Unknown said...

v.6 "for it has been turned over to me"...

I remember clearly the place I was when an "older and wiser" Christian friend told me satan was the ruler of this world as she argued with my trust that God was in charge...of everything.

I've been free from that "desert" for quite a while [and hopefully she has too]. But reading these verses I remembered her and wondered is this where we get this often repeated "truth"?

Bishop, LITN's v.13 and your recent "context, context, context" comments set the scene for me to remember that first step into the desert and to hear now that the "get behind me" comment is a flag to look at the context...This is a liar(or lie) talking...hello?! what are we doing believing a liar's lies about what he has to give?

The picture is intriguing...its probably much closer to what Jesus' earth suit actually looked like...but also for the creepy thoughts that it gives by using the scorpions...