Perishable vs. Imperishable!

By


Perishable vs. Imperishable

“Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where he was tempted by the devil for forty days.” (Luke 4:1–2)

Without Son Power, we are helpless to counter the deceitfulness of Satan. Notice in the above verses that Jesus was “full of the Holy Spirit.” Son Power gives us the wisdom we need to counter the various temptations of the evil one.
The entire story of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness is found in Luke 1:1–13.  Jesus was filled with the Spirit and led into the wilderness by the Spirit. He was tempted by Satan when he was at a point of human weakness. It was only through the power of the Holy Spirit that he was able to overcome Satan’s temptations.
Satan tempted Jesus in areas of physical comfort, material blessings, and the allure of power and fame. With each attempt to tempt him, Jesus countered with the use of the Word of God.
Like Jesus, we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit and led by the Spirit in our daily lives. Satan will approach us in our weak moments. We must be empowered by the Holy Spirit to have the living and powerful Word of God operating in us in order to be effective in countering the attacks of the evil one.
What Satan had to offer Jesus was merely temporary and perishable in nature. If Jesus had accepted any Satan’s offers, Satan would have been successful in thwarting God’s plan of salvation for mankind. Jesus had his eyes focused on God’s plan for his life and for the world.
When Satan offers us something that is of a perishable nature, there will almost always be a cost from an eternal standpoint. Satan never offers us a “good deal.” There is not a benefit when we accept something of a temporary nature in exchange for something of eternal value.
We need to be sensitive to the differences between the perishable and the imperishable. Remember, Satan is a great deceiver.

Talk to God

Heavenly Father, please give me the spiritual insight to reject perishable and temporal benefits that will cost me from an eternal standpoint. I do not want to be controlled by the perishable, indirectly worshiping the things of Satan. Fill me and lead me by your Holy Spirit always and empower me to pursue what is imperishable and eternal. Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Stay in Balance!

By
Image
  Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat. Mark 6:31 Stay in Balance Everywhere Jesus went, He was healing people, teaching in the synagogues, pouring Himself into His disciples. People made constant demands on His time and energies. Imagine how He felt. As the Son of God, He had this incredible power, anointing, wisdom, so much to offer. Yet at times, when He was exhausted, He would go away from the crowds and get alone so He could be refreshed. Despite the pressing needs around Him, Jesus knew that He had to take care of His temple.  If the Son of God had to be alone and rest, if He couldn’t meet all the demands of the people around Him, why do we think we can go all the time and be everything for everyone? No matter how anointed, strong, smart, or gifted you are, you get depleted. Despite all the needs around you, you have to
Read more

Give Cheerfully!

By
Image
        Give Cheerfully “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”  (2 Corinthians 9:7) When giving is done with the right attitude, it can be a gateway for God to move in significant ways in our lives. It is important to remember that it is not the amount we give that matters so much as it is the attitude that characterizes our giving. God loves it when we give out of a cheerful and grateful heart. God’s loving of a cheerful giver results in God taking action in our lives. Scripture states unequivocally that God will make all spiritual and earthly blessing abound to us so we can multiply our efforts for the kingdom. This is why I believe giving provides a major gateway for God to work in our lives, we can expect God to visit us. Jesus will fellowship with the cheerful giver, and the Holy Spirit will impart life to out mortal bodies. When we weave a pattern of giving into our lives, we can
Read more

Don’t Water it Down!

By
Image
  And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature… (2 Peter 1:4) Don’t Water it Down All of us have dreams we’re believing for, but too often we get discouraged and quit believing for the fullness of what’s in our heart. It’s easy to water down what God promised us. “I don’t like this job, but it’s good enough.” “I was believing for a house, but this apartment is okay.” “I was hoping to get well, but I’ve learned to live with this sickness.” If you’re going to become all you were created to be, you have to keep a fire in your spirit that says, “I refuse to settle for less than what God promised.” You’re not going to be talked out of it, you’re not going to water it down, and you’re not going to let good enough be good enough. It may be more difficult and taking longer than you thought, but what God promised you is still on the way—not a watered-down version, not a make-do promotion,
Read more