His Message is Consistent...Throughout the Ages...Seek Him...First!

Shortly after John the Baptizer had been given the honor of baptizing the very Author of Life itself, Jesus then went into the desert...for 40 days and nights......

 Jesus was most likely fighting hunger. He was in the midst of a 40 day fast, out in the desert...seeking the advice of His Father...alone, well, except for one...this one who entitled himself: "the god of this world".  He was the original "Judas Iscariot".

 As for Jesus...He knew him...and knew him well. Some say that before "The Fall", they might have even been close friends.

 But...things have changed..quite dramatically. Now, with Jesus in the desert, He is approached by His greatest enemy.... a former friend...now out to destroy the very existence of Christ Jesus and to send a message to every person in this world....Jesus is not God....I am....Satan, the god of the underworld.
 His ploy is clever...coming to Jesus when His focus was on His Father. A true friend would have said: "Hey, what devotion! I don't know if there is anything I can do...but I am willing." 
 Instead, Satan tried to attack our Lord Jesus at perhaps what Satan had calculated to be at His weak point. He was going to do his best to get into the mind of Christ. "Jesus,...I know You must be hungry....and You can do something about it. In fact, there are many in the world...dying of hunger...how can You just stay here?..walking around in the desert....seeking Your Father....while many will die this day...because of hunger. You must know by now how it feels. Perhaps You won't make it either. How does any of this...glorify God"? It's crazy!  Why did You come here anyway? Are You here to die?...just like all the others dying because of hunger? Are You trying to send Your Father a message?....like Why does he allow people to suffer so? Don't You think He is a little brutal? Maybe if You die out here...God will finally get the message...or...You could turn the stone into bread...and start feeding those around the world who hunger...and end all this suffering! After all, how can You begin to help others...when you can't even help Yourself? You are God..aren't You? Why did You come anyway?" 

 There are 2 points I would like to touch on...that I personally believe.
1. I lean toward this thought....I do not think Satan knew exactly what God's plan was. I recognize Satan knows the Sacred Scripture better than anyone, but I think it doesn't make sense to him...at least some major parts of it. If he had, why would he been so influential in making sure Jesus would suffer "big time" for showing up in what Satan considered his domain.
 Satan had no access to the Holy Spirit...the Sacred Scriptures could not be a source of enlightenment. Also, Satan's focus is on...himself. It has been...for a long time. The whole message of Christ Jesus...restoring our friendship to our heavenly Father...is totally pointless in the mind of Satan...or at least that is what I conclude.
2. The other point I think is this: Satan knew of Jesus "big heart". After all, He had been with with Him...before the Rebellion took place. So, if Jesus would turn a stone into bread...to feed Himself, then He might start a whole new thing...feeding all those who are hungry. He could turn pebbles...he could turn stones...He could even turn entire mountains...into bread....like manna...and feed the entire world. It wouldn't make any difference whether the "Heavenly Father" approved it...or not...after all...He would be doing something good. Having a relationship with His Father....isn't all that. It's about surviving...and  besides...everyone would be totally dependent...on what Jesus wanted out of them. He could be a god here...and maybe we could recreate what the Father has kind of "botched up". After all...taking care of #1...me...that is what it is all about. Besides, everyone would be subject to what we decide....if I could get Jesus to submit to me (Satan)...we can definitely make some changes to this whole purpose of creation thing.

Yet, in Saint Matthew 4:4, Jesus answers Satan when he suggested for Jesus to turn a stone into bread....and here is a .....Gleaning from this verse in Matthew.....

 " Jesus answered him, " No! You are still missing it. You still refuse to get your thoughts off yourself. You don't understand...it takes more than "bread" for anyone to be alive...to enjoy what My Father intends for us. To find true contentment in life, you must be fed...by His Words. The Words that flow from His lips...into the hearts of those that desire Him."

 Actually, Jesus was reminding Satan of a passage of Sacred Scripture from Deuteronomy 8:3...something to take note of. When you sense you may be facing situations or even thoughts that you are really not comfortable with, perhaps even having a dark or evil motive...dismiss it...with the Sacred Scripture....the words that came from His lips...and let them reside in your own heart.
 In Deuteronomy, God was giving Moses instructions. Israel was in a type of fast...a 40 year fast, going from being slaves in Egypt to the Promised Land. God spoke to Moses in a similar fashion Jesus had answered Satan. God spoke to Moses and said: " Obey Me...do these things I have instructed you. If you do things that show Me respect, honor Me by simply spending time with Me, and consult with Me before 'takin' off and 'doin' your thing, if you cultivate our friendship...trust Me...I will take sheer pleasure in calling you...My children. Keep My thoughts close to your own hearts...it will make you proud...proud of the friendship we have. I will do My part....I will bring you into a good country, with fresh streams and pools of water. These waters will produce fertile valleys, hills filled with life, and fields the will yield good crops. You will have plenty of food...fruits hanging from the trees...and then....the hungry will be satisfied."

 It all starts...with our relationship to our Heavenly Father.

 So, after Satan confronted Jesus in the desert about turning stone into bread...and Jesus answered him...what happened next?

 Satan decided to take Jesus to the highest point on the roof of the Temple in Jerusalem...and try to convert Jesus to join the Rebellion...from another angle...he still didn't get it.....