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The Daily Word of Righteousness
The Temptation of the Pinnacle of the Temple
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: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. (Luke 4:9-12)
Every son of God is tested in the area of turning stones into bread, in selling his soul to get the kingdoms of the world, and in showing off by jumping from the pinnacle.
Turning stones into bread has to do with our trust in the world for security and survival. Worshiping Satan in order to gain the delights of the kingdoms of the world involves the pursuit of pleasure. Jumping off the gable of the Temple is a test of our desire for personal achievement.
The temptation of the pinnacle takes place in Jerusalem, in the place of religious activity. Here Christ was murdered because of the desire of the leaders of Israel for preeminence.
We may understand that worldliness is sin and seek to turn away from it, read our Bible, and pray.
We may understand that the lusts of the flesh are sin and the good Book warns us concerning these.
The arena of personal ambition is not as familiar to us, perhaps because we do not consider striving for achievement to be sin. Actually self-seeking is the worst of all sins and the most destructive. How many works of God have been destroyed because the Christians were attempting to force their own will?
"Don't wait for God! Step out in faith! Do great things for God! Come down from the cross!"
The person who, like so many Bible characters such as Sarah and Hannah, has been barren for many years while other people were "having children by the dozen," often enjoys the mockery of his or her brothers and sisters. "Why don't you get busy and build a monument like we are doing? You are a loser!"
"Jump off the roof. Step out in faith. The Bible tells you what God wants. Go out and compel them to come in. The King's business requires haste."
You know what? I don't need this! I am going to sit on this stupid shingle until I hear from God. You can do what you want.
"Come down from the wall. We want to talk to you. They're coming to get you in the night!"
I want God! I want to hear from God! I am not going to jump off and land in the Kidron Valley sewer with a grapefruit on top of my head.
The hardest death we die is to self-will—much harder than worldliness or lust. It takes suffering before we learn stern obedience to the Father. But it is this third death that brings dominion and fruitfulness.
The Church is here now. Samson will bring down the whole kingdom of darkness by his death, never by his life.
Will you help pin the accuser's shoulders to the mat?