THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WILDERNESS

Greetings Sojourners...how's the sojourn? Does this thing called the wilderness appear to be your FINAL DESTINATION? Are you stalled out in the dry places? Have you set up camp in the valley...of the shadow... of death...and you are fearing evil all over the place?

Well...there is hope (confident expectation). Your time in this thing called the wilderness is temporal... time sensitive...temporary.

When Jesus...had been dipped into the Jordan River by John the Dipper...and He came up out of the waters...the heavens were opened... a dove descended down and lighted on Him...and a voice out of the heavens affirmed pleasure in the Son's obedience. "This is My (the Father's) beloved Son (Jesus...in whom I AM WELL PLEASED." (Matthew 3:15-17)

At the point of Jesus' spiritual high...came a crashing low. Jesus was led up by the Spirit INTO THE WILDERNESS. The purpose...TO BE TEMPTED BY THE DEVIL. It was in this dry, barren, lonely place...that Jesus would rely on the Holy Spirit and the Word of God...to met the challenge. The good news is...that JESUS DID NOT STAY IN THE WILDERNESS. It was merely a stopping point...on the journey into His ministry.

The "tempter" (little t)...tempted Jesus. Temptation is not designed to pull us into something as much as it is designed to pull us away from who we really are. Jesus met each temptation with the Word of God...quoting the Old Testament...which at that time was not old...but THE Testament. It seems that these temptations mirrored Adam and Eve's temptation...the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life...and mirrors what we go through. (Matthew 4:1-9) At the end...Jesus told the tempter (aka satan...little s) where to go. "GO satan!) Matthew 4:10) The reaction of little s/t..."...the devil left Him..." (Matthew 4:11)

The cause and effect of this thing called the wilderness experience...after 40 days of relying on the Spirit and the Word..."And Jesus returned to Galilee in the POWER OF THE SPIRIT...and new about Him spread through all the surrounding district." (Luke 4:14)

From that point Jesus began to preach and say..."Repent (change of heart, mind, attitude, direction)...for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand." Jesus began to (1) teaching in their synagogues (2) proclaiming the good news/gospel of the kingdom (3) healing every kind of sickness among the people. This was His M.O...modus operandi.

IF Jesus camped in the wilderness...and did not come out the other side...of His experience...He could not do what He was sent to do. So it is with us. There may be TIMES OF TESTING (T.O.T.)...but the expectation in these times of weakness...that we come out FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT...walking in the authority over the tempter/satan...and proclaim the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven.

In this time of Lent...I am drawing away...for time alone...not in the Wilderness...but in the Presence of the Lord. I have great expectancy to come out the other side of these 40 days... FULL OF THE SPIRIT...knowing my authority...receiving a touch in my spirit (intimacy with God), my soul (mind/what I think....will/choices of my free will....and emotions/feeling control).

FINAL THOUGHT FINALLY...AT LEAST UNTIL AFTER RESURRECTION DAY (aka Easter)

I will be praying for you during this time...among other things.

Love and Fat Tuesday Kisses
Rodney "See Ya On The Other Side" Boyd