(January 14, 2024) Dr Richard Winter shares about Jesus’ second temptation…

Music changed when I was a young person –

• Country became R & B.
• R & B became Rock and Roll.
• New music and new names came quickly to us.

New dances were invented – you may remember The Mashed Potato, The Watusi, The Freddie. Come on… I know you remember these dances. And nobody will ever forget The Twist.

Remember Chubby Checker and how we were all invited to ‘Twist again… Round and round and up and down we go…’

That may not be a dance today but twisting actually happens with many people when they misuse God’s word –

• Twisting it!
• Turning it around!
• Moving it in many directions!

When I lived in Missouri we knew we lived in the Tornado Alley – tornadoes would tear through the Midwest. TV and radio would quickly inform you of coming danger, to get under cover quickly!

So today while others may be twisting merrily to music, some Christians are living in some ‘spiritual Tornado Alley’ and I would like to give some warnings about God’s word being tornadoed.

1. Your Enemy, Satan the Twister
Let’s start with the basic question of who would like to twist God’s word into meaning something else? The devil of course; God’s number one enemy and the #1 enemy of your soul!

As Jesus entered His ministry right after His baptism the devil came to Him and started communicating… with some tricky questions. And he will communicate with you in the same manner!

Look at how the tempter tried to twist Jesus around…

He took Him up to a high place in the holy city, and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, craftly saying, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: “He shall give His angels charge over you, and, in their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.” Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God’”’(Matthew 4:5-7NKJV).

2. First Cunning Twister Alert
This is about the devil’s subtle ploys and strategies in this particular temptation of Jesus.

• The highest point of the temple, the pinnacle, overlooks the Kidron Valley and its inner edge overlooks the courtyard below which would presumably be crowded.
• Was it the devil’s intention to tempt Jesus to jump off in front of the crowds, and have angels save Him? Or did he want to kill Jesus and thwart His messianic assignment?
• It was a 150 ft (45.72metres) drop! It would have been fatal for Jesus if He’d been deceived and foolishly jumped! Yes… the cunning devil wanted Jesus out of the way!
• Does he want to get you out of the way also? Maybe not from a great height but somehow through his craftiness?
• Alert! Think about it!

3. The Twister Twists the Word
In dealing with this temptation, Jesus used the word to refute Satan. But do note how the devil had cunningly twisted God’s word! The problem here is not merely misquotation but misapplication.

We must take time to study and understand the Holy Bible so that we don’t misapply it and attempt to justify some stupid action! Jumping off a high temple can be compared to jumping off a cliff and claiming God will catch you. Well, He won’t; He put gravity in place for a reason.

The enemy aims to twist the word: if he cannot cause you to doubt God’s word, he will cause you to misapply it! And if you misapply the God’s word, you may be serving Satan’s purposes without even realising it.

But if you apply the word rightly, Satan is defeated!

4. The Twister Challenged With the Word
In response to the devil’s trying to twist God’s word (Matthew 4:6), Jesus rebukes him with ‘It is written again, “You shall not tempt the Lord your God”’ (v7).

This was the Living Word quoting from the word!  For Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy 6:16, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God as you tempted Him in Massah.’

What had been the significance of Satan’s temptation here? To doubt God’s presence, protection and provision, His faithfulness and the reliability of His word, especially in challenging times.

Not only did the devil try this with Jesus, but he will similarly test we Christians today in these troubled times! And what will the twister try to get us to do?

(i) Misapply God’s scripture.
(ii) Question and doubt God.
(iii) Complain against God, expecting Him to be at our beck and call.

So what lessons are we to draw from this? Paul refers to any temptation to ‘test’ Christ in This was the Living Word quoting from the word!  For Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy 6:16, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God as you tempted Him in Massah.’ and warns – ‘nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents.’ 

What else must we be aware of? Let’s look at the following…

5. Four Other Twister Alerts
1. The Ministry of Angels
Many will tell you they believe in angels… some even say that when you die you become another angel.

• Now it is true there are angels – but you will never become one and you don’t need to talk to any of them because God alone gives them direction.
• Angels are ‘all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation’ (Hebrews 1:14NKJV).
• We believe angels are all around us – but we need to be mindful not to specifically look for angelic manifestations as if it is a more superior spiritual experience.
• Furthermore, Satan is a fallen angel. He can transform himself into an angel of light and his demons will seek to preach another Jesus, another way, another gospel (see Paul’s warning in 2 Corinthians 11:4).
• If you start talking to angels you might just be talking to a fallen angel – arhhhh – demon, and they want to talk back and deceive!

2. Beware of the Sensational and the Spectacular
We must be careful of the recent focus on all things supernatural and new age spirituality. God is to be experienced but our faith is not based only on feeling.

• What happens when we do not feel Him? Remember this spiritual law… Feeling do not always validate the truth but the truth will always validate the feelings.
• We believe in miracles, signs and wonders and these are spectacular! But we also need to be mindful of lying signs and wonders (see another of Paul’s warnings… 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10).
• How do we discern the truth from deception? The word of God is the objective common ground for us… but today, the objective word is being touted as subjective as it is being twisted.

Spirit-filled Christians know the discerning of spirits gift (1Corinithians 12:10) and how to use it!

3. Who is Serving Who?
Humanism and Hedonism puts us as the centre of the universe.

• For some, the view is that ‘man is smart and there is no God.’
• Another common view is ‘I am most important. God wants me to be happy and comfortable.’
• Paul warns of this too! ‘But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money… lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God… having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!’ (2 Timothy 3:1-5NKJV).

The good news is sometimes twisted but the reality is that –

• Everything will be fine when you believe in Jesus.
• God is good and He gives us good things.
• Simply put… God is good because He is God!

4. Misinterpretation leads to ‘Mis-obedience’
When reading the Bible, we need to consider the context, and what is before and after the text so as not to misinterpret the text. A text out of context is a pretext!

• We need to pray for good, honest teachers of the word, who the correct interpretation with  boldness and do not compromise God’s word (James 3:1).
• God’s word should be a plumbline, not a pendulum, that we will be tossed about by ‘every wind of doctrine by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting’ (Ephesians 4:14).

We must know that Jesus is the centre… He is the Living Word (as mentioned above). He has given us scriptures and the Holy Spirit. It is written that we need to know what the God’s word – truth – really says (see John 8:31-32)… so let’s do our part!

6. Avoid Deception – Twisted by the Twister
In the last days, deception will increase… and if nothing else can be said we could easily conclude that with increased deception today we could be in the last days. So what should we do ? Let’s remember that –

• We worship the creator of the word (The Holy Bible).
• We don’t worship the word to parrot scriptures!
• We don’t use God’s word to just focus on ourselves and our needs.
• We avoid the deceptive twisting of the devil!
• We live to fulfill what Jesus required of His followers as He was ending His earthly ministry: ‘Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you’ (Matthew 28:19-20).

We are to know the word so we can make another person a disciple who knows, understands and lives the word! I wonder… Have you ever been discipled by another disciple? Have you thought about what you would say if someone said, ‘You’re a Christian… what do I have to believe to be a Christian too?’

This is more than merely believing Jesus is our Saviour! Your pastors are available to mentor you in discipleship if you have not already had this opportunity.

I encourage you… talk with us and let us know if you have –

• Lived with twisted applications?
• Been twisted in the wrong way?
• Twisted the word for other people?

Let’s help you deal with it! The good news is we are in Christ. We can ask Him and He will teach us. Let us look at the life of Jesus, study the word of Jesus and allow Him to guide us.

May we all stay true to His Word and not be twisted by our enemy… nor be a twister ourselves!
___________________________________________________________________
Dr Richard Winter pastors The Connection Church, Huntington Beach, California. Link: OnlineConnect@gmail.com
___________________________________________________________________