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DesertofPowerByTonyFrancis

YouknowwhathashappenedthroughoutJudea,beginninginGalileeafterthebaptismthat

Johnpreached howGodanointed JesusofNazarethwith theHolySpiritandpower,and

howhewent arounddoing good andhealing allwhowereunder thepowerof thedevil,

becauseGodwaswithhim.Acts10:3738

DidJesusreallybeginhisministryrightafterhisbaptisminJordan?Didhebegintoserveright

afterhewasfilledwiththeHolySpiritwhentheheavenlyFatherdeclared:Thisismybeloved

soninwhomIamwellpleased.?No.ThewordofGodclearlyshowsusthattheSpiritofGod

ledJesustothedeserttobetemptedbythedevilandnoticethestartingversesaysthatGod

anointedJesuswiththeHolySpiritandpowerafterthebaptism,soJesus inthebaptismwas

onlyfilled

with

the

Holy

Ghost.

Why

did

God

lead

Jesus

to

the

desert

after

he

was

filled

with

the

Holy Spirit? Is itnecessaryGod? Isnt itenough that Iam filledwith theHoly Spirit to start

ministering?Dont you see Lord that I amnowqualified for service? Look Lord, I can shake

underthepowerandpresenceoftheHolySpiritplusIcanspeakintonguesfluently!

Letmeaskyouthis,doyoulikereceivingpropheticwords?Yeah,wealldo.Itswonderfulwhen

theLord speaks toourhearts theresnothingmore thrilling than thekissesofhisword.But

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watch outmy friend because some propheticwords given to you can break loose the hell

against you; is ita reason to fear?Absolutelynot, its adivineopportunity to establish this

word,pray it,walk itoutandbe translated intoawholenew levelofgloryandpower.Hell

breaks looseagainst Jesuswhenhereceivedapropheticword fromhisheavenlyFather.You

maytellmewhatissodangerouswiththiscutelittlewordgiventoJesusthatheisthebeloved

Sonof

God?

Oh,

it

means

alot

ifyou

understand

alittle

bit

of

the

background

of

the

Jewish

culture. Interestingly,Jesusenteredhisministryatabout30yearsofage.Alsoat30aJewish

fathermightpubliclydeclarehissontobetheinheritorofallthathehad,oranadoptedsonin

hisplace.ThevoicethatspokeoutofheavenatJesus'baptism(Luke3.22)wasGoddeclaring

JesustobeHistruesonandinheritor.Itsanageofmaturityandnothingscaresthedevilthan

thematuresonsofGodwhoknowhowtoadvancethekingdomoftheirFather.Sothedevil

wonderedifthisistrueaboutJesusanddecidedtotakethispropheticwordtobetestedatthe

LaboratoryDesertCenter,willthiswordstand?WillthisonejustbeencalledSonofGod

provehismaturityforservice?Ihopenotbecauseifhedoes,hewillthreatenmykingdomandI

dontwantheadaches.

Now the question is how will Jesus prove his maturity and stand against all the ferocious

demonictemptations?Romans8:1314isthemeterofmeasurementofmaturity:Forifyou

live according to the sinful nature, youwill die; but if by the Spirit you put todeath the

misdeedsofthebody,youwilllive,becausethosewhoareledbytheSpiritofGodaresonsof

God.Romans8isawonderfulchapterthatteachesushowtowalkinthespiritandnotinthe

fleshanditshowsusthewonderfuloutcomesofthis.Jesusdoesnthaveasinfulnaturebutif

hewasunabletofallintotemptationsthenthiswasnothingbutafarceanditisnot.According

toRomans8:14, Jesuswillprovehe isamature son ready to servebywalking in theSpirit.

DidntthedevilwhisperedwickedlyandrepeatedlyifyouarethesonofGod,ifyouaretheson

ofGoddothisanddothat?WhatwastherealintentionbehindSatanstemptationstoJesus?

Satanwants

to

lead

Jesus

and

not

the

Holy

Spirit.

Do

you

remember

when

God

gave

the

first

AdamauthorityanddominionoverthecreationbutAdamcouldntkeephispositioninthetime

oftemptationbecausehewasnotledbytheHolySpiritbutratherbythedevil?Wedontjust

want to receive the free blessings from God; we want to keep it for a long time. God is

interestednotonlyinblessingyoubuttoshapetherightcharacterinyoutokeepyouenjoying

hisblessings.Withpositioncomesresponsibility.

Youarenotreadingthiswordaccidently;Godwantsto launchyou intoanewrealmofglory

andpowerinhiskingdom.AreyouasonofGod?Proveit!Iheardawomanpreachertellsher

storythatpeopleenvyherforthebeautifulministryshehasandtheir lifewillbeawesome if

they

have

a

ministry

like

hers

but

this

woman

preachers

answer

is:

would

you

pay

the

price

I

paid to get here? Because all the years of preparations were costly. If you study the

temptationsofJesusyounoticethatSatansucceededonlyinleadingJesusindifferentplaces&

positionsbuthewasneverable to lead Jesusspirituallybecause Jesuswas totallyunder the

influenceoftheHolySpirit,thephysicalneed,the fear&thepridecouldnot lead Jesus.The

devilcan successfully leadus intoplaceswedont like togo toor tomeethardshipsorbad

circumstancesbut is itanexcuse to fall in thedeedsof the fleshandsin?Weare trained to

bringupourbagofexcusesandthrowsillythingslike:Oh,Iwasundersomuchpressure,he

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didthistome,shedidthat,andthelistgoeson.Whatisyourlist?Burnthislistitisdelaying

yourmaturity.Psalms23:45EventhoughIwalkthroughthevalleyoftheshadowofdeath,I

willfearnoevil,foryouarewithme;yourrodandyourstaff,theycomfortme.Youpreparea

table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup

overflows.TheHolySpiritiswithusashewaswithJesus;itisuptoustotrusthimandyield

tohim

to

walk

in

the

spirit.

Victory

is

adecision

backed

up

with

prayer,

fasting

and

angelic

intervention! According to this verse, when will God anoint you and when will your cup

overflows?Inthedesert,inthevalleyoftheshadowofdeath.Romans8:1719Nowifweare

children,thenweareheirsheirsofGodandcoheirswithChrist, if indeedweshare inhis

sufferingsinorderthatwemayalsoshareinhisglory.Iconsiderthatourpresentsufferings

arenotworth comparingwith the glory thatwillbe revealed inus. The creationwaits in

eagerexpectation for the sonsofGod tobe revealed. Ifwe livea lifestyleofmaturityby

suffering for the sakeof righteousnesswewillwalk in the gloryandpowerofGodand the

creationwillbefreefromitsbondages,wewillbeeffective.

Dont forget these3keys: fullof theHolyGhost,being ledof theHolyGhost,walking in the

PoweroftheHolyGhost.Luke4:1Jesus,fulloftheHolySpirit,returnedfromtheJordanand

wasledbytheSpiritinthedesert.Luke4:14JesusreturnedtoGalileeinthepowerofthe

Spirit,andnewsabouthimspreadthroughthewholecountryside.Jesuswasanointedwith

powerforministryafterhewalkedouthisdesertvictoriouslyandafterhefoughthismonsters.

DavidgrewinthepoweroftheHolySpiritinthedesertwherehekilledthelion,thebearand

Goliath.Luke1:80speakingofJohntheBaptistsays:Andthechildgrewandbecamestrongin

spirit;andhe lived in thedesertuntilheappearedpubliclyto Israel.Romans8:2930For

thoseGodforeknewhealsopredestinedtobeconformedtothe likenessofhisSonthathe

mightbethefirstbornamongmanybrothers.Andthosehepredestined,healsocalled;those

hecalled,healsojustified;thosehejustified,healsoglorified.