TEMPTATIONS     DENIAL    AND     FASTING         

The  temptations of the human race fall into one of three categories, one,  they pertain to the flesh (lust, and gluttony ) two the idolatrous love of things (greed )or of the mind (pride and envy ).  It is part of Gods discipline to make His loved ones perfect through trial and suffering. 

Christ did not want to pick and choose among His words, discarding the hard ones and accepting the ones that please our fancy.  We need a church who will restore our moral dignity.  Who will help us to resist evil and love good with a passion.  Salvation that was promised to us by our Lord  Jesus  Christ is not a social one.  He would not save from their poverty, but He would redeem them from their sins.  To destroy sin is to uproot the first causes of poverty.  The only way we can prove we love and care for others is by making an act of choice; mere words are not enough. 

Christs temptations in the desert is what all humanity must go through  .  Each temptation will vary from person to person

The first temptation of Christ was for Him to become a social reformer, to feed the masses.  In truth satin was saying  think of bodily needs, forget about sin.  God never denied that mankind needed to be fed, or that social justice should not be preached but these things are not first, He is.  Christs reply to satin, you tempt Me to a religion that would relieve want; should I become a baker instead of a saviour, to be a social reformer instead of a redeemer.  Christs forty days fast meant that nobody can say , God does not know hunger is.  

The second temptation was for Christ to forgo His cross and replace it with an effortless display of power, to make it easy for everyone to believe in Him.  Satin implied that if people were to believe that Jesus was the Messiahs, what would win them over quickly, than a display of great wonders .  God did not work any miracles to save Himself.  He did not halt the red hammer and sickle (communisis) , that battered down His tabernacle doors.  He will very few miracles even for the sake of His Saints sakes.  His love is suffice to see us through, 

Finally showing all the kingdoms of the world which satin made claim to and offered them to Christ if He would kneel before him and adore him.  Had the kingdoms really been delivered to him.  Later on Christ referred to satin as the prince of this world.  It was not God who delivered them but mankind had done so (by sin ).  The kingdoms spoken of here are not bricks and motar but souls.  If we care to look about us is this not happening  again in our times.  The kingdoms of this world must be elevated to the Kingdom of God.  Gods kingdom must not be dragged down to the level of this world.  To achieve all we want from this world, but in the process lose our immortal souls we have achieved nothing.