Matthew chapter 4 marks the beginning of the ministry of Jesus starting with being tempted by Satan. It is very interesting to note that Jesus was lead by the Spirit of God in the wilderness to be tempted. And He wasn’t tempted when He came into the wilderness but after forty days and nights of fasting; where He became hungry.

     What was Jesus implying to Satan during His temptation? Let us consider our Lord’s situation at that time:
          a.     He was physically weak due to His fasting.
          b.     He was hungry.
          c.     He was tempted with food.

     But note that He was not OFFERED bread. Bread was to be made by Him not Satan. What was Satan trying to prove? Satan was tempting Jesus’
          a.     pride - “If thou be the Son of God”
          b.     physical need - “command these stones be made bread”
          c.     patience - He didn’t rid of Satan’s presence immediately

     The Lord is teaching us that as Christians we must be spiritually strong. Sometimes the Spirit of God leads us to our own wilderness to be tempted by Satan. Why? Jesus was tempted BEFORE He embarks on His ministry. The temptation made Jesus humble, strong and patient. In short, the temptation was not about the Godhood of Jesus but on His manhood. He was living in a sinful shell though He is sinless. He was sinless because His Father is sinless. Jesus was tempted because He may be tempted on the matter of the sinful shell He was in. In our wilderness, God allows the tempter to test us. But God will not allow any test that we can’t handle (1 Cor 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.) These tests make us humble, strong-in-faith, Christ-like.

     Jesus didn’t tell us not to eat physical bread but that physical strength couldn’t prevail against Satan. Jesus, in His weak state, conquered His physical weakness with His spiritual strength. He needed food to carry on with His ministry but He needed spiritual food to have a ministry.

     Another worth looking is Satan can not have and doesn’t have anything to give Jesus. He was only deceiving Jesus to do the things he wanted done. Everything is God’s and everything is Jesus’. Only our sin made us belong to Satan. That is why Jesus prevailed not only because of His Father or His spiritual strength but the thought about you and me going to the burning fiery hell. That is the mission of Jesus; to save you and me.

     Jesus was speaking about two types of bread; physical and spiritual. Though there was no clear mention of spiritual bread on Matt. 4:4, Jesus compared bread with “every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God”. We need both bread and every word in order to live. But what is this word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God?

    John 6:35 states that Jesus is the bread of life. He is THAT bread of life (Matt. 4:4 - EVERY WORD) as stated in John 6:48.


LORD’S SUPPER

     Every first Sunday of the month is our celebration of the Lord’s Supper or what we call Holy Communion. The question is, Do you understand it? Why eat the bread and drink the cup? Let us consider each one carefully; the bread and the cup.

     The bread symbolizes the body of Christ (Matt. 26:26; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19 and 1 Cor. 11:24). It symbolizes His flesh. As stated in John 6:53 & 54 we must eat His flesh and drink His blood to have eternal life. This bread is God’s Word. And since Jesus is the word of God (Rev. 19:13 and 16) and the word of God is the Bible therefore the Bible is our spiritual bread. The Bible is the flesh of Jesus that we need to eat TO HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.

     The cup of wine symbolizes His blood (Matt. 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20; 1 Cor. 11:25). In 1 John 5:7 and 8, close examination will be noted on the parallelism of heaven and earth:
THE COMMUNION
By Ptr. JC Balao

But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
                                                                                                                                    Matt 4:4
     Note that the blood symbolizes the Holy Ghost. In John 6:54, Jesus said that to have eternal life is to eat His flesh and drink His blood. He never mentioned any but both to be taken AT THE SAME TIME.

     Thus, what is communion; it is the study of God’s word with the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, as a church it is not right to say that we have communion once a month but every Sunday . To hear God’s word every Sunday with the leading and anointing of His Spirit do we have communion with God and with one another. Communion strengthens unity (read Psalms 133).


ETERNAL LIFE

     Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Do you believe on Jesus Christ? If you do, do you read His Word everyday? If you stop reading His Word, you stop believing on Jesus Christ. The talk about eternal security is true only if you read His word ON A DAILY AND REGULAR BASIS.

     But there is more to it than just reading; you have to believe on His word that it is the inerrant, infallible and perfect word of God. If you don’t then consider 1 Cor 11:28-30, “28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.” Many Christians, especially those who earned their degrees in Bible Colleges, doesn’t believe on a perfect Bible. If they do, they don’t know how to defend it. If you doubt the word of God that there are incomplete passages then your god is incomplete both in authority and power. I believe that the KING JAMES BIBLE is the INERRANT, INFALLIBLE and PERFECT WORD OF GOD. It is the final authority in all matters of faith and practice.

     1 Cor 11:34 states “And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation...” Don’t go to church with an empty stomach (spiritually, that is). Many Christians today get their spiritual food ONLY ON SUNDAY SERVICES. Note that when you go to church with an empty spiritual stomach then “ye come together unto condemnation”. It is better to come prepared than not.

     One brethren testified, after the worship service that the message he received from the preaching was a confirmation of his devotion. That is true because preaching Sunday is supposed to be confirmation Sunday. Preaching Sunday is not one’s spiritual food that will supply for one’s spirit in a week’s time. Talk about gluttony!!!


MEANING OF COMMUNION

     Let me define it in a simple way, communion is COMMON UNION between brethren. It is where brethren dwell together in unity; having a harmonious relationship with God and one another.

     Brethren, don’t take communion on a weekly basis; Commune with God on a daily and regular basis. Talk to Him as one talks with a loved one. Our God loves to hear our voices, especially when we worship Him and asks for His daily guidance. Let us know our God more by reading His word. As we know Him more, we can love Him with all our hearts and soul and mind and strength. Then, we can love one another. (Mark 12:29-31).




Heaven Earth
Three that bear record Three that bear witness
Father Spirit
Word Water
Holy Ghost Blood