Who hired Judas to be the treasurer of the ministry? Jesus, of course. Now think, Jesus gave an opportunity for a greedy man to handle His money. Did He not know that Judas had a problem with money? Certainly. Which makes for TWO important discoveries:
- The area of gifting is the area of temptation,
- God will give you responsibility and opportunity in that area in spite of your weakness.
WHY?
Does God want to set you up to fail? Actually, He is setting you up to succeed. The only way you can break through a weakness is to face it and overcome it. To break off the iniquity – you must face off with the iniquity.
God doesn't tempt us – yet the Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. Why? Meeting the tempter seems to be a right of passage into promotion. Did the Father want the Son to fail? Obviously not. He wanted the Son to be tested and qualified to drive the enemy out.
Maybe you and I are tempted most in the area we are called to drive out the devil? Look at the thing you struggle with now and consider if it isn't a spirit somehow associated with the territory you are called to occupy. Judas had a gift for money and therefore had to overcome a spirit of greed. A strong leader may struggle with control, a great persuader with manipulation or seduction.
Temptation reveals weaknesses and “Owning” a weakness actually makes you more authentic. It makes you more generous with others who fall and the humility you experience creates a vacuum in you that draws in greater grace! God gives grace to the humble. Grace is the word that describes a current of divine energizing power from Heaven. As you draw near to Him, He gives you grace and this creates energy to overcome. Heaven creates a table for you right “in the presence of your enemies.” You “occupy till He comes.” You don't run from the pressure. Heaven wants you to win. You'll never meet a temptation you do not have ability to resist. (read 1 Cor 10:13)
And you'll never be held back from promotion because you might be tempted. In fact your weakness and your strength are so intertwined that you will surely meet temptation as you advance. Don't let it stop you.
Wow! I am going through this right now. I am a temp manager and I am having trouble with employees who don’t perform well. I am not one who takes or gives constructive criticism well. Nor do I deal with hyper defensive people well. So guess what I have to deal with this week? My weakness. Thanks for giving me a starting point for prayer and forward movement.
Dear Lance,
Do you ever come across people for whom desolation is ultra resistant, including for a very long period and despite every known thing to shift it?
Thank you for this post – I decided to be thankful for the temptations that come my way.
Hi papa Lance,
Every time I read from you something breaks off me or rather power is being released….awesome! intertwining of suffering and glory, temptation and weakness, temptation and owning/victory, humility and power….Lance this is what I was just asking this week why are people ganging up to kill me because of my prayer/tightening of finance and I’m sensing an increase of authority and power and doors opening…This is just amazing but I thank God in everything, even for the persevering power. Yes I would love to watch and read more on this subject.
Thanks a lot for calling out hidden things out His people.
As one!
Dear Lance, I like your perspective on temptation. Although I wonder when Jesus taught the disciples to pray Our Father, Jesus also asked God not to lead us in temptation/test but to delivers us from evil. I wonder why Jesus taught us to pray that.
Who hired Judas? https://t.co/ntOg2deUor via @creativejuiz
Would you hire Judas to be your treasurer?
Who hired Judas? https://t.co/UEvDQ3leUb via @creativejuiz
I thank you! Before reading this blog piece I was re realizing that as He is able to make ALL Grace so must He have made the WAY where there seems to be NO WAY to Walk in IT — in & through Him–
That it is HIM who works to WILL and to DO it, is to me truly a SOUND of the AMAZING nature of Him — a SWEET sound —
I WAS MOVED BY GOD TO WRITE THIS WORKING MANUAL FROM MY LIFE STORY SIMILAR TO ABRAHAM in that I left my comfort zone of relatives, life time friends , secure position with the largest refinery in the world, was second in command in overseeing all construction . I moved away from a small city of Baton Rouge to Houston, Texas, at that time a fast growing and now, one of the largest metropolitan cities in the America.
ALWAYS REMEMBER THE BLESSINGS –WHAT GOD HAS DONE
After 40 yrs of corporate management in managing and building A/E projects in (11) states and (2) countries for some of Forbes top 100 corporations exceeding now $900 million, and overseeing 125 professional engineers/scientist and 350 construction personnel on a $300 million projects at refineries
GOD’S HAND WAS UPON ME AT ALLTIMES –BOTH GOOD AND BAD AS I REMEMBER MANY MIRACLES –GOD GIVING ME FAVOR/ SUPERNATURAL GUIDANCE
I was the senior project manager for a 240 man engineering/construction firm in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I was responsible for managing/building a $300 million EPA controlled project for a large refinery in Borger, Texas. I leased a leer jet for (14) months to carry me & (10) of my project engineering team to the plant site, saving the client $13,000 per month)-I was told by everyone to forget the idea, that the client would never agree, …..but he did!
Kinda makes you wonder if “Lead us not into temptation” was exactly what Jesus meant.
Jesus always said what He meant.
Lance Wallnau, You are for sure, a gift from God to the body of Christ.
Everything I have ever seen or read, has always brought a revelation
that penetrates to the marrow of the bone, and gives us all great
opportunities to be transformed, by the renewing of mind, and propels
us into the transition of becoming more like Christ. There are always
nuggets that will propel us unto the refiners fire, to bring forth a vessel
unto The Lord, that can be an offering to the Lord, in righteousness. Please continue to do these things. They are His light, His life and His
Love to me, as I seek to serve Him in a dark area. Blessings abundant to you and yours. June