No
Confetti & Conspiracies - PMJ
Matthew 4:8-10
The devil offers Jesus a shortcut to glory, without the cross.
If pain was His death certificate, purpose became our birth certificate.
Jesus refuses to negotiate His worship. This is the 3rd temptation in the wilderness- He’s physically weak, but spiritually locked in. - A Word
The enemy waits until He is hungry and vulnerable to offer Him what looks like promotion, but is actually perversion.
Perversion- when something created for a good purpose gets twisted for the wrong use; distortion by design, corrupting what was already good. It’s misplacement + manipulation.
The devil has no creation power, he has perversion.
God’s Original Design vs. Perversion
Sex = Covenant + Love vs. Lust = Pleasure w/o Purpose
Confidence = Faith in God’s Power vs. Arrogance= Pride in Self
Justice = Protection of People vs. Revenge= Control + Punishment
Worship = Glorify God vs. Idolatry= Glorify Anything Else
Perversion is when the enemy takes God’s plan and turns it into your prison. You feel trapped by a good thing, because the devil makes it feel like a bad thing.
Sometimes your greatest ‘yes’ to God requires your boldest no to distractions, dysfunction, and even opportunities.
The devil is a salesman.
Whenever you’re close to what you want, the counterfeit shows up.
Some blessings are forfeited not because we failed the test, but because we entertained the conversation.
Temptation vs. Negotiation
Jesus never argued, entertained, or went back and forth- He shut it down. -vs10
Some of us miss destiny not because we said yes, but because we didn’t say o fast enough.
Every negotiation with the enemy is a set up for subtraction.
Eve didn’t fall at the bite, she fell in the banter. The conspiracy started in the conversation.
Negotiation is the birthplace of compromise. It opens the door to distortion. The enemy isn’t always trying to make you fall, he’s just trying to make you question or doubt.
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What is doubt?
The feeling of uncertainty or lack of conviction about what is true, trustworthy, or possible. But spiritually, it’s deeper than just uncertainty.
Spiritually doubt is a disruption in your trust, especially when God has already spoken.
When you doubt you don’t just distrust God’s Word, but you doubt His character.
Doubt isn’t the absence of faith, it’s the tensions between faith and fear. James 1:6
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What is double-mindedness?
It means you have two directions…
Two-souled, split devotion ; one soul is loyal to God and one is loyal to culture, comfort, and control
Signs of a double-minded spirit?
You second guess everything, even the things God has already confirmed-
You pray big, but you prepare small-
You obey God when it stops making sense-
You crave blessings but you fear burden-
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Doubt is your brain’s way of protecting you from disappointment. It tries to stop you from hoping because of your past let downs.
Matthew 14:30
Doubt will always attack you mid-miracle.
Wind-Doubt, unseen but felt. Questions that whisper- “Are you sure God called you?”
Waves- Fear, crashing unpredictable emotions that rise up when you’re close to your breakthrough
Water- The unknown, the uncomfortable place where only faith can hold you
Shaking- Losing confidence, in yourself, in the process, in what God said
“Lord, save me!”- Surrender, the last line before breakthrough and grace collide
Takeaways:
Every opportunity is not from God.
The enemy will always tempt you with what looks like success.
Worship is warfare. Worship is how you say no to idols, but scripture is how you say no with authority.