And immediately, the spirit driveth him into the wilderness. He had just come up out of the water, when the heavens opened up, and God spoke, you are my beloved Son. And immediately, what? He was driven into the wilderness and was with the wild beasts. And He was there for 40 days, being tempted of Satan.

I can see today, why not many have attempted to talk about this particular event. It crosses our theological lines. It appears, that none of us wanted to be chastened; by God. And apparently, we still don’t.

Jesus spoke clearly in the Revelation, that this is what He does to those He loves. Is it safe to say, that most of us do not like correction; and we don’t like anyone calling us on our stuff. If so many only want to see God as only a loving and sweet God, so be it. And He is all that, and more. There is one thing that seems so hard for most of us to grasp; that God’s ways, are not our ways. Much less to say, they are past finding out.

Our heavenly Father, is not behind so much of the bad things that happen in this life. Most often, it’s men; it’s us and our human and fleshly desires and wants.

Much of it, is a result of the works of the flesh; about what we do with the choices God has given us. And it is likely contrary to many, that the devil isn’t responsible for all of it either. T There are two words in the New Testament that can cause us pain; it is reproof, and rebuke. Could it possibly be a misunderstanding of the word ‘edifying’? Most think that this should be only about lifting something up; never, that some things need to be torn down!

This message, will only ring true with those who are going through this intense pruning season. The flesh is often hard-headed, and puffed up; trying to do things in our own ability and self.

Many of us are going through some of the toughest times we have ever known. We’ve been wrung out, pressed out of measure, and likely pruned back to the bare branch. Right now, I feel we that we should stop and say, that men and women, have thwarted the work the Spirit sought to do in the church. We likely have hindered the fullness, that we were meant to have. Not following the Spirit.

I recall years back, when we were going through a dynamic flow to have the gifts of the Spirit, and recognize our place in the five-fold ministries. We were told, by those who had been there, that as we sought these things, we would be driven to pray. Everything, was going to fight us; and it did. And it’s quite clear, that many of these things, still are.

The enemy does not want this spiritual depth that we seek for; and neither does many church people. Jesus Christ, wants His church, to be the way He intended it to be. He wants what He paid for. And He is not going to settle, for anything less.

Let’s not talk about that word “suffer.” But again, we have to. It’s because many here and even in places we don’t know, are yet in the midst, of the greatest trials and tests they have ever known.

I have to be real; I wanted to quit. I’ve never hurt so bad or had so many things come against me, in my entire life. But we’re called, and we are chosen. God already knew what we were made of, and where out heart was. Angels, came and ministered to our Lord while He was in that wilderness. And they come to us in ours too.

~ Robert Blackburn

Robert Blackburn