 Let's open our scriptures to Matthew chapter 4 and we're gonna look at The story of Jesus fasting and going through wilderness today. I titled my message called fast Forward through wilderness Say with me fast forward Through wilderness Okay, let's read first and then we will talk Then Jesus led by the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil for 40 days and 40 nights He fasted and became very hungry reasonable During that time the devil came and said to him if you're the son of God tell the stones to become loss of bread But Jesus told him no the scripture says people do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God and Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem To the highest point of the temple and he said if you are the son of God jump off for the scripture says he will order his angels to protect you and They will hold you up on their hands So you won't even hurt your foot on the stone and Jesus respondents The scripture also says you must not test the Lord your God Next the devil took him to the peak of the very high mountain and show him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory I Will give it all to you. He said if you will kneel down and worship me Verse 10 get out here Satan Jesus told him for the scripture says you must worship the Lord Your God and serve him only verse 11 then the devil went away and angels came and took care of Jesus all right, I Want to talk a little bit about wilderness because every person here and a Lord Saviour Jesus Christ himself had to go through wilderness and Wilderness is Wilderness is not avoidable in our life if we are to go anywhere in life We will have to pass through wilderness wilderness is a transitional season Wilderness is not something that was meant for you and I to live in to dwell in and to die wilderness is a great divider between the past and A promise between the past and your purpose between the past and your promotion Wilderness is what separates from the comfortable from the usual From something that you are accustomed to To something new to something great to the next stage in life to the next level in life Every time you're gonna transition in life You will go through the wilderness season and that season is a time of uncertainty It's when things are shifting things are changing You don't know exactly where to pitch your tent where to settle where you shouldn't settle in the wilderness Because you left the comfortable and the certainty But you're not in a promise yet. You're not Here nor you're there you're in between and that's the time of wilderness. I Want to look from the scripture at two categories of people of How they went through wilderness and For us to draw in an example for us to draw for us to learn a lesson so that We are not stuck in a wilderness so that our life Does not consist of walking around the mountain, but our life has purpose our life has meaning and And that we're moving from glory to glory from one season to another season of life from one stage to another stage of life Israelites Just like our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ We're also led by the Spirit of God Out of their past out of their misery Out of the season where which used to provide for them Into the promise of God Just like Jesus was also led by the Spirit of God from one season into the wilderness because there was a purpose and Calling on the other side So two categories of people two types of people they're both led by the Spirit of God But one went quickly or I should say relatively quickly through the desert and the others They died in that wilderness without Possessing their promised land both were tempted Israelites were tempted in the wilderness and so was Jesus tempted in the wilderness and The way they went about their temptation Determined the length of the wilderness in the life Oftentimes we are stuck in life Our wilderness season is prolonged is not because this is what God has predetermined for us But it's because we keep failing the tests and we keep we we fail to embrace purpose in our life And therefore we keep walking around The mountain and we feel like our life has no purpose no meaning we feel like even in certain areas in a life We're dry and we can't go forward The difference between the two was that Jesus when he entered his wilderness He recognizes the time he when he recognizes recognize his time of wilderness He begin to fast Bible says Israelites when they entered into the wilderness They complained about their food the wine and they wanted to feast and God gave him What they asked for? but the problem is That it was not a time for feasting it was time of Fasting and seeking the face of God so they can go through the wilderness into the promised land, okay So There is three Areas which are the fundamental blocks of life Three areas that I believe we all Will be tested or are tested and some of us are stuck in a wilderness And we can't get out or we don't know how to get out and I want to show you that how Israelites got tested in this area and what they did and how Jesus was tested in this area and how he came out of it the three areas that I believe that every person needs and every Person will be tested in is number one provision number two protection and number three Purpose in order for a person to fulfill to be fulfilled inside to be satisfied They have to have these three elements in their life number one every person needs to Feel provided and when a person doesn't is not when a person doesn't feel provided The person Grows up dysfunctional Number two when a person does not feel protected They grow up dysfunctional and when a person doesn't have a purpose Their life is meaningless and without Satisfaction and fulfillment because we have these three deep these three deep needs in our life If we're not careful our life Could be led and guided by the need instead of by the voice of God and by the spirit of God and People that allow the their need to drive their life often times Find themselves in the wilderness find themselves in trouble find themselves in the dry places Find themselves with the broken life You can't allow your need to dictate the direction of your life the spirit of God must lead you in every area in your life and fasting Helps to control Our need our needs our desires fasting hopes to submit our desires and our needs To the word of God and to the voice of God Israelites came out The enter into the wilderness. They're supposed to be going to the promised land the journey is supposed to take approximately about 40 days as They're walking First test is provision. They have no food and instead of Coming to Moses and saying Moses go talk to God. Look. He has provided for us all this way He we saw mighty ten plagues Well, when there was darkness in Egypt, we had light when there was no arm when there was no food in Egypt We had food we had God has provided so much for us If he brought us out of Egypt with his mighty hand, he can give us food in this time Moses talked to God let God speak and give us directions what to do But instead they're started murmuring. They started complaining They started whining and they're starting accusing Moses and doing some wicked things and They kept taking the test over and over and over again and they didn't pass and so they died in the wilderness Look Exodus chapter 15. They get to the Mara waters and they're bitter. They can drink they complain Then they go in Exodus chapter 16. They complain that there is no food. God gives them men They didn't learn their lesson they get to another brook No, the next test in Exodus chapter 16. God gives them a test with food with men. I said collect for This many days on a lot as they collect twice as much so that you don't collect the next day and a Sabbath you rest They fail that test They collect on the first day they collected more than they need the greed the need for provision was driving them instead of the voice of God and They become swarms they fail it again in Exodus No, yeah next is chapter 17 again, they get to another river that or they are by Refidine and Then again complaining that there is no drink God just turned bitter waters into sweet waters drinkable waters And instead of asking God trust in him for provision again They're complaining whining and they just keep failing a test after test after stress if that wasn't enough again in numbers They're complaining that they're complaining about men that they got tired of men So they're complaining that they don't have fish cucumbers melon leeks onions and garlic. So God's like these people and he sends them quails and They keep failing the test of provision instead of trusting God in their life instead of seeking God's voice Instead of seeking God's direction Or what to do next? They whine and complain see When We don't submit our needs and our desires to God they begin to drive us instead of God's voice leading us instead of his scripture leading us and When those needs drive us and we lack in our provision in Our substance then two things happen. We either murmuring complain Or we do things that are Not the will of God for our lives. We do things out of character without integrity without honesty I think murmuring complaining is an obvious thing we see that in When Jesus was in the wilderness when he was hungry we don't hear him complaining We don't hear him complaining on the opposite. He's quoting the scripture of God and promises of God but another thing that Jesus was tested was Turn the stones into bread become a self-provider or Take a provision from other souls than God will be self-sufficient and Jesus does not take the bite and He says listen, it's not by bread alone that we can that person can live But by the word of God, I give you a story to keep you to help you understand this look clear I'll when I was finishing high school in my senior year In Colorado we just became legal and The next state that was gonna legalize it was our state Washington state and so I had a lot of friend It's a quittance in high school that came to me and said hey, you know, you're into business If you have cash, I'm looking at the the the weed is about to get legalized in Washington state. Let's start the business together I need $50,000 and I already have these car here already had things position things worked out He had contracts with various Farms to grow weed and all that stuff. I wasn't familiar with the industry I did some digging did some research and I looked at this. I'm like, dang. That's a good business. This is gonna be some serious money here Some serious money here and did some research and fundamentals and financials everything. I mean everything looked really good And so there was I'm not gonna lie. I was tempted, you know $50,000 and I'm like man, it's just gonna become millionaire really quick And so I prayed about it thought, you know considered it the Lord said no, I asked him again Just just make sure he said no said no second time And then I just got just a triple check make sure it's a no, you know, he said no I was like, okay, you know it. I guess it's a no I so I passed on opportunity and sure enough when it became legal in Washington state The guy just just took off like some on Instagram posting like he bought this house that house vacation here I mean business took off like took off big time And so I thought like well, you know, one of those one on lifetime opportunities But they'll come around one of these days again, but I was not willing to compromise My consciousness and my belief and not willing to compromise What the Lord how the Lord wanted to provide and Take the provision from another source Make this stone be bred When we begin to call white black and black white then we begin to compromise in the area of Finances with our integrity with our honesty. We begin to do things illegally and When instead of trusting God to take us through that season through that wilderness we Begin to try to be self-sufficient or even go about dubious ways and illegal ways To provide for ourselves many people find themselves in trouble because they needed money. So they got into Selling drugs. Yeah, I'm not using how many so many people that that I know that got into trouble with the law because When they got into a pickle when they got into a tight situation instead of trusting God for provision they they went and start doing Illegal things to get out of the hole while being Christians. So God you have God on your side God will help you God will protect you God will lead you through you don't need to do things that outside of God's will his word for you to Be provided and have what you need the way you get out of financial wilderness in your life is by having a Direction from God hearing a rama word for God and have trusting God to lead you out Okay Many people fail in the area of finances and get stuck in the area of finances is Because they don't hear God's voice and they Don't follow it or they hear it, but they don't follow it and so they're stuck When Elijah's brook dried up God spoke to him and he led him to the widow Sometimes we get stuck in a place where God used to provide God has moved on We got a pass through the season of trusting him into the next season But we are too comfortable with stock holding on to the past job that provided before to the past business to the past things and We don't make that transition through the unknown But there's a promise on the other side and we get stuck in the wilderness and our life and our finances are dry You must learn to trust God in the area of finances thought that we Could be led by the spirit of God from one season to another from glory to glory from once from one stage to another stage, but it will take us Submitting our desires not be driven by fear or by need and allowing God to lead us And the way we keep our needs in check is through fasting and by submitting our very basic needs fears and desires to God Amen the second need that we have is protection is protection and Israelites the moment they left Egypt the first that actually it was the first thing they got Tested with was will God protect us Because as they left Egypt Pharaoh realized how I just lost a Three million labor force. What did I do like I was under some kind of spell? Okay, let's get the army chariots. Let go chase him down Let's bring him back and so as they begin to catch up people of God begin to panic and They give into their panic. They give into their fears because of the immediate danger and They begin to compromise they begin to murmur complain against God again They begin to complain against Moses they begin to say was there not enough grace in Egypt for us to die there Why did you bring us out? I? Believe because of that great need for protection That's an area that devil will test and try whether we trust God or not and we see that Jesus He passed that test by not giving in to demands of the devil and To test God's protection because he trusted that God is going to protect them But Israelites they did not trust God that they will Protect that he will protect them all of us here believe that God is a Protector right but not all of us Trust him as our protector and I'll tell you the difference I heard this story a man that walks type tight ropes and they stretch that rope across Niagara Falls and Bunch of crowd gathered together and he Asked people who how many you believe that I can walk through the across the Niagara Falls on this tight rope everybody? Yeah, come on dude, so he walked it and then he took a will bearer And he said how many you believe that I can walk with the will bearer across the tight rope And it was like yes, we believe it God do it. He did it and then when he asked how many of you Believe that I can walk with you in a will bearer across the tight rope Nobody shouted and nobody volunteered Because believing and trust it are not the same thing Many of us believe God that God is almighty. Yes. He's almighty. He is a healer Yes, he is he is a provider But oftentimes we act like and live life like we are orphans not sons like we don't have father and And we are driven by the need and Sometimes our need gets us into trouble Into the areas of life where we don't want to be and I think last two three years of COVID show that when some when a pandemic came You know, it's understandable when the world isn't panic. They got nobody to look after them They have to look after themselves, but when church just crumbled in fear Before this giant When church closed on their doors, I understand about first few months for six months We're still trying to figure out government still trying to figure out what this is But then when it was clear for a sober mind that this was Not as serious as it was Or as it was proclaimed People still lived in fear people continue some churches continue to be closed for two years some churches never opened some churches opened partially and People lived in fear because their need for protection drives them instead of the promise of protection from God. I was coming on a plane from From California this this Coming last last week and this guy that was sitting right by me, you know That's three years down there three years past COVID and he's he seemed like a fit guy and and and you know a Healthy guy. I don't know why I don't want to judge Judging prematurely, but this guy is sitting triple mast He's sitting there and he's like breathing Like he sounds he's only like a weasel there. I'm like, bro. You're gonna die out of suffocation before you like You know die out of this COVID thing It's like people are So driven by that in the that's fine if if the world does it but church we are under heavenly protection We are under heavenly protection. I'm not saying we're careless But I'm saying we trust God to protect our families. We trust God to protect us in our health We trust God to protect our finances with trust God to protect our possessions We trust God for his ultimate protection You know when we were moving started to move in the area of deliverance and because of some faulty teachings we embrace the idea that if you are Involved in the ministry of deliverance that you're gonna get attacked by demons because you Because you're charging in their territory because you're waging war against them There's gonna be retaliation and there is gonna be a casualty of war and so Any time we would have a conference or a deliverance meeting something would happen Of course every single time something would happen and we would be there be on our chest as a sign of pride like yeah We're doing God's work and we're getting retaliated. So we're doing something, right? And then I remember one conference where we're going to attract what used to be tracked now It's a hippo center and we loaded the sound system all the things that we needed and with like a convoy we're driving to Track center to set up for the conference and so Michael Malnick in my car is driving first car driving with the equipment I'm on the second car. We have two or three more cars behind us. We're driving on the freeway right before that Exit seven. It's a straight freeway as you guys know No cars around us and all of a sudden he like flipped his car flips in the middle of nowhere This is the weirdest thing cuz I'm driving right behind him I'm I'm like I'm looking him like in the middle of nowhere I thought maybe tire popped or something happened, but the car just flips I'm telling you guys it was a supernatural thing flips his car on a straight road nobody caught him off not nobody did anything just the car flips and Then God he And the car people in the car were okay Just few bumps and bruises, but it was like the weirdest thing and we're like yeah, that means that we're doing God's will Yeah, that means we're doing the right thing and devil's retaliating and then and in his I remember pastor Came to us and said guys. What are you celebrating? What are you guys doing? Where'd you get that in a scripture that if we do God's will that we're gonna get retaliated well? well Preacher said it which preacher the scripture says but that nothing by no means will hurt you Where did you find in the scripture? Where demons retaliated for doing the God's work were sons of skiva that did not know Jesus they said that That the Jesus that Paul preaches They had no relationship with God those that are in the covenant with God are protected see the these two issues of provision and protection deals with our identity listen to this and God says about Israel in Exodus chapter 4 verse 22 This is what the Lord says Israel is my firstborn Before they go into the wilderness Listen to what happens to Jesus before he goes into the wilderness This is this is my beloved son two people Hear the same word One embraces a revelation of a sonship the other one Still acting like a slave on orphans When the problem arises they whine and complain Jesus he's securing himself. He never even he never even addresses the issue of identity because he knows That I am the son of my father and there are two things that the father is supposed to provide for their children is protection and Provision that's why in the United States if you don't provide these two things child services will be knocking on your door because as a parent you are Obligated to provide provision and protection. So my friends during this time of fast during time of humble and seeking Our Lord Jesus Christ Let his identity be found in you let his identity be created in you identity of a son and a daughter of God Because that will cure your drive To provide to be self-sustained and self-protected You know they say this what's the difference between wolf one of the differences in between between wolf and a dog Wolf has to fend for himself and has to protect himself a dog has a master Who provides and who protects? We are children of God. We're not orphans Amen Bible says in Ephesians chapter 6 verse 16 for us to take up a shield of faith Faith is simple trust in God Trust God for your protection Trust God to protect you this year. Don't just believe him trust him And trust your children to his hands Bible says that that he watches us watches us like the apple of his own Eye that nobody can snatch us out of his hand Trust his protection trust your business your finances your family your children into God's hand and do not let devil tempt you to live out of self-preservation protection but live out of Life that's dependent on the trust and protection from God. Amen the last thing that Israelites in Jesus was tempted was in their purpose Exodus chapter 4 23 says this let my son go so he May worship me Jesus being tempted in the wilderness of with what? with worship and He says that I must you must worship the Lord your God and serve him only Many people get stuck in life in their calling or Just generally they live their life in wilderness. They feel like their life is going around the mountain There's no purpose. There's no life. There's no meaning. They just feel dry simply because They have abandoned their purpose They failed a test of purpose Scripture tells us that our purpose is to fold is to worship God and To serve him now the way you serve him. We might be different than the way I serve him But we all call to worship and cultivate intimate relationship with God There's two extremists that I've done often I see in Christianity is there's this what I call is soakers They soak in the presence of God it's worship and worship and more worship and soaking soaking they soak so much that they're soggy and useless If you ask them What have you done for in God's kingdom? What have you done for Lord Jesus? Have you witnessed to anybody? Have you discipled anybody? What how have you influenced society your home your school your workplace for the kingdom of God? We're gonna have all eternity to worship This is just a preview But we're not here only to worship We're here also to serve And there's the other extreme Martha's in the church. They're all about do do do do all about and it's it's it's it's their life is performance based Their life is performance based and Jesus said you have neglected the better thing Now listen we need Martha's Because otherwise everybody's gonna be starving and fasting for the rest of their life She was doing a good thing. She was preparing food for the guests. It's a good thing But she has neglected the other side worship Our purpose in life Is to worship God And to serve him but so many people Like the nation of Israel When Moses went up the mountain to to talk to God for 40 days They've created their own gods in their life and they're worshiping their own gods God brought them out of Egypt so that they will worship him and serve him but They came out of Egypt their life got changed got cleaned up their life. They got delivered. They got set free But they live for themselves They live for their own ambitions and their own goals their family became their idol their their their Marriage became their idol Their job became their idol When they had nothing They were in church praying Morning prayers evening prayers church on wednesday church on sunday They were seeking the lord their night prayers The moment god brought them out and established them and gave them business gave me life. You don't see them Even on services. We're not even talking about prayer We're not even talking about bible reading And they replaced The gods in their life and they're worshiping something else other than god my friends Our life will be in in the wilderness and we will never enter our promised land We will never enter our true potential our purpose if We exchange worship as a matter of fact Apostle paul I believe warns us actually pretty strictly about exchanging worships in the new testament When they know him as god, but they did not what worship him as god And god says i'm gonna give it to you on dubious mind You own stupid thoughts you own stupid desires and they destroy themselves and they die in the wilderness Because of their own making not because god had no promise for them Our worship And our service to god is tightly connected. We must do both We must not abandon our fellowship with the jesus. We must not abandon our worship and our And and and our adoration and our and our heart to please god and at the same time. We must do god's will Jesus was both We need to jesus is our standard. This is what we must do worship fasting is one of the quickest way for you to receive your call and to Refocus on your calling and your purpose x chapter 13 verse 2 One day as these men were worshiping the lord One day as these men were worshiping the lord and fasting Look at there. There's worship and fasting the holy spirit said appoint barnabas and salt For the special work to which i have called them They were worshiping seeking direction from god fasting And then came the call One thing i believe that during this fast many of you will find your calling Many of you who have abandoned your calling will pick your calling back up Many of you who have lost passion to serve god Lost vision for life jesus's vision for you In this fasting i believe that will be rekindled I believe that other idols that have taken place in your life will be removed and will be put away and God and his purpose Will reign in your life fasting It reveals your purpose and focuses your vision and lost in I want to conclude with this is that wilderness is not forever Temptation is not forever and if you are in the season of wilderness If you in a season of temptation i want to tell you that if you submit yourself to god And one of the easiest ways to do is through fasting In those moments in those seasons instead of you know, many people make Poor choice Many people make choices in their wilderness Which leads them to poor decisions Instead of holding off In their wilderness season instead of being driven by their desires by their needs Trying to do this this to settle their spirit humble themselves before god and see god and seek for his direction So that the season of wilderness can come to an end But in Look chapter four verse 13 says when the devil had finished tempting jesus Temptation will be over Season of wilderness will be over the question is how are you coming out of it or are you coming out of it? It's a transitional season At the end of it. There's freedom. There's god's provision This angelic ministry and there is supernatural aid Message four eleven says then the devil went away and angels came and took care of Jesus if you handle your wilderness correctly There is a promise on the other side. There's a provision on the side on the other side There's a protection on the other side. There's purpose on the other side There's power on the other side. Wow all four peas. I'm telling you the pastor of lads anointing is all here Amen hallelujah Look four 14 says this then jesus returned to galilee filled with the holy spirit's power Reports about him spread quickly through the whole region fast forward When you fast God fast forwards your life the words spread quickly Some people take years to build a ministry when you wait upon god When you fast you wait for his voice. It'll take you months To do what other people accomplish in years Hey, thanks for watching this video If you enjoyed this content and this was a blessing to you Would you help us and hit thumbs up so that it could help more people to discover this video It cost you nothing But it can go a long way to help with the algorithm as well as if you're not subscribed to our channel Hit subscribe click on the bell so that you can be reminded each time that we upload videos Thank you so much for being a part of this community If you're interested in learning more about hungry jen our internship our conferences Deliverance and so many other things go to hungry jen.com for more information and as always remember Better is not good enough. The best is yet to come