The Lord said, Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren (Luke 22: 31-32).
When Jesus walked on this earth, he knew all too well the cruel power of the evil. Satan came with every weapon in hell to sift the disciples of Christ. And he came also try Jesus.
I do not think any of us can ever fathom the great conflict raging in the spiritual realm. No more than we can realize how the devil is determined to destroy the disciples like Peter. He drew a target on the back of every believer whose heart is firmly decided to follow Jesus.
You see, at some point in our Christian life, we go through what I call the "obedience line." It is when in our heart, we are determined to walk with the Lord completely. We realize that there is nothing in this world that we retain, and we are determined to obey the word of God, regardless of the way and whatever the price.
The moment we cross that line - when we enter a life of obedience and dependence Christ, determined never to go back - we trigger all alarms from hell. Why? We have become a threat to the kingdom of darkness . That's why we become a target for all the powers and principalities. Afflictions, submergements and tests will be vigorous tests of faith.
Perhaps at one time you were someone who followed Christ with an undivided heart. You loved him, but you were not completely devoted to him. Maybe you want to follow your own ambitions. You were fired your own plans, instead of trying to follow his calling and direction for your life.
Things were so much easier in your life. The devil harassing and did not bother you much, simply because you do not are representing a great threat to him. But things have changed. You take care of business entirely from God. The Word of God became alive in you, and you began to read voraciously. You began to pray regularly and you weep for the lost. What a great change of heart you have experienced!
When you decided to give everything to the Lord, you began to make waves in the invisible world. It is precisely at this point that you have become a priority target for the enemy. Since that time, the enemy desired screen you, just like Peter.
Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat "(Luke 10:31 p.m.). This is where Jesus introduced the subject of how the enemy tries to screen the people of God. Being riddled means to be shaken and separated like the grain of its envelope by sudden trials of life. This is being hit through the bustle of events and situations that undermine the very foundations of our lives.
The day of Christ, harvesters used a sieve just before reap the harvest. First, they shoveled wheat into a square box covered by a net. Then they returned to the box and shook it violently. The envelope and dirt fell through the netting until only the grain of wheat remains.
Jesus said to Peter: "Satan does not believe that your faith is real He thinks that when he puts you in the sieve and shakes you, your faith will fall to the ground like a worthless scrap..
Screening of Pierre came just after he received a revelation of the great blessings to come.
The Lord had just promised Peter that he would have a fruitful ministry. "That's why I have the kingdom in your favor, as my Father has for me, that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes Israel "(Luke 22: 29-30).
The Greek word translated here as "available" comes from a root that means "channel". Christ was an incredible promise to his disciples. He told them, in essence, "I am about to build my kingdom through you. As the Father has made me a channel of His glory, I will do the same with you."
Consider what Jesus was telling them. Not only these men would become channels of the glory of Christ, but they were about to receive a seat at the table of the Lord to rejoice in its intimacy! They would reign as princes and would direct beside his power throne.
Pierre had no idea that while Jesus gave him these precious promises, the heart of Christ was praying for him. Our Lord can clearly see in the invisible world, in a way that we will never be able to. And he saw Satan before the Father's throne, accusing Peter and asking permission to dwell his hands on him. The devil wanted to do with Peter what he did with Job. Its accusation had to look like this:
Your Jesus called this man, Peter, "a rock." He says he will build his Church on the kind of faith that Peter. He wants to make this man a foundation stone for a new body of believers. I say that Peter is not a rock. It is even the opposite, a straw, unworthy to be your glory a channel. Let me shake it, put it to the test. It will not hold, his faith will fall! "
The fact is, indeed, Satan can not experience a true believer without God's permission. And it seeks to sift only those who threaten his work. But, why does Satan wanted to sift Peter then? Why was he so anxious to test him?
Here's why. For three years, Peter casting out demons and healing the sick. Satan heard and knew what God had planned for Peter. In fact, these three years past would become as nothing compared to the magnitude of the work that he and the other disciples would finally complete. Satan had heard Jesus promise them another baptism, this time with the power of the Holy Spirit. And that shakes the devil.
The fact is that Satan always goes after the tree with the most potential to bear fruit. In a way, the devil knew that this man, Peter, was set apart to bear much fruit. He knew that God would give him power and authority that were to be used greatly against his own kingdom of darkness. Having already killed Judah, Satan thought now see a little corruption Stone, something on which it could rely for the downfall of his faith.
Let me ask you about your own life. Do you feel like in a kind of sieve right now? Do you shaken and sifted? If so, ask yourself, why you? And why now? Satan sift you because you play an important role in the Church in these last days. You have been set apart by God and prepared by his own hand to be a powerful witness to many. More you go to Jesus, the more your anointing will be. And the more your potential for the kingdom of God, the greater your event will be severe.
Peter thought he was strong enough spiritually to die for Christ.
Pierre saw no glaring weaknesses in himself. Here's what his testimony, by expanding benefit, "Lord, I am ready to go with you I had three wonderful years of the best training it is possible to have the world And I '.. have been around, I have experience - you know I saw demons flee I brought crowds to the Father I grew up so I just am not the man...! I was there three years. I am ready to follow you wherever you go. "
Think about what was happening. For every enlightened believer, Jesus' warning would have been a shock. This would have stopped to reflect and take stock of the state of his heart. Yet here Jesus' warning has not the least undermined confidence in him Peter. The Lord was trying to awaken to the danger that was right in front of him, but it's as if Peter had not heard a single word of what he said.
Peter was in grave danger, only a few hours to commit a terrible sin. Yet he continued on his way, claiming in essence "I am ready I will not fail If someone walking dead with God, it's me.".
Maybe some of you reading this are just like Peter right now. God put his hand on you, you have grown in the Lord and you love with all your heart. You always have a safe word to help your brothers and sisters who are struggling. And now, Satan wants to sift you. You will be attacked by the enemy as you've never been before. Pierre is our example in this. And God wants to remove all spiritual pride of the heart of his servants in recent days.
We can keep account of the warnings of his Word. You see, just twenty four hours of his statement to Jesus, Peter became morally crippled. He ended up cursing, carried away by cowardice, denying Christ three times. What Peter did was so bad and nasty, he would never have thought it was possible.
This was going to be as hard fall of Peter, Jesus was not going to stop. He wanted to purge his strong header disciple of a trend that three years of teaching the Lord himself could not remove. Miracles, signs and wonders have not removed. Even the warning of Christ has not unearthed. There was nothing else to do for Jesus to let Peter go into the fire - in the hands of Satan and that it would cause huge flood.
Jesus gave an example of how to treat our herd that falls during their ordeal. "I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not." When I look at this wonderful example of Christ's love, I realize I know almost nothing to be how to love those who have fallen. Certainly, Jesus is "a friend sticking closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18/24). He sees both the good and the bad in us. And he concluded, "Satan wants you, but I wish you even more." Jesus knows that you love him truly.
Then the Lord said to his disciple: "Peter, I have prayed for you. " Notice he did not say "I 'll pray for you. " In a word, Jesus had seen this coming for a long time. He probably spent many hours talking to Father Peter - how much he loved her, how helpful he was in the kingdom, how precious it was true as a friend.
When I read this, my own prayer is, "Lord, give all of us that love for each other!" When we see someone go straight for trouble or disaster, let us love him enough to warn him as a benevolent friend. Let us be able to say "I have prayed for you, I pray for you and I will pray for you. I'm here for you, no matter what."
Faithfully bring these brothers and sisters to the throne of God, pleading for them to emerge from their ordeal with faith intact. Jesus did not scolded Peter. He did not say, "Peter, if only you had listened. If only you had stayed awake and that you had prayed with me in the garden. If only you had not been so proud." No, Jesus simply said "I have prayed for you."
When Jesus said "I have prayed for you," the Greek word for "you" is plural. Jesus was primarily to Peter, but also to each of his disciples and to us today: "It is for them that I pray I pray not for the world but for those you have given me. because they are thine ... Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me ... I pray not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil "(John 17: 9 , 11.15.)
No matter what you're going through, no matter what is also in front of you - if you have a heart filled with love for Jesus, he prays for you. Jesus did not pray that Peter be spared the screening Satan. But he prayed that his faith may not fail.
And here is the main target of Satan: our faith. In the space of just a few hours, the devil brought the circumstances of life in the Stone which seriously tested his faith and love for Jesus.
There are trials, and then there was the screening: an all-out attack made to overthrow your faith.
Screening is generally limited to a short but very intense period. For Jesus, it was forty days and forty nights. Satan came to him with all the deception of darkness. For Pierre, it was only a few days, but those days were the most agitators for his faith, the most shocking and filled with remorse of his life. Are you right now going to endure this screening in your life?
How can we overcome this attack? Again, Jesus gave us the example. When he faced the enemy, he defeated him with the Word of God: "It is written." "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4: 4). "It is written, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God" (Matthew 4: 7). "It is written, You shall worship the Lord your God and serve him only" (Matthew 4:10).
Today, because of the cross, we have yet another "It is written." It is this: "I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not." We can say to Satan, "You may have been given permission to sift me You can try to shoot down my faith but you should know this:... My Jesus pray for me"
Peter's faith was tested, shaken, and because he trusted in himself, he stumbled. But in answer to the prayer of the Master, the roots of Peter's faith was not destroyed. Therefore finally, his faith was not destroyed, as Jesus prayed. Similarly, the Lord praying for you while you are screened.
For a moment, everything can seem lost. Satan can rejoice in our doubt. It can show us the finger and say "I have coached another anointed in the well of despair." So, with only a look into the eyes of Jesus, we we collapse: "The Lord turned and looked at Peter, and Peter remembered the word that the Lord had said to him. Before the rooster crows today you will deny me three times went out and wept bitterly "(Luke 22: 61-62).. The phrase "wept bitterly" in Greek means "a piercing cry, scream." "Peter remembered the word that the Lord had called him ... you will deny me three times."
I can see the disciple walking through the Judean hills, falling on his face and outstretched hands crying "Jesus was so right. I have not listened! He had warned me that Satan would try to destroy my faith. I see .? Now I'm not ready to die for Jesus to die I did not even resist a young servant Forgive me, Lord. - I love you, who else would I go? "
I think Peter's faith then took hold of something that Jesus had given him in his warning. Christ had finished with these hopeful words: "When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren" (10:32 p.m.). How many times Pierre he retook it in his heart and mind? How often he has meditated and "Jesus used the word 'income' It means I will go back not Has he said that I would always have a ministry, but I can not..? see now, after what I did, how would I be able to help others? "
The Father answered the prayer of His Son to Peter.
I can imagine Peter rising with the Spirit of God flowing through him. I see him raise his arms to heaven and shouting "Satan, thee will I failed towards my Lord, but I still love it promised -.! In fact, he prophesied - that I will return and I will be a comfort to others. I'll be a rock for many. I now return to my brothers and sisters! "
Peter was with the ten other apostles (Judah was gone) when Jesus appeared among them. And there he was, worshiping when Jesus was taken up into heaven to glory. He was the first disciple to run to the tomb when he was told that Christ was resurrected. It was Peter who, just weeks later, stood as the spokesman of God at Pentecost, and what a sermon he preached!
In the last days will come a flood of new converts - Jews and non-Jews, as well as many retrograde. Where will they find strength in these troubled times that we face? It will come from Saints "income," Saints who were screened and came out with a proven faith. These guys say with authority, "I do not put my trust in myself I do not rely on my own strength Jesus has everything we need to get us out..."
Beloved, you do not have to fall like Peter did. When we read this story, we must be alert. But if you fell, if you have grieved the Lord courses in the arms of Jesus and recalls sure he prays for you. Repents up, comes back and share your experience with your brothers who were screened. Jesus did not say to him , "If you come back, "he said," When you come back. "
I want to be able to look each sibling broken and tears in the eyes, and say with hope and confidence. "When this screening will be finished when you come back, and that your faith will be stronger, God will use you it has a purpose in allowing this. It has everything a long time ".
Do not abandon your faith. And do not give up those who fall. Satan would never have come against you if he had not seen a threat. You belong to the Lord whatever the circumstances of this life. Rest in his unconditional love for you!