Maybe We Are a Little Like the Apostle Peter

Peter, love his heart, had good intentions when he followed the Lord. In the 21st chapter of the book of John, we see a child-like side of Peter as he jumped excitedly out of the boat into the sea as soon as he realized it was Jesus calling out to them from the shore. We see a zealous and protective side of Peter when he cut of Malchus' ear in retaliation of his Savior's unlawful arrest. In all of his times with Jesus, we can see that Peter loved Him dearly. Peter's only problem was his lack of faith in what was going to happen and in his sin-corrupted flesh, he innocently lied to the Lord about his complete devotion to Him. You know the story. After the Passover Feast, Jesus told them that they would fall away and Peter, believing in his true commitment to the Lord (faith in self), told the Lord that even though the others will fall, he will not (Matt 26:33). Jesus, being omniscient, told Peter that even he would deny him 3 times before the rooster crowed. Innocently yet foolishly, Peter replies right after with: "Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!" (v. 35)

You know what happens after. After they arrested Jesus, Peter and the other disciples took off running. If you backtrack to the feast, Jesus hinted to Peter that a prophecy was about to be fulfilled when He quoted the words of the prophet Zechariah found in Zechariah 13:7.

"...Strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered..." Zech 13:7

"Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'" Matt 26:31

How many times have we acted like the Apostle Peter? We have good intentions when we serve and speak to the Lord, we say we love Him but seem to lack in faith or even when tried, we high-tail it! What are some things in your life that are hindering you from serving Christ better that makes you make empty promises to the Lord about how you will stop doing a certain thing in your life but you still seem to fall into that same nasty pit? I can't tell you how many promises I've made to the Lord and have broken almost all of them. I keep telling Him that I will stop worrying about a certain issue, keep telling Him that I'll do this or do that but in this old flesh of mine, I keep falling back to the same routine. After that ole Rooster crowed, Jesus locked eyes with Peter on purpose. The Bible says that they both heard the crow and Jesus purposefully turned around to meet eyes with Peter. At that moment, what must have felt like his heart falling to the pit of his stomach, Peter went away and wept bitterly. Wept bitterly. A grown man, confident in his "commitment" to following Christ even unto death, ran again but this time, he was sobbing uncontrollably. His heart was broken and he was devastated. He was devastated because it took the Lord to open his eyes to see that in and of himself, Peter cannot follow Christ if his confidence is in his own strength.

This was a defining moment for Peter. I do not believe that the Lord was angry. I do believe He was sad more than anything. I also believe that this was a lesson to Peter, a lesson that gave Peter a strength that he had never had before until after his eyes were locked with Jesus at that moment. Does this sound familiar? Remember when Peter said he could walk out on the water to Jesus and was in complete confidence right up until he took his eyes off of Jesus and started to sink? We can learn all kinds of things from Peter because WE ARE PETER. When Jesus was arrested, Peter lost focus of Jesus just like he did on those waters. Instead of staying awake and praying (what he and the others should have been doing), Peter woke up and went stab-happy with a sharp weapon when company arrived. Losing his focus, Peter ran. We also run, don't we?

Our promises to the Lord are futile unless our focus and our eyes are on the Lord Jesus constantly. We have to do the opposite of what Peter did, though. We have to admit in the beginning, that we are nothing without Christ. We have to rely on His strength alone and put our confidence where it should be, IN Christ.

That moment of eye contact with the Lord was the defining moment that Peter needed in his life and he didn't realize it then but we see a different and more bold Peter after that encounter. Before the Lord ascended into Heaven, He commanded the Apostles to go out into the world and be His witnesses (Acts 1:8). Peter did just that. Peter was ultimately crucified upside down (at his request) around 66 AD in Rome because of his newfound boldness. That emotional collapse he had, created within him, a more focused Peter. His focus led him to the cross like his Savior but glory to God, the pain wouldn't last long because Peter's confidence was in knowing that Christ was waiting for him on the other side.

If you are anything like me, we can relate to the Apostle Peter. Our promises might be empty, but the Bible tells us that it is impossible for God to lie to us. He never breaks His promises and here are 4 verses to give you just that hope:

"God is not man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not fulfill it?" Numbers 23:19

"And also the Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret, for He is not a man, that He should have regret." I Samuel 15:29

"So that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us." Hebrews 6:18

"Once I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David." Psalm 89:35

It is also important that we focus on the Lord at all times. Let us not act like the disciples did in the garden and sleep. We have to pray without ceasing and always keep our eyes on the Lord or we will fail. There is also beauty in God's forgiveness when we do fail. He loves you and He will never leave you nor forsake you and that's a promise you can bet your life on. Peter did.

Why the Lord Tarries

"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." II Peter 3:9 (kjv)

 

"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." II Peter 3:9 (nkjv)

 

"The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." II Peter 3:9 (esv)

 

 

If you've ever wondered why the Lord hasn't returned yet, this verse answers that. As much as I would love for the Lord to come right now, if it doesn't happen, it's because the Lord is waiting on more people to come to Him before it's too late. How does this characterize the nature of God? Why before it's too late? What happens if you fall under the "too late" category?

 

The world we live in, has always been influenced by the evil one. From the first recorded murder (Cain and Abel) to ISIS raping and slaughtering children, the world we live in will continue to be in chaos. In my feeble mind and non-prophetic mind, I yearn for the Lord to return now. If I continue to think like that, I wouldn't be taking into consideration that if the Lord came when I wanted Him to, there'd be a whole lot of people who would have to endure their eternity in Hell.

 

What does this verse reveal to us about God's nature? Easy. He is longsuffering and extremely kind. He loves us so much, that He will allow evil things to happen in order to give others an opportunity to come to Him before it's too late. As cringe-worthy as it is to watch the news and to see what happens to children in this world, I personally have to remind myself that God knows best. God knows exactly how painful and tumultuous Hell is. He also knows that there are no second chances or turning back once there. Remember the story of Lazarus?

 

“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried,

and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.' But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house  for I have five brothers so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’” Luke 16:19-31

 

The rich man begged Lazarus to bring just an ounce of physical comfort to him because the flames were too much to bare but Lazarus couldn't pass and it just wasn't allowed. Abraham explained to him that there was a "great chasm" that had been fixed to where it was impossible for parties to go back and forth. A chasm is defined as a "cleft in the earth's surface" or "gap or gulf between" something. Once on one side, that's it. You can't go to other side and the other side cannot pass over.

 

God, knowing that there are no second chances, gives us the opportunity to choose what eternity we would like to experience. He wants us to choose Him. He wants us to follow Him. Because of free will, He had no other option but to create Hell because of Lucifer's fall from Heaven. Lucifer had to have an eternal place to go and so did his followers.

 

The Lord tarrying is a sign of great grace and patience, but with that being said we have to remember that only God Himself knows when the Lord will return for His true followers. I Thessalonians 5:2 says,  ^"For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night." Do you know for sure you will be one of the ones who will go Home with the Lord? What if you passed on tonight? The only one who knows when our time is up, is God alone. What if you thought you were okay but once facing the Lord, He says: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ (Matthew 7:21-23). If you have any doubts, it's better to call upon the Lord and seek Him. The Bible says that if you call upon Him, He will answer. You too can experience life with the Almighty and wait for the glorious day when He will return to take His children home.

 

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works." Titus 2:11-14

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why David Grabbed 5 Stones

Have you ever thought to yourself why David grabbed 5 stones instead of 1 to kill Goliath? Some might have thought, "Well, if he misses, he has 4 more shots." But if we assumed that David thought he might miss and needed those extra stones, we would also have to assume that his faith in God wasn't as strong or confident. According to scripture, if we assumed he lacked in faith, it would contradict what the scripture says and also contradict the confident young boy that he was deemed as. I Samuel 17:34-37 gives us a glimpse of how confident David was in God as he is describing his encounter with a lion and a bear.

"But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!”

 

 

Who in their right mind takes off running after a lion or bear to grab it's prey from it's mouth? Keep in mind, too, that David was just a boy when he fought Goliath right after this ordeal. The King James Version and ESV version states that he is "but a youth" (I Samuel 17:33). With David being born in 1040 BC and the defeat of Goliath being in 1025, that would put David at 15 years old. Granted, his cockiness could be attributed to what we modernly deem as "puberty" setting in for this young guy, but in David's case, he was special. David is wise beyond his years and very astute in his faith and trust in God Almighty. Why? Could it be in his genes? Could we assume that considering that Jesus was of the line of David, that that same lineage produced generations of favor and victory against any enemy? Genesis 18:18 tells us that the "The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?" If David is a descendant of Abraham, he is guaranteed victory. Jesus, years later, was granted victory over Satan when He was born, when He died, and when He resurrected. David, being of the same lineage, would also receive victory and it wasn't only in his fight with the beasts of the land, but with Goliath as well.

 

So, with that promised victory and favor, why the 4 extra stones? Being in the "BC" era, the Old Testament Law is what these people abided by. Before Moses, there was Noah. After the Ark settled and the flood waters descended, God gave Noah His rules on what to eat and how to live. This was a new time and a new lineage of people who would come. After God had told Noah that the beasts of the land were his to eat, in Genesis 9:6, He also gave him a law about shedding blood of a man.

 

"Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in His own image."

 

With that being said, jump over to II Samuel 21:22. After the death of Goliath, word spread quickly (and probably not even that considering Goliath's family members were probably watching the whole time). Verse 22 reads, "These four were descended from the giants in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants." Read chapter 21 and you will find that 4 of Goliath's relatives (brother-like descendants or maybe even immediate family to Goliath) came face-to-face with David probably for the sole purpose to avenge the death of Goliath. David wasn't stupid when he picked up those 4 extra stones. Could we assume that he knew that if he shed Goliath's blood, that Goliath's relatives also knew of the "avenge blood law" and that David took precautions when he grabbed those extra stones? He probably didn't even know he would run into 4 of his relatives later but that God did and God led him to grab 4 extra stones. I don't know. He did believe that that one shot to the head would do the trick, didn't he? These 4 particular descendants were from the same place that Goliath was from: Gath.

 

I believe that God had put on David's heart and mind to pick up those 4 extra stones but only for maybe a reminder or promise to David, that God would deliver 4 of Goliath's descendants into David's hands later. Whether David knew of this at the time or not, it doesn't say. We find out in verse 15 and 17 of II Samuel 21, that David was too weary to fight those 4 so God had allowed David's servants to kill them. Could we also assume that maybe God likes giving us hints as to how we will become victorious over our enemies? David probably didn't understand why he picked up those 4 extra stones until those 4 descendants had been defeated. In I Samuel 22:1, right after this victory, we read:

 

"And David spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul."

 



Notice that word "all"? Those 5 stones represented major victories for David. Those 5 stones served as reminders to David that God would bring him victory. Does this theory of mine fit? It might or it might not. Regardless, major lessons can be taken from this story of David. His confidence was found in one person alone- God. His faith rested on the promise that God would never leave him nor forsake him. God wants us to call upon Him for help against our enemies. God wants us to ask Him for help against Satan and his schemes. With God, there is always victory and whether we get what's going on now or not, God always comes out in the end with the Truth leading the way. 

 



What I am Thankful for this Thanksgiving

 

"And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." Colossians 3:15-17

 

 

Thanksgiving is not only a time of historical reflection, but also of personal reflection of all we've been blessed with. This is the time when we give our praise to God for every moment He has blessed us with, good or bad. This past year, Dustin and I have been blessed to watch our children grow beautifully. This was an extra year of joy, laughter, and high levels of energy! Imagine that! LOL

 

I am very thankful for my eldest, Brent. Brent started the 1st grade and is doing extremely well in his class that is intermixed with 2nd graders. We do homeschool co-op meaning that he attends school on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9-3 and I teach him on his off days (which is an extra blessing for me!). Part of his schooling is to memorize scripture and that in and off itself is every mother's delight. Not only has he kept straight A's this year, he has been a great helper around the house especially with the girls. He loves on them and hugs on them when they start to cry. He teaches them songs about Jesus and acts like a father figure to them by teaching them what to do and what not to do. I am very thankful for a little boy who has a heart as big as David's.

 

I am very thankful for my firstborn daughter and middle child, Laura Lynn. Everyone who meets little Laura loves her energy and comedic way of interaction. She is our wild child! She has a funny laugh and her expressions are nothing short of hilarious! This little girl has been a blessing to my life. Her "larger than life" personality is what keeps a grin on my face. I can already tell from her wit and impatient personality that she is my mini-me. She is one smart little girl who already, at two and a half, is starting to say "yes ma'am" just like big brother. She is definitely a gift from God Himself.

 

I am very thankful for our youngest bundle, little Miss Meredith Evelyn. Meredith is our little chunky monkey and her daddy's mini-me. With her 1st birthday approaching on December 11, she has kept this year very busy and warm for us. We have seen her at her tiniest to almost walking now. Every trip to the store has invited nothing but warm compliments of how contagious her dimpled smile is. Her piercing blue doll baby-shaped eyes are met with kind words from strangers. Looking at this tiny, yet chunky little baby, my heart is full.

 

I am thankful for Dustin. He has been a stable rock for this wild heart of mine. He is hands-on father with a big heart. When God places you where you are meant to be, according to His Will, your whole family life is at peace. He makes me feel wanted and loved. From changing diapers to thanking me for getting up at 4 to cook breakfast for him, I feel loved and appreciated. I thank God for his simple and humble heart.

 

These are just a few of the things that I am grateful for this year. God doesn't have to bless me in order for me to thank Him. He doesn't have to prove anything to me. Knowing that He wanted to create me to be His, is enough for me to be thankful for. Be thankful and give thanks to God for all things. He is good no matter the circumstance in your life. 

Produce Good Fruit

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.  I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in Me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be My disciples. As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Abide in My love. If you keep M y commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another." John 15:1-17

 

There are a lot of personal pronouns in this passage but the one I want you to focus on is the word Me. When Jesus is speaking this parable, He isn't referring to anyone else examining or having authority over our branch or fruit. He only talks about God being the vinedresser and Himself being the true vine. The vines that produce no fruit, according to verse 2, is taken away and in verse 6, if no branch produces, it is thrown into the fire and burned.

 

How can we bear fruit? In verse 4, the only possible way to bear fruit is to abide in Christ, the True Vine. The end of verse 4 says, "for apart from Me you can do nothing." The only way we can produce good fruit, is to abide in Christ. In our home, we are big fruit and veggie eaters. The kids always have grapes and when they ask, I always start by taking the bag out and picking through the good ones and bad ones. If a grape looks too soft or almost dead, that grape gets tossed out into the woods. The good ones get washed in dawn soap, dried off, drizzled with fresh water, and off to the children. In order to keep grapes fresh longer, those grapes that look almost dead get tossed from the bag for the sake of affecting the good grapes. Over time, some grapes get weak from hanging on to the vine so they fall off and sit in the bottom of the bag only to be tossed when I get more grapes for the next snack time. Those dead grapes have no use and the only option is to toss them. Our spiritual lives are ones that should be found in Christ. We should cling to the True Vine and desire to produce good fruit and not bad fruit. Here are some differences of those good fruit producers and bad fruit producers:

Good Fruit Producers
-Has genuine love for others.
-Holds no grudges/bitterness.
-Prays for his/her enemies in love, not spite.
-Kindness and encouragement for all.
-Talks the talk but also walks the walk.
-Thinks of others before self.
-Acts upon scripture because the Holy Spirit is there to convict and guide.                                                                

Bad Fruit Producers
-Hates certain individuals.
-Grudge holder/bitter
-Sees no need in praying for enemies.
-Snooty/Cruel/Bully-like.
-Social media Christian only.
-Self comes first
-Ignores parts that offends their actions.

When we love Christ, we are called to be like Him in all aspects. Going back to the personal pronoun of Me, we can show the world all kinds of deeds and post about how we are living for the Lord so forth and so on, but God is the Vinedresser. He is the One who sees what our friends on Facebook don't see. He hears the gossip behind closed doors, He reads the texts sent to our friends and family members, and He knows what thoughts come through our minds daily. What kind of branch are we? Will we be one that will be tossed into the fire? Bearing good fruit is good but that good fruit is based on God's standard, not ours. We might think that we are producing good fruit because we base it on social media reactions to our lives and what we post, but do you know what's more scary? If all we did was in vain. When we see our Vinedresser, let's make it am opportunity for the Lord to be pleased with our service here on earth. We can fool Facebook, but we can't fool God. If we put our total focus on the Lord, we would be more busy with the Lord's work than on social media trying to please people who have no control over our eternal lives. With that being said, I encourage everyone to spend more time with the Lord in His Word and grow your prayer life. Seek ways to glorify God in a way that only God and not man can see. Jesus said that whatever you do in private, God will bless you for. Encourage others to grow in Christ, get rid of all malice and gossip. Be peacemakers and rid yourself of any unnecessary drama that floods your life. Be kind to your enemies and ask God to bless them and even ask God to help you make amends with them. God is good and life is short and  if we glorify God here on earth, can you imagine the rewards waiting for us in Heaven? Eternity with Christ is too precious to waste with petty foolishness here on earth. Make your time count for the cause of Christ.

 

"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.  Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 5-11

 

Full Armor of God

  

Some of my topics can come across as "Sunday School-ish" but have you ever read something that you've read over and over for years and all of a sudden, a light bulb goes off? That's me in a nutshell. The more and more that I have been spending in God's Word digging for His promises and His character, the more He has revealed to me about His Truths and the devil's lies. Take Ephesians 6 for example. We have all heard of the breastplate of righteousness and the sword of truth, etc. but has it ever occurred to you that it is vital for us to heed what Paul is trying to tell us in this chapter?
    To understand the full armor concept, we must ask ourselves why. Why are we instructed to wear our armor? Ephesians 6:11-13 says:

                    ^"Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."

 

 

If you have accepted Christ as your Savior and you are following the Lord wholeheartedly, expect arrows being hurled towards you. The devil doesn't sleep. He needs no rest. He will use people close to you, strangers, and even your own mind to try and distract you from God's direction for your life. There are ways to dodge those darts and Paul goes on to describe on what to do in verses 14-18:

 

 

 ^"Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints."

 

 

How can we add these pieces of armor to our spiritual bodies?

 

1. God's Word

 

It's good to do a devotion daily, but how often do we get stuck in the habit of doing mini devotions and going about our day without so much as chewing on it and digging further for more of God's infinite wisdom? One little devo that I had used in the past was Our Daily Bread. It is still a good little devotional and our church orders them and keeps them on hand, but do we stop there? Wake up, read that paragraph and go about our day feeling "satisfied" that we were able to cram in our "devotion" time? How about doing your devotions on your phone? Common sense tells you that it's better to grab the physical Word of God and eat it up rather than depend on your phone for insight or even Bible reading. Don't misunderstand what is being said here as well. Some people have no other access to a Bible but by their phone and that's good, but if you are at home, God's Word works best. Why? What typically happens when you start reading from your mobile device? It starts acting like a mobile device and before you know it, you are in the middle of reading the book of John and a text pops up. How about a phone call or notification? If you use the physical Bible and set your phone to the side, it will be easier to concentrate without being distracted by Facebook, Pinterest, or any other media source. And remember, reading His Word is better than not reading His Word. If you are doing it, keep on keeping on!

 

2. Earnest Prayerful Heart

 

Prayer is communication between you and God stretching from your physical realm to His spiritual realm. Prayer allows us to have an open dialogue with our heavenly Father. God wants us to need and want Him. Like a father to his child, He wants to protect us from bad things and bad people. We can ask Him to shield us from these fiery darts that the enemy throws at us. Let Him protect you.

 

What happens if a knight has every piece of armor on but neglected to wear his breastplate? That is the first place the enemy will aim and shoot. Why? It is unprotected. It is very important to stay armored and prepared for the enemy's blows especially if you are doing God's Will. If you are trying to led others to the Lord, you will be a target. Satan hates, loathes, the children of God. We have something inside of us that will always be greater than any plot he takes out against us. We have the power of God in us. Ephesians 3:20 says: "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.." Think about it. According to I Corinthians 6:3, we will one day be able to judge Angels. Incredible if you sit and think about that one for awhile!

 

I plead and beg of you, it won't be easy at first, but Paul was trying to warn us and also help us. The Bible exists so that we may know God and know how to defeat the enemy at the same time. It is the ultimate survival guide for our lives. Soak yourselves in God's Holy Word, in daily communication with Him through prayer, and claim the power that is in you. Remember what I John 4:4 says?

 



 "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world."

 

Another thing that I do throughout the day, especially if a negative thought comes racing to my mind, I immediately recite the Lord's Prayer and it's as if the room clears. The enemy and his minions don't stick around for long when you have a meeting with the Kings of Kings and Lord of Lords. If you want the enemy to flee, rebuke him immediately verbally, out loud, and recite the Lord's Prayer or just talk with God. If you haven't experienced what it's like to have a relationship with the Lord, please send me a message and I will reply. A lot of you already know me and know how to contact me through social media or through our external lives. Don't hesitate to contact. God bless. 



The Lord's Prayer: The Forgotten Prayer

I have often asked myself why I don't recite the Lord's Prayer more often. Even in my regular prayer time, I tend to have a hard time knowing what to pray for or even remembering all the prayer requests from individuals who have asked me to pray for them. After my prayers, it hits me that I left someone off the "list" and I have to go back and make sure that I covered that person. It almost turns into an obligation instead of an outpouring of my heart about myself or someone else or even about the Lord. But there's a way to pray that covers all the basics with God being at the center of it: The Lord's Prayer.

“(5)And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. (6)But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. (7)And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. (8)“Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. (9) In this manner, therefore, pray:

 

"Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen."

 

(Matthew 6:5-13)

 

It's very important not to skip verse 8 when reading this passage. Do you notice what Jesus said?

 

             "...For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him."

 

God is omniscient. He knows EVERYTHING. Here are just a few verses of scripture that remind us of his omniscient nature:

 

"He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite."  Psalm 145:4-5

 

"And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account." Hebrews 4:13

 

 ^"Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered." Matthew 10:29-30

 

Christ went on to give us the perfect example of what to pray when we come to the Father and what better person to listen to than the One who is perfection manifested? Better yet, God manifested!

 

Arthur W. Pink wrote about there being 7 petitions in the Lord's Prayer. As we all know, 7 is regarded as a holy number and thus, the Lord's Prayer is made up of 7 petitions to God. Here are the 7 petitions:

 

1. Hallowed be Thy name

 

Arthur W. Pink says:

 

"First, the word hallowed is a term from Middle English used here to translate a form of the Greek verb hagiazo. This term is frequently translated "sanctified." It means to set apart for a sacred use." Thus, the words "hallowed be Thy name" signify the pious desire that God’s matchless name might be reverenced, adored, and glorified, and that God might cause it to be held in the utmost respect and honor, that its fame might spread abroad and be magnified."

 

2. Thy Kingdom come

 

This phrase that we speak to God comes from a part of us, should come from a part of us, that is open to whatever God wants for our lives. Pink goes on to say:

 

"We say again that, though this is the most brief of the petitions, it is also the most comprehensive. In praying, "Thy Kingdom come," we plead for the power and blessing of the Holy Spirit to attend the preaching of the Word, for the Church to be furnished with God-given and God-equipped officers, for the ordinances to be purely administered, for an increase of spiritual gifts and graces in Christ’s members, and for the overthrow of Christ’s enemies. Thus we pray that the Kingdom of grace may be further extended till the whole of God’s elect are brought into it. Also, by necessary implication, we pray that God will wean us more and more from the perishing things of this world."

 

3. Thy Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven

 

How many of us long for Heaven and the holy atmosphere that encompasses it? I know I do! When we read "as it is in Heaven", Pink says it perfectly when he says:

 

"The standard by which we are to measure our attempts at doing God’s will on earth is nothing less than the conduct of the saints and angels in heaven."

 

4. Give us this day our daily bread

 

"...this petition teaches us the following indispensable lessons: (1) that it is permissible and lawful to supplicate God for temporal mercies; (2) that we are completely dependent upon God’s bounty for everything; (3) that our confidence is to be in Him alone, and not in secondary causes; (4) that we should be grateful, and return thanks for material blessings as well as for spiritual ones; (5) that we should practice frugality and discourage covetousness; (6) that we should have family worship every morning and evening; and (7) that we should be equally solicitous on behalf of others as for ourselves." -Pink

5. And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors

"Our sins are here viewed, as in Luke 11:4, under the notion of debts, that is, undischarged obligations or failures to render to God His lawful due. We owe to God sincere and perfect worship together with earnest and perpetual obedience." -Pink

In retrospect, as God has forgiven us, we are obligated to forgive others. If we don't forgive others, how can we expect God to forgive us?

6. and lead us not into temptation

"How does God lead us into temptation? First, He does so objectively when His providences, though good in themselves, offer occasions (because of our depravity) for sin. When we manifest self-righteousness, He may lead us into circumstances something like Job experienced. When we are self-confident, He may be pleased to suffer us to be tempted as Peter was. When we are self-complacent, He may bring us into a situation similar to the one Hezekiah encountered (2 Chron. 32:27-31; cf. 2 Kings 20:12-19). God leads many into poverty, which though a sore trial is yet, under His blessing, often enriching to the soul. God leads some into prosperity, which is a great snare to many. Yet if sanctified by Him, prosperity enlarges one s capacity for usefulness. Second, God tempts permissively when He does not restrain Satan (which He is under no obligation to do). Sometimes God suffers him to sift us as wheat, just as a strong wind snaps off dead boughs from living trees. Third, God tempts some men judicially, punishing their sins by allowing the Devil to lead them into further sin, to the ultimate destruction of their souls.

 

But why does God tempt His people, either objectively by His providences, or subjectively and permissively by Satan? He does so for various reasons. First, He tries us in order to reveal to us our weakness and our deep need of His grace. God withdrew His sustaining arm from Hezekiah in order "that he might know all that was in his heart" (2 Chron. 32:31). When God leaves us to ourselves, it is a most painful and humiliating discovery that we make. Yet it is needful if we are to pray from the heart, "Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe" (Ps. 119:117). Second, He tests us in order to teach us the need of watchfulness and prayer. Most of us are so stupid and unbelieving that we learn only in the hard school of experience, and even its lessons have to be knocked into us. Little by little we discover how dearly we have to pay for rashness, carelessness, and presumption. Third, our Father subjects us to trials in order to cure our slothfulness. God calls out, "Awake thou that sleepest" (Eph. 5:14), but we heed Him not; and therefore He often employs rough servants to rudely arouse us. Fourth, God puts us to the test in order to reveal to us the importance and value of the armor He has appointed (Eph. 6:11-18). If we heedlessly go forth to battle without our spiritual panoply, then we must not be surprised at the wounds we receive; but they shall have the salutary effect of making us more careful for the future!" -Pink

 

7. But deliver us from evil

 

"We are taught to pray for deliverance from all kinds, degrees, and occasions of evil; from the malice, power, and subtlety of the powers of darkness; from this evil world and all its allurements, snares, tempers, and deceits; from the evil of our own hearts, that it may be restrained, subdued, and finally extirpated; and from the evil of suffering. . . (Thomas Scott)." -Excerpt from Pink's writing

 

The end of the Lord's Prayer is considered the "Doxology" which means: a praise that is sung to God as a means of worship and expression. The doxology in the Lord's Prayer is:

 

"For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen."

 

A.W. Pink says, "The perfections of this prayer as a whole and the wondrous fullness of each clause and word in it are not perceived by a rapid and careless glance, but become apparent only by a reverent pondering. This doxology may be considered in at least a threefold way: (1) as an expression of holy and joyful praise; (2) as a plea and argument to enforce the petitions; and (3) as a confirmation and declaration of confidence that the prayer will be heard. In this prayer our Lord gives us the quintessence of true prayer."

 

I titled this blog as "The Lord's Prayer: The Forgotten Prayer" because we, as believers, have seemed to have swept this important prayer under the rug. Jesus, Himself, was speaking when He spoke to His disciples about the importance of saying this prayer. One part of the prayer says, "give us our DAILY bread." Why would Jesus include the word "daily" if it wasn't important? We are to constantly pray as a means to glorify God and protect ourselves, through God, from the devil's schemes. The devil doesn't sleep, God doesn't sleep, but we do. I have just recently started saying the Lord's Prayer daily and am in the process of teaching my Sunday School class how to recite the prayer before every lesson so as they grow older, they will be able to recall this prayer without hesitation. I encourage you to do the same. If Christ told His disciples that this was the way to pray, does it not apply to us as well? Just like He said, God already knows of our needs.

 

 

Reference: http://pbministries.org/books/pink/Lords_Prayer/pray_introduction.htm