BEING SIFTED BY THE ENEMY
Greetings in the name of Jesus:
In the last few years of my life I have found on many occasions that I have gone through a process of being sifted. It is important to know what that means first as it is used by Jesus when He spoke to Peter in Luke 22:31-32. In this passage Jesus tells Peter that the enemy has wanted Peter so he could sift him like wheat. We have to understand what that really means. The word as it is translated from the Greek word siniazo meaning to sift, shake in a sieve, by inward agitation to try ones faith to the verge of overthrow.
We almost always try so hard to avoid this kind of thing hoping that we can take the easier way toward our part of witnessing to this world as to what Christ has done for us, but I think it is important to take a closer look at what Jesus had said to Peter in verse 32.
" But I have prayed for you; that your faith fail not: and when you are converted, strengthen your brethren". Jesus did not pray for Peter to escape this intense shaking; Jesus prayed that his faith would not fail in the process. We can see the process of Peter being shaken so much in his faith as to weep bitterly at his own actions toward Jesus whom he had said he would never abandon even unto death. Peter denied Jesus three times before the night was over.
When I think about the time of our own failure to do or to be what we have made claim to being in Christ I often think back to how Peter must have felt about his very character, and purpose in Christ. We often are attacked in such a way that it is almost impossible for us to find a way back into God's grace. I really think it is important that we know that we are all mainly in the same position as Peter was on that night long ago. We too have ultimately failed in our personal quest to serve God. We really cannot stand on our own because we are too weak in character...we are too imperfect, and that is why we need to give God all of what we have to use to transform the weak and pitifully unworthy creature we are into someone who can stand against the enemy. As we go through these sifting by the enemy we too will come out different just as Peter did. We will find that we can be a strength to one another. Let me share a quick 5 reasons for being sifted that should make complete sense to you. 1. to bring it closer to the foundation 2. to remove what is dead
3. to harvest what is ripe 4. to awaken it 5. to unify or mix together so it can no longer be separated.
The power of God's Spirit has the ability to take anything that the enemy has to throw at us and change it into a victory, but we must trust in God as our protector in the face of odds that would buckle our knees. The church today is going through a type of sifting in many ways by the enemy, and it is very difficult and frightening, but at the same time if we look at the purpose behind it we will see that those whom God has chosen in this hour will continue to rise to the surface, and stand as the Bride of Christ in this age. It is my prayer that you will stand with me through this time of turmoil and sifting by the enemy. May you richly bless God through your life in Him....
THE UNWORTHY SERVANT
In the last few years of my life I have found on many occasions that I have gone through a process of being sifted. It is important to know what that means first as it is used by Jesus when He spoke to Peter in Luke 22:31-32. In this passage Jesus tells Peter that the enemy has wanted Peter so he could sift him like wheat. We have to understand what that really means. The word as it is translated from the Greek word siniazo meaning to sift, shake in a sieve, by inward agitation to try ones faith to the verge of overthrow.
We almost always try so hard to avoid this kind of thing hoping that we can take the easier way toward our part of witnessing to this world as to what Christ has done for us, but I think it is important to take a closer look at what Jesus had said to Peter in verse 32.
" But I have prayed for you; that your faith fail not: and when you are converted, strengthen your brethren". Jesus did not pray for Peter to escape this intense shaking; Jesus prayed that his faith would not fail in the process. We can see the process of Peter being shaken so much in his faith as to weep bitterly at his own actions toward Jesus whom he had said he would never abandon even unto death. Peter denied Jesus three times before the night was over.
When I think about the time of our own failure to do or to be what we have made claim to being in Christ I often think back to how Peter must have felt about his very character, and purpose in Christ. We often are attacked in such a way that it is almost impossible for us to find a way back into God's grace. I really think it is important that we know that we are all mainly in the same position as Peter was on that night long ago. We too have ultimately failed in our personal quest to serve God. We really cannot stand on our own because we are too weak in character...we are too imperfect, and that is why we need to give God all of what we have to use to transform the weak and pitifully unworthy creature we are into someone who can stand against the enemy. As we go through these sifting by the enemy we too will come out different just as Peter did. We will find that we can be a strength to one another. Let me share a quick 5 reasons for being sifted that should make complete sense to you. 1. to bring it closer to the foundation 2. to remove what is dead
3. to harvest what is ripe 4. to awaken it 5. to unify or mix together so it can no longer be separated.
The power of God's Spirit has the ability to take anything that the enemy has to throw at us and change it into a victory, but we must trust in God as our protector in the face of odds that would buckle our knees. The church today is going through a type of sifting in many ways by the enemy, and it is very difficult and frightening, but at the same time if we look at the purpose behind it we will see that those whom God has chosen in this hour will continue to rise to the surface, and stand as the Bride of Christ in this age. It is my prayer that you will stand with me through this time of turmoil and sifting by the enemy. May you richly bless God through your life in Him....
THE UNWORTHY SERVANT
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