February 18, 2012

There Is Personal Evil Against Us, "...but deliver us from the evil one."

This is one time I like The Message paraphrase because it words verse 13 like this: "Keep us safe from ourselves and the devil." And you can be sure that the devil wants us to respond to trials in sinful ways. He's hoping we'll be weak. He's hoping we'll slip up when we go through the difficulties of life.

God promises to help us deal with this form of temptation.

As Psalm 37:23-24 says, "The steps of the Godly are directed by the Lord. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will not fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand."

 

 

(TLB) So effective prayer includes saying, "God I know the devil wants me to stumble. He wants me to slip up. So, help me. Help me to stand up to his temptations in ways that further Your kingdom."

 

 

 I Peter 5:8 – “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”

 

 

John 10:10 – “The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy, but I am come that you may have life and have it abundantly”

You know, the exciting truth is, we can pray this prayer with confidence, because God can always turn the tables on Satan. Our Abba has the wisdom and power to take the trials and tribulations that come to us in life, the tough times that Satan loves to use as his tools--our completely sovereign God takes these ordeals and Satan's foolish plans and uses them for His purposes. If you doubt this, then look at the Bible. It's full of examples!

 

 

JOSEPH – Went through a trial when his brothers gave into a temptation to sell him to slave traders. Then he went through another trial because he WOULDN’T give into temptation by Potipher's wife. In the end he had a temptation to get even with his brothers – but he couldn't because he saw how God had worked!

MOSES – The enemy tried to eliminate him by having all the Hebrew male infants killed but his mother put him in a basket in the Niles and he ended up being raised in Pharoah's palace! Gave into to a temptation to kill Egyptian and had to flee Egypt. But years later, God called him from a burning bush and sent him back to the Pharoah to deliver God's people from slavery.

PETER – Failed his trials and gave into temptation denying Christ three times but after Christ restored him he was the keynote speaker for the event that launched the Church!

Lucado refers to this part of the prayer and writes, "Like a confused basketball player, every time Satan scores a basket, the other team gets the points. Over and over again the Bible makes it clear Who really runs the earth. Satan may strut and prance but it's God Who calls the shots."

 

 

JESUS – Just when Satan thought he had destroyed Jesus – HE ROSE AGAIN!

 

 

Lucado writes, "Finally the devil thought he had scored on the right end of the court. And not only had he scored, he'd slam-dunked the MVP and left him lying on the floor. But all of a sudden there was a light in the tomb and a rumbling of the rock; then Friday's tragedy emerged as Sunday's Savior and Satan knew he'd once again been a tool in the hand of the gardener. All the time he thought he was defeating Heaven, he was helping Heaven. God wanted to prove His power over sin and death and that's exactly what He did. Once again Satan's lay-up became a foul-up. Only this time he didn't give heaven some points, he gave heaven the championship game."

I John 4:4 – “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world!

Have you prayed today, "deliver me from the evil one?"

February 17, 2012

"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 6:13

There is a notion that permeates much of the thinking in our culture and pervades our education systems. It is the belief that human beings are essentially good and it is up to the government to create the proper environment, the proper education, the proper diet, the proper health and social justice to bring out that inherent goodness.

You may recognize this idea as secular humanism. It is the religion of our post-Christian, anti-Christian modern social order. As nice as it sounds and as wistful as it may be secular humanism has no basis in reality and doesn't square with the record of human behavior or human history.

In fact, human history records that our race has its origin in a perfect environment, a paradise called Eden! And in the midst of that perfect world which was created to bring them joy and fulfullment in the presence of their Holy Creator and God, they committed a deliberate act of disobedience and lost their holiness before God and passed their sinful nature to every succeeding generation up to our present day. So, an idlyllic world that met all the conditions Secular Humanists say will lead to goodness, became the place of origin for the evil human nature each of us have inherited.

Jesus taught that we are sinners by nature and that sinful nature alienates us from a God Who is holy. Left untreated, the human nature will lead us to a lifetime of spiritual separation from God, loneliness, futulity and sinfulness.

One of the purposes for which God gave His sons to die for the sins of billions yet to come is to provide us with the power to overcome the destructive tendencies of a sinful mind and heart.

Jesus is acknowledging the falled human nature when He taught His disciples how to pray the Lord's Prayer. From this statement we can understand - There Is Powerful Evil Within Us, "And do not lead us into temptation....."

It is a heart problem – I have a sinful heart

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it?" Jeremiah 17:9

One reason Jesus teaches us to pray, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done"  is because this prayer confronts the essence of your sinful nature. You are prone to temptation and sin because by nature you want to rule YOUR kingdom and you want YOUR will to be done. There is only room for one King in your life and that must be God!


It is a head problem – I have a sinful mind

"If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.  Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.   For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God."  Colossians 3:1-3

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."  Romans 12:2

The corrupt human mind does not think what pleases God but schemes ways to get what it wants. Until you allow God to transform your mind and put it under the control of His Spirit it will continue to lead you into temptations.

It is a habit problem – I have sinful habits

"Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,  idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,  envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."  Galatians 5:19-21

When your heart is sinful and your mind is corrupt, your habits and behavior will reflect that selfish, sinful nature.

C. S. Lewis once said, "A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only good people only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is."

You knew it was harder to do the right thing that to do the wrong thing. You already struggle with pleasing God and living a godly life. You are well aware how powerful temptation can be. Know you know why - it is your sinful heart, your sinful head, and your sinful habits. That is your nature!

So, how can you ever hope to resist temptation? How can you be lead away from temptation and sin? Only by a SUPERNATURAL change in your heart, your mind and your behavior. If you do what you have always done you will get what you have always had - bad decisions, bad judgement, troubled relationships, spiritual bondage and guilt, and empty living.

Time for a change?


"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service."  Romans 12:1



"I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.  For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish." Galatians 5:16-17

 

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February 16, 2012

"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 6:13

I feel that I need to spend one more post discussing temptation so you can fully understand and appreciate the importance of invoking God's help against it.

As I meditate on this portion of Scripture it occurs to me that we can fall into a "victim mentality" in regard to temptation. It is human nature to neglect responsibility whenever and where ever we can. And when it comes to temptation - we do.

How many times have you heard someone say (including yourself), "I can't help it, I'm only human" to excuse surrendering to temptation?

What Jesus is telling us here is, "You can't help it BUT if you call on Me I can help you help it! You ARE responsible and YOU are accountable to God for how you respond to temptation."

Here's what Jesus' half-brother, James wrote in his epistle:

"Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.  Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.  But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.  then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death." James 1:12-15

It is time to "man up" in regard to temptation guys! Temptation is not something that happens TO you, temptation is something that happens IN you!

Let me illustrate with a couple of examples:

You could surround me with sushi and I could be coming off a 40 day fast and there would be ZERO temptation for me. You could dip them in chocolate and the needle might move slightly but still they would be no temptation to me. I have no interest in sushi - unless I need some bait.

Take away the sushi and replace it with cheeseburgers and the battle is on! I love cheeseburgers - how they look, how they smell, and how they taste - LOVE cheeseburgers! Cheeseburgers tempt me because there is a strong inner appetite for cheeseburgers!

Obviously, there is nothing inherently wrong with sushi or cheeseburgers when consumed in moderate and reasonable quantities. But the point is, I must exercise control  over my appetite for cheeseburgers and have to make no effort at all to resist sushi.

My human nature is biased against God and toward sin. It is easier for me to sin than it is to resist sinning. It is easy for me to be tempted by sinful pleasures than it is to deny them. But, God calls me to do just that if I am going to be a follower of Christ. I cannot practice sin and selfishness and call myself a Christian. I cannot allow myself to live as a slave to temptation and expect to please God. As Jesus said, I "cannot serve God and materialism".

I must choose to take responsibility for my sinful lust and appetites. I must deny those destructive tendencies and pursue God's holiness. I cannot do that without His help. So I must frequently pray, "Lead me not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one."

Own your lustful desires! Confront them and confess them and ask God to cleanse then and control them! Pray for God's help daily - hourly or moment-by moment if necessary!

God holds you responsible so take responsibility! God holds you accountable so why not find an accountability partner to help you do right?

You cannot serve a VICTORIOUS God and continue to live like a victim.........

February 15, 2012

"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 6:13

This phrase "do not lead us into temptation"  may be a bit confusing when used in this context of praying to God. How can a holy God lead us into temptation?

Since a basic understanding of the definition of temptation is the key to making sense of this part of Jesus' teaching, let's see if we can arrive at some clarity here.

In the New Testament, words translated as "temptation" can mean "an enticement to sin" or it can mean a "test" or sometimes it means a "trial".

While those three concepts are closely related and sometimes interchanged, there are subtle and distinct differences in them.

Let me try to clarify the differences using a very relevant example. The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition came out recently. This annual publication features photos of beautiful young models that show a lot more model than swimsuit. The purpose of this issue is not to sell swim wear it is to sell magazines to men who enjoy staring at the shapely young beauties.

When I heard that the swimsuit edition had hit the newstands and the internet that was a test. Would I find a copy of the magazine or go to the SI website and take a look? I had decided I would not. I passed that test.

But over the last several days several of the photos show up on the msn home page so that when my home page popped up there were two of them prominently posted center page. That was a temptation. I couldn't help the first look but I could decide not to take a second (or third) look. I resisted that temptation.

Later in the evening I was watching Fox News on TV and up popped a story on one of the SI Swimsuit models and there she was on the TV screen. Again, it was a temptation - would I stare or would I look away? I looked away.

So, there has been a test and there has been temptation. Let me make it clear that neither a test nor a temptation is sin. The Bible makes it plain that Jesus was "tempted in every way like man, but without sin". Everyone knows that Jesus lived a  sinless life but He did not live a temptation free life.

Suppose I did decide to pull up the SI website and look at the models, or I went to the news stand and bought a copy of SI Magazine and while I was staring at the scantily clad young beauties in their "barely" bikinis Barbara walked in and saw me. Let's say that upset her and she becomes hurt and angry toward me. Let's say that it shakes her trust in me and negatively affects our relationship. If that lasts several days or if those days stretch into weeks that would become a trial.

Tests confront me with temptation. The temptation reveals my true commitment to Christ and my moral character. If I yield to the temptation and sin against God that could open the door to a trial - a prolonged period of dealing with the consquences of my sin.

While that is generally the pattern of the relationship between tests, temptations and trials, let me point out that Jesus went through some trials that were not caused by failing a temptation. For Him it was a prolonged period of testing.

I also think of Joseph in the Old Testament who suffered some trials even though he was righteous and resisted temptation. There were others as well.

As a student in school and college, I passed a lot of tests. There were chapter tests and semester tests and final exams. Those tests were scheduled ahead of time and announced so I made sure I was prepared to take the tests and pass them. But I lived in fear of those moments when the teacher would begin class saying something like this, "Students, put your texts books under your desk and get out a clean sheet of paper and a number two pencil."

"Oh, no! A dreaded pop quiz!"

There were times when I got caught unprepared by a pop quiz.

Because I know that life brings "pop quizzes" I must live prepared each day for the tests that day could bring. "Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil" is praying, "Father, make sure I am prepared for any "pop quizzes" life may surprise me with so that I won't be overcome by the temptation and flunk the test."

Rarley do I get though a day without some sort of a test to my faith. Hardly a day passes that I don't have to face temptation. So knowing that, why would I not want to make sure I prayed for God's help to prepare me for whatever that day brings.

Does that make sense?

What do you need to do about it?

That decision is a test in itself!

February 14, 2012

"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 6:13

Some have called this the Lord's Prayer but it could just as appropriately be called the Disciple's Prayer. It WAS taught by Him but it was designed for them as a guide or a pattern for how to pray. Also, it was a new way for them to think about God.

The more we study this prayer the more we find out about God, about how much we need Him AND how much He has made available to us as we pray!

This final verse in the prayer gives vital truths about spiritual warfare that is being waged against the kingdom of God and the followers of Christ and how believers are to fight back.

Let's begin with the big truths:

There Is Powerful Evil Within Us, "And do not lead us into temptation....."

There Is Personal Evil Against Us, "...but deliver us from the evil one."

There Is Powerful Equipment For Us, "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." Ephesians 6:11  -  "For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever."

Over the next few days we will examine each of those truths more closely but allow me a few more general observations.

If you don't believe you are essentially evil by nature you have never really read the Lord's Prayer. Or, if you read it you didn't get it.

You may be thinking, "Brad, I really take offense at you calling me evil!"

First, I am not calling you evil, God's Word is!

Second, ler me ask you, "Are you ever tempted?" If you are tempted it is because of the evil desires resident within you!"

And if you don't believe there is evil in the world you haven't read the Lord's Prayer. Jesus believed in evil, He often confronted it, was eventually was killed by it and personally, overcame it by His death and resurrection.

Finally, if you don't have spiritual weapons to resist these evils they will overcome you and destroy you!

I urge you to take evil seriously. It is real and it is powerful and you cannot defeat it in your own strength. When you begin to take evil seriously you will find yourself taking this Lord's Prayer or Disciple's Prayer much more seriously. If you don't you are in serious trouble!

February 13, 2012

"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 6:13

As we have worked our way through this great prayer given to us as a guide by the Savior, we have learned four important reasons why we should care about prayer:

1) Prayer leads us into worship

2) Prayer lines us up with God's will

3) Prayer lets us express our wants

Those three parts of the Lord's Prayer we have already discussed. The fourth area of the prayer is warfare.

Just looking at this last section of the prayer with a casual glance shows why it matters.

There is evil in this world that tempts us. The reason we are tempted by evil is that we have an evil nature within us. So, there is evil that surrounds us and it appeals to the sinful desires resident in the human nature.

And, there is an Evil One who attacks us, accuses us, and allures us toward sin.

So, the power of evil is two-fold and double trouble - there is a powerful person and there is a powerful pull.

Jesus said, "The thief comes to kill, steal and destroy - BUT I have come that you might have life and have it abundantly." John 10:10

So, we are torn between two natures and confronted by two opposing kingdoms. We are in the middle of a spiritual war between righteousness and evil. Both kingdoms are strong than us and one is stronger than the other.

The battlefields of this war are in the mind, in the spirit and in the will. Each of those have been sabotaged by the enemy to cause us to self-destruct.

This final phrase of the prayer remind us that the only hope we have for victory is to call in an ally who is stronger than our enemy. That ally is Jesus Christ, the Son of God Who became Savior of the world. He conquered the two most powerful weapons the devil could threaten us with - sin and death. Sin was conquered when Jesus bled and died on the cross to atone for sin and death was defeated at the resurrection of Jesus, the Christ!

So, when we pray, "Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one", we are choosing sides and calling in the One Who has already conquered and won the victory! When we pray this prayer are calling in the cavalry and the infantry and the artillary and the air force all wrapped up in One - Jesus!

You are engaged in a spiritual conflict with eternal consequences and an overwhelming enemy. There is no neutral territory and no treaties. Either you are being defeated or you are defeating the enemy in the power of God.

With prayer as your primary weapon, how can you afford not to pray?

Why would you not pray as Jesus taught you to pray?

Why risk defeat when victory is one prayer away?

February 12, 2012

"Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors."  Matthew 6:11-12

 

 

 

I didn't agree with everything that Rick Warren wrote in his "Purpose Driven Life" book, But I strongly agree with one of his main premises in the beginning of the book. Warren states that "It is not about you" - "it is about God". And it is!

Why then do we act as though we think prayer is about us?

In response to the disciple's request "Teach us to pray" Jesus gave them this prayer we have  come to know as The Lord's Prayer. Truly it does teach us about praying but also reveals much about the God to Whom we pray.

Jesus taught us to use prayer as a way of worship. Since prayer connects you with the Person of God and brings you into the presence of God and helps you praise God, this prayer is indeed, worship.

Also, prayer helps you do the will of God. Through prayer you can align with the will of God and accept His will and then act on it in daily living.

So, Jesus reveals that prayer is important to worship and important to doing His will, but also prayer helps you get what God wants for you. I know that many believe the purpose of prayer is to convince God to give them what they want from Him. But if you study it you will see that it is more about getting what God wants us to have.

First, God wants to give us food each day. Based on the word used in the original language, you could conclude that God wants to provide for you physically, emotionally and spiritually! You cannot live without food and God wants you to live and live abundantly.

Second, God wants you to enjoy fellowship with Him. God wants you to rely on Him on a daily basis so that you will have to commune with Him daily in order to receive the supply He has for you. We saw the evidence that God wants you to know Him in the "NOW" and enoy Him in that moment.

Third, God wants you to to know forgiveness for your sins. Being forgiven allows you to come into fellowship with a Holy God. Receiving His salvation through Christ for the forgiveness of sins is HUGE! Once you are forgiven you will find grace to forgive those who might sin aginst you.

Food, fellowship and forgiveness are three things you want and desparately need. God will give you those things if you will pray and ask Him! According to the Lord's Prayer He wants those things for you!

Why should you care about prayer? You shoudn't care about prayer unless God's worship is important or unless His will is important or if His wants matter to you.

If any of those or all of those are important to you, then you need to understand the importance of prayer. Pray away!