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The following passage is the most harrowing words by Jesus to Simon Peter in the whole Bible. Before you can don ministerial robes and be a minister unto God, there are the trials. Even Jesus had to go through the Trials of God.
“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” “Lord,” said Peter, “I am ready to go with You even to prison and to death.” But Jesus replied, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me.” (Luke 22:31-34) (KJV)Peter had to go through the Trials by Fire because Jesus said, “ Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18) God knew Peter would fail, deny Jesus three times the night of Jesus’s crucifixion, but Peter was chosen because of what God and Jesus saw inside him. God doesn’t let Satan come and see if you’ll rise to the occasion. God helps along the way so you can stand the fiery trials. Stephen was stoned to death for defending the faith in ACTS, but the Holy Spirit strengthened him to stand for the stoning. Stephen even said when he was being stoned, “Lord Jesus, please welcome me!” He knelt down and shouted, “Lord, don't blame them for what they have done.” Then he died. (ACTS 7:59-60) (CEV)
Trials will come on you suddenly, Jesus prays for you just like He did Peter that your faith will not fail. Unlike Peter, until I was in the thick of the trials that drove me almost to insanity and even ready to drop everything I wasn’t told by the Holy Spirit, “Satan wants to sift you as wheat.” But, when the Holy Spirit told me that, boy did it click inside that I was in the thick of the trial. It gave me a resolve I had never had before. I had to choose, but the Power was from the Holy Spirit.
I remember this line: “When the bow breaks, some are down with terror while others spread their wings like eagles and soar.” (Queen Elizabeth movie) The Bible says it even better, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31) (KJV)
The Trials teach you to rely completely on Jesus at the end of them, not rely on yourself and realize your true enemy is not only Satan, but your flesh. Your greatest enemy is not Satan, but yourself. Paul said to crucify the flesh daily in Galatians 5:4. I rarely get to quote Galatians. That’s so cool.
Satan has desired to sift you as wheat
Satan told God, “if he doesn’t have that easy life you give him, he’ll forsake and curse you” about Job. So, God, knowing Job’s heart, let Satan try sift Job as wheat. Job was rewarded after the trial with far more than he had before Satan’s tried to sift him as wheat. Job was a warrior. If you read the book of Job, the sores Satan put on that man’s body sound just like AIDS. Surprised? There is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9).
Gideon was a wimp and scared of his only shadow before God made Gideon an Ultimate Warrior. Gideon needed three fleeces to see if fighting the Midianites was truly God’s will for him. God also gave Gideon 300 fellow Israelites to fight the Midianites that were the bottom of the barrel in terms of soldiers. But, when push came to shove, Gideon rallied his troops with God-given zeal, determination, and grit and he and the 300 valiant soldiers Anointed of God destroyed the Midianites. Why Gideon and his 300? Nobody would believe they could do it so God got the glory for them defeating the Midianites.
Gideon found out, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31) The Midianites found out God can use anyone willing to bring about their destruction and death the hard way, too. At the end, Gideon would’ve killed anyone God put in his way, because it was God doing it through Gideon not himself. Gideon learned a simple thing–be a willing vessel and God can accomplish much. Don’t help God. He doesn’t need our help. Let God lead.
The Battle is the Lord’s Not Ours
Fighting Satan yourself is futile. Satan will defeat you in short order if you rely on your own devices. How did Jesus fight Satan in the Wilderness? He quoted the Word, which Jesus knew better than anyone because Jesus is the Word. If you try to use your mind to fight the devil, he will laugh at you and destroy you quickly. Satan knows the Bible better than anyone human that’s why Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit to tell us what to say when the time is right (Luke 12:12) (KJV)
God reserves the greatest Anointings to those He can Trust with It
Our weapons are not carnal: “ (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.” (2 Cor. 10:4-6) (KJV)
The flesh explained!
The flesh is that part of the endemic nature inside you that floats your ego and exalts itself against God.
How do you subdue the Flesh?
Galatians 5:4: PRAYER!
OUR WEAPONS ARE PRAYER AND THE WORD!
The more you pray, the more the flesh dies inside you until it becomes your servant and ultimately God’s servant. The Holy Spirit changes us slowly, sometimes with great strides, and when we look back and see how we were years ago we say, “Whoa!”
Put on the Whole Armor of God
“11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;” (Ephesians 6:11-18) (KJV)
What are the fiery darts of the enemy? I had no clue until I read a book. The darts are demons telling you this: “You’re useless, stupid, a loser, why would God use you? Seriously, you’re a screw-up, clumsy, yada, yada, yada!”
Let me tell your something: God chooses us to confound the wise. “but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: that no flesh should glory in his presence.” (1 Corinthians 1:27-31) (KJV)
God loves the whores, the tax collectors, weak, the pathetic, etc. as the world sees us. He uses us to confound the wise of the world. He does because our flesh will not glory in His presence.
And, remember, rest in the shadow of the Almighty!
“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.” (Psalm 91:1-2) (KJV)
Listen, every battle, every war, every fight, eternity, the past, the present, the things to come was fought and won by Jesus Christ at Calvary.
THE BATTLE BELONGS TO JESUS CHRIST NOT YOU!
We are supposed to be willing vessels to be used. “ If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.” (2 Tim 2:21)
The Truth
You are God's prized possession and Satan HATES YOU! Honestly, has Satan ever done anything for you? Really? Nope, not one thing! Jesus, on the other hand, has paved the way for us with complete and utter victory over everything, especially Satan and his ilk. When Jesus died on the Cross, he took away the sin of the world. We only have to repent and ask Jesus into our heart to be born again.
Do you want to go to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, or burn for all eternity?
Do you know Jesus?
Well, it is easy to know him and experience his undying, unfathomable love and affection.
He came and died for you.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) (KJV)
There is no greater love than Jesus.
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13) (KJV)
Accept Him today if you don't know him.
Sinner's Prayer
"Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior."
Now, go and tell someone and welcome to His Kingdom.
The Holy Spirit Baptism is a gift. Just pray, "God, I accept the Holy Spirit as a gift and welcome Him into my being. Thank and praise you Jesus for the Holy Spirit." In these dark times, you need the Holy Spirit right after getting saved.
Amen and Hallelujah.
Pastrix Rachel Teresa
