SIFTED - Satan’s desire to sift those who would spread the gospel and lead others has not abated. He knows the destruction it causes in the lives of those influenced by the one who falls. The “ripple effect” may last for years, and many weaker brothers and sisters may never recover. But take heart! The One who prayed for Peter “ever liveth to make intercession for (us).” Just as God answered Christ’s intercessory prayer for Peter, so He will answer Christ’s intercessory prayer for us. - “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may 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). In the evening, just before His betrayal, capture, torture, and trial, Christ turned to Simon with these final words, encouraging Him to remain strong. Of course, Peter boldly proclaimed that He would never deny Christ, but Christ knew better. Actually, our text is quite forceful. Christ claimed that Satan has “begged earnestly” (literal translation of “desired”), not just for Peter, but for all the disciples, as seen in the plural pronoun “you,” to “sift you as wheat.” Satan knew (as he still knows) that the fall of Christian leaders causes many others to fall, and if all of the disciples could be made to abandon the faith the gospel could not be spread. Christ turned specifically to Peter, however, and even though He knew Peter would fall, Christ informed him that he had been prayed for, that his “faith fail not.”

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Sifted

Satan’s desire to sift those who would spread the gospel and lead others has not abated. He knows the destruction it causes in the lives of those influenced by the one who falls. The “ripple effect” may last for years, and many weaker brothers and sisters may never recover. But take heart! The One who prayed for Peter “ever liveth to make intercession for (us).” Just as God answered Christ’s intercessory prayer for Peter, so He will answer Christ’s intercessory prayer for us.

BY JOHN D. MORRIS, PH.D. 

 

 “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may 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).

 

In the evening, just before His betrayal, capture, torture, and trial, Christ turned to Simon with these final words, encouraging Him to remain strong. Of course, Peter boldly proclaimed that He would never deny Christ, but Christ knew better (verses 33,34).

Actually, our text is quite forceful.

Christ claimed that Satan has “begged earnestly” (literal translation of “desired”), not just for Peter, but for all the disciples, as seen in the plural pronoun “you,” to “sift you as wheat.”

Satan knew (as he still knows) that the fall of Christian leaders causes many others to fall, and if all of the disciples could be made to abandon the faith the gospel could not be spread.

Christ turned specifically to Peter, however, and even though He knew Peter would fall, Christ informed him that he had been prayed for, that his “faith fail not.”

Indeed, Peter did turn around, once he saw the risen Lord, and became a leader in the fledgling church in Jerusalem, as well as a missionary.

Through the witness of Peter and those he strengthened, the gospel has come to us.

Satan’s desire to sift those who would spread the gospel and lead others has not abated.

He knows the destruction it causes in the lives of those influenced by the one who falls.

The “ripple effect” may last for years, and many weaker brothers and sisters may never recover.

But take heart!

The One who prayed for Peter “ever liveth to make intercession for (us)” (Hebrews 7:25; see also John 17:6–26).

Just as God answered Christ’s intercessory prayer for Peter, so He will answer Christ’s intercessory prayer for us.

The Institute for Creation Research (ICR) wants people to know that God’s Word can be trusted in everything it speaks about—from how and why we were made, to how the universe was formed, to how we can know God and receive all He has planned for us.

After 50 years of ministry, ICR remains a leader in scientific research within the context of biblical creation. Founded by Dr. Henry Morris in 1970, ICR exists to conduct scientific research within the realms of origins and Earth history, and then to educate the public both formally and informally through professional training programs, through conferences and seminars around the country, and through books, magazines, and media presentations. Click here for more information about ICR founder Henry M. Morris.

https://www.icr.org/article/20284/

 

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Satan Always Asks Permission

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https://puricarechronicles.blogspot.com/2020/05/satan-always-asks-permission-from-cover.html

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Satan’s Permission to Sift You like Wheat

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https://puricarechronicles.blogspot.com/2021/03/satans-permission-to-sift-you-like.html

DOES SATAN HAVE TO GET GOD’S PERMISSION BEFORE HE CAN ATTACK US? - God allowed the harassing of His disciples, within limits, but He had a higher purpose in mind — the strengthening of them all. In the same way, it seems that there are boundaries and rules that Satan must abide by. He can go so far but no farther. Job and Peter were hedged about by the Lord — Satan couldn’t get to them without the Lord’s first removing a measure of His protection. We know that God cares for all of His children, so it is reasonable to assume that God has a measure of protection surrounding each of us. And we know that, ultimately, God controls everything in the universe, including Satan. “In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” - There is no biblical proof that Satan always needs God’s specific permission in order to act against Christians every time he wishes to attack them. We know that Satan needs permission at least sometimes. Job 1 shows that Satan was not able to afflict Job without God’s permission. However, consider Satan’s argument before God: “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land” - Satan is obviously familiar with who Job is and is aware of Job’s special protection and blessing by God.

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Does Satan have to get God’s permission before he can attack us?

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God allowed the harassing of His disciples, within limits, but He had a higher purpose in mind — the strengthening of them all. In the same way, it seems that there are boundaries and rules that Satan must abide by. He can go so far but no farther. 

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Job and Peter were hedged about by the Lord — Satan couldn’t get to them without the Lord’s first removing a measure of His protection. We know that God cares for all of His children, so it is reasonable to assume that God has a measure of protection surrounding each of us. 

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And we know that, ultimately, God controls everything in the universe, including Satan. “In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose”

Got Questions Ministries

 

There is no biblical proof that Satan always needs God’s specific permission in order to act against Christians every time he wishes to attack them.

We know that Satan needs permission at least sometimes.

Job 1 shows that Satan was not able to afflict Job without God’s permission.

However, consider Satan’s argument before God: “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land” (Job 1:10).

Satan is obviously familiar with who Job is and is aware of Job’s special protection and blessing by God.

How could Satan have known of Job’s protection, unless he and/or his demonic minions had not already tried to work their will against Job?

What Satan is really asking is for God to remove Job’s protection; of course, in asking that the protection be removed, Satan is essentially seeking permission to attack Job.

Does Satan have to seek such permission every time he attacks us? The Bible does not say.

Another relevant passage is Luke 22:31–32.

Jesus says, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

Clearly in this case Satan had asked God’s permission to test Peter and the other disciples.

Jesus tells Peter that He has prayed specifically for him so that Peter’s faith would not fail and so that Peter can strengthen the other disciples when the test was over.

The implication is that Peter and the rest would be sifted in whatever way Satan intended.

So God allowed the harassing of His disciples, within limits, but He had a higher purpose in mind — the strengthening of them all.

In Job 38:11 God says that He limits the waves of the sea: “This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt.”

In the same way, it seems that there are boundaries and rules that Satan must abide by. He can go so far but no farther.

As the devil “prowls around like a roaring lion” (1 Peter 5:8), must he stop and ask God’s permission for every step?

Or does he only need to ask special permission when he runs into an obstacle to his hatred?

There is no real biblical proof either way. Job and Peter were hedged about by the Lord — Satan couldn’t get to them without the Lord’s first removing a measure of His protection.

We know that God cares for all of His children, so it is reasonable to assume that God has a measure of protection surrounding each of us.

And we know that, ultimately, God controls everything in the universe, including Satan. “In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Got Questions Ministries seeks to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by providing biblical, applicable, and timely answers to spiritually related questions through an internet presence."
GotQuestions.org is a ministry of dedicated and trained servants who have a desire to assist others in their understanding of God, Scripture, salvation, and other spiritual topics. We are Christian, Protestant, evangelical, theologically conservative, and non-denominational. We view ourselves as a para-church ministry, coming alongside the church to help people find answers to their spiritually related questions.

https://www.gotquestions.org/Satan-God-permission.html

THE FOUNDATION FOR MIRACLES - God is no comparison to your earthly father. Your own father may have rejected you, but your heavenly Father accepts and loves you perfectly. The Son of God, who loves you, gave Himself for you as if you were the only person who ever lived. God does not love you for what you do. God does not love you for your service. God loves you because that is what He does; He is a God of love. When you live from the foundation of how much you are loved and accepted, and that God is your loving Father, you will find yourself loving God back with all your heart, soul, and mind. The beginnings of the foundations will be set correctly where miracles will flow because of your identity of Him in you and you in Him. - ”In this is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us.... We love Him because He first loved us.” In the late ‘90s I went to my senior pastor one day and declared to him that I was going to commence a lifetime fast until I saw breakthrough. I was really hoping that he would talk me out of it, but his only words of comfort were to be careful. So now that I had committed to this, I had to carry it through. The first day was easy and the second day I was getting hungry, but by the third day I really thought I was going to die. I came home from work one night and fell on the couch and called my wife and said, “I feel so hungry and so sick that I really feel like I could die.” My wife gave me two options: break the fast and eat, or die, but if I chose the latter option, then to do it quietly. She left the room laughing, and I had to make a decision, as I was miserable. No matter how much we do in works, I have found that it is never enough.

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The Foundation for Miracles

God does not love you for what you do. God does not love you for your service. God loves you because that is what He does; He is a God of love. 

.

God is no comparison to your earthly father. Your own father may have rejected you, but your heavenly Father accepts and loves you perfectly. The Son of God, who loves you, gave Himself for you as if you were the only person who ever lived. 

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When you live from the foundation of how much you are loved and accepted, and that God is your loving Father, you will find yourself loving God back with all your heart, soul, and mind. The beginnings of the foundations will be set correctly where miracles will flow because of your identity of Him in you and you in Him.

Written By Destiny Image

 

”In this is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us.... We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:10,19).

 

In the late ‘90s I went to my senior pastor one day and declared to him that I was going to commence a lifetime fast until I saw breakthrough.

I was really hoping that he would talk me out of it, but his only words of comfort were to be careful.

So now that I had committed to this, I had to carry it through.

The first day was easy and the second day I was getting hungry, but by the third day I really thought I was going to die.

I came home from work one night and fell on the couch and called my wife and said, “I feel so hungry and so sick that I really feel like I could die.”

My wife gave me two options: break the fast and eat, or die, but if I chose the latter option, then to do it quietly.

She left the room laughing, and I had to make a decision, as I was miserable.

I chose to break the fast and went to the fridge and ate an entire packet of sausages and a whole loaf of bread.

I really thought I was going to die after that; I felt so much worse.

No matter how much we do in works, I have found that it is never enough.

You read three chapters of the Bible and the enemy comes along and says, “If you had read six chapters, you would have gotten a breakthrough.”

You pray for 60 minutes and that same voice says, “Maybe you should have prayed for two hours and you might have had your breakthrough.”

You fast for 21 days, and that condemning voice of the accuser whispers in your ear, “Maybe a back-to-back, 21-day fast would have gotten you what you need.”

Often we do works-oriented things out of a place of desperation to see God move or to please Him.

We believe that the things that we do will cause God to love us more, and the supernatural will flow.

This mentality leaves us in a position of working for God’s love as opposed to working from God’s love.

I spent many years working hard for His love because of the lack of revelation on just how much He already loved me and liked me.

Many Christians may know that God loves them, but when you question them, they really have no revelation on just how much God also likes them.

Though they know in their heads that God loves them, they may also believe the lie that God just tolerates them.

God likes to hang out with us and to do the things that we like to do.

When we have the revelation of His love, grace, and goodness, then we really begin to understand that He can’t love us any more than He already does.

The apostles Peter and John are two of my favorite people in the Bible. It appears that they were wired totally differently.

Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved (John 13:23).

The Bible calls John in this passage “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” so we could take from that that Jesus loved John the most.

It’s interesting that this phrase only appears in the Gospel of John, of which John is the author.

So what exactly was John doing?

We know without question that Jesus loved all the disciples intensely, but I believe that John had a revelation that maybe the other disciples did not have.

John knew that he was loved. Could it be that John was the disciple who most knew how to practice enjoying the presence of Jesus and His love?

On the night of the Last Supper, Jesus made a statement that must have been hard for the disciples to take.

He told them they would all fail Him and they would all fall away from Him.

I am sure they were all shocked because without question, they all loved Jesus so much.

When Jesus said this, Peter took Jesus aside and essentially agreed with Jesus that the rest of the disciples would probably fail Him, but “not me,” he said to Jesus.

Peter said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be.”

Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.”

But he spoke more vehemently, “If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And they all said likewise (Mark 14:29-31).

The setting in John 13:23 was during the Last Supper.

We see the disciples at the table with the Lord, including the two I have mentioned, Peter and John.

At the table we could say that there were two kinds of Christians represented.

One was represented by Peter, whose name means “stone” or “rock,” and if we break that down further, means “law.”

Peter represents the believers who declare their love for the Lord, just as we all do.

John’s name means “beloved,” “loved one,” or broken down further, means “grace.”

Now John leaning on the breast of Jesus is a picture of depending on the Lord’s love for him; he represents every believer who declares the Lord’s love for them.

We could say that one represents Christians under the law, and the other represents Christians under grace.

But the one who was always declaring how much he loved Jesus, before the night was out, was found denying Him three times, while the one who was dependent on the Lord’s love for him was there to minister to Jesus at the time of His greatest need.

Jesus knew that each of the disciples would fail Him.

But Peter’s dependence on his love for Jesus instead of a solid foundation of Jesus’ love for him actually caused him to fail Jesus in His time of need.

Jesus said that each of them would fail Him. John also failed Jesus that night, but because his foundation of their relationship was first on how much Jesus loved him, even when he failed Him in the garden, he was able to step over the failure to be at the feet of Jesus at the time of His need.

John was the only disciple of the twelve who was at the cross with Jesus. The others were alone, feeling bad, and probably drowning in condemnation.

While Peter was feeling unworthy and drowning in condemnation, John was at the foot of the cross because he clearly understood that his relationship with Jesus was not based on how much he loved Jesus but how much Jesus loved him.In my years of ministry, I have met many people who have asked me, “Chris, I love God so much, yet why do I fail to see the power of God displayed through my life?”

I love to look into their eyes and ask if they know how much they are loved.

Very few look me back in my eyes and tell me how much they are loved. Many look away or look down or divert the subject.

We need a greater revelation of the Father’s love toward us.

I so believe in loving God with all my heart, soul, and mind, but I can’t help but fall in love when I see just how much I am first loved.

My love is the byproduct of knowing how much I am loved.

”In this is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us.... We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:10,19).

God is no comparison to your earthly father.

Your own father may have rejected you, but your heavenly Father accepts and loves you perfectly.

The Son of God, who loves you, gave Himself for you as if you were the only person who ever lived.

God does not love you for what you do. God does not love you for your service.

God loves you because that is what He does; He is a God of love.

When you live from the foundation of how much you are loved and accepted, and that God is your loving Father, you will find yourself loving God back with all your heart, soul, and mind.

The beginnings of the foundations will be set correctly where miracles will flow because of your identity of Him in you and you in Him.

Destiny Image

If you’re passionate about hearing God’s voice, walking with Jesus, and experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit, then you’ve come to the right place.

Destiny Image is a community of believers with a passion for equipping and encouraging you to live the prophetic, supernatural life you were created for! 

We offer a fresh helping of practical articles, dynamic podcasts, and powerful videos from respected, Spirit-empowered, Christian leaders to fuel the holy fire within you.

And best of all… it’s FREE.

https://www.destinyimage.com/2016/08/15/chris-gore-the-foundation-for-miracles/

KEEPING OUR EYES ON JESUS - We live in a stormy world. Waves of financial despair, emotional upheaval, relationship issues and personal failures threaten to capsize us and pull us under. Yet if we keep our eyes fixed on God’s Word, we can stay above the fray. If we allow its words to resonate above the cacophony of doubt, worry, conflict and uncertainty that nag at us every day, we can enjoy an extraordinary walk with Jesus. - The apostle Peter and the other disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee one night when they were caught in a sudden storm. Wind and waves threatened to capsize their vessel. As they struggled against the elements, they saw something that really frightened them. In the distance, illuminated by flashes of lightning, was a person walking on top of the water. The disciples were convinced they were seeing a ghost until they looked more closely and saw it was Jesus walking toward them. While his traveling companions panicked, Peter asked Jesus if he could join him on the water. Keeping his eyes fixed on the Lord, Peter stepped out of the boat and onto the Sea of Galilee. The Bible doesn’t say what distracted Peter. Perhaps it was an especially large wave or a crash of thunder that made him take his eyes off Jesus — his hope for staying afloat — to look around at the precarious position he found himself in. Immediately Peter started to sink. “Lord, save me!” he cried. Jesus reached out, grabbed Peter’s arm and helped him back into the boat.

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Keeping Our Eyes on Jesus

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We live in a stormy world. Waves of financial despair, emotional upheaval, relationship issues and personal failures threaten to capsize us and pull us under. 

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Yet if we keep our eyes fixed on God’s Word, we can stay above the fray. If we allow its words to resonate above the cacophony of doubt, worry, conflict and uncertainty that nag at us every day, we can enjoy an extraordinary walk with Jesus.

thenivbible.com

The apostle Peter and the other disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee one night when they were caught in a sudden storm.

Wind and waves threatened to capsize their vessel.

As they struggled against the elements, they saw something that really frightened them.

In the distance, illuminated by flashes of lightning, was a person walking on top of the water.

The disciples were convinced they were seeing a ghost until they looked more closely and saw it was Jesus walking toward them.

While his traveling companions panicked, Peter asked Jesus if he could join him on the water.

Keeping his eyes fixed on the Lord, Peter stepped out of the boat and onto the Sea of Galilee. 

The Bible doesn’t say what distracted Peter.

Perhaps it was an especially large wave or a crash of thunder that made him take his eyes off Jesus — his hope for staying afloat — to look around at the precarious position he found himself in.

Immediately Peter started to sink.

“Lord, save me!” he cried.

Jesus reached out, grabbed Peter’s arm and helped him back into the boat.

Peter’s experience offers a helpful analogy of the hope found in Scripture.

As long as he kept his eyes on Jesus, he was able to stay above the fray, even though he was in the midst of it.

When he took his eyes off Jesus, he started to get overwhelmed. Yet he didn’t sink so far that Jesus couldn’t reach him.

God’s Word is like that for believers.

We live in a stormy world. Waves of financial despair, emotional upheaval, relationship issues and personal failures threaten to capsize us and pull us under.

Yet if we keep our eyes fixed on God’s Word, we can stay above the fray.

If we allow its words to resonate above the cacophony of doubt, worry, conflict and uncertainty that nag at us every day, we can enjoy an extraordinary walk with Jesus.

Read the complete story in Matthew 14:22-32.

Some Bible translations focus on the way Scripture was written — the form, grammar, even the word order of the original. The difficulty is that no two languages follow the same set of rules. That’s why translating Scripture is more than a matter of replacing Greek or Hebrew words with English equivalents.

Other Bible translations focus on the meaning of Scripture, helping you grasp the message of the Bible in your own words. The challenge with this approach is that if you stray too far from the form of the text, you might miss some of the subtle nuances—literary devices, wordplays, etc.—found in the original.

Even the best literal translation can’t follow the original form all the time. And even the best meaning-based translation can’t capture every detail of meaning found in the original.

In 1978, the NIV pioneered a different approach: balancing transparency to the original with clarity of meaning. Our view is that if the first people to receive the Bible could understand God’s Word the way it was written, you should be able to as well.

https://www.thenivbible.com/blog/keeping-our-eyes-on-jesus/

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Helen Howarth Lemmel

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https://puricarechronicles.blogspot.com/2018/05/turn-your-eyes-upon-jesus-helen-howarth.html

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