Bad News, Good News

Consider this~ 

Jesus warned Peter that the enemy had asked for permission to "sift" him. 
And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. ” Luke 22:31-32 

Is it possible you will be sifted also? Or maybe you are being sifted? 

Probably yes! You will be or have been! and probably will be again! I know for many Christians this sounds ridiculous or elementary, depending on which camp you're in, but when you are in the middle of a "sifting" it is difficult to see it as either one! "Siftings" do not feel ridiculous or elementary!  

     Now, as you are sifted or after you have been sifted what is the result going to be?

     Are you going to be a pile of whining dust? or are you going to be submitted to the Lord's purpose? Will you glorify the Lord no matter what comes? Will you come through with your heart still set on the Lord's will?

     Remember, even as Jesus told Peter(Simon) that He had prayed for him, He is praying for you also! He is standing in intercession for you now! You can know that the grace from Heaven is on you to go through the sifting! Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:25
     Do not lose heart thinking that you are alone, or that you are the only one to be sifted, we all will be! Or that your sifting is worse than anyone else's....it is all difficult or it wouldn't be "sifting"!
     I would like to encourage you with the understanding that as you go through "siftings" there is less of your old nature left each time! If you are like me and pray for more of the Lord and less of me....the sifting is a tool that brings that about! =)
     What this comes down to is that we recognize that: 

• We will be sifted,
• We will survive the sifting, 
• Try to go through it with the Lord's grace! 
• If you keep your focus on the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit you will grow spiritually stronger! 

The Day After Christmas

     Yesterday Was Christmas
   
     Yesterday was the day designated to celebrate Jesus' birth, we're going to avoid any discussion here about whether it's the correct day. It doesn't matter to me! I'm just glad we take time to marvel at the fact that He stepped away from heaven to be born as a man! That deserves celebration, right? And even more, that birth set into play a chain of events that has given me freedom from the dark world of sin that I was previously destined to live in. I'm happy to celebrate Jesus' birth! Joy to the world! Rejoice! and again I say Rejoice!
     But....I want to ask a couple of questions for you to consider, were you like the Inn Keeper? Did you have room for Jesus, or did you put Him in the stable? Did you give him a place of honor in the "guest room", a place He can visit again next year or maybe even Easter? Or did you clean out room for Him to have His own place...a place He can claim for the rest of your year? the rest of your life?
     Second question, now that we celebrated His birth...what are you going to do with Him? Forget Him until next year or celebrate Him everyday?
     I'm not going to tell you what to do here, I'm just trying to stir up something for you to think about.
     Oh, okay, I am going to tell you something to do, a teacher's heart is always trying to teach! Don't pack Jesus up with your Christmas ornaments, just to wait to unpack Him next year, same time, same place.
     Keep Him close to you, look to Him each day. Let the gift of His birth change your life! Live in the grace of His presence.