With the Temptation

1 Cor. 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear [it].

I was teaching from this scripture the other night at church and I felt that I need to share part of it with you today.

Have you every noticed the phrase in this verse, "with the temptation." Keep in mind that God teaches us as individuals on the level of their personality. Sometimes, my personality can be considered one taco short of a combination platter. However, God gave me this illustration. He said to consider the ink pens that you buy. All of them come "with" ink already. I know, I know, D-u-u-u-h, Bro. Henry. Yes, but think. If you bought a pen that did not have ink in it, you would consider it defective and return it for one that did. Now, read that part of the verse again. God "will with the temptation also make a way to escape." Catch a hold of what the Apostle Paul is saying through the inspiration of the Holy Ghost. Every time you buy a pen, it comes "with" ink already in it. Every time you buy a loose leaf binder for your school children it comes "with" paper made and placed in the right spot in the binder.

David and his army returned home to Ziklag one day to find their homes burned with fire and their wives and children stolen. But, that wasn't the end of the story. That temptation came "with a way of escape." David and his men had to finish crying. David had to turn to God and talk to him about it. When God finally got His turn to speak He said, "Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake [them], and without fail recover [all]." 1 Sam 30:8. Not only did David and his men recover all, but they got all of the spoils that the enemy had acquired. Do you see? The temptation came "with" a great, jumping-up-and-down-and-screaming blessing.

How about the crucifixion of Jesus. Re-read all the torture He went through as well as the horrible cross. But, "with" that temptation, God "made" the resurrection.

So, the next temptation you face. Get ready to shout because every temptation comes "with" and not "without." Enjoy the day with Jesus.

They That Wait Upon the Lord

Isaiah 40:31-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.

This verse of scripture comes at the end of a great chapter. Read all of it and you will understand this particular promise more and more. The chapter is a reminder to God's people of how big He is, how powerful He is, and (how shall I put this as tenderly as possible) how much smarter He is than anybody else on the face of this earth. Yes, that means He is smarter than me and you. Hard to believe isn't it?
Israel was going through a rough time in it's history. Things weren't going according to all of the promises of God. There lives were just hum-drum. It looked like all the other nations around them were booming with prosperity and goodness. But, it also tells us that the nation as a whole had slipped quite a bit in their relationship with God. Just like the times we are in right now. However, God still had a people that would not be swayed by what everybody else was doing and was struggling to serve Him with all of their hearts. This promise was to those people whose desire for God and His blessings was hot and not lukewarm or non-existent.
Before we get into the scripture, here is a great idea to ponder. Not everyone is in love with Jesus like you and I are. No big revelation there, is it? However, this word today is to encourage you to purposely set your heart on Jesus no matter what happens and no matter whether anyone else decides to serve Him to the degree that your heart cries out for you to do. Now, let's go on.
The first thing this verse says, is BUT. Whenever you see the word BUT at the beginning of a sentence, (ask any grammer teacher) it means to disregard the previous statement. The previous few statements dealt with a nation and especially the youth giving up because the way is too hard and they could not see God's hand in anything. What God is saying to the rest of us is, "Hey. It only looks bad BUT I can turn things around."
They that wait upon the Lord--How much time have you spent WAITING for things to get worse than what they are right now. This phrase is talking about those who are trusting and hoping in God that things are going to get better, just like God said they would. Sometimes as we walk along life's road we step in a cow pattie or a nest of fire ants that we did not see coming. The most comforting thing that I can say is, "Get over it." Stuff happens to all of us as we are traveling to our promise. Just because the path Jesus has us on takes us through a cow pasture and it's astute pleasures, doesn't mean that He will leave us there. This might be where we are right now, but it is not where He said He would take us. Focus on His promise and not the problem.
Shall renew their strength--This particular phrase means to re-gain strength in the same manner that grass keeps growing after it is cut. All of us will experience times when life cuts us down. It doesn't mean we have to just sit there and die. When we make up our minds that God's Word is true for us, His Holy Spirit will begin renewing the strength that we lost in the last battle. A strong relationship with the Holy Spirit is just as vital as reading God's Word. Both will remind us of His promises.
The greatest example that I can think of is Caleb. When God brought His children out of Egyptian bondage and sent them to spy out the land, Caleb came back more excited than ever about the promises of God. He was ready to take on every enemy because he knew that what God had promised, He was well able to do. You know the story. Because of the evil report of the 10 spies that said, "It's too hard and we can't do it," Caleb was forced to wait for fourty years before he could enjoy the promise of God. That's an entirely different message, so let me finish this one. Caleb waited on God and kept looking forward to inheriting Mount Hebron, the mountain that the spies camped on while spying out the land. He fell in love with that mountain and, as a result, he fell in love with the promise of God. When God finally brought them victoriously into the promised land, Caleb told Joshua that his strength at 85 years old was just as good as it was when he was 40. Why? As he kept meditating on the promise and not the problem, the vision of inheriting that mountain grew stronger the the cow pattie he was standing in.
Don't look at what you're standing in and make a decision about God. The fire ants might be causing you some intense pain right now but their sting doesn't last forever. Wait on God's promise. The healing will come. The promise of God is steadfast and sure. AND, you will inherit the promise. Enjoy today!!! You're on your way to the promised land.

God's Plan for You

In Revelation 1:8, Jesus introduces himself as the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. In Heb 12:2, He is described as the author and the finisher of our faith. It is of the utmost importance for us to always remember the He starts stuff in our lives with the intentions of finishing it. Some of you might be right in the middle of Junk City, USA wondering if there really is a place called The Promised Land. Let me assure you, our journey with Jesus only takes us through Junk City. Let me give you something to shout about. He might have brought you there for a while but it is only because it is His way of bringing you into the promises of God.
How did God create the universe which includes the world that we live in? He had a plan from the very beginning. He didn't create birds to fly before He created a perfect atmosphere for them to fly in. He didn't create them with only one wing so they would fly around in circles. The oceans and rivers were created before the fish of the sea. Here again, they were created perfectly adapted to swim, live and breathe under water. Jer. 29:11 says-For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. He had a plan for the birds, He had a plan for the fishes and He has a plan for you. Notice the last part of that verse. His plans include giving us an expected end.
How many of you out there would just like to see the nasty n0w-nows that you are going through right now to just end already!!!! Me, too!!!!!
How did God's people get tangled up into being slaves in Egypt fo four hundred years? God "began" or "authored" that through a promise to Abraham in Genesis 15:3. Have you ever wondered just what was on God's mind when He said that much lest when He began to bring it about? The only answer I can give is, He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the author and finisher of our faith. God had a plan that far surpassed any of their imaginations. Did they have to live in a manner that they did not want to? Yes. Did they have to go through stuff that made it look like God had forsaken them? Yes. Then what was God doing? He was finishing their faith and culminating His promise to Abraham four hundred years earlier.
We have got to understand. God's promises include the beginning of something and the expected end. The expected end is whatever God has promised in His Word. It would do us good to read the great "Road map to Heaven" to find out what it really says. No where in the Bible does it say that God would leave us destroyed along life's highway like a piece of trash. His Word is full of "bringing them out" promises. Go find them.
Why did Moses have to run away from Egypt and go into the desert to live? Why did God appear to him in the burning bush and make him come back? Boy, I hope you're looking for great theological answers to those questions. I have many but not enough time to go into it. Let's just plainly say, "Jer 29:11." God had a plan all along that started with a promise to Abraham and ended with the children of Israel being delivered out of Egypt with a great victory. Yes, God's plan included slavery to a wicked nation. Yes, God's plan included much hardship. But it wasn't more than they could bear. Yes, from everyone's view point, it looked like God had forsaken them, but He hadn't. His plan was far greater than they could see at the time. Why Moses? Why not Aaron? The Alpha was proving they He was the Omega. Just like creation, when He spoke the word to Abraham, He had an Exodus plan in mind. Did He give Abraham all the details? No. Abraham did not need to know the details. Romans, Galatians and James all say that Abraham believed God and God counted that for righteousness. Abraham trusted that God had a better plan than he could imagine.
We all look at the situations that we face and say, "Just what was God thinking about?" Jer. 29:11 says, that he is thinking about doing us good and not evil. He is thinking about bringing us into a place of peace. His Word also says that there is great joy and abundance promised to us. His plans for us don't stop in Junk City, USA or The Nasty Now-Nows Valley. Just like the children of Israel in Egyptian bondage. All those four hundred years, God's intentions were to bring them out not leave them there. His plan was years ahead of them. He had every situation worked out. All they had to do was follow Him, love Him and obey Him and leave the rest up to Him. God help us to see that He has a plan that He has sworn to be faithful to. Then let us be faithful to the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the author and the finisher of our faith.

This Is The Day

In 1 Samuel, chapter 17, we read about the day that David killed Goliath. Think about how David's day got started. Did he jump up out of bed and say to himself, 'Boy, I really, really, really, feel like killing a big ole giant today?' No, he didn't. His heart and mind was being obedient to his father's command. (There's a two hour sermon just in that.) His daddy had told him to take some corn and some bread to his three older brothers. They had enlisted in Saul's army which was busy fighting the Philistines. His daddy wanted David to find out how the battle was going and how his brothers were doing. Typical daddy stuff. David wasn't even thinking about being really rich, but today would be that day. David probably hadn't given much thought to whom he would marry. And a princess surely wasn't one he would have given a thought to. But, today would be that day.

What was King Saul thinking when he woke up that morning? Was he thinking, 'Boy, it would be really peachy-keen if some sweet little shepherd boy would come along out of nowhere and whip this big, bad ole giant that's been making fun of me and my girlie-men.' U-h-h-h, nope. He had listened to Goliath's challenge twice a day for 40 days for a champion from the army of Israel to come out to fight him man-to-man. Undoubtedly, he walked through his army, talking to his men to see who would take on this 9 foot warrior. He made promises to the toughest of them that he would give them riches, his daughter's hand in marriage and make his family free from taxes. I can just imagine, that he had a couple of guys picked out that would make some real good son-in-laws. But, there was no man that wanted to answer Goliath's challenge.

What was Goliath thinking during all of this? King Saul described him as "a man of war from his youth." This big guy had trained his whole life for this one big challenge----to make fun of Israel's army. His thoughts were probably of just how bad he was going to mutilate whoever it was that came against him. He had trained almost all of his life and he couldn't wait for this day to come.

Did I say trained? Oh, yeah, trained. We-e-e-l-l-l-l. Just how did David train for this day. David started his training the very day that he was anointed to be king over Israel. His daddy and his older brothers told him to go back out and tend to the family sheep farm, Mr. King over all Israel. Can't you just hear their jeers? He trained by being faithful in what his father told him to do. He went through long hours in the pasture lands tending the sheep. However, the anointing of the Holy Spirit began to communicate with David. Psalms of praise began to come to him as he began to enjoy keeping his mind on the God of all creation. Through keeping these sheep, God was training David to throw that small insignificant sling. As a sheep would begin to wander away from the rest, he would sling a stone on the other side of the sheep to scare him back into the safety of the herd. If his aim was short, it scared the sheep away from the herd and David would then have to chase him. I would say he learned real quick how to place his shots. Don't you just imagine that, every day, David got in some sling-shot practice as well as some worship practice as he was being faithful to his father's command? Even so, God has us practicing things that seem so small and of very little importance.

David had no idea how important that sling would be to him until that day came. David probably figured that he was just wasting his time out there with those smelly, aggravating sheep. However, God saw it as a proving time for his future. David's ability with a simple, little sling was the opening of the door to many things for him. That day God manifested His love and provision to the entire kingdom of Israel. That day God began manifesting His approval on the life of a lowly shepherd boy. That day changed, forever, the path of David, the son of Jesse. That day came because David chose to be faithful in the small jobs that were given to him. It was one of many "pay days" that God would bless David with.

But, what about Goliath? He had trained physically harder than David did and for a longer period of time. It was pay day for Goliath, too. He had chosen the course of the cursed. When you choose to sin, the only pay day you have to look forward to is death and destruction. There's a high energy bill that has to be paid for all of the "bright lights" that some work hard for. It's called the pits of hell. One day, the debt would be demanded in full. And this was that day.

But, what about King Saul? When that day came, was he extremely joyous that his kindom was now safe and the Philistines defeated? Not really. You see, King Saul had sinned against God by worshipping God the way he wanted to and not the way that God had said to. God had taken the anointing from him and had placed it on David. When David was ushered into Saul's tent, he began to tell the king of how God was with him when he slew the bear and the lion. Then he began to assure the king that God was the one that would help him slay Goliath. No doubt, as David was talking, Saul remembered the day when the prophet Samuel anointed him with oil and the spirit of prophecy came upon him. He knew he had lost out with God because God told him so. Now, on that day, he sees David under the same anointing that he once had. His heart began to weigh heavier and heavier under the foreboding thought that his successor was standing in front of him with the anointing and favor of God that he could have had. In a modern phrase, God was "in his face" about his sins and about his awful future. Pay day was coming for the back-slidden King Saul. That day was going to be stretched out into years of absolute agony for the man who missed God. Every day from then until he took his own life would be remorse, on top of remorse, on top of remorse.

What is today to you? Is it a day that you will choose to turn from God or not answer His call? Is this a day that you will choose to antagonize God or his servants? Or, is this a day that you will lift up your heart in praise to the Holy One and sing, "This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it." Stay faithful to Him in the little things. There is a day that God is working on right now that will begin your turn into healing and prosperity. Don't miss it by being unfaithful or falling away from God. Be faithful in the little things that He has asked you to do. You might destroy some giants one day.

Can Any Good Thing Come Out of This?

John 1:45-46 - Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.

In Jesus' day, we would consider Nazareth to be a 'hick town,' or 'just a slick spot in the road.' It is situated at base of the mountain range that connects to the Valley of Jezreel. It was, what archeologists have called, 'an agricultural village of about two dozen families.' Most Judeans did not even know where it was. They had to, first, explain how to get to the town where the prophet Jonah was born and ask the folks there how to get to Nazareth. It was so obscure, that when Pontius Pilate hung the sign "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" historians say he meant, " The King of the Jews is Jesus from Nowhere." Nathanael was from the town of Cana which was not too far away from Nazareth. So, as a citizen of a neighboring town, he was probably qualified to ask the question, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?"

As committed Christians, all of us will have 'Nazareth experiences' from time to time. We trust God that He is 'leading us in paths of righteousnes.' We believe that 'all things work together for good.' But sometimes, we find ourselves surrounded by circumstances that would lead us to question, "Can any good thing ever come out of this situation." The blessings aren't flowing like they have at times. Our financial situation isn't the 'open the doors of Heaven and pour you out a blessing that you don't have room enough to receive.' Instead, we're searching the sofa to piece together the gas money to get back and forth to work. The life of peace and joy promised to us seems to have turned int a dry wilderness filled with rough spots. And our precious Christian friends don't help us very much. They see us going through these less than shouting times and give us that "Which sin did you commit?" look. They are, also, sweet and kind enough to go spend their time on the other side of the church with folks that are walking in the 'blessings.'

Green Cove Springs, Florida used to have a Navy base in it. In the 50's, that base was billed as "The World's Largest Mothball Fleet." It brougt a lot of business and prosperity to Green Cove. However, in the 60's, the base was closed. Businesses left. People moved closer to Jacksonville to work and live. Green Cove became just a spot on Highway 17 between Palatka and Jacksonville. As a matter of fact, several of us kinfolk moved away because of jobs or just to move away. There was not much reason to go to Green Cove Springs except for the fact that a lot of my relatives still lived there.

But for me and these other kinfolk, there was one of the greatest reasons for us to return to this spot in the road. We would make that journey to this place to see Nellie Hendricks, our grandmother. I can remember, as a three and four-year old child sitting by my grandmother at the original Assembly of God Church in Green Cove Springs. I sat with her because I loved her. That made me listen to the songs of Zion sung by a handful of spirit-filled saints. Back then there was an old upright piano but no one to play it. Every now and then Bro. Sapp's son Everett would bring his guitar. Sitting by my grandmother, I heard Bro. Henry Harry Sapp preach the Word of God straight from Heaven itself. I came to know Jesus and learned to worship Him while sitting with my grandmother. I would always come back to this washed-up little town not to just come to the town. I came to see my grandmother.

Nathanael asked Phillip, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Phillip answered, "Come and see." His answer was not to come and see the town, but come and see Jesus. Don't let the 'Nazareth experiences' that we all walk through blind your faith. It is through these experiences that we need to look at Jesus instead of the circumstances. If you are trusting Him to guide you every day and you wake up in Nazareth, there is something good there. It's Him. Away from the bright lights, the glitz and the glamour, great relationships can be found if we look to Him. The sweetness and grace of life can be found if we look to Him. Strength and courage for the next battle can be found. Uncanny wisdom can be learned by looking to Him. Yes, there are many great things that can come from 'Nazareth experiences,' but they all start by looking to Jesus and not the circumstances.

What you learn and experience when you find Jesus in Nazareth will prepare you for the rest of your journey. It will leave pleasant memories in your soul. There will be times, during our journeys when we will see 'Nazareth' on the horizon again. This time, instead of cringing, our hearts will cry out to us----I'm going to see Jesus there. Every time I made that long trip from Tennesse to Green Cove Springs, Florida, my heart would say, "But, I'll get to see Grandma again." That reward made the trip more than worth it.

God Will Restore And More

Joel 2:25- And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.
Mark 10:29, 30 - And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's,
But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.

Joel is a book of revival. It tells of a people who have grown cold. Before some of you get into that Old Religious stuff of God sent awful stuff on people who did not deserve it. You'd better watch out with that sacred cow and read carefully the whole Bible. God warned the people way back in the book of Deuteronomy the 28th chapter, that if they walked in sin, judgement would come in various forms. It's like any of us cooking supper. Cooking supper is a good thing. But if a disobedient child comes up and grabs one of the burners after we told them, "Don't touch it. It will burn you" none of you will say that you cursed the child. You gave the warning. The child didn't listen. But what do you say next. You say, "I told you it was hot. Why did you grab that burner." Then like a good mommy or daddy you tend to your child who cries out to you in repentance. They know how to get in trouble by themselves but they need parents to help them heal when they are hurt.

Now, let's look at this scripture. Deut 8:2 - And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, [and] to prove thee, to know what [was] in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
The curses in Deuteronomy 28 are for the sinner. In Deuteronomy 8, there are times when things don't exactly line up with what we consider to be the blessings of God. However, just like the fourty years in the wilderness, this was only temporary. God never designed it to be permanent. God's promise was to bring them into a land flowing with milk and honey. Those that held on and believed His Word were restored in grand fashion and more.

Let's take Abraham for an example. He was nice and comfy in his home town, around his relatives, and becoming prosperous. Then God calls him out and told him that he was going to be the father of many nations and that the whole world would be blessed by his seed. Which, by the way, he didn't have any. Now, anybody trying to figure God out would have said, "Well, I guess God meant for me to take a lot of wives and have a lot of children if I am to become a great nation." But that is not what God promised. They tried it and God didn't dig it. He said that Sarah would bear the promised child.

So, here we go. Abraham tells all of his several hundred servants that their seventy-five year old boss and his sixty-nine year old wife were going to father a multitude of children. Right! And so. They kept watching Sarah, and kept watching Sarah, and kept watching Sarah and nothing happened. For twenty four years, they watched and nothing happened. Don't you reckon that by now they were just a little skeptical?

Listen to what God did. He publicly embarassed them. Even though they were rich, they were considered cursed because they had no children. For twenty four years, all the servants kinda looked at them as 'Those poor old fools---believing such nonsense." The high-brow kings that they visited thought the same thing when they finally found out they were married. On top of that, they had gotten so old that their bodies weren't in reproduction mode any more.

But in the twenty-fifth year, God showed up and changed history. The bodies that couldn't, did. Instead of ho-hum around the camp, laughter was heard. The impossible had happened. What everyone saw as a curse, God was using to see what was in Abraham and Sarah's heart. Would they follow Him all the way to the miracle? Indeed they did, and indeed God did. God restored their bodies. God restored their laughter. God restored their pride. They held on to the promise and remained faithful to Him and He did just exactly what He said that He would do. Their paitience, their faithfulness, their praise to God in ungodly circumstances brought God's restoration in a greater way than they had imagined. Their sacrifice (Mark 10), was greatly multiplied by millions of children down through the years, including Jesus. When God got through restoring, Abraham and Sarah had more than what they had sacrificed. God was faithful. He will restore and more.

Let's look at Joseph. He had a Godly dream. He shared it with his brothers a his daddy. His brothers were so enthused about his Godly dream that they faked his death and sold him as a slave. That's a lot of good thanks and appreciation for being able to hear God. (Have you ever said that about ungodly circumstances that have surrounded you when you've done your best? Just wonderin'.) As a slave in Potiphar's house, Potiphar's wife tried to seduce him. When he refused because of his relationship with God, she lied on him and had him sent to prison. (Have you ever been thrown in an ungodly circumstance when you did what God asked you to? Just wonderin'.) Joseph's heart for God was tested for fourteen years. His heart ached for his father and brothers. He longed to be back in a place that he called "home." He had to live every day around people that he had no heart-ties to. He had to live every day with nagging questions, "Did I really hear God? Was that dream real? How long do you have to wait? Have I missed God and lost my blessing?" Now, I know that you have never asked these questions but they have entered my mind a couple of times.

Then, in one day, God promoted him from prisoner to prince. He became second in command of all of Egypt. He married Pharaoh's daughter and lived in the lap of luxury. Then, a couple of years later, he was re-united with his family and was able to provide for them greater than they could have done back in the home country. God used the riches of Egypt to bless His faithful servants. The end was better than what they expected. God will restore and more.

Again, when the children were slaves in that same land. They were made to serve "with rigor." Even though it looked like it never would happen, God had a plan already in progress to bring His people back into the promised land. His plan never included leaving them in a strange land wondering if God really cared. His plan was to bring them into a land that would be theirs for keeps. While they were serving Egypt for four hundred years, God had people in the promised land of Caanan that were building it into a garden for His people. God will restore and more.

Whatever we have had to sacrifice to serve the Lord, God is faithful to keep an accurate record. Nothing ever slips past Him and He will never forget the smallest item. Meditate on this, Heb 6:10 - For God [is] not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. Don't let the enemy tell you that your reward is in the 'sweet by and by.' Mark 10 said that we would receive one hundred fold now in this time of whatever we have had to sacrifice to live for Him. Instead of looking down all day, we need to be looking up and praising Him in the middle of our lack. We need to be praising Him not for the lack that we are experiencing but for the one hundred fold return now in this life that we will receive. Not because it looks like it, but just because God said so. And God has proven Himself to be faithful to restore and more.

Are you ready for the greatest faith stabilizer? It is Ps 16:10 - For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. God told His Son, 'You will have to go there for a short time, but I won't leave You there. You're not going to rot in hell all of your days.' How many times has the enemy told you it's all over and you will never be any better off than you are now? As a matter of fact, he will try to tell you it will get worse. But, I've got news for that ole loser. God is no respecter of persons. If He did it for one, He will do it for all. It might feel like hell for a while, but God has never planned for you to stay that way. He will restore and more.

Another Look at the Lord's Prayer

In Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus taught the disciples how to pray. Let's take a look at a few aspects of it and reap some great encouragement. Keep in mind, that if anyone knew how to get a prayer through to God, it had to have been Jesus. Think for a little bit. Surely, the Precious Son of God should KNOW how to approach His Father and how to pray effectively.
In verse 9, the first thing He does is declare that God is His Father and begins praising His name. The devil would have us to believe that we are here all by ourselves; a little, defenseless sheep left to a world of ravenous wolves. Even in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus never prayed like a defenseless little sheep.
What He did pray is defined in verses 10 and 13. He spoke to His Father and said, Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven. And- For Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever. Then He finished it by saying "Amen." Now, folks, that's not religious talk for "10-4, over and out." Amen is a Hebrew word dating back to the time of the Exodus and it means "so be it." It was used when a listener heard someone speak a vow and he wanted to agree with what that person said. Get ready to shout, now. What Jesus was saying to Father God was "Hey, I might be living down on this devil-infested earth, but You're still in control. Father God, I believe You are in control and not the devil. Blessed, Almighty God, I believe that You are going to bless me on this earth just as if You would if I was standing with You in Heaven."
Jesus was an expert in the Word of God and He knew that as a blood covenant believer, God was honor-bound to pour out Heavenly blessings according to Deuteronomy 28. It would do you good to read the first 14 verses of that chapter to see just a portion of what Jesus was Amen-ing. What was that, you just asked? Why not read all of the chapter? Silly, believer. The rest of the chapter is filled with curses against the people who would rather walk in sin. By the way, it's about twice as long as the first 14 verses. I'm not planning on walking in the curses. I'm concentrating and Amen-ing the blessings that God has already ordained for me to walk in. Jesus prayed in agreement with the Word of God and said "Amen. So be it, Almighty God. I believe that all of these blessings are coming to me, because You said so and I agree with YOU."
Look at verse 13- Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. You might be asking yourself, if Jesus is praying "lead us not into temptation," why did He have so much rough stuff happen to Him. And then again, am I being punished by God, or left out by God? Because, right now, as well as in the past, I have seen some awfully rough roads. Here's a point that I had missed for years. Jesus is not asking His Father to never have a temptation or a trial or to let Him live in a bed of roses. He Himself said in John 16:33-These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. Did you notice the almost contradiction? He said "I am going to tell you something to give you peace." Then He says, "In the world ye shall have tribulation." I knew it. I knew it was too good to be true, right? But He doesn't stop there. He tells us to be very happy--good cheer--because He has overcome the world. Now, back to Matt 6:13. Jesus' attitude in this verse is, "Father, I know that you are not leading me into a temptation just to throw me to the wolves. You a leading me into deliverance from all of the power of the devil."
Folks, even though, right now, you are going through hell on earth, it's not the end of the story. You have lived a good life, trusted God and you are still smack dab in the middle of the valley of the shadow of death. Remember the Lord's prayer. All of the kingdom power that God has He bestows on us. He is not leading us to destruction. Let Him finish what He has started. Grab His hand and praise Him that He is your Heavenly Father and let Him tug on your heart strings and lead you into deliverance. You might not be there right now. Just like Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was hurting with fear until He prayed His flesh under control. Then, when He surrendered to His Father's will, He had the strength to go through the valley of the shadow of death because He feared no evil. Shout about this thought for a couple of days. The Heavenly Father was not leading Jesus to the cross. He was leading Jesus to the resurrection and the restoration of His presence in the lives of His people. The cross was only a 6 hour hitty-bump in the road. Now, tell the devil that what you are going through is only a little hitty-bump in the road and you've got enough Holy Ghost shocks to keep you on the road to God's blessings.
Enjoy Jesus and enjoy today.