2002-01-01
For the last two days, the Lord has directed me to write to you about the Lord’s Prayer. Today, we will finish up the last two phrases. There is so much treasure in this prayer that we all too often take for granted. “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,” is the next section we will examine. The temptation to sin is all around us. God knows this, and Satan orchestrates it. Satan, or the evil one, is the real enemy of our lives. It never ceases to amaze me that this once favored angel who was in charge of worship in heaven was stupid enough to become God’s chief enemy, enough to be cast out of heaven and spend the rest of his days not only doing evil, but encouraging others to do it. [IS 14: 11-15]. And yet, we can take comfort in the fact that our Sovereign Lord is in control and will limit Satan’s time to do his dirty work. We know this from the statements made in Daniel 9: 27 and 11:36. We are given a model of how to deal with Satan’s temptation in MT 4: 1-11, the story of Christ’s temptation in the wilderness. I hope you will read it and take delight in the power our Lord has to chase Satan away, thwarting the evil one’s purposes. When we live in Christ, we are given the power by Him to do spiritual warfare successfully too. The other day I quoted 1 COR 10: 13 and I think it bears repeating. “Every test that you have experienced is the kind that normally comes to people. But God keeps His promise, and He will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, He will give you the strength to endure it, and so provide you with a way out.” Our loving Abba has equipped us to go through the tough parts of the process of sanctification so that we might be fully prepared to enjoy the reward that awaits those who endure in their faith. James, the apostle-parent of the Scriptures, sheds some badly needed light on the source of the temptations we must face. JAS 1: 12-15, Happy is the person who remains faithful under trials, because when he succeeds in passing such a test, he will receive as his reward the life which God has promised to those who love Him. If a person is tempted by such trials, he must not say, ‘This temptation comes from God.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself tempts no one. But a person is tempted when he is drawn away and trapped by his own evil desire. Then his evil desire conceives and gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” Thus, “lead us not into temptation” is an assertion by faith, not of what God might do, but of what we are confident God will not do. We can expect that God will deliver us. The ultimate phrase of the Lord’s Prayer is a logical conclusion. “For the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory are Yours forever and ever. Amen.” The early Christians of the second century AD had a model for this part of the prayer in that uttered by David when offerings were brought for the building of the temple. 1 CHRON 29: 10-11, “There in front of the whole assembly King David praised the Lord. He said, ‘Lord God of our ancestor Jacob, may You be praised forever and ever! You are great and powerful, glorious, and splendid, and majestic. Everything on earth and in heaven is Yours, and You are King, supreme Ruler over all.’ “ What a beautiful acknowledgment of God’s attributes this is! It is a fitting climax to the petitions that have gone on before it. While we are on the subject of the doxology of the Lord’s Prayer, the Father leads me to mention some prayers from worship in heaven that are revealed to us in the book of Revelation. If you are not yet convinced that our Father deserves our unending praise, His attributes that are mentioned in these prayers ought to do the job. First look at REV 4: 8, the Ter Sanctus. “Each of the four living creatures had six wings, and they were covered with eyes, inside and out. Day and night they never stopped singing: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, Who was, Who is, and Who is to come.” REV 5: 12 is the Seven-fold Doxology. “the Lamb Who was killed is worthy to receive power, wealth, wisdom, and strength, honor, glory, and praise.” REV 5: 13 is the Four-fold Doxology, “To Him Who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, be praise, honor, glory, and might forever and ever.” REV 4: 11 is the Creation prayer. “Our Lord and God, You are worthy to receive glory, honor, and power. For You created all things, and by Your will they were given existence and life.” REV 5: 9-10 is the prayer of the people of God (the saints). “They sang a new song: ‘You [the Lamb] are worthy to take the scroll and to break open its seals. For You were killed, and by Your death you bought for God people from every tribe, language, nation, and race. You have made them a Kingdom of priests to serve our God, and they shall rule on earth.” And now we have come full circle through the Lord’s Prayer, Dear Friends. What a blessing it is to our lives. After this spiritual journey the Lord has taken me on, I will never again say it without feeling. What huge implications it has for us in our lives! I hope it blesses your life every time you say it. What a fitting part of our Sunday service it is, setting us in God’s frame of mind to carry out any other part of the order of service. PRAYER: O Lord, we are so blessed by Your presence in our lives and the wonderful prayer paths You take us on. You truly do deserve all the praise and thanks we can give you. Through dealing with the temptations of our lives, You prepare us to inherit Your Kingdom as joint-heirs with the Son. You make us a nation of priests and equip us to deal with temptation. Through the example of Your Son, You teach us the value of forgiveness. Through the Holy Spirit, You give us understanding of the Scriptures and equip us to carry Your precious Word to anyone who will listen. We dedicate our lives to You, Dear Lord. In the name of the Son, amen. Dear Ones, feel blessed by the presence of the Lord in your lives. Know that we were put together by Him to encourage and aid each other in our faith. Be aware that you don’t have to shoulder your burdens alone. You are loved by your Lord and by Peter and me. Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn