Purifed or Protected?
"Calamity is about to befall America." Every week, for years now, I've received prophetic e-mails expressing that sentiment in one form or another. God gives us these warnings so that we may pray, and also prepare.
First, you can rest assured that someday they will all be verified. After all, the United States is at war. We will be attacked. That's what wars are about. Besides, natural disasters will continue to occur on this fallen planet as well.
Every believer is engaged in a spiritual war as well. We were born on a battlefield where war has raged for millennia between Satan and our Father. There's nothing new about this either. And our bodies are dying by the day.
The question isn't, “Will America suffer disaster?” But rather, “When will America suffer the next disaster?” And the harder question, “What will ‘the sifting’ of America produce?
God doesn't actually sift us. But He does allow Satan limited permission to sift nations and saints for His purposes. Perhaps most notably, Job and Simon Peter.
When the sifting comes, it's comforting to know that even Satan is the Lord's, and is therefore on "God's leash."
Although Job was a righteous man, he was also a fearful man (see Job 3:25). Through his sifting, he learned that one who owns nothing, need not fear losing anything!
Peter, who promised Christ that he could be trusted, would soon deny even knowing Christ!
However, when Jesus prayed for Peter it wasn't that he wouldn't be sifted. Instead, Jesus prayed that Satan's sifting of Peter would strengthen Peter so that he could strengthen others.
In 47 years of ministry I’ve never had anyone, who was going through trial, ask me to pray for their development. The request is always for their deliverance.
Pray that God will place a restraining order against the devil. "Deliver us from the evil one." But also pray that when we are sifted, and we will be, that we will be purified as well as protected. God bless America—and purify her!
---------------------------------------------------------------
Eddie Smith and his wife, Alice, both best-selling authors and
internationally known conference speakers offer a free school of prayer
at www.TeachMeToPray.com
First, you can rest assured that someday they will all be verified. After all, the United States is at war. We will be attacked. That's what wars are about. Besides, natural disasters will continue to occur on this fallen planet as well.
Every believer is engaged in a spiritual war as well. We were born on a battlefield where war has raged for millennia between Satan and our Father. There's nothing new about this either. And our bodies are dying by the day.
The question isn't, “Will America suffer disaster?” But rather, “When will America suffer the next disaster?” And the harder question, “What will ‘the sifting’ of America produce?
God doesn't actually sift us. But He does allow Satan limited permission to sift nations and saints for His purposes. Perhaps most notably, Job and Simon Peter.
When the sifting comes, it's comforting to know that even Satan is the Lord's, and is therefore on "God's leash."
Although Job was a righteous man, he was also a fearful man (see Job 3:25). Through his sifting, he learned that one who owns nothing, need not fear losing anything!
Peter, who promised Christ that he could be trusted, would soon deny even knowing Christ!
However, when Jesus prayed for Peter it wasn't that he wouldn't be sifted. Instead, Jesus prayed that Satan's sifting of Peter would strengthen Peter so that he could strengthen others.
In 47 years of ministry I’ve never had anyone, who was going through trial, ask me to pray for their development. The request is always for their deliverance.
Pray that God will place a restraining order against the devil. "Deliver us from the evil one." But also pray that when we are sifted, and we will be, that we will be purified as well as protected. God bless America—and purify her!
---------------------------------------------------------------
Eddie Smith and his wife, Alice, both best-selling authors and
internationally known conference speakers offer a free school of prayer
at www.TeachMeToPray.com
posted by Eddie Smith | 10:35 AM
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