Sifting

"Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded to sift you [men] (plural) like wheat; but I have prayed for you (singular), that your (singular) faith will not fail; and you (singular), when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." - Luke 22:31-32 NASB20

Sift here is unique. It is only used once in the NT. But it has a clear definition. It was a way of sorting what was heavy and useful, wheat in this case, from what was light and useless. The dust, chafe or grit would blow away.

The prayer Jesus is communicating here is one of 'reorientation'. You and a whole group of people will get tossed in the air or just dropped from a distance into a net or collector of some kind. Everything will go topsy turvy and much will be lost but not you. You are heavy not light. When you are reoriented... not if... when... reorient the others who have also lost things.

Wow.

Satan is the one doing this sifting. Not God. Satan is the Devil's 'accuser title'. It is when he takes on the role of prosecuting attorney to ruin credibility and crush hope. He uses half truths and outright lies to win because winning at any cost is all he wants.

"But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You both to prison and to death!" But He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me."" - Luke 22:33-34 NASB20

Jesus shifts over to Peter from Simon here because our new identity can hear this truth. Peter's confidence in his own loyalty and morality is about to get blown away by the wind as his life tumbles into chaos.

There will be less confidence in Simon. Peter has less but he will become a strengthener.

Sifting ends up with a good result for the souls that have weight.

"But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are talking about!" And immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. And [then] the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had told him, "Before a rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times." And he went out and wept bitterly." - Luke 22:60-62 NASB20

Jesus' words gave Peter a heavy soul. He didn't blow away. He fell into the pile of grain because he had life. Jesus' life made Peter heavy.

Sifting isn't fun but it gets rid of what isn't weighty and makes individuals that can strengthen the group.

i hope this encourages you. It encouraged me. i have less and i find myself tumbling through space more now in this season than ever but I also know that Jesus speaks to the Father about me. He has prayed for me and that is why i have survived as long as i have. He isn't going to just cut me loose now. i will have my bearings soon enough... just thinking the thoughts above gives me hope.

Peter made it through his 'dark night' and had a profitable life. It was all because of his 'association' with Christ. We also can prosper by association. 

"Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised." - Hebrews 10:35-36 ESV

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A Theology Of Rebirth

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." – 2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

The new testament focuses on rebirth as a vehicle for acceptance not rehabilitation. Other world views often clash with this idea because true rebirth must be divinely initiated and accomplished. We can't do it ourselves. People can't do it for us.

Reinvention is a 'natural' way people try to accomplish this without God. They change their name or start over somewhere new but that only goes so far.

"Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him." Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." – John 3:1-18 ESV

This account make things very clear. 

'You must be born again'... that happens when you believe in Jesus and enter into this new economy of rebirth.

If you live in a rehabilitation economy you will never be 'on the same page' as the God on the New Testament. Newness with growth produces peace and progress because we...

"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus," – Philippians 2:5 NKJV

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Humility Is Humiliating

"Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.' " – Job 1:20-21 ESV

We quote this and it is a good thing to quote but it is also good to remember that this is just the first chapter of Job. Job has forty two chapters. Job was wealthy and living in a momentum of prosperity when he said this. This was just the beginning of his life unraveling. He isn't 'humble'... yet.

"Then Job answered the LORD and said: 'I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 'Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. 'Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you make it known to me.' I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.' " – Job 42:1-6 ESV

This is Job after Job has 'died to his situation'. A thing you just can't do by choice alone. Circumstances are needed. Ones no one wants.

"Then He looked at them and said, "What then is this that is written: 'The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone'? 'Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.' " – Luke 20:17-18 NKJV

In years past i thought i was humble and maybe i was... in degrees. I look at God now more like Job in chapter forty two. As a morally bankrupt person in awe of His holiness and wisdom.

"He also had seven sons and three daughters. And he called the name of the first Jemimah, the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-Happuch. In all the land were found no women [so] beautiful as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children and grandchildren [for] four generations. So Job died, old and full of days." – Job 42:13-17 NKJV

Not a bad end.

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The Refiners Fire

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen." - 1 Peter 5:6-11 ESV

After you have suffered awhile is just as much a promise as...

"Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' " - Hebrews 13:5 ESV

Money won't buy off the roaring lion. Boot camp tears boys down so they can be built up together as men. We see to need to have certain natural tendencies dismantled. It isn't fun but admire the people who have had God has restored, confirmed, strengthened, and established. Not because of some thing they did but because they have become God's works of art.

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you," - 1 Peter 5:6 ESV

"For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many." - 2 Corinthians 1:8-11 ESV

Another promise filled passage... 'He will deliver us again'... Yes. He will. 

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Saying You Have Little Faith Isn't A Rebuke!

'You of little faith' isn't a rebuke... It is a compliment.. everyone but Jesus is a person of little faith but 'that believing'... this believing... is miraculous... God is saying, 'You are a believer now! That means something has been born in you that KNOWS God is going to come though.'

Trust in that. 

Matthew 8:26 ESV — "And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm."

Luke 12:28 ESV — "But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!"

Why is this taught as a rebuke?

Perhaps because we think of God as disappointed that we are not doing more when in reality God is thrilled when we take one small step toward Him and agree with Him even for a moment. 

Yes, there is this passage...

Matthew 17:16-21 NKJV — "So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.” Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief (little faith); for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. “However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”"

Jesus is rebuking those who had no faith... His disciples were praying and many people were benefiting from their ministry... Jesus sent them and they were believing... this situation was just beyond them... only Jesus could do that because of who He was how He was living His life... He wasn't rebuking them... they asked and He was explaining the dynamic to them... their 'little faith' got that man in front of Jesus. 

I've never seen Heaven. Tonight I'm happy I have any faith... Yes it is small but one day it won't be... this little faith enables me to see the smile on God's face when others see a frown. I am just the way He wants me to be. My 'little faith' says 'It is finished!'.

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Choose Life

This passage convinced me long ago that God has a 'permissive will'.

"Because the people have forsaken me and have profaned this place by making offerings in it to other gods whom neither they nor their fathers nor the kings of Judah have known; and because they have filled this place with the blood of innocents, and have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal, which I did not command or decree, NOR DID IT COME INTO MY MIND" - Jeremiah 19:4-5 ESV

God created a 'sandbox' for us to play in. We can do all sorts of things... helpful and harmful.

God also has a perfect will. 

"I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live," - Deuteronomy 30:19 ESV

His perfect will is both a path winding through this sandbox that can be taken by groups and individuals and certain events that God has decreed. History is like a river. It is going to flow into the ocean at a certain place and time.

This leads me to conclude that i want to 'choose life and live' but if i or others don't it will not affect the overall outcome.

"Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw - each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire." - 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 ESV

Jesus is the embodiment of God's perfect will. He is the red thread that run through history. He is why humanity has hope. I want to be as close to that thread as possible. Trusting in Him not imitating Him. Believing, deciding, rebounding, pointing to Him and talking about Him. That is the way to live and to get back on track when we have wondered off to play in other parts of the sandbox.

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Learning and Turning

In seasons like this I often think 'Am I going through this so I can unlearn something?'

I know many people are looking to learn from circumstances, but that smacks to me of this need to always have accomplishment and continue to accomplish and accomplish and accomplish. But what I know about my life of faith is that it's really not about my accomplishments. It's about His (The Father, the son, and the holy Spirit).

If anything perhaps I'm like the addict whose life is starting to get bad because of his addiction but he hasn't gotten to the end of himself yet. The answer is never me doing better. It's about me giving my all in a surrender to Christ's supremacy in my life while I'm doing the next thing with all my strength as unto God.

Jeremiah 31:18 ESV — "I have heard Ephraim grieving, ‘You have disciplined me, and I was disciplined, like an untrained calf; bring me back that I may be restored, for you are the LORD my God."

The KJV says 'turn me and I will be turned'. I like that translation better.

My prayer today is that my life would glorify God and that I would unlearn anything that's in the way of me walking by faith.

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