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A few years ago, the Lord showed me a vision of man’s sin on earth. I now share it with you.

As a spectator looking down on the planet from outer space, I observed earth slowly shriveling like a prune, drying up for lack of sun and moisture. At the same time, humanity was withering in the same way, evaporating from the lack of the Son and dew of the Spirit.

Barely a division between those in the church and those outside the church existed. Man’s selfishness covered the earth.

Man’s sins - his inhumanity, pride, bloodshed, lust, perversion of what God intended to be pure, such as marriage and His relationship with His own children - rose up from the earth as thick, ebony smoke, constricting the planet, as if squeezing the life out of it. It ascended into the atmosphere as a dark veil, deflecting the light of God.

“Oh, God,” I cried. “How can this be reversed? What can man do to bring back Your light into the world?”

Without a verbal answer, He showed me men lying prostrate on the ground, all across the globe. Like little spikes sticking up out of a deflated ball, hands were thrust up in prayer. With a great breath, the Spirit exhaled a current that encircled the earth and broke through the veil.

The Spirit then began to move upon those with uplifted hands, sparking a revival of the church, and the influence spread to unbelievers who accepted God’s salvation. It brought to my mind creation in Genesis 1:2, as tohuw and bohuw, without form and void, as the Life of the Spirit hovered over the earth.

I said, “Lord, what will bring this about?”

He answered, “Prayer, prayer, and more prayer, and the hearts of My people longing to bring men into My Light and My salvation.”

Then, the earth and humanity’s darkness gradually became illuminated, growing brighter and brighter, as if released from the black of night to the brilliance of the noonday sun.

God said, “As men will cleanse themselves in the blood of My Son to rid themselves of the darkness within, My Light will shine, for I am Light and in Me there is no darkness, and if I, the Light of the World, live in you, there must be no darkness in you, for dark and Light cannot dwell together. Only when you shine as pure light will My Light be manifested to the world.”

“Look around you!” the disciple John said. “Vast fields of human souls are ripening all around us, and are ready now for reaping.” (John 4:35 TLB)

But what are we doing about it?

“And lead us not into temptation,but deliver us from the evil one.”(Matt. 6:13a NKJV)
(This is the seventh segment of The Model Prayer series.)

The negative side.

Lead us not into temptation.

In other words, “Lord, do not carry us into those situations where we might succumb to seductions or enticements to sin, or trials of our fidelity.”

But does God actually guide us into those situations that would suck us into a lapse of faith or holiness? Of course not. James said, “And remember, when someone wants to do wrong it is never God who is tempting him, for God never wants to do wrong and never tempts anyone else to do it. Temptation is the pull of man’s own evil thoughts and wishes. These evil thoughts lead to evil actions and afterwards to the death penalty from God. So don’t be misled, dear brothers.” (James 1:13-16 TLB)

Paul encourages us to “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Eph. 6:11NIV), so that we “do not give the devil a foothold.” (Eph. 4:27 NIV)

The positive side.

Deliver us from evil.

The word deliver means to rescue or preserve from, rush or draw for oneself. Evil is described as hurtful, annoyances, hardships, pressed and harassed by labors, denotes evil that causes pain, sorrow, bringing toils, perils, of a bad nature or condition, or wicked.

In other words, “Lord, draw us to Yourself and away from those wicked, hurtful perils and conditions.”

If we willingly succumb to the dangling lures and shiny baubles of the enemy’s seductions, we venture out of God’s protection.

One of my favorite murder mystery movie series is Agatha Christie’s Poirot, the great Belgian detective. Once, as his “little gray cells,” as he calls them, pondered a puzzle of clues, he said, “The devil himself dances among us; we just don’t see him.”

He was right. The devil and his cohorts waltz around, dangling temptations before our eyes and ears to steal our joy, kill our faith, and destroy our fellowship with God. They do all they can to dance around us, to divert our focus away from God and to delay or defeat His answers to our requests.

We always have a way out, for the Word says, “God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” (1 Cor. 10:13b NIV) We just don’t always use it, do we?

David pleaded with God, “Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil, to take part in wicked deeds with men who are evildoers; let me not eat of their delicacies.” (Ps. 141:4a NIV)

What captivates our hearts? What attracts our eyes? Are we focused on worldly possessions, temptations, and thinking or on all that the Lord says in His Word?

~~Lord, “Don't let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” (NLT) Draw us to Yourself and away from the evil that would seek to cause us pain, sorrow, or other perils. May Your Word be stored in our hearts to keep us from sinning against Your love. Amen.~~

“Forgive us our debts as we also forgive our debtors.”(Matt. 6:12 Received Greek Text)

(This is the sixth segment in the The Model Prayer series.)

“Forgive me.” How many times have I asked the Lord that? Bazillions!

Forgive. In Greek, the word used here primarily means to send forth or away. Or to remit, being completely cancelled, and to let go, give up.

The Greek word for debts means that which is legally due, as sin as a debt demanding atonement, something owed, or a fault.

As means even as, like as, according as, or in the same manner as.

Debtors is defined as one who owes anything to another (primarily in regard to money), one held by some obligation, bound to some duty, or one who has not yet made amends to one whom he has injured.

When a violation of God’s Word occurs, an atonement is necessary. In the Old Testament, God appointed sacrifices to be offered to atone for a person’s sins, but it had to be an offering of the heart.

God said to Judah, “To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me [unless they are the offering of the heart]?” (Is. 1:11 Amp) Whatever the gift, the heart had to accompany it; otherwise, God rejected the gift, “Who wants your sacrifices when you have no sorrow for your sins?...I want nothing more to do with them.” (Is. 1:12a,13b TLB)

The OT sacrifice was merely a temporary substitution until Jesus offered the ultimate and eternal sacrifice, paying the penalty for all sins. As Jesus told the disciples at the Last Supper, the wine represented His “blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” (Matt. 26:28 NKJV)

This is eternal debt cancellation. However, cancellation does not mean consequences for our wrong decisions no longer exist. Discipline still remains in place.

Do we ask others to forgive us when we hurt them, not kept our word, or sinned against them in some other way? What of those who have done or do the same to us? Are we ready to forgive them? God forgives us in the same manner that we forgive others. Have you ever asked the Lord if there’s anyone whom you have forgotten to forgive?

Peter once asked Jesus, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered him, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” (Matt. 18:21-22 NIV)

Then, Jesus told the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant in which the servant who had begged forgiveness of his large debt from his master turned around and demanded payment from his fellow servant. The fellow servant begged forgiveness for his small amount but was unsuccessful. The servant refused and had his fellow servant thrown in jail.

When the master heard of what the servant had done, he “turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.” (Matt. 18:34 NIV)

And here’s the part we like to ignore: Jesus finished the parable by saying, “This is how My heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.” (Matt. 18:35 NIV) Whoa!

Yes, some offenses against us are extremely difficult to forgive. Do you have any like that in your life? Are you willing to forgive? If not, have you asked the Lord to help you be willing to be willing to forgive? Do you want the Lord to forgive you? Then, you know what you have to do.

Besides asking forgiveness of our sins, we forget to seek forgiveness in one other area. Just as in the parable, we have financial debts, those things that are owed. As stewards of all the Lord allows in our lives, do we need to ask His forgiveness for mishandling it?

Though written to the Roman church, Paul’s words ring true for us today: “Pay all your debts except the debt of love for others - never finish paying that! For if you love them, you will be obeying all of God’s laws, fulfilling all His requirements.” (Rom. 13:8 TLB)

He also wrote to the Colossians, “Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” (Col. 3:12-13 NLT)

Lord, “Forgive us what we owe to You, as we have also forgiven those who owe anything to us.” (Phillips)

What comes to your mind when you think of freedom? How about…

*free with no curfews
*free with no restrictions
*free to go where you please
*free to be with whomever you desire
*free to do what you want when you want
*free with no strings attached to anyone or anything

If we follow after these, are we truly free? The truth is that the world gives us a false perception of freedom. It leads us down a dark path, sometimes with no return.

So, what is freedom? Part of the dictionaries’ definitions says that it means exemption from the power and control of another, not in bondage.

Jesus died to release use from our bondage to the enemy, “For He has rescued us out of the darkness and gloom of Satan’s kingdom and brought us into the Kingdom of His dear Son, who bought our freedom with His blood and forgave us all our sins.” (Col. 1:13-14 TLB)

If Jesus disentangled us from the enemy’s web of bondage, then we need to heed Paul’s advice to the Galatians, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” (Gal. 5:1 NKJV)

Therefore, freedom does not mean free to do what one pleases. We cannot go back into sinful ways. As Peter said, “Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.” (1 Peter 2:16 NIV)

Freedom is never free; there is always a cost. Somewhere along the line, someone had to pay for whatever freedom we enjoy. Just as many have lost their lives in service to this country to give us physical freedom from our tangible enemies, so Jesus gave His life to give us spiritual freedom from our invisible enemy...for eternity!

God sent Jesus to free us from sin, as the Word says, “Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.” (Rom. 6:14 NLT)

We cannot keep returning for a taste of the world, like nibbling on appetizers. Pretty soon, we find ourselves eating a full meal of it, all the way through to dessert, and paying a dear price for it.

When we accept the Christian life, we welcome a new form of rule into our lives. I know, sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? Free when controlled. It is freedom from the world and freedom in the Lord.

Paul told the Colossians, “You have died with Christ, and He has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world?” (Col. 2:20 NLT)

Only when we are under control of the Holy Spirit are we then truly free, as Paul said, “For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Cor. 3:17 NLT)

When we know true freedom in Christ, we are then released to be all that God created us to be as we follow that True Path God has designed for us, which is The Way, The Truth, and The Life.

The disciple John wrote, “So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.” (John 8:36 NLT) But do we place our lives totally in His hands, trusting and depending on Him to have authority over us? How free are we?

We should again heed Paul’s words to the Galatians, “For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.” (Gal. 5:14 NLT)

My prayer for you all: “Dear friends, God the Father chose you long ago and knew you would become His children. And the Holy Spirit has been at work in your hearts, cleansing you with the blood of Jesus Christ and making you to please Him. May God bless you richly and grant you increasing freedom from all anxiety and fear.” (1 Peter 1:2 TLB)

Something has been bugging me. Well, out of the many things, I’ve been wondering about the lack of our ability to blush. Because I care about my brothers and sisters in Christ, I am very concerned about our sensitivity to sin.

When was the last time you saw anyone blush? When was the last time you blushed? I don’t remember the last time I blushed.

Ezra blushed. What caused the blood to rush to his face, giving him that crimson glow? In his remorse at the intermarriages of Israel’s priests and Levites with the surrounding Ites, he lamented, “O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to You, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads and our guilt has mounted to the heavens.” (Ezra 9:6 Amp) Our iniquities, he said, not theirs.

But do we blush when we act in opposition to God’s Word? When we sin, do we grieve over what we have done, as James exhorts us, “Be deeply penitent and grieve, even weep [over your disloyalty]. Let your laughter be turned to grief and your mirth to dejection and heartfelt shame [for your sins].” (James 4:9 Amp)

After committing a sin, are we in anguish only that we got caught and have to face the consequences or that we have wounded the heart of the Father?

Are we ashamed before the holy God of the universe? Unfortunately, we have become so desensitized to unholiness that sin does not bother us much anymore and we act like the Israelites. God said of them to Jeremiah, “Are they ashamed when they do these disgusting things? No, not at all - they don’t even blush!” (Jer. 6:15 NLT)

Do we ever weep over our sins? David grieved over his sin, saying, “For I will declare my iniquity; I will be in anguish over my sin.” (Ps. 38:18 NKJV) He loved God and knew that, if sin remained in his heart, it would offend God and cut off his fellowship with Him. Therefore, he asked God, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” (Ps. 139:23-24 NLT)

Out of our deep love for the Lord and knowing what displeases Him, do we strive to remain so close to Him that any interference, any sin that separates us from Him, is automatically repulsive and avoided? Obeying God has better results than sinning!

But what about those “little sins”? To God, sin is sin, no one sin is considered bigger than another sin. However, we sometimes have it stuck in our finite minds that God has a blind spot when it comes to what we consider little sins. I think it’s the pile-up of the little sins that desensitizes our spirits.

We think little is okay, like nibbling on the forbidden fruit of a little cheating, a little white lie, a little stealing of pens or paper from the company or altering our time cards, a little flirting at work, a little dirty joke, a little gossip, a little peeking at this or winking at that.

We say to ourselves, “I’m not causing any harm. It’s just a little thing.” Or, “Just this once won’t hurt anybody.” Wanna bet? Look what happened because of sin’s one-time nibble in the garden; it spread condemnation to the whole world!

Just one bowing down to lust can ruin a life - or lives - forever. Just one night of sin can result in divorce, AIDS, pregnancy, drunk driving, or the death of a human life. Just one instance of gossip or confidence shared can sometimes rip apart long-time friendships or an entire family.

When we have Godly sorrow for sin, it “brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret.” (2 Cor. 7:10a NIV) Do we say to the Father, “I am deeply sorry for what I have done”? (Ps. 38:18 NLT)

But how long does it take you to confess a sin? Thirty seconds? Thirty minutes? Thirty days? Thirty years? The moment you know you have done something against God’s Word, do you confess it only to rush out the door to do it again?

Because David desired to be rid of those sins prowling around in his heart that might escape his attention, he said to God, “But how can I ever know what sins are lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults.” (Ps. 19:12 TLB)

However, he also wanted to be rid of his willful sins, for he said, “Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression.” (Ps. 19:13 NIV)

If we do not vigilantly guard our hearts against the tactics of the enemy, we leave ourselves wide open to all his assaults. To avoid this, Peter warns us, “Be on your guard and stay awake. Your enemy, the devil, is like a roaring lion, sneaking around to find someone to attack.” (1 Peter 5:8 CEV)

Do you make yourself lion-bait by flirting around the fringe of the forbidden, causing impure thoughts, immoral desires, or inappropriate actions? Sin’s desire is to take you, to possess you, to gobble you up, bit by bit. The hollowness of hell’s hunger hankers to be filled with God’s dainty morsels - His children! If you hear its stomach growl, watch out!

Live in such a way that no blush ever tints your face!

Once in a great while, our Kentucky summers surprise us with a respite from the normal hot and humid yuckiness and treat us to a pleasant evening. Recently, my husband and I sat on our patio to enjoy one of these rare evenings outdoors.

Hubby decided to hook up his new, good 100 foot hose to the sprinkler for the backyard. As he did, he mentioned that he wished he had gotten it a long time ago. Why? Because it does not kink and allows a continuous flow of water.

I started thinking about the unkinkable hose. It reminded me of our relationship with the Lord. As He has blessed us lately with some very needed income, I wanted to be sure my husband was keeping up with the tithe since he writes all the checks.

After I asked him about it, I said, “I don’t want to put a kink in the hose!” After we giggled about it, the thought settled into my brain as I started to think about the comparison between the old hose, which always got kinks in it and even the little kinks cut off the flow of water, defeating its purpose, and the new hose, which will never get a kink in it and will always let the water flow properly, thereby fulfilling its purpose.

I wondered…What puts a kink in the purpose for my life? What stops the flow of Living Water? Is it selfishness? Is it pride? Is it murmuring and complaining? Is it other negative speech? Or is it something I’m overlooking or choose to ignore?

Do I have a blind spot when it comes to “little sins” as little kinks? Like nibbling on the forbidden fruit of a little cheating, a little white lie, a little stealing of pens or paper from the company or altering time cards, a little flirting at work, a little dirty joke, a little gossip, a little peeking at this or winking at that?

Whatever sins you allow in your life, they will put a kink in the flow of your relationship with the Lord, defeating the purpose of your life.

When you finally unkink your life, don’t you always wish you’d done it sooner?

~~Blessings, Lynn~~