Jesus’ Words in Red Protection

Jesus’ Words in Red

Protection

My prayer is not that you take them out of the world

but that you protect them from the evil one.

It is interesting there was a hedge of thorns on Jesus’ head

We too need that hedge on our head

To keep evil out and God’s Word in

Jesus did not pray for the world’s protection

But He did pray for the protection of the believer

Guard your minds, don’t go beyond His protection

And don’t let the evil one enter

Protection

Protection devices are all around us.

If you put on gloves for work or

because it is cold, you wear protection.

When you get in your car,

you probably do not think about it,

 but the car has an airbag, reinforced body parts,

and sensors to warn you of breakdown dangers.

 

Sometimes we realize we need protection

and other times we don’t think about it.

Did you ever think of how many bugs

you would have eaten in a life time

if cars did not have a windshield?

They protect us from more than just wind.

There are dangers and devices to protect us everywhere.

 

The world is a dangerous place.

You can move from some dangers,

 but to move from the world

you will have to die.

It would have been nice if Jesus would have

taken His disciples into the clouds with Him.

And whenever someone prays the sinners

prayer they are instantly transported to heaven.

But Jesus did not pray for us

to leave the dangerous world.

Jesus prayed for our protection.

For most of our protection

God gave us common sense.

But for the attacks of the evil one,

Jesus prayed for the Father to protect us.

 

The evil one…

He is the one who make things unclear,

 he goes beyond yes and no.

 Matthew 5:37

He is a thief of the Good Seed,

 he takes away the Word of God.

 Matthew 13

The evil one shoots fiery darts at us.

 Ephesians 6:16

The evil one is an obstacle

that must be overcame.

1 John 2:13

Murders are of the evil one.

 1 John 3:12

Sin opens the door to the

harms of the evil one.

 1 John 5:18

The whole world is under the

control of the evil one.

 1 John 5:19

“We know that we are children of God,

and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.”

The evil one is Satan and is described

as a roaring lion who seeks to devour.

Satan is a thief, murderer and destroyer.

Wouldn’t it be nice if God would put

some type of protection around us?

Take a look at Job…

 

9 "Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied. 10 "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.

 Job 1:9-10

God put a hedge around Job and His household.

The hedge was the reason Job prospered.

In Job’s day, hedges were a

very effective way of protection.

Thorn bushes were used to

make a fence of protection.

They worked well in two ways…

They kept the wild animals out

and kept the livestock in.

Jesus’ prayer of protection works the same way.

God has set up a boundary of thorns around us.

When we pray “deliver us from evil” we are saying,

God let me feel the pain of the thorn so I do

not go beyond the boundaries of your blessings.

For years Sandy and I have made it a daily prayer

that God would put a hedge of protection and His

hand of blessing on our children and grandchildren.

 

There is a danger of the protected life.

You may not realize how

much God has spared you from.

When I see storms like Irma, the

hurricane that struck Florida…

The weather forecaster could

not predict what happened.

Why?   I believe the predicted devastation

was avoided because people prayed.

Why did the Las Vegas Stephen Paddock take

his own life before he used all his ammo?

I believe it was the prayers for our nation.

The devastation the evil

one causes could be worse.

     The reason it is not, is prayer.

 What would happen if Jesus

did not pray for our protection?

What would happen if we

did not pray for protection?

The hedge of protection is

real and it is built with prayer.

Prayer is limited… Jesus did not pray for the

World, but the ones the Father gave Him…

Those who believed His Word.

Stay in the hedge and pray for protection…

People will believe in God’s

Word when they see His mercy.

Because the wages of sin

still cost, its price is death.

Let’s not take advantage of His

mercy but let us live in His grace.

Scripture Reading

John 17:13-19 NIV

13 "I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.