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Today’s word is “Distracted” – Do NOT be distracted!
Let’s check out Matt 16, beginning with verse 16. There Peter gets a download of revelation knowledge from Father God: Peter suddenly knows Jesus is the Christ, the son of the Living God! It happened so ‘naturally’ that Peter did not even realize it came from the Father. Jesus had to tell him.
Soon afterward an extremely revealing interchange occurs, starting with vs 21. Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, suffer many things from the elders, chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. Peter, shocked, took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.
And Jesus replies to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.” Another translation says, “…you are not mindful of the things of God but the things of men.” The Message says, “You have no idea how God works.”
Again, this happened so ‘naturally’ Peter didn’t realize he had become a mouthpiece for satan! And so confident Peter was that how he was thinking and what he was speaking was ‘right’ that he unhesitatingly rebuked—Jesus! Whoa!
Consider that expression, “man’s interests.” How man views life around him. Government. Current events. Man’s view of civil rights, equality, history, power, fame – need I go on? Satan is a master at distraction. Notice it was not a temptation to outright sin like immorality or murder, or even jealousy or envy. Satan had distracted Peter from God’s ways – don’t you think Jesus knew why He had come? And had Peter looking at ‘things’ from man’s viewpoint: the Jewish expectation of Messiah coming in triumph, not suffering.
There are tons of voices out there today, and they seek to distract us from our devotion to God and walking in His ways, seeing from His viewpoint. Anything that will bring our thinking and speaking down to man’s level will do.
Soon we’ll be so mired in the muck that we’ll think God has abandoned or is punishing America for her sins. Set your mind on God’s interests — keep it there — you will STAY ALIVE after you have COME ALIVE!
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