Satan Desires to Sift You as Wheat.

Peter went directly against Jesus Christ in telling him that he was wrong to tell the disciples Christ would go to Jerusalem and be killed. Jesus said to Peter that he desired the things of men instead of the things of God. Peter even went so far as to lie at the last supper and tell Jesus that he would go to prison and to death before he would deny him. Yet, Peter would have nothing to do with Jesus when the soldiers came to arrest him and crucify him at Golgotha. Even Judas was one of the group of the twelve disciples and betrayed Christ, causing him to be put to death.

We are charged as Christians to keep the commandments, keep our bodies away from sin, and keep our faith in God, even in times of dire temptation. The results of our laziness, lack of faith, and lame excuse, that the devil made me do it, can have consequences beyond just our own souls and personal well-being. In more ways than one we have a Collective Mind, and that can affect many things around us, including our fellow Christian brethren. All Christians have an obligation to work together for the well being of the family of Christ, the body of Christ.

There are two human examples of how wickedness can affect others around the whole community and these two people in the Bible were Hophni and Phinehas. They were the sons of Eli, who was the Jewish Priest in the tabernacle of Shiloh during the days of judges. The sons were scoundrels and had no respect for the things of God. Yet, they were a part of the community of believers and their actions sadly had a direct result on the whole community. Satan took advantage of the sinful actions of these two wicked sons of Eli to cause the army of Israel to lose the Ark of the Covenant in battle.

Many times as a nation, we all fall together, because each one of us refuses to do his part in fighting against the evil around us. Maybe there were also others in the temple during that Old Testament time of Eli, who knew of the wickedness of his sons, and yet they did nothing to prevent his two sons from taking advantage of the women in the church. Maybe they just ignored it and did nothing or said nothing. Even old Eli knew what they were doing but actually did nothing, except to simply rebuke them.

The Ark of the Covenant is symbolic of God´s presence in more ways than one, and to lose the guidance of God, his protection, and his fighting spirit is a devastating event in the lives of all Christians. You may be saved, yet if you are wickedly disobedient, God may just retract his presence at certain times and give you over to the punishment of your own evil ways. Satan desires to sift you as wheat, if you go against his will. Your wicked actions might just be confined to your own downfall, but they may also have an effect on all those around you, including your entire country.

Luke 22:31

“And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:”

https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Luke-22-31/

Matthew 16:23

“But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.”

https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Matthew-16-23/

Mark 3:27

“No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.”

https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Mark-3-27/

Matthew 16:26

“For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Matthew-16-26/

1 Peter 3:8

“Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:”

https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/1-Peter-3-8/

Philippians 2:2

“Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.”

https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Philippians-2-2/

1 Samuel 2:22

“Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.”

https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/1-Samuel-2-22/

1 Samuel 4:10 - 4:11

10 And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.

11 And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.

https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/1-Samuel-4-10_4-11/

Who were Hophni and Phinehas?

https://www.gotquestions.org/Hophni-and-Phinehas.html

Ark of the Covenant

Replica of the Ark of the Covenant in George Washington Masonic National Memorial

By Ben Schumin - Own work, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1575555

May 1, 2022

Cliff Rhodes Christian Ministry