Jesus Prayed- Keep Them From the Evil.

 "I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou shouldest keep them from evil."  John 17:15

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Jesus prayed. God on Earth prayed. Emmanuel God with us. Before Jesus took on flesh- He was only ever- prayed to. He was God chosen to be our Savior. He had an existence before His incarnation, before He took on flesh and He was prayed TO, not one that prayed. We need to think about this a moment-  when Jesus took on flesh He took on the NECESSITY of having to pray to God the Father. He had been God with God, the counsel was between them both (Biblical references look them up- Jn1:1, Zech.6:13. He was the God who created the world -Col.1:16. He was prayed to. He was the God who was with the children of Israel as they wandered the desert for 40 years-1 Cor.10:2-5. Jesus was this God who was in heaven before He emptied Himself of His omnipresence(ability to be everywhere) and omnipotence(His unlimited power to do anything) and took on the flesh tainted by thousands of years of sin. As soon as He took on that flesh and became human He had to rely upon God the Father for everything! Hence… Jesus PRAYED TO the Father God after having been a God that was prayed to. The amazing, unfathomable love that our Creator had and has for us made Him choose to lower Himself to our level to prove that sin was possible to overcome through God our heavenly Father. Ro. 8:3. Such wonder is truly impossible for us to fully comprehend, we can only catch glimpses of the depths of God's love for us! 

Jesus prayed to the Father for US, that we weren't to be taken out of the world- no- we were to be left in an evil filled world. Would you agree the world is filled with many evils? Today people don't quite see the sinfulness of sin as they once did. Then again, in some respects they see the overwhelming lack of love in the world and some have their eyes opened- but Satan loves to steal them away too. In fact, Satan will allow a person to see the complete lack of love of one type of person towards another and cause that other person to in turn burn with hatred towards the one without love- leaving two without love while each believes they alone have love.

This world as it inevitably grows ever closer to it end is earmarked by it's lack of love- 'Because sin abounds the love of many shall wax cold' Matt. 24:12.  Love isn't what love is supposed to be any longer it has become a cold, cruel thing- loving only where we believe love is deserved and despising where we think it is not. We have come to hate not the sin but the sinner when we should hate the sin and love the sinner- showing deep compassion, showing deep sadness when there is a blatant refusal of the love of God. 

Yes, we are to be kept from EVIL, and there is so very much evil. Jesus prayed for us to be kept from the evil in the world we must live in, He did want us to be consumed by the evil, deceived by the evil.

Does this mean I believe there is no love on earth just because I recognize the evil, and the growing trend towards LOVE waxing cold? No, I do believe there is love on earth. I see an overwhelming wealth of love being displayed on a daily basis during the crisis my little world is in right now recovering from a catastrophic hurricane. The love shown towards one another is amazing! The world is in crisis and the love explodes along with the evil schemers, the selfish do-gooders. What?! Did I just say selfish do-gooders? Yes, sadly I did. God's word tells us this- 'And make no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness..' 2 Cor11:14,15. Satan's ministers transformed into ministers of righteousness…deception. God alone knows our hearts, and He alone know our love for Him and for each other. We aren't to pluck the weeds out that grow close to the thriving plants, that's not our job to do. We are to love… truly love with the love of God, and as the true love of earth waxes colder and colder, when deception has us seeing love where there may be no love at all, may we be kept from ALL evil whether it's the horror of evil everyone recognizes or the hidden evil few can detect. 

Let us pray Jesus' prayer to the Father, pray that we are kept from evil, pray that we are kept in God's love. Pray that we are cleansed of all unrighteousness, and no hidden evil lies within us. Our hearts are wicked, Jer_17:9  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Jer 17:10  I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.  

Psa 139:23  Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: Psa 139:24  And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. 

Our merciful, loving God has made a way for us to escape the evil world we live in, that escape is found through the salvation offered by Jesus Christ our Lord, He died so we may live forever with Him. Right now we live in this world drenched in evil, and in evil disguised as good in so very many, many ways so that we can scarcely tell evil from good, or good from evil because Satan has weaved his web of deception so thoroughly. We read this…  Mat 24:24  For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. 

Deception will be so great that it will ALMOST be possible to deceive the very elect!  Almost. This coupled with knowing their will be few compared to the many who are Gods has to have us earnestly praying to belong to Him, to be kept from the evil. May God bless us and KEEP us right now and always! All through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, we believe, Lord help thou our unbelief! Amen!!!!!!!