Dear Christian friends:

"And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. For thine
is the kingdom, and the power, and
the glory, forever. Amen."

In the Los Angeles Times, last Monday, on the front page (Show paper!) there is a shocking article about a Lutheran pastor. He has resigned from the ministry now and he is in prison. He was the pastor of Faith Lutheran Church, Emporia, Kansas, which belongs to our Synod, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. His name is Thomas Bird. Why is Rev. Thomas in prison? Did you read the article? It seems he was tempted to do adultery with the church secretary. Then he killed his wife and made it appear like an auto accident.

Several months later he and the secretary agreed to pay someone to kill her husband. So it seems that Thomas Bird is an adulterer and a murderer. You perhaps find that hard to believe. It is very shocking. Bird's father is a Lutheran pastor in Arkansas, and his older brother is a pastor in Michigan. How could that happen? It appears that he was tempted and fell in shame and vice. If that can happen to a Lutheran pastor it can happen to anyone.

Jesus knows that! He knows that anyone of us can be tempted and fall. Therefore He teaches us to pray here in the Sixth Petition: "And lead us not into temptation." Jesus teaches us to pray for God's help in time of temptation.

Who tempted Rev. Bird? Who tempts us? Did God tempt him? The Bible teaches us that three enemies tempt us Christians: our own flesh (sinner nature), the devil and the world.

Our flesh tempts us. The Bible says, "Let no man say when he is tempted, "God is tempting me; because evil cannot tempt God, and He does not tempt any man; but every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed." (James 1:13-14) Everyone is tempted by their own "lust." Lust means wrong, forbidden desires of our flesh.

The "world" tempts us. Other people, other sinners, unbelievers, even other church members may tempt us. The Bible warns us, "My son, if sinners entice you, consent not." (Proverbs 1:10) And Paul said about Demas, his assistant who quit the ministry: "Demas has forsaken me, because he loved this present world." (2 Timothy 4:10)

The devil also tempts us. Peter warns us, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Peter knew about the devil's temptations. We just read before how Satan tempted Judas to betray Jesus and then Peter to deny Jesus.

So Jesus teaches us to pray this Sixth Petition every day: "Lead us not into temptation." He wants us to know that He guards and protects us from temptation. Paul says, "The Lord keeps His promise to you, He shall stablish you and keep you from evil." (2 Thessalonians 3:3) Jesus keeps many tempters away from us.

Sometimes Jesus permits temptations to come. But then He strengthens our faith and helps us answer, "No!" Jesus has often done that for me! Jesus helps us by letting us remember His Word and through prayer. By using God's Word and prayer we have a strong, defense against temptations.

If we, during a moment of weakness, fall, as Peter did, Jesus prays for us that we not despair, but are sorry and continue to trust in His mercy. Jesus told Peter, "Simon Simon, Satan wants to have you, but I have prayed for you, that your faith fail not." (Luke 22:31-32) Peter was sorry after he fell into temptation, and he continued to believe in Jesus for forgiveness. He did not despair and hang himself as Judas did. Don't despair if you fall into temptation.

We all should pray for Rev. Thomas Bird, as he sits in prison now, that he will not despair and think He is too bad and can't receive God's forgiveness. We should pray for him that he is sorry and that he will really believe in God's mercy in Jesus, the Cross which he preached.

We should pray also for his three children and his father and mother, and his brother that they will not despair in this time of shame and sadness!

"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen." We close this player.

God only is King, from Him we ask help. God only has the power to hear our prayer and help us. Therefore, we give all glory and praise to Him for what He has done and promises to do for us in the future. He promises to keep us believing until death and then take us unto Himself in heaven. Let it be, dear Lord! Let it be!

Amen.