40 days with Christ

Today is the final day of our 20 session series on First Peter!!  Up next, our flagship 40 days with Christ series is scheduled to march toward completion of day #40 on Easter Sunday!  I hope you will continue on with us as we begin our 40 day journey toward Easter together!  :-)

But first, let’s get started by reading our final passage from First Peter chapter 5 today.

"Be alert and of sober mind.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in the faith because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.  And the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ -  after you’ve suffered a little while - will Himself restore you and make you strong,  firm and steadfast.  To Him be the power forever and ever!  AMEN!"

Let’s review where we’ve been together shall we?

Over the last 20 days, I hope you’ve been encouraged by these important truths!

To Him be the power forever and ever!  Let’s pray.

Dear Father in Heaven - 

We praise You for You have called us out of darkness and into Your wonderful light. 

Even while we were still sinners, you reached out to us in love so that we could be set free from bondage to sin and death.

How great Thou art Lord.  How great… Thou art!

Thanks for making devotional time a priority in your life. May God encourage you, bless you, keep you strong, firm and steadfast until the day our Lord Jesus returns with a crown of glory for you, an imperishable inheritance, one which never fades -  never spoils…  AMEN!

Reading from 1st Peter chapter 5 verses 8 through 14:

“Be alert and of sober mind your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him standing firm in the faith because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kinds of sufferings.  And the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ - after you’ve suffered a little while - will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.  To Him be the power forever and ever - AMEN.

With the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.

She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark. Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.”  (New International Version)

This is the third time in 1st Peter that we are told to have a sober mind. We are to pay attention - to be aware - to have a mindset of readiness and watchfulness.  This time, however, the object of our awareness is the fact that we aren’t just floating through life unopposed. There’s an enemy prowling around like a roaring lion looking for something to destroy - to devour!

This verse reminds me of the beginning of the book of Job. Remember when the Lord asked Satan from where he came?  And Satan replied “from roaming about on the earth been walking around on it”?  Perhaps Peter even had that passage from Job in mind as he wrote that the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Please don’t misunderstand.  Peter is NOT trying to inflict insatiable fear into our hearts.  He’s calling us to be alert and sober, yes. But then he goes on to tell us that we CAN successfully resist the devil.

How do we resist Satan?   Peter says we do so by standing firm in the Christian faith.  Even through times of hardship, Peter tells us we can be encouraged in the knowledge that we don’t go through difficult times all alone.  Indeed there is great strength in sharing our burdens with one another and praying together.

1st Corinthians chapter 10 verse 13 reminds us “there hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man”.  That’s a very fancy King James way of saying that “we don’t face difficulties and temptations all by ourselves.”  Peter says it like this:  “The God of all Grace who called us to his eternal glory in Christ, after we have suffered a little while, will himself restore us and make a strong firm and steadfast.

To him be the power forever and ever - Amen!

Let’s pray.

Father in Heaven,

You are the God of all Grace. You have called us to your eternal glory in Christ.

When we face trials, please help us to know that we can persevere because You have the grace to forgive us.  You have the power to restore us.  You have the loving-kindness to lift us up and to make us firm and steadfast. We put our hope and trust in You.

We pray in Jesus name - Amen!

How amazing is it that the God of all time and space cares about me and you!  We can cast all of our anxiety on him.  Why?  Because He cares for us!  If you have anxiety, listen!  Peter isn’t beating you down saying things like “repent sinner"!  Peter isn't not trying to make you feel guilty!  He is trying to help you feel comforted!!

A careful reading of Jesus’ teachings on the topic of worry might surprise you! Scripture doesn’t condemn the downhearted.  Instead it teaches us to cast our anxiety upon the shoulders of the only One who is truly strong enough to carry it!  GOD alone is great enough and loving enough to take not just some of our anxiety… Cast ALL your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.

Now, sometimes we assign far too much value upon certain things of this world.  God may be wanting to teach us that the amount of money in our 401k bank account - believe it or not - really is NOT that important in the grand scheme of things!  But as long as we truly submit to Jesus as our Lord, then God is right there for us, ready to teach, willing to encourage and bless. Yes, if you have cares and concerns, you CAN cast your cares upon God because God truly DOES care for you!

Since God is such a caring loving Father, it should come as no surprise that he wants church leaders to be willing servants.  Peter appeals in this passage to the elders (i.e. church leaders) as an elder himself.

As Peter tells his church leaders to lead by being good examples to the flock, Peter himself models this exemplary behavior.  

We should respect and submit to our church leaders.  All of us, young and old, should be humble with one another.  For if we humble ourselves before God, God will lift us up in His perfect time. 

Lets pray.

Dear Father:

Help us to be good followers.  Help us to be followers of You first and foremost.  Help us also to be respectful members in the local church.  

May we be humble as we respect the local church leaders.  They can’t possibly make decisions that will make everyone happy all of the time!  Help us not to place an undue burden of unrealistic expectations upon our leaders.  Instead, help us to support and to encourage our leaders.

In Jesus name we ask this.  AMEN!

That about wraps up day 18!  Take care and Lord willing, I’ll see you again tomorrow as you we near the end of our series 20 days with 1st Peter!

In John chapter 15, Jesus plainly tells his followers, “Remember what I told you.  A servant is not greater than his master.  If they persecuted me they will persecute you also.”

How quickly we forget!

When we stand up for what we believe to be good and right, sometimes people will mischaracterize us.  They may even impute all kinds of bad motives to us falsely.  Now don’t get me wrong.  It is frustrating when we get unfairly painted as heartless, bigoted or uncaring.  It feels very unfair because it is unfair!  But here is one thing it should not be…  It should not be a surprise as though something strange is happening to us!

I think sometimes we as Christians react in anger or with sarcasm because we’ve forgotten what Jesus told us to remember.  We’ve forgotten that Jesus said we should expect resistance and persecution.

Why did Jesus say that we should remember this?  Why does Peter insist that this should not come to us as a surprise?  

I think it has to do with preparation and with managing our own expectations.  For example, if I expect people to always be understanding and sympathetic in response my faith, whenever they are unfair toward me and I feel misunderstood,  I might be unprepared to respond to them in the manner that God would have me to respond.

Peter and Jesus - I believe - are saying that even though my personal goal is to live such a good life that it attracts outsiders to the gospel, I still should not be surprised if a fiery ordeal erupts around me instead!

In Matthew chapter 10 and in Luke 12, Jesus is clear that His truth will ruffle some feathers!  Yes, Jesus is the source of life in peace to those who follow Him.  But He will also be a source of division and opposition from those who reject his lordship.

The Christian call is:

1) to respond to curses with blessing

2) to pray for our enemies

3) to never stop hoping that they may find forgiveness and eternal life in Christ Jesus our lord.

Let’s pray together.

Lord:  If we are insulted because of the name of Christ,

help us not to curse, but instead to pray for our enemies,  

please help us to desire repentance, forgiveness and salvation for everyone,

even those who mistreat us!

May we show such love and courage that it causes someone to wonder about the reason for the hope that we have.

Help us to be ready with an answer.  

But please may it be an answer that is shared with gentleness and respect.

In Jesus name, we ask all of this.  AMEN!

Devotional number 17 of 20 is complete!

May God encourage you and bless you as you follow his leading today.

Take care!

Bro Mark

Peter instructs us not once, not twice, but three times in this short letter to "be SOBER".  

The Greek word he uses for sober, however, means more than merely not being out of control due to intoxication.  It means to be sensible, reasonable, aware and responsible in how we live our lives to honor the Lord our God.  

In chapter 1 verse 13, we read "Therefore, (because you have such a great salvation ahead of you) with minds that are alert and fully SOBER, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.  

In chapter 5 verse 8, we are told to "Be alert and of SOBER mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith..."

And in today's reading, 1 Peter 4:7-11:

7 Therefore (because the end of all things is near) be alert and of SOBER mind so that you may pray. 

8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 

10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 

Christ suffered once for all time on the cruel cross at Calvary in order to pay the penalty for our sins.  Jesus died in the body - and then He was resurrected with an eternal, glorified body to demonstrate His victory over sin and death.  Jesus was resurrected to demonstrate the victory that He is willing to freely share with all of us who - by faith - are willing to make Him our Lord and Savior!

In Matthew chapter 28, right before Jesus ascended into heaven, He spoke some important final words of instructions to his apostles.

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” said Jesus.

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

1 Peter 3:3- 5 (NASB)

"3 Your adornment must not be merely the external—braiding the hair, wearing gold jewelry, or putting on apparel; 4 but it should be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. 5 For in this way the holy women of former times, who hoped in God, also used to adorn themselves, being subject to their own husbands…"

1 Peter 3:1-7

Beauty and honor between fellow heirs of grace...