Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder

Peter is the best KNUCKLEHEAD in the Bible. I say that to honor his ending, especially from where he started.  I think he's a great encouragement to us. This book, 2 Peter is his figurative and literal LAST WORD. Join me as we give ear for 7 minutes at a time.

He wants us to PARTICIPATE IN THE DIVINE NATURE.  He wants us to be holy like He is holy. How does that happen?  Poof? No, it happens by an EAGERNESS for the RELATIONAL PRACTICES that demonstrate our commitment to it. It is a life-long commitment, which is to say moment-by-moment response, towards this goal.

These are Peter's final words from a life that really demonstrates this.  He participated in the divine nature and stopped being such a knucklehead.  We should too. Come back tomorrow. Here's how to do it: subscribe at bewithme.us or apple, google or Spotify podcasts.

If you are a fan of 1st Peter, then you are a friend of mine.  I hope you are going to miss it as much as I am.

It is a book about trouble and suffering and calls to every human.  It is a book about good leadership and good followership aka submission.  It is a reminder that though indeed there will be trials, we do not have to go through the trials ALONE. We have His tending, protection and His presence every step of the way.

Peter ends this book with a warm greeting of a kiss.  For all you who have walked these 36 days with me, I send you a little smooch too.  If you are new, subscribe at bewithme.us or Apple Podcasts or google podcasts or Spotify or audible.

It's almost heresy to say one particular book is my absolute favorite in the Bible. With that caution, 1 Peter is my absolute favorite book in the Bible (today).

Join me in a highlights show of many of the TREASURES that are there for the taking. 1 Peter is THICK with RICHES and they are there for us to trip over.

This 7 minutes will be an encouragement from the good Lord to read this very good book in His very Good Book. Thank you for being here with me. bewithme.us to be with me tomorrow. 

Hold on to your hat as we survey the excellencies of Chapters 1 & 2 of 1 Peter.  

We'll find that we are exiles, but we are guarded; that this is not God's first day; that even angels longed to look at what's in 1st Peter; that we are STRANGERS to holiness; that it is a good thing to be of God's possession; that our conduct in submission and suffering is being watched by God and others; that we don't get a pass on doing the right thing just because those around us are doing the wrong thing; that suffering can be beautiful; that we are stewards of suffering; that suffering is done under God's sovereign eye and stayed hand.

So grab a pen and a ruler to follow in your Bible.  Subscribe at bewithme.us and Apple Podcasts to get a review tomorrow of the rest of the chapters.

Peter finishes his letter with a call to greet warmly, to kiss, those who have been in the battle.  Yup, this is a book about the realities of life. It is specifically a whole lot about suffering and doing suffering correctly.  It is not easy.

He asks for a nice warm greeting to people who have been in the battle successfully (Silvanus) and less than successfully (Mark).  God is faithful.  It is an encouragement to all who have not had a perfect spiritual history to be faithful today and do what you can with the day you have.  Join me in Peter's big finish of the book of 1 Peter!  Join me tomorrow at bewithme.us or [email protected] to get a summary of the book.

Regarding suffering:

1. Be not SURPRISED by it. It comes to all
2. Be SHARING in Christ's suffering. He did it first and did it well.
3. Be the SAME in the suffering of other people. We may suffer alone, but we are not alone in our suffering.
4. Be STEADFAST. If you are resisting temptation, suffering is quite frequent.
5. Be SOVEREIGN. Or at least, let Him be sovereign in the CALL to suffering.
6. Be SHORT-TERM. There is an "after" to suffering. Grace, Glory and restoring awaits.
7. Be a good STEWARD IN suffering. Entrust, watch your tongue, etc.
8. Be a good STEWARD OF THE SUFFERING ITSELF. Rightly viewed, it can be a gift to you, a tool for you and a test of you. It may be your greatest treasure.

Every one who reads this is suffering.  Please listen 7 minutes today and hopefully tomorrow.  Subscribe at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or bewithme.us.

When you sleep in a pup tent in the Serengeti, the RULES ARE DIFFERENT.  The rules are different because the REALITY is different.  You are PREY when you are there, and there are prowling lions that may or may not SEEK TO DEVOUR YOU.  Knowing this, it changes everything.

It is better to know the real rules and be a little terrified than to NOT know the real rules and be a little devoured. That is, ACT LIKE you are in the Serengeti, not like you are in the Suburbs.

Spiritually, we have one who wishes to devour, but we also have a protector. Listen please and come back tomorrow for the stunning conclusion at bewithme.us. Follow, like, share, subscribe.

There are two big asks today:

• the first is to cast all our anxiety upon God
• the second is perhaps more difficult: to know that HE CARES FOR US

Don't we all want to be important to someone? to Someone? It is as if He is saying directly to us today: YOU ARE IMPORTANT TO ME. I CARE FOR YOU.  Know today that you are important to God.

It makes the first part easier: you, o cared for person, can cast your cares upon the One who cares for you. Because He cares, I can CAST.  subscribe please at bewithme.us.

To be a thriving spiritual person you must have two foundational fortresses in your life: SUBMISSION and HUMILITY.  They should be looming largely in your life. They are very similar:

• They are directional toward God: under the mighty hand of God
• They are directional toward people: the right people occupying the right roles
• They are self-imposed: clothe yourself. Humble yourself.
• They are beneficial: God gives grace, favor, care & help to the humble
• They are protective: relying on the twin towers of submission and humility avoids the opposition of God. Nobody does well when ranging in battle against God.

Does anyone ever spiritually thrive without submission and humility? I ask that seriously. Write at [email protected] and subscribe at bewithme.us.

We should treasure the pastor/elders among us.  They have a difficult job. They need to remember:

• It's God's flock, not theirs
• It's a job of carefulness
• It is best be entered into by call and not by compulsion
• It is not a position for $hameful gain
• God sees and judges the method of ministry. Pastors are not at liberty to domineer in the exercise of the authority rightly given.

Please listen 7 minutes with me and rejoice in God's provision of men like this. Come back tomorrow for another aspect of God's goodness at bewithme.us