Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder

There is a prophesy from 600BC that gets ½ of the story of the cross 100% right.  Isaiah 53 perfectly describes the horrors of the cross and the scattering of the followers of Jesus.  But, this is not the end of the story.

1 Peter 2:25 completes the account.  We now have the full story including the suffering, the death and the ressurection.  The scattered sheep are not the END OF THE STORY.  They come back! They follow Him.  They believe. They entrust themselves to Him.

Join me as God ties a perfect bow on this gift from 2600 years ago.  You'll be glad to listen today, and tomorrow, if you subscribe at bewithme.us or Apple Podcasts 

How exactly do I respond when I find myself suffering?  Specifically, suffering I think I did not deserve, unjust suffering.

We have an example in Jesus.  First He practiced oral restraint by not reviling in return or threatening. 

What He did was to ENTRUST. He ENTRUSTED to the One who judges justly. He committed Himself; handed Himself over to the Father.

We too will face suffering.  We have an example.  We should consider entrusting ourselves when we are in the UN-justice of suffering. Bewithme.us Apple Podcasts.

Suffering is the unique, distinguishing characteristic of Jesus.  So, it should not be a total surprise that His followers are called to do suffering well.

We are summoned by name, by a Sovereign God, acting in sovereignty to suffering.  He does not leave us alone there.  We are seen in suffering. It is all done in His purview.  

To help us, unjust suffering has already been done WELL.  Jesus gave us a path to do it well.  He asks us to "trace over" the path He's already done perfectly.  As we welcome suffering, we remember that we are not the first and that we are to follow His example. Bewithme.us for a little more on suffering tomorrow.  The world is full of suffering.  Share this.

Know this if you SUFFER:

• Suffering is an invitation
• Suffering is an invitation for YOU to INVITE GOD to your suffering
• Suffering can DO SOMETHING for you
• Suffering will NEVER WORK if you are not MINDFUL OF GOD

If you are suffering, please listen.  You will catch a glimpse of what suffering can do for you.  And come back tomorrow at bewithme.us or [email protected] and Spotify.  There is more about suffering to come.  We should be ready, because there likely is more suffering to come.

Today we are going to march up the mountain of UNJUST SUFFERING.  What should be my response INTERIORLY first, and then EXTERNALLY towards UNJUST SUFFERING.

We do not get a free pass even if those around us are doing this wrong.  Just because another near you is wrong, or even evil, does not give you a "pass" to be evil in response. 

Stay with me as we venture into "the nuclear power plant of 1st Peter." I can't wait.

Submission is not easy.  It should  be easier in certain relationships that are defined by LOVE. Wives to husbands and children to their parents come to mind.  But what about submission to government? Bad government?

What if my government is non-democratically elected, no term-limits, no checks and balances, no legislature, no opposing party, no term limits, frequently violent and unjust? How can I please the Lord in the posture of my heart and in the actions seen by everyone towards this office.  This is going to be difficult, like so many things in the Christian walk.

Oh and BTW, EVERYBODY is going to see whether you do this right.  Bewithme.us and Apple Podcasts. Re-post this message.

Christians need to WATCH THEIR CONDUCT because they aren't the only ones watching.  In other words, they should be REPUTATIONALLY AWARE. They should be witnessing with EFFECT. They will be misunderstood at least initially, but their beautiful behaviors eventually result in baby believers.

And we are at war. Passions of the flesh is the battleground.  We seem to say that it is OK to borrow the benefits of marriage without its commitments, it's protections and it's covenant. We all get a zipper. Everybody. It can be done honorably.  Step one: know you are at war.

Bewithme.us apple and google podcasts. Make this a daily practice.

What might it mean for us to REALLY UNDERSTAND how God feels about us? Who exactly are we in His eyes?  Peter tells us.

Join me today as we consider what it is like to be a people of His POSSESSION. He keeps us safe, He preserves us, He gains us. And though that is the real heavy spiritual lifting, we have a part: we permit it. We allow it. 

Our true identity is a people for His own possession.  Consider it with me for 7 minutes. [email protected] to subscribe.

Here are 7 spiritual steps described in 1 Peter:

1. STUMBLING. Jesus first gets your attention.
2. OFFENSE. Jesus stands against evil, unholiness, and rebellion. Basically this describes you. Sorry about that.
3. Jesus offers SALVATION by offense. You might battle Him here.
4. BELIEF. This one is up to you. You'll need help. He offers help.
5. BROKEN to pieces. It's OK, He's making you useful.
6. LEGO. You are a little building brick bearing a resemblance to the big Rock
7. BUILT into a SPIRITUAL HOUSE with other little BRICKS.

I'm glad you are here no matter what step you are on. If you are offended, don't stop there. Come back tomorrow. Bewithme.us makes that easiest. 

Today we'll go to the newborn infant for wisdom. We will learn about the DESPERATE, non-SUBSTITUTABLE, INTIMATE CRAVING for milk.

We'll assess our commitment to this provision in frequency and in purpose.  Is this really our SINGULAR DESIRE? 

Learn with me from a 1 week old.  To grow even more, subscribe at bewithme.us or write at [email protected]. Apple Podcasts.