Coming to Him

 1 Peter 2:4-5 "As you come to him,... you yourselves are being built up...."  A key to spiritual growth is found in these phrases. Peter is evidently thinking of the body of believers as the new temple of God, a thought also expresses by the apostle Paul. The idea of living stones reminds us that this is not just an edifice to be looked at, but life reflects growth; this spiritual house is an organism that moves. His reference to the priesthood and sacrifices are conditioned by the words 'holy' and 'spiritual'. They serve to challenge us to the very core of our existence.  What is the goal and purpose of our lives? Although we all live and work at various tasks we must remember that in Christ we essentially have a new occupation. As holy priests we live to offer whatever we are doing in spiritual sacrifice to God. This idea demands we assess our motivation. Are we offering what we are doing as holy sacrifices to bless and for his blessing?

Chosen and Precious

 1 Peter 2:4-6  This morning we'll focus on a repeated phrase in the passage.  The Holy Spirit puts into Peter's mind the words 'chosen and precious' to characterize the Father's choice of Jesus. Vs.6 is a quote from Isaiah 28:16 where in the midst of judgment being pronounced, God offered hope to those who believed.  'Chosen' points to the fact that Jesus is the one called on by the Father to be the redeemer. He is the sacrificial lamb (The Lamb of God) that provides atonement for sin.  By faith in him we are justified.

The apostle Paul, by the Holy Spirit's inspiration (Rom.39:30-33) quotes the same verse to come to the same conclusion. Righteousness comes by faith in Christ, not the works of the law as Israel had mistakenly thought.

'Precious' alludes to several things. I will highlight two. (Matthew 3:17) God from heaven spoke-"this is my beloved son, in whom I am pleased." Jesus came to give light to men who walked in darkness. He came as the messenger of light. (1 Peter 1:18-19) Jesus is also precious in God's sight because of his precious blood- it is good blood in that it paid the penalty for our sin and satisfied God's wrath toward us.

The phrase 'chosen and precious' refers to Jesus' participation in enabling God's mercy to be extended to sinners like you an I. Let's be thankful.

Pastor Paul

Purposeless to Precious

 1 Peter 2:4-10 (we will discuss this passage all week).  This passage is full of contrasts. In general they all deal with where we were prior to knowing Jesus as our savior compared to where we are afterward. Peter uses a metaphor to help his readers understand. Ancient builders used to use a 'corner stone' to set the direction of the building. The placing of that one stone determined the direction and strength of the building.  Let's note some things about this stone. It is understood that the 'living stone' is Jesus (you have come to him).  Men don't see value in him (they rejected him), 'but whoever does believe in him will not be put to shame.' In the eyes of man, to use a corner stone that was rejected by the builders was a foolish thing to do. It would ensure a poor structure- not level, crooked walls, not square-you get the picture. Yet this verse (5) says that the builders had not realized the value in this stone.  Mankind has typically rejected Jesus, trusting in the value of their own decisions over believing in him.  Jesus promises to make us into a new creation, an entity with value; he takes us from being individual aimless people, to those gathered as a nation; from those who had not received mercy, to those who have. Consider Him.

Yummy!

 1 Peter 2:1-3  You may have heard or remember the phrase 'It was yummy to my tummy, O so very yummy!'  What good food is to the 'tummy', God's word should be to his child.  'If' in verse 3 does not imply doubt; the apostle supposes they have once tasted, and urges them, on the ground of that first taste to long for more. (Pulpit commentary)  Peter's challenge is that in light of the fact we have tasted of the Lord's goodness, we should long to explore his goodness in a deeper way- how does knowing Jesus challenge my responses to everyday living? The following tag has some good insights. Commentary

Enjoy our winter wonderland, Pastor Paul

Getting it Right!

 1 Peter 1:22-25 ;  Isa.40:6-8  Jesus introduced the idea of the new birth to Nicodemus one evening while Jesus was visiting Jerusalem for the Passover.  Jesus said to him, "You must be born again."

The words 'born again' are found in our passage today.  Comparing the new birth to our physical birth Peter reminds us that the new birth is of "imperishable" quality.  That promise is true because of the same quality of God's word. It is 'living' and 'abiding'- it 'remains forever.' In other words, it is not just a bunch of fables as I've heard some say. Because God cannot lie (Num.23:19 , Heb.6:18 ) we are assured that is still true today.

The call of our passage today is to "love one another from a pure heart"- it is the expected visible outcome of our salvation. Because our souls have been purified by our obedience to the truth, then this same purity should govern our lives. Jesus said that it was out of the "abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks."

My challenge to you is to consider how purity governs your thoughts, words and decisions. God bless.

Pastor Paul 

A Divine Plan

 1 Peter 1:18-21 In verse 2 and 20 Peter uses a word that makes many shudder. Foreknow or foreknowledge, or their derivatives (predestine, foreordain, etc.) are words which describe God's pre-creation plans.  In this passage they are used in relation to salvation and the savior. In his foreknowledge God chose those whom He would redeem.  He also chose the method of redemption.  The cost of salvation was determined to be the blood of Jesus, the ransom price. It was, as vs.3 says, an act of mercy. To say that God knew about sin prior to creation is correct.  

This doctrine is central to the whole of scripture beginning in the early pages of the OT.  Examples of God's choice are found in the sons of both Abraham and Isaac. 

Foreknowledge in vs.20 must not be confused with any thought about God getting to know Jesus, rather it speaks to the Father's fully completed and ready plan of salvation. He knew what would be required of a savior and that their was only one who would be sufficient.

We may not struggle with God's plan of salvation so much as we do with those he would save. The word 'elect' draws attention to the fact that salvation is only extended to those with whom God chooses.  Our finite, rational minds sometimes struggle with this. 

 1 Pet.1:3 is a big help to me.  There we read that the 'elect' are chosen simply by the mercy of God, not on any basis of merit.  Mercy is God reaching out to me in love. I am not deserving of anything other than condemnation. Mercy removes me from it. We need to be thankful. 

The Ransom Paid

1 Peter 1:17-19  These verses are primarily a call to consider how we live as children of God. The word 'fear' is used to describe the careful thought process we need to employ while evaluating our own life.

What Peter is asking the follower of Christ to do is to weigh out the value of their thankfulness (your service) in relation to the cost of their salvation. He is not asking us to weigh our 'works' in an expectation to gain salvation or superior privilege, but rather as an offering of thankfulness for our salvation.

Notice the high value of the ransom paid (18,19). It was not with silver and gold which perish, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish or spot.  Let's think about the ransom price. It was imperishable. Although this is not stated, it is implied by the use of the words perishable in the case of 'silver and gold', and the use of the word 'but' in relation to Jesus' blood. It has ongoing value. The writer of Hebrews points this out (Heb.9:11-14).  Jesus entered the holy places 'once for all' 'securing an eternal redemption'. By comparing the qualities of the sacrificial lamb (without blemish and spot implied perfect) to Jesus, we know his blood exceeded any offered before or after him. Hebrews says He entered once, for all. This is precious blood! Peter's challenge then, is to consider our lives; do we live with that value in mind?

Pastor Paul

Salvation by Grace

 1 Peter 1:10-12   This interesting passage reveals numerous things to us. First of all, the prophets didn't just preach their message and then sit back and watch to see what happened. Their intrigue about the message caused them to search and inquire to understand the person or time they were speaking of. The prophecies offered hope. Second, it reveals Christ as the author of the messages. Jesus is fully involved in His creation. He (Christ) was the Creator (Col.1:16), predicted his own suffering (1 P.1:11; Isa.52:13-53:12), introduced a new method of salvation- by grace (Eze.36:26), and predicted the subsequent glories (forgiveness of sin- Jer.31:34, the indwelling Holy Spirit (Eze.36:27), and eternity with him (Jn.14:2-3 ).  These are some proofs of His pre-existence, but of greater importance is His long term of plan of salvation by grace.  He would personally deal with sin and provide salvation through his blood. We do not work for our salvation, but receive it free of charge by faith in what Christ has done.  Yet another reason to be thankful!

Pastor Paul

Swimming Upstream

 1 Peter 1:3-9  We will look specifically at vs.6-9. The others are necessary for context. Since this passage specifically deals with the purpose of trials in relation to our salvation, it may give us some insight as to how to navigate the trial. Peter expected his readers to do more than just keep their heads above water, or tread water, or float, he expected trials to test how well they could swim.

Salvation is a source of joy, trials are a source of grief. The purpose of these trials was to test whether their faith was real- whether it was genuine.  Trials, whatever they may be are to 'prove' the recipient. Peter likens them to a refining process, the trial being like the fire in smelter that burns off the slag and waste leaving only pure gold. He says their ultimate goal is praise and honor and glory at Christ's return.  

Trials come in various forms and for various purposes- whether it be to test the genuineness of our faith as is the case here, or to refine us in some other way, their ultimate goal is to prepare us for meeting Jesus.  Look to God for strength to swim without giving up.  Don't give up!

Pastor Paul

A Great Honor

 1 Peter 1:3-5  A doctrine some struggle with is that of election.  Perhaps it pokes at our idea of fairness, even free will. First of all, it is outside of fairness, in that God is not under obligation to any us of based in our inherited rejection of him. Second we really don't have free will since that was lost in the garden. Only Adam and Eve had true free will: they new perfection and had the opportunity to experiment with evil. They found it to be just as God promised.

In our passage today we see that election is strictly the result of God's mercy. It changes our position from a place of no hope to that of having a living hope, from a position where we were destined to perish, to one that promises an eternal inheritance, guarded not by any redeeming quality of our own, but by God himself.  Another reason to be thankful is God's mercy!

Have a great day!

Post Thanksgiving

 ! Peter 1:1-2  I hope you enjoyed Thanksgiving!  Here is a little Thanksgiving quiz. Peter gives us some good reasons to be thankful to God.  Can you identify the reasons  (note the words in italics)? These verses remind us to be thankful to God for his choosing us, his placing us,  his work in us, his purpose for us, and his method in completing us.  Have fun!

Pastor Paul

Thanksgiving

 1 Thessalonians 5:18- In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.    

This week end could rightfully be considered one of the important festivals in our Christian calendar. Certainly it is to most others as well.  This is one of a few holiday observances that has a specifically spiritual root.  In the early days of Israel's journey from Egypt, God elevated a number of events to festival status to be perpetual reminders of God's care for them, the feast of tabernacles or booths being one of them.  It is jointly tied to the feast of the harvest and was dually celebrated at the end of the fall harvest as a thanksgiving reminder of God's leading and provision.  The feast of booths is aptly named.  Each family built a tiny structure (booth) of sticks and lived in it for the 7 days of the feast.  The booth was a reminder of God's individual care over each family from the time they left Egypt until they entered Canaan.  Because the feast of the harvest was joined to it, it also served as their thanksgiving feast. The grain was in and some of it was offered to God in recognition of His part in providing food.

Because few of us are tied to the land from an agricultural perspective we perhaps don't know or understand the risks from planting to harvest. But the risks are many- drought, frost, insects, disease and a few other things as well. While many of our jobs have nothing to do with agriculture they also have inherent risks. This year, with its turmoil, will know doubt have highlighted the vulnerability of things we  consider secure. I'm not advocating building booths, but, just maybe,  thanksgiving will have a new meaning.  Let's take a moment to silently ponder God's goodness and then give praise to him for his provision.

Pastor Paul

A Little Mystery

 Acts 16:6-10  Do you ever wonder how the Holy Spirit works ,or as some may say, moves? We are sometimes, or perhaps often, reluctant to talk about him and perhaps for good reason.  We are unsure how to explain His work in our lives, and then we are also cautious because of what is an out of place, I will use the word exuberance, that some people say is a work of the Holy Spirit that is out of line with scripture.  Let's not be afraid of the Holy Spirit, or what He may do, but reckon with what Jesus said about him.  My Bible translates the Greek word 'parakletos' Helper (Jn.16:7-11). Others use the word Advocate and Counselor.  In ancient times the word was used of an attorney and has the idea of one who is close enough to give sound advice.  Jesus said the Holy Spirit's 3 roles are to convict the world of sin, of righteousness, and judgment. He is consequently our advisor/teacher.

Concerning Paul's encounter with the Holy Spirit, other than via the vision we are not given any detail of how he knew the Holy Spirit was directing him. In my own life the Holy Spirit seems to prompt my conscience opening my eyes to what I should be seeing or recognizing- like a still small voice. Be aware of His desire to have input into your life. (ps. His voice will not contradict scripture.)

Pastor Paul

A Little Theology

 Acts 15:1-11 Although we don't typically go to the book of Acts for theology, I thought this passage does give some interesting insights. It rejects the idea that faith must be accompanied by works of the law for salvation.

Peter compares the works of the law to an unbearable yoke (vs.10) while true salvation is through the grace of the Lord Jesus (vs.11) alone.

So, what is grace? It is 'unmerited favor' and we see it laid out here. Beginning in vs.7 it is found in our willingness hear and believe the gospel. This willingness is the work of the Holy Spirit (vs.8). "God who knows the heart, bore witness to them...." While we may not know or understand the beginning of the work of God in our heart, it is important to realize it is He who comes to us.  I know two people, who when talking about their own salvation, out rightly declare, 'I wasn't seeking God,  He came seeking me.'  I'm sure many of us realize that, but, to those two individuals God's call was very vivid. Here Peter attests to that being the case.

Regeneration takes place as God gives the Holy Spirit to us and we are cleansed by faith (vs.9) which are also works of Divine grace.  

The Bible says that none of us seek after God (Rom.3:10-12). Salvation is only by God's grace. Perhaps this Thanksgiving a good place to begin giving thanks would be for God's grace to us.

Have a great day, Pastor Paul

Ouch! That Hurts!

 Acts 14:19-23  The Book of Acts is exciting as we witness, by its words, the church being born.  It's full of many firsts. This may not be a first: the persecution that came as a result of following Christ. Jesus had warned his followers to expect it. As He spoke what we know as the Beatitudes he warned that persecution would be a rather common part of the believer's life. We read of it in the gospels, and now in Acts it is a common part of the narrative. 

Paul's wholehearted belief in his calling, along with his determined nature, gave him the will to carry on even though left for dead. Although he left one city, he entered another and continued to preach, but then returned. His message to those who faced difficulty was to continue in the faith also reminding them that many tribulations will be part of those who are followers of Christ.  Vs.23 again highlights what seems to have been two essential components in the life of the early church- prayer and fasting.  No doubt these were important actions as they sought to live out what they believed.  They earnestly called out to God.  How are we doing in calling out to God in dependence?

Pastor Paul

The Helper

 Acts 13:1-10  Although vs.10 is pretty blunt, don't get distracted by it. Instead, note the early church in action.  Three actions that defined them were their worship, their fasting, and their prayer.  Verse 1 also highlights the importance of those who spoke God's word.  The combination of all of these points to a deep desire to know and be led by God.  The result was that the Holy Spirit (aka The Helper -Jn.16:7) taught them by giving them direction, wisdom, and ability.  

The Holy Spirit instructed them as a result of  their earnest desire to know God's direction, and not only that, He empowered those he called (vs.9).

This passage challenges me, and I hope, us as a church as well, in our commitment to the cause of Christ.  The joy and fruitfulness the early church experienced were the result of their unfettered openness before God in desiring to be used by Him. May that desire be ours!

Pastor Paul