Powerful Provision, Precious Promises

 2 Peter 1:3-4 Do you ever feel a little gypped? We used to have a little phrase that expressed that idea.  From time to time you would here a person say 'I feel a little short changed'.  It was a metaphor taken from the store keeper miscounting the change he/she was to return. It ended up being used as an expression when a person felt they had been cheated from something or gypped.

Rather than being 'shorted changed' in our Christian life, we have been 'amply supplied.'  Jesus' divine power is the source of full provision for his children.  His divine power has granted us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.

We could add another 'p' word to the title- 'purpose.' Lest we think our salvation is solely for the purpose of escaping 'punishment' (another 'p' word), Peter says, no, the purpose of God's call is that we would exhibit his glory and excellence. God has called us to be examples of transformation. To make that possible He has granted, provided, made available, all the resources to make it happen. Those resources are found in His word, the indwelling Holy Spirit (who equips us by teaching, convicting, empowering to live the new life, by giving us confidence in our salvation), the body of believers (who build up).  Interestingly the excellence spoken of comes as a result of making use of these resources.  We 'short change' ourselves spiritually when we forego taking advantage of God's provision and strike out on our own. Let's value what he has provided.

A Huge Benefit

 2 Peter 1:2  This short verse lists two great benefits that are ours as a result of knowing Christ- multiplied grace and peace.  I don't typically spend a lot of time thinking about introductory verses to a book, but this one caught my attention because of how much those two characteristics are needed in our current situation, and also how much they apply to our current situation.  If you happened to listen to the news last night or this morning you probably heard about the assault on a store greeter simply because he asked a customer to wear a mask.  Our frustration and anxiety levels are at an increased level and sometimes they boil over.

As believers we, no doubt, also experience similar feelings. But, available to us is an inner strength or response monitor that will help us.  Two other important words are 'knowledge' and 'Lord'. Knowledge is something that should be sought after-in this case a growing knowledge of who He is, and how he invites change in our lives. This precludes how we respond.  

The second word 'Lord' is a reference to Jesus position in our lives.  Are we allowing him to take control and charge of our lives? Are we asking and allowing him to be the Master of our lives?

2 Peter 2:3 I won't detail this verse right now, but notice that it's Jesus' divine power that gives us the ability to live differently- we are encouraged to add to our knowledge patience....hmmm!  

 Philippians 4 urges us to let our 'reasonableness' be known, to be anxious about nothing, to let the peace of God rule in our hearts- because the Lord is at hand- in other words He is beside us in it!

Let' ask God for increased grace (graciousness) and peace. He will honor us as we honor Him.

Pastor Paul

A 'Need to Know'

 1 Peter 1:1  A "faith of equal standing with ours" is a huge leveling platform that is of inestimable worth.

It could easily have been assumed that Jesus' disciples would have advantage, after all they received 1st hand teaching from him. They were chosen to be his first representatives. But the remainder of the verse qualifies the first half.  God does not save us based on a score sheet, or a litmus test, but we are saved on the basis of God's righteousness and Jesus saving power.  The score sheet is useless because  as Isaiah says (64:6) all our good deeds are like polluted rags. The  Litmus test is useless because, again, salvation is not based in our qualification, but in God's mercy. Jesus' story of the religious man and the man society despised (Luke 18:9-14) indicates God's acceptance of the despised guy was not because of his boasting, but his cry for God to be merciful to him a sinner.

That helps us understand the kind of righteousness of God that is expressed by Peter in our equal salvation.  God does not make his judgments or assessment of someone's worth based on what we see, but in how he sees.  The salvation that comes by faith is based in the redeeming work of Jesus at the cross. He died in our place and rose for our justification.   Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner. Salvation is available to all sinners who cry to God for mercy.

I Wonder as I Wander

 'I wonder as I wander out under the sky

That Jesus my Savior did come for to die...'

Those few lines were the only known lines to this Christmas carol first sung in the Appalachians, the remainder of the words unknown.  John Jacob Niles paid a little girl 25 cents for each time she sang it but could only hear these words.  The remainder of the words are those he added to complete it.

As I read some interviews with various artists who sing the song, one stood out. This lady had grown up in a home that placed huge emphasis on God's wrath and little on God's mercy.  This unbalanced teaching led her to have a depreciated view of what Jesus had provided for her in his death and resurrection.  it consequently led to a great spiritual struggle in her life.

This Christmas season is perhaps a good season to be reminded of the tremendous mercy and grace of God.  Yes, He will punish sin, and we must recognize that without Christ we will be punished for it, but, we must equally teach He is merciful, not willing for any to perish.  Romans 5:1-8 , 1 Tim1:12-16

As we tell of Jesus, let's be sure to emphasize the good news and the freedom from condemnation that Jesus gives!

A Roaring Lion

 1 Peter 5:8-11 Joyce and I had the privilege of visiting missionary friends in Africa a few years back. While there we visited a large undeveloped game reserve and saw two lions in the wild.  To say they are the king of the jungle is probably not an understatement.  Although there are actually other equally dangerous animals, the lion displays no fear as he lies in wait for prey.

Today's passage urges us to be sober minded and alert because Satan prowls about like a roaring lion,  seeking whom he may devour.  Our African guide was fearful of even having the window of the vehicle open in the lion's presence. His unpredictable nature and quick movements spelled imminent danger.

Amos 3:4 indicates the roar of a lion indicates he has caught his prey. If that is the case then, heightened awareness, a clear mind that has not been intoxicated by what it is fed is of absolute importance. Recognizing Satan's appetite to deceive is important. Because the lions we saw were laying down did not lesson the danger.

Unlike a real lion we can and are called to resist Satan. Our ability to resist him is found in how firm we are in our faith. A firm faith is the result of exercising our minds by learning the truth of scripture, in a manner similar to that of an athlete's continuous exercise of his or her body. If we compared God to a coach, He has an interest in us winning the race and so stays with us to ensure we recover when we stumble and are able to successfully continue (restore, confirm, strengthen, establish). Remember Satan is only 'like a roaring lion.' He presents himself very well but he is not the real source of power nor does he want to you to win.  God is the one who has all power. We only win with him.

Are You in Style?

 1 Peter 5:5-7  How often do you assess a person by the clothes they wear? My niece used to refer to my brothers and I as a bunch of hill billies 😊.  I don't think it was so much related to what we wore but to how we acted. I guess we embarrassed her.  Back to the point, the Bible metaphorically uses clothing to describe different qualities that should characterize the child of God. Here humility is hailed as the clothing of the believer.  Jesus himself was known by this quality (Phil.2:3-8) and encouraged his followers to be known by it as well (Matt.20:25-27). 

Interestingly Jesus associates two Greek words with this quality, 'diaconos' and 'doulos'. Our word 'deacon' comes from the first, literally meaning 'errand runner'. The second is translated 'slave' (bond-slave).  This slave belonged to another, with no rights of their own.  It is used in the NT of believers who live under Christ's authority as his devoted followers. (Bible hub Greek analysis)

This kind of life is opposite of what we would normally choose or possess, but to the one who obeys this command, God's grace to live it is promised. Going one step further, anxiety (worry)(vs.7) is a form of pride because it involves taking concerns upon oneself rather than giving them over to God. (ESV Study Bible).

True humility is putting ourselves under the authority of Christ to trust him and live as he taught by example. Let's clothe ourselves with this fashion.

Pastor Paul

Your Pastor

 1 Peter 5:1-5 In case you ever wondered...what does the pastor do? This is one of the passages in the Bible that describes the work of the pastor/elder. I also refer to Ezekiel 34:1-6 to challenge myself  in the role of shepherd. These verses are a job description rather than a qualification.  A shepherd leads, feeds (Psalm 23), and watches over (suggests awareness, Ezekiel 34 helps me understand this).  He concerns himself with the welfare of the flock seeking the best for each one. On a second note, the flock is not mine, but God's. Technically the pastor is an under shepherd assigned with the care of a portion of the Chief Shepherd's flock. I have responsibility to care for it in accordance with his wishes.  That brings awareness (4) to the fact that at some point the chief shepherd will appear, anticipating to receive a healthy flock.   Another term tied with the pastor/shepherd is overseer. The overseer 'watches over' seeking to ensure the anticipated goal.  Achieving the goal is in part the result of the overseer's attitude- serving willingly, eagerly, and not simply as a guy with a big stick, but gently, alongside of.  I enjoy the role of the pastor/shepherd! 

Pastor Paul

Fiery Trials

 1 Peter 4:12-19 (NET)  The majority of us have felt the anxiety of watching a forest/grass fire roar through our neighborhood with uncontrolled fury.  My personal feeling is, once is enough for a lifetime.

Today's passage warns of the surety of encountering suffering (fiery trial)for the name of Christ. Some of you have and possibly still are suffering for being a Christian. The passage encourages us to continue to be bold and to glorify God in it.  In Acts 5:41 the apostles rejoiced that they were considered worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of Christ. Then in the following verse we read that they did not cease preaching and teaching Jesus as the Christ.  

We need to really examine and understand vs.17. Two judgments are spoken of. Now is our time of fiery trial (1 Peter 4:12); the ungodly will have their fire later. The fire we endure now purifies us; the fire the ungodly will endure will punish them. Yet we always remember that there is never any punishment from God for us in our sufferings, only purification. For the Christian, the issue of punishment was settled once and for all at the cross, where Jesus endured all the punishment the Christian could ever face from God. (1 Peter 4, Enduring Word)

Peter goes on to say that as Christians we will experience tremendous suffering, and that we should keep on, while at the same time entrusting our souls to a faithful Creator.  It is really our soul we need to be concerned about. Have you cried out to God to be merciful and save you from sin's punishment? It is better to suffer now than later!

Pastor Paul

Managing Resources

 1 Pet.4:7-11 We live in a time when our stewardship (or lack thereof) of the earth's resources is being scrutinized on a moment by moment basis. A steward is the manager of a resource, often belonging to another.

Peter was aware that "the end of all things was at hand." How much more applicable today!  In spite of that reality, his call was and is to live expectantly and wisely.  His concern was that careless living be the result of this knowledge- to have a 'last fling' or a 'last kick at the can', 'to go out in a blaze of glory.' His call is to see this time with a sense of urgency- 'for the sake of your prayers.'  His expectation of their prayers was with regard to the spiritual well-being of others. His expectation was that God's answer to their prayers would likely come through the one who prayed- so to live a careless life would also prevent God using them in the answer to their prayers. Hmmm....something to think about.  

So then, his call is to be good stewards (managers of God's resource) of God's varied grace, a grace given to us because of what Jesus has done for us personally. God's varied grace refers to how He equips each of his children with different abilities. The gift of God to the believer is a resource He has given to his child to manage for His sake. For example, the one who speaks should think of his words as the very oracles (words) of God. The one who serves as doing so in the strength God supplies. God equips his child to glorify him. Are we?

Pastor Paul

Remembering

 1 Peter 3:18  "In Flanders Fields the poppies blow, amidst the crosses row on row,..." (John McCrae). I remember, as a child, reading (quoting?) that poem along with the rest of our school on Remembrance Day. I hope you took time to remember our military people yesterday.  As we move further away from the events that brought about Remembrance Day, it perhaps takes a back seat in our plans.  Many military people have sacrificed considerably for freedoms we now expect, a large number having paid the ultimate price. I hope we continue to esteem and remember the men and women who valiantly fought and served for our freedom.  

Similarly, but for a different purpose Jesus also died. Jesus suffered to bring us to God- to give us freedom from the penalty of sin. His death paid the price for our sin giving us the opportunity to have life through faith in him.  Although we are also distanced from the events of that horrible day, his sacrifice at Calvary still has ongoing effect.  Let's be sure to take time to ponder and be thankful for what Jesus has done as well.  

Honoring Christ as Holy

 1 Peter 3:13-17  Just a reminder, Peter is writing to those he calls aliens, exiles, pilgrims, depending on your translation.  In these few verses he challenges his readers to faithfully represent Jesus, even in the place they found themselves.  Their zealous stand for their faith was the reason they found themselves as exiles. How tempting it would be to just blend in, to become part of the new culture and all your problems go away. That can easily happen to us, specifically if we move from one community to another, or perhaps when we start a new job, and we are faced with making a stand.  

The center verse of the 5 (15) is key to holding fast to our faith.  "...but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy,..."  It seems to me that Peter is challenging his readers in regard to their true thought about Jesus. To honor him as 'holy' challenges us to consider what we really think about Jesus.  How does the word holy define how we represent Jesus? If we remove the word holy from the phrase, it is still a good phrase, but if holy remains it becomes the focal point of this context and why we would continue to boldly represent him.  If Jesus and our expression of him is reduced to something less than we believed in the past, then we have effectively changed Gods and bowed our knee to the convenience of silence. 

 You may find yourself in new job, or school, or community. The challenge is to be prepared to share why you believe- what the reason of your hope is. It is then that you honor Christ the Lord as holy!

Take courage, Pastor Paul

Opening God's Ears

 1 Peter3:8-12  "Finally, all of you...."  It's interesting how there are no exceptions to some things. In these verses we are reminded that there is only one God-ordained standard in how we treat others. It is really a call to humility. If you align each of the characteristics mentioned under humility they are achievable. This reminds me of two statements either made about Jesus or made by him. Phil.2:3 says "Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others as more significant than yourselves. (2:5) Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus."  Mat.20:28 "...the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." The servant's heart is a humble heart. Romans 12:9 is a passage with some similarities to this.  It begins, "Let love be genuine...." 1 Pet3:9 goes onto say that we are called to bless..."that you may obtain a blessing." A few phrases later he concludes "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer."  Our treatment of others will either open or close God's ears.  That's worth considering! 

Likewise, Wives, Husbands

 1 Peter 3:1-7 This passage and others like it have received a lot of disparaging opinion in recent years. if we can put that aside for just an instant we can see the beauty of what is being taught. 

'Likewise' in both vs.1 and 7 refers back to the example of Jesus in the preceding verses as well as how we respond to government and our employers.  The problem rises when we allow ourselves to be influenced from outside of God's word.  Let's let God be God and His Word be His Word.

Submission is a common theme in the New Testament as we have already seen in the previous verses. Here it defines another God given role and introduces some thought provoking benefits of  following his order. Ladies I will let you work through Peter's thoughts, but urge you to notice the positive results.  An unwritten thought common to the preceding verses (beginning in 13) and these is the underlying peace that comes from surrender.  What really is at stake is a call to willingly surrender.

Men, verse 7 also begins with 'likewise'. Surrender is also a necessary part of how we respond and care for our wives. There is no hint of superiority here. That is not the intent. Rather recognize the likelihood of  less physical strength (not necessarily spiritual), less mental strength (not IQ, mentally she breaks easier), be sure you aren't abusing her mentally, recognize equality with her before God (joint heirs of the grace of life), recognize the larger weight of the household does fall on your shoulders, respect her, be a part of her,  allow her to be a part of you (live, dwell with, don't be aloof), remember you're in it together...that your prayers may not be hindered.  We suffer significant spiritual loss when we mistreat our wives.  This almost suggests that if we do mistreat her, we walk alone without God.

These are strong verses, let's take them to heart. Here is a site you may want to read. Enduring Word

'Mindful of God'

 1 Peter 2:18-25  Although servants are not part of our society, the principle and scriptural truth taught here are still very applicable. We may need to transfer it into our work environment or possibly the organizations we are part of, or even society in general, but we should nonetheless be characterized by what is taught here.

How do we respond to the injustices in our lives? (And we are sure to have some) Do we fight back? Do we quit? Do we ignore? Or do we work toward completing our task?

I highlighted a phrase found in vs.19 using it as the title- 'Mindful of God'.  So how is God to be involved in our day to day, moment by moment responses? The Holy Spirit through the hand of Peter points us to Jesus' own response to injustice as an example. We are called to endure suffering because Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example, so that we might follow in his footsteps.  Vs.22-25 contain phrases found in Isaiah 53 and actually describe Jesus' response to the injustices he endured in the hours prior to his crucifixion- no sin, no deceit, no anger, no threatening ('you're going to pay for this'). Instead he continued  entrusting himself to him (God the Father) who judges justly.

This great challenge is in essence asking us to respond to life in the manner Jesus did. Endurance in suffering is a gracious thing. Let's ask God to help us live this way.

Wishing you God's blessings and encouragement, Pastor Paul

Rebel or Red Neck?

 1 Peter 1:13-17 (NLT) Do you ever feel like just being a rebel?  As much as we would like to free ourselves from some of the things we feel 'pinch' our freedoms, Peter gives us a little guidance and some good reasoning. He doesn't tell us to be selective in what or whom we obey, but rather to be subject to every human institution for the Lord's sake.

These few verses are very applicable to our current situation- all things covid. As much as our freedoms are a little restricted, the God ordained way to respond is found in the words 'be subject', and the reason in the words 'for the Lord's sake.'  Last week as I listened to Dr. Bonnie Henry's weekly press release she praised churches for their effort to work within guidelines.  That is what God has asked us to do.  And it honors him!

Even though we are to live as free people, Peter's challenge is not to use our freedom as a cover up for evil. Freedom does not release us from obedience. Freedom actually should help us live contentedly even though we are regulated. A key question to ask ourselves is, do our actions display 'living as a servant of God?'  Even though I might want to rebel or be a little like a red-neck, the Bible instructs me to be otherwise when it comes to living in light of  God's will.

Enjoy the challenge, Pastor Paul