Taking a principled stand

"Peter and Paul" by El Greco

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Galatians 1-2; Psalm 5

TO CHEW ON: "And I went up by revelation and communicated to them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles." Galatians 2:2

In Galatians 1, Paul told the Galatians (a collection of churches in Galatia) that he had special revelation from Jesus (Galatians 1:12). In chapter 2 he goes on to explain how, after fourteen years of ministry, he went to see the leadership in Jerusalem to explain his position.

What was his position? That Christ's work on the cross alone was sufficient for salvation. The law-keeping work of circumcision was not needed to be saved (Galatians 5:1-6).

But in Jerusalem he got push-back.  Some "false brothers" insisted Titus (a Greek) be circumcised. He and Titus resisted this (Galatians 2:3-5).

The Jerusalem leadership did eventually accept his message and ministry to the Gentiles (Galatians 2:7-9), but not without reluctance from Peter, who had started avoiding fellowship with Gentile Christians. Paul pointed out the hypocrisy of this. Peter had earlier championed freedom from dietary laws so why was he now reverting back to separating himself in a "holier-than-thou" way (Galatians 2:11-14)?

What I admire about Paul here is his principled stand and how he stuck with it no matter what others said. He wasn't swayed by "false brethren." Nor did he change his message for "those who were of reputation"—the church leadership.

There's a lot of pressure on Christian leaders to change message of Christianity these days. That pressure is coming form outside the church and within it, to soften official positions especially in the realm of sexual ethics.

Though the Bible takes a clear position on things like adultery, fornication, homosexuality and gender identity, pressure is exerted from all sides (within and without the church) for churches to move from biblical positions of calling these things sin to accepting them as normal. Will our pastors and leaders have the courage to continue to uphold what the Bible says, even when it's unpopular? What about us in the pews?

PRAYER: Dear Father, help me to live first and foremost for Your approval. Help me especially to not be swayed by social pressure. Amen. 

PSALM TO PRAY:  Psalm 5

The Bible Project VIDEO: Galatians (Read Scripture Series)



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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

God brings us, not over but through

"Peter Released from Prison by an Angel" - from Treasures of the Bible

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Acts 11-12; Psalm 124

TO CHEW ON: "… he (Peter) declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. … And he departed and went to another place." Acts 12:17

I have sometimes wondered, as I read this story and others in Acts, why God didn't do the entire job—here get the angel to deliver Peter out of danger completely. Instead, he just brought Peter through the prison gates, down the first street and poof! he was gone (Acts 12:10).

After telling his story to his friends at Mary's house, Peter had to use his common sense and decide what to do next. It was obviously not safe to stick around so, though it was the middle of the night, he "departed and went to another place" - Acts 12:17.

Perhaps this is how we should expect God to work in our lives too. He can, and sometimes does intervene miraculously when the situation is beyond us. But He doesn't do for us what we can do for ourselves, or take us permanently out of trouble and persecution. It is commonly thought that Peter died by crucifixion.

However, no doubt because of his own experience with it, Peter left us with some powerful benefits of suffering in his first letter:

• It proves the authenticity of our faith - 1 Peter 1:6,7.

• Suffering for righteousness brings a blessing - 1 Peter 3:14.

• It purifies us - 1 Peter 4:1.

• Through suffering we identify with Christ in a unique way - 1 Peter 4:12,13.

• In suffering we experience the Holy Spirit and God's glory - 1 Peter 4:14, Acts 7:55.

So, it's not that God can't do the whole job, but that He knows we'll get a greater benefit from going through the tough stuff than floating over it.

PRAYER: Dear God, when I'm in the middle of a hard patch, please help me to remember that You allow suffering for my good—even though it doesn't feel good at the time. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 124

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Jesus woos us

Jesus Preaches from a Ship - A. Bida

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Luke 4-5; Psalm 114

TO CHEW ON: "So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him." Luke 5:11


It's fascinating to watch Jesus woo the disciples (who were not yet disciples) in this passage.

His popularity with the crowd needed a bit of a stage that provided both visibility and distance. A boat would be just the thing. He chose Simon's (Peter's), asked him to interrupt his net-washing and "put out a little from the land" and taught the crowds from there.

Imagine being the one from whom this upstart asked such a favor. I wonder, did Peter feel annoyed that Jesus just commandeered his boat for several hours, or honored and flattered?

It didn't end there, though. After the teaching session, Jesus turned His attention from the crowds to the boat owner. He told Peter to move to deep water and start fishing. Peter, probably still smarting from the previous unsuccessful night, started to argue but then changed his mind and did as Jesus said.

A great miraculous catch followed. "They" (Peter and probably his brother Andrew) got help from partners James and John to haul in the multitudes of fish. At Jesus' next words "'Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men,'" Peter was completely smitten. He (and his partners) "...brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him" - Luke 5:11.

I would love to have interviewed Peter and asked him, what was going on in his mind and heart that synchronized with Jesus' actions and words to cause this life change in him.

Perhaps he was wondering how he could continue looking after his family's needs with such unpredictable fishing luck. Jesus had just showed him His supernatural power in that department.

Perhaps he'd been wishing, all his life, to live for something bigger and had for some time been questioning the usefulness of what he was doing. Jesus told him he would "catch men." Peter may not have completely understood, but would surely have been intrigued.

We don't know. But we do know that on that particular day in Peter's life, Jesus ticked all the boxes and the decision to follow Him was easy.

On listening to people's stories of how they come to Jesus, I've noticed something similar. Jesus woos us in different ways. Sometimes it's through unaccountable blessing. Sometimes it's via an inner search for more purpose and meaning. Sometimes Jesus is the last option to stop a downward spiral that, if something doesn't change, will lead to destruction.

Let's pray for friends, colleagues, and loved ones who have yet to meet Jesus, that He will continue to work His wooing ways in their lives and that they will respond like Peter did.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, I see how You won Peter and his crew over in a few well-timed interventions and actions. Please continue to work that way in the lives of my loved ones who don't know You. Amen. 

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 114

The Bible Project VIDEO: Luke ch. 3-9 (Gospel of Luke series)



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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Unfinished and finished business

TODAY’S SPECIAL: John 19-21; Psalm 111


TO CHEW ON: “Simon Peter said to them, ‘I am going fishing.’ They said to him, ‘We are going with you also.’ They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.” John 21:3


Peter’s simple pronouncement, “I am going fishing,” becomes complex when we put it into context. Three years earlier he had left fishing to follow Jesus. The years he had spent with this incredible teacher were quite a ride. He had seen healings of all kinds, people raised from the dead, the Scribes and Pharisees bested. The wisdom of Jesus’ lessons and stories exceeded any he had ever encountered. He had experienced the very presence of heaven.

However, in the end, it all proved confusing and disappointing. Jesus didn’t do the expected and prove Himself Messiah. Instead He was put to death at the instigation of the very leaders to whom He had proved Himself superior. But Peter’s biggest disappointment was with himself. After pledging to stick by Jesus no matter what, he denied Him – and on the prodding of a mere woman.

Now, though Jesus had risen and Peter had seen Him, the future was still utterly foggy. And so his words, “I am going fishing,” seem a poignant attempt to reverse the last three years of his life. He will go back – back to the simple way things were before he met Jesus, back to when he was oblivious to the possibilities of what life could be, but also back to before he had proved himself such a useless cad.

Intuitive Jesus knew where Peter was and how to reach him. In their interchange Jesus put His finger on the exact thing that was bothering Peter and confronted him with it. He brought closure to the unfinished business of their broken relationship.

He also made it clear to Peter that fishing was finished business. He closed the door forever on it by giving Peter a new assignment. The three Jesus-years weren’t a waste or mirage. Instead they were the doorway to more responsibility (despite his failure): “'Feed my lambs.... Tend my sheep… Feed my sheep.'”

Have you ever been at a spot in your life when you’ve gone back to “fishing”? Perhaps after sensing the call of God, things haven’t worked out the way you thought they would or you’ve let yourself down. Take it from someone who has at various times retreated to the security of the way things were before – it rarely works. If you are tempted to go back to the past in your career or ministry, don’t, until you’ve spent time with Jesus and got the confirmation that that is indeed His next assignment.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, help us to leave former things and ways behind. Give us the faith to face new challenges and forge into new territory at Your bidding. Amen.






PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 111

MORE:

“…once you receive a commission from Jesus Christ, the memory of what God wants will always come like a goad; you will no longer be able to work for him on the common-sense basis.”
- Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest (March 4th reading)

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

You follow Me

"Feed My Lambs" - James Tissot

TODAY'S SPECIAL: John 21:12-25

TO CHEW ON: "Then Peter seeing him (...the disciple whom Jesus loved following...) said to Jesus, 'But Lord, what about this man?' Jesus said to him, 'If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow me.'" John 21:21,22

There is discussion among Bible interpreters about why Peter asked the question, referring to John, "Lord, what about this man?" Was he genuinely curious? Did he  feel that John, trailing behind Jesus and him should be included in the conversation? Or perhaps he wanted reassurance that John would be joining him in the assignment Jesus had just given him (Peter) to feed Jesus' sheep and lambs (i.e. the shepherd the flock of believing people).

But Jesus' answer is not ambiguous. He says, in effect, it's not your business. "You follow me."

This speaks to me about my own tendency to compare myself—my talents, my calling, my life, the results of my work—to others. In the light of Jesus' words here, I shouldn't. Rather, I need to follow His direction and leading, and leave off comparing my strengths and weaknesses, my opportunities or lack of them, my apparent successes and failures with your strengths, opportunities, and successes. For He says to each one of us: "What is that to you? You follow Me."

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, the urge to compare (leading to envy, discontent, and insecurity)  tempts me often. Help me to be alert to Your direction, to follow, and to stay unconcerned with how my calling looks in relation to the calling of others. Amen.

MORE: Peter's end

As it turned out, Peter's and John's ends were quite different. Tradition has it that Peter was crucified. Clarke's commentary says, "...all antiquity agrees that John ... was the only disciple who was taken away by natural death."

You and I could waste a lot of time trying to figure out the whys and wherefores of our various destinies. How much better for us to simply follow Him and leave off concerning ourselves with why our paths are different.

Today is the Feast of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. The liturgy for the day begins with the following collect:

"Almighty God, whose blessed apostles Peter and Paul glorified you by their martyrdom: Grant that your Church, instructed by their teaching and example, and knit together in unity by your Spirit, may ever stand firm upon the one foundation, which is Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen."

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 Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

A changed man

Apostles Baptized with the Holy Spirit (From Treasures of the Bible).

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Acts 2:22-39

TO CHEW ON: “Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’” Acts 2:37

Yesterday we read the end of Mark, where Jesus commissions His disciples to  spread the good news of all that has happened (Mark 16:15-18). Bible scholars believe that the book of Mark is Peter’s account of events surrounding the life and death of Jesus as told to his close companion John Mark (calls him “my son” in 1 Peter 5:13).

It’s interesting to contrast the fearful and foundation-rocked Peter of just before the crucifixion (Luke 22:31-34; 54-62) to the Peter we see here. In just over 50 days, in the interim never attending an hour of Bible school or Theology college, he is a changed man. Now he is confident, bold, articulate, insightful, absolutely clear about what all the events and happenings regarding Jesus mean, and how they fit into God’s plan revealed in the Old Testament. How does that difference come about?

I’m sure this new Peter is the result of what has just happened—the giving of the Holy Spirit baptism - Acts 2:1-14. Jesus had told the disciples to wait with carrying out their assignment of telling the gospel until after they had received the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:48,49). They had done so and it wouldn’t surprise me if the outcome shocked even them.

So much was available to the disciples and is available to us through the Holy Spirit:

• Given by Christ - Matthew 3:11.

• We can ask for Him - Luke 11:13.

• He is called Helper - John 14:16; 16:7.

• He gives power for witness and ministry - Acts 1:8.

• He gives unique abilities to prophesy and speak in other tongues - Acts 19:6.

• His anointing comes with downloads of knowledge (1 John 2:20,27) including what to say in dangerous situations (Luke 12:12; Mark 13:11) and an ability to remember Christ’s relevant words and teachings (John 14:26).

• He reassures us we are God’s children - Romans 8:16.

• He teaches and enlightens us in spiritual truth - 1 Corinthians 2:13.

This is only a partial list but we get the idea. It is through the Holy Spirit that Peter becomes an eloquent and bold speaker in a day and it is that same Spirit that accompanies, changes, and empowers us!

PRAYER: Dear Father, I ask for courage and faith to make more of myself available to Your Holy Spirit. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Stumbling and remorse

"Peter's Denial" by Otto Dix - 1960

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Matthew 26:57-75


TO CHEW ON: "And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, 'Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times!' So he went out and wept bitterly." Matthew 26:75

Peter wept for good reason. Not only had he let himself down, but he had let Jesus down  and this mere hours after declaring, "even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble" - Matthew 26:33.

His trip-up wasn't just a momentary lapse either. When given a chance to reverse his disloyalty he had nailed it down with an oath, then dusted off his colourful fisherman's vocabulary to dance around it with curses and swearing.

When he heard the rooster crow, he remembered. It's almost as if he was temporarily insane. But that cock crow pulled him back to reality and deep, deep remorse.

His story and other instances of remorse following stumbles in the Bible teach us some valuable lessons:

1. Anyone can fall.
David, who was called a "man after God's own heart," indulged in adultery with Bathsheba and then committed murder to cover it up. He felt similar deep remorse. His feelings are recorded in Psalm 51.

2. It's important to feel remorse in time.
Proverbs 5:7-14 and Ezekiel 7:14-16; 36:31 talk about being remorseful too late, when the situation is lost or when life is all but over.

3. Remorse without repentance is dangerous.
The writer of Hebrews talks about Esau (who was full of regret after trading his birthright for a bowl of stew) as having remorse that didn't fruit into anything good (Hebrews 12:17). Neither did Judas's remorse at betraying Jesus (Matthew 27:3,5).

Fortunately, Peter's remorse took a different path. He and Jesus were reconciled and he was even able to extract from that experience of stumbling a triumphant theme:

"...you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple... 
'He is the stone that makes people stumble,
      the rock that makes them fall.'
   They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them.
 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people..." (NLT from 1 Peter 2:4-10)

I am not immune from stumbles. You probably aren't either. Let's determine, though, to learn from those falls and to return quickly to Jesus with remorse and repentance, knowing that there is for us, like there was for Peter, a place in God's "spiritual temple."

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, help me to live alert to situations that would stumble me. When I fall, help me to get up and return to you not only with remorse, but also with repentance. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Who is Jesus?

Jesus asking Peter who He is - Matt. 16

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Matthew 16:1-20

TO CHEW ON: "Simon Peter answered and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.' " Matthew 16:16


Peter's confession of who Jesus was is classic in its simplicity, directness, and boldness. Author Matthew relates it in the chapter that follows Jesus'  feeding of four thousand (Matthew 15:32-39) and another sparring match between Jesus and the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matthew 16:1-4). When Jesus and His disciples were alone again, Jesus warned them, " 'Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees' …" (Matthew 16:6).

The disciples puzzled over what He meant. Was He referring to the fact that on this particular day they'd forgotten to pack bread for lunch?

I can just see Jesus giving a bit of an eye roll and saying (in my words), "You've just seen me feed crowds of people. I can take care of you in the physical bread department. It's the leaven of bad doctrine I'm talking about" (Matthew 16:8-11).

What was the bad doctrine? Legalism and strict adherence to tradition by the Pharisees, and materialism and refusal to acknowledge the supernatural by the Sadducees (J. Lyle Story, Study notes on Matthew, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible p. 1320).

Peter's answer to Jesus' question: "'Who do men say that I am?'" would have scandalized both parties.  When he said, "'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God'" he acknowledged Jesus as the promised Messiah (Christ) that every Israelite was longing for, and as supernatural i.e. God (Son of the Living God).

I can just imagine Jesus' smile of congratulations. Yes, Peter, you got it!

Jesus then said two more important things to Peter:
1. God showed you this (Matthew 16:17).
2. Your realization comes with a responsibility and mission (Matthew 16:18,19).

Our relationship with Jesus starts in the same way as Peter's, by acknowledging Jesus for who He is—the fulfillment of the world's need of a Messiah and Savior from our sin. After we've found Him, there's no more need to go seeking after someone else to follow, to pattern our lives on, to do life with.

Like Peter, for us this "aha" moment is also engineered by God and communicated in ways as various as we are individuals.

After we've recognized Jesus and crowned Him king of our hearts and lives, we too have a responsibility. We're partners with Peter and every other believer across the ages in building Jesus' church and doing the "binding and loosing" work of His Kingdom.

What a heritage! What a responsibility!


PRAYER: Dear Jesus, please help me to recognize and acknowledge Your presence in my everyday life. Help me to give my life to Kingdom work. Amen.

MORE: Confession of St. Peter

Today the church celebrates Peter's confession in the Feast of the Confession of St. Peter. The day's liturgy begins with this Collect:

Almighty Father, who inspired Simon Peter, first among the apostles, to confess Jesus as Messiah and Son of the living God: Keep your Church steadfast upon the rock of this faith, so that in unity and peace we may proclaim the one truth and follow the one Lord, our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

How impartial are you?

 The Baptism of a Centurion" by Michel Corneille the Elder - 17th Century

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Acts 10:34-48

TO CHEW ON: “Then Peter opened his mouth and said: ‘In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality.’” Acts 10:34

Though Canadian society pays lip service to being impartial, discrimination is all around us. We make judgments about people on the basis of the color of their skin and their ability to speak the language of the country (here, English). We fawn all over entertainers and sports heroes while heaping scorn on folks in other professions simply because of the career they’ve chosen. (Currently it’s fashionable to dump on the police and politicians. Of course TV evangelists are always suspect, as is anyone who speaks out on the wrong side of subjects where political correctness reigns.)

Thankfully God sees through all veneers. He doesn’t give us more points if our skin is white or colored, speak perfectly or brokenly, dress with fashion savvy or in the dumpy clothes we’ve hung onto since the '80s. He sees past our variegated pasts, our personality quirks, and the lines, wrinkles and gray hair that declare us past our best-before dates.

Here he saw the sincerity of Cornelius’s heart. He saw how this Gentile had acted on the knowledge that he had, proving himself a man of prayer and generosity. As a result when God sent Peter to Cornelius to explain the gospel more fully and baptized him and his household with the Holy Spirit, He gave Cornelius a gift that was probably beyond anything this Roman centurion had imagined.

Impartiality is a godly attitude. God is:
- Impartial to worldly rank, power and wealth. Job 34:18-19
- Impartial in lavishing good natural gifts on all mankind. Matthew 5:44,45
- Impartiality regardless of nationality. Acts 10:34-36
- Impartial between Jews and Gentiles. Romans 2:9-11; Romans 10:12
- Impartial in ways we don’t always understand. Matthew 20:13-15

The standard for us as God-followers is to be impartial too. We are to be:
- Impartial in the face of wealth and position. Leviticus 19:15
- Impartial in judgment. Deuteronomy 1:17
- Impartial in the face of the temptation to make an unjust, though popular judgment. Proverbs 18:5
- Impartial in appointing leaders. 1 Timothy 5:21-22
- Impartial in loving and accepting our Christian brothers and sisters. James 2:1-9

Though we will never have the insight into people that God has, we can cultivate His generous, fair heart of acceptance and love. Showing impartiality (like God and Peter showed to Cornelius) is another way we can fit in with His grand purpose of helping to further His kingdom on earth.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to recognize prejudice and bias in myself. Help me to see others through Your eyes. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Do your 8-12-year-olds have daily devotions? Point them to Bible Drive-Thru.

Jesus—ideal missionary

Christ eating with His disciples - James Tissot

TODAY'S SPECIAL: John 21:1-19

TO CHEW ON: "So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, 'Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?' He said to Him, 'Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.' He said to him, 'Feed my lambs.'" John 21:15


We can learn much from Jesus, not least of which in the area of how He went about fulfilling His mission. Here, near the end of HIs time on earth, He goes about his 'job' and does it in ways that teach us about how to do our job as spreaders of the good news.

In our story we see that:

1. He went to the people. He made the effort to interact with His disciples in their setting—the Sea of Tiberias—and early in the morning after their night shift of fishing.

2. He understood and met their needs. He realized they would be far more apt to listen if they weren't hungry and made them breakfast.  I don't  believe he served them in a manipulative way though, but out of a genuine concern for their well-being. He loved them and cared for their needs. I like to think He would have made them breakfast in any case whether they (Peter in this case) would respond positively to Him or not.

3. He dealt with outstanding issues. Here he cleared the air between Himself and Peter. We can only imagine the self-recrimination Peter had after denying Jesus. It seems he was ready to pitch the last three-ish years of following Jesus and go back to his old life. Jesus didn't pretend there was nothing wrong. Rather, He acknowledged Peter's denial by singling him out and making him face the love-loyalty issue between them.

4. He commissioned them, here specifically Peter, to join in the work of growing the kingdom.

Here are some questions we can ask ourselves as we try to apply these principles to our job of continuing to grow the Kingdom of God:

• Do we  go to the people where they are? Yes, it's fine to invite folks to come to church, but we need to also seek them out on their turf—invite them for coffee, to play a round of golf, go shopping, organize playdates with the kids…

• Do we genuinely care about people? Is our first thought meeting their needs? And is our love genuine, our attention to their needs given with a no-strings-attached attitude?

• Do we have outstanding issues with anyone? How can we clear them up? Jesus' example of acknowledging what happened between Him and Peter in a subtle, face-saving way is worth study and thought.

• Do we enlist the help of others? Do we see their God-given potential and plant dreams of spiritual usefulness by affirming them?

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, please help me to learn from both people in this story. I need to do the things Jesus did here. And I need, also, to be like Peter, leaving once and for all the old life of "fishing' to do kingdom work. Amen.

MORE: "So Send I You"

The hymn "So Send I You," written by the late Margaret Clarkson, came to mind as I thought about Jesus' commission to Peter. Clicking on the linked title will take you to a video of a choir from South Africa singing it. Follow along with the lyrics—and be challenged!

So Send I You

So send I you to labor unrewarded,

To serve unpaid, unloved, unsought, unknown,

To bear rebuke, to suffer scorn and scoffing-

So send I you to toil for Me alone.

So send I you to bind the bruised and broken,

O’er wand’ring souls to work, to weep, to wake,

To bear the burdens of a world aweary-

So send I you to suffer for My sake.

So send I you to loneliness and longing,

With heart ahung’ring for the loved and known,

Forsaking home and kindred, friend and dear one-

So send I you to know My love alone.

So send I you to leave your life’s ambition,

To die to dear desire, self-will resign,

To labor long, and love where men revile you-

So send I you to lose your life in Mine.

So send I you to hearts made hard by hatred,

To eyes made blind because they will not see,

To spend, tho’ it be blood, to spend and spare not-

So send I you to taste of Calvary.

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The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. - Used with permission.

Remorse

Image: pixabay.com

TODAY'S SPECIAL:  Luke 22:54-23:25

TO CHEW ON:“So Peter went out and wept bitterly.” Luke 22:62


Jesus had recently predicted Peter would deny Him. At the time Peter protested, “Lord, I am ready to go with you, both to prison and to death.” Now, hours later, a mere servant woman and a couple of men, identifying Peter as a Jesus-follower elicited three vehement betrayals: “I do not know Him… I am not (one of them)… I don’t know what you’re talking about (in response to “…this fellow was with Him” - Luke 22:57, 58, 60.

The rooster crow was the ping – that and Jesus’ long, knowing look. They reminded Peter of their conversation – and he was filled with remorse: “The keen or hopeless anguish aroused by a sense of guilt; distressing self-reproach.”

Have you been there? I know I have – full of sorry, gripped with guilt, wondering why I let that person down, was silent and failed to clearly state my loyalty to Jesus, again neglected to live up to my ideals.

I guess the issue is not whether or not we’ve done something to make us remorseful, but the effect we allow it to have on our lives. In Peter’s case, when Jesus took him back to that day in a pointed conversation  (though He never made a direct reference to Peter’s betrayal - John 21:15-19), it was an acknowledgement that the betrayal was indeed real and significant. Peter needed to say the words, “I love you.” Jesus’ acceptance of Peter’s profession made things right between them and allowed Peter to forgive himself. Then Jesus restored him to even greater responsibility.

Jesus gave Peter a glimpse of who he really was by allowing this remorseful situation, and He does that for us too. When we let Him (and ourselves) down, we see how easily we can blow it. But when we return to Him, and acknowledge our betrayal, He is there to restore us (1 John 1:9), though now way less confident in ourselves, more needy of Him, like He restored Peter.

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to have a realistic view of my weaknesses. May my remorse teach me to draw on Your strength, and be less confident of mine. Amen.

MORE: Good Friday

Today is the day we remember Jesus' death on the cross for us. We call it "Good Friday." The Good Friday liturgy begins with this collect:

"Almighty God, we pray you graciously to behold this your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, and given into the hands of sinners, and to suffer death upon the cross; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Spirit of change

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Acts 3:1-21

TO CHEW ON: "Then Peter said, 'Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.' And he took him by the hand and lifted him up." Acts 3:6,7

When we read about Peter in the New Testament, it's almost as if we're reading about two different people.
The early Peter is:

• Naturally impulsive - Matthew 14:28.

• Slow to comprehend spiritual truth - Matthew 15:15,16.

• Full of contradictions - Matthew 16:16-23.

• Self-seeking - Matthew 19:27.

• Cowardly - Matthew 26:69-72.

But what a change after Pentecost. Now he has

• Wisdom to teach and preach - Acts 2:14; 3:12.

• Boldness and courage - Acts 4:13,20.

• Power and anointing for miracles - Acts 3:6,7… and tons of faith. Here he extends his hand to lift up that lame man before there's a whisper of evidence he'll be able to walk. We read in Acts 5:15 how his very presence has healing power. And when Tabitha dies, he raises her from the dead - Acts 9:40.

• Insight to break down the spiritual barriers between Jews and Gentiles - Acts 10:44.

The change in Peter's life comes about when the Holy Spirit takes over.

A sobering question to ask ourselves is, which list of Peter's characteristics describes us?

The encouraging thing is that the Spirit who changed Peter is available to indwell, possess, and change us too. Another boldly Spirit-filled apostle—Paul—reminds the Christians in Thessalonica:

"For our gospel did not come to you in words only but also in power and in the Holy Spirit…" 1 Thessalonians 1:5.

He reassures Timothy:

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind" - 2 Timothy 1:7.

He prays for the Ephesians—a prayer that we can pray over ourselves and others:

"…that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man" - Ephesians 3:16.

As I am in prayer about this just now, I sense the Lord reminding me—and us— that the Spirit's empowering in our lives is not to accomplish what the apostles did, but for the work and assignments He gives us: to raise that family, make those boots, manage that strata, work in that bank, pastor that church, write that book…


PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to yield myself to Your Spirit that changes, empowers, and makes me more like Jesus n my everyday 21st century life. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Holy Boldness

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Acts 4:1-22

TO CHEW ON: "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized they had been with Jesus." - Acts 4:13

What a contrast these men are to the picture of the disciples huddled behind closed doors "… for fear of the Jews" that John describes from a few weeks earlier (John 20:19). Their boldness is evident all over the place in our reading:

• They teach this new thing—that in Jesus there is resurrection from the dead—without qualification or apology - Acts 4:2.

• When arrested Peter answers boldly, "filled with the Holy Spirit" - Acts 4:8.

• The rulers put the pieces together: the disciples' uncharacteristic boldness + their uneducated state = amazing. But then an "aha" moment. Doesn't this remind them of someone? "They realized they had been with Jesus"—whose teaching was also characterized by boldness (Matthew 7:29).  

• Even the rulers' threats and ultimatums have no effect - Acts 4:19,20.

A brief look at others who show holy boldness in the Bible helps us learn more about such God-given confidence:

• It comes as a result of following convictions and leaving the fallout in God's hands, as Shadrach, Meshech and Abednego discover - Daniel 3:16.

• It comes to Joseph of Arimathea when the situation is desperate and unless someone steps up, this friend and teacher will have no respectful burial at all - Mark 15:43.

• The Day of Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit on all believers is a watershed moment in the story of holy boldness - Acts 2:1-42.

• The disciples get a new dose as a result of prayer - Acts 4:31.

• It makes new believer Paul careless about his very life and well-being - Acts 9:29.

• Later, in Ephesus,  it causes him to minister boldly, persuasively and persistently. When opposition to his meetings arises, he doesn't quit but moves them from the synagogue to a lecture hall and continues to preach his controversial message for two more years - Acts 19:8-10.

• When he is in Rome, he keeps witnessing about and explaining the gospel despite his  chains (Acts 28:20,31).

• Paul says that one of the wellsprings of his boldness is the realization that the message of the gospel isn't his project and spreading it isn't from his own initiative but it is a message that God Himself has entrusted to him - 2 Thessalonians 2:2-4.

Are you happy with your boldness quotient? I know I'm not happy with mine. These Bible examples of holy boldness give us much to consider and pray about as we go before God to seek His insights on why there is so much timidity in our lives.

PRAYER: Dear God, I know I need more holy boldness. Please help me understand the roots of my timidity and deal with them. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Peter's spiritual download

Apostles Baptized with the 
Holy Spirit - Artist unknown
 from Treasures 
of the Bible (Church Age)

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Acts 8:34-48

TO CHEW ON: " ' To Him all the prophets witness that through His name whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.' " Acts 10:43


For the multitudes of Jesus' followers and even His disciples, the road to understanding who He really was, was long and bumpy. He acted like the political deliverer they were expecting—healed people, fed people, was full of wonderful wisdom. But  He was from Galilee. They knew His mother (knowledge which included His questionable beginnings) and His family.  He was so human. How could He be Messiah?

Then He began doing disturbing things like claiming He was the fulfillment of prophecy (Luke 4:16-19; Isaiah 61:1,2) and supplementing His healings by telling people their sins were forgiven (Mark 2:5,9,10; Luke 7:48; John 8:11).

We can see that for Peter now, explaining this to Cornelius and his family, things finally all fit together. The confusion over who he was following, the thinking that Jesus was a political messiah had been replaced by the conviction that Jesus was the spiritual Messiah the prophets had predicted. The One who:
- would bear our sins - Isaiah 53:4
- would make a blood atonement - Isaiah 53:5
- would be our substitute - Isaiah 53:6,8
- would accept our guilt and punishment - Isaiah 53:7
- would justify many from their sins - Isaiah 53:10,11

How did he get from the confused state the disciples appeared to still be in at the time of Jesus' ascension (Acts 1:6), to this bedrock assurance? Was it years of study? A semester at seminary? Weeks of retreat and seclusion?

No. I would submit it all came clear on the day the Spirit fell in the disciples in the Jerusalem upper room—the Day of Pentecost.

The stories of the disciples' actions and preaching from that day forward have an entirely different tone about them than the ones that precede that day. From Pentecost on there is a clarity, boldness, passion, and fearlessness they never had before. I believe the Holy Spirit came with a supernatural download of insight. He put it all together.

I believe we need the same thing. Unless we have the Holy Spirit's enlightenment, what we know of Jesus—both intellectually and in experience—will  have that same tentative, questioning, fearful aura of the disciples' pre-Pentecost witness. They did have the Spirit (John 20:22) but not in the same measure as they had Him (or perhaps better said, He had them) after Pentecost.

May we invite Him to fill our lives with the same insight, clarity, and power of witness that Peter demonstrates here.

PRAYER: Dear Holy Spirit, please fill my life with Your presence and power. Give me insight and clarity about who Jesus is.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Leaven alert

Yeast cells

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Matthew 16:1-20

TO CHEW ON: "Then Jesus said to them, 'Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.'" Matthew 16:6

We can't help but smile at the little comedy of misunderstanding near the beginning of today's reading. Jesus had just had an encounter with the unbelieving Pharisees and Sadducess where they goaded Him for a heavenly sign. His reply cut to the bone: "Hypocrites...a wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign..."

Then He and the disciples got into a boat and crossed the Sea of Galilee. When they reached the other side, the disciples realized they had forgotten to bring bread.

Into that setting Jesus interjected, "'Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.'"

I can just see the wheels trying to turn in the disciples' heads: What does that have to do with anything? They tried, among themselves, to connect Jesus' statement with their present lack of bread.

But that wasn't the connection Jesus wanted them to make. So what was He talking about?

Not physical bread. His words in Matthew 16:8-11 show us that. Even the literal-minded disciples realized by the end of that conversation that Jesus was warning them not about some literal brand of leaven to avoid, but false doctrine.

It wasn't a specific teaching that Jesus was referring to either. Because the Pharisees and Sadducees beliefs contradicted each other. According to the study notes in my Bible:

"The Pharisees had a strong commitment to the Law as interpreted by 'the tradition of the elders.' They were strong ritualists and were legalistic.


The Sadducees came from leading social families and were rationalists and materialists. They rejected "the tradition of the elders" and denied the supernatural, including the possibility of a bodily resurrection. The Pharisees and Sadducees are best known for their mutual hostility" - J. Lyle Story, commentary on Matthew in the New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1320.

Jesus was, it seems to me, warning them about the leaven of false doctrine of any kind.

Leaven or yeast, is a fungus that we add to bread dough. In the right conditions just a little grows in a matter of several hours to permeate a large lump of dough. Its presence is evident by the air bubbles that make the bread light and fluffy.

False doctrine is like that. Just a little imbalance or false teaching can quickly work its way through our whole teaching about God, resulting in aberrations as dissimilar as the cults and Christian liberalism.

How do we know when truth has been mixed with leaven? By getting familiar with teaching that is pure—that is, by immersing ourselves in the Bible. As we get to know its message from cover to cover, we will not be easily lured away by doctrines of a bloodless atonement, or angelic guides or any other leaven-permeated diversion from what Peter confessed later in the chapter: "You are the Christ the Son of the living God," or the simple gospel that Paul preached: "...Jesus Christ and Him crucified" 1 Corinthians 2:2.

PRAYER: Dear God, please sharpen my spiritual awareness so I will recognize the leaven of false teaching. Please guide me into truth by Your Holy Spirit. Amen.

MORE: Feast of the Confession of St. Peter

Today is the day the church celebrates the Confession of Saint Peter. It begins with this prayer:

Almighty Father, who inspired Simon Peter, first among the apostles, to confess Jesus as Messiah and Son of the living God: Keep your Church steadfast upon the rock of this faith, so that in unity and peace we may proclaim the one truth and follow the one Lord, our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Liturgy for this day

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Underdog success

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Acts 12:6-25

TO CHEW ON: "Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God, and he was eaten by worms and died. But the word of God grew and multiplied." Acts 12:23,24

When watching sports events, do you often find yourself cheering for the underdog? There is something about a supposedly weaker team or person facing a stronger that arouses our sympathy. Perhaps it's our empathy as well, as we sometimes feel like underdogs ourselves.

In our story, the Christians were definitely in the minority. Compared to the rest of the population they numbered, at this time, probably in the low thousands—a spectacular increase when you consider that the number of disciples on the day of Pentecost was only about 120. Still, hardly a force with which to be reckoned.

Their biggest foes, the Jewish leaders, no doubt thought that it would be only a matter of time before this rogue movement  was stamped out altogether. They even had Herod on their side. He had already killed James and when he saw how it pleased them, he arrested Peter intending to make him next.

But of the gospel's foes hadn't counted on supernatural intervention. Who could stand against angelic interference that caused chains to fall off and an iron gate to "open to them of its own accord"?

And so the tables were turned. Instead of Peter's head on the chopping block, it was those unfortunate soldiers charged with guarding him. And instead of the gospel being the casualty, it was proud Herod.

This is an encouraging story for Christian underdogs today, wherever they are. For the same God who engineered Peter's prison break and Herod's parasites is at work today, seeing to it that the word of God will keep growing and multiplying, no matter how strong the resistance to it or how impressive the forces that oppose it.

PRAYER: Dear God, I take courage from these stories that remind me of how unstoppable the gospel is. When I see my efforts and those of my church and Christians in general meet with resistance, help me, help us, not to take matters into our hands, but leave the 'battle' to You. Amen. 

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The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. - Used with permission.

Necessary denials

Detail of "St. Peter Weeping Before the Virgin"
Guercino (1591-1666)

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Luke 22:47-71

TO CHEW ON: "And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord and how He had said to him, 'Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.' So Peter went out and wept bitterly." - Luke 22:62

I am always moved by the story of Peter denying Jesus. Perhaps one of the reasons is because I know in my heart of hearts this could so easily have been me.

Could Peter have avoided this denial by, say, staying away from the fire of his 'enemies'? He was, after all, in the high priest's courtyard, the leader of the band that felt threatened by Jesus' popularity, saw Him as a liability to their cause, and wanted Him dead.

Perhaps. But in the end, I believe Peter needed to confront his cowardice (or whatever it was). He needed to see inside himself in the way that only such an incident would make possible.

The same can often be said about the denials we make that surprise us. We think we are way past giving in to the temptation to fudge the truth, or slander someone, or turn tail and run. And then we do it and see this bent toward sin is still in us and, like Peter, we "weep bitterly."

But now we can also deal with our misplaced self-confidence. No more Peter-like bravado: "Lord I am ready to go with You both to prison and to death" (Luke 22:33). Rather, we can have hope for our increased Kingdom usefulness when we return to Jesus with the lessons of our detour burned deep into our spirits.

May it be for us as Jesus predicted it would be for Peter: "… when you have returned to Me, strengthen the brethren" - Luke 22:32.

PRAYER: Dear God, it is a bitter experience to see my own soft spots and sinful tendencies. When I fall into sin, please help me to quickly return to You and then use my experience to strengthen others. Amen.

MORE: Despair
Oswald Chambers, speaking of other disciples failing during Passion Week, says:

"There are experiences like this in each of our lives. We are in despair, the despair that comes from actualities, and we cannot lift ourselves out of it. The disciples in this instance had done a downright unforgivable thing; they had gone to sleep instead of watching with Jesus, but He came with a spiritual initiative against their despair and said - 'Arise and do the next thing.' If we are inspired of God, what is the next thing? To trust Him absolutely and to pray on the ground of His Redemption.

Never let the sense of failure corrupt your new action. Matthew 26:46" - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, February 18th reading

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The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. - Used with permission.

Enticers

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Matthew 16:21-28

TO CHEW ON: "Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him saying, 'Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!' 

But He turned aside and said to Peter, 'Get behind Me Satan! You are an offense to Me for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.'" Matthew 16:22-23

I feel the vicarious sting on Peter's behalf when Jesus calls him "Satan." Yikes! Jesus also calls him an offense.

[Offense - skandalon: Originally a trapstick, a bent sapling, or a movable stick with bait used to catch animals. The word then came to denote a snare or stumbling block. Metaphorically it signifies that which causes error or sin" - Word Wealth, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1321.]

The source of the temptation or snare Satan laid for Jesus through Peter here is listed in my Thompson Chain Bible under "Enticers." (Other temptation sources are Worldly Snares, Seducers, and Evil Companions.) A quick jog through the Bible looking at some other enticing situations show us how ubiquitous and subtle such temptation is.

• Deuteronomy 13:6 warns against enticement by someone close (brother, child, spouse, friend) to serve other gods.

• Proverbs 1:10 names sinners as potential enticers.

• Proverbs 16:29 warns against being enticed by a neighbour.

• Proverbs 28:10 is a caution to people who cause the upright to go astray, and predicts that they (the tempters) will fall into their own pit.

• Amos 2:12 identifies enticing the Nazirite to drink wine and the prophet to stop prophesying as acts that will provoke God's judgment (Amos 2:14-16).

• Matthew 4:6 is the account of Satan trying to entice Jesus to a rash act of supernatural bravado to prove His deity. Satan even quotes scripture to make his temptation sound legitimate.

• Matthew 24:26 is Jesus' warning against the enticement of identifying other people as Christ on earth after He ascended into heaven.

• Acts 13:8 - identifies Elymas the sorcerer as someone who tried to entice pro-consul Sergius Paulus from believing the truth of Paul and Barnabas's testimony.

• Our example of Peter's words to Jesus show how subtle this temptation is—the words of a friend insisting: Surely it's not going to be as bad as you say. God wouldn't have that in His plan for you.

I ask myself, am I ever an enticer? Do I try to downplay the costs of discipleship in others' lives, encouraging them to magnify self-interest, ease, or common sense above God's claims on them?

Are there enticers in my life? People who would try to make me dilute my loyalty to Jesus?

Jesus' reaction to Peter's enticement to avoid the cross show that this is no insignificant or frivolous temptation

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to recognize the sly voice of enticement to avoid the cross-life. Help me to avoid enticing others. Amen

MORE: Enticement: a shortcut and a shifted point of view

"... Temptation is a suggested short-cut to the realization of the highest at which I aim—not towards what I understand as evil, but towards what I understand as good ..."


"... Satan does not tempt us to do wrong things; he tempts us in order to make us lose what God has put into us by regeneration, viz., the possibility of being of value to God. He does not come on the line of tempting us to sin, but on the line of shifting the point of view, and only the Spirit of God can detect this as a temptation of the devil" - Oswald Chambers - My Utmost for His Highest, September 17 &18 readings.

Privileged above prophets and angels

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 1 Peter 1:1-12

TO CHEW ON: "To them it was revealed that, not to themselves but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven — the things which angels desire to look into." 1 Peter 1:12

Though it took Peter a while (as we saw yesterday) by the time he wrote this letter he was completely convinced that Jesus was the fulfilment of Old Testament prophecies. Can't you just sense the thrill he feels knowing he had actually witnessed the things that prophets and angels had strained to see?

A commentary on 1 Peter in my Bible gives this advice:

"Devote yourself to loving Jesus, even though you cannot see Him. Loving and believing in Him with faith releases unspeakable joy and glory in your life. Spend time studying the Old Testament prophecies about Jesus and their fulfillment in the New Testament. Realize that angels long to look on these things and that studying the Bible is a privilege" - "Truth-In-Action In 1 Peter," New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1771.

To help carry out that good advice, here us a little bit elementary school fun for you. Below is a list of seven aspects of Jesus' death recorded in the Gospel of John. Under that are some prophetic references. Can you match each prophecy with its fulfillment? (One prophecy reference predicts two events.)

Aspects of Jesus' death prophesied in the Old Testament:

1. In obedience to His Father (John 18:11). _____
2. Announced by Himself (John 3:14; 18:31-32). _____
3. In the place of His people (John 18:14). _____
4. With evildoers (John 19:18). _____
5. In innocence (John 19:6). _____
6. By crucifixion (John 19:18). _____
7. Buried in a rich man's tomb (John 19:38-42). _____

Old Testament Prophecies:

A. Numbers 21:8-9    B. Psalm 22:16   C. Psalm 40:7-8   D. Isaiah 53:4-6   E. Isaiah 53:9   F. Isaiah 53:12

(Answers below)

PRAYER: Dear God, I worship You for the wisdom of Your plan, put in motion "from the foundation of the earth". Open my eyes to see and understand where I fit into the part of the story playing out in my time. Amen.

MORE: Jesus and prophecy

"Nobody in the history of the world has foreknown and foretold and carried out his life and death and resurrection the way Jesus did. The overwhelming impact of reading the gospel accounts of the life of Jesus is that here is a man who knows what is coming, describes what is coming, and performs what is coming, according the purpose of God foretold in Scripture, that he was sent to fulfil. He sets his face like flint to do everything written of him, and he will not turn to the right hand or to the left lest one prediction of his Father in the Old Testament should fall to the ground." - (Read all of "The Sovereign Sacrifice: Foreknown, Foretold, For Faith) By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org

Answers: 1. C |  2. A  | 3. D  | 4. F  | 5. E |  6. B |  7. E

Follow Me

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Luke 5:1-11

TO CHEW ON: “And Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.’ So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.” Luke 5:10b-11

If Peter wasn’t looking for a career change before Jesus came on the scene, the way this rabbi from Galilee messed with his life probably soon had him open to just that. First Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law. Then He commandeered Peter’s boat as a pulpit (Peter probably listened to His talk – even while he cleaned his nets). After Jesus dismissed the crowd, He suggested Peter and the boys go fishing – something that Peter assured Him they had already done, but without success.

However Peter, smart man, listened to Jesus’ suggestion that they try again – even though it was broad daylight and any Lake of Gennesaret fisherman worth his salt knew that real fishing only happened at night. The result was beyond shocking. They caught so many fish, the boat began to sink.

Peter knew immediately he was in the presence of no ordinary man. He was overcome with a sense of his own sinfulness (what other reaction is there in the presence of God Himself?). Then came this amazing response from Jesus: “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.”

Peter, softened by all that had happened to this point, responded immediately. Goodbye fish-boat.

God’s dealings with us aren’t so different.
1. First He gets our attention. Often it's through sickness or calamity.
2. We observe God at work. We read about what He’s done, or hear about it through missionaries, or see His touch on the lives of people we know. We become filled with awe. This is real!  We want to be a part of it.
3. We hear God’s call us personally. It may be a dramatic encounter. Or it may be a quiet dissatisfaction with our lives and their worldly preoccupations, combined with a desire to refocus on things that have eternal value.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, help me to hear Your call and to follow You. Amen.

MORE: Here am I; send me.
“Get out of your mind the idea of expecting God to come with compulsions and pleadings. When our Lord called His disciples there was no irresistible compulsion from outside. The quiet passionate insistence of His ‘Follow Me’ was spoken to men with every power wide awake. If we let the Spirit of God bring us face to face with God, we too shall hear something akin to what Isaiah heard, the still small voice of God; and in perfect freedom will say, ‘Here am I; send me.’”
- Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest