Salt & Light Blog

Genesis 1 Why Did God Create the World?

5/31/2016

Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created. Revelation 4:11

Genesis 1
God has never changed. He has been the same God from the start. And in getting to know who God is, what better place is there to begin than the beginning? Let’s dive in to this first book of the Bible and see what we can learn about who God is. Chapter 1, verses 1-2 read,
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
There was nothing but God before He created the heavens and the earth. It doesn’t say why He created the heavens and the earth just that He did. God was and is perfect and complete. He didn’t need anything. He is All-sufficient. Acts 17:24-27 says it this way,
The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us
So why did He create the earth? He created it to give us life! Many people say God was lonely. He was not lonely. God wasn’t in need of companionship. He is one God in three personalities, complete, a community unto Himself. His Spirit was hovering over the face of the deep and Jesus was there too. John 1:1-5 tells us,
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
The Son of God is not overtly mentioned in Genesis. It was part of God’s plan to keep the mystery of Salvation until the right time. But The Son of God is mentioned; He is the Word of God and the Light. God spoke and His will manifested. Jesus is the Word of God, God’s manifested will. Although the earth had been created it was empty, void, and without form. God had created the heavens and the earth but he was not finished. Verses 3-5 read,
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
When God created the light (not Jesus but the difference of night and day), He called it good. He had made the first day. Yet He knew He wasn’t finished, the earth still had no form and it was still empty. Verses 6-8 read,
And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. 8 And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.
On the second day He gave the earth some form by separating the heavens and the earth with the sky, and by putting the earth into the atmosphere. He was making a place for us, a place we would be able to thrive, live, and breathe. But it wasn’t time for us yet; He was preparing a place for us. Verses 9-10 read,
And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.
As God spoke each part of creation into existence through His Word, He pronounced it good. Now the earth was taking form, there was land and oceans and it was good. But it wasn’t ready for us just yet. Verses 11-13 read,
And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

Now there were plants and trees, flora and fauna. If it were me, I would be so eager to finish I would have made humanity right then and said, “Look what I made for you! Isn’t it good? There’s more to come.” But unlike me, God is patient. He wanted everything to be in place for us. Vegetation and food was good but it wasn’t everything He had planned for us, so He kept working. Verses 14-19 read,
And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so.16 And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. 17 And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

God not only created the stars, the sun, and the moon but He made them to be time keepers for us. I never could have thought of that. But He understood our every need, because He had already planned our creation. He made the world an interesting and beautiful place. Time would pass. Seasons and weather would change. And by the sun, moon, and stars men and women would know a day, a month, a season, and a year. We would know how to work the land, when to plant and when to sow. He did this for us before we were made, before the first sin which made working the land necessary. He made this earth for us perfectly, meeting all our needs before they existed. But it wasn’t finished yet. Verses 20-23 read,
And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.”21 So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.22 And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.
God made every kind of bird, every kind of fish, and every kind of sea creature. There was life in the skies, and life in the oceans. But it wasn’t time for us just yet. Verses 24-25 read,
And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. 25 And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
God made the animals, every kind there was, mammals, reptiles, insects, and spiders. He declared it good. Now the earth was ready for its purpose, it was ready for mankind. And though God has spoken everything else into existence and each thing was made after its own kind in its own uniqueness, Man was special. We were formed by God’s hands and given life and a soul by His own breath (Genesis 2:7). We were created in God’s image. Verses 26-31 read,
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
Consider that for a moment, you were made in the image of God. He said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” Everything else God created was proclaimed good, but mankind and the position He gave us was proclaimed very good. Why? Because we were made in His image. To go into the all that means would take an entire series of studies.
But as you come to know God more and you understand His love, beauty, grace, and power, understand that He made you in His image with the potential of all that He is and all the gifts and blessings of His nature. We are completed or perfected when we accept the call of the Father and receive Jesus Christ as our Savior and are imbued with His Holy Spirit who makes us into the image of Jesus Christ. Why did God create the world? He created it for us because He is love and love is only love when it is expressed. 1 John 4:7-16 in The Message reads,
7-10 My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God.
11-12 My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us—perfect love!
13-16 This is how we know we’re living steadily and deeply in him, and he in us: He’s given us life from his life, from his very own Spirit. Also, we’ve seen for ourselves and continue to state openly that the Father sent his Son as Savior of the world. Everyone who confesses that Jesus is God’s Son participates continuously in an intimate relationship with God. We know it so well, we’ve embraced it heart and soul, this love that comes from God.

This world was made for you. You were made in the image of God! And Believer, you are being made the apex of who you can be, the image of Christ. You are being perfected into who you were created to be. So love one another as God loves you. Love because you were created to love and by doing so glorify the Lord God, your maker and your Father.

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2 Peter 3 The Day of the Lord is at Hand; It’s Reality not Fantasy

5/30/2016

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Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed! Revelation 16:15 On Photo of Amber Sky by Lani Campbell

2 Peter 3
God is so wonderful to us. He has warned us from the times of Daniel and Isaiah about the end times. He has let us know about the end of this earth so we can prepare for the beginning of the new earth and eternity united with Him as His Bride.
Many people like to point out to us that we sound crazy, always touting the same message, “Jesus is coming back” and “The Day of the LORD is at hand.” We’ve been saying it for thousands of years. We’ve been waiting for Jesus’ imminent return for nearly two millennia with just as much hope as the first Christians did.
The world doesn’t believe it. It has been turned into a horror movie or a myth that only the superstitious, naïve, and foolish believe is real. But it is real. For the believer there is nothing to fear in that Day, but the lost will experience the consequence of their sin, the wrath of God. They will suffer the consequence of sin in the world which is death.
Peter wrote this letter to remind Christians that the day was coming and encourage them to be patient, not focusing on that one Day but on the lives they were living now. He urged them not to fall for lies but cling to the truth. Verses 1-4 read,
This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, 3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.”

I’ve heard the scoffers. I’ve seen the depiction of Christians in films carrying signs which read “The End is Near!” The Christian is almost always made to look crazy and obsessed so that the world will continue to mock and twist the prophecies and not take them seriously. The only hope Satan has is that he can keep as many people from knowing and believing the truth as possible.
Did you know that nearly every culture in the world has a story about a flood destroying the earth? We all come from Noah and his sons. The tale of what happened was told from generation to generation and made its way to the chronicle of nearly every society that has existed. But many people use this fact as a reason to discount the flood, instead of understand it as an undisputable fact of world history. If they believe the flood, then they have to believe the rest of scripture and that includes the countless prophecies about Jesus Christ, His return, and the Day of the Lord. They’ve heard The Day of Fire is coming but they dismiss it. Peter discusses this in verses 5-7.
For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, 6 and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. 7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

The world laughs at the idea of the Day of Judgment. But you and I know it is real and nothing to be laughed at. But sometimes the ridicule and the constant re-making of prophecy into a scary story can lead us to lose heart and begin to doubt. Sometimes the long wait can lead to despondency. But God is so good. Do you see that our wonderful wedding day is their doomsday? God loves them just as much as He loves us and He wants them to have every chance to repent and know Him before they are forced to their knees in defeat on the Day of His return. We are that chance! We are the ones who can show them the love of Jesus so that they might not have to suffer the Wrath of God. God loves them! He wants to gather them in His arms when He gathers us into His arms. Verses 8-10 read,
But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed

It may seem like it’s taking forever to get here to us, but it will be at exactly the right time. Israel felt as if they had waited an eternity for the Messiah to come, but Jesus came at exactly the right time (Galatians 4:4). He died at exactly the right time (Romans 5:6). People were so sure they had interpreted the Scriptures and Prophecies properly that many of them missed Him and still wait for the Messiah they imagined rather than the Savior who was promised. That is how it will be with Jesus’ return. So many people have interpreted scripture using their own minds and logic rather than The Holy Spirit that they are missing the truth. They do complicated math, find “secrets” hidden in scripture, pick dates and they tell the world what they think will happen, they make films and write books with their own understanding and version of events that they and billions will not see it until it happens and is too late. We feel as if it is taking forever to arrive, but it will be at the exact right time and it when it happens people will either be prepared and know it because of the prophecies or it will be sudden because they didn’t recognize the signs and events. Verses 11-13 say it like this,
Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Knowing that for many people the Day of the Lord will happen with such abruptness, we ought to be living in a manner that not only prepares us for our eternity but gives the lost a chance to know the awesome power and love of Jesus. Our lives lived in faith, walking in the Spirit and letting Him transform us speak volumes to the world. They may scoff at the complicated myths false teachers, false prophets, and pseudo-Christians tell, but they can’t mock the sincerity and the concrete evidence of the power of God at work in our lives. Verses 14-18 read,
Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. 15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability.18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Your life and my life lived in the Spirit are the chance for the lost to know God. But we have to know God in order for that to happen. We have to be certain of the truth, not flailing around listening to and believing every stray myth, story, and lie that false teachers propagate. So as Peter encouraged us, I encourage us as well to study the scripture with the Holy Spirit and grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Our lives should be consistently moving closer to the image of Christ and we should be consistently learning more and more about who God is, not by the words of whoever, but by the Word of God.

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2 Peter 2 False Teachers and Prophets Hiding in Plain Sight

5/29/2016

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Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

2 Peter 2
There are two kinds of unsaved people. The first are those who do not know the truth, who are living oblivious to who God is and what Jesus has done for them. They may have heard Jesus’ name but they don’t know much more about Him. They are lost. My heart goes out to them and my prayers go up for them.
Then there are those who know who God is, who know what Jesus did and yet reject Him or worse yet use His name to gain profit and a name for themselves. They lead people away from the Truth, the Way, and the Life of Jesus. These are the people we are warned about so often throughout the Bible, the false teachers and false prophets who speak their own message rather than God’s. They are the vipers and hypocrites who speak one way and live another. We have to be wary of them and we have to protect our brothers and sisters from them. Today’s devotional helps us to recognize those who may be masquerading as fellow believers among us.
I warn you, not to read these scriptures with an attitude of smugness at how you are not like the people described in these verses. Read them with reflection, humility, and love. Read them and be accountable to the warnings. Verses 1-3 read,
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed.
Peter calls what the false prophets and teachers speak destructive heresies. A heresy is a false doctrine, something which opposes the Gospel. They bring these teachings in on the sly. They are often made to sound pretty and can be convincing. They take scripture out of context to make the less certain among us think what they say is true. What are some heresies abounding today? False teachings about earning salvation, doctrines that say Jesus is not God but only a prophet, and philosophies which say that Christians do not change and we can live in sin just as we did before we were saved. If someone is teaching anything other than Jesus Christ lived, died, and resurrected as the only way to salvation, they are one of the false teachers or false prophets Peter is warning us about.
Verse 3 reads,
And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
What does that mean? It means that though they claim to be saved, they are not. The wrath of God awaits the false teachers and it awaits the people who follow them. Believers died to sin and its consequences but false teachers and their disciples are not believers, they are following lies and the father of lies, Satan. The false teachers definitely think highly of themselves. They’ve elevated themselves before people instead of proclaiming Christ. They’ve taken all the acclaim for themselves and left The Lord out of the equation. They really think they’re good. They think that God’s wrath is not for them, that Judgement Day is just a scary story, or that they are good enough to enter Heaven. But Judgement is the same for everyone whether they believe it will happen or not. It is based solely on whether or not our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. The only way to have our names written there is to submit to Jesus as our Lord and be sealed with His Holy Spirit. There is no one who will be able to enter Heaven based on his earthly acclaim. There are no special dispensations. Verses 4-9 in The Message read,
God didn’t let the rebel angels off the hook, but jailed them in hell till Judgment Day. Neither did he let the ancient ungodly world off. He wiped it out with a flood, rescuing only eight people—Noah, the sole voice of righteousness, was one of them.
6-8 God decreed destruction for the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. A mound of ashes was all that was left—grim warning to anyone bent on an ungodly life. But that good man Lot, driven nearly out of his mind by the sexual filth and perversity, was rescued. Surrounded by moral rot day after day after day, that righteous man was in constant torment.
9 So God knows how to rescue the godly from evil trials. And he knows how to hold the feet of the wicked to the fire until Judgment Day.
The Holy Spirit guards us for eternity and He will not let the wicked escape His wrath. Who are these people? How can we recognize the false prophets among us when they are so good at hiding the lies in pretty words and convincing arguments? Their lives do not produce the fruit of the Spirit described in Galatians 5:22-23.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
They do not act out of love, they act out of selfishness and pride. Verses 10-11 begin their description.
and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority. Bold and willful, they do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious ones, 11 whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not pronounce a blasphemous judgment against them before the Lord.
They indulge in defiling passion, which means that they give in to basal desires and dishonor the name of Jesus. They despise authority. They must be the ones in charge, they’re probably the ones who complain about their boss or any authority, who rebel against those in power, and refuse to submit to people. That can often look like a good trait to the world but it is not a godly trait. It makes them appear powerful but there is no faith in God when there is fear of letting go of one’s will. They don’t even have the respect not to blaspheme that is to curse or slander angels, people or God Himself. Even angels who might have reason to judge wouldn’t dare to that. Verses 12-13 continue the description.
But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction, 13 suffering wrong as the wage for their wrongdoing. They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, while they feast with you
False teachers run on instinct and appetite not wisdom and logic. Their lust for themselves will be their destruction and they will have earned it. But they don’t care. They party, they celebrate even when it is time for working, mourning, or caring. They enjoy that people follow them. They give the church a bad name. They take the Love Feast, the Lord’s Supper to look good not with the thankful attitude of recollection of Jesus’ sacrifice. Everything they do is to make themselves look good. Verses 14-16 continue,
They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! 15 Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, 16 but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet's madness.
They were taught the right way, but they abandoned the truth and followed personal gain. It’s all about them and there is nothing there to help anyone else. It looks as if they are doing some good but the only benefit is for themselves Verses 17-19 read,
These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm. For them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved.18 For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved
They’re telling people they will lead them to freedom but they are in heavy chains. They’re in bondage to their lust for power, money, and recognition. They once heard the truth and even believed it and they were free from the chains of slavery but turned away from the truth. They didn’t follow through on the Gospel and accept Christ as their savior. They rejected Him for an easier road. Verses 20-22 in The Message read,
If they’ve escaped from the slum of sin by experiencing our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ, and then slid back into that same old life again, they’re worse than if they had never left. Better not to have started out on the straight road to God than to start out and then turn back, repudiating the experience and the holy command. They prove the point of the proverbs, “A dog goes back to its own vomit” and “A scrubbed-up pig heads for the mud.”

Please take the time to ask yourself if you or anyone on your church fits this description, not so you can condemn and slander but so that you can pray and act. If it’s you who has not really submitted to God and let His Spirit transform you, do it now. It is someone else then pray first, then talk to him. If he is unwilling to listen, then bring up your evidence to the leaders of your church and give it God. Do not let yourself or others teach lies. We live for God’s glory or our own.

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2 Peter 1 The Joy of an Intimate Relationship with God

5/28/2016

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No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. John 15:15

2 Peter 1
I am overwhelmed by this relationship with God, His love astounds me. The longer I walk with Him the more intimacy He gives me. I have come to see there is no end to the depth of closeness, understanding and friendship with The Lord. One day believers will be completely and perfectly united with Him in New Jerusalem, but now we enjoy and ever growing relationship. As we grow closer to Him, we become more and more like Him.
Do you know how much God loves you? If you say yes, you may understand that He loves you deeply, but I don’t know that any of us can truly fathom the profundity of His love while we are still on this earth. I know that day by day I am amazed at just how intensely and greatly He cares. Peter was writing to dispersed Christians and he wanted them to understand that being so close to God meant something special. Verses 1-2 are the greeting to the letter.
Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:
2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

He told them that even though he was an apostle and a leader of the church, their faith gave them equal standing in the Lord. They were all declared righteous through Jesus Christ. He prayed that grace and peace would be multiplied to them as they came to know God more and more. And that is what happens, the more we come to know who God is, the more we come to realize His great grace. The more we know God, the easier it is to trust Him and have peace so great, the world can’t grasp it.
This relationship means amazing things for us. Verses 3-4 read,
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

God’s power has given us every gift, blessing, and understanding that has to do with living in the Spirit, a God-pleasing life that points to Jesus. God’s promises are not like ours. He didn’t promise us the ridiculousness of rainbows and unicorns that and He didn’t promise us mere ice cream with sprinkles. No, He promised eternal life. He promised salvation. He promised Himself to us. He said, “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6). It is through those wonderful promises that we are able to experience a closeness with God that can only be described as a union of our soul to His; He gave us His Spirit. He lets us partake, that is share, experience, and join in His nature, His character! Jesus last words before His ascension and after He promised the Holy Spirit and gave the great commission to the Apostles were, “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20).
Sharing in God’s nature, having His Spirit indwelled in us means we can live out the great commission to Go out and train everyone far and near in this way of life, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and instruct them in the practice of all Jesus commanded (Matthew 28:18-20). Living out our faith means living and behaving as Jesus would, showing His goodness and salvation to the world. It means we are not the same people we used to be and we ought to live as new creations and not like our old selves. Who would want to come to know a god who doesn’t put his power behind His words? God’s power is His Word, it is real, and we are able to live that power through our lives since God has granted us all things pertaining to life and godliness. Verses 5-11 in The Message read,
So don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can’t see what’s right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.
10-11 So, friends, confirm God’s invitation to you, his choice of you. Don’t put it off; do it now. Do this, and you’ll have your life on a firm footing, the streets paved and the way wide open into the eternal kingdom of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ.

The Christian striving to walk in the Spirit knows it is no easy thing to always choose virtue, patience, kindness, self-control, and love. But she knows that faith in God makes it possible because she joins in His Spirit and not her flesh. The longer she walks in the Spirit, the easier each attribute comes, but it is a constant and continuous endeavor that will be completed only on the day we are taken up to be with Jesus as His Bride.
If we give up, if we decide that we are going to wait for some instant magical change we won’t be exercising faith in God by choosing His way over ours. The people who do not know Jesus will not see Him in us and we will be ineffectual for the Kingdom of Heaven. Giving in to the sins of our past and the desires of the flesh quenches the Spirit. He goes from being a hot and purifying fire within us who speaks to the world by the changes He makes in us to an ember who won’t make changes in us we are not willing to allow. 1 Thessalonians 5:15-24 says it like this,
See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.
23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

But when we choose to let The Spirit purify our old nature, when we choose to partake of God’s nature rather than our old nature, God burns passionately in us. We know Him on an ever deepening level and we know His heart. It is truly miraculous. Such a close relationship with God, one where He shares His secrets, His desire, and His power with us is not exclusive to a few Christians. It is not just for the top echelon. Peter said through faith we have obtained equal standing before God. That intimacy is for all of us who want it. And Peter was in the very top tier of people who could have claimed a higher rank. He was an apostle and He was among the three who Jesus took into His inner circle. Peter, John Paul and James, the brother of Christ were the undisputed leaders of the early church. Peter had seen things with Jesus that only someone in an intimate relationship could be shown. When he preached the gospel to people, he didn’t have to say something he had learned second or third hand. He spoke from his experience. When he declared Christ as the Son of God, he said it because he had been there when God declared it. Verses 16-18 read,
For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.

Peter didn’t have to memorize a special program for evangelism. He spoke from experience, he spoke from his friendship with Jesus. Guess what! We too know God, we too are His friends and we can speak from our experience and knowledge of God. We have God living inside us, His Spirit is sewn to ours. When we share the Gospel, it is first hand because we are sharing how Jesus saved us and how He has made us new. We are able to speak His words because He is friends enough to tell us His plans. In John 15:14-15 Jesus said,
“You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.”

Speaking God’s heart, speaking God’s Word is called prophecy. It is a privilege to hear God’s Word and a greater privilege to speak it. It is one we as believers all have. Verses 19-21 describes it.
And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Our closeness with the Lord has several outcomes. We grow closer and closer to Him as Jesus, the Bright and morning Star rises in our hearts. We become more like Him as we choose to let Him conform us to His image. We live out our faith because we share in His nature. We speak His Word by His will, power and understanding and so point the world to Jesus.

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1 Peter 5 The Distinction of Humility

5/27/2016

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Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. James 4:10

1 Peter 5
We’ve been learning about the distinction we have in following Christ and what an honor it is to suffer for Him. Brothers and Sisters, we do not suffer alone. We have one another. God established the church, the body of Christ in a model of His relationship with us. He works and speaks through us, His chosen and holy people to encourage, exhort, and edify one another. We do so in a model of Jesus relationship with us as we strive to always move forward in our transformation toward His image. One of the most important aspects of Jesus’ character and the most difficult to live is humility. But love is communicated most perfectly in humility. Verses 1-4 read,
So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

The Lord put our pastors, deacons, and elders in place. He honored them by making them servants to His people as Jesus lived as a servant to us. Their job is difficult, their responsibility is immense. They will be judged with greater strictness than the majority (James 3:1). The longer we are walking in Christ, the more we ought to look act like Him. As we mature, we should be becoming teachers, mentors, and servants in the Kingdom (Hebrews 5:12). People in the position of elder must walk in humility and act in love. They are a living example of Jesus Christ to us. So we need to make sure we are showing them the respect they deserve. We need to model the humility of Christ by submitting to our pastors and other elders, by giving them the reverence they deserve as God’s anointed servants. Verse 5 reads,
Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Pride is a sneaky thing and it is in opposition to God. Atheism is not the opposite of Christianity; I-theism is. It is the exaltation of the self, the serving of one’s self, the living to please one’s self that opposes the Lord and serves Satan. But pride sneaks in. When we judge the elder or one another for imperfections, pride is showing its ugly head. When we look at the good works we’ve done for Christ and give ourselves a pat on the back, we open the door to pride. When we plan a mission to bring the lost to the Lord yet control every aspect because only we can do it right, pride walks in that door. When we accept the glory that belongs to God for the works being done, pride takes over, quenches the Holy Spirit and makes us ineffectual at best and makes people follow us straight to Hell at worst. Pride is at the core of sin. Lucifer fell because of His pride (Ezekiel 28:17). Adam and Eve sinned because of pride (Genesis 3:6). Judas betrayed Christ because of pride (Luke 22:3). Peter denied Christ because of pride (Luke 22:54-62). Peter was reconciled with Christ because Jesus loved him enough to forgive him and offer him the honor of caring for His church (John 21:15-19). Jesus exemplified humility for Peter and Peter was able to follow that example and submit to Jesus. Verses 6-7 read,
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
It is prideful to worry, to be anxious, and think that we have to take care of our problems on our own. All we have to do is humble ourselves before God and trust Him. He promised if we concerned ourselves with His kingdom, He would take care of all the details. In Matthew 6:33-34 Jesus said,
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
Satan works through pride. He makes the lost think they do not need God and he makes Christians think they should depend on themselves rather than God for their transformations, good works, and provision. So be careful of pride. Verses 8-11 read,
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

You know, the devil your enemy is not all that. He’s puffed up with pride. He tries to look beautiful for the world and terrifying to Christians. But he isn’t. He attacks in fear. Do you know that you don’t have to fight with him or engage him at all? All you have to do is resist, to say, “Nope, not gonna give in” and he takes off like a coward. To fight the enemy is to say you don’t trust that God will fight for you. It says you do not believe Jesus already overcame Satan, sin and death. Submit to God and trust Him to be God. James 4:6-10 reads,
But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Pride tells us that we can earn favor from God. Pride makes us trust the Law instead of the Lord. Peter closes this letter in verses 12-14
By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it. 13 She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son. 14 Greet one another with the kiss of love.
Peace to all of you who are in Christ.

Believer, I encourage you today stand firm in the true grace of God, to ask God to reveal hidden pride in you, to look at your relationships and see if you are submitting to one another, and to submit yourself to God. You do not have to be afraid to submit to God, He loves you so very deeply.

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1 Peter 4 Suffering with a Purpose, Grace with a Mission

5/26/2016

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Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer Romans 12:12

1 Peter 4
Yesterday we read about how we are different from the world and that difference is expressed by how we treat people. Today, we see how that difference is exhibited by our behavior. Verses 1-3 read,
Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. 3 For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry.
Jesus suffered so much and it was for our benefit. Our own suffering, which for most of us will never be as bad as Christ’s can also be for our benefit. We can learn from it and we develop the character of Christ because of it. Romans 5:1-5 says it like this,
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

We cannot let Jesus sacrifice on the Cross and His victory over death and sin mean nothing to us by not letting his suffering or own transform us. The past is the past. God no longer sees our sins we He looks at us, He sees us as new righteous creations. There is no sin in Christ. Christ was sinless, He took our sin away, and we no longer have sin in us or on us. 1 John 3:4-6 reads,
Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.

Although we can and sadly often do act the way we did before we knew Jesus, we do not have to be compelled to sin any longer. Even though we may do things that are considered sins, we are not under the law any longer so theoretically nothing we do is sin. But there are things which produce goodness and things which do not. There are practices, behaviors, and attitudes which exalt God and there are those which exalt ourselves. 1 Corinthians 6:12 says it this way,
“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.

We are just not the same as we used to be. Exalting ourselves and feeding our basal desires just doesn’t hold the same charm anymore. The world will undoubtedly take note of the difference and they will not like it. The old friends we used to party with, won’t recognize the new person we’ve become and they will want their old friend back. Why? Because our new desire to be good shows them that their actions are not so good. Verses 4-7 read,
With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; 5 but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.
7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.

Judgement Day is coming. They will be judged. But our walk with Jesus in the Spirit can speak volumes to the lost. We can tell them the wonderful news of Jesus Christ and they can be saved! But if we act the way we acted before we knew Jesus, if we sin the way we used to, they won’t see Jesus as real and they won’t see His power and saving grace.
Living by grace doesn’t mean sinning as if there is no such thing as law, it means exercising the power of God within us and living the holy righteous lives we can because God is able to transform us. Verses 8-11 read,
Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Grace is wonderful and miraculous. We are not yet perfect but we have been perfected, even while God is still making us perfect. The law is no longer something we follow to be called good. It is part of us, written onto our hearts, so that we understand the crux of it which is reconciliation with God. We are free to love as God loves. Hebrews 10:14-18 reads,
For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
15 And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,
16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them
    after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put my laws on their hearts,
    and write them on their minds,”
17 then he adds,
“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”
18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.
We will make mistakes but if we strive to act out of God’s love, we will not make those mistakes as often. Even when we do, love will cover the mistake with grace. People need God’s grace and we have it! We can show them His marvelous grace through exercising the gifts we’ve been given. We use those gifts for our benefit, the church’s benefit, and the world’s benefit. If we don’t use them, we are not serving Jesus Christ as we could, we are serving ourselves and hiding the Gospel from those who desperately need it.
We will suffer. We do suffer. And there are different kinds of suffering. Sometimes we go through awful things because we acted in certain ways and we have to experience the consequences of those choices. That suffering can discipline us. But sometimes our suffering is undeserved. Sometimes it is because we are standing up for Jesus, walking in the Spirit, and refusing to deny Christ by giving in to sin. That suffering can also teach us but in addition it glorifies God and points the world to Jesus. Verses 12-19 read,
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And
“If the righteous is scarcely saved,
    what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”
19 Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.

Jesus suffered for our sake and the sake of every person on this planet. He was lifted up and hung on a cross as the world tried to humiliate Him. But the curse they tried to inflict on Jesus became a blessing and honor for us. So when people slander you, try and hurt you, or try to shame you undeservedly, remember Jesus will be glorified. Rejoice, you are being honored and your suffering can be a blessing to those living under the curse of death. Rejoice because the trials you are suffering are making you more like Jesus. If your life is changing to look like Jesus, then maybe you ought to question if you are walking in Christ. If your suffering isn’t reshaping your character into Jesus’ character, then perhaps you ought to question if The Holy Spirit is in you. Judgement Day is coming for all of us.

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1 Peter 3 Distinguished by Love and Humility

5/25/2016

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Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2

1 Peter 3
As Christians, we are not “of this world.” We are called, sojourners, exiles, citizens of Heaven, a peculiar people, and a holy people. We are different and we are meant to stand out by our difference. Our distinction is not supposed to be by the t-shirts we wear or the bumper sticker on our cars, it is in our behavior, attitude, and love. We understand the profundity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are supposed to be like Jesus, not like the world.
The world is all about self-sufficiency, self-efficacy, pride, and strength. But the kingdom of God isn’t about that all. We depend on The Lord. In the kingdom of Heaven it is Jesus Christ we long to exalt. Even though He is God, He lived as the exemplification of humility. We point the world toward Jesus by living as He lived and loving as He loved. 1 John 2:9-11 reads,
Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
One way the world should see how peculiar we are is in our relationships with one another. Verses 1-7 reads,
Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they see your respectful and pure conduct. 3 Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. 5 For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.
7 Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

The world’s idea of the marriage relationship, at least according to TV sitcoms is one of mutual battling of the wills, compromise, and a game with only one winner. Husbands on TV are power hungry buffoons and wives are manipulative shrews. While TV exaggerates for laughs, I do think that the world sees marriage as a struggle of control. But marriage in the kingdom of Heaven is the opposite. It is an example of our relationship with Jesus Christ, where the wife can submit, that is yield her will to her husband because she trusts his deep love for her. She knows he would never hurt her or desire anything bad for her. The husband can love his wife with an absolute, profound love because she is a precious gift from God, the weaker vessel, like a treasured Ming vase or beautiful Fabergé egg.
Women, being the weaker vessel is a beautiful thing, a compliment, not something to be ashamed of. Women are more sensitive. They are able to sympathize much more than men. It enables them to nurture, meet unstated needs, and care. It also means their hearts are more easily broken, and they should be handled with care. God sanctifies, that is matures men by asking them to love and care for the fragility of the women’s hearts. He sanctifies women by asking them to trust their hearts to men. Our sanctification comes through the exercise of that mutual submission and love both in marriage and in the church. Verses 8-12 read,
Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. 10 For
“Whoever desires to love life
    and see good days,
let him keep his tongue from evil
    and his lips from speaking deceit;
11 let him turn away from evil and do good;
    let him seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
    and his ears are open to their prayer.
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

People of the world take notice of real humility because it is so very different from what they understand as the road to success and a happy life. They pay attention to lives lived in an effort to do good, to obey Christ, and live so very differently than they understand. You see, the world is all about self-seeking, even in good deeds they honor themselves. But the kingdom of Heaven does good to honor Christ. In the kingdom of Heaven, good deeds are done as a natural expression of the Holy Spirit not as a way to earn good things for ourselves.
The world may want to hurt you if you go around proudly protesting everything about what you view as evil. I saw a post this morning hatefully declaring transgender people as insane. While we may see the brokenness of a person hating themselves to such a degree, the world doesn’t see it and arrogantly spouting statements like that is a very worldly thing to do. Do you imagine any person would come to Jesus because you tell him he’s an idiot? Those actions deservedly bring on fights and hate. Love would befriend that hurting soul. Love would teach him that God created him beautifully and that God loves him. Who could protest that? Who would want to hurt someone who did that? Verses 13-17 say,
Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.
There might be people who still want to cause you to suffer even when you do nothing to them. We do not purposely go looking for hate. There are enough people who hate God already, we cannot give them reason to despise Him. The world is enslaved to Satan and most of them don’t have any idea about it. We can recognize Satan’s voice implanting thoughts in our minds, they don’t! So there will be those who want to hurt us for Jesus’ sake. Let it always be that and never because we warrant it.
Jesus suffered horrifically and He was completely innocent. He was put to death in the most torturous kind of death imaginable, not because he deserved it, but because we deserved it. He took it gladly. He never defended Himself. He endured it. If He underwent such awful suffering for us, we can withstand suffering for the sake of the lost too. When they see the hope in us that we don’t lose no matter what they do, they will notice, and they may even ask. That is when we offer a defense, not a defense for our bad actions, but a defense for the love and hope of Jesus Christ, a defense of the faith and the Gospel. Verses 18-22 read,
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, 19 in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 20 because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.

Jesus saved us from death. Just like Noah and his family were saved from the destruction the rest of the world experienced, we were saved from eternal death. The water of baptism is not what sanctifies or changes us, it is the choice to submit to God and ask Him to change us which allows Him to do it. After we are born again, we are new. We are no longer who we used to be like the world. We stand out. Our new character, our submissive spirit, grief for the world, meekness, desire for righteousness, mercy, purity, peacemaking and endurance that distinguishes us (Matthew 5:2-11). It is our love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control which points the world to Jesus (Galatians 5:22-23).

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1 Peter 2 Jesus Honors Us, Let’s Honor Others

5/23/2016

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Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1 Peter 2:10

1 Peter 2
Yesterday, we read about being born again and having a new identity in Christ. We know that God sees us now as completely new, perfected, and righteous. We need to believe the new and eternal name He has for us, not the accusations of Satan or the world. What does that mean for our lives? How does the world see us now? In God’s sight we are noble, but in much of the world’s estimation we are detestable. That cannot stop us from striving to be who God says we are and growing into maturity as the image of Jesus Christ. That begins by living up to our new identity and not living the way we did before Jesus saved us. Verses 1-3 read,
So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

What is the pure spiritual milk we crave? It is the Holy Spirit teaching us and revealing Christ to us. It is His guidance as He divulges the Word of God to us. And it is the unwrapping of the mystery of the Gospel. The more we ask the Lord to feed us the spiritual food He offers, the more we will grow up into who He made us to be. Those of us who have been Christ followers for a little while know that the bread of the Word is better by far than anything the world ever offered. We have tasted have found that the Lord is good. We ask the Lord for more and He is happy to comply. We seek Him and He is happy to be found. We knock and He opens the door (Matthew 7:7-8).
We go to Jesus as the founder, builder, and finisher of our faith, not so that we will look good, but so that we will be made good. Don’t expect the world to applaud. They didn’t admire, receive, or honor Jesus. Verses 4-8 read,
As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture:
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
    a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,
“The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone,”
8 and
“A stone of stumbling,
    and a rock of offense.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

The world doesn’t honor us, they think we’re fools. They rejected Christ and they reject us, especially as we grow into His image. They think that the way we live, in obedience to the law of love and choosing righteousness is nuts. They not only do not want to obey God, they cannot. That is why our cornerstone, our foundation is their stumbling block. They have to reach a point where they realize their need of Jesus. Our obedience to live as our new self, reveals Jesus to the lost and as they understand that they cannot be good without Him, they will fall to their knees and ask for salvation.
That is where the honor is for us. We get what they are missing. We can be righteous because God made us righteous by Jesus’ blood and He makes us able through the indwelling of His Spirit. The more we look like Jesus, the more we live up to how God sees us. We are part of the kingdom of God! We are chosen by Him and united with Him! That is truly amazing. Verses 9-10 tell us how God sees us.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

We are a people for God’s own possession! He adores us. When God considers you, Believer, He smiles. I for one want to live up to the way God sees me. I want to be worthy of the pleasure I give Him and His calling on my life. Verses 11-17 tell us,
Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
13 Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

Just because people in the world do not show us honor, does not mean we have the right to retaliate and dishonor them. God loves the person who ridicules your beliefs as much as He loves you. God wants them to know it. We reflect Jesus for the lost. We live in the kingdom of Heaven no matter where we are and that means treating people well and submitting to authority as a testimony to humility, kindness, and love. The way we interact with others is a witness to who God is and who He has made us to be. Verses 18-25 read,
Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly.20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

God loved you before you loved Him. Jesus forgave you while you were still a sinner. Romans 5:6-8 says,
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

We love people in their sin. Jesus suffered. He did no wrong. He loved people. He healed them. He didn’t wait for them to be worthy of being healed or loved. He simply loved. He not only didn’t wait for people to deserve His love, He made us worth it by taking all our sin onto Himself. He was blameless, but He made us blameless! He died for all of us, for all of them. They whipped Him and beat Him and hung Him on a tree in the most torturous kind of death imaginable, yet Jesus didn’t retaliate. He endured.
The honor the world showed Jesus was non-existent. They lifted Him up to kill Him. But that most cursed of deaths blessed us and gave us new life. Let’s live up to the honor Jesus shows us by living in the way the world cannot. Let’s be Jesus to them and be the stumbling block so that they can know The Rock of Jesus Christ. Let’s love them enough to honor them even though they don’t deserve it yet.

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1 Peter 1 God Defines You by a New Name not the Accusations of the Enemy

5/23/2016

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Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 1 Peter 1:3

Listen to the Audio devotional read by Anna Bonet by clicking the video below.

1 Peter 1
Today, we will begin reading the two epistles (that is letters) written by Peter. Peter is my favorite apostle. Is it weird to have a favorite apostle? I love his exuberance, even when it led him to be embarrassed, he acted first in his passion for Jesus. That exuberance is described in the story of Jesus’ appearing to the disciples after His resurrection. Peter, Thomas, James, John and two other disciples were fishing without any luck. Jesus appeared on the shore and told them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat. The fishermen did not recognize Him at first, but they did as He suggested and pulled in more fish than should have been possible. The story continues in John 21:7.
That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea.
Peter jumped in first and trusted God for the rest. I tend to that and like Peter sometimes I end up all wet. But Jesus was waiting for him on the shore with a great job and a description of the amazing changes He would make in His friend (John 21:9-19). Peter is often remembered for the mistakes he made, but the legacy he left the church is not his denial of Christ. The legacy he left for us, is in his assertion that Jesus is the Christ.
When Jesus found Peter, he was a lively and hardworking fisherman (Matthew 4:18-22). He was the first to proclaim Jesus was the Messiah (Matthew 16:13-20). Although eleven of the twelve disciples abandoned Jesus on the night of his arrest, Peter’s denial was most remembered. His highs were soaring and his lows were plummeting. But Peter’s future was not based on the mistakes of his past, it was based on his love, passion, and commitment for Jesus. Peter’s hope was founded on Jesus Christ and the awesome work of the Holy Spirit. Believer, your future isn’t based on the mistakes of your past, but on the hope of Jesus Christ. You are born again, you are new.
This first letter from Peter begins with verses 1-2
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:
May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
We are being sanctified, that is made holy like Jesus by the Holy Spirit. God has known from before we were born who we would be and what we would go through. He has never left us, He will never leave us, no matter how great our mistakes, how devastating our sins. He loves us and sticks with us in order to make us into who we were meant to be, who He knows we are.
God does not define us by our mistakes. He did not define Simon Peter by his wavering temperament, He called him Peter, the Rock! God changed him from vacillating boisterous Simon into steadfast passionate Peter. How does God see you? I promise you Believer, He doesn’t see you as the sins, mistakes, and character flaws the enemy wants you to suppose about yourself. He sees you as His righteous child, a new creation. Verses 3-9 read,
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Our future is not in question and cannot be taken away from us. Our names, our true identities are written in the Book of Life and cannot be blotted out. Revelation 3:5 reads,
The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.
We go through some really difficult times on this earth, none of what we go through can take away our eternity or make us back into who we used to be. The enemy will call you names, he’ll accuse you of every sin he can to try and take away your hope, but it is being guarded by The LORD God. God allows all that bad stuff to refine you and make you even more like Jesus. We can even find reasons to celebrate the bad stuff because Jesus.
Throughout the ages, people have suffered for Jesus, even before He was born in Bethlehem. What the prophets went through was for God’s glory and our benefit! We don’t remember them for their shortcomings but for who God made them to be. We remember their identities in Christ, not their identities in the world. When you think of Elisha, do you remember the bald man who unleashed a she-bear to kill a bunch of bullying kids? (2 Kings 2:23-25). I doubt it. Likely you remember the man who did miracle after miracle for the Lord, who had a double portion of God’s Spirit (2 Kings 2:9-14). Our new identities are not for us alone, it is for God’s glory, for the lost to come to know Jesus. Verses 10-12 read,
Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.

The Spirit of Christ was in the prophets and they told Israel and us about Jesus. He comes into us today too, not to leave us as we were but to change us, sanctify and make us new. Why? So we too can preach the Gospel, not by our own power but by The Holy Spirit. That is not nothing! The angels long know some of what The Holy Spirit says to us.
It is a big deal to be born again. It’s huge to live as our new selves with this unshakable hope. So much of why we can endure the suffering we do is because we know the truth. We know who Jesus is, we know our future, and we know that even in the here and now, we are not like the world. We are citizens of Heaven. In Philippians 3:20-21 Paul said,
But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

That is our future and that is how we endure. That is how we point the world to Salvation in Jesus Christ. We were once lost. We were once sinners and slaves to the prince of the world. But that is not who we are anymore. Our lives should show it! Verses 13-19 read,
Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

We are here for such a short time when you compare it to eternity. Our childhood, our time on this earth is a flash. People love to say YOLO, “you only live once” as an excuse to do whatever they want. We do only live once, but that life is eternal! Perhaps we should use YOLO to live for Christ and die to ourselves. Perhaps we should love people like Jesus loves them and show them who they can be instead of who they think they are doomed to be. Jesus can be their Redeemer. He has always been the one and only way to salvation. Verses 20-25 read,
He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for
“All flesh is like grass
and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
and the flower falls,
25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.”
And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

Believer, you only have this one short life to live on earth. Who will you be? Will you be who Satan has accused you of being? Or will you choose to live in the glory of God as who He has made you to be? Will you be the sinner or the saint?

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The Power of Prayer

5/22/2016

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but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. John 9:31b

Today rather than read a chapter and base my time communing with God on that, God is leading me to do a topical study on prayer. He led me to scripture after scripture today. I hope you enjoy the richness of these pearls and the wealth of the treasure of God Word.
Prayer is an important part of life as a follower of Christ. It is so easy to let the discipline of prayer fall to the wayside. It is internal and we have such busy lives we tend to say, I have to do this or that now, I’ll pray later.
Jesus understood the importance of prayer. He commanded we pray. He practiced it and gave us a great examples to follow.
Matthew 4- Jesus praying in the wilderness before His ministry and during His temptation
Matthew 14:23- Jesus praying alone on a mountain top
Luke 3:21 – Praying after His baptism
Luke 6:12-praying alone before He chose those would be the Apostles
John 17 is Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane before His arrest. He even prayed on the Cross as He was dying. “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34)
Matthew 6:5-13 reads,
“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.9 Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,
12 and forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from evil

Sometimes, the only time we pray through the week is in church. Corporate prayer is great! It is essential, but it does not replace time alone with The Lord. The prayer during that time is really special and it is different than corporate and other kinds of prayer.
Just as much as God wants us evangelizing, healing, prophesying, teaching, and learning, He wants time with us. Hosea 6:6 reads,
For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
    the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings
Although Jesus was active in doing God’s will in ministry, He also did God’s will in His relationship. Luke 5:15-16 reads,
But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. 16 But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.
Jesus spent time alone with God, even though He is God. Believers are filled with The Holy Spirit, God is inside us and yet, if Jesus who is God had to go be alone with Him, we should also seek alone time with God. We call it quiet time. I want to encourage us to make quiet alone time with God a priority. Since we do get so busy, and some of us have a hard time saying no to ministry and service, as well as full lives with family, work and church, it makes sense to make that quiet time, the first thing in the morning. There’s a famous quote that says, “If you don’t have time to pray, wake up earlier.” Martin Luther said it better though, “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.”
Psalm 5:1-3 reads,
“Give ear to my words, O Lord;
    consider my groaning.
2 Give attention to the sound of my cry,
    my King and my God,
    for to you do I pray.
3 O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice;
    in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.”
Mark 1:35-39 tells us Jesus made prayer an integral part of ministry,
“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. 36 And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37 and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38 And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” 39 And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.”

That quiet time, is more than just expressive prayer, or prayer where we speak to God and tell Him all our wants and needs. It is also a time of praise, listening, reflection and meditation on The Word. Silence before God allows Him to do His will. And shouldn’t our time with God be about aligning our will with His? Zechariah 2:13 reads,
Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.
Being doers of the word as James 1:22 commands, requires us to be hearers of the Word, being hearers requires us to listen. Isaiah 41:1 reads,
Listen to me in silence, O coastlands;
    let the peoples renew their strength;
let them approach, then let them speak;
    let us together draw near for judgment.

Another kind of individual prayer is called breath prayer. It is a practice that allows you to pray without ceasing, centering your focus on The Lord throughout the day while you do all the rest of what needs to be done. This practice does not replace specific time with The Lord or corporate prayer, it augments your prayer life. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 reads,
“Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.”
Breath prayers are done with your breathing. With your breath in say or breathe a name of God that you want to rejoice in and praise, such as Father, Savior, Healer, or Counselor, Your breath out is a God-given desire such as “Have Mercy on me” “Reveal yourself to me” or “Lead me” This breath prayer is one sentence. Breathe in, “Good Shepherd” Breathe out, “Lead me in your ways.” Breathe in “Abba,” breathe out, “hold me in your arms” or “Holy Spirit, Come”
Benefits of breath prayer include[1]:
• keeping company with Jesus whether or not you feel his presence
• abiding in Christ, opening yourself to constant union all day long
• putting into a phrase the deepest desire of your heart and praying out of that desire
• reminding yourself that God is present and living in you
• guarding self-talk so your thoughts, feelings and behavior flow from an ongoing dialogue with God
• regulating your imagination and fantasy life
• breathing in the life of Christ and breathing out the work of Christ
• developing a rhythm of turning to God at any time of the day
• developing a constant, inner, unbroken, perpetual habit of prayer
Whether individual or corporate, prayer is a conversation with The LORD God. It is a time when we cast our cares on Him and He gives us peace beyond comprehension. It is a time when we tell Our Father what we need, want, and hope. Does He already know? Yes. But He still wants to hear it from us. And more often than not as we speak to God, He will allow us to hear our words and see our hearts and so comfort, teach, encourage, and lead us.
Philippians 4:6-7 says,
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I want to encourage us to pray together as well as alone, whether it is with a large group of people or two or three of us. Praying together is very important, especially in small groups. The prayers of a few of us together are very powerful. In Matthew 18:18-20 Jesus said,
Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

Did you read the power God gives us when we pray together? We’re binding and loosing, we petitioning God with one another and He promises to respond and He promises He is among us. How many times have I been praying in a group of two or three and The Holy Spirit speaks through us, act through us, and manifests in ways we were not expecting? He is always with us, but there are times when we are much more aware of what He is doing and saying. These small group prayers, sometimes referred to as conversational prayers are an opportunity for Him to do great things.
The corporate prayer I’m talking about here is not the same as the liturgical or one person led prayer. It involves a group each praying in conversational tones in a dialogue with God. One example of this informal conversational prayer goes like this:
Each person prays briefly, usually just two or three sentences. Depending on how many people are involved, each person may speak more than once but in turn. If it is just two or three then the dialogue would likely go back and forth more. Being a dialogue means it requires listening as well as speaking. When we practice prophetic prayer, we are often doing this type of prayer. It requires us to be ourselves, not using fancy words, thous and thees or give discourses in the midst of speaking with God. People pray briefly and plainly as they feel led by the Spirit.
Believer, I want to encourage you today to make the Lord a priority, to seek the Kingdom of God first above everything else in your life. Carve out a daily quiet time with the Lord. Pay attention to how that the intentional focus on The Lord and His will come to play in your day.
I also encourage you to add the discipline of the breath prayer to your day and see how this prayer without ceasing impacts your spiritual walk.

[1] Calhoun, A. A. (2005). Spiritual disciplines handbook: Practices that transform us. Madison, WI: InterVarsity Press.

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Genesis 1 Why Did God Create the World?

2 Peter 3 The Day of the Lord is at Hand; It’s Reality not Fantasy

2 Peter 2 False Teachers and Prophets Hiding in Plain Sight

2 Peter 1 The Joy of an Intimate Relationship with God

1 Peter 5 The Distinction of Humility

1 Peter 4 Suffering with a Purpose, Grace with a Mission

1 Peter 3 Distinguished by Love and Humility

1 Peter 2 Jesus Honors Us, Let’s Honor Others

1 Peter 1 God Defines You by a New Name not the Accusations of the Enemy

The Power of Prayer

Donna Campbell

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