James 1:9-11 ~ June 29, 2007

I am reminded that we are to store up treasures in heaven. The poor man on earth is actually spiritually wealthy (Christian poor people). I think of the African Christians who are really living from meal to meal, trusting God for everything. They are rich! They have learned to put God in that #1 position in their lives. They look forward to heaven because the world offers them nothing of true importance. The sick Buseko orphans in Zambia ask the caregivers when they get to see Jesus. Surely these people are focused on the only thing that will last.

For the wealthy person, placing God first is hard. They quickly forget that it was God who allowed them to be rich. Trusting God daily doesn't become required...it's sort of optional. The wealthy man doesn't long for heaven like the African. He is enjoying the worldly life and has difficulty remembering how much better Jesus' kingdom will be.

II Peter 2:17-22 ~ June 25, 2007

Peter continues writing about false teachers. This passage describes many teachers and church philosophies of our day now. V18) "For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error." Unfortunately, many churches are only interested in growing in numbers, so they eintice the community by entertaining them with catchy music and flashy sermons (which should almost be called motivational speeches). V20) talks about those who have knowledge of Christ and seemed as though they were following him, but then became entangled in the corruption of the world once again. They couldn't have been truly redeemed, otherwise they'd have been freed from that old nature and become a new creation in Christ. Peter compares these untransformed people as "dogs returning to their vomit, or sows returning to the mud." Simply doing what their old sinful nature programs them to do. 1 John 2:19 says "They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us."

II Peter 1:5-9 ~ June 19, 2007

This passage clearly outlines that we are supposed to be growing in our Christian walk. The sign of life is growth. If we do not see growth, there is stagnance and death/or death. Peter describes very clearly the qualities that should be growing in our lives as we seek to have a closer and closer relationship with Jesus Christ.
v5) "For this reason" see previous verses where Peter expresses what God has done for us as Christians and what we have been saved from, "make every effort," do whatever you have to, make this your #1 priority, "to add to your faith goodness, and to goodness knowledge, v6) and to knowledge self-control, and to self-control perseverance, and to perseverance godliness v7) and to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love." Peter gives us a list of qualities here that sound much like the fruit of the Spirit that Paul taught us about in Galatians. Love joy peace patience kindness goodness gentleness faithfulness and self-control. So if we have Christ in our lives, alive and working because that's our desire and commitment, these qualities should become evident in our lives.

Peter says this evidence is crucial in a Christian's walk with the Lord.
v8) "If you possess these qualities they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of Christ Jesus." Ineffective and Unproductive. Ouch. Those are two major issues in a Christian's life. What did Jesus do to the tree that wasn't producing any fruit? He cursed it and said, "May you never bear fruit again." As Christians we are called to be effective witnesses for Christ. We are called to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, NOT conformed to the pattern of this world.
v9) "But if anyone does not have them (those qualities/fruits) he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins." Wow. Another powerful statement. So if we are not growing in Christ and bearing fruit, we are blind and forget what we were saved from, and ultimately what Christ did for us on the cross. So by ignoring our calling to strive towards a living growing relationship with Christ, we minimize the value of his sacrifice. Who would ever forget if somebody died for them to save their life one day? That experience would have an effect on the rest of their life. So should Christ's sacrifice. If I accept his forgiveness, his grace, and gift of eternal life and pardon from punishment, that should change my entire life. Basically Peter says that if it doesn't, Jesus' sacrifice means nothing to us.

June 15, 2007 ~ 1 Peter 5:1-4

To the elders, and spiritual leaders in our churches, pastors. They are to be, firstly
1) Shepherds of God's flock (believers) that is under their care. They are to feed and teach!
2) Serve as overseers (this word in the original Greek is not interchangeable with "elder" which indicates a qualification, but overseer indicates the responsibility they are accountable for.)
3) Following God's will for them and not going after their own personal agenda - do not be greedy for money, but serve as God wants.
4) They are not to lord power over the flock. Be humble in teaching and transparent. Be an example. Strive to live out what you preach and teach.

Their reward will be from Jesus, a crown of glory that will never fade away.
This passage makes me wonder how many "pastors" and "elders" actually take this seriously! Looking around at many churches of today and knowing the philosophy of the "emerging church" in this postmodern generation is scary to me. All they seem to be concerned with is bringing the church down to that comfortable unoffensive level so they can literally "capture" or entice people who are living bad lifestyles and have no real desire to change and repent.
These churches are more concerned with growing in numbers than feeding the body of believers. That is scary. By growing in numbers they make themselves accountable for even more lives! And if they're not feeding them.... well James 3:1 points out that those who teach will be judged more strictly. They take on an enormous responsibility.

1 Peter 4:12-19 Suffering for Bearing Christ's Name

Whoever said the Christian life was a cake-walk never stood up for anything, or researched martyred Christians, or read their Bible!
vs12) Don't be surprised if you're suffering a painful trial. These trials are inevitable in a Christian's life. I'm not just talking about being locked up and tortured because you profess to be a Christian. These trials encompass all the hardships in life due to standing up for Christ's message and how he teaches us to live; --lost friendships, mockery, put-downs etc...
vs13) Rejoice in suffering, that we share in Christ's suffering. That is what our attitude should be towards difficulty and persecution.
vs14) If we are insulted because of Christ, or what he teaches us or what he stands for, we are blessed! That is evidence that the Spirit of God is within us. People aren't rejecting us, they reject Christ within us.
vs16) If we suffer as Christians (because of the message we bear and standards of living the Bible commands) praise God we bear his name. Do not be ashamed.
vs17) God allows us to go through hardships to strengthen us and sift out lukewarm followers. How much more will the judgment and suffering be for those who reject his salvation completely? See Proverbs 11:31.
vs19) "So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful creator and continue to do good." Don't be a lukewarm Christian! Commit your ways to what Jesus teaches us in the Bible. Cling to God in your struggles. We cannot survive on our own strength, and our lives will be destroyed if we live according to the popular opinion of our culture or world or live the way we think is best. God gave us his word to read and obey. If we divert from that plan, we are doomed to failure. God is faithfully gracious and is only interested in the state of our hearts. The only way to Him is through the washing of His son. After that, we will desire to obey God and live a life that testifies what Christ teaches us in the Bible.

So as Christians who love God and want to obey him with our lives, lets stop running Christ's name through the mud and actually stand up for His message! May our lives be fruitful and a clear testimony that does not bring shame to Jesus, our Lord.

Mt 7:24-27 The Wise & Foolish Builders

The Wise & Foolish Builders

Matthew 7:24-27 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

After reading these words of Jesus when he was ending his sermon on the mount, I can't help but feel like I MUST follow the words of Jesus and his will for my life. Luke 6:46 says, "Why do you call me Lord Lord and do not do what I say?" This reminds me of all those people who claim to be followers of Christ but their lives have little or nothing to show for it. Jesus talks about a tree and its fruit right before this passage about a wise and foolish builder. Clearly we will know another believer by the fruit displayed in their life. Now of course, no one is going to be perfect and have it all together, but the desire to do God's will and seek after his plan and be obedient to him should be evident. Jesus is very clear when he says the foolish builder's house will collapse when the storms come. How could anybody think they will still have a successful godly life if they don't do what the Bible tells them to do?

~

1 Peter 4:7-8

1 Peter 4:7-8 "The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins."

In this passage we are told to do, or be, three things. 1) Be clear minded: be wise, make clear decisions, don't be wishy-washy, be clearly defined as Christians. 2) Be self-controlled: nothing about us should be extreme or out of control. Our emotions and attitude should be in check, and obviously any anger or bitterness should be out of our lives. Everything we say should be thought through and pleasing to God. We should be filling our minds with godly good things, so our hearts may overflow into our mouths and what we say and do. 3) Love each other deeply: love with that unconditional love that forgives over and over again. Love as Jesus loved. Peter gives us specific reasons for these life-style character traits. 1) So you can pray: If we aren't clear minded and self-controlled, how will we even remember to pray? It is easy to become wrapped up in our daily schedules and the busyness of life, not to mention wrapped up in our own selfish motives and emotions. If we are not clear minded and self-controlled, our prayer life will not be growing and effective. As well, Peter teaches that our prayers will be hindered because of certain bad behaviors. Specifically going back to verse 3:7 where he's speaking to husbands about the husband-wife relationship. We are to love each other deeply 2) because love covers a multitude of sins: Our relationships with people do not last if we do not love them with this kind of love. We fail each other over and over. We need to give and receive this kind of love. I think specifically of a marriage relationship. If we are not implementing these attributes of having a clear mind and being self-controlled, how can we ask God to help us love like this? He requires a husband to love his wife as Christ loved the church. This is really impossible without God's strength and intervention.

Mt 5:14-16 Let Your Light Shine

Matthew 5:14-16 "'You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.' In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

The truth and the Holy Spirit will convict those in sinfulness. It is our responsibility as Christians, to live accordance to God's word, that people may see Christ in us and also desire to have Jesus in their lives.

Mark 4:21-22 "He said to them, 'Do you bring ina lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don't you put it on its stand? For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open."

Our calling is not to hide away from others and not let them know who we serve.

To answer your question...

Q. How are we persecuted every day for doing good?

Peter doesn't say we are persecuted every day for doing good, but he says, "if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed." (vs14) This could be applied to us when we stand up for what the Bible says and are scoffed at, mocked or disrespected. He continues on in this passage with the message that we are supposed to give our answer to those people "with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience." (vs16)

June 7 ~ 1 Peter 3:13-16

13Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear[a]; do not be frightened."[b] 15But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. I Peter 3:13-16 (NIV)

If I am striving toward doing good and desiring to obey God with my life, who can harm me? Generally people are not harmed for doing good or doing acts of kindness. In my marriage, my husband certainly would NOT do anything to harm me to repay my servant attitude and kind words. However, much harm could come if I disregard how the Bible tells me to live and if I ignore God's plan for my life as a wife and mother. Harm in the form of broken relationships, resentment, bitterness, disrespect.

Peter says here that even if we do suffer for doing good, or God's will, we are blessed. (Matthew 5:10-12 talks about being persecuted for Christ's sake.) God will bless those who are persecuted for doing His will and standing up for what's right in God's sight. We are not to fear what the world fears - death, sickness, natural disasters, or little things such as finding a job, buying a house, stressing over busy schedules, or worrying our husband might make a wrong decision :). Instead, we are commanded to fear God. Remember who He is and what He's given us!

We are to make a commitment to Christ and make Him Lord of our live. Live life centered around that commitment. Be prepared to give an answer to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope you have. How can I be prepared? Read, study, and pray, and study more. How do we give an answer to those people? With gentleness and respect, not arrogantly or boastful. We didn't stumble upon these answers on our own strength. They were graciously revealed to us by the Holy Spirit from His Word.

Keep a clear conscience in speaking and giving an answer so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. We have a weak testimony if our answer is delivered with a hotty attitude or proud words. Christ was humble always; firm and unwavering, but truthful in love. Has our harsh answers or arrogant attitude gotten us anywhere with our husbands? I know it's not very effective communication when used against me. I need to remember to let the Holy Spirit do the convicting in their heart. God, please harness my tongue and help me speak in love to everybody.

To answer your question...

Q. So if your husband makes a bad decision, is it the wife's place to advise him of making a different decision or is it the wife's place to sit quietly by and suffer the consequences with the man?

An excellent question! First, above everything else, go to the scripture and discover your role as your husband’s wife. Nowhere do we find instruction to instruct our husband or give him advice without him asking for it first. This question prompted me to quote from one of my favorite books from Debi Pearl, “Created To Be His Help-Meet”:

God made you to be a helper to your husband so you can bolster him, making him more productive and efficient at whatever he chooses to do. You are not on the board of directors with an equal vote. You have no authority to set the agenda. But if he can trust you, he will make you his closest advisor, his confidente, his press, secretary, his head of state, his vice-president, his ambassador, his public relations expert, maybe even his speech writer – all at his discretion. A perfect helper is one who does not require a list of chores, as would a child. Her readiness to please motivates her to look around and see the things she knows her husband would like to see done. She would not use lame excuses to avoid these jobs. A man would know he had a fine woman if she were this kind of helper. Such a blessed husband would receive honor from other men as they admire and praise his handy wife. “A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband” (Proverbs 12:4). It is our job to learn how we can help our husbands in every way possible.

1 Peter 3:6B says "do what is right and do not give way to fear," meaning, we are to obey God's role for us as women and trust Him when our husbands make a bad choice. God has given us the answer to that very situation. He knew that our husband wouldn't always make the right decision or lead us down the perfect path everytime. But we are to trust God and not fear! God will stand by us when we stand by our man.

I hope this answers your question. :)

June 4 ~ 1 Peter 3:3-6

I Peter 3:3-6
Our beauty should not come solely from our outward physical appearance. Instead of spending hours and hours on our physical beauty, we should be focusing most effort on our inner self - the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. What does that look like?
- A woman who honours her husband above all men and regards him as her leader
- A woman who never speaks a negative word against her husband in private or to another individual
- A woman who studies scripture and applies it in her own life
- A woman who clings to God and the Holy Spirit for strength and power
- A woman who focuses attention on doing good deeds and nurturing her family
- A woman who is self-controlled, pure, busy at home (not lazy), kind, subject to her own husband. (Titus 2:5)

Do not give way to fear. (I Peter 3:6B) This suggests that submitting to our husband and following him could be scary and a little worrisome at times. I think the writer is absolutely bang on. A woman is afraid her husband won't lead well, or do something stupid, so she is always tempted to try leading herself or pushing her own idea on her husband. This is counter-productive. What person feels more confident to lead when they're being told by another that they're not doing a good job? Women destroy the leadership in their man. Instead of encouraging their man and praying for them, the woman takes over and tries to show him she can do a better job. How awful. But it happens everywhere and is a struggle in every marriage.