That’s enough of that!

Posted on Oct 7, 2013 in Uncategorized |


“For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do…” (v 3a)

Some Thoughts…

   As a follower of Jesus, I’ve made a conscious choice to choose God’s desires over human desires.  That is the plea that Peter makes with his readers in the verses…. Be done with the life that lives for self only.  Refuse to live another day like God is not who He says He is and choose His Kingdom instead of the demands and desires of this earthly life. 

   Refusing what “pagans” choose to do:  (also see Matthew 6:32; Isaiah2:6; I Corinthians 10:20).  The word pagans here is the Greek word “eoros”and it means any human activity out-side of God’s will, word, and Kingdom – It can be expressed in scripture many way such as “The Gentiles” or “the world.” In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus calls is followers to seek the Kingdom of God as their primary objective in life and refuse to run after the things that the “pagans” do.  So by choosing God’s Kingdom, I reject some things; I reject a worldly lifestyle. And Peter helps us understand what that lifestyle is by giving us a short list of some of those things I choose to walk away from:

  “Debauchery” – The insatiable thirst for more, “wantonness” – I choose to be satisfied with less and refuse to run after every little thing that looks to fill up my emptiness – I choose instead to be full of the Spirit.  

   “Lust” – This is any selfish desire that may burn in me; anything from the sexual lusts of my flesh, to the creature comforts of lazy luxury, to the food I put into my belly – I choose God’s will – His desire over my momentary pleasure.

   “Drunkenness” – We live in a world of addictive behavior. The context of this passage is alcohol abuse, but it can include all substances, anything we might use to escape reality.  I choose to face the harsh realities and inconsistencies of life face to face with Jesus as my armor, I need to feel the pain and not be medicated and numb.

  “Orgies, carousing” – The party life – clubbing, hob-knobbing – the modern dating scene of one-night-stands – running here and there in search of the next good time – sexual experimentation, casual sex, pornography …the list is endless…I choose to stay home…to have a meal with a hurting friend, to go worship at church instead of party at the lake…my “play-time” looks starkly different. 

   “Detestable idolatry” – In Peter’s day it was the temple prostitutes and strange rituals.  Today it is false doctrine and the religion of tolerance – I choose one God – Jehovah, my savior – Jesus Christ and His Spirit as my guide – I’m left looking odd even out of touch, but I choose God’s will over the world!

We’ve spent enough time looking like the world around us.  It’s time we start looking more like our Savior.

A Prayer…

Father, help me stay the course and keep my focus on you as I live in contrast to a world who can’t understand You and Your way and will…help me be an ambassador to those people who look at me in disgust.  Amen.


Armed with Jesus, I’m done with Sin…

Posted on Sep 30, 2013 in Uncategorized |


“Therefore, since Christ suffered (literally – died) in His body, arm yourself also with the same attitude, because He who has suffered (literally – died) in His body is done with sin.”  (v1)

Some Thoughts…

   As a person who is “in Christ”, I must come to grips with a couple of things that I must do as I live my everyday life with Jesus:

1)     Be ARMED with something: I’m not on this planet as a tourist, this is a war!  I was a prisoner of the enemy; bound by my own sin and chained in a cell of my own doing.  But now I am Free!  I’m set free by the powerful hand of God to overcome the tyrannies of self-centeredness (The very core of sin).  So I must put on armor… In this war there is only one suit of armor that can protect me – the attitude and mind of Jesus (see Philippians 2:5-11, and Ephesians 6:10-20).  There is freedom and power and real living in the sphere of Jesus’ thoughts and attitudes and humble disposition – He said, “come to Me all you who are weary and heavy burdened, I’ll give you rest…take my yoke upon you…” (Matthew 11:28-29)  I need to suite up with Jesus! This is a war… Not only do I need to put on the proper armor to protect me, there is something else I need to do.

2)     Be DONE with something:  I’m dead to sin – I’ve been crucified with Christ – I no longer live.  I am done with sin!  When Jesus said, “It is finished,” He was done dealing with sin!  He has broken its power – I must choose that same attitude, the mind-set that has a different focus.  I’m no longer fixated on my personal desires (whether is sensual, comfort driven, or wrapped up in personal pride) I am done with living life from my selfish perspective.  As Dr. Peterson paraphrases it in The Message – “Free to pursue what God wants instead of being tyrannized by what I want.”  There is a contrast here – a choice of life-styles “evil human desires” or “the will (or desire) of God.  In my day-to-day life my perspective has now been forever changed – His desires – God’s purposes – not my monetary comfort or my efforts to save face and avoid personal shame or ridicule.  My life is lost in the life of Jesus, and there I find freedom to be the person he created me to be.

A Prayer…

   Father, help me to suit up with Jesus today – All of Him – His attitudes (humility, servant hood, forgiveness)  His power and His personal reality – Jesus help me today to embrace your presence as my only reality and truly to be done with sin and self-made living!.  Amen.


Never Lose Sight of the Victory!

Posted on Sep 23, 2013 in Uncategorized |


“For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God …” (v18)

Some Thoughts…

   There are two very confusing ideas presented in this section that can totally distract one from the point Peter was trying to make…1) Did Jesus go into Hell and preach a “second chance” sermon?  2)  Is baptism necessary for salvation?  But before I get bogged down in Theology and non-essentials, let me remind myself again what it is that Peter is saying;  This is the ending of a section that started in 3:13 and goes through 4:6, and the single message can be stated, “blessings follow suffering for well-doing” – and in these verses Peter is pointing to Jesus as our model example and the One who has the greatest victory in the battle against all that is evil that would come against all that is righteous – Jesus beat death!  He proclaimed His victory, made the way for salvation and now presides over the universe until it is time for His return (see v22).

But, what about those two hard questions?

1)Did Jesus go into Hell?

– There are two different schools of thought 1) He did go “by the spirit” into the place where these “Spirits” or imprisoned angels (See Revelation 20:8, 2 Peter 2:45, Jude 6) to proclaim victory, not preach an evangelistic message.   2)  The other thought is this:  (to understand it we must look closely at the Greek wording), and we could interpret v18b-20 like this – “Jesus died, then He, by His power, made Himself alive in the Spirit – in the same spiritual form that was present with Noah as he built the ark and proclaimed to those who would be disobeyed by the flood.”  – A time of over 120 years (Genesis 6:3) when God was so patient and no one repented except 8 people. (see 2 Peter 3:9) – Either way, He did not go and preach a “get out of Hell” sermon to give the condemned a second chance. Nor did Jesus spend time suffering for our sins in Hell… that was taken care of on the Cross!

2) Does baptism save me?

The phrase “baptism that now saves you” could be misunderstood to mean something it does not at face value – but in context, we can see that Peter’s illustration of the water and the flood made him connect it’s similarities in that what looked like death and judgment for the world turned out to raise up the boat and save Noah and his family…no, water didn’t save – God saved through Noah’s obedience.  So it is for baptism (Peter even calls it a symbol or a “type” here in v21) and makes the point that it is not an outer washing, but a symbol of an inner pledge (or covenant) with God and the accepting of His sacrifice and forgiveness to give a clear conscience before Him. – So to answer the question; NO Baptism is a symbol of the miraculous transformation brought about by Jesus in every believer

   It is the resurrection that saves! (v21b).  It is Christ’s victory and blessing after enduring suffering…He wins and we belong to Him…no more fear of man or temporary pain…life lived in Christ – and the gift of a clear conscience as we have been brought into the very presence of God (v18).

 A Prayer…

Father, I will live today fully alive because of You.  Your Spirit is in me and I am blessed regardless of my outward groanings and pain! Jesus let me live with “Resurrection Victory!” Amen.

Gentleness, Respect, and a Clear Conscience

Posted on Sep 17, 2013 in Uncategorized |


“Keeping a clean conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. (v 16)

Some Thoughts…

   It seems that at times I can justify my over-bearing and obnoxious behavior behind the facade of my “Christian witness” – I can think I’m glorifying God even if I make others mad or defensive while I point out to them their short-comings without a Savior.  But, here in these four verses is another gentle reminder of what it looks like to have a “clean conscience” in Christ.

  The phrase before the command to keep my conscience clear tells us to use gentleness and respect when engaging unbelievers in dialogue with the Gospel…Our conscience will quickly let us know when we are going too far…We know it because we start to make justifications for our harshness, and when we hear ourselves making excuses for upsetting the status quo of a lost soul. When that happens we know we are walking up the wrong path.  We must live as Jesus did; loving the lost, showing great care for them, and patiently guiding them to TRUTH.

   In the Gospels we never see Jesus (I don’t think anyway) fighting with the irreligious.  We only see Jesus getting angry at religious folks, but with the rabble of society…the regular Joe; He shows patience and compassion.  Many time simply doing good for them with no explanation of why or how, and He waited (not always, but many times) for people to ask questions… And with a clear conscience toward God, He could talk to them about sin, suffering, and salvation.  And with that same clear conscience He could stand against evil and societal injustice many times placing Himself in harm’s way and becoming the target of angry mobs, but His conscience was clear toward God…because just as Peter reminds us in v18, His focus was on saving the world.

   His conscience was clear of self-will and self-glory. He had one goal – that God would get the glory by bringing salvation to all who would believe. And that is our calling – not to be sand in the shoe of society, but salt to season the planet and not to be a blinding beam in someone’s face, but a helpful light to shine on the path that will lead us home…And when Christ becomes our single goal (not just our top priority) our conscience begins to clear and no matter the situation, whether to suffer or to soar on wings like eagles, we can and will live fully and completely the way God intends. with gentleness, respect, and a Clear Conscience

A Prayer…

Father, I want a clear conscience and a gentle and respectful soul.  Remove all the things in me that would keep that reality from me, so that I can be completely Yours – for Your glory!  Amen.  

Fearlessness and the Lordship of Jesus

Posted on Sep 9, 2013 in Uncategorized |


Read Book I Peter 3:13-15

“Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.” 
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord… (V14v-15a)

Some Thoughts…

   What am I really afraid of?  The opinions of people, momentary pain, failure, loss of money and creature comforts…the unknown…

   Peter is calling believers to join in the sufferings of Christ… To become so identified with Jesus that His battle for souls becomes ours…and part of that is enduring suffering from those who don’t understand or are fearful of the truth of the Gospel…following Jesus is a fearful thing.  It seems to promise frustrating situations (see Psalm 34:17-22), but if we can make an internal “heart” choice to see Jesus as He is; the Lord of ALL – then life can be managed outside of fear.  Instead of being directed by the fear or an uncertain outcome, faith and hope in Christ can take the “what ifs” out of the way and replace them with “what is God doing and how can I worship Him through the pain?”

  For it is that kind of fearless confidence that makes people give a double-take…to stop and ask why you are so sure when things seem so unsure; how can you smile in the middle of so much pain?  And if by some miracle of God I am able to see Christ “set apart” – made Holy as God and King of every moment…when that rare questions comes – “How do you do it?” or, “How do you cope so well?” or, why so calm?”  When my eyes are locked on Jesus…as the One I’ve set up in my inner-most thoughts and emotions as the ONE who heals, saves, creates, and corrects and protects…I’m ready to answer…It is easy to pass the pop quizzes of life when you are staring at the answer…

I possess HOPE in Christ!
(So, I must live like it…full of humble confidence and not in fearful frustrations.)

A Prayer…

Father, the next time You test me with a negative circumstance, may I be so centered in Christ that I pass the test without a second thought. But when I fail again, help me look quickly into the face of the ONE who calms my fears and set my feet upon the Rock.  Amen

May I live today in a way that would cause someone to stop and wonder about my faith in Christ.


Called to be a Blessing in Tense Times (Part 2)

Posted on Sep 3, 2013 in Uncategorized |


“For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer,
BUT the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”  (V 12)

Some Thoughts…

Peter uses Psalm 34:15-16 to help make his point about our words and actions:

1)     Our words really mattering to God as they reflect a harmonious, sympathetic, compassionate, and humble spirit.

2)     Our actions flow from that same spirit.

And the question is; will we choose to turn to His ways or live selfishly?  Will we seek peace and pursue it until it is the norm in our lives or will we “go negative” and choose to use our words and actions to lash out at others and show disdain for God’s providence…What will be our choice?  It is a deadly war we fight, but we have a mighty advocate in Christ…and He is looking into our hearts to see if we will choose Him (see 2 Chronicles 16:9 and I John 5:14-15).

But, I must stop for a moment and ask myself for an honest assessment of my life… Am I choosing Jesus and His way over my own attempts to navigate through life?  If God is looking at me (I believe He is looking at each of us), am I getting the mercy of His eyes and ears or the sternness of His face of judgment?  What is my life to Him?  He wants closeness – to listen to my whispering thoughts and interact in spiritual conversation.  Do I include Him there or am I distant and detached?  He wants to look deep into my need and my brokenness and bring His sustaining touch to heal and make right the wrong. But do I slow myself long enough for His eyes to see my need, or do I think I can hide it from Him, me, and everyone in an attempt to fix it all myself?  Like a loving parent desires the closeness of his child, God longs to see and hear me, but am I being so stubborn and rebellious that I refuse to live by His ways or listen to the reasons of the “no’s” and “yeses” of life that He gives.

God offers His life to me…will I accept Him or refuse Him – either way, He is looking at me – will I receive His eyes and ears or His frustrated face?  The choice is mine.

A Prayer…

Father, I cry out for mercy…Please hear my prayer, I confess my sin of self-preservation and my impatience with people while I make excuses for my actions and words…Look at me and listen to Your child.  I want it Your way…I’ll take whatever discipline is necessary to make me right and I will accept your gift of life – Your way, not mine.  Thank You for Your long-suffering mercy.  Amen.


Called to be a Blessing in Tense Times (Part 1)

Posted on Aug 27, 2013 in Uncategorized |


Read 1 Peter 3:8-12

 “…Because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”  (v 9 b)

Some Thoughts…

   This is our calling; to be like Christ (see Philippians 2:1-11; 1 Peter 2:20-21).  And in times of high stress and confusing information we must choose to follow that calling and model our lives after Jesus…And here Peter wraps up his appeal for us to join in the suffering of Christ with some very practical and relational ways to live with each other…and it is important to note that this is for ALL believers, not just the “strong” “spiritual’ ones (see v 8)


“Finally, all of you”…

1)     “Live in Harmony” – literally – be “like-minded” – choosing to see the other’s perspective, even submitting to their view – it is an art of finding the common ground in Christ and pursuing the things that matter…even agreeing to disagree in the small things so that God’s Kingdom is advanced and ours is diminished.

2)     “Be sympathetic” – literally – “to feel with” or to have “fellow feelings” – it is that self-forgetfulness that allows us to mourn with those who mourn and laugh with those who laugh even when we are not personally touched with tragedy or success (Romans 12:15).  It means refusing to ignore someone’s pain no matter how silly or weak his or her emotional state may appear to us; and it leads us to the next level of relationship that God is calling his church; to love deep like we are family…

3)     “Love as brothers” – The Greek word is “Phileo” – it means “Family Love” – it is that built in nature that says, “we are family and no matter what you’ve done, you will always be my sister, brother, parent…” Family love never lets go…never stops praying…never walks away… and always stands waiting and watching while our prodigals have their moments of departure…. God calls us to be “Family”. 

4)     “Be compassionate” – “Kind-hearted” – the meaning of this phrase literally deals with the inner organs – feeling for someone deep down, so much that it hurts to see them hurt…It is the same word used by Jesus when He saw the crowds of people that made Him weep.  (Matthew 7:36)  We are called to care deeply for those living around us, those marginalized in our society…the out-cast and the ostracized…no one needs to be left behind!

5)     “Be Humble” – literally – to be “bowed down” or lowly – Now this gets tough – living with a sober view of self, seeing others as equal, or even better than me…choose the role of the server when we feel the “servee” would be more fitting to wait on us.

6)     “Repay with blessing not evil” – literally this Greek phrase says, “to speak well of”.  We choose to not get even with our words… We refuse to pass final judgment, trusting that God will have the final say… We choose grace over personal justice, when slapped, we turn the other cheek.  Choose words to build up and not tear down is never easy when the object of those words has hit our last nerve!

Now, we are getting down to it – EMPTYING OF SELF, so there is room for Jesus. And when there is room for Jesus the angels sing and mountains move and lives are set on an eternal highway! 

A Prayer…

Oh, God, make me like Jesus, so I can live out Your calling in my life…Amen.


One Verse Wake-up Call for Husbands

Posted on Aug 20, 2013 in Uncategorized |


“Husbands, in the same way…”

Some Thoughts…

   This little verse does not quite fit with the context of “submission in the face of injustice” – To me that is very important to notice…Peter does not want to leave the discussion of marriage as a one sided responsibility of women giving all and men taking all…no, not at all!  Peter stops and addresses the ones who holds the power in their day and says – Now for us men, we must be like Jesus too (in the same way) with gentleness and a willing submission to the needs of the one God has given us to be our life partner…and here is Peter’s advice to the husband, quick and to the point, so pay attention:

1)     “Be considerate” – or, better said; “know your wife” – literally it says “live according to knowledge” – It is the sacred task of every husband to gain deep understanding of his wife – know what makes her tick, her likes, dislikes, fears, and dreams…know her. And know her well!

2)     “As you live with your wives” – The phase “Live with your wife” calls men to cultivate closeness…don’t run off to focus on your personal hobbies and duties and leave her on the sideline of your life…you’ve made a commitment – Live with her, share who you are with her, avoid things that exclude her…be present in her life…share her experiences, not just your own – it’s a life partnership. Give an ear to her need to tell you about her day, and then open your mouth and tell her about yours. Share your life with her!

3)     “And treat them with respect” – Honor your wife – There are two very important facts about our wives that husbands must treasure and value and guard with our lives – 1) She is physically weaker, like a precious and fragile vase – not weaker emotionally or mentally, but for sure without the benefits that men enjoy in a male dominated world.  She has delicate beauty to be protected, honored and celebrated as only her husband can.  2) She is co-heir with me – she is my equal in Christ, my partner, not my servant and it is my duty to elevate her life more and more every day.

  

And why is all of this important?  “So that nothing will hinder your prayers.”   My relationship with Christ (as His bride) is intertwined with my relationship with my bride.  It is that important!

A Prayer…

   Father, make me a husband like You…with life-giving love and self-giving patience; with a heart to know Julie in deeper and deeper ways as we grow toward eternity…May I live with her in wisdom, understanding, and respect of the precious treasure that she is…make me a husband like You.  Amen.


Submit???

Posted on Aug 13, 2013 in Uncategorized |


“Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husband so that if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over…” (v 1)
Some Thoughts…



   OK, now we turn to what is a very touchy subject in today’s world. It is one of those “hot-buttons” that give folks reason to argue that Christianity is outdated and out of touch with reality.

Women called to submit?!  Are you serious?! Call their husbands “master”?!  Women are weaker… WHAT?  This sounds so Mid-evil!!!

   But we need to take a breath and hear the heart of God…and see how this passage empowers women to live by faith.  The context of this discussion goes back to 2:13 where Peter calls ALL believers (male and female) to live a submissive life in an unjust world – “for the sake of Christ!” And that is the message here. The point is to live like Jesus, not the world, and one example of that is a believing wife married to an unbeliever choosing Christ-likeness in hopes that the man could believe. – God’s ways are not the ways of this world.  Manipulating and nagging will never accomplish His work of salvation…it takes more than outward beauty or persuasive words…it goes deeper to inner beauty and gentleness.

   Remember again the context:  “Submission in the face of injustice.”  Peter’s words to Christian women was powerful…It said they mattered, they had a choice…God’s plan will work, if they stick with it…and at the core of it all is the Glory of Jesus and our faith in Him to carry us through as we trust the power of meekness to overcome this harsh world…But Peter doesn’t just talk to the women, He tells the husbands a thing or two as well. (We’ll get into that next time), but for now, let’s focus on the responsibility of the woman’s side of the marriage…. (I use Chuck Swindoll’s outline):

1)     Analyze your actions (v1-2)– Submit don’t manipulate, pray, show by example the love of Jesus to a lost husband or a backslidden one…trust God not your own womanly ways.
2)     Watch your adornment (v3)– Don’t just focus on outward beauty and neglect the most important part – the inner person – the place where you and Jesus are connected.
3)     Check your attitude (v4)– A gentle-quiet spirit is hard to come by when the man seems disconnected or unresponsive…But God needs time to work on His heart.
4)     Evaluate your attention (v5-6)How do you treat him, how important are his dreams, are you supporting his decisions or shooting every crazy idea down that comes out of his mouth?  Are you empowering him or emasculating him?

A Prayer…

   Father, give me wisdom to understand this very complex issue of submission and the depth of the marriage relationship… It is just not that easy…have mercy, Lord. Amen.


How could I miss the cross of Christ?

Posted on Aug 5, 2013 in Uncategorized |


“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness…”
(v 24a)

Some Thoughts…

   I almost missed this!  How could I?  In reading this passage on God’s call to suffer for the sake of righteousness, I coldly read over these words so academically.   But I need to See the example of Jesus’ suffering as an exclamation point to Peter’s persuasive words to call believers to the meekness of living right in a wrong and often unjust world…

  Jesus is our example – The One we mustfollow and pattern our lives after, but there is something else here – power and passion and healing.  Jesus did not go through the pain of crucifixion just to give me warm fuzzies…No, He willingly took my sin…our sin…He identified with me on such a level that all the darkness in me was His burden, His problem, His weakness – He died with my sin, so I could die to my sinful self-centered lifestyle.  He died in my sin so I could be cured of my sin-sickness…

   His wounds become our medicine for healing from self-inflicted scars to scars left by an unjust and many times uncaring world – We are healed from all of it!  It is no longer our burden to carry.  When we identify with the cross of Christ, we die to self-preservation and seeking our own will and way…

   I am alive in Christ!  Every situation where I find myself is one in which Jesus is now very present, and I live in His righteousness so that the wrong can be overcome by Him in me…I’m no longer like a lost sheep wandering unprotected and exposed to the ravaging wolves…No, I have returned to the Shepherd (v 25).  In the original language “returned” is in the passive form here…so I’ve been returned – I’ve been carried back into the arms of the Good Shepherd, the Overseer or Protector of my soul…my soul, not my flesh…my life is lived for another world…in this life I choose the example of the meek and mild Jesus who took on injustice in ways that look like defeat…so I will submit for the Lord’s sake (2:13)…I will live completely identified with Isaiah’s suffering servant; my Lord Jesus Christ.

How could I miss the cross of Christ?

A Prayer…

Father, keep that History changing moment ever before my eyes; that dark day that You cried out “It is finished”; that weekend of turmoil and suffering; those days of abandonment by all those who said they would die for You; those hopeless three days You lay in the tomb; and the glorious day with You arose of crushed sin and death once and for all…the Cross…the wonderful cross…that ends death and removes the sting of injustice…and find victory in a Risen Savior who defeated the worst in all of us so that we could be healed…don’t let me forget.  Amen.


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