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Showing posts from May, 2020
For the  one who wants to love life and to see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit, and let him turn away   from evil and do what is good. Let him seek peace and pursue it, because 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 what is evil. 1 Peter 3:10-12 CSB This life of love and humility that is the family business we are inheriting, the walking in the light, Peter gives  another view to his readers who would've known this song he is quoting from - Psalm 34. This Psalm tells us that what we say is important (it comes from the heart) What we look at is important (shows our heart orientation) What we do and what we seek is important (it shows our love for God and for people) Peter gives another view, to make sure we get it.  Get what's important. This life of love and humility that we are called to, living before the face of...
Finally, all of you be like-minded and sympathetic,  love one another,  and be compassionate and humble, not paying back evil for evil or insult for insult  but,  on the contrary,  giving a blessing,  since you were called for this,  so that you may inherit a blessing. 1 Peter 3:8-9 CSB Welcome to the family business!  This is how we get a taste of our inheritance, a taste of what we've already received, and what's coming.  Blessing. "Eulogeo" "eu" means well, good "logos" word, reason To speak reason which confers benefit. To bless. To speak words that bless when insulted. To speak words that bless when we have been sinned against, when we see or experience evil actions. This is the family business that we're inheriting, which is just as well, because this is a super human requirement.  I simply can't do that on my own. But this is what Peter calls us to aim for as we live out loving one another. This is what humility looks like.  ...
Friday! Proverbs! Differing weights and differing measures - the Lord detests them both. Proverbs 20:10 NIV This proverb is set in the world of commerce. Where produce is weighed or measured, and the person doing the weighing and measuring is in a position of power. Are they using the same weight or measure when buying and selling. This person has the ability to use their position of trust and expertise to take advantage. I have to trust my mechanic, plumber, lawyer...etc...all of us somewhere, sometime, are in that position of having power or authority over another person. How do we use that? Our God is interested in our hearts. And he's seriously unhappy with anyone who's heart leads to taking advantage of another person.  How we live in this world matters, how we see people, how we treat one another matters, because it's the outworking of our heart. #loveGod #lovepeople #befair #itsaheartthing #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon
Finally,  all of you  be like-minded  and sympathetic,  love one another,  and be compassionate and humble... 1 Peter 3:8 CSB Here's some over riding instruction for all of us. Given all that Peter has written so far this is the heart attitude that we are to cultivate and hold. He's speaking to us, together, to be like-minded and sympathetic. We can't be like-minded on our own.  We can't be sympathetic on our own.  This requires us to have others in our lives, to have a heart towards others.  Love  Compassion Humility. This verse that I can skim over and say "that's nice" is now becoming an impossible standard.  I run out of compassion, lose sight of humility, don't want to be like minded, and loving others is just too hard.  And I need Jesus.  To quietly say I'm here, keep going, keep walking with me, and you'll discover reservoirs of compassion, reserves of love that I'll top up.  You're not alone  I've walked this ...
Likewise, wives... Likewise, husbands... 1 Peter 3:1, 7 ESV In this letter we're reminded that we've been born again into the living hope that is Jesus. Called to holiness - even when facing trials - holiness that is ours only thru Jesus blood, and as a result calls us to love one another. Really love. In Ch 2 we are called to lead with humility and grow into this people who are the dwelling place of God, living stones with Jesus as the foundation.  That we are called out of the dark and are now children of the Light. And to live in the freedom that gives,  as well as the humility that comes from knowing the source of that freedom, the price Jesus paid.  And we're called to follow Jesus example, suffering in the world, and for the world. Called to follow Jesus example in relationship to the world we live in, and now here in Ch 3, in relationship with one another.  Likewise. This is not a tick the box activity but choosing to follow Jesus in every part of our lives, t...
For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd  and Overseer  of your souls. 1 Peter 2:25 ESV Rest. A lot of people seem to have (re)discovered the value of rest as we've been in restrictions in response to the threat of Covid 19. We need someone or something to rest in.  Pete reminds us that there is a Shepherd.  Someone who not only can lead us to still waters, but is that water that we need. He reminds us that there is an Overseer of our souls.  Someone bigger. Someone bigger who sees the landscape from a different perspective, who not only is for us, is good, and holy, and true. Someone bigger who is looking out for our soul. Someone bigger who we can find rest in, no matter what our circumstances, what we face, our very soul is seen, known, and loved. Rest in the Good Shepherd, our souls Overseer.  #someonebigger #overseerofyoursoul #safe #seen #known #dearlyloved
For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd  and Overseer  of your souls. 1 Peter 2:25 ESV Sheep wandering off, unaware of danger, unaware that they're wandering away from food, water, shelter, safety. My wandering off is more in my mind, my thinking, that I can save myself, that I don't need God or you, that I can make sense of everything without reference to God...and I drift off, lose sight of the Big Story, lose sight of who He is, what Jesus did, where my hope lies...and I quietly stop praying... connecting, asking, waiting on God. Like a sheep wandering off. I buy into the story my culture pushes, buy into the lies that pop into my mind, look through the lens of my circumstances, and wander off. Reread the letter from the beginning to here, and be reintroduced to the Good Shepherd, the Overseer of your soul, and rest in Him today. See today through his eyes, confront the lies with his truth. Take him at his word today. Simply follow Jesus toda...
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree... By his wounds you have been healed. 1 Peter 2:24 ESV Our wounds cannot do it. Our hurt, suffering, sacrifice, giving, effort,  cannot do it.  I think that I can save myself if I'm good enough, do enough, am enough. But I cannot do it.  I can't even live up to my own standard, let alone Gods. But Jesus. He was enough. The once for all, for all time atonement has been made, the putting right has been done. His wounds  His wounds for my healing, for yours, for ours.  And so we are enough. By His wounds  Changed.  And being changed  By his wounds Jesus doesn't ask for payment (how could we anyway) but to simply follow him, to respond towards the Father, and towards others out of and in response to, the love and grace we have received.  May this be our portion today.  #sunday #worship #thisisourGod #byhiswounds #loveGod #lovepeople
and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross,  so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. 1 Peter 2:24 NASB The cross. My sin, my choosing my own way, my selfishness,  carried in Jesus body somehow on the cross.  All of that combined heart rebellion of the human racem, of all of us, focussed on one person on a Roman cross.  So that. So that we can leave our sin there. The penalty for our sin is paid right there, and choose to live for righteousness. There's a day by day, choice by choice stepping into that righteousness.  The world, our circumstances, our enemy the Liar, and my own heart's ability to make new ways to sin conspire against us stepping into righteousness. We're there. And we're getting there. But the penalty for my sin was and is borne by Jesus on the cross.  By His wounds I am healed.  And being healed. The mystery, power, weakness, strength,  humility, glory, sacrifice, suffer...
Friday! Proverbs! Who can say,  "I have made my heart pure;  I am clean from my sin"? Proverbs 20:9 ESV I like to think I can.  Two ways come to mind.  One is by setting up my own moral code, make my own rules about what is right and wrong, truth and error, good and evil. The problem is that I can't even live to my own rules & expectations. Or I try and live up to someone else's right and wrong code.  Try. And try. Fail becomes Failure  When I cannot live up to my own code, let alone yours, society's, God's.  It all gets too much.  Too far. I am not and cannot be enough. And then there's Grace. The cross. Jesus. The one who had no sin, who's heart is pure,  who made a way. Believing in His life, His death, cleanses my sin, purifies my heart before God. And His resurrection is the living hope that we can live in, & that the cleansing and purifying work of the Spirit can keep working in our hearts as we await our own resurrection. But t...
For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.  He did not commit sin,  and no deceit was found in his mouth;  when he was insulted, he did not insult in return; when he suffered,  he did not threaten  but entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. 1 Peter 2:21-23 CSB Jesus example, even when under immense pressure he did not sin. Spoke only the truth. Did not insult or threaten.  Under pressure I have sinned, lied, insulted back and threatened. All of the above. But the secret revealed here is not changing my thoughts and actions and words, both the ones that run around in my head and the ones I say out loud. Good and important to do those things. The secret sauce, the key ingredient, is that Jesus trusted in someone bigger. His Heavenly Father. Following Jesus example can't be done without trusting in someone bigger. We'll always come up short. Romans 8:1 says there is n...
But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 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. 1 Peter 2:20-21 ESV Enduring. Suffering  Following in Jesus footsteps...is this what I signed up for? This enduring that Peter talks of is not out there for everyone to see. His context is a household slave, and who gets to see that except the abusive boss, and God. No one sees. But God  And this is our calling.  We sometimes like to ask about "what is God calling me to", and now we know... he is not calling us to be miserable, to do this alone, or not to share our story, but he is calling us to follow Jesus no matter what our circumstances.  Just what that looks like for the church scattered and persecuted that Peter was writing to, and what that looks like for you, and for me, might be quite different. We have a saviour who stepped do...
For this is a gracious thing,  when, mindful of God,  one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 1 Peter 2:19 ESV Suffering unjustly. Peter couches this in the lived experience of his readers where some of them are household slaves.  Peter's key point is that there is unjust suffering. No doubt you've experienced it.  Someone you love has experienced it. Every day the news cycle has accounts of unjust suffering. The Bible is open about this, and Peter goes on to speak courage into unjust hurt, and, brings us back to the gospel. To Jesus. To the truly just one. Who suffered unjustly. To the cross. Does this magically make everything OK and easy?  Does it neatly answer the 'why' and 'why me' questions? No. Somehow we get to wrestle with all of Peter's letter to this point. The big picture of who Jesus is, that we have stepped out of darkness into the light, that our life is wrapped in Jesus, that we are chosen, loved, redeemed. And  There is unjust sufferi...
Honor everyone.  Love the brothers and sisters.  Fear God.  Honor the emperor. 1 Peter 2:17 CSB Is this a "to-do" list or a checklist that Pete ends this passage with? In a way, yes. It's a heart orientation check. How is my heart oriented looking up to God, and out to others? Am I facing today, stepping into today with humility. With grace. With love. Towards God  Towards people  A "to-do" list for the heart. If we want an example of how to live like this we have Jesus example. How he lived in outward orientation to His Father, and towards people. How he led with humility, with grace, and love. How he lived in relation to the government, those who interrupted, those in need. Reorienting my heart outward is a good way to start the day, but for me can be required anytime... #monday #Godsgym #itsaheartthing #todolistfortheheart #loveGod #lovepeople 
Submit to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the emperor as the supreme authority or to governors as those sent out by him... For it is God's will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good. Submit as free people, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but as God's slaves. 1 Peter 2:13-16 CSB It's easy to get lost in the first part of this passage about submitting to in our case, the government.  Peter bookends this with "because of the Lord" and "God's slaves".  He pulls us up to the big picture, takes us back to Ch1 who Jesus is, what he did, and our position now first and foremost as living to honour God, as free people, living in the light. And honouring God he calls us here to honour the government of the day, and, to live by doing good.  Especially if I don't agree with some of what the government does.  For centuries this has led Christians to save abandoned babies, tend to the sick and dying,...
Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong,  they will see your honorable behavior,  and they will give honor to God when he judges the world. 1 Peter 2:12 NLT How we live in the world is important. I'm not sure how the eternal consequences that Peter refers to here works, but how we live matters.  We've heard of plenty of sound bites this week of churches and church leaders in the media as all organisations wrestled with the current Level 2 restrictions.  Even the sound bites of our lives matter. But no matter what sound bite is heard, the witness of our actions, the way we live and serve where we live, in our community,  should drown out any stray noise. How we live matters #Godsgym #lovepeople #kingdomvalues #upsidedownkingdom #Jesuscameasaservant #howilivematters
Friday! Proverbs! A king sitting on a throne to judge separates out all evil with his eyes. Proverbs 20:8 CSB Did Solomon just slip this in to let people know that he knows everything about them? It seems to be about the perspective of the king. He has info about my actions and so can judge rightly. He has absolute power over the person being judged, power of life and death, and maybe in that the motives of the heart are revealed? Or does this proverb really show the inability of a person to really judge the heart of another and what lurks there, and points us to the One who can see the motives of our hearts. Sees all that is there. And loves us anyway. Loves us too much to stay on the throne, but made himself small, and entered into our story. Our King does not sit on a throne in judgement, but hangs on a cross bearing our judgement. His eyes see my heart, and loves anyway. #dearlyloved #childrenofGod
Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and exiles to abstain from sinful desires that wage war against the soul. 1 Peter 2:11 CSB Dear friends.  Peter is not talking down to us, not lecturing or telling us off, but is alongside, with an arm around us. Dear friends is the word  "agapetos" which means "beloved". Pete is writing to people he loves. We are being written to as beloved. And as strangers and exiles in the place we live. Scattered, isolated, far from the support systems and people we need.  Far perhaps from accountability. Where is the battle that Pete describes? It's not "out there", but within. Envy is not about what you have, but what I want - see where the battle is - it's in my heart  And we all have them. Different flavours. But they're there. Often they're good things that we look for in the wrong places. Acceptance  Belonging Pete is writing to us, wanting us to commune together, and to commune with God, and to walk in His l...
Once you were not a people,  but now you are God's people;  you had not received mercy,  but now you have received mercy. 1 Peter 2:10 CSB Peter is writing to the church scattered. And being persecuted. They had been together. Their circumstances had been better. But their circumstances did not make them God's people, and their circumstances were not an accurate indicator of God's mercy. I often make the same mistake.  My circumstances, whether good or tough, do not change my position, my place with God, and they don't change His mercy, grace and love towards me. Or you. We are God's people. We have received mercy. When difficulty, hardship, loss, grief, despair are in our face it's hard to hold this. That's why we need one another, to hold our hope when we cannot, to see our future when we can't, to shoulder our burdens when they just seem too heavy to hold. We are God's people.  We. #childrenofGod #dearlyloved #itsOKnottobeOK #itsOKtoaskforhelp #in...
But you are a chosen race,  a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9 CSB "But you..." Peter compares those who have rejected Jesus with those who have chosen him. But you. Takes us back to Exodus 19v6 and Deuteronomy 7v6-8 where God's chosen people were redeemed, rescued, set apart...and now that is for all who believe in Jesus, as Pete says back in V3 if you've tasted that the Lord is good, called out of darkness. Into the light. But you. Called into God's light. We're going to have some of our freedom returned to us this week after about 40 days, and that feels good. Imagine freedom after generations under Egyptian rule. Slaves. Level 2 feels like freedom, but it's nothing like the freedom we have as God's chosen. And Peter's response? Praise. Thankfulness Singing Writing Creating Loving others praise. But yo...
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." 1 Peter 2:6 ESV The last word is one of those "under the radar" themes that is woven through scripture. Shame. It holds us down, holds us back. Shane accuses. We live in fear of it and because of it. We've all felt it. (even though it can seem that I'm the only one who has) Shame isolates. And in this passage we have Jesus, the rejected one. He knows. He knows what it's like. And he knows what it is to be chosen and  precious to our heavenly father. And like an overwhelming flood, love washes our shame away. Believe in Jesus. Our shame is gone. #chosen #precious #shamewashedawaybylove #restinthattoday
As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God  chosen  and precious,  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. 1 Peter 2:4-5 ESV Not only is construction underway of this community made of living stones, of which we are a part, made up of not some select group, but of all of us, we also are becoming a holy priesthood, who get to meet with God, commune with Him, and bring Him something in response. Hebrews 13:15 describes that as "the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name", Romans 12:1 as our bodies! Who we are, how we live in the world, what we say, what we do...that is our worship.  We don't have to worry about being good enough, meeting the standard, being acceptable, because we are  chosen and  precious We are being built up.  We are a work in progress. Today, simply bring w...
As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen  and  precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house,  to be a holy priesthood... 1 Peter 2:4-5 ESV God's people are scattered. And being persecuted. Yet God is at work in them. Peter is writing to Jewish believers who were brought up on the temple being where God dwelled, priests from a certain genealogy, and only they could offer appropriate sacrifices.  Peter is saying now it's you that is being made into that temple, the place where God dwells, you as a community. Together. God is no longer "over there", but in here. It's personal and it's communal.  And it's a work in progress. We go past a building site or where a new road is being built and for ages nothing much seems to be happening...God is like that, in His time He's at work engineering, building, working away... Stick with Him. Even when we can't see progress, or can...
Yes it's Friday! The righteous who walks in his integrity - blessed are his children after him! Proverbs 20:7 ESV The word translated integrity here is: completeness, integrity, also part of the high priest's breastplate In Eph 6 a key piece of the armour of God is the breastplate of righteousness. While this proverb was written hundreds of years before Jesus, it points us to him. There is only one who walked righteous. We are the blessed children. Children of God. Whether our parents were good examples of Jesus or not, if we are the chosen, adopted, children of the Righteous One because of the life he lived, and the death he died, to make a way for us.  As a result, we get to put on the the great high priest's breastplate, of righteousness.  No matter what we face today, we get to walk in that. #armour #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon #childrenofGod
As you come to him, a living stone  rejected by men  but in the sight of God chosen  and  precious,  you yourselves like living stones... 1 Peter 2:4-5 ESV Jesus is the living stone, the permanent building material, not sure that living concrete slab quite captures it, maybe heart timber, or living steel beams, but it's all about building, and note that we are included as the same thing. By coming to Him. By faith. Living stones. We're now made of the same stuff, being used for the same purpose. And in this Jesus was rejected by people, yet chosen and precious to God. How much energy and thought do we waste trying to be accepted, acceptable, to people,  and forget that we are already chosen and precious to God. Rest in that today. We're already acceptable. We're already accepted. #chosen #youareofimmeasurableworth #accepted #loved
Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation - if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. 1 Peter 2:2-3 ESV A newborn doesn't care whether KFC is open or not, what Level 3 allows or doesn't... Where is our source of spiritual goodness? Often I get distracted by what others have to say about God's word. People who are smarter, have spent a lifetime studying, are great communicators.  Peter is encouraging us to go back to the source for ourselves, and often. The person, Jesus.  The word, the word made flesh. Our Living Hope from Chapter 1. The words and testimonies of others are good and challenging and encouraging, but they are no substitute for our own opening of God's Word, our own testimony. Go to the Word as your source, and go there often... #loveGod #realfood #Godsgym
Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander. 1 Peter 2:1 CSB Therefore read Chap 1. The gospel. The Living Hope, the eternal perspective that we can see the things of this world, the troubles and the struggles...therefore rid yourself of all this. But Pete, I'm not that person! None of those words describe me surely! Well there is that person who is so annoying that somedays... Was I 100% straight up when I said that? There's times when I don't practice what i preach, wish I was living "there" in iso... Yes I've run people down (we're not even driving, but their reputation) Yes I have all of these attributes.  Malice. Deceit. Hypocrisy. Envy. Slander  Mostly well hidden from you.  Hidden from view. But they're there. The anti-love's The anti-one anothers In light of Chap 1, get rid of them. If it was a one-time clean up that would be easy, but it seems that my heart manufactures this stuff, and often I don...
And this word is the gospel that was proclaimed to you. 1 Peter 1:25 CSB But Peter, I've already heard the gospel and responded to it, why are you writing this now? We're under pressure, scattered all over the place. What have you got for us? And Peter says; the gospel. Read this intro to my letter anytime. If you're feeling hopeful, it will remind you why and where to place that hope. If you're feeling hopeless, lost, in despair, this intro to my letter is realistic about this life, and does give direction as how to live, but it's wrapped up in the big picture of who Jesus is, and the living hope that we have in him. He is our living hope. Come back here every day, many times a day if you need to, to grasp again God's love for you, his grace towards you, and the life that is to come. The gospel, this good news, is just as important and relevant today as when you first heard it. Come back here and re-read this first part of my letter as often as you need. Much l...
For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. 1 Peter 1:23 NLT It's so easy to lose sight of this eternal perspective...Pete then goes on to quote Isaiah 40, reminding them of what they know of God.  Eternal. His word is Eternal And our life is now part of that forever story. When we lived in PNG there was some kind of game where you had to try and catch a piglet that was greased with something to make it more slippery. Just when you think you have a firm grasp it would slip away... Getting a grasp of what my life is like now that it is wrapped in Jesus life, the Word, the Eternal, is just like that. This life that does end, that is short, that is full of good and joy and sorrow and loss and despair and hope and blessing and...and...is not all that there is. At the same time my life is in Jesus, and when I think I get that, and truly live in the light of the reality of th...
Many a person proclaims his own loyalty,  but who can find a trustworthy person? Proverbs 20:6 CSB Our enemy is a liar, promising what cannot be delivered. Parts of our economy have been built on promising benefits that they cannot possibly deliver - real happiness is not found in consumption. And even our own hearts cannot be fully trusted. But Jesus is that fully trustworthy person. He was the agent of creation at the beginning of time and has the last word in Revelation when all things are made new. He is trustworthy because of what he did. The cross is the symbol of our faith because it is all about the actions of a truly trustworthy person, who stepped towards us, humbled himself, came as a servant, so that we can be redeemed. Even when we can't understand all our circumstances, Jesus is worthy of our trust. The cross is our reminder. It's emptiness our hope. #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon #Jesusatthecentre #trusrworthy
Friday! Proverbs! Many a person proclaims his own loyalty,  but who can find a trustworthy person? Proverbs 20:6 CSB I read this proverb and thought "yep I know someone like that..." Someone who has said they'll stick with you, stick by you, stay the course...and then hasn't. There's a better job, friend, lifestyle, family, business, spouse, church, flatmates...and they're moving on, moving up, moving out. They proclaim their loyalty, but their actions say something else. Or they proclaim their loyalty, but talk about you with words that betray that loyalty. And then, having mulled it over, I wonder where my words, my actions, have shown that I'm not trustworthy. Moving on, moving up and moving out may be good and right things to do, but in light of this proverb, it makes me consider what I say, and the motives of my heart.  #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon #theresnomovinginlevel3