Monday, February 28, 2011
1 Peter 4:14 - Glory and Insults
“If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.”
Do me a favor and read the second half of that verse again. And one more time…
Can you comprehend that statement? The Spirit of glory and of God rests on those who are insulted for following Jesus. One more time, the SPIRIT OF GLORY AND OF GOD RESTS ON YOU – can you imagine? The God who created the heavens and earth is willing to settle His glory on you and me. Unfathomable…
If you are like me, you often miss statements like this because you read the bible like you read the back of the cereal box. You are mildly interested, but honestly, you aren’t really interacting with the text. Every dotted “I” and crossed “T” in the bible is God’s word to us – it has the power to transform our lives – if we will pay attention to it.
Slow down and tune in when you read the bible. Turn off your music and the TV, sit and be still as you read. Allow time for the words that you read to soak into your heart; the words will change from a collection of letters to life-giving sustenance. God speaks in a still, small voice which means we have to be diligent to hear Him.
Back to the verse at hand; nobody likes to be insulted. If you live your life for Jesus – out in the open where people can see – you will be ridiculed and made fun of by somebody. Following Jesus is counter cultural; and the culture mocks those who live differently. The fear of that causes many of us to keep our faith quiet and in the background. We turn off the lights to our city on the hill and we hide our lamp under a bushel.
But, what if you focused your attention on God’s reaction to the insults instead of on the insults? Would you be willing to endure ridicule if it meant God’s Spirit would rest on you? Shoot! I still wouldn’t enjoy the insults, but the promise of God’s glory makes them much easier to swallow. I think I could put up with most anything if the end result was that God’s glory would rest on me. What about you?
We forget that God knows what is going on in our lives, that He sees everything we do and everything that happens to us. I think we also forget that He is a giver of good gifts and that He will reward us for being faithful to Him. We are not left to fend for ourselves – God is engaged and active in your life – whether you realize it or not.
Are you interested in having the Spirit of glory and of God rest on you? Then live your faith out loud and in the open, love others with abandon, care for the poor and needy in Jesus’ name, and be willing to endure insults for living that way. Do that, and God guarantees His very Spirit will rest on you. Sounds like a good deal to me…
“A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.” – Proverbs 12:16
Monday, February 21, 2011
1 Peter 4:12-13 - Trials are a-coming Part II
"Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though some strange thing were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed."
Peter warns his readers that the fiery trial is coming, so don’t be surprised when it does. We are always surprised when bad things happen to us. Our response is something like, “What? How dare something bad happen to ME? Sob, sob, sob…woe is me!” Maybe you don’t say, “Woe is me,” but I guarantee you say the 2011 version of that phrase. We are shocked and dismayed when bad things happen to us.
Well, allow me to speak the words of Peter to you: do not be surprised when bad things happen to you. They will. Some of you know this very well. People you know will betray you, people you love will get horribly sick, friends will die in accidents, parents will get divorced, you will lose a job, or a thousand other bad things can and will happen to you or those you love. I’m not implying that the pain isn’t real or the suffering is meaningless, I’m just saying don’t be surprised when it happens.
We shouldn’t be surprised when bad things happen because that is the natural result of sin in the world. Sin corrupts and separates us from God – which is why we need a Savior. Christ came to liberate us from the power of sin, to recreate us into His saints, and then turn us loose to take His light to the world. We live with the consequences of the fallen world, but have the ability to rise above it because of our hope in Christ. Trials are coming, but our faith in Jesus allows us to live victoriously in the midst of suffering.
As difficult as that truth is, Peter takes it another step further. He says that we can rejoice when we suffer for Christ because we join in his suffering. Regardless of how horrific your suffering is (and think about Paul who was stoned, flogged, shipwrecked, and eventually martyred for his faith in Christ), the glory that results from your affliction is so much greater that it will make you want to rejoice in your suffering. Ponder that amazing statement for a while…
Our challenge is to look beyond the persecution to see Christ. The spiritual blessing is more important than the physical trial. The pain we endure on earth is nothing compared to the glory we receive for our faithfulness. It’s not that we don’t feel pain; pain hurts followers of Christ just like everyone else. It’s that our faith in Christ is more important than the pain we feel.
To sum up, trials are coming. Some trials are the result of living in a fallen world – in that case, our calling is to bear the trial with faithful endurance. And some of the trials will come specifically because you are a follower of Christ. The first set will occur one way or another; the second set will come if you choose to live like Jesus. Are you willing to live like Christ knowing that you will suffer like Christ? It is your choice…
“We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be.” – CS Lewis
Peter warns his readers that the fiery trial is coming, so don’t be surprised when it does. We are always surprised when bad things happen to us. Our response is something like, “What? How dare something bad happen to ME? Sob, sob, sob…woe is me!” Maybe you don’t say, “Woe is me,” but I guarantee you say the 2011 version of that phrase. We are shocked and dismayed when bad things happen to us.
Well, allow me to speak the words of Peter to you: do not be surprised when bad things happen to you. They will. Some of you know this very well. People you know will betray you, people you love will get horribly sick, friends will die in accidents, parents will get divorced, you will lose a job, or a thousand other bad things can and will happen to you or those you love. I’m not implying that the pain isn’t real or the suffering is meaningless, I’m just saying don’t be surprised when it happens.
We shouldn’t be surprised when bad things happen because that is the natural result of sin in the world. Sin corrupts and separates us from God – which is why we need a Savior. Christ came to liberate us from the power of sin, to recreate us into His saints, and then turn us loose to take His light to the world. We live with the consequences of the fallen world, but have the ability to rise above it because of our hope in Christ. Trials are coming, but our faith in Jesus allows us to live victoriously in the midst of suffering.
As difficult as that truth is, Peter takes it another step further. He says that we can rejoice when we suffer for Christ because we join in his suffering. Regardless of how horrific your suffering is (and think about Paul who was stoned, flogged, shipwrecked, and eventually martyred for his faith in Christ), the glory that results from your affliction is so much greater that it will make you want to rejoice in your suffering. Ponder that amazing statement for a while…
Our challenge is to look beyond the persecution to see Christ. The spiritual blessing is more important than the physical trial. The pain we endure on earth is nothing compared to the glory we receive for our faithfulness. It’s not that we don’t feel pain; pain hurts followers of Christ just like everyone else. It’s that our faith in Christ is more important than the pain we feel.
To sum up, trials are coming. Some trials are the result of living in a fallen world – in that case, our calling is to bear the trial with faithful endurance. And some of the trials will come specifically because you are a follower of Christ. The first set will occur one way or another; the second set will come if you choose to live like Jesus. Are you willing to live like Christ knowing that you will suffer like Christ? It is your choice…
“We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be.” – CS Lewis
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
1 Peter 4:12-13 - Trials, They are a-coming
"Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though some strange thing were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.”
When reading the bible, it is imperative to remember the audience and the circumstances that the author was addressing. 1 Peter was written to encourage and strengthen the dispersed church throughout the Roman Empire as a time of persecution was coming.
His encouragement was basically this: Christ suffered, died, and was raised to glory. If we suffer for Christ, even dying for His name, we too will be raised to live eternally with Him. Peter’s goal was to take his reader’s eyes away from the suffering and onto the promise of Christ.
I was about to talk about how we, as a society, do everything we can do to avoid suffering. But that isn’t true. We are willing to suffer, as long as we deem the end result of the suffering to be worth the pain.
We work out, deny ourselves food we like, and eat tofu and other gross health “food” because we think being fit is more important than the pain we suffer to get there. We spend four (or more) years of our lives studying and racking up huge amounts of debt because we believe a college degree is worth it. Some people join demonstrations for political reasons and endure camping on concrete and risk police intervention because the cause is worthy.
So the question for us is this: are we willing to suffer for the name of Christ?
- Are you willing to discipline yourself to spend time with God daily instead of catching a few extra minutes of sleep?
- Are you willing to allow your bank account to suffer to help the poor?
- Are you willing to suffer being made fun of and being left out because your life is an imitation of Christ instead of an imitation of the world?
- Are you willing to suffer worldly rebuke for sharing your faith with a friend?
- Are you willing to suffer for Christ by following him into full time ministry or as a missionary overseas?
I challenge you to spend some time today – right now would be great – contemplating those questions. Be honest with yourself, you’re not going to fool God, so there is no reason to fool yourself. If you discover that you really aren’t willing to suffer ridicule in your friends eyes for example; confess, repent, and ask God to change your heart.
God honors us when we suffer for Him; that alone is enough to know that the result of faithful suffering is well worth the trouble. I’ll finish up this passage in a day or two – enjoy your Wednesday!
“Even if we may not always understand why God allows certain things to happen to us, we can know He is able to bring good out of evil, and triumph out of suffering.” – Billy Graham
Thursday, February 10, 2011
1 Peter 4:11 - God's Words
“If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.”
If you’re looking for a verse to write in someone’s card come graduation time – this is it. In this verse, Peter tells us how we should live, serve, and minister to others. This is commandment #6: speak the words of God.
What does that mean? It means that when you preach, teach, discuss your faith with others, encourage, challenge, or communicate with someone – speak God’s words. God’s word is living and active and sharper than a two-edged sword. God’s word is effective for teaching, encouraging, and discipline. God’s word can and will change people’s lives.
In a world where the prosperity gospel is rampant (“God wants you to be rich!”), people distort the bible to fit their needs (“God says homosexuality is okay!”), and preachers who are more pop-psychologists than theologians (“7 steps to a better you!”) – we must speak the truth of God’s word.
To speak God’s word, you must know God’s word. How are you doing with your bible reading and personal bible study? Personal bible study is the place where God’s word will sink into your life most effectively – more than attending bible studies, more than listening to incredible preaching, and more than reading the latest Francis Chan book. Those are all very good things, but they shouldn’t replace your personal time in God’s word.
Likewise, if you serve, serve with the strength that God provides. What does that mean? That means you should serve with every ounce of ability and strength that you have. It means that you should serve at God’s leading, not just in areas that you enjoy. It means that you should serve prayerfully, inviting God to join your labor. It also means that you should remember that God will bring others alongside you – you do not labor alone. Serving in God’s strength means that and much more…
We speak the words of God and serve in His strength so that He will receive the glory, not us. And that is the ultimate point of speaking, teaching, worshipping, or doing anything – glorifying God. When God is glorified He draws people to Himself. And that is what every single person in this world needs, God.
So how often do God’s words pass your lips? Do you seek opportunities to work him into your conversation? Do you spend time reading and memorizing His word so that you will have it handy when you need it? God calls us to be His ambassadors…how are you doing with that?
If you’re looking for a verse to write in someone’s card come graduation time – this is it. In this verse, Peter tells us how we should live, serve, and minister to others. This is commandment #6: speak the words of God.
What does that mean? It means that when you preach, teach, discuss your faith with others, encourage, challenge, or communicate with someone – speak God’s words. God’s word is living and active and sharper than a two-edged sword. God’s word is effective for teaching, encouraging, and discipline. God’s word can and will change people’s lives.
In a world where the prosperity gospel is rampant (“God wants you to be rich!”), people distort the bible to fit their needs (“God says homosexuality is okay!”), and preachers who are more pop-psychologists than theologians (“7 steps to a better you!”) – we must speak the truth of God’s word.
To speak God’s word, you must know God’s word. How are you doing with your bible reading and personal bible study? Personal bible study is the place where God’s word will sink into your life most effectively – more than attending bible studies, more than listening to incredible preaching, and more than reading the latest Francis Chan book. Those are all very good things, but they shouldn’t replace your personal time in God’s word.
Likewise, if you serve, serve with the strength that God provides. What does that mean? That means you should serve with every ounce of ability and strength that you have. It means that you should serve at God’s leading, not just in areas that you enjoy. It means that you should serve prayerfully, inviting God to join your labor. It also means that you should remember that God will bring others alongside you – you do not labor alone. Serving in God’s strength means that and much more…
We speak the words of God and serve in His strength so that He will receive the glory, not us. And that is the ultimate point of speaking, teaching, worshipping, or doing anything – glorifying God. When God is glorified He draws people to Himself. And that is what every single person in this world needs, God.
So how often do God’s words pass your lips? Do you seek opportunities to work him into your conversation? Do you spend time reading and memorizing His word so that you will have it handy when you need it? God calls us to be His ambassadors…how are you doing with that?
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