Peter's human nature was soon to be revealed. A while back, I wrote about how Peter told Jesus how he would die for Jesus and Jesus said that he would betray him three times before the cock crowed. Peter did not realize what Jesus said until the cock crowed. Even when in John 18:17 when the woman asked Peter, "Aren't you one of Jesus' disciples?" Peter answered, "No, I am not." At this time, Jesus was taken into the inter courtyard, where Peter could not go. Peter was watching from a distance to see what would happen. It was cold and he was trying to warm himself around the fire. Peter was scared and afraid. He remained there by the fire as Jesus was being questioned by the high priest. Again, someone asked (v 23), "Aren't you one of his disciples?" "I am not," he said. One of the household servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, "Didn't I see you out there in the olive grove with Jesus?" Again Peter denied it. And immediately a rooster crowed. According to some of the other books in the gospels, Jesus actually made eye contact with Peter when the rooster crowed. Also, some of the other gospels talk about how they recognized his accent as being one like Jesus'.
As I read this, I think about how Peter must have felt when he realized that he did deny Jesus, just as Jesus predicted earlier that day. He must have felt terrible. The bible said he ran away from there. Could you imagine what it was like to look Christ in the eye as the rooster was crowing, knowing he knew you had denied him? Although I have never denied him with my words, I have have denied him with my actions. I am ashamed to say, I have made choices in my life that denied Christ the opportunity to work in my life. Instead of choosing what God would want me to do, I chose to do what I wanted. Like Peter, I was afraid and in a very lonely place. I felt alone and rejected. I was numb. Basically, I was in a pretty bad place emotionally. To ease the pain in my life, I made bad choices and denied Christ's power to ease the pain. I regret those choices and have paid the consequences for my actions. I acted in the ways of the world and not how Christ would have acted. Thank God that my story had a happy ending.
The story about Peter doesn't end here. God gave Peter the opportunity to make things right in Chapter 21:15. I will discuss this when I get there.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Monday, February 11, 2008
The Prayer of Jesus
I've read the bible numerous times and this is the first time I realized that Jesus prayed to his Father on MY behalf. He was going to be crucified and before he was to be taken away, he prayed for the future believers. John chapter 17 is too long to type into this format, but I will highlight some of the prayer that touched my heart the most.
"My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. ... Now I am departing the world; I am leaving them behind and coming to you. Holy Father, keep them and care for them, all those you have given me, so that they will be united just as we are. .... I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They are not part of this world any more than I am. Make them pure and holy by teaching them your words of truth. ... I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me because of their testimony. My prayer for all of them is that they will be one, just as you and I are one, Father, that just as you are in me and I am in you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me."
At first Jesus is praying for his disciples. Then he prays for anyone who will ever believe. That includes me. I never realized this. I don't even recall this passage ever being preached about. Even 2000 years ago, Jesus prayed for me. How special is that? Jesus pleaded with God to protect me and watch over with me. He asked that we will be one with him and the World will know that I am apart of God and not of the world.
I also like how the prayer models the way I should be praying for my two girls. Not only should I pray for my girls, but my grandkids and future generations to come. My mother and I were discussing our genealogy. According to the records she has, my mothers family has strong Christian roots that go back 200 years. I have read some of the comments my ancestors wrote to their children, which is a prayer similar to the one Jesus prayed to his Father.
Here is my prayer for my girls. Father, I bring to you Abby and Emily, that you will protect them and watch over them. Draw them to you in all of their days. I pray they will remain close to you and follow you all of their lives. I pray you will keep them away from abusive relationships with men and keep them sexually pure. Father, help them to grow in you and protect them from the power of the prince of the world. Keep them in your arms. I pray they will not stray from you. I pray for their husbands that they will be men of God. For Abby, I pray for a musician who plays guitar. I pray for my grand children that they will also remain close to you and will accept you as their personal savior. Thank you Father for sending your son as an example to us and for dying on the cross for our sins so we might be free. Amen.
"My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. ... Now I am departing the world; I am leaving them behind and coming to you. Holy Father, keep them and care for them, all those you have given me, so that they will be united just as we are. .... I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They are not part of this world any more than I am. Make them pure and holy by teaching them your words of truth. ... I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me because of their testimony. My prayer for all of them is that they will be one, just as you and I are one, Father, that just as you are in me and I am in you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me."
At first Jesus is praying for his disciples. Then he prays for anyone who will ever believe. That includes me. I never realized this. I don't even recall this passage ever being preached about. Even 2000 years ago, Jesus prayed for me. How special is that? Jesus pleaded with God to protect me and watch over with me. He asked that we will be one with him and the World will know that I am apart of God and not of the world.
I also like how the prayer models the way I should be praying for my two girls. Not only should I pray for my girls, but my grandkids and future generations to come. My mother and I were discussing our genealogy. According to the records she has, my mothers family has strong Christian roots that go back 200 years. I have read some of the comments my ancestors wrote to their children, which is a prayer similar to the one Jesus prayed to his Father.
Here is my prayer for my girls. Father, I bring to you Abby and Emily, that you will protect them and watch over them. Draw them to you in all of their days. I pray they will remain close to you and follow you all of their lives. I pray you will keep them away from abusive relationships with men and keep them sexually pure. Father, help them to grow in you and protect them from the power of the prince of the world. Keep them in your arms. I pray they will not stray from you. I pray for their husbands that they will be men of God. For Abby, I pray for a musician who plays guitar. I pray for my grand children that they will also remain close to you and will accept you as their personal savior. Thank you Father for sending your son as an example to us and for dying on the cross for our sins so we might be free. Amen.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
The Spirit of Truth
John 16:13-15 "The Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not be presenting his own ideas; he will be telling you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by revealing to you whatever he receives from me. All that the Father has is mine; this is what I mean when I say hat the Spirit will reveal to you whatever he receives from me."
Jesus is telling his followers that after he goes to heaven, the Holy Spirit would come. However, the disciples did not fully understand what he meant because he had not yet been crucified. However, the Holy Spirit could not come until Christ died. When the Holy Spirit comes, he will reveal the truth to us. In fact, he is in us when we accept him into our lives. He will reveal God's word to us. For me, when I read God's word, God reveals it's meaning to me. Sometimes, I am confused, but he reveals what he wants me to hear at just the right time. He speaks to me through his word.
Jesus is telling his followers that after he goes to heaven, the Holy Spirit would come. However, the disciples did not fully understand what he meant because he had not yet been crucified. However, the Holy Spirit could not come until Christ died. When the Holy Spirit comes, he will reveal the truth to us. In fact, he is in us when we accept him into our lives. He will reveal God's word to us. For me, when I read God's word, God reveals it's meaning to me. Sometimes, I am confused, but he reveals what he wants me to hear at just the right time. He speaks to me through his word.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
The World's Hatred
John 15:18 "When the world hates you, remember it hated me before it hated you. The world would love you if you belonged to it, but you don't. I chose you to come out of the world, and so it hates you."
Jesus tells us here that we are not apart of the world. As Christians, we should live a life that is separate from the world, which might cause people to hate us. I remember when I worked for a computer firm and they new I was a Christian because I just graduated from Biola University. The firm had over 100 employees, including programers, operation techs, etc. The people in my department hated me. I didn't do anything to bring that on. I was a nice, kind person. But I would remember walking in a room where the three of them were gathered and it would get really quiet. Sometimes I would go to the back room and come out to find they were all gone. Later I found they all ditched me to go to lunch. One of my co-workers left his computer on with an email up and I read it being curious. It was about me and how one of the guys couldn't stand me because I worked hard and made him look bad. It was a terrible feeling to read things people wrote about you. He never tried to get to know me. It was a very painful experience in my life. But I know, with out a doubt, that my Christianity was the cause of animosity against me.
Jesus tells us here that we are not apart of the world. As Christians, we should live a life that is separate from the world, which might cause people to hate us. I remember when I worked for a computer firm and they new I was a Christian because I just graduated from Biola University. The firm had over 100 employees, including programers, operation techs, etc. The people in my department hated me. I didn't do anything to bring that on. I was a nice, kind person. But I would remember walking in a room where the three of them were gathered and it would get really quiet. Sometimes I would go to the back room and come out to find they were all gone. Later I found they all ditched me to go to lunch. One of my co-workers left his computer on with an email up and I read it being curious. It was about me and how one of the guys couldn't stand me because I worked hard and made him look bad. It was a terrible feeling to read things people wrote about you. He never tried to get to know me. It was a very painful experience in my life. But I know, with out a doubt, that my Christianity was the cause of animosity against me.
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