Divine Power

Posted on by korgrocker

“By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvellous glory and excellence.”
2 Peter 1:3 NLT

In the bustling chaos of our daily lives, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and drained. We often find ourselves juggling responsibilities, navigating challenges, and seeking fulfilment in a world that constantly demands more. Peter tantalisingly gives us the thought that regardless of how are lives are proceeding, it is possible to live a Godly life, because all the power we need is in God. It’s a power not constrained by our human limitations but one that encompasses everything we need for life and godliness. This divine empowerment isn’t arbitrary – God doesn’t sit on His throne with a sweety bag, throwing out handfuls of granny sookers at random – the availability of His Power is intricately related to our knowledge of God. As we delve into the depths of understanding Him, we unlock the reservoir of His power available to us.

The divine power available to us pilgrims isn’t limited to a specific area. It applies to every facet of our existence. From navigating relationships to overcoming personal struggles, the power we can access in God is available to us and covers the entirety of life’s spectrum. But what is this power? Paul wrote about it in Ephesians 1:19-20, “I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honour at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms“. 

So how can we access this limitless source of divine power? It is obviously a power that is far greater than anything we could imagine. And we know that from Ephesians 3:20, that His power is within us, “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think“. Enticingly, we can do much with this power – the limitation seems to be our willingness to dream, to ask God, to believe that He is who He says He is, and wants to work much through our lives. This Divine resource comes from a deep, intimate knowledge of God that opens the floodgates of His power. This knowledge involves seeking Him through prayer, studying His Word, and cultivating a relationship that goes beyond surface-level understanding. 

For a moment let us journey back to Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth“. Then look at verses 3, 6, 9, 14, 20, 24, and 26. They all start with “Then God said…”. How much power did that take? Our amazing God spoke and something happened that was far beyond anything we can get our minds around. That’s divine power. In Romans 8:11 we read, “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you“. That’s divine power. In Matthew 14 is the account of the feeding of the 5,000. We read, “Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave the bread to the disciples, who distributed it to the people. They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. About 5,000 men were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children!” (Matthew 14:19-21). That’s divine power. And we can look at other Bible events and see the manifestations of God’s power, events often far beyond the ability of the authors to articulate what really happened. 

We pilgrims can do great works ourselves because Jesus said so. We read what He said in John 14:12, “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father“. So is it too much to believe that God’s power is sufficient for “everything we need for living a godly life”? But we worry and fret. We’re anxious about the next pay check. We take our eyes off our God with all His resources of divine power. But no more. On our knees today we ask for His forgiveness and hold out our hands in supplication, in the knowledge that he wants to provide for His children. Through faith, all we need is available to us.

Dear Father. Thank You for Your provision, Your resources, Your limitless power. Please help us to tap into what we need day by day, and we ask that You keep us close to You. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Grace and Peace Multiplied

Posted on by korgrocker

“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,”
2 Peter 1:2 NKJV

Peter writes some encouragement for his readers, a blessing numbering just a few words but limitless in scope. And the blessing didn’t stop after it rested on the inhabitants of the five provinces – it has reverberated down through the ages right to the present day. Peter opened a door for his readers, a door labelled “Grace and Peace”, and by it he provided a glimpse into the world inside, a vista of God’s blessings disappearing without limit into the distance. 

Grace is a word that encapsulates the unmerited favour and divine kindness that God has poured out upon mankind. The benevolence that God displays started with the creation of the world and is still with us today. There is no end to His favour, and Peter presents an opportunity for his readers, of receiving more than a single portion. God’s grace, Peter says, is “multiplied” to them from a bottomless reservoir that will never be exhausted. He spoke out that blessing over them through his pen, and I’m sure his early readers would have felt the Holy Spirit pour over them.

Peter could have left his blessing just with grace, but he added to it the concept of peace. Grace paves the way for peace, creating a harmonious synergy between God and us pilgrims. Through His grace we can experience a peace so profound that it is life changing in our world, conflicted as it is by sin. But the peace that Peter wrote about is not just the absence of conflict but a profound tranquillity that surpasses understanding. Paul also wrote about this peace in Philippians 4:7, “and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus“. In an age marked by chaos, the assurance of multiplied peace becomes a beacon of hope to a sad world in despair.

We pilgrims are the enlightened ones. We know God’s grace and peace. We have experienced Peter’s prayer in our lives and have warmed ourselves in the glow from God’s multiplied blessings. But we must act as reflectors, focusing the heavenly rays to those around us, alleviating their distress and despair. We pray that we have the words to say, the deeds to act, to bridge the gap and penetrate the hard outward crust covering the hunger inside our Godless friends and neighbours. Paul wrote in his second Corinthian letter, “He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us” (2 Corinthians 1:4). That’s multiplied grace leading to the comfort of an inner peace. The grace we receive can be multiplied to others.

But we pilgrims must never forget that God’s boundless blessings of multiplied grace and peace is for us too. We need more grace, more peace, more of God, to help us gain “the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord”. There is no limit to God’s grace and peace except ourselves.

Dear Heavenly Father. We thank You for Your many blessings and all the resources we need for our journey through life. All supplied through Jesus. We worship You today. Amen.

Precious Faith

Posted on by korgrocker

“This letter is from Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to you who share the same precious faith we have. This faith was given to you because of the justice and fairness of Jesus Christ, our God and Saviour.”
2 Peter 1:1 NLT

‭‭We move on to the second epistle written by the Apostle Peter. The historians believe he must have penned this letter, possibly from a Roman prison, just before his execution in 64 or 65 AD, and its audience were probably the five churches in Asian Minor, now part of modern Turkey. In his first letter, Peter wrote to “God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners…” in this part of the world, so the readers of his second may have been Christians who had fled from Jerusalem earlier at a time of persecution. Peter probably used the services of an amanuensis, and his first letter mentions Silas, his “faithful brother” to whom he may have dictated the letter before Silas made the perilous journey to the five provinces.

Peter started his first letter with the claim that he was “an apostle of Jesus Christ”. The second letter added the word “slave” to his apostolic claim. Peter never wavered in his faith, in spite of everything the devil threw at him. He was beaten and imprisoned, suffered abuse, and overall could have been forgiven for giving up the hard road he had chosen. But how could he? He had spent time with Jesus, and that experience never left him through his remaining 30 or so years on this earth. The words of Jesus never stopped ringing in his ears – “Simon son of John, do you love Me …” (John 21:17) – and they drove him onwards and upwards, regardless of the opposition. But describing himself as a slave was indicative of how much Peter loved Jesus, to the extent that he enslaved his life to His service. Imagine the reunion in Heaven, when Peter finally met Jesus again, responding to that love in person.

Peter’s faith in Jesus was “precious”, and he goes on to describe it as being founded on the “justice and fairness”, the righteousness, of Jesus, “our God and Saviour”. The Apostle James wrote, “For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow” (James 1:3). He went on to describe the problem for people struggling with their faith, “But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind” (James 1:6). That is why the faith Peter experienced was “precious”. Peter was never a storm-tossed wave, or like a leaf in a breeze. His faith never wavered.

So, fellow pilgrims, how is our faith today? Are we resolute in our faith “in God alone” or do we instead come and go, trusting our governments or other authorities, instead of putting our faith in our loving Heavenly Father? Do we worry about world events, forgetting that God never leaves His throne? Do we struggle with personal circumstances, forgetting that ” … God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you” (Hebrews 13:5). God is always there for us, and we can trust Him implicitly through anything we experience in this world. On our knees we ask for His forgiveness, and His peace will flood over us. You see, Peter knew that His faith was established in Jesus and His righteousness and love. A strong foundation, stronger than anything this world can present to us. The Kingdom of God will still exist long after the kingdom of this world has disappeared, because our God is so great and so majestic. He builds to last. But we frail and wayward human beings think we have got all the answers and consequently build our lives on a foundation of straw, with a misplaced faith in our own abilities. A quote from J L Packer in his book “Knowing God”, “Our personal life is a finite thing: it is limited in every direction, in space, in time, in knowledge, in power. But God is not so limited. He is eternal, infinite, and almighty. He has us in his hands; but we never have him in ours. Like us he is personal, but unlike us he is great“. How do we view God? The God we worship is far greater than anything in this world. After all, He created the very ground on which we stand. Let that thought infuse our work-a-day existence today. And every day.

Our faith is indeed precious. So precious, that without it we will never see God. Those that find this precious faith are truly blessed and in a great company with believers all over the world and throughout history. And this faith comes as a gift from God. His grace provides the transport we need to support our faith in our life-journey, whatever it may comprise.

Father God. We are indeed insignificantly small compared to You. Please forgive us for our arrogance and lack of faith. We worship You today. Amen.

Peace

Posted on by korgrocker

“I have written and sent this short letter to you with the help of Silas, whom I commend to you as a faithful brother. My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in this grace. Your sister church here in Babylon sends you greetings, and so does my son Mark. Greet each other with a kiss of love. Peace be with all of you who are in Christ.”
1 Peter 5:12-14 NLT

Peace seems to be an elusive word in and on 21st Century Planet Earth. The world around us is tearing itself apart with wars. Even closer to home, a lack of tolerance and understanding brings people onto the streets to have a “peaceful” demonstration, but it is inevitably full of hatred and vitriol rather than “peace”. This weekend there are planned marches in major British cities in defence of the Palestinian cause. Social media-stoked misinformation, and anti-Semitic rhetoric abound and destroy any hopes of peace in our UK communities, at least for the time being. Good people, and God’s people, stay at home, hoping the storms of non-peace will pass them by. But all this mayhem is an external manifestation of peace, or a lack of it, and not the sort of peace Peter was finishing his first letter with. Peter was writing about an inner peace, peace with God and our fellow believers. Achieving such a peace will spill over into peace in our communities and nations.

Paul wrote famously the verses in Philippians 4:6-7, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus”. It is a true fact of life in modern times, that the peace Paul and Peter were writing about is in short supply. The lives we live can become corrupted by worry and anxiety, spawning feelings of anger and distress. Lashing out at perceived, often distorted or mistaken, “injustices” can partly mitigate the inner feelings of conflict. But instead of marching on the streets, prayer is a better solution. 

Jesus came to this world bringing peace. Remember the angels’ song to the shepherds near Bethlehem? “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased” (Luke 2:14). Isaiah prophesied the coming “Prince of Peace” in Isaiah 9:6, “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”. And Jesus Himself mentioned how God’s blessing will fall on the peace-makers, “God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9). 

Paul wrote that our inner peace is so important that it must become a driving force within us. We read in Colossians 3:15, “And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful”. How is our inner peace today? Do we pilgrims feel turmoil and stress, combining to displace the rule and reign of Christ within us? If that is the case, we need to pause on our life-journey and take some time sitting in God’s presence and allowing His peace to flood over us. We give thanks for our progress on the journey. And we pray about whatever is conflicting our very souls. We look up and see God in His throne room, smiling upon us, encouraging us, blessing us, and as we embrace His Son, the Prince of Peace, we will find restoration and peace once more. The journey will still be there tomorrow, or the next day. But now is the time for God and our peace.

Dear Heavenly Father. You have created us within us a need for peace. You know what is best for us, and we pray for Your grace to help us align ourselves to how You would have us be. So we thank You once again, and worship at Your footstool. Amen.

God’s Grace

Posted on by korgrocker

“I have written and sent this short letter to you with the help of Silas, whom I commend to you as a faithful brother. My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in this grace. Your sister church here in Babylon sends you greetings, and so does my son Mark. Greet each other with a kiss of love. Peace be with all of you who are in Christ.”
1 Peter 5:12-14 NLT

After a letter full of encouragement and instructions, Peter summarised the contents with the words, “My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you”. The five churches in Asia Minor must have been struggling to survive. The persecution they were experiencing was almost too much for them to bear, and they must have often thought about giving up. So Pastor Peter sent a letter and his “faithful brother” Silas to help them. And with the two messengers, written and living, the early Christians would have been really encouraged. 

Throughout his letter, Peter reminded his readers of the grace of God. In his introduction, he prayed, “may God give you more and more grace…”. In 1:13, he wrote, ” … Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world“. He reminded them in 2:9 that they were “a chosen people” and “God’s very own possession”. And throughout the letter he alluded to Christ’s suffering, but never minimising their own. 

The word “grace” is not uncommon in our society. We are aware of “grace and favour” homes, where tenants are allowed to live for a peppercorn rent, if any at all. We talk about a boorish person lacking “social graces”. But the word “grace” really comes alive when we associate it with God. God’s grace, His unmerited favour, has always been there. Through Moses, He gave the Law, but even that was a gracious act providing a method using animal sacrifices for the forgiveness of sins. God hasn’t changed, even though we now talk about being in a season of grace. The animal sacrifices were replaced by a much greater mitigation for sin – Jesus. He became the sacrifice God demanded as a penalty for our sins. We read in Hebrews 2:17, “Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people“. But the Law is still there. Jesus said, “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose” (Matthew 5:17). The Apostle John wrote, “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17).

Through God’s grace we can now find life through His Spirit. Romans 7:6, “But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit“. When Jesus came to this earth, He found that God’s intentions through the Law, in showing us our sins, had been turned by the religious leaders into a legalistic stick which they used to beat the people. God’s grace became hidden in a swamp of rules and regulations. But like a breath of fresh air, God’s grace flooded over us through Jesus’ revelation. His kindness to sinful man must drive us to our knees in repentance and gratitude. And there, in a place of worship, we feel what His grace really means. There is nothing we can do to earn it, because grace is a free gift from God. With outstretched hands we accept it. For all eternity.

Father God. Your grace is sufficient for us, today and forevermore. Thank You. Amen.

Purposes

Posted on by korgrocker

“I have written and sent this short letter to you with the help of Silas, whom I commend to you as a faithful brother. My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in this grace. Your sister church here in Babylon sends you greetings, and so does my son Mark. Greet each other with a kiss of love. Peace be with all of you who are in Christ.”
1 Peter 5:12-14 NLT

Peter explained why he wrote his “short letter”. Someone has estimated that 1 Peter contains nearly 1700 words, so that would take around 20 minutes or so to read out loud. Peter may have considered it to be “short” but each word was inspired and delivered by the Holy Spirit, who told Peter just what the people in the five churches in Asia Minor needed to hear. And in the process we have in the Bible a letter that contains truths and much encouragement for us pilgrims today.

But Peter had a “purpose”. Apart from a few high profile and significant appearances recorded in the Book of Acts, we know little about what he did “under the radar”. But having spent time with Jesus and the rest of the Twelve, he became a man with a mission. Peter was a man who knew all about being ill-treated for the sake of His Master, Jesus. He was beaten, insulted, and imprisoned. And from his own experiences he was able to offer help and advice to his readers who were suffering as he did and who probably included some believers who had fled from persecution in Jerusalem.

We pilgrims have a purpose in our short lives here on Planet Earth. In fact we have more than one. Jesus left us with a Commission, which we can read in Matthew 28:18-19, “Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”. The early believers were so diligent and zealous in evangelism, that they turned the societies of their day into a new world order, and Christianity has grown in numbers ever since. 

Jesus also gave us a Commandment, which was recorded in John 13:34-35, “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples”. The agape love shown by Christians in their relationships with each other transcends all national and racial barriers that otherwise would exist. In fact, it was such a strong bond, foreign to anything experienced before, that caused the early Christians to sometimes be mistakenly accused of incest and other sexual acts. Christian love is unique to our faith and it binds us together across otherwise insurmountable barriers. 

But the Commission and Commandment were directed at those around us, both inside and outside our faith. We also have a purpose in Changing who we are. No more for us the old sinful practices that used to blight our lives. Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:21-24, “Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy“. We have a new nature, one that brings us to a righteous place before God. Note that Paul used an action phrase – “throw off” – to describe how we are to bring about change in our lives. We will not become more like Jesus through something benign like osmosis. We have to decide that we want to change and take the necessary steps to make it happen. Jesus said, and as recorded in John 14:6, “ … I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me“. There is no other way, in spite of what many will claim, to find God and be with Him forever.

Dear Father God. Thank You for Jesus and what He did for us in making it possible for us to come into Your presence. We praise and worship You today. Amen. 

Silas

Posted on by korgrocker

“I have written and sent this short letter to you with the help of Silas, whom I commend to you as a faithful brother. My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in this grace. Your sister church here in Babylon sends you greetings, and so does my son Mark. Greet each other with a kiss of love. Peace be with all of you who are in Christ.”
1 Peter 5:12-14 NLT

As he was signing off his letter, Peter mentioned the help he had received from a man called Silas. We find the first mention of Silas in Acts 15:22, “Then the apostles and elders together with the whole church in Jerusalem chose delegates, and they sent them to Antioch of Syria with Paul and Barnabas to report on this decision. The men chosen were two of the church leaders—Judas (also called Barsabbas) and Silas”. So we know he was one of the first church leaders and respected enough to be entrusted with an important role in the establishment of the Christian church in Antioch. We also know that Silas accompanied Paul on his second missionary journey, and he was the Silas who was severely beaten with Paul in Philippi and ended up in the Philippian jail. We can read this story in Acts 16. Silas had a reputation of being faithful and another short verse gives us some more insight into this man. “Then Judas and Silas, both being prophets, spoke at length to the believers, encouraging and strengthening their faith“ (Acts 15:32). So as well as being a faithful encourager, Silas was also a prophet.

There was no postal service in those days, so Peter sent the letter to the five churches in the care of Silas, who he commended as a “faithful brother”. After this, Silas disappeared from historical accounts, but we do know that through his faithfulness, he would have made a difference in the lives of those early Christians, encouraging and supporting them.

Are there any men like Silas today? I have been fortunate enough to have known several. Men of God, who have faithfully followed Jesus, and who have helped me at times in my pilgrimage through life. I can remember the man who carefully and diligently started me off on my journey with a Bible and some Bible Notes. Another man from Florida, who had moved to Scotland as a missionary, at just the right time, showed me the way through some spiritual minefields. And there were others. Faithful men doing God’s work.

We pilgrims also have an obligation to help our fellow brothers and sisters. Silas was motivated by love for other believers, doing what Jesus asks all His disciples to do. We read what Jesus said in John 13:34-35, “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples”. Loving our brothers and sisters in God involves the same demonstration of love that Jesus exampled to His disciples. No conditions. Faithfully. Never giving up. Such loving qualities are the mark of Christians everywhere. Sometimes we pilgrims look at the scale of the potential task of encouraging everyone, and are in danger of being overwhelmed. But God is the Master strategist, and knows we are not required to change the world. There might just be one brother or sister to whom we have supplied the right words at an opportune time, and that is all God has asked us to do. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians with this message, “So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). We can all be a “Silas” to those around us.

Dear Father God. You, the great Encourager, want us to encourage others too. Please give us the right words at the right time. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.

A Firm Foundation

Posted on by korgrocker

“In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. All power to him forever! Amen.”
1 Peter 5:10-11 NLT

When we consider the word “foundation” what comes into our minds? A builder will think of the concrete and stone that he is building a wall or house on, a base strong and firm enough to support the weight of the structure above it. And that picture will extend into all manner of activities that we get involved in. So a sportsman or woman will develop a foundation of fitness that will enable them to compete in their sport. Their foundations are built on a regime of the correct muscle-building foods, the long hours spent swimming, or running, or repeating the very process they will go through on the competition day. Paul used the sporting analogy when he wrote this in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, “Don’t you realise that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified”. 

A business will develop prosperity based on the skills and knowledge of its workers. In this context we talk about the founders of a company, who put together a few ideas perhaps in a bedroom or garage, and from there became a success story, growing into a large and even multi-national company. A “foundation” is a beginning, a starting point, something solid and tangible. And something essential for the success of whatever is built upon it.

The Apostle Paul was a Pharisee in the days before he met Jesus on the Damascus Road. Not just any Pharisee, however. We read about his Jewish upbringing in Philippians 3:5-6, “I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault”. Paul’s foundation was on the Law of Moses and the plethora of accompanying rules and regulations that made up the lives of Pharisees. But imagine what happened to his foundation when he met Jesus. It took him days to get his mind round the reality that he had built his life on the wrong foundation. Referring to his heritage and pedigree, we read more of his story in Philippians 3:7-8, “I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ”. 

We pilgrims have built our lives on a true and strong foundation – the person and work, death and resurrection, of Jesus Christ. In fact He is the only way, the truth and the life (John 14:6) that we need. Everything in our lives must be built upon Him. Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:20, “Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself”. 

There is an old hymn written in 1866 by S J Stone, and the first verse is:
The church’s one foundation
Is Jesus Christ, her Lord;
she is His new creation,
by water and the word.
From heav’n He came and sought her
to be His holy bride;
with His own blood He bought her,
and for her life He died.

It was a favourite of mine in my early Anglican days, and the truths within it haven’t changed at all in the last 160 years or so. Our faith is truly founded on the Chief Cornerstone – Jesus Himself. There is no other foundation that will support our lives on Planet Earth and in the life to come.

Dear Lord Jesus. You are there only foundation that will last when all else is destroyed. We build upon You and Your ways, this day and every day. Amen.

God’s Kindness

Posted on by korgrocker

“In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. All power to him forever! Amen.”
1 Peter 5:10-11 NLT

We read these two verses today and receive the assurance that through Jesus everything will work out okay in the end. But those in the middle of the suffering Peter was referring to might wish to see a positive situation much sooner than that. Bringing that theme up to date, think of the single mum, constantly struggling to balance her small family budget. The man desperately looking for work so that he can pay his bills. The old lady cowering in a cold, dark cellar, waiting for the next bomb to fall, hoping that it doesn’t hit her home. The parents distraught as they look at their child, sick with an aggressive cancer, suffering beyond anything we would wish to experience. But in this sin-ridden world, all these examples are only too common and many lift their eyes to Heaven and shake their fists at a God they hold accountable for their misfortunes. How could the God of the Universe, they say, allow all this suffering to happen, particularly to them.

But Peter starts with the thought that God is kind. In fact, he refers to the eternal glory we will share with Jesus through God’s kindness. God doesn’t have to show us any kindness because, after all, we humans are polluted by sin, and we offend His very righteousness. But the revelation to Peter’s readers was that they could experience God’s kindness in the middle of their suffering. But how can that be, we ask? Will God pay our bills? Perhaps. Will He heal the sick child? It has happened before, many times. Will God …? In times of suffering, no matter how intense, we lift our eyes upwards to the very throne of God, not in anger, but looking to receive the kindness of our Heavenly Father. It is an encounter that will transform the situation in which we find ourselves. 

Whenever I think of God’s loving kindness, I go to the Book of Psalms. Here I can find prayers, songs, poems, and words of worship that can bind our spirits to God’s. Psalm 36:7a, “How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!  … ”. Or Psalm 69:16, “Hear me, O Lord, for Your lovingkindness is good; Turn to me according to the multitude of Your tender mercies“. Then there’s Psalm 17:7, “Show Your marvellous lovingkindness by Your right hand, O You who save those who trust in You from those who rise up against them“. 

We pilgrims live in a sin-ridden and evil world, and believers everywhere are not immune to the consequences of sin. But Jesus came to save us by taking on board the sin for us. And instead He gave us His righteousness. Paul wrote about what we call the Divine Exchange in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him“. So we have access to all God’s resources through Jesus. Peter wrote, “he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation”. J L Packer wrote in his book “Knowing God”, “We have said that when people know God, losses and ‘crosses’ cease to matter to them; what they have gained simply banishes these things from their minds”. 

So today, no matter what our situation is, can we just lift our eyes above the suffering and get a glimpse of God reaching out to us, ready and waiting to show us the kindness we need? There may just be a break in the clouds …

Dear kind and gracious Heavenly Father. Thank You for Your love for us, and we thank You for Jesus who has showed us the way to Your presence. Amen.

Stand Firm

Posted on by korgrocker

“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.”
1 Peter 5:8-9 NLT

We pilgrims are aware that the devil is on the prowl, and we are at our most vulnerable when we do something for God that is very visible in our families and communities. New Christians in particular are in the devil’s sights because, if he can, he will cause them so many problems that they give up almost straight away. Jesus taught about this in the parable of the sower, and, unusually, he explained it to His disciples. We read in Matthew 13:19-22, “The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced”. Notice that there are three categories of person who succumbs to the devil’s ploys. There are those whose spiritual eyes are blinded, preventing them from understanding the Good News. There are those who hear and understand it, but lack the perseverance to press through any difficulties that come their way. And there are those who get caught up with living in a certain way and pursue wealth to support their lifestyles. All methods that the devil uses to ensure a believer won’t cause him any difficulties.

The devil is very subtle in the way he tempts people. Look at the way he drew Eve away into sin. We read the story in Genesis 3, but the key opener was “Did God really say …?”  The devil will work with our human nature to birth sin in our lives, and there is that desperately sad verse at the end of Judges, “In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes” (Judges 21:25). The same applies today, with people who have no moral compass, who lack God’s presence in their lives, and go on to live a life, debased by the devil and his evil lies. Their own twisted logic is influenced and matured by the devil, who devours them and then uses them for his own wicked ways.

We are not on our own in matters of temptation. Peter wrote that the “family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering” that they were. To the early believers, a very real temptation was to alleviate the suffering by renouncing their new-found faith. But Peter’s answer was for them to “stand firm” and “be strong in [their] faith”. The Apostle Paul wrote some great practical instructions for the Ephesian church. We read what he said in Ephesians 6. “A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armour so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil” (Ephesians 6:10-11). He explains in a little more detail some information about how the devil devours. “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

Peter used the illustration of the devil prowling around but he has a whole contingent of “mighty powers”, and “evil spirits” all doing his bidding. We pilgrims need to be on our guard and constantly alert to those weak spots where the devil will find us the most vulnerable. We mustn’t forget that around us are other fellow believers who are fighting the same battles. So we pray for them and get them to pray for us. And we ask the Bible Author to show us the resources we need to help us in times of need.

Dear Father God. We pray again for Your help in our lives. We cannot fight the devil on our own and we thank You for the resources You have given us. Amen.