January 2013 Devotional

7/30/2019 January 2013 Devotional

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First Baptist Church of Holdrege

Devotion Series

January 2013

1 Peter


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Dec. 30, 2012

...living as foreigners...

I Peter 1:1

True story. A pastor walked into his sanctuary on the Sunday

that just happened to have landed on July 4th. To his horror, he

found the communion set placed upon an American flag draped

over the altar. He immediately saw the things of which church

splits are made. There would be those of the older generation that

would think of using a flag as a tablecloth as highly disrespectful

to the flag. There would be some that would be proud to see thepatriotism displayed boldly, and reflect on what a great nation we

live in--that allows us the freedom to be Christians openly. They

would seek retaliation towards anyone unpatriotic enough to

remove it from there. There would be a few, however, (and the

pastor was one of them) that would see that the flag there was

highly disrepectful to the altar upon which it laid.

There are very few Americans who know what it means to be a

foreigner. Being a Christian and being an American more often

than not go hand in hand. Christians are often found fighting to

keep our country from sliding away from being Christian. We

oftentimes see prosperity as Gods blessing and hardships as his

waning patience with us as a nation. What few of us have come to

grips with is that even in a land founded on Christian principles, ifwe have accepted Christ, we are foreigners here. Our citizenship is

elsewhere.

Foreigners dont really fit in. They havent been assimilated

into the society, either because they are too new at it or they have

kept their allegiances somewhere else. They dont talk the same

way. They might not even dress the same way. They dont do

things the same way. They may live here, but home is elsewhere.

As we will see in this study, being foreigners can cause all kinds of

problems with the natives of the world--even if our citizenship is

far superior.

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Does that mean that we have to be anti-American to be saved?

No. We do need to hold it in perspective, however. To be grateful

to live in a country with religious freedom and to worship it and

put our faith in it are two different things all together. A Christian

should not put their trust in who sits in the oval office. A Christian

should not feel safe because of the might of the Pentagon. A

Christian should not judge prosperity by bank accounts, cars, or

401Ks. A Christian should not feel empowered by the current

laws or rights afforded by their perspective governments. A

Christian need to look no further than the cross for any of these

things. For it is the cross that provides the gateway to where ourprimary citizenship lies.

Dec. 31, 2012

... God the Father knew you and chose you long ago...

I Peter 1:2

Roman citizenship was always bought with a price. You

couldnt be born into it. You couldnt earn it. The only way to

become a citizen of Rome was to pay a handsome amount for it.

This concept ran through all of the Roman Empire and it would

have been the assumption of everyone reading Peters letter here.

If we are foreigners here, where are we citizens? And who paid for

it?

Even the wealthy person who realized the depth of their debt to

God would realize that citizenship in Heaven would be beyond

even their ability to pay for. We are talking about eternity here.

The poor sinner who made nothing because he was a slave had no

hope whatsoever on his own. He was looking not only at being aforeigner on earth, but an outcast for eternity. For both rich and

poor, the realization of Gods perfect standard and their brokenness

was a dismal depressing place to live. Yet, this is not the case.

Before time even existed, the Heavenly Father saw each and

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everyone of those listening to this letter (and to us), he knew us

and he chose us.

That phrase is beyond any human beings ability to

comprehend. He knew us. He knew how we would rebel, how we

would continue to sin and hurt him deeply. He knew how we

would hurt each other. He knew how we would promise to do

better and then let him down again and again and again. He knew

every single thought wed ever have and with all of that in mind,

he chose us. And if choosing us were all that it took, that would be

mind blowing in and of itself. To think that God thought of me, in

the midst of all of the universe and the billions of humans ever toexist is more than I can think through. Yet, that isnt the whole of

the story, is it? He knew me with all my brokenness and still chose

me. With the blood of his only Son, he paid for my citizenship.

January 1, 2013...May God give you more and more grace and peace.

I Peter 1:2

Its traditional in letters of Peters day to include a blessing like

this. As such, it can often become trivialized as much as the word

Dear is to a letter salutation. This isnt just a greeting or a fineto the question how are you doing? Peter here is blessing the

listeners to his letter with something he knows they are going to

need in their journey as foreigners in this world. They are going to

need grace and peace and they can count on God to provide it.

So what exactly is Peter blessing the readers with here? Grace

is Gods unmerited favor. Its getting something that one does not

deserve. Yes, Jesus had died for all of our sins, perfecting us in theeyes of the Father forever. When God looks at a Christian, he does

not see a sinner saved, he sees His own child, as perfected as he is

perfect. At the same time, we are not perfect by any stretch of the

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word. Even our best intentions fall short of Gods glory. Only by

Gods continued grace--his continued forgiveness and blessings

despite our brokenness and times when our carnal nature rears its

ugly head, can we continue to walk in the light of Gods love and

acceptance. Even the most ardent and disciplined followers of

Jesus in Peters day was going to need a moment by moment

infusion of Gods grace. The selfish thought that stews in the mind

of a Christian wronged waiting for Gods wrath to pour out on his

enemy. The lustful look in the wrong direction. The little white

lie. The doing because everyone else is doing it. The perfected

Christian in Gods eye still lives in a fallen rebellious world.Grace is an absolute necessity.

And so is peace--not the peace that the world tries to forge.

The peace that Peter is offering here isnt social stability, financial

stability, or a lack of stress all around. The peace that he talks

about here is the knowledge that although the world around us

might be falling apart, our relationship with God isnt. One author

put it this way, Peace is the serenity and calmness of heart and

mind that comes from knowing that we are no longer at war with

God, but dwell with him in blessed fellowship. For the Christian,

this long term perspective promises that everything is going to

work out to an end that we cant even comprehend yet and nothing

can keep that from happening.

So Pauls words become mine to you as you live through thisday, May God give you more and more grace and peace.

January 2, 2013

...it is by his great mercy that we have been born again...

I Peter 1:3

Whereas grace is getting what we dont deserve, mercy is not

getting what we do deserve. What we deserve is eternal death and

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separation from everything good and godly. Thats what we asked

for with every evil action and thought--for every time we struck

out on our own without seeking God in our circumstances or every

time we ignored what God asked of us. We essentially told God

that we could do his job better. For those who are unrepentant,

God honors their request and lets them try to measure up to him.

Each and everyone that takes that path fails miserably and

eternally.

For those who seek to put their faith in Jesus, what they receive

is mercy. The outcome that they deserve is withheld. The question

for the deeper thinker is How is that possible? How can God becalled holy, perfect, and just and in the same breath overlook the

sins of all those who have turned their lives over to him? How can

he forgive the thief on the cross and promise a seat in eternity

when people like Ghandi lives such a morally superior and

outwardly selfless life and end up in Hell? Justice is based upon

the fact that all are treated equally. How is that equal? Sin equals

eternal separation from all things good and godly. Thats the

standard by which God chose to rule the universe. Not even the

angels escape that standard. If God is going to be perfect and just,

the standard must apply to all.

And this is how he did it. Jesus took the death that we deserve.

He kept us from Hell. Thats mercy. The Father raised him from

the dead. That is also mercy, because the one that paid for us allnow sits at the right hand of the Father as our advocate. Everytime

the Father gazes upon us, even in our brokenness, there isnt a

moment of frustration or pending wrath. Why? Because the risen

Son immediately communicates that weve been covered in his

blood.

There are two things that jump out at me in this. First, oh howI want to curb my sin, for everyone is yet another nail hammer into

the body of Christ. Secondly, oh how grateful I am for Jesus

willingness to show mercy, for I certainly in need of it daily.

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January 3, 2013

...a priceless inheritance...

I Peter 1:4-5

Do you remember Christmas as a kid? Sometimes my parents

would put the presents under the tree a few days before Christmas.

I remember just staring at those paper covered, bow-laden boxes

wondering what was inside. We always had to wait until the whole

family was there to open presents, and usually it was after a

Christmas Eve service and supper on Christmas Eve. (Christmas

Day was usually spent traveling to the other set of grandparents).Oh, how I would ponder what lay ahead for me. I just couldnt

wait for the 20-30 minutes of ripping paper and throwing bows,

and then watching others do the same.

As a parent, I get to watch now more with a little different

perspective. I care less and less whats under the tree for me. I

look forward to seeing the faces of those I love as they open their

presents. I work hard to get just the right thing for them--

something that they will both like and use.

I have often regretted the universal churchs drifting away from

what lies ahead to the here and now. Certainly, what God has for

us today is something to be explored and treasured. But to only

focus on the here and now leaves open the door of thought that in

the tough times, God is not there. Whereas, tough times are reallya place where rewards are built, and where focusing on the

inheritance to come becomes essential to making it through.

A runner pushes to the next mile even though his lungs are

burning up. Why? Because of the feeling of crossing the finish

line first. The businessman survives on crackers and water and

whatever else he can scrounge with coupons. Why? Because heknows his business plan will build a profitable empire once it gets

off the ground. A Christian can survive the tough times. Why?

Because there is a guarantee of an inheritance that will make all of

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the riches of the world look like kiddy toys in comparison. Today,

dont forget that inheritance as you go about your daily routine.

January 4, 2013

...God is protecting you by his power...

I Peter 1:4

Once upon a time, there was a young boy who asked of is

father a very special favor. He wanted to take one of his fathersvery special coins to school for show and tell. The father, who

loved the son more than anything he owned, agreed. However,

there was the lectures and advice that came first. The father

relayed once again how special the coin was, how costly it was,

what a big responsibility it was to care for the coin. The father

passed on how disappointed he would be if something were to

happen to the coin. The price was a lot. It was the most expensivething the father owned. With that said, he handed the coin to the

boy and out the door he went on his walk to school.

At the end of the block, the boy met up with his best friend and

he couldnt contain himself nor the treasure he had clutched in his

hand. He showed the shiny little coin to his friend who oohed and

awed at it. It wasnt long before a crowd had gathered all lookingat the coin.

To the boys horror, the crowd began to separate and up the

center, like Moses and the Red Sea, came the neighborhood bully

wanting a look-see. Hey, punk. Lemme see whatcha got there.

The boy reluctantly opened his hand partially to comply without

endangering the coin. No, punk. Lemme hold it. The boy was

almost in tears. He knew that if he gave it up, hed never see it

again. He also knew that the bully had the power within to take it

from him one way or another. The boy just stood there not

knowing what to do, when he saw the blood drain from the bullys

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face. The crowd immediately dispersed only outrun by the bully

himself. When the boy turned around, there was his father

standing there with arms crossed and biceps bulging. The father

went from that body position to his knees. I thought that might

happen. Hey, how about I walk you to school the rest of the way?

And so hand in hand, they went the rest of the distance--the boy

and the coin both safe.

There was no boy, nor coin, nor bully in reality. This was a

parable. Ill let you figure out who was who and what it meant.

January 5, 2013

...be truly glad...

I Peter 1:6-9

A man reluctantly keeps his appointment with the doctor. He

knows that something isnt right, but doesnt really want to face it.The test results are in and the doctors office called to set up an

appointment to go over the results. He could tell by the nurses

tone that all was not well. He felt that too. He sits in the

examination room and the doctor walks in and looks over the chart

one last time to make sure hes got his facts straight. If the man is

going to continue to live a full life, surgery is the only way.At this point in time, the doctor has two different strategies he

could follow. The doctor could look at the man and say, Well, this

has got to come out. Theres a 100% chance of recovery but Id

have to cut you open and that will hurt a lot and for a while later.

There will probably have to be physical therapy and perhaps even

some ongoing medications. I dont want to put you through that.

I certainly dont want to cause you any pain, so lets just pretendthat everything is OK, alright? Or the doctor could do his job

and say, This is what is causing you the discomfort. I can go in

and take that out. It will hurt to do that. But you will recover and

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be even better. The first option harms the patient by not wanting

to hurt the patient. The second option avoids harm by hurting the

patient.

Sometimes life hurts and what we beg God to do is to just help

us pretend that there is nothing wrong. The Great Physician

doesnt work that way. As AW Tozer has said, God is much more

interested in our eternal holiness than our temporary happiness.

We, as Christians, are going to go through tough times--through

trials. They arent random acts of bad luck. For Christians, they

arent punishment, either--for we are perfectly redeemed. They

are surgical procedures to produce in us the best possible us thatGod can imagine. With that in mind, let us take Peters words

seriously here: So be truly glad. God isnt finished with you yet.

January 6, 2013

...even the prophets wanted to know more...

I Peter 1:10-12

I never win anything! Have you heard that before? Have

you said that or thought it before? How many sweepstakes or

drawings have I entered and found myself with high hopes that getdashed. Ive actually become a bit calloused towards those kinds

of things. I enter drawings that support a cause I support and

figure that my entry was a donation to that cause. Oftentimes, I

dont even stick around to find the results. Why? Because

honestly, I never win anything. Or do I? Or did I?

Picture the prophets of old: Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel,

Hosea, Amos and the rest of the lot. The Holy Spirit whispers into

their souls, Write this down. Something wonderful is going to

happen one day. To Joel, He whispered, I will pour my Spirit

upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old

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men will dream dreams and your young men will see visions.

And Joel scratches his head in puzzlement. How is that possible?

Women prophets? Never heard of it. Everyone having the Holy

Spirit instead of just a few? How is that possible? And to his

questions, there is silence--no answer.

The angels who overhear this conversation scratch their heads

as well. For the Holy Spirit to indwell that many, humanity is

going to have to evolve quite a bit. They arent even close enough

to be spiritually clean enough for the Holy Spirit to be able to

indwell. Humanity hasnt evolved at all since their creation. In

fact, theyve gone backwards quite a bit. How is this possible?And at this, God the Trinity smiles. Perfection is attainable for

each and every human being--not by their works, but by the work

of Jesus on the cross. And at the right time, Jesus provided the

greatest gift so that no one can go home and say, Ive never won

anything. No. The opposite is true. Overwhelming victory is

ours through Christ, who loved us. Weve won the greatest giftever!

January 7, 2013

...so think clearly and exercise self control...

I Peter 1:13

The imagery that Peter uses here is a military one. Literally, he

says, gird up your belt. The image he is conjuring up is one of a

soldier preparing for battle. The last piece of the armour that a

Roman soldier would put on was the belt. It was what held

everything in place. It held the sword. It held the breastplate.

Without it, everything would fall off or get in the way.

How true it is that getting our thoughts in order prepares us for

the events that lie ahead. Very few people have a knee jerk

reaction in crisis that is correct and wise. Those that weather the

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storms of crises are the ones that have decided ahead of time how

to respond to a crises. They dont react to crises, theyve

preplanned their response. Their thought out plans of action are

like the soldiers belt. They hold everything together in the midst

of the battle.

In a crisis, its easy to see the woe is me in it all. Its easy to

see the compromising short cuts and the easier but sinful patterns

of behavior. But to have what Peter has talked about previously in

this letter in the forefront of ones mind, gives a whole different

perspective, doesnt it? Crisis is an opportunity to grow and to

make God look good in the process. Who knows who is watchingmy response? God has a plan for those watching and he wants to

use me in this. And whatever I am going through today is just

temporary. If I stay true to my relationship with him in this, Ill

reap the rewards for eternity. That makes things like compromise

and pity parties seem very wrong, even in the midst of the crisis.

So in a somewhat crass way, Peter admonishes us tonot let us get caught with our spiritual pants down. Put on your

belt. Prepare your heart right now for the crises that lie ahead.

Spend time with God. Study his word. Put it in your heart. Think

upon these things. When the crisis arises, you will think clearly

and exercise self control. You will grow and God will be

glorified.

January 8, 2013

...do not conform...

I Peter 1:14

Honestly, this is a tough one. We human beings have a strongtendency to want to blend in as much as possible. Its not just

birds of a feather that flock together. And certainly if everyone

played by different rules, the world would be in total anarchy. If

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we didnt look for commonalities, we would only focus upon what

makes us different, and as human beings we often come to the

conclusion that what is different is bad. But Peter isnt challenging

us here to not be unified, but to not conform. To conform means to

be pressed into someone elses mold. Its all about fitting in with

those whose whom one values, respects or admires. Its something

that, quite honestly, I dont think is possible for humans to not do.

Those that have no regard for what others think and no value upon

others get diagnosed with Personality Disorders and go on murder

sprees for vacation. We all want to be accepted. We all want to be

valued. The problem, though, is that we were created to beaccepted and valued by God, and as such then accepted by others.

Not the other way around. Can we say, even in America, in the

Moral and upright friendly state of Nebraska, that we put what God

tells us to do above what others tell us to do? Can we say that our

primary objective each morning is to make God proud and pleased

with us, rather than to keep our job or keep someone else happy?

Theres nothing wrong with God blessing with riches and

wealth. But how many of us try our best to accumulate that stuff,

not because God wants us to, but because it is considered wise in

the eyes of the world? How many of us let God set our standard of

living, rather than trying to keep up with the Jones? AW Tozer

wrote, We are always confusing the world with the Church and

trying to get the world to do what we have difficulty gettingChristians to do. It could also be said that weve tried to make

the church so much like the world around us, that it can be hard to

tell which is which. Weve set about to conform, rather than to be

transformed. How have you allowed that slippery slope to enter

your thinking?

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January 9 2013

...you must be holy...

I Peter 1:15

Holiness is, by and large, a word only used in churches and

religious circles. It was not in Peters day. To be holy is simply to

be set apart. To be different. To be peculiar. To stand out and

stand apart. Holiness has sometimes been connected to the

concept of perfection and in this instance, it should not be so.

What the Holy Spirit is asking of us here is that we stand out. He

is challenging us to live in such a way that it is unmistakable thatwe follow Jesus. Tim Tebow isnt a perfect football player, but he

is holy in that it is unmistakable of Whom he follows. There are

far better orators than Franklin Graham, but we know of Whom he

follows without a doubt. One might disagree with his politics

wholeheartedly, but it is hard to mistake Jimmy Carters faith for

genuine. This is the holiness that this passage is calling us to.

Certainly, we need to do all we can to the next right thing, but thisholiness isnt about being perfect in every way. Its for being

known for making every effort to stay the course on the road that

God calls us to, rather than the one the world takes, and when we

get sidetracked, to make the course corrections to get back on that

course. Its the age old question: If you were to be tried for being

a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?

January 10, 2013

...you must be holy because I am holy...

I Peter 1:16

I remember the first time I ever volunteered to work in the

nursery as a newly married husband. I was a bit nervous. The

only kids I had recent experience with were highly dysfunctional

institutionalized children--the kind that would bite you and take a

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chunk if you werent watching. They were far from what normal

people would say were normal. I remember stirring all night

wondering what kind of horrible things these pre-schoolers would

do to my wife and me. We arrived at the nursery early so I could

get a lay of the land and see what kind of potential weapons might

be present. I also wanted to make sure I had mapped out every

possible escape route for them, in case they wanted to run away.

Monique just shook her head at me and my paranoia.

Then the kids started to show up, and I was introduced to a

whole different set of society. There was the two year old girl who

took the play phone from the kitchen set and talked babble thewhole time going to the drapes and fluffing them every so often.

(Her mom was an interior designer). There was a boy who

immediately went right to the trucks and made this elaborate road

system with blocks and drove his truck the whole time. (His dad

was a trucker.) There was a bit of a run in with the daughter of a

police officer, when he didnt look both ways before entering an

intersection, though. The lawyers kid helped solve the problem,

though.

That nursery experience comes to mind every time I read I

Peter 1:16. Our calling is to be holy--to be set apart. Why?

Because thats what our Heavenly Father is. We are to mimic him

like those kids mimicked their parents. Weve been adopted by

him. Weve taken on his name. We love and adore him. Peoplemimic those that they admire. If you admire God, then holiness is

the way he acts and we need to follow suit.

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January 11, 2013

...your Heavenly Father...has no favorites...

I Peter 1:17

I remember as a kid, that I had this image in my head that

helped me measure how much I could get away with. If I had a lot

of good boy points racked up, I could spend some and be a little

naughty. If I had pushed my limits for a while, then it was wiser to

keep my nose clean until I had my points built back up. That

worked on just about everyone--Sunday School teachers, public

school teachers, even coaches and grandparents. It worked foreveryone, that is, except mom and dad. I could never earn enough

points to get away with anything. For a while, that was completely

frustrating. There were times that I had built up enough trust and I

let them down in that trust, but there were never enough points

to cover the consequences. There were always consequences for

poor choices on my part.

I remember once in particular, my brother blew it and got

caught after I had blown it and got caught. I thought to myself,

Surely, what he did was so much worse. Theyll be focusing on

him and Ill get away with it if I just be quiet about it. THAT

didnt work. They dealt with him AND they dealt with me.

Spurgeon had a concept called cheap grace. By that, he

meant that Gods gift of forgiveness was often taken for grantedand treated as a license to do whatever the person wanted. Why

not? Its all covered, right? A sinner sins and we want that person

to get it, especially if that sin is against us. But weve stored

enough points with either our good behavior or Christs death on

the cross that should get us out of consequences, right? Wrong.

God disciplines those whom he loves. He has no favorites. He

plays no favorites. You salvation is free, because Christ paid for it

on the cross, but your rewards here on earth and in Heaven are

based upon how hard you work. Thats why they are called

rewards. If they were something you hadnt earned, they would be

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gifts. If they were bribes to get you to behave, theyd be called

bribes. He will judge or reward you according to what you do.

We must never forget that accepting Christs free gift of

forgiveness and salvation washt the end of our testimony, but the

very beginning of our story of our journey of growing to be more

like him--in his grace, but also with our sweat and tears along the

way.

January 12, 2013...not mere gold or silver...

I Peter 1:18, 19

Its kind of a man-rule, the more something costs, the more you

value it. People will skip out on family reunions because of

possible bad weather (and because of the possibility that Cousin It

might be there). However, if they paid $200 per seat for a Huskergame, theyll go two days early to avoid the same storm. A car that

has been gifted can have anything in it. However, a car that has

payments still on it and it hasnt received its first scratch might

require you to take off your shoes before getting in.

The question that often times gets stuck in my head with I Peter

1 is why should I work at being holy? Its so hard. Its notnormal and Im constantly blowing it! Heres the answer as to

why. Its not because I have to. Its not because I should be

worried about God changing his mind about me. The reason is the

price tag that was attached to my salvation. God didnt reach into

his storerooms of gold and silver and grab a handful to pay for me.

He didnt mortgage a solar system or a galaxy for that matter. He

didnt look around heaven and try to figure out what rooms hecould rent out to pay for my salvation. He sent Jesus, his one and

only Son to live a perfect life and then die for me. There is no

greater price that the Father could have paid. I do not know that I

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would ever be willingly give up one of my children, asking them

to suffer and die for another. I certainly would mourn the loss of

the one my child could have saved. The cost of giving up my child

for another is just too high of a price for me to contemplate. I hope

and pray that I am never faced with having to make that decision.

But that is exactly the price that God paid for me. When I

contemplate that, it is so much easier to take my faith all the more

seriously.

January 13, 2013

... get rid of all sin...

I Peter 2:1

Theres this place in Western Nebraska called Ash Hollow. Its

a poignant place along the Oregon Trail. The trail ruts are still

there from where the wagon trails were headed west. But thatsnot all that is there. At Ash Hollow, there are hills and valleys and

much of the soil is sandy in nature. That makes for a bad

combination when it comes to heavy loads and just a couple of

horse power. Along the path, one can see things like old steamer

trunks, grandfather clocks, crockery, and the like. It was clear

what had happened. People set out from the east, perhaps at St.

Louis, with all kinds of things that were precious and valuable to

them as a family. They were things that had been passed down

from generation to generation--things of great sentimental value.

However, when the wagons reached places like Ash Hollow, those

precious things--things that created value in their owners mind,

suddenly became burdens that hindered the journey. With no

option of turning back and feeling the pressure of the time table,things were just thrown over the side of the wagons to make it

possible to continue the trip. Everything that wasnt essential to

the trip, everything that was vain in the truest sense of the word,

went over the side so that the journey could continue.

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This is kind of the image that Peter is wanting us to see in our

heads when it comes to the sin in our lives. We do things for a

reason--even sin. Sin works...for a while. Its predictable. It gives

us the power to manipulate our circumstances and others and all of

that with the sense that we did it on our own, without Gods help.

Yet, we come to places in our journey where those treasured

dysfunctional behaviors become a hinderance. Isnt it interesting

that Peter doesnt say, Get rid of what is bogging you down.

Instead, he says, Get rid of everything that will bog you down--

the whole of every sinful behavior. Toss it overboard. Only then

will you make it over the obstacles in your way.

January 14, 2013

...be done with all deceit...

I Peter 2:1

It is a great comfort that when we go back to the Greek in the

words of the Bible, we are never caught off guard with a complete

change of meaning. What we have in English is most often an

excellent translation. However, sometimes going back to the

original language can deepen the meaning. The Greek word for

deceit here is a very unusual and fairly uncommon word. Literally,it means to bait, to entice. It has the feel to it of letting someone

come up with the good idea of walking off a cliff and then

encouraging them to do so, just to see them go splat. Its not lying,

for lying means you have used words that arent true with the

intent of misleading them. Its not bearing false witness, in that

you keep your mouth shut when you could offer a word of

correction that would make someones day instead of breaking it--letting them believe a lie. Deceit here is to set out to intentionally

let someone go into harms way for either entertainment or for

gaining a personal advantage. Its telling someone its over there,

when you want it for yourself and you know its over here. Its

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telling the gossip something juicy knowing that it will make

someone else writhe in pain. Its misleading someone in an

investment to keep them from what you want and to see them fail.

An old friend of mine was a Lt. Colonel in the Air Force and

was in the Marines before that when there wasnt yet an Air Force.

He saw his share of battles and did his share of negotiations with

the enemy in several theaters. He always said, Never lie to the

enemy. Never set out to deceive them. When they know from past

experience that you are always telling the truth, you will save lives

when you get to say, move out or die. Jesus said it another way,

Let your yes be yes, and your no be no. No deceit.

January 15,2013

[be done with all] envy...

I Peter 2:1

Envy is strictly a side effect of sin. We can appreciate that

others have really cool stuff or awesome personality

characteristics. Envy isnt appreciation. We can even be jealous of

someone elses stuff or abilities. That just means that we want

what they have. Envy, as Peter uses it here, takes it to the next

level. Envy is when you get upset with the one that has what youwant because you have it and they dont. Its giving your neighbor

that evil glare because they got a new truck and youre stuck

driving that old beater without air conditioning. Its the humph

sound one makes when writing out the check to the professionals

office, as you look around and see that her office is better

decorated than your own living room. Why does she need

this?!? This anger towards the haves from those who considerthemselves the have-nots has fueled many a civil war, unstabilized

many an economy, and ruined generations. The sad part is that its

all misguided--especially for the Christian. Its like blaming the

President for the destruction of a hurricane. God, the giver of all

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good things, is the one that distributes blessings to people. Even

those who claim that all they have is the result of their hard work

have what they have because God allowed it. Jealousy distracts us

from what God has given us. Envy cements our necks so that all

we can see is what we dont have, rather than what God has given

us, and it only allows us to deal with the one that has been blessed,

rather than talking it out with the One who blesses. Its one of

Satans most effective tools to disable both the one who God has

blessed and the one that could admire the one who was blessed.

Its getting soldiers to shoot at each other in the army of Christ,

instead of using the gifts God has given to fire at the enemy. Thereis no room for blaming Gods blessed for what we want and dont

have. Angry at someone elses prosperity? Have that humph lump

in your throat when you think of someone and wonder why on

earth they are better off than you, and then secretly think about

what their face would look like if it got taken away? Listen to

Peter, here. LET IT GO! NOW!!!! There is nothing godly in

those thoughts whatsoever.

January 16, 2013

.[let go of] slander, of every kind....

I Peter 2:1

Heres the pattern, isnt it? We see something that someone

else has and that makes us jealous, then envious. We might try to

deceive them into sharing or giving it up so we have it and they

dont, and when that doesnt work, then we go about looking for

another weakness to exploit to bring them down a notch. Oh, we

might not go about it so blatantly, but we do it none the less. Ifyou have internet, go sometimes to You Tube. Its a place where

people can post videos of themselves or others. Just take a few

minutes to look at some of them. Every so often theres someone

doing something inspirational or valiant. The vast majority of

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things posted are things where someone gets hurt, where someone

does something embarrassing. We like to see people knocked

down to our level. Someone in public eye can do countless good

deeds, and blow it once and thats all we can seem to think about.

Why? We like to see people knocked down, because deep inside it

makes us feel just a little bit taller.

Thats exactly what slander is all about. Slander, here, is

defined as a hostile attitude that takes the form of words. It is

making ourselves feel bigger by making others feel smaller. Oh,

Im only sharing my opinion. I have that right, right? Not if you

are a child of the King. If your opinion makes someone else looksmall, its time to change your opinion. Im only telling the truth!

If it is something to set out to knock someone down, it doesnt

matter if its the truth or not. Its slander. Ephesians 4:29 says, Do

not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only

that which builds one another up. You remember that saying your

mom used to try to pound into your head? If you dont have

anything nice to say, then....[Ill let you fill in the rest to prove you

really know it].

January 17, 2013

...crave pure spiritual milk... I Peter 2:2-3

What one puts in their body has a direct impact on what that

body is capable of doing. Think about it. How many marathon

runners stop at the doughnut shop before running their 28 miles?

When doing a wedding, I always ask the wedding party to watch

what they eat...and drink...the night before the wedding. I say thatwith experience. Ive officiated at some weddings where the bride

and groom were showered, but not with birdseed or bubbles--

largely because of the parties that took place the night before. Put

the wrong stuff in and youll see it again. Put the right stuff in at

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the right time and the right amounts, and you wont even

remember that you have a stomach.

Now, as to the right stuff, what if I were to offer you an elixir

that is guaranteed to make the sun shine brighter, the fun you have

more fun, the relationships you have deeper, the pains you have

lessened, and the mistakes you could make disappear. All you

have to do is drink this and Poof everything gets better. Would

you want some of that? Who wouldnt.

The amazing thing is that this is what Peter commands us to

crave--pure spiritual milk. What is that? Its Gods word. Its

Gods will and direction. Its that ongoing relationship we havewith God through the blood of Jesus Christ. Its not what is

showing on TV tonight, even if it is your favorite show. Its not

what the blue plate special is at the local cafe, even if its just like

grandma used to make. Its not in the face that greets you at the

door when you get home, even if that face is an awesome one.

Sure, enjoy those things. But crave--seek after and never give up asingle drop of it--that pure spiritual milk. For that will feed you on

levels that food, entertainment, human relationships, and even all

the money in the world cannot satisfy.

January 18, 2013...you are living stones...

I Peter 2:4-8

I am taken back to Bulgaria with this passage. We walked past

a Bulgarian Orthodox Cathedral on our way to lunch one Sunday

after church. The building was locked up and gated all around. It

was closed on the Lords day because no one wanted to go, noteven the Orthodox priests. As we walked by the same building on

our way back after lunch, these three gypsy kids ran up to the

Missionary that was with us as our guide. They grabbed hold of

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her arms and legs and hugged her with all their might. They were

part of her reading literacy program. They loved Terry Myers with

everything they had for she was more of a mother figure to them

than their own biological mother or father. And she loved them

right back. She later apologized for taking up our time roughing

up their hair and licking her thumb to wipe off a smudge or kissing

a boo-boo that one had when she fell down and scraped her elbow.

WE were a bit shocked at her apology. It was, and will be, a

treasured memory of the trip forever for me. The backdrop to this

encounter was in front of a cold, locked up grand Orthodox church.

I remember looking back as we were ready to round the block andthose little ones looked at Terry one last time, waving promising to

see her the next day. The question struck me, Where was the

church just now? It wasnt that cold building that everyone

seemed to forget was even there. The church was Terry, being

Christs hands and feet. She was the living stone.

January 19, 2013

...you are a chosen people...

I Peter 2:9-10

Im too fat! Im not smart enough to try that! I cant do

that! Im not good enough to get involved in that! They are

all out of my league! Thats above my paygrade! And then

theres that painful silence of resignation where we just give up

and dont say anything at all. Words have a way of defining us.

Instead of realizing that we failed at something, we allow the

failure to define us. We compare ourselves to others, seeing only

that which they have and we dont. Some in certain religiouscircles have defined humility with that mindset. Those that do are

so very, very wrong. Our words dont define us if we are Christs.

Gods words define us if we are owned by him--as this passage

says, his very own possession. And how does God define us?

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Royal priests. Holy Nation. A chosen people. Yes, once we

were in the darkness. Once we had no identity. Once we were

only pitiful, if that. We were beyond any form or mercy. Thats

when the world and the dark forces that control it and us then

defined us. But we are now defined differently. We are in the

light. We have an identity. We have received Gods mercy. Why?

Because through the blood of Christ we are a chosen people, a

royal priesthood, a holy nation--declared so by someone who

cannot be overruled by any supreme court--whose opinion counts

more than the richest people on earth. I love what Paul says in I

Corinthians 4:3-4. As for me, it matters very little how I might bejudged by any human authority. I dont even trust my own

judgment on this point. My conscience is clear, but that doesnt

prove Im right. It is the Lord himself who will examine me and

decide. Decide what? My guilt or innocence in any given

matter? Hes already done that and found me not guilty by

reason of his own substitutionary death. I am a child of the king!

Nothing else defines me other than royal priest, chosen, and holy!

January 20, 2013

...wage war against your soul...

I Peter 2:11

I remember as a kid being so frustrated with Satan because I

was certain he put the Wonderful World of Disney right smack dab

in the middle of the evening Church service. Oh how frustrating it

was to see advertisements of the special coming up and then know

I would not be able to see it. Instead, I would have to go and sit

still on hard pews and sing old songs and listen to someonepontificate, whatever that was. Id so much rather be watching

Peter Pan take on Captain Hook than listening to the significance

of a Greek word in a sentence of Scripture. Id even settle for

fighting back the tears with Benji or Where the Red Fern Grows,

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than have to sit through another church service. After all, didnt

we just do that this morning? Twice if you count Sunday School?

I grew up a bit, and thought the whole idea that Satan had

anything to do with TV programming was a bit childish and

superstitious. I grew up more and realized that there may have

been more truth than fiction to the original thought. What would

have happened if my parents would have said, OK, were staying

home for the TV special tonight? Several things would have

happened. First, the real fellowship and the friendships that I had

developed with the smaller crowd over the years would have taken

a back seat to a bunch of pixels. Honestly, I cannot remember asingle Sunday Evening sermon topic from those days, but I do

know that I cannot remember any of the shows I missed either.

And this I do know. What I was putting in my head in church far

out valued what the TV would have. At the very minimum, I was

exposed to the truth that there is more to life than pleasure.

Sometimes meaning comes from keeping commitments and

pressing forward, rather than just doing whatever feels good. Who

knows? My first sermon ever was preached in an evening service

when the Wonderful World of Disney was competing for my time

and affection. History could have been changed for me, had my

parents decided to give into the world and say, Its only a TV

show. They saw the battle and they made the right choice. Can

you say the same thing about the choices you are making with yourfaith and walk here on earth?

January 21, 2013

...be careful to live properly among...

I Peter 2:12

We live in a world that is ever increasingly watching. US

Senators cant even dry off from skinny dipping in the Red Sea

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before every one of their constituents sees it on You Tube or

Facebook. What used to take days or months, now takes seconds

to spread world wide. Something said can haunt someone for the

rest of their lives, even if what was said was taken completely out

of context.

I think, that in that mindset, the word that jumps out first in

this passage is the word careful. With all that could go wrong,

its just easier to hide under a rock, take a vow of silence and do

nothing instead of taking the risk. My grandfather used to say,

Its better to let people think you are stupid, rather than open your

mouth and remove all doubt. But a more careful look at theverse shows that the main idea of this passage isnt to be careful,

but to live.. among. Certainly, be careful in how you live, but

the real message of this passage is to live among. People who

hide in the hills and say and do nothing have no witness and this is

what this passage is challenging us to be and do. The whole goal

is to help them see the glory of God--to honor God before he

judges the world. Wny? Because there will be a point in which

their fate cannot be changed and thats after the judgment.

Yes, be careful in what you say, what you do, what you post,

what you are seen doing. But, dont hide your candle under a

bushel. Be bold. Be clear. Carefully let the Holy spirit orchestrate

your actions and words so that at the end of the day, those that

reject God might be hopping mad at you, but they cannot deny theGod you serve and your resolution to do just that.

January 22, 2013

...respect...the king.

I Peter 2:13

Kings. Rulers. Presidents. Prime Ministers. Dictators.

Emperors. Chancellors. General Secretaries of the United

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Nations. Not a single one of them has ever done their jobs

perfectly. In fact, I can honestly say that I pray often that God

never calls me into such leadership. The awesome level of

responsibility is completely overwhelming. My faith is too young

to do those kinds of jobs to the glory of God and in a way worthy

of the Gospel.

Yet, it is so easy to look at the ones in those positions and hold

them in contempt for the decisions they make--to assume that they

are corrupt and have eyes only for their own personal agendas.

The idea that this or that leader is the anti-Christ has been bantered

around ever since John penned the concept in Revelation. To thereader of this letter, they were dealing with a real doozy of a leader.

Caesar Nero, who preferred the arts and theater to providing any

real leadership, and when that backfired on him, he turned and

pointed his finger at the Christians. No president has ever come

even remotely close to the horrible persecution that followed for

the Christians in the time of this letter. This letter had a wide

distribution pattern, most likely because the Christians it was

written to ran from being turned into living torches for Neros

gardens. Yet, Peters instruction here is to respect the king. To

respect here means to obey, to submit, to do as one is told without

argument, complaint or attempts to rebel or overthrow. You may

or may not like what government is doing, but the defining

moment in obedience to God is whether or not you are willing tosubmit to the government he has put in place. Yes, there are

exceptions, but far less than we want to create.

January 23, 2013

...respect all human authority...I Peter 2:14

I have serious theological issues with the Amish, but there are

some things that I deeply admire them for. They do what they

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consider is right...every time. When the government came in and

said that they had to turn over every runaway slave, they hid the

slaves until they are safely away, and then turned themselves in for

breaking the law. When something isnt their way, they live with

the consequences of not doing what is expected. Yet, in that, they

are always, neverendingly respectful. It was one of the things that

really turned the tide in the slavery issue. They wouldnt fight.

They wouldnt banter. They would simply say, This is what I

believe to be true. You are the governing authorities though and I

will respect and honor your decisions. Do with me what you may.

How do you fight that? You dont, because what you do in thosesituations is let God fight for you. It becomes his courtroom. As a

result, He is glorified.

Respect all human authority, whether they be Democrat or

Republican or independent or Purple with green blood. That

means support them, pray for them, encourage them, and share

with them your heart from a position of submission. Love has won

far more battles than an intellectual debate. Oh, how our world

would be different if Christians didnt buy into the fight for your

rights philosophy, if we focused more upon Who we are for than

who or what we are against!

January 24, 2013

...honorable lives silence...

I Peter 2:15

Oh how this one has been a struggle. When someone attacks

me, I really want to lash back and defend myself. After all, its my

integrity that they are trying to tear down. At the end of the day,all I really own is my integrity. If someone tries to take that away,

what do I have left? And oh how rumors grow and build. A

misunderstanding becomes a little white lie which becomes an

intentional lie which becomes a conspiracy which becomes

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evidence that the death penalty is warranted. And when people

start focusing on the negative, getting them to even acknowledge

the positive in someone becomes increasingly difficult and almost

impossible. Isnt it better to just nip it in the bud and set the record

straight? At least you can scare them into not trying it again, even

if there is some truth to it, right?

Gods will isnt for human beings to debate or even set the

record straight. Dont believe me, reread this verse again. What

he wants is for our lives to be lived so honorably that no one

believes the rumors, lies, or the truth that weve made a

momentary mistake. To live honorably simply means to dogood. Be genuinely kind to those who are persecuting you, not to

sway them but to reflect Christs forgiveness to them. Reach out to

those in good faith to those that you are weary of and develop a

connection. Cornelius was a Roman soldier in charge of an area of

Roman occupation, but the Jews loved him. Why? He did good

things among them. They might not liked what he did, but they

respected him. As a follower of Jesus, think of how such an

honorable man lived among both Jew and Roman. Go and be

likewise.

January 25, 2013...dont use your freedom as an excuse...

I Peter 2:16

I will never forget that Thursday in the courtroom. I had been

called to testify in a child custody case as a therapist. Mom had

made it clear that she didnt want the boy. No one knew who dad

was. The problem was the judge. He had never terminatedparental rights and wasnt about to start now, regardless of the

situation. He showed up to court so rip-roaring drunk that the

Bailiff had to help him to his chair. When I took the stand, he

would just sit there with his fingers in his ears and shout,

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Lalalalala. Cant hear you. In his judgment against terminating

parental rights to make way for a loving adoption already arranged

by parents and Human services, he reprimanded the County

Attorney for allowing me to take the stand because obviously I had

received my degree from Monkey Wards catalog order. I can

honestly say that I have never been as mad as I was that day. I

called the attorney for the company I worked for and asked what I

could do to get this judge in trouble. The attorney was flabergasted

at what took place, but his words of counsel took me down several

notches. You can file a complaint with the Supreme Court of

Colorado, but Ill tell you one thing that probably wont happenand one thing that will. What wont happen is anything to the

judge. What will happen is that your career as a therapist working

with troubled families will end, because no attorney is going to

call upon you to testify in Colorado again. The judge messed up

but hes untouchable.

I was so frustrated and angry. That only was compounded

when a week later, the child was found dead by the hands of the

mother who saw no other way to get rid of him.

As mad as I have been regarding that case, I often have to take

a deep breath and count Gods blessings of forgiveness in my own

life. How many times have I used my position in Christ to go

ahead because Ive already been forgiven. People will forget and

God has forgiven, right? Yes, we are forgiven and callouses buildon past grievances, but the best strategy for using the freedom God

has given us isnt to do whatever and count on forgiveness.

Instead, to use the freedom God has given and do whatever makes

him look good, counting on his grace and mercy.

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January 26, 2013

...Respect...love...fear...respect.

I Peter 2:17

Any English teacher worth his or her salt will tell you that a

good paragraph has a topic sentence, supporting sentences, and a

concluding sentence. I Peter 2:17 is such a concluding sentence.

Just in case you missed it earlier, here it is again. Respect

everyone. How are you doing in the respecting category, and not

just the ones you naturally respect? It says respect everyone. Does

that define you? Love your Christian brothers and sisters. Arethere ones you actively avoid? Youll love them if you have to, but

if you never cross paths again, it would be too soon? Imagine if

Christ died for people like that. I know Id be one of the ones he

avoids daily! Fear God. Is he Lord or just a good buddy thatll

understand when I blow him off all the time? Respect the king.

How do my words about the President reflect my love for Jesus

Christ? Conclusion sentences are there for a reason. Dont justblow past them because the words are familiar. Heres a great

checklist that will be used by God on judgment day regarding you

and your behavior today. How did you do on the test?

Documents

January 2013 Devotional