Devotionary

If we are truly children of God, then we should not only live like it, we should love like it. Our lives should reflect the reality of our new nature and emulate the love that God has shown to us. That’s what Peter is going to address in 1 Peter 1:22-25. In this episode, called “Love Like It”, we’re going to see how Peter describes this selfless, sacrificial love for others. The love of God should not stop on us, but flow through us. We have been loved by God, so we should share that love with others. In essence, we become conduits of God’s love, allowing His mercy, grace, goodness and kindness to pour through us and overflow from us onto our brothers and sisters in Christ. The kind of love Peter describes in these verses isn’t of this world. It is supernatural and Spirit-produced. We can’t manufacture it or muster it up by sheer force of will. It is only as we recognize and learn to appreciate the degree of God’s love for us, that we even remotely begin to have the capacity to love others. Anyone who does no

In today’s episode, based on 1 Peter 1:17-21, Peter begins to call his readers to a radically new lifestyle that measures up to their newfound status as God’s chosen ones. God had set them apart and called them to a life of holiness. This was not just some verbal designation, but was to be an everyday reality of their new life in Christ. They were now sons and daughters of Christ and they were expected to live like it. Gone were the old days of slavery to sin and lives marked by an inability to live righteous and upright lives. The life of holiness was not an option, but an expectation for any and all believers. Jesus died so that we might live. But He didn’t provide us with life so that we could do what we want to do or behave in whatever manner we like. Christ died so that we might see our old way of life put to death. It’s hold on us was broken by His sacrificial death on the cross. He atoned for our transgressions. He paid our debt. He settled our spiritual deficit and credited His righteousness to our ac

Why am I here? That is a question every human has asked at some point in his or her life. It is a matter of identity and speaks to our innate desire for purpose and meaning in life. In 1 Peter 1:13-16, Peter is going to begin to address the answer to this question, at least when it comes to those who have placed their faith in Jesus. I have entitled this episode, “Therefore…” because that is the word Peter uses to begin this section. The first 12 verses of this chapter have been a set-up for what is to come. And what is to come is Peter’s strong encouragement for the believers in his audience to take their new life in Christ seriously. In fact, he is going to call them to a life of holiness, and not some brand of low-grade, man-defined kind of holiness either. Peter will challenge us be holy like God is holy. And that high standard, while intimidating, is not impossible. It’s going to take effort, but God has not left us alone. He is not expecting us to pull off holiness with nothing more than our sin-hampere

In today’s episode, we’ll in verses 3-12 of 1 Peter 1. In this section, Peter spends some significant time talking about God Himself, the very one who chose the ones to whom Peter is writing. He wants them understand the incredible worthiness of God. He is sovereign over everything and everyone, and it was He who had made possible their salvation. Peter owed his apostleship to God. They owed their salvation to God. But how easy it is for us to forget the unprecedented role that God has played in our salvation and the redemption of mankind. We can take God for granted and begin to think our salvation was somehow our decision. But Peter won’t let us go there. He refuses to allow us to treat God flippantly or to see His gift of grace through Jesus Christ as somehow our doing. No, Peter will go out of his way to make sure his readers understand that they did not deserve to be chosen by God. They had not earned His good graces or merited His favor. He had chosen them in spite of them, not because of them. And whil

Today’s episode is entitled, Chosen By God, and covers 1 Peter 1, verses 1-2. This is basically Peter’s introduction to his letter. It contains his greeting to the believers in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia. He calls them elect exiles, which is a title he will spend much of his letter unpacking and applying to their lives. But in this episode, we want to take a closer look at Peter, one of the original disciples of Jesus and an early apostle of the Christian church. He was a type-A personality with a quick temper and a tongue that tended to engage before his brain did. He was always quick to speak and not so quick to listen. He was impulsive and reactionary. And yet, Jesus chose him and would use him in incredible ways. This seemingly unqualified and uneducated fisherman was going to be used by God to spread the good news of Jesus Christ around the world. And Peter was going to take his role as an ambassador for Christ seriously. Which is what led him to write this letter. He had a passion fo

Today begins a new series on 1 Peter. It's going to be an eye-opening and encouraging look at our status as God's children and the way our newfound relationship with God should impact the way we live our lives.

There’s nothing uglier than jealousy in ministry. When two individuals who claim to be serving and following Christ begin to question why the other seems to be getting an easier path to walk or more acclaim for their efforts, it is not a pretty picture. And in the final chapter of John, chapter 21, we get a not-so-pretty look at Peter and his response to some not-so-great news from Jesus regarding how his life was going to turn out. But upon hearing this news from Jesus, Peter immediately turns his attention to John. He wants to know how HIS life is going to turn out. Peter is feeling slighted, as if he has been selected for some kind of punishment for his past sins. But Jesus will give Peter a fairly blunt response and refuse to answer his questions. All Peter needed to know is what was in store for him. Nothing else mattered. This wasn’t a competition. Peter didn’t need to compare his life with John’s or anyone else’s for that matter. But that’s what we’re prone to do. We can’t seem to help comparing our ci

Darkness, disillusionment, despair. We’ve all found ourselves in those moments where doubt and deep disappointment set in. Things didn’t turn out like we expected. The circumstances of life turned out for the worse, not the better. And in those moments, we can find ourselves questioning God and wondering about His goodness. That’s what happened to the disciples of Jesus and its recorded in the 20th chapter of the gospel of John. They had been forced to watch their friend, rabbi and supposed Messiah, die an excruciating death on a Roman cross. It had been hideous to watch. It had been painful to face the reality that their hopes for the future had just died along with Jesus. He was gone. They were done. Now, it was back to their old lives and the sad reality that nothing was going to change. All their hopes had been dashed. All their plans for the future had been buried in a borrowed tomb along with the dead carpenter from Nazareth. But they were in for a big surprise. They were about to receive a shock to the

As we near the end of John’s gospel, we arrive at the climax of the life of Jesus. This section of the gospel brings us to the primary reason for Jesus’ incarnation. It provides us with the purpose of His coming to earth in the first place: His death. Jesus came to offer His life a sacrifice for many. He was the substitute, chosen by God, to stand in the place of sinful men and women, bearing the brunt of God’s wrath against sin, in order that God might extend mercy, grace and forgiveness to those who could find it no other way. During His trial before Pilate, he was mocked, beaten and portrayed before the people as nothing more than a broken down, weak, and bloodied shell of a man. He was unrecognizable by those who knew Him. He was certainly no threat to the Roman Empire, so Pilate could not understand why the Jews would not agree with him and see Jesus as without fault. Pilate would have preferred to set Jesus free, but the people would have nothing to do with it. There were other forces at work that day,

As Americans, we don’t know a whole lot about kings. Most of what we know we, we got from books or the movies. The United States has never had a king. Prior to the American Revolution, when we were still part of the British Empire, we were ruled by a king, but it has been over 250 years since the American colonies were subject to the reign of a sovereign ruler with unparalleled power and authority. So, when we read about Jesus being King, it is a bit more difficult for us to relate to just exactly what that title designates. But for those in Jesus’ day, talk of kings and kingdoms was a part of everyday life. Kings were a normal part of the culture. And their kingdoms were a reflection of their power and the extent of their sovereign reach. The Jews in 1st-Century Judea, were looking for a king, and had been for some time. They had been told by their fathers and grandfathers that a Messiah or ruler was going to come. He would be a descendant of King David and would rule on David’s throne, reestablishing the Da

Have you ever stopped to really consider what Jesus has done for you? I am sure there have been moments when you have taken time to reflect upon the amazing gift you have received because of His sacrificial death on the cross on your behalf. But if you are like me, sometimes we allow that gift to become common place and our attitude toward it a bit too pedestrian. We are so familiar with it, that we are no longer impressed by it. But we should be. And in John 17, we get to peak in on a very intimate moment between Jesus and His heavenly Father as He prays just hours before His arrest, trials and crucifixion. Yes, Jesus prays for Himself, asking that God might consider letting this terrible trial pass Him by. But He quickly submits to His Father’s will and places God’s plan for His life over His own. But Jesus spends far more time praying for us. That is the truly amazing thing about this prayer. And He prays for our spiritual well-being and future sanctification. He dedicates us to God. Even before we came to

Are you an overcomer? Do you see yourself as victorious over the enemy and as already being on the winning side of the spiritual battles of life? For Jesus, it was essential that His disciples understand that the coming days were going to get rough, but that they had no reason for concern. He was going to conquer sin and death by sacrificing His life on the cross. He was going to be raised from the dead through the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit. And He would ascend back to heaven and send that same Holy Spirit to indwell them. His victory would be their victory. His defeat of sin and death would be theirs to share. In John 16, Jesus provides His disciples, and that includes us, with reassuring words concerning His battle with the flesh, Satan and the world. He has overcome them all. He has fought the battle and won the victory. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be days of trouble and difficulty in this life. The enemy is defeated, but not dead. He is conquered, but not yet captive. He still walks the e

In John 15, we have one of those very familiar verses that seem to promise us no-questions-asked access to God’s divine storehouse of goods and services. Jesus says that we can ask whatever we wish and expect to get it. But is He talking about carte blanche access before God to get whatever it is we want from Him? Sadly, that is the way some people interpret this verse. But to get there, they have to take it out of its context. They choose to ignore the other verses surrounding it that provide a clearer understanding of what it is that Jesus is really saying. Let’s face it, we all have a lot of wishes. There are so many things we think we need or deserve to have. But is Jesus telling us we can take our wish list of hopes, desires, lusts and longings before the throne of God and expect Him to deliver the goods? I don’t think so. As we will see, there is more here than getting what we think we want. It is really about us getting what God wants and what He wants is the exact same thing we should desire or wish f

Do you consider yourself a loving person? Most of us do. Maybe, not all of the time, but overall, we would probably think of ourselves as loving. But we are about to discover that Jesus raised the bar on our definition of love. It was He who said, “There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends” (john 15:13 NLT). Now, let me ask you again, do you consider yourself a loving person? You see, Jesus has provided us with a criteria for true love that goes far beyond what this world considers the standard for love. And He didn’t just talk about it, He demonstrated it with His own life. Jesus showed love for the Father by laying down His life in obedience to the Father’s will. He also showed love for us by sacrificing His life so that we might be freed from slavery to sin and enjoy eternal life, and a restored relationship with God the Father. True love requires sacrifice. It is selfless, not self-serving. God gave up His own Son. Jesus gave up His own life. But for many of us, as soon as lov

How do you bring glory to God? Is it through your worship on Sunday mornings or the time you spend in the Word during the week? The answer would certainly be, “Yes.” But are there other times and ways to give God glory? And are they always associated with those moments in time when we are doing well and our God appears to be nothing but good? The Bible would seem to indicate that God gets glory in the good times and the bad times. It all depends on how we view those moments and whether we see God’s hand in them. Today, as we look at John 13, we will hear Jesus declare that all that is about to happen to Him is going to bring glory to His Father. And He is not just speaking of His coming resurrection. There was a betrayal that had to happen first. There was the denial by Peter and the desertion of the other disciples. There would be a series of trials, accompanied by beatings, false accusations, ridicule and mockery. There would be a grueling and painful crucifixion where His body would suffer greatly and the

John chapter 12 has a somewhat interesting and perversely funny story regarding Lazarus. It is a great follow-up to Jesus’ miraculous raising of his once-dead friend from the grave. Just six days before the celebration of the Passover, when Jesus and His disciples would make their way to Jerusalem, He made a stop in Bethany, the town where He had brought Lazarus back to life. Obviously, Lazarus had become somewhat of a sensation, a first-century rock star. He had celebrity status. After all, it’s not everyone who can claim to have been dead and then brought back to life. And when Jesus joined a dinner with Lazarus and his sisters, it caused quite a stir, attracting the attention of the religious leaders. They now had a second target for their hatred, because Lazarus was literal living proof that Jesus was something special. His claims to be the Son of God had been given credibility with the people because of the raising of Lazarus. So, the high priest and his cohorts decided the next course of action was to g

John chapter 11 contains the shortest verse in the Bible: “Jesus wept.” But those two words are filled with significance and paint a vivid portrait of our Savior. He had just received news that His dear friend, Lazarus, had died. But this was not something that took Him by surprise. From the moment Mary and Martha had sent word for Jesus to come and heal their brother, He had chosen to delay his arrival for two days. In other words, He purposefully put off his trip for 48 hours, knowing full well that Lazarus was going to die. But his death would not last. That’s why Jesus told the disciples that “this illness does not lead to death.” And yet, when they arrived on the scene, Lazarus was dead, and had been for three days. In fact, he was already buried. But Jesus had told the disciples one other thing. He had told them that this illness was “for the glory of God.” And they were about to discover exactly what Jesus meant. He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead. So, why did Jesus cry when He walked up to th

Fullness of life. What does that really mean? We all want it. At least, as long as we get it based on our definition. But what does the Bible have to say about it? Better yet, what did Jesus mean when He offered it? That is where we’re going in today’s episode on John 10. Jesus is going to present Himself as the Good Shepherd. The shepherd/sheep analogy was well-understood by the typical audience to whom Jesus spoke. Theirs was an agrarian culture and they were well-acquainted with sheep and shepherds. But sometimes that comparison loses something in the translation for us as 21st-Century Americans. Few of us grew up on a farm, let alone around sheep. But the real point of Jesus’ use of this analogy is to help us understand His role in our lives. He is the “good” shepherd and we are His sheep, those for whom He gave His life. He cares deeply for us and wants God’s best for us. That’s why He was willing to die in our place. And because He died, we have new life. And not just any kind of life. As He described i

Darkness can be intimidating. But there’s always the hope of light. The darkness of midnight is always followed by the dawn of day. That is, unless you’re actually blind. Then one day looks pretty much like another. One particular hour of the day is no different than any other, because your world is cloaked in darkness. And as we open up John 9, we’re going to see Jesus using the metaphor of blindness to explain the problem of spiritual blindness that plagued His generation, especially the religious leaders of His day. Using a timely opportunity to restore sight to a man born blind, Jesus will juxtapose this man’s physical blindness with the spiritual blindness of the Pharisees. They even ask Jesus, “are we also blind?” And His response reveals the sad reality of their situation and the hopelessness of their condition, brought on by their pride and spiritual arrogance. They claimed that Jesus broke the law by healing on the Sabbath, and claimed He was nothing more than a sinner. But the man whose sight had be

The light of the world. That’s how Jesus chose to describe Himself in chapter eight of John. A fairly bold statement, especially when you take the time to dig into His meaning. He wasn’t merely claiming to be another source of light or intellectual illumination. He was claiming to be the sole source of light. And Jesus goes out of His way to differentiate between the light and the dark. The world into which He came was marked by moral darkness. The people living in the world were spiritually blind and hopelessly stumbling around the in the dark, unable to see and incapable of discerning truth. And the spiritual leaders of the day were no better. They were like the blind leading the blind. In fact, that was exactly how Jesus had described them. “They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch” (Matthew 15:14 NLT). In the very next chapter of his gospel, John records Jesus’ explanation regarding His incarnation, the reason for His coming to earth