Lesson Learned

"May grace (spiritual blessing) and peace be given to you in increasing abundance [that spiritual peace realized in and through Christ, freedom from fears, agitating passions, and moral conflicts]." 1 Peter 1:2 (AMP)

      It's interesting that Peter is the one writing this passage because grace and peace were the things furthest from Peter's mind in the early stages of his discipleship. He was well known for his tantrums and antics. He was hot headed and quick to make a wrong decision when things got tough. His lowest point was denying Christ 3 times so that He wouldn't be affiliated with a man destined to die.

       Then something happened. Jesus spoke life into his life (John 21) and suddenly all the lessons Jesus taught in him in 3 years began to take root. When Peter was presented with his opportunity at the day of Pentecost 3,000 were added to the church (Acts 2). What a dramatic turn of events for a man who's life was destined to catch fish.

       This passage for Peter is a reflection. He's taking a look back at his life, and realizes that the only things in life what are worth having in great measure is grace and peace. Having grace lets you realize that you cannot fulfill things on your own power, and peace is understanding that even though you can't do things on your own you're still going to be ok. Isn't it ironic that the two things Peter had trouble with reconciling in his life became the cornerstones of his walk with Christ. Just like Peter may grace and peace be multiplied unto you so that you can live a full and complete life in Christ. Amen!

Deceived Perception

Jesus said, "So, you believe because you've seen with your own eyes. Even better blessings are in store for those who believe without seeing." John 20:29 (The Message)

      Jesus was relaying this message to the one disciple who said that He wouldn't believe He was resurrected unless he saw Him and touched His wounds. Jesus obliged Thomas' request but also told Thomas something profound, an oxymoron of significant lasting value. Blessed are those who believe without relying on sight.

       In thinking about this passage, I began to realize that if people lived solely off of what they saw there would be a tremendous amount of people living without any sort of hope. I began to also think of what they would see, especially in these times that appear (to the naked eye) to be difficult. Specifically, they would see a world that has a lack of resources, an abundance in immorality, war, and so on.

       In the unseen realm there are an abundance of resources, a remnant of people turning to God, and the prospect of peace in a perilous world. How? Well, Jesus stated that, "What is impossible with men is possible with God." (Luke 18:27) Very simply stated, don't limit your vision solely upon what is seen, for if you do you will eliminate the boundless possibilities of what is unseen.

Taking a step

"...But when he (Peter) perceived and felt the strong wind, he was frightened, and as he began to sink, he cried out, Lord, save me [from death]!Instantly Jesus reached out His hand and caught and held him, saying to him, O you of little faith, why did you doubt? And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased." Matthew 14:30-32 (Amplified)

When Peter delved into the innermost depths of his faith his focus was solely on Jesus, "So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water, and he came toward Jesus." (v.29) As He walked toward Jesus his direction was secure and no outside circumstance could derail the arrival to the destination.

Until... he lost his focus, "But when he perceived and felt the strong wind, he was frightened." (v.30) All was fine and dandy until perception entered the picture and his sense of focus was diminished altogether. Now instead of using his tunnel vision to arrive to where Jesus was calling him he...began to sink.

Doesn't this seem eerily familiar to our own lives? Where we are seeing Jesus do the impossible and for a moment we get carried away in the euphoria of our faith and dare to dream for the impossible. Jesus tells us to come, and we do for a moment until... the moment of true faith comes when we percieve our surroundings exactly like Peter did. The best part of this story however, is how Jesus ends it as when Peter begins to drown Jesus reaches down to save him. That's definitely something we can all identify with.

If we ever find ourselves out there on the sea using impossible faith, remember one thing... focus intently on Christ because if you do there is no question you will reach your goal.

Plans

"Where there is no counsel, purposes are frustrated, but with many counselors they are accomplished." Proverbs 15:22 (AMP)

      Struggle with finding God's will for your life? Talk to someone, but not just any someone. Talk to someone who would be considered a wise authority on the subject of direction be it a: pastor, counselor, parent, trusted friend, etc.

        By talking to these type people you avail yourself to a wider experience base and they may present to you a position that you didn't factor into your equation. Which is what Solomon is trying to say in this passage. Sometimes in life we don't have it all figured out but if we rely on just our opinions our plans have a greater propensity to fail than if we counseled with others.

Patience

"I waited patiently and expectantly for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry."

     It's difficult to exercise patience when things around you are going a mile a minute or even a mile a second. However, those who make the most unemotional decisions are the one's best equipped to receive the best outcome in the end.

      It's easy to react to every crazy situation and storm we face. It's easy to go off the deep end and proclaim to others the dissatisfaction you feel when things aren't quite going your way. On the other hand, it is very difficult to remain quiet and patient, which is why many refuse to do so.

       Jesus repeatedly wanted us to understand that whatever we are facing He understands. He knows our going out and our coming in. More than anything He wants us to understand that He's willing to carry our burden for us, If only we wait patiently for Him. (Matt 11:30) What will you decide to do today? My advice would be to wait before reacting and see what He does on your behalf.

Speechless

"THE HEAVENS declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows and proclaims His handiwork. Day after day pours forth speech,night after night pours forth knowledge. There is no speech nor spoken word [from the stars]; their voice is not heard. Yet their voice [in evidence] goes through all the earth." Psalm 19:1-4a (Amplified)

       I can see the Psalmist writing this passage as he sits outside gazing at the night sky. He must have been overwhelmed by the sights he could see. The stars in the midnight sky going on endlessly for miles and miles just enough to captivate his mind and his soul leaving him speechless. He couldn't help but ascribe all this greatness to the creator of all things as he would say that the heavens speak forth the amazing glory of an Almighty God.

       When was the last time we let our surroundings captivate us in such a way? When has gazing at the heavens or the landscape of the earth given us pause? If it has been too long, take some time and enjoy the canvas of a sunset, the beauty of majestic mountains, or the ripple of the sea. Why? It re-calibrates our focus and show us God's power in each of those things. Not only that... it will raise in us a semblance of gratefulness that though these things were created by God so were we. If the thought of us being included in sunsets and deep blue seas doesn't captivate our senses...I don't know what will.

Adversity

"So how am I to respond? I've decided that I really don't care about their motives, whether mixed, bad, or indifferent. Every time one of them opens his mouth, Christ is proclaimed, so I just cheer them on! And I'm going to keep that celebration going because I know how it's going to turn out. Through your faithful prayers and the generous response of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, everything he wants to do in and through me will be done. I can hardly wait to continue on my course. I don't expect to be embarrassed in the least. On the contrary, everything happening to me in this jail only serves to make Christ more accurately known, regardless of whether I live or die. They didn't shut me up; they gave me a pulpit! Alive, I'm Christ's messenger; dead, I'm his bounty. Life versus even more life! I can't lose" Philippians 1:18-21 (The Message)

        Beaten badly on numerous occasions Paul persisted in preaching Christ to others. Imprisoned without a cause he continued to preach Christ. Shipwrecked. Snake bit. Scourged. Slandered. He maintained his resolve to preach Christ. Why? Paul had the right perspective in handling adversity.

        In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul shocks the world by how he views his consistent toil in life. He writes, "For our light, momentary affliction (this slight distress of the passing hour) is ever more and more abundantly preparing and producing and achieving for us an everlasting weight of glory [beyond all measure, excessively surpassing all comparisons and all calculations, a vast and transcendent glory and blessedness never to cease!]," (2 Corinthians 4:17) For Paul it was all about perspective. In the midst of the "light and momentary affliction" of a jail cell, he'd have a perfect chance to witness to the prisoners and the guards. In the midst of a slanderous trial, he sees an opportunity to proclaim Christ to the general counsel. The very ones accusing him of blasphemy. Paul consistently saw his trials as opportunities not adversities, and consistently preached Christ through it all.

        Paul was so concerned for others in the midst of his adversities that he really take time to think of himself. Sounds just like Jesus. On that old rugged cross, Jesus looks down to John (who is beside Mary his mother) and says to him "Here is your mother." (John 19:27) Taking care of the needs of Mary and not even focusing on the grueling pain He was enduring.

        Adversity wants to punch you in the gut and take you out. However, it is up to you how you will respond to it. Will you let it overcome you as you become inwardly focused? Or will you overcome it by looking for opportunities to be outwardly focused like Jesus and Paul consistently did? In all situations remember this... it is better to give than to receive. This is how we show the world the depth of the love of Christ in us, that is available to them.

Firmly Planted

"And he shall be like a tree firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper [and come to maturity]." Psalm 1:3 (Amplified)

      Substitute each he in this verse with the word I, and what you have done is you have empowered yourself with the ability of a tree. Now to some a tree isn't a glamorous thing to be. All they do is stand there for centuries and to the naked eye do nothing except shed leaves in the fall, and sway when its windy. Who would want to do that forever...Much less be compared to it?

       The Psalmist however saw trees differently. He saw them as grandiose producers of fruit, that have life sustaining power if they are productive members. (After all, Jesus cursed to death an unproductive tree, so you know already that a tree is a truly significant element in the grand scheme of things) The only way a tree can be truly productive is if it is rooted correctly and positioned to flourish.

        Psalm 1 compares a man who walks righteously as a tree that is productive in every possible fashion. A tree that whatever it does shall prosper. Such a tree can only be rooted in Jesus who is the epicenter of righteousness. I want to be that tree, and I pray each day for God to firmly plant me by the streams of water. For it is there where we will be able to withstand the forces of unrighteousness and be the productive members of Christ's body we were always intended to be. Food...or fruit for thought.

The Resolute

"They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them. They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly." Psalm 112:7-8

     When I think about a resolute person I think of someone who has their mind made up. They believe something and no situation, or circumstance would ever change them. In this passage, I believe the psalmist is relating the person who's confidence in God has a resolute character. No turbulence in life could change their faith in God.

        I want to be a man of resolute conviction. I don't want my emotions or feelings to be tossed aside and changed based on how my circumstances have changed. I know what God has done for me and for many others in my life, and there is no question that in the end I will always end up on top, because God is FOR me. Just has He is FOR everyone else. So for me there is absolutely no reason not to be resolute in HIM.

Loving God

"Love God, your God, with your whole heart: love him with all that's in you, love him with all you've got!" Deuteronomy 6:5 (The Message)

       This above all other things is what we need to apply to our lives more than anything else. It is so important to understand that the singular object of our undivided love is our God. I mean this love is a love that transcends all things and should be shared with no one else. 

        I know there are some out there that say what about our spouse? Our children? Our friends? Moses, wholly unapologetic about this edict continues to say, "Write these commandments that I've given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night. Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder; inscribe them on the doorposts of your homes and on your city gates." (v.7-8) In other words, loving God isn't something that should be done only when you go to church (or are around church people). It should be embedded in your lifestyle and passed on to the generations that succeed you. 

          Its not at all difficult to love God. Everything that we have in life is because of Him. Our blessed lifestyles are totally unmerited due to our sinful nature, but it's freely passed down to us from Him. If we can't make Him the greatest love of our lives then we really don't understand where it is we came from... and (more importantly) where we were destined to live.

Everyone Else

"Don't run up debts, except for the huge debt of love you owe each other. When you love others, you complete what the law has been after all along. The law code—don't sleep with another person's spouse, don't take someone's life, don't take what isn't yours, don't always be wanting what you don't have, and any other "don't" you can think of—finally adds up to this: Love other people as well as you do yourself. You can't go wrong when you love others. When you add up everything in the law code, the sum total is love." Romans 13:8-10 (The Message)

     Paul's letter to the Romans speaks about love and how it is used to fulfill the law. I've struggled many times in the past trying to do all I can to earn my salvation, but I slowly came to the understanding that my salvation can in no way be earned through my efforts. If it were possible then Christ died in vain, but Christ came to seal up the debt of sin I owed and only through him can I be free. In doing this for me Christ showed me an aspect of the law that I myself can fulfill. The labor of love He gave me can be transferred to others. 


     In Matthew 22:36-40 Jesus was tested with a question, in His reply he sets the course of this new law which has the world spinning on an entirely different axis. The passage states, "Teacher, which command in God's Law is the most important?" Jesus said, "'Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.' This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' These two commandments are pegs; everything in God's Law and the Prophets hangs from them." The two greatest commandments have nothing to do with anything you can do to earn salvation through performance, but it has everything to do with channeling the love and appreciation of God's gift you received and use it to show others this love and change the world.

      I have seen what love can do and it is a marvelous undertaking to live a selfless life pouring love into others. Though it is a great challenge, there is nothing more fulfilling. 

The Word

"I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You." Psalm 119:11 (NIV)
 
          God's word is a shield around us. It's useful in fending off the attacks of the enemy while helping us live the life He has called us to live. God's word is our guide in a world without direction. I find that far too often in my life each time I identify the sin within me, it's because I have neglected the very word that speaks against the thing I did. I have seen more than usual the benefits of coating the word in each and everything we do because it serves a useful purpose in our lives that far exceeds anything else on this earth.
 
           Consider that the word of God is God's connection to us (outside of prayer). It is the essence of who He is and what He'd like for us to do. Surely He can't make us do it due to free will, but the benefits of following His word leave no doubt that it's the best way to go. If you haven't been into the word as you have in the past I encourage you to pick it up more and read it more. The issues of life that spring from this well are abundant. If you have been reading it continue to do so as I'm sure you are reaping the benefits of what it provides. 

Vows

"When you tell God you'll do something, do it—now. God takes no pleasure in foolish gabble. Vow it, then do it. Far better not to vow in the first place than to vow and not pay up." Ecclesiastes 5:4-5 (The Message)

     I remember watching a movie a while back were there was an agent who had lost the majority of his clients except a mid-level client and a really high-profile client. When he goes to visit the family of his high profile client he's still relatively unsure if they would sign with him or not, he finds out that because he made the personal trip to the family's house they opted to sign with him. What struck me was what the father said to the agent as he said, "we decided if you came in person we'd stick with you... now I don't do formal contracts but I give you my word and its stronger than oak." Unfortunately, as the movie progresses the family ends up signing with another agent right before the client was drafted. So much for a word stronger than oak.

       How do people view our word? Do they take it as evidence of who you are and what you represent? Or do they take it at face value and don't put too much stock in it? Be careful with your words because what you say not only represents you but it also represents your Father in Heaven. Be slow to speak and quick to listen. If you make a promise to God or to man be sure you make every attempt possible to keep it. The promise of a word is very significant and owning up to it will not only benefit others, but yourself as well.

Generosity

“Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice.”- Psalm 112:5

     Having a generous heart will take you a long way as generosity opens doors that stinginess cannot even touch. If you were in search of an example of generosity look at Jesus. He spent His entire ministry giving without any expectation of return. On two occasions He fed thousands who were following Him using nothing but loaves and fishes. And what about the healings? He passed on that gift to many who were sick and tired of being sick and tired.

     The thing about generosity is that it is reciprocal. Good comes to those who are generous. Jesus gave to others and it was returned to Him with people believing He was the Son of God. The widow who gave her last batch of oil to the prophet Elijah never realized she'd have never have lack again but it happened. 


      What is God calling you to be generous with? Your time? Your talent? Your devotion? See people think that generosity has a financial collar to it. Not always, as you can be generous with a myriad of things. Find out what God is asking you to be generous with and see your life overflow with good as it flourishes in your life.

Care

"They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them." Psalm 112:7 (NLT)

       There are many people out there that wince at the prospect of bad news. They feel like their lives have had enough bad things to happen to them that they fear taking risks. They live their lives completely insulated from anything that would cause them harm. This is no way to live.

        We must understand that rain comes to the just and the unjust (Matt 5:45). So hardships and adversities are not reserved for those who are really bad or even really good, they come to all. To live a life of sheer abundance and prosperity, we have to adopt the mindset that even though bad things happen, we know a good God. This very God will care for us no matter what storms come our way. Do not fear bad news, trust instead that God has your best interests in mind.