Devotionals

Friends, I’ve mentioned in the past that we follow the Lectionary with the passages that we use for the daily devotions; and it seems like Jesus is divinely connecting so many of my recent devotions to the urgency of our spiritual readiness as His church in preparation for His return.

Today we will be looking at the last 9 verses of Revelation 3 which is a message from Jesus, through John, to the Church in Laodicea. Before we look at today’s passage, we need to remember that the book of Revelation is an unveiling of the future. Every message to all 7 churches is in red print, meaning these are direct words from Jesus to “the church”…and since you and I are the church, that means He is speaking to us. This particular message, or letter, is the final instruction that Jesus has given to John to write for the 7th church. These messages/letters advise you, me, and all believers that as the church we must repent and hold firm to our faith, or else we will become lukewarm which is exactly where Satan wants each of us so he can turn our hearts cold to Christ.

Every message/letter, prior to this last one, has included at least a compliment from Jesus to the churches. But, right out of the gate in this one, Jesus says, “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mount!” (v.15-16) We must remember that Jesus knows the intensions of our heart. He knows if we are serving Him (and on hot fire with the Holy Spirit) or if we are serving Satan (have grown cold and desiring more of this world). It is imperative that we remember what Jesus taught us through Matthew during His Sermon on the Mount that “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.” (6:24) Anything of this world that enslaves us is simply Satan taking us further away from Jesus. Satan plays a long-term game for our hearts, he knows if we are enslaved to the things of this world, we will grow lukewarm and eventually we will turn cold. If we go a little further in Matthew to chapter 24 Jesus speaks about the future and He specifically says that “Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold.” (24:12)

We can say we are good, that we have everything we need, even that we are rich which money, love, things, etc. The physical churches can be beautiful, with large budget lines; but, when everything goes away, you and I want to make sure that we have stored up “wealth” in eternity…and that starts right NOW. We must live for eternity now, which means we ought to be repenting daily in prayer and allowing God to purify us, so we can inherit the riches of heaven. We also want to be made righteousness in the likeness of Christ, which requires the same, constant repentance in prayer and seeking to have spiritual eyes to be guided on the path Christ has for us. We have to welcome the correction that God has for us, because if we don’t, we are walking off of the path He has so beautifully created for each of us as His church. Listen for His knock, quickly answer Him, and remain on HOT fire for Jesus, no matter what is happening around you.

Revelation 3:14-22 NLT

The Message to the Church in Laodicea

14 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s new creation:

15 “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! 16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! 17 You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. 18 So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. 19 I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference.

20 “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. 21 Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.

22 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.”

Prayer: Jesus, we thank You for hearing our prayers. Help us to be on fire for You, Lord. When we step into sin, help us to immediately stop, repent, and turn away from that sin. We ask for Your angels to guard us, and for all of heaven to join us in prayer as we hold firmly to our faith in You, Lord Jesus. We join our hearts in asking for Your protection over all who are in Ian’s path. Please weaken this storm, Lord. We ask all of this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

Intro: Human beings crave influence and power, but rarely wear it in humility or use it wisely. According to Scripture, leaders are elected into positions and allowed to have power, but are actually used to further God’s purposes rather than the human agenda (Ro 13:1). Sin is the root of humanity’s pride problem that will one day lead to destruction (Pro 16:18). Righteousness is the eternal solution that will lead to life (Pro 11:19). Biblical history reveals God uses prideful control-driven leaders to demonstrate what is true and must be fixed: this sinful world needs a divine Lord who is perfect in love, righteousness, and rules in justice [giving people what they deserve]. Jesus is the perfect One.

In our passage today, Jesus is mentoring leaders for the future. His eternal Word reaches our hearts with the lesson. The disciples get into an argument about who is the greatest among them; pride is leading their thoughts and conversation. This must have grieved Jesus, because he arranges a public object lesson to humble them. Jesus uses a child as an example of greatness for his disciples. As if to say, “You want to know who is the greatest leader in the Kingdom among you? It’s this child, because she listens to my correction and humbly obeys. Be like her!” God exalts the humble (Phil 2:8).

Pride will always seek to block a person from learning to listen to the Spirit; but, humility opens the heart and brings a person honor. God’s Spirit-led leaders are servants. Pride has dominion over too many leaders in our world, today. So, be a servant-leader in your sphere of influence and reveal the lesson of humility. If we are wise, we will humbly bend our knee now, because one day…every knee will be commanded to bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord! (Phil 2:9-11).

Luke 9:46-48 NLT The Greatest in the Kingdom
46 Then his disciples began arguing about which of them was the greatest. 47 But Jesus knew their thoughts, so he brought a little child to his side. 48 Then he said to them, “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf [in my name] welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me also welcomes my Father who sent me. Whoever is the least among you is the greatest.”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for this lesson today on leadership. To be great in the Kingdom is to be like Jesus. So, Holy Spirit please recreate us in humility as your servant sons and daughters. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Yesterday, I read a quote by educator and author Edith Hamilton, “Love cannot live where there is no trust.” I found the quote remarkably interesting because I talk to people every day who find themselves with trust issues—living in the present, but focused on negative experiences that happened in the past. In our personal relationships, it is very difficult to move beyond trust issues when someone we respect or love betrays our trust. We can be afraid to trust, again. When we face those times, we need the love of God in order to heal and move forward.

Human beings are flawed; we can have an ugly side that is very selfish. However, God is pure love and he can always be trusted (1 John 4:7-21). It is the love of God that leads believers to place their trust in him (John 3:16). Every challenge we face in life is an opportunity to grow in our trust of God; within those challenges God reveals even then the ways he is loving us. There is a huge difference in how God loves and how flawed humans love. Oh, that we would be more like Jesus! God’s love is holy and stedfast; we can always trust his promises. Human love is fleshy and faltering that’s why God made a way of salvation for us. We can have an expectation for the love of God, but there will be plenty of times we will need to be merciful with everyone else…and everyone else will need to be merciful with us. Love keeps no record of being wronged (1 Cor 13:4-7).

In our passage from the Psalter today, we are reminded to trust God, because he is our Shelter when we are afraid to trust—we trade our fears for faith in his love for us. God has promised to protect us and keep us safe even in the midst of great stress and challenging situations. Yes, even in the midst of injustice. He has promised to restore us when we find ourselves wounded. You can trust God wholeheartedly; let him be your safe place of love, today.

Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16 NLT
1 
Those who live in the shelter of the Most High    will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 
This I declare about the Lord:He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;    he is my God, and I trust him.
3 
For he will rescue you from every trap    and protect you from deadly disease.
4 
He will cover you with his feathers.    He will shelter you with his wings.    His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
5 
Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,    nor the arrow that flies in the day.
6 
Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,    nor the disaster that strikes at midday.

14
The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
    I will protect those who trust in my name.
15 
When they call on me, I will answer;
    I will be with them in trouble.
    I will rescue and honor them.
16 
I will reward them with a long life
    and give them my salvation.”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for being our promised place of safety. Shelter us with the wings of your Spirit and fill us with pure love, trust, and strength today. Thank you for always being with us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: If we want to know God’s purpose for our lives, we must have a relationship with the eternal Father—believe Father exists and gain an understanding of God’s nature so we can use our faith to please him (Heb. 11:6). To know the salvation that is essential for eternal life with Father, we must have a relationship by faith in his Son, Jesus, who teaches us the will of God for human life (John 14:6). To be able to serve the Father and the Son, as well as bring the revelation of eternal salvation to others, we must have a relationship with the Spirit of Truth, because God’s divine power accompanied by faith is essential to overshadow our human weakness toward sin [unbelief and the guilt of disobedience to God’s Word] (Ro 8:26-27).

Most organized religions remind people they must believe in a higher power, but that is just a speck of God’s purpose to bring wholeness to his creation. Divine correction is the travel companion of God’s redeeming salvation (Heb 12:6). God desires to destroy the sin that tries to rob us and restore righteousness through repentance and obedience. Believers understand the way of Christ is the way of the cross (Mat 16:24). We must teach the Truth that God’s purpose is to make human beings holy, so he can enjoy a relationship with his fallen creation.

In our passage today, the religious leaders are so off track from the purpose of God Jesus has to correct them. They appear holy, but they reek with unrepentant pride and hypocrisy. They say they care about God’s people, but they exploit them and enable sin, heresy, and idolatry. They expect to be treated with honor even though they are void of integrity in their example. The words and long prayers of these leaders sound pious, but they are void of the Truth and Jesus knows every heart. We should never forget the judgment of God begins in the house of God (Rev 2-3). So to express God’s displeasure with these religious leaders in our passage, Jesus humbles and humiliates them and instead exalts a poor woman who understands the purpose of God, the heart that honors him, and the relationship he desires. Jesus calls for complete devotion to the will and purpose of God.

Luke 20:45–21:4 NLT
45 Then, with the crowds listening, he turned to his disciples and said, 46 “Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they like to parade around in flowing robes [sign of their devotion] and love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces. And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the head table at banquets. 47 Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. Because of this, they will be severely punished.”

The Widow’s Offering
21:1 While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people dropping their gifts in the collection box. 2 Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small coins.

3 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. 4 For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.”

Prayer: Lord, may your sons and daughters understand your purpose and heart for salvation and may we remain devoted to you with our whole lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: The other day John and I were able to enjoy brunch with some new members of our spiritual family. It was a wonderful time of sharing good food and fellowship. When we got home, John mentioned he was blessed to find he shared a lot of common ground with the one gentleman. Common ground is a pathway to meaningful communication in forming relationships. Common ground is also a pathway for the gospel of Christ.

In a culture that is ever-changing and people’s views of life can be extremely different, we must work at finding common ground with one another. Unbelievers and believers need this discipline. People tend to focus on personal differences, but God leads in a way that helps us actually see some similarities (2 Cor 1:4). For example, we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God with our lives (Romans 3:23). We have had different experiences in life, so it is best to humbly acknowledge the reality of that fact. We do not have to agree on everything; we are simply looking for some mutual interests or a place agreement.

When we are talking with someone new, we must be fully present and willing to listen to his or her life-story. Start by asking open-ended questions in order to explore and gain more information in a non-judgmental manner. Keep looking for points of agreement. When a conversation reveals some common ground, park there and talk about what you share that is similar. Jesus will be parked with you.

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul tells us one of the ways he shares the Christian life is by giving up his personal rights for the sake of other people. He allows us to understand that Christian freedom is connected to Christian responsibility; we are examples of Christ to others, so we must be careful. Paul’s goal is to glorify God and tell others about the strength and salvation of Jesus for human life. To fulfill his goal, he basically tells the believers at Corinth [and us] to find common ground with others, avoid being a religious know-it-all, make others feel valued and accepted, be sensitive to the needs of others, and look for God to open opportunities to talk more about Christ our Living Hope.

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 NLT
19 Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ. 20 When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law. 21 When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law, I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ.

22 When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. 23 I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for keeping us mindful of our Christian responsibility to love, seek to help, and restore others in a right relationship with you. Please guide me and help me find common ground with those who need you, today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

It has been 6 years since I began to study the Bible, and I am so grateful that God continuously reveals so many beautiful connections to me throughout His Word. I have grown to understand that every book, in the Bible, from the first page of Genesis to the last page in Revelation are collectively the only Truth that you and I must have engraved within our hearts. With that being said, I realize that some people struggle with reading the Bible, and I am not here to judge the “whys’, but I feel a great responsibility placed on my heart to encourage you today to read Mark 13. If you’ve already read it many times, read it again, if you’ve never read it, please read it after this devotion. We all need to keep reading it over and over and over again, so we understand what Jesus is speaking about for our “future”, which many believe we are living in now.

Friends, our passage today is from Acts 4, but we need to recall what transpired in Acts 3 in order to understand where Peter and John find themselves, and I will do my best to connect their time and ours back to Mark 13.

So, in Acts 3 Peter and John went to the Temple for a 3 p.m. prayer service. As they approached the Temple, a crippled man (from birth) was being carried in and he was put at the Temple gate, where he would often beg. When Peter and John entered, the man asked them for money. Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ, the Nazarene, get up and walk!” (v.6) Then Peter took the man’s hand and “He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them.” (v.8) Many people saw this and knew the man. So, Peter and John took this as an opportunity to witness about the saving love of Jesus. “Through faith in the name of Jesus, this man was healed – and you know how crippled he was before. Faith in Jesus’ name has healed him before your very eyes.” (v.16) “Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and he will again send you Jesus, your appointed Messiah. For he must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through his holy prophets.” (v.19-21)

That leads us up to today’s passage in Acts 4. So, when Peter and John were speaking to the people about Jesus after they healed the crippled man, they were confronted by all of the “head leaders” of the Temple. Basically, anyone who had some type of “religious” authority, fearfully came to confront these guys. Out of their own prideful fear, they arrested Peter and John. The next day some of the “head leaders” met and “They brought in the two disciples and demanded, ‘By what power, or in whose name, have you done this?’” (v.7) Here’s the cool part, so Peter and John already knew from Jesus that this would happen, it’s recorded for us within Mark 13, where during Jesus’ ministry He is speaking directly to these guys about what they will need to do when this happens. In Mark 13:11, Jesus told them, “But when you are arrested and stand trial, don’t worry in advance about what to say. Just say what God tells you at that time, for it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit.” Peter allows the Holy Spirit to speak, and the Spirit through Peter reminds these religious leaders of their sin, and of the authority by which the miracle was done, and it was by the Name of Jesus, the One whom they crucified. The cripple man who was raised to walk, was healed by the power of Jesus who was raised up from death.

Friends, when you read Mark 13, please keep in mind that Jesus’ teachings, warnings, and every piece of His Word was (for that time), is (for our time), and will (for time to come) remain the Truth. The Word is active and alive, because Jesus is alive, and His Holy Spirit is active and alive within us. So, since we know the end of the story (the book of Revelation), our hearts need to remain prepared with what He tells us will happen in the Future (READ MARK 13).

Acts 4:1-12 NLT

Peter and John before the Council

1 While Peter and John were speaking to the people, they were confronted by the priests, the captain of the Temple guard, and some of the Sadducees. 2 These leaders were very disturbed that Peter and John were teaching the people that through Jesus there is a resurrection of the dead. 3 They arrested them and, since it was already evening, put them in jail until morning. 4 But many of the people who heard their message believed it, so the number of men who believed now totaled about 5,000.

5 The next day the council of all the rulers and elders and teachers of religious law met in Jerusalem. 6 Annas the high priest was there, along with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and other relatives of the high priest. 7 They brought in the two disciples and demanded, “By what power, or in whose name, have you done this?”

8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of our people, 9 are we being questioned today because we’ve done a good deed for a crippled man? Do you want to know how he was healed? 10 Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead. 11 For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says,

‘The stone that you builders rejected

has now become the cornerstone.’

12 There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for being our guide and for revealing to us what is to come. Help us to lay down our sins and our earthly desires at Your feet, and to truly pick up our crosses and move forward with You. Be our wisdom, Lord, and give us spiritual eyes, spiritual ears, and allow Your spirit to take control of our souls. I ask all of this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

Intro: What is the first thing you think of when I use the word “inheritance?” Because we live in a physical world, we will more than likely think about the passing on of property or possessions from one generation to another following a death. It is a legal process that is typically linked to family blood lines. This concept of inheritance is true and evident between many biblical patriarchs and their descendants. However, in our reading this concept of inheritance takes things way beyond the things of this world.

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul wants us to know the inheritance Father God has for his children is irrevocable and includes the acquisition of spiritual blessings and promises; however, our Benefactor does not die. Jesus—the Living Christ—is the unique Son of God and this qualifies him as God’s heir of all things (Hebrews 1:1-2). Believers are co-heirs with Christ! (Ro 8:17).

We have already begun to inherit some things: Christ has come to save us, wash away our sins, free us from death, offer us new life in the Holy Spirit, provide strength so we can be victorious over our unredeemed flesh, and declare us righteous so we have the confidence that we will inherit eternity as his sons and daughters (Heb 1:14; Titus 3:5-7). The inheritance for the believer is eternal and joyful existence in the glorious love of God! Let’s remember something crucial to our understanding; it is not our love for Christ that has been demonstrated in the salvation that brings us victory and this inheritance; rather, it is Christ’s love for us…and nothing can separate us from his love. Have a wonderful weekend. Hope to see you in worship!

Romans 8:31-39 Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love

31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If [since] God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, [rulers] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Prayer: Father God, thank you for the inheritance you have created for us as your sons and daughters. Thank you for loving us in such a perfect and eternal way. We know nothing we encounter on our path of life—from beginning to end—can separate us from your love. Thank you for walking with us every single day. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Social uniformity has become all too important in this world. This kind of uniformity in attitude and behavior to the norms of culture is basically conformity. Conformity to the world’s standard is the enemy of true transformation. The Apostle Paul teaches, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” (Ro 12:2). People who say they know God but they reveal no public likeness of Him in attitude and behavior have a flesh that has simply conformed to the world.

When human beings experience the transformation made available through the blood of Jesus, those who have been far away from God are brought near and begin to live by faith in His righteousness; attitudes, words, and behaviors change even though personalities remain unique. I realize people would like to believe being a good person is all that is necessary to know God, but there is no righteousness apart from Christ and there is no Truth apart from God (2 Cor 5:21). God will continue to be truth even if every person is false (Ro 3:4). If we align with the standard of the world when it opposes the standard of God we are speaking and living a lie—God is not in it.

In his letter to the Roman Jews, the Apostle Paul wants people to know God judges every human being the same; He shows no favoritism when it comes to salvation (2:11). One is not a believer because of nationality and the practice of circumcision (Jews) and no one (Jews or Non-Jews) is given salvation and eternal life except through faith in Jesus Christ—the Lord. Christ came to call sinners into repentance; he wants to bring us into transformation before judgment (Luke 5:32).

Transformation is an internal reorientation toward God that comes through faith and by God’s gift of grace (Eph 2:8). Charles Spurgeon once said, “Grace is the mother and nurse of holiness not the apologist for sin.” Our outward behavior beings to change and reflect the inward transformation brought about by grace. God is flawlessly faithful in his act of salvation. Therefore, the deeper our relationships with God grows, the greater our understanding. The more understanding we have the greater our responsibility of walking in obedience. We have heard the Truth and it is time to follow.

Romans 3:1-8 New Life Version
1 Do the Jews have anything that those who are not Jews do not have? What good does it do to go through the religious act of becoming a Jew? 2 Yes, the Jews have much more in every way. First of all, God gave the Jews His Law. 3 If some of them were not faithful, does it mean that God will not be faithful? 4 No, not at all! God is always true even if every man lies. The Holy Writings say, “Speak the truth and you will not be proven guilty.”

5 If our sins show how right God is, what can we say? Is it wrong for God to punish us for it? (I am speaking as men do.) 6 No, not at all! If it were wrong for God to punish us, how could He judge the world? 7 If my lies honor God by showing how true He is, why am I still being judged as a sinner? 8 Why not say, “Let us sin that good will come from it.” (Some people have said I talk like this!) They will be punished as they should be.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the work of the Holy Spirit to keep us faithful and obedient. We need you Holy Spirit. You help to groom us in righteousness and bring transformation to our lives. Please be near your children, today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Do you believe Satan is real? If so, who is he and how does he affect the lives of human beings? Scripture defines Satan as an angelic being—a cherub—whom God permanently threw down from heaven to earth due to his sin of arrogance (Isa 14:13-14). As a cherub, Satan was to serve and worship God, but instead he wanted the worship for himself. By God’s action of throwing Satan out of heaven, he became the ruler of this world (John 12:31). Satan is an accuser, tempter, and slanderer of God’s people and he is very good at twisting the truth (Rev 12:10, Mat 4:31, 1 Thes 3:5). He works with the goal of setting his throne above God; but that will never happen. Scripture reminds us Satan can only counterfeit the work of Creator God and he uses his deception and evil to oppose God, as well as rob people of God’s blessings. God has created the perfect eternal home for Satan, the false prophet and the beast, as well as those who reject Christ—hell or the lake of fire [judgment] (Rev 20:10). Hell is a place of torment and separation from God’s goodness.

In our first three verses for today, Jesus knows Satan’s plan to sift or test Peter and the apostles. Wheat was sifted to separate the grain from the chaff. Not only does Jesus know about this sifting or testing from Satan that will take place, he knows how Peter will respond. Peter thinks he knows himself; however, he cannot see his own weaknesses. In our humanity, we too may be blind to our own weaknesses, but Jesus sees it all. For this reason, Christ comes to restore us and to become the vision and strength we so desperately need in order to remain faithful to God. We all fail, but Christ is merciful to restore us when we repent.

Even when God permits times of testing, it is always to fulfill his own purpose. Remember when Jesus was led out into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan? (Mat 4:1). We must never forget Satan’s greatest purpose is to rob, steal, and destroy (John 10:10). God cannot be connected with evil, but sometimes he allows the work of evil in order to accomplish his purpose of making us more like Jesus.

Luke 22:31-33, 54-62 NLT
31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. 32 But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.”
33 Peter said, “Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you, and even to die with you.”

Luke 22:54-62 Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial
54 So they arrested him and led him to the high priest’s home. And Peter followed at a distance.
55 The guards lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat around it, and Peter joined them there.
56 A servant girl noticed him in the firelight and began staring at him. Finally she said, “This man was one of Jesus’ followers!”
57 But Peter denied it. “Woman,” he said, “I don’t even know him!”
58 After a while someone else looked at him and said, “You must be one of them!”
“No, man, I’m not!” Peter retorted.
59 About an hour later someone else insisted, “This must be one of them, because he is a Galilean, too.”
60 But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.
61 At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Suddenly, the Lord’s words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.” 62 And Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the strength you bring my life. Even in times of testing, I sense your presence with me. Keep me focused and faithful in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: During certain seasons in my life I have noticed I can experience two very different responses regarding my sense of time to the circumstances before me: 1) some things in life I treasure and greatly enjoy so I want to slow time down, and 2) some things in life are so difficult I want to speed up time because I am looking forward to better days ahead. I am sure with your experiences you have felt this way about life and time.

For example, our granddaughter, Amana, just turned one month old. With each day, she is much more responsive and aware of voices and sounds. She smiles and even giggles a bit. I love this progression of her development, but could we just slow things down a bit so we have more time to enjoy each day and celebrate every bit of her growth? I don’t want to miss anything! Conversely, there is that overwhelming desire within me for Jesus to come and rescue his Church from this world; today would be a great day and time to leave sin and evil permanently behind! Since I cannot control time, creation, or other people, I am going to do the wise thing of inviting God to guide me in making the best use of my time and days as I also honor his timeline and stand ready. I know God wants me to enjoy my life (John 16:24).

In our passage today, the Apostle Peter speaks to the Church. Peter reminds his readers about God’s timeline vs. humanity’s timeline. God is patient and he wants the world to repent and return to him as King, so God gives more time for this to take place. Conversely, God sees people heading further toward destruction: a self-centered worldview, false faith perspectives, as well as declining values and He knows many of his children are trying to live within the cultural storms, so God tells us to be ready because he may come back any moment. God is not slow, he is just watching for different things. Did it ever dawn on you that believers could hurry things along by allowing Christ to form us in greater godliness each day? God’s purpose for humanity is not destruction; rather his purpose is restoration and recreation in Christ.

2 Peter 3:8-13 8 But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. 9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment [everything will appear before the Judge].

11 Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, 12 looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. 13 But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the reminder about your timeline from Peter today. Your timing is perfect and your grace is sufficient. Thank you for your plan to recreate a new world without sin. May all your children—believers far and near—press in for more of you and your beautiful and godly character, today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.