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Send us a textThe haunting news of 1,800 Christians slaughtered in Syria forms the somber backdrop for this profound examination of Jesus' words in John chapter 6. While the Western world remains distracted by celebrities and politicians, our brothers and sisters face martyrdom—a reality that should drive us deeper into God's Word and mission.Jesus' declaration "I am the bread of life" and His subsequent teaching about eating His flesh and drinking His blood confused and offended His audience. When pressed about how He would give them His flesh to eat, Jesus responded with words that still challenge us today: "It is the spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing."This episode unpacks the critical misunderstanding between spiritual truth and fleshly interpretation. Christ wasn't advocating cannibalism but inviting His followers into a spiritual consumption of His sacrifice through faith. The benefits of this spiritual partaking include eternal life, resurrection, and an inseparable union with Christ—benefits no physical consumption could provide.Through thoughtful dialogue and scriptural analysis, we explore why many disciples found these words too difficult and walked away. Yet Peter's response remains our model: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." Like those early followers, we're challenged to move beyond literal understanding to spiritual discernment.In a world increasingly fixated on the physical and material, this timeless teaching reminds us that transformation, salvation, and communion with God come through spiritual means. Join us as we learn to elevate our understanding beyond the flesh to embrace the life-giving words of Christ. Have you experienced the difference between approaching Scripture with fleshly reasoning versus spiritual receptivity? Share your journey with us.Support the show

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God's Sovereignty and Human Volition at the Cross      One can see God's sovereignty and human volition working simultaneously at the crucifixion of Jesus. In the sovereignty and wisdom of God, without overruling human volition, the Lord accomplished His will by means of the wills of wicked men who sought to oppose Him. Luke tells us, “this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death” (Acts 2:23). Here, wicked men did their worst against God and His Messiah, and yet, what was done to the Messiah, was done “by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God.” Luke states something similar when he recorded Peter's prayer to God, saying, “For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur” (Acts 4:27-28). These wicked men “were gathered together against” Jesus, to oppose and crucify Him. Yet Peter says to God they did “whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur.” These wicked men—whose pride and power were threatened by Jesus—sought to destroy Him by means of false witnesses and illegal trials, and to put Him to death in the most horrible way possible; crucifixion. But God is sovereign, and by means of His invisible hand, used the very actions of those who opposed Him to accomplish the thing He desired; the death of Messiah for everyone. Here is a mystery that brings awe and bewilderment, as the wills of wicked men became the vehicle of divine destiny to produce exactly what God intended. God was in no way the author of their sin. Those who crucified Messiah acted freely. Yet their free actions were the modus operandi to accomplish His will, and so Messiah was crucified and bore the sins of those who placed Him on the cross. Human Choice to Believe      God is sovereign, and He created people with volition, which is the ability to choose. One should not seek to press sovereignty or free will to an extreme. Arnold Fruchtenbaum correctly notes, “if one goes too far with sovereignty, he ends up teaching that there is absolutely no free will. He would teach that people are saved whether they willed it or did not will it. Some of the elect are dragged into the Kingdom kicking and screaming. That has gone over to the sovereignty extreme.”[1] In Scripture, we observe clear statements where people are called to exercise their volition and personally trust in Christ as Savior (John 3:16-18; Acts 16:30-31; Rom 10:12-15; Eph 2:8-9). Fruchtenbaum continues: "On the other side of the coin is human responsibility, where the Bible also just as clearly teaches that people are individually responsible for their moral choices. They are somehow responsible for their eternal destinies. Whether they end up in the Lake of Fire or the New Jerusalem, that is somehow relevant to the choice they make. Throughout the Bible, God calls upon people to make a choice. Joshua declared to the people of Israel, in the closing days of his life, Choose you this day whom ye will serve (Josh 24:15). It is obvious that the Israelites were able to make some kind of a choice and were challenged to make it. Thus we have this same concept of human responsibility. Even when we have statements in the Bible about God hardening the hearts of certain ones, like the heart of Pharaoh, it also indicates in the same context that somewhere along the line Pharaoh also hardened his own heart. We believe God holds us morally responsible for the choices we make, and He expects us to make moral decisions. If we are not able to make any moral decision, if we really do not have such a will, it is inconsistent for God to hold us responsible for choosing things that He Himself predestined us to choose. Yet the Bible constantly exhorts us to believe, and in becoming believers, the Bible exhorts us to live godly lives. The Bible holds us responsible for the choices we make, either as unbelievers or as believers. If there is no real free choice of some kind, then how could God justly reward us or punish us for the choices we make?"[2]      Election does not remove the responsibility to believe in Christ as Savior (Rom 10:13-14). Faith is non-meritorious, having no saving value in itself. Christ alone saves. In order for people to be saved, they must believe in Jesus as the Savior (John 3:16; Acts 4:12; 1 Cor 15:3-4). From the human side of salvation, faith in Jesus is the necessary response to God's call, and no one can be saved any other way (John 14:6; Acts 16:31). According to Robert Lightner, “God the Father is sovereign. He must be to be God. Human responsibility is just as biblical as divine sovereignty. Jesus stressed both. Jesus said no one can come to him unless drawn by the Father but he also said none who come to him would be cast out (John 6:37).”[3]      There are a number of passages that emphasize human volition. Concerning unbelieving Israel, Jesus said, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling” (Matt 23:37). The Bible teaches that God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim 2:4), and that “the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men” (Tit 2:11), and the Lord is “not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Pet 3:9). If someone perishes eternally, it is because they failed to respond to God and His drawing them to Himself. Jesus said that one is judged eternally, “because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18b). And when speaking to unbelievers, Jesus said, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life” (John 5:39-40). [Article: Why Volition Matters] Stephen, when about to be stoned to death, said to his attackers, “You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did” (Acts 7:51). All who end up in the lake of fire are there by personal choice and not because God failed to love them or make provision for their eternal salvation. According to Lewis Chafer, “If men go to perdition it will be because every possible mercy from God has been resisted.”[4]      The spiritual condition of unbelievers is that they made the choice not to believe. Also, Satan imposes spiritual blindness upon them. As Paul wrote, “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Cor 4:3-4).      God saves everyone who is positive to Him and believes in Christ as their Savior (John 3:15-16, 18, 36; 5:24, 39-40; 6:47; 20:31; Rom 3:28; 4:3-5; 5:1-2; 1 Cor 1:21; 15:1-4; Gal 2:16; 3:26; Eph 2:8-9; Phil 3:9; 1 John 5:10-13), and condemns forever those who are negative to Him, who suppress His truth in unrighteousness (John 3:19; 12:37; Rom 1:18-32), and who reject His offer of eternal life, leaving them to suffer for their own choices (John 3:18; 5:39-40). This means God sovereignly chooses to elect those who believe in Christ as their Savior. What About Children who Die Before Reaching the Age of Accountability?      What about babies and little children? Are they among God's elect? Do they go directly to heaven whey die? Yes. All babies and little children go to heaven if they die before reaching the age of accountability. Concerning this doctrine, Robert B. Thieme Jr., states: "Age of Accountability - The point in life when an individual is capable of recognizing the existence of a Supreme Being, capable of understanding the Gospel, and responsible for his own decision toward a relationship with God. This is also called the point of God-consciousness. Scripture is clear that God makes His existence evident within the world (Rom 1:19-20). Accountability is reached when, through simple thought and reasoning, a person can consider that existence and draw conclusions. The specific age at which this occurs varies among individuals and depends on several factors, including geographical location, social conditions, education, and individual mental capacity…Individuals who die before reaching accountability, including infants and the severely mentally handicapped, are taken directly into the presence of the Lord (2 Sam 12:22-23). In grace, God automatically saves anyone who lacks the mental ability to reach God-consciousness and make a responsible decision about Christ."[5]      The age of accountability is a theological extrapolation that is born out of certain passages of Scripture. For example, Moses wrote of “little ones… have no knowledge of good or evil” (Deut 1:39). And God spoke of Isaiah's son, Shear-jashub (Isa 7:3), that “before the boy will know enough to refuse evil and choose good, the land whose two kings you [Ahaz] dread will be forsaken” (Isa 7:16). According to Norman Geisler, “These texts seem to imply that there is an age of moral accountability. Even of adults, Jesus said, ‘If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains' (John 9:41). How much more would this apply to infants who cannot yet know right from wrong.”[6] Another revealing passage is found in 2 Chronicles where we're told, “Jehoiachin was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem, and he did evil in the sight of the LORD” (2 Ch 36:9). Here we see an eight year old whose actions were called “evil in the sight of the LORD.” It reveals that an eight year old with normal cognitive function could be held morally responsible for his actions before the Lord.      Moral accountability before God seems to assume normal sensory and cognitive function, such that a person who has the sensory and intellectual capacity to know that God exists through creation (Psa 19:1-2; Rom 1:18), can then make a decision to pursue Him, or to “suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Rom 1:18). It would seem that those who suffer from an intellectual or developmental disability (i.e., Down syndrome, severe autism, etc.) are granted a special dispensation concerning their moral accountability before God, and they are granted free access to heaven. The command to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation presupposes intelligence and the ability to exercise one's volition. Children and those who are mentally disabled lack the intellectual and volitional capacity to make a decision for or against Christ; therefore, they are not made accountable for sin. Robert Lightner states: "In the Bible, infants, little children, and others who cannot believe are neither told to believe nor expected to do so. They are not classified as wicked evildoers and rejecters of God's grace. It is always adults who are addressed, either directly or indirectly, regarding these matters. Because the Bible has so much to say about those who cannot believe and yet says nothing about their being eternally separated from God because of their inability, we conclude that they have heaven as their home. They die safely in the arms of Jesus."[7]      An often-cited biblical passage on this matter is found in the life of King David who lost a newborn son as a result of his adulterous affair with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, Uriah. David was guilty of horrible sin, but he had a sensitive heart and was very concerned for his child. After the death of David's son, he said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows, the LORD may be gracious to me, that the child may live.' But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me” (2 Sam 12:22-23). While the child was alive, David prayed to God to be gracious “that the child may live.” However, after the child died, David expressed optimism by saying “I will go to him, but he will not return to me.” David was thinking of heaven, where he knew his infant son had gone. Concerning this passage, Robert Lightner states: "Life after death was a certainty for David. That he would be with his son again in the future was his firm belief. He never doubted that fact for a moment. David was rightly related to the Lord, and he did not question that he would spend eternity with Him. Nor did he have any doubt that his infant son, taken in death before he could decide for or against his father's God, would be there also. Some people argue that David's declaration meant merely that he would one day join his son in death. As the child had died, so would the father in due time. But such a view does not account for the anticipated reunion and fellowship with his son that is strongly implied in the statement and in the context. David's act of worship in the house of the Lord is inexplicable if the death of his son merely reminded David of his own certain death."[8]      That heaven welcomes little children is stated in Jesus's Words, when He told His disciples, “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Mark 10:14; cf., Matt 18:3). John Walvoord notes, “The case of those who die before reaching the age of responsibility is a different problem. The proper doctrine seems to be that infants are regenerated at the moment of their death, not before, and if they live to maturity, they are regenerated at the moment they accept Christ.”[9] Summary of Election:      In summary, God's election is a sovereign act from eternity past and is predicated on love and grace (Eph 1:3-6), and not on any foresight of worth or good works (Deut 7:7-8; 1 Cor 1:26-31; Rom 9:9-16). God elects based on His foreknowledge, as Peter states, we are “chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father” (1 Pet 1:1-2), and the elect are saved through the preaching of a gospel message (Rom 10:14-17), and believing in Christ as their Savior (John 3:16; Acts 4:12; 16:31). The basis for condemnation is always a person's unbelief (John 3:18; 5:39-40; Eph 2:3), as it is negative human volition that keeps people from coming to Christ (1 Tim 2:4; 4:10; John 5:40; Acts 7:51). Election is not merely to salvation, but to a holy and righteous life that honors the Lord (Col 3:12; 2 Th 2:13; 1 Pet 2:9). Election agrees with unlimited atonement (John 1:29; 3:16–17; Heb 2:9; 1 John 2:2), and produces humility because it reveals that salvation is completely of the Lord and that people have nothing to boast about (Rom 4:2; Eph 2:9), and God preserves eternally those who are saved (John 10:28-29). Lastly, babies and little children are not held accountable for their actions, as they do not know right or wrong (Deut 1:39; Isa 7:16), and are counted among God's elect and enter heaven when they die, for, as Jesus said, “the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Mark 10:14; cf. 2 Sam 12:22-23). Dr. Steven R. Cook   [1] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, God's Will & Man's Will: Predestination, Election, & Free Will, ed. Christiane Jurik, 2nd Edition. (San Antonio, TX: Ariel Ministries, 2014), 2. [2] Ibid., 3–4. [3] Robert P. Lightner, Handbook of Evangelical Theology: A Historical, Biblical, and Contemporary Survey and Review (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1995), 191. [4] Lewis Sperry Chafer, Salvation (Philadelphia, PA: Sunday School Times Company, 1922), 40. [5] Robert B. Thieme, Jr. “Age of Accountability”,  Thieme's Bible Doctrine Dictionary, 4. [6] Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume Three: Sin, Salvation, 448. [7] Robert Lightner, Safe in the Arms of Jesus (Grand Rapids, Mich. Kregel Publications, 2000), 15-16. [8] Ibid., 55. [9] John F. Walvoord, The Holy Spirit (Galaxie Software, 2008), 135.

Title: Exodus Revisited Text: Acts 12:6-17 FCF: We often struggle to trust the Lord in great tragedy and persecution. Prop: Because God saves and keeps saving His people, we must trust and obey Him while preserving ourselves from harm. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 12. In a moment I'll begin reading in the LSB starting in verse 6. Today we continue the episode begun in chapter 11. The church's troubles are multiplying. Last week we saw how the most recent incident with Peter eating with the Gentiles had caused hatred to build in Jerusalem from the Jews toward the church. This hatred combined with a ruler who desired power and popularity was a perfect recipe for persecution. James the brother of John and leading apostle of the church has been killed. Herod executed him. Peter is now in prison. Herod's plan is to execute him too. But the church is praying fervently for him. What will happen to Peter? Will he join James in martyrdom? Or does God have other plans? Stand with me out of reverence for and to focus on the reading of the Word of God. Invocation: O Most High, as we approach your Word today, our souls wait for you; you are our help and our shield. Our heart is glad in you, because we trust in your holy name. Our hope is in you; let your presence and steadfast love be upon us. Help us to see your watch care and protection and guide us in the exposition of your word today. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Transition: The story that follows is a real-life historical record of what occurred. Nothing I am about to say diminishes that. But you should make no mistake… this story is a comedy. Be prepared to laugh. There are some absolutely hilarious details that follow in this text and it isn't the first time we've seen humor in the book of Acts. In fact, the last time was when Peter was miraculously delivered from jail the first time. It is almost like God loves humiliating leaders who think they are wiser and more powerful than He is. Let's look to the text this morning starting in verse 6. I.) God alone saves and keeps saving His people, so we must trust and obey God. (6-11) a. [Slide 2] 6 - Now on the very night when Herod was about to bring him forward, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison. i. For all intents and purposes… Peter has absolutely NO hope of escaping his jail cell this time. ii. Why do I say that? 1. First, he is sleeping between two soldiers. a. He doesn't even get a bed in a room by himself. b. Instead, he must sleep between two other soldiers who are awake keeping watch over him. c. Luke doesn't tell us what the significance may be of Peter being able to sleep soundly the night before his execution. d. Many scholars point to Peter's faith here. He is trusting the Lord for the outcome and therefore is content and at peace enough to be able to sleep. 2. Second, not only is he between two soldiers, but he is also bound with two chains. a. We aren't told but we can surmise that most likely he is chained either left side to one guard, right side to another or hands to one guard and feet to another. b. So, guards keep watch over him, changing shifts every 3 hours. And in that, they keep him between them and chained to them. c. There is absolutely no way Peter can escape. 3. Third, as if that wasn't enough to make it utterly impossible, the other two guards of the squad assigned to him for those 3 hours… were watching the doors that led out of the prison. a. We learn later that this is probably 1 guard per guard post leading out of prison and into the city. b. Even if Peter were able, somehow, to incapacitate the guards next to him or slip away from the chains and sneak away from guards who were well rested and alert… he now had to make his way through two locked guard post doors each of which were guarded by another awake and alert guard. iii. Now what is the significance of establishing that Peter could not possibly have released himself from prison? iv. Let's hold on to that question until we get to the end of this point. v. So, what happens? The sun rises and Peter is executed right? b. [Slide 3] 7 - And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter's side and woke him up, saying, “Rise up quickly.” And his chains fell off his hands. i. In the introduction I told you that this was a comedy, right? ii. Well, here is the first hilarious detail that Luke records. iii. We have already established that it is absolutely impossible for Peter to escape. Peter trusts the Lord no matter the outcome. And the outcome seems to be guaranteed to be his death. So, he sleeps in contented faith – waiting to join James, Stephen, and all those who have been martyred so far. iv. Then all of a sudden… an angel of the Lord appears and lights up this entire jail cell. v. Luke doesn't tell us the magnitude of the brightness… but I don't think this is a candle flicker. vi. I think this cell became bright as day. vii. What do you notice here about the guards? viii. Nothing. They aren't mentioned. ix. Now are we to assume they were asleep? Are we to assume they were negligent? Did they go out for a late-night coffee assuring themselves that the prisoner was secure? x. Based on the details Luke has given us so far, and what I see as the first of many correlations between this story and Jesus' resurrection as well as the Exodus from Egypt. xi. They simply could not see the angel, nor could they see the light. xii. Much like the guards posted in front of the tomb, and much like the people of Egypt not standing in the way and even giving gold and silver to the people as they left. So here the guards are rendered absolutely benign. Unwilling, unable or unaware of the need to intervene. xiii. The humor intensifies to reveal that not only did the guards not see the angel appear, nor see the light… Peter didn't either. Because he was asleep! xiv. The angel strikes him in the side to wake him up. This is the first of two times in this chapter that an angel strikes someone. The next time will render significantly different results. xv. And what does the angel say? xvi. Rise up. Quickly! xvii. Another similarity between the Exodus and this event. His departure was to be hurried and guided by God through His messenger. Sound familiar? Oh and when was Peter in jail again? Yes during Passover. Interesting. xviii. Although we don't see Peter's obedience in this verse, in preparation for his obedience and in order to make his obedience possible, the chains fall off of him. xix. Once again, they fall off and the guards are none the wiser. c. [Slide 4] 8 - And the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your garment around yourself and follow me.” i. More humor emerges as the story unfolds. ii. Imagine with me Peter standing in a brightly lit room with an angel of the Lord. iii. He meets the gaze of the soldiers in the cell with him. But they look right through him. They have no idea that he is standing directly in front of them. iv. They are blind to all that is happening in the cell. v. They don't feel the chains fall from Peter. vi. They don't hear the angel's instruction to Peter. vii. Peter begins putting on his undergarments and sandals. viii. The soldiers say nothing. They do nothing. They simply stare into the distance as if nothing was happening at all. ix. Peter throws on his cloak, his outer garment, preparing himself to go out into the night. x. Still the soldiers do not do or say anything. They don't react at all. xi. Notice again the similarity to Exodus. The donning of traveling apparel. xii. Peter obeys the angel and begins to follow him. xiii. And still the soldiers remain by his bed where his chains lay… empty. d. [Slide 5] 9 - And he went out and continued to follow, and he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but was thinking he was seeing a vision. i. Peter follows the angel out the door. ii. And Luke suspends reality no longer. iii. He actually records what Peter had running through his head. iv. This is a dream. There is no way this is real. v. Why would he conclude this? vi. Well, think about it… he is moving around, making noise, putting on his clothes, walking through prison doors and watching all the soldiers… do and say nothing. vii. Either this is a dream or he is a ghost. viii. Peter's conclusion should not prompt us to say… silly Peter. Why didn't he see this. ix. Instead, it should prompt us to say… Mighty God! Who are you that you can switch off the senses of men? To be blind and deaf. To feel nothing as it all happens before you. e. [Slide 6] 10 - And when they had passed the first and second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened for them by itself; and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. i. Peter continues to follow the angel. Much like the children of Israel followed Moses. ii. Past both doors and both guards. iii. He passes through the iron gate (probably not a soundless gate) iv. Oh and also… by the way… it opens by itself! So Iron is heavy… I don't think a large prison gate could be blown open by a strong wind. Nope. It just opened. v. Much like the way the Red sea opened before the children of Israel as they left Egypt for good. vi. They go out into the street and just as suddenly as the angel had come… he was gone. vii. Just like the puny gods of Egypt could not prevent Yahweh from reclaiming His own, so also puny Herod could not keep Peter. f. [Slide 7] 11 - When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now truly I know that the Lord has sent His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.” i. Much like the two on the road to Emmaus who came to themselves to identify the traveler as none other than the risen Christ, Peter came to himself and realized what he thought was only a dream was true. ii. An angel of the Lord had rescued him from Herod. iii. All that the Jewish people were hoping would happen the next day, would come to nothing. It was the will of God to rescue Peter. g. [Slide 8] Summary of the Point: Peter is spared what is an almost certain death and the church is spared yet another apostle's death. But Luke doesn't record this story for us merely to tell us of Peter's rescue. What is the message of the book of Acts? The church is united and triumphant! Why? Because God alone saves, expands, keeps and preserves His people. From physical safety to Spiritual deliverance God alone saves and keeps saving His people to the uttermost. What is our response to such a glorious truth? What did Peter do? He trusted the Lord and obeyed the angel right? We too must trust and obey the Lord. Regardless of the situation we are in and the danger it may pose, we must trust that God alone saves and keeps us and because of that, set out to obey Him. Transition: [Slide 9 (blank) So, if God alone saves and keeps saving His people… Peter should go right back to doing everything he was doing before right? He went right back to preaching in the temple the last time he was released from prison. Shouldn't he trust that the Lord saves and keeps him and boldly go back to leading the Jerusalem church? II.) God alone saves and keeps saving His people, we must not tempt the Lord. (12-17) a. [Slide 10] 12 - And when he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was also called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. i. Realizing that it was the Lord's Sovereign will to spare him from death, he dared not test the Lord. ii. Unlike the last time he escaped prison where he was commanded to go and preach in the temple, this time Peter had no such command. iii. He did not assume that since God had let Him out again that He should go back to what he was doing before. Instead, he sought safety from fellow believers. iv. Knowing those who gathered in the church and where, he realized he was near a dear saint's home. v. He went to Mary's home. A wealthy woman with a home in Jerusalem large enough to accommodate a great crowd of believers. vi. We are not told much about Mary. We don't even know if she was married, widowed or divorced. We only know that she had a son named John who also went by the name Mark. vii. John called Mark will feature prominently in the next chapter, so we won't spend much time talking about him at the moment. But we should know that he is the same Mark who wrote the gospel that bears his name. viii. Here we see that they were having a prayer meeting in the home of Mary. ix. Now we are not told directly by Luke that they were praying for Peter. x. One manuscript does have “for him” after praying, indicating that this is what at least one copyist thought. xi. We were told earlier that the church was praying fervently to the Lord for Pete, so it seems likely that he is of primary concern in the prayer meeting. xii. And if that is the case, the irony and humor is set up to continue throughout the rest of the episode. b. [Slide 11] 13 - And when he knocked at the door of the gate, a servant-girl named Rhoda came to answer. i. Further emphasizing the fact that Mary was wealthy, we see that she has at least 1 servant girl working her estate. ii. This girl is often depicted as a little girl in dramatizations and cartoons, but there is actually no indication of her age here by Luke. The term used is essentially “female slave” and not necessarily a little girl. iii. Also, it was Rhoda's job to guard the door and welcome any from the church and fend off any who might have bad-faith intentions for the church meeting there. It could be that a little girl would be well-suited for such a job, but perhaps not. c. [Slide 12] 14 - And when she recognized Peter's voice, because of her joy she did not open the gate. But she ran in and reported that Peter was standing in front of the gate. i. Perhaps this is the reason she is portrayed as a little girl. ii. In what strikes our funny bone yet again, we imagine this girl hear the voice of Peter imploring to be let in. iii. At which point she forgets her primary job of letting people in who are welcome. iv. Her joy overwhelms her and she runs in to report to the rest that Peter was standing in front of the gate. v. So, Peter remains outside in the streets of Jerusalem – a fugitive from the law. vi. Thanks Rhoda! vii. Perhaps here we see another allusion to the wilderness wanderings as the children of Israel came to the very edge of the promised land only to be shut out. d. [Slide 13] 15 - And they said to her, “You are out of your mind!” But she kept insisting that it was so. They kept saying, “It is his angel.” i. Again, rather ironically and humorously, we see the church praying, probably for Peter's release, consider it absolutely bonkers that Peter could be standing at the front gate. ii. Perhaps another allusion to the resurrection of Christ, where the disciples did not initially believe the women's report. Luke says that the disciples thought the women's words seemed like nonsense to them. iii. Now it is possible that they were not necessarily praying for him to be miraculously delivered from prison. More than likely they were praying for God's will to be done and for Him to be merciful with Peter and the church. iv. But God often answers prayer abundantly beyond what we ask or think. And here they are caught, not in disbelief, but pure humanness. v. There is no way he could be standing at the gate. It is not possible. And everyone… including Peter not too long ago… thought that was the case. vi. So, Rhoda's crazy. vii. But when she kept insisting… they came up with an alternate explanation… viii. It was Peter's angel. ix. This refers to the Jewish mythological belief that each person is granted 1 angel to watch over them. In some cases, this guardian angel can take our appearance and mannerisms. x. This is not necessarily affirmed by this text. And searching for such a teaching throughout the bible turns up very little to prove it. But whether the myth is true or not is immaterial. They believed it. And therefore, their explanation was that it was Peter's angel. xi. The irony of course… is that it may well have been his guardian angel that was sent by God to free him. e. [Slide 14] 16 - But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened the door, they saw him and were astounded. i. Again – more humor – Peter probably waits by the gate for a few moments… ii. Is she coming back? iii. Rhoda? Are you there? iv. I better knock again. v. So, he keeps knocking and finally they all come to see who is knocking at the door and are amazed that it is indeed Peter. vi. No doubt this caused quite the stir. Perhaps shouts of joy? Perhaps hymns of praise? f. [Slide 15] 17 - But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he recounted to them how the Lord had led him out of the prison. i. He motions them to be quiet. ii. No doubt, if we read between the lines, he comes into the house and they sit down and he tells them about all that had happened. iii. Notice that although it was an angel of the Lord who led him out, Peter gives credit only to the Lord for leading him out. iv. Angels, just like us, get no glory for obeying their King. g. [Slide 16] And he said, “Report these things to James and the brothers.” Then he left and went to another place. i. And here we an interesting transition that helps to explain some perplexing things. ii. Peter was very obviously the head of the church up to this point. He didn't make all the decisions, but was certainly the most prominent apostle among the 12. iii. Nevertheless, in the book of Acts we see his authority in Jerusalem diminish. iv. By Acts 15, James the Lord's half-brother, becomes an Elder and leader of the church of Jerusalem. How did all that come about? Well this story helps us to understand. v. The apostles are not safe in Jerusalem anymore. Even Peter is said to go to another place. While this could mean that he left the city more likely it means that Peter is going to make himself scarce in Jerusalem. vi. Probably not disappearing entirely as some commentators suggest. Nor does it mean that he has to go on some evangelistic or missionary effort to lands not controlled by Herod. vii. So since Peter and the other apostles are not safe in Jerusalem, they must leave leadership in the hands of those who are trusted and wise. viii. James had at this time probably already written or was in the process of writing his letter that bore his name. He has proven his wisdom and faithfulness. ix. He is a good Jew who had probably not publicly eaten with Gentiles but would not have refused them which bridges the gap between some of the more conservative factions arising among Jewish Christians. x. James becomes an ideal candidate to take over the leadership of the Jerusalem church. xi. Peter gives instruction for them to inform James and the brothers (which probably means other elders) of what had happened. xii. Then Peter departs. xiii. And although he will reappear in Acts 15 for a moment, his release from prison is the last time Peter is the focal point of any narrative in the book of Acts. h. [Slide 17] Summary of the Point: God alone saves and keeps on saving His people. Peter affirms this in his testimony before these church members gathered to pray. God is the one who delivered Him. But just because God has delivered him, does not mean that God will always deliver him. Peter was released from prison before, and he went right back to preaching publicly. But the difference there is that God commanded him to do that. Here, Peter uses the good sense that the Lord gave him to realize that Jerusalem was no longer safe for him. So, he hid and fled. What is the lesson for us? We trust the Lord that He saves and keeps us but we realize that one of the ways God keeps his people is by human agency. He gives us sense to preserve and prevent our own harm. And so, we must not test the Lord by running into hazardous situations expecting him to safeguard us. Conclusion: So CBC, what doctrinal point must we see here today and how does it impact us? Doctrinal Takeaway: [Slide 18] One side effect of studying one book of the bible expositionally is that the theme of the book will not only be a significant part of almost every single text of the book, but will even be the main point of several sermons. This idea that God alone saves, expands, keeps, protects, preserves, grows, guides, and blesses His church has been the main point of several of the sermons in the book of Acts so far. And it will probably be the main point of many more to come. It isn't because I particularly like repeating myself. It isn't because it is all I can think of. It is because that is what the text is saying. All the way back at the introduction to the book of Acts, I stated that if I were to rename the book it would be The Acts of The Holy Spirit rather than the Acts of the Apostles. I stand by that statement. God's divine hand of providence is integral to every movement, every facet of the church's existence. And in that the church is united and the church is triumphant. That is, essentially, the message today. Herod wanted Peter dead. God didn't. Herod did all he could to get his way. God sent one angel to accomplish His will. And God won. Peter didn't rescue himself and the church wasn't even expecting him to be rescued. God did it. God saves and keeps saving His people. And He does it alone. But we do see two responses to this truth in this text. One we've seen before, but the other is worth pointing out too. We ought to trust and obey God, no matter what situation we find ourselves in. Peter trusted God and obeyed the angel's instructions. We must trust that He alone is able to save and keep us. And we must then obey Him knowing that He will do what is ultimately for our good and His glory. But we cannot test the Lord, and put ourselves into needless peril claiming this truth as our foundation. Instead, we must exercise our human agency to protect and preserve ourselves, while relying on God ultimately to deliver us into His Kingdom. So how does this truth and these responses connect to our daily lives? 1.) Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must believe that God has worked out all things for the good of those who love Him. a. The last two sermons have assured us that we as the church will experience trouble and persecution. b. That we will be hated and afflicted. c. As far as sermons go, these are not the most pleasant to deliver. d. But as assured as it is that we will be afflicted and hated, we must remember that God has promised that He has worked all things in our lives for our good and His glory. e. There is nothing that transpires in the life of those who love God that He has not ordained to produce good for them. f. God is no clock maker setting the inner workings of our salvation and then walking away. g. Christ is not twiddling his thumbs up in heaven waiting for the day when He is to return to reclaim us. h. Instead, God the triune is actively saving, protecting, keeping, helping, purifying, convicting, instructing, and preserving His people until the day of redemption. i. He will never leave us… that is what He promised. j. Yes even in a jail cell, chained to two guards, awaiting execution… God's good to Peter is on display. k. So, in whatever situation no matter how bleak. No matter how convinced we are that what is happening is terrible! We must believe through faith that it is not bad… but good. l. Even in the midst of sin, our sin, God's goodness is on display. It is not good that we are sinning… but if you are His child – even your sin cannot keep you from the good that God has planned. Indeed, your sin will be part of His plan for your good. m. This is why Paul exclaims in verse 31 of Romans 8 – If God is for us… who is against us? Who indeed. No man. No angel. Not even ourselves. God wins my friends. Always. n. God was for Peter… could Herod hope to stand against Peter? 2.) Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that our good always means physical protection and provision. a. My friends, James' execution with a sword was also… God's good to James on display. b. That is where it gets tricky doesn't it. c. This is why Jesus said to seek the Kingdom of God first. d. Our greatest good is not found in this world. But in that New Kingdom. e. And while God may plan good for us here, forming, molding, shaping, and pressing us into the image of Christ… His plan for good may include suffering and even death. f. God was for James… Herod was against him. g. And if we look with eyes of this world we might observe that in the case of James… Herod won. h. But if that is our conclusion – we'd be dead wrong. i. For what can men do to us? To live is Christ and to die is gain. j. In reality… hear me now…God's goodness to James far exceeded His goodness to Peter. James was given a martyrs death 20 years before Peter. k. My friends, sometimes God's good for us is not our definition of good. l. All that means is that our perspective needs to change. m. Sometimes the best thing God can do for us… is to take something away from us. n. If Jesus is the vine, if we are the branches, if the Father is the gardener… is it not good for the vine to be pruned? Is pruning not a painful process for the plant? o. God's good for us may not be pleasant… but it is always good. 3.) Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must trust and obey the Lord, even in situations where the outcomes seem certain, knowing He is able to do abundantly more than we ask. a. Peter was as good as dead. b. Herod assured it. c. The Jews expected it. d. The church expected it. e. Even Peter expected it. f. Literally NO HUMAN in this story expected Peter to survive. g. Yet Peter was asleep. He trusted the Lord. Whatever comes… the Lord is good. And Peter lost not a wink of sleep over it. h. But when the angel kicked him in the ribs and told him to get up and get out… i. Peter didn't wave his hand and say… no no… I am suffering for Jesus here. j. And although it took some convincing the church did not say… no no… it isn't possible for God to save Peter. k. We too must trust the Lord that He is always able to change any situation and do beyond what we could think or ask. l. No one expected Peter that night. But they got him anyway. m. We too must trust the Lord and obey Him hoping and praying that He can do mighty things, in spite of the worst situations. 4.) De-Exhortation: “What actions should we stop doing” or “What behaviors do we naturally practice that this passage tells us to stop doing?” We must stop considering recklessness to be great faith. a. For this point, I don't want to press it too far. b. We've all heard stories of missionaries doing crazy things and the Lord preserving and protecting them. c. I don't want to cast doubt or criticism at these stories. d. But we should observe from Peter a time when recklessness doesn't equal faith. e. Peter certainly is not Jesus and everything he does is not always right. But there is no hint in this text that the choice Peter made to lay low and seek safety from Herod was some great act of weakness or faithlessness. f. Jesus even said to flee persecution if you are able to flee. It is not a sign of faithlessness or doubt for someone to take steps to preserve their own life. g. Nor would I say it is a sign of great faith for someone to take no precaution or protection for themselves. h. Even with the promise that God would not allow His holy one to have his foot dashed against the rocks, Jesus denied Satan at his temptation citing that it was improper to test the Lord. i. The great principle here is that God desires us to exercise human agency to preserve and protect ourselves. To be good stewards of our bodies and lives here. And the only time that is overridden is when we have clear direction from God to endanger ourselves for His sake. j. It is not necessarily great faith to be reckless with our lives. k. So, we must do all we are able in order protect and care for ourselves knowing that God is ultimately the one who will work out all things for our good and His glory. And that this may include our suffering and death. 5.) Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” Our God mocks and laughs at the pride of the wicked. a. Oh, how sure Herod was that he would have the applause of the people! b. Oh, how certain he was that 2 of the 3 most prominent apostles would be dead after Passover. c. He no doubt imagined the accolades he would have and the love he would have from the people. d. Rome would be so pleased with him that he would inherit even more control, perhaps rivaling even Solomon's reign. e. But the next day… no one knows what happened. f. God mocks Herod's arrogance by taking his servant Peter from his grasp without leaving a single trace. g. My friends, it may seem like the wicked are winning. It may seem like everything is breaking and that things are getting so terrible. h. It may seem like the world is descending and is bound for a crash. i. But my friends, the Lord laughs and mocks the pride of the wicked. j. He is in complete control of His creation. And that has never changed. k. Do you think our world leaders are any different than Herod? l. Do you think Satan is any different than Herod? m. The Lord our God is One. He is one in number and He is the only one at His level. Nothing else compares. n. Take comfort in the fact that your God… the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David – The God who sent Jesus His Messiah – the God of the apostles. The God of the church – Our God… reigns. And He laughs and mocks the wisdom of the world. Let me close with a Puritan prayer titled “The Servant In Battle” ​ O LORD, We bless you that the issue of the battle between Yourself and Satan has never been uncertain, and will end in victory. Calvary broke the dragon's head, and we contend with a vanquished foe, who with all his subtlety and strength has already been overcome. When we feel the serpent at our heel may we remember him whose heel was bruised, but who, when bruised, broke the devil's head. Our souls with inward joy extol the mighty conqueror. Heal us of any wounds received in the great conflict; if we have gathered defilement, if our faith has suffered damage, if our hope is less than bright, if our love is not fervent, if some creature-comfort occupies our heart, if our souls sink under pressure of the fight. O You whose every promise is balm, every touch life, draw near to Your weary warriors, Refresh us, that we may rise again to wage the strife, and never tire until our enemy is trodden down. Give us such fellowship with You that we may defy Satan, unbelief, the flesh, the world, with delight that comes not From a creature, and which a creature cannot mar. Give us a draught of the eternal fountain that lies in Your immutable, everlasting love and decree. Then shall our hands never weaken, our feet never stumble, our swords never rest, our shields never rust, our helmets never shatter, our breastplates never fall, as our strength rests in the power of Your might. It is in Jesus The Conqueror's name we pray this… Amen. Benediction: May the Lord make you a blessing and send down showers of blessing in their season; May you dwell securely, and may none make you afraid. May you know that the Lord your God is with you and that you are His people. Until we meet again… Go in Peace.

We might naturally think the day of Pentecost is all about the Holy Spirit. Yet Peter's sermon in Acts 2 focuses ultimately on Jesus. Today, Sinclair Ferguson takes principles from this passage to help us read all of Scripture. Read the transcript: https://ligonier.org/podcasts/things-unseen-with-sinclair-ferguson/what-was-pentecost-all-about A donor-supported outreach of Ligonier Ministries. Donate: https://www.ligonier.org/donate/ Explore all of our podcasts: https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts

Peter Pan was convinced that the worst thing that could happen to you is that you would grow up. Walt Disney said that the trouble with the world is that people grow up. Jesus said that if you weren't like a little child, you would never inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. Yet Peter, Paul, and others are insistent that we mature and grow and stop acting like little children. Who did Jesus agree wit- Peter Pan and Walt Disney or His apostles? The paradox of following Jesus is that he seems to agree with both. How is that possible?

“Righteous Lot?” is a historical retelling of the story of Lot, Abraham's nephew, as recorded in the book of Genesis. The typical depiction of Lot portrays him as an example of selfishness, love of the world, poor parenting, and depravity—everything we should not be. Yet Peter's commentary on Lot was stellar: he was a righteous man in Sodom, saved by his virtuous conduct.What excuse can be granted for selfishly choosing the better land from his uncle? Or for acclimating to the vile environment of the doomed cities while serving at the city gates as their judge? How could any good father offer his daughters to a savage mob in exchange for his own security? No excuse can suffice for this.In this book, Glenn Martin reexamines the biblical and historical narratives, and makes the bold conclusion that the modern telling bears little resemblance to the biblical character. According to the author, in Peter's understanding of the narrative, Lot was guilty of none of the aforementioned things, and indeed, Lot was a righteous man and his conduct is defensible when the story is properly understood.https://strengthtostrength.org/product/righteous-lot-glenn-martin/https://strengthtostrength.org/s2s-books-02/

Jesus Teaches About Himself 1 Welcome back to our series, AGOG – A Glimpse of God. We are on Day 21 of our adventure, looking together at the life of the most amazing person in human history - Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Mark 8:31-33 Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man would have to suffer a lot. He taught them that he would be rejected by the leaders, the chief priests, and the experts in Moses' Teachings. He would be killed, but after three days he would come back to life. He told them very clearly what he meant. Peter took him aside and objected to this. Jesus turned, looked at his disciples, and objected to what Peter said. Jesus said, “Get out of my way, Satan! You aren't thinking the way God thinks but the way humans think.” We recently saw that Peter confessed who the disciples think Jesus is – the long awaited for Messiah! Jesus is now starting to tell his disciples more about his role as Messiah. Jesus starts elaborating on previous teaching and includes what suffering he must undergo as part of his mission to earth. He is teaching them that his mission would include rejection by both the religious and secular leaders. The Jewish religious leaders would scrutinize Jesus' claims to be the Messiah, then reject Him deliberately. However, the real danger was failing to pass the scrutiny of God! That this mission will include Him being killed. But… But… Jesus says that death will not get victory over him! No! Jesus said that He shall come back to life! Just as He had told the religious leaders when he cleared the Temple courtyard of the traders and money exchangers. Jesus was very clear in this teaching to them, so the disciples could be in no doubt what he meant! They could not make any mistakes regarding this part of Jesus teaching. Yet… Peter, who we saw earlier coming along as the spokesperson for the disciples, took Jesus aside to rebuke him. Peter had great zeal obviously but didn't want to rebuke His master Jesus in front of the others. Peter's view was that it was absurd the Messiah should be crucified and die! Peter was holding Jesus and telling Jesus “Get a grip, man! Why on earth are you talking like this?” He tries to restrain Jesus from exposing Himself to death. Yet Jesus censures of Peter. It may appear at first to be very harsh. Peter was using human wisdom but Jesus was urging his disciples to use wisdom from the Father, just as they had done when they confessed that He was the Messiah. Peter's actions were an offense to Jesus. But Jesus sees who is really behind this – satan. It was satan that had prompted Peter to try to talk Jesus out of dying on the cross and following God's will and intention. The suggestion was not blasphemous or crude but a smooth temptation. As we saw yesterday, it was a hard concept for the Jewish people to believe that their Messiah would suffer and die. For Israel, the coming of the Messiah would be the climax of their development as a nation and the fulfilment of their history! All this is seen in the Old Testament scriptures. It is equally true that these same Scriptures show that the Messiah would also suffer and die. We saw glimpses of that at Jesus' baptism, in the Messiah being the Suffering Servant. Through His suffering, Jesus would be able to fully empathise and identify with humanity. Without this identity, He would be no Saviour Messiah and not able to overcome the root of evil in the world. It was only by taking on death, and overcoming it, that Jesus as the Messiah would usher in the new kingdom. Not a temporary physical kingdom that was expected by people, but a spiritual kingdom that would be everlasting! Such was Peter's haste to rebuke Jesus that he along with the other disciples seem to have missed that last part of teaching. That yes, the Messiah would die but also be raised back to life 3 days later! Peter and the other disciples had not fully understood what Jesus was talking about. The idea of a resurrection, being bought back to life after death, was a concept that they would be familiar with. Only the Sadducees rejected a resurrection. But the disciples were discounting a resurrection that would happen in the present, because they accepted the resurrection was for a time in the distant future in the “last day”. Come back tomorrow for Day 22 of our series AGOG, as we continue to look together at that extraordinary man, Jesus Christ, through the Gospel accounts! We shall see together another example of Jesus teaching about Himself! See you soon at Partakers! Right Mouse click or tap here to save this as an audio mp3 file

What is the difference between living in the Spirit and living in the flesh? This Bible study is on 1 Peter 3:8-22. It covers practical Christian living and reminds us that the the gospel changes lives.After coming to Christ, we are not to be the same. The people we used to hang out with might be surprised by the differences in our lives. Yet Peter reminds us that once we turn from the world to Christ, we should never go back.1 Peter 4:1-11  Bible study companions questions available on our website - https://studyandobey.com/inductive-bible-study/1peter-studies/1peter4-1-11/1 Peter Bible study guide for individuals or small groups. Includes discussion questions for each passage in 1 Peter - https://studyandobey.com/product/study-1peter-ebook/Study and Obey Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/study-and-obey/id1571266150800+ practical and free Bible studies - https://studyandobey.com25+ Bible study guides for individual or group study on many different books of the Bible - https://studyandobey.com/shop/Support the show

The Ukraine War has negatively impacted almost every area of life, but perhaps there's a silver lining beneath all the global disruptions and adverse effects...It may sound like a stretch, but this war may have helped to prevent a financial crisis in the US.Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/why-im-not-worried-about-the-banks-yet

Peter spoke truth to power. He spoke it to the powerful religious leaders of his day. I notice that it wasn't just the high priest, but his family and a whole entourage of powerful men to whom Peter was speaking. I'd be intimidated. I'm not sure I could have stood up to these powerful men as did Peter. Sure, Peter was inclined to speak first and think later. But still…these are the power brokers of their day. They had lots of sway over the outcomes of this encounter. Yet Peter gives bold witness. I don't know if I'll ever be confronted by such power, but I do know the truth. Jesus Christ is the Son of God. There is salvation in his name alone. His is the ultimate power and the purest truth.

No one likes to hear about suffering. Yet Peter sets an example on how we should suffer for righteousness. Pastor Scott challenges us to follow that example. *We apologize in advance for the audio quality. We had technical difficulties when recording.*

We might naturally think the day of Pentecost is all about the Holy Spirit. Yet Peter's sermon in Acts 2 focuses ultimately on Jesus. Today, Sinclair Ferguson takes principles from this passage to help us read all of Scripture. Read the transcript: https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts/things-unseen-with-sinclair-ferguson/what-was-pentecost-all-about

"Passover People" - Peter the FailureRead Mark 14:53-72 In this study we see another man who betrayed the Lord, but who, when he repented had a totally different outcome than Judas – Simon Peter, a man who was a failure as a Christian, as a follower of Jesus, – just as we all are today, no matter how successful in life we may be – Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Yet Peter is the opposite of Judas – for when Peter repented, he returned to Christ and was forgiven...Preached and recorded at Ballymacashon.Read the NOTES HERE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2225 - Limited understanding prevented the Apostles from sharing the Gospel globally, as the Lord intended. Yet Peter received a divine vision that prompted him to share the Gospel with gentiles.

Simon Peter, the leader of the apostles, was now an older saint. It had been more than 30 years since he had last seen Jesus, experienced the coming of the Holy Spirit, and preached the gospel at Pentecost. Yet Peter knew times were changing – the Roman Empire was becoming more hostile to the faith, persecution of believers was becoming increasingly intense, and Christians needed to be encouraged more than ever. So, led by the Spirit, Peter wrote a letter – to the “elect exiles” – both Jews and Gentiles, those chosen by God but rejected by the world. Join us for an in-depth study of the book of I Peter and consider a message more timely now than the day it was written.For more resources like this, visit us at:  Verse By Verse Fellowship.

Simon Peter, the leader of the apostles, was now an older saint. It had been more than 30 years since he had last seen Jesus, experienced the coming of the Holy Spirit, and preached the gospel at Pentecost. Yet Peter knew times were changing – the Roman Empire was becoming more hostile to the faith, persecution of believers was becoming increasingly intense, and Christians needed to be encouraged more than ever. So, led by the Spirit, Peter wrote a letter – to the “elect exiles” – both Jews and Gentiles, those chosen by God but rejected by the world. Join us for an in-depth study of the book of I Peter and consider a message more timely now than the day it was written.For more resources like this, visit us at:  Verse By Verse Fellowship.

Simon Peter, the leader of the apostles, was now an older saint. It had been more than 30 years since he had last seen Jesus, experienced the coming of the Holy Spirit, and preached the gospel at Pentecost. Yet Peter knew times were changing – the Roman Empire was becoming more hostile to the faith, persecution of believers was becoming increasingly intense, and Christians needed to be encouraged more than ever. So, led by the Spirit, Peter wrote a letter – to the “elect exiles” – both Jews and Gentiles, those chosen by God but rejected by the world. Join us for an in-depth study of the book of I Peter and consider a message more timely now than the day it was written.For more resources like this, visit us at:  Verse By Verse Fellowship.

Simon Peter, the leader of the apostles, was now an older saint. It had been more than 30 years since he had last seen Jesus, experienced the coming of the Holy Spirit, and preached the gospel at Pentecost. Yet Peter knew times were changing – the Roman Empire was becoming more hostile to the faith, persecution of believers was becoming increasingly intense, and Christians needed to be encouraged more than ever. So, led by the Spirit, Peter wrote a letter – to the “elect exiles” – both Jews and Gentiles, those chosen by God but rejected by the world. Join us for an in-depth study of the book of I Peter and consider a message more timely now than the day it was written.For more resources like this, visit us at:  Verse By Verse Fellowship.

A 1972 study known as the “marshmallow test” was developed to gauge children’s ability to delay gratification of their desires. The kids were offered a single marshmallow to enjoy but were told if they could refrain from eating it for ten minutes, they’d be given a second one. About a third of the children were able to hold out for the larger reward (another third gobbled it up within thirty seconds!). We might struggle to show self-control when offered something we desire, even if we know it would benefit us more in the future to wait. Yet Peter urges us to “add to [our] faith” many important virtues, including self-control (2 Peter 1:5–6). Having laid hold of faith in Jesus, Peter encourages his readers—and us—to continue to grow in goodness, knowledge, perseverance, godliness, affection, and love “in increasing measure” as evidence of that faith (v. 8). While these virtues don’t earn us God’s favor nor secure our place in heaven, they demonstrate—to ourselves as well as to all those with whom we interact—our need to exercise self-control as God provides the wisdom and strength to do so. And, best of all, He’s “given us everything we need [to live] a godly life,” one that pleases Him, through the power of the Holy Spirit (v. 3).

Simon Peter, the leader of the apostles, was now an older saint. It had been more than 30 years since he had last seen Jesus, experienced the coming of the Holy Spirit, and preached the gospel at Pentecost. Yet Peter knew times were changing – the Roman Empire was becoming more hostile to the faith, persecution of believers was becoming increasingly intense, and Christians needed to be encouraged more than ever. So, led by the Spirit, Peter wrote a letter – to the “elect exiles” – both Jews and Gentiles, those chosen by God but rejected by the world. Join us for an in-depth study of the book of I Peter and consider a message more timely now than the day it was written.For more resources like this, visit us at:  Verse By Verse Fellowship.

Simon Peter, the leader of the apostles, was now an older saint. It had been more than 30 years since he had last seen Jesus, experienced the coming of the Holy Spirit, and preached the gospel at Pentecost. Yet Peter knew times were changing – the Roman Empire was becoming more hostile to the faith, persecution of believers was becoming increasingly intense, and Christians needed to be encouraged more than ever. So, led by the Spirit, Peter wrote a letter – to the “elect exiles” – both Jews and Gentiles, those chosen by God but rejected by the world. Join us for an in-depth study of the book of I Peter and consider a message more timely now than the day it was written.For more resources like this, visit us at:  Verse By Verse Fellowship.

Simon Peter, the leader of the apostles, was now an older saint. It had been more than 30 years since he had last seen Jesus, experienced the coming of the Holy Spirit, and preached the gospel at Pentecost. Yet Peter knew times were changing – the Roman Empire was becoming more hostile to the faith, persecution of believers was becoming increasingly intense, and Christians needed to be encouraged more than ever. So, led by the Spirit, Peter wrote a letter – to the “elect exiles” – both Jews and Gentiles, those chosen by God but rejected by the world. Join us for an in-depth study of the book of I Peter and consider a message more timely now than the day it was written.For more resources like this, visit us at:  Verse By Verse Fellowship.

A lesson on two trials, and their contrasting outcomes. One is of our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself up willingly to be delivered up before the Jewish leaders. He stood faithfully to do the will of the Father. And though no accusation could be justly brought against Him, the leaders slanderously and falsely indicted Him. Peter meanwhile was under a trial of his own- the bystanders outside accused him of being a disciple of Jesus, which was of course true. Yet Peter feared man more than God, and having overestimated his own ability, he faltered in his tri-fold denial of the Lord.--While you have failed the Lord countless times, even as Peter did, if you have placed your faith in Christ alone for salvation, you have a High Priest who has never, and will never fail. We are saved not by our ability to cling to Him, but by His faithfulness to execute His sovereign will and promises, including our being held fast through the fiery trials we face. God uses such tests to humble us and grow us ultimately in Christ-likeness. Since Jesus obeyed the Father perfectly, the judgement we incurred and continue to incur has been laid on His shoulders at the cross. Even the sin of our own denial of Him in our thoughts, words, and deeds, have been paid for. --In light of that truth we can be confident and reassured even through seasons of serious and humiliating failure and backsliding. We fail Him more than we realize, but He never fails us. While we may hide our failures, or even foolishly convince ourselves that they aren't so, God knows all. Sometimes we must be shown our failure in an undeniably way to be humbled to the point where we can finally see what sinners we are.

A lesson on two trials, and their contrasting outcomes. One is of our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself up willingly to be delivered up before the Jewish leaders. He stood faithfully to do the will of the Father. And though no accusation could be justly brought against Him, the leaders slanderously and falsely indicted Him. Peter meanwhile was under a trial of his own- the bystanders outside accused him of being a disciple of Jesus, which was of course true. Yet Peter feared man more than God, and having overestimated his own ability, he faltered in his tri-fold denial of the Lord.--While you have failed the Lord countless times, even as Peter did, if you have placed your faith in Christ alone for salvation, you have a High Priest who has never, and will never fail. We are saved not by our ability to cling to Him, but by His faithfulness to execute His sovereign will and promises, including our being held fast through the fiery trials we face. God uses such tests to humble us and grow us ultimately in Christ-likeness. Since Jesus obeyed the Father perfectly, the judgement we incurred and continue to incur has been laid on His shoulders at the cross. Even the sin of our own denial of Him in our thoughts, words, and deeds, have been paid for. --In light of that truth we can be confident and reassured even through seasons of serious and humiliating failure and backsliding. We fail Him more than we realize, but He never fails us. While we may hide our failures, or even foolishly convince ourselves that they aren't so, God knows all. Sometimes we must be shown our failure in an undeniably way to be humbled to the point where we can finally see what sinners we are.

Simon Peter, the leader of the apostles, was now an older saint. It had been more than 30 years since he had last seen Jesus, experienced the coming of the Holy Spirit, and preached the gospel at Pentecost. Yet Peter knew times were changing – the Roman Empire was becoming more hostile to the faith, persecution of believers was becoming increasingly intense, and Christians needed to be encouraged more than ever. So, led by the Spirit, Peter wrote a letter – to the “elect exiles” – both Jews and Gentiles, those chosen by God but rejected by the world. Join us for an in-depth study of the book of I Peter and consider a message more timely now than the day it was written.For more resources like this, visit us at:  Verse By Verse Fellowship.

Simon Peter, the leader of the apostles, was now an older saint. It had been more than 30 years since he had last seen Jesus, experienced the coming of the Holy Spirit, and preached the gospel at Pentecost. Yet Peter knew times were changing – the Roman Empire was becoming more hostile to the faith, persecution of believers was becoming increasingly intense, and Christians needed to be encouraged more than ever. So, led by the Spirit, Peter wrote a letter – to the “elect exiles” – both Jews and Gentiles, those chosen by God but rejected by the world. Join us for an in-depth study of the book of I Peter and consider a message more timely now than the day it was written.For more resources like this, visit us at:  Verse By Verse Fellowship.

Simon Peter, the leader of the apostles, was now an older saint. It had been more than 30 years since he had last seen Jesus, experienced the coming of the Holy Spirit, and preached the gospel at Pentecost. Yet Peter knew times were changing – the Roman Empire was becoming more hostile to the faith, persecution of believers was becoming increasingly intense, and Christians needed to be encouraged more than ever. So, led by the Spirit, Peter wrote a letter – to the “elect exiles” – both Jews and Gentiles, those chosen by God but rejected by the world. Join us for an in-depth study of the book of I Peter and consider a message more timely now than the day it was written.For more resources like this, visit us at:  Verse By Verse Fellowship.

Simon Peter, the leader of the apostles, was now an older saint. It had been more than 30 years since he had last seen Jesus, experienced the coming of the Holy Spirit, and preached the gospel at Pentecost. Yet Peter knew times were changing – the Roman Empire was becoming more hostile to the faith, persecution of believers was becoming increasingly intense, and Christians needed to be encouraged more than ever. So, led by the Spirit, Peter wrote a letter – to the “elect exiles” – both Jews and Gentiles, those chosen by God but rejected by the world. Join us for an in-depth study of the book of I Peter and consider a message more timely now than the day it was written.For more resources like this, visit us at:  Verse By Verse Fellowship.

Simon Peter, the leader of the apostles, was now an older saint. It had been more than 30 years since he had last seen Jesus, experienced the coming of the Holy Spirit, and preached the gospel at Pentecost. Yet Peter knew times were changing – the Roman Empire was becoming more hostile to the faith, persecution of believers was becoming increasingly intense, and Christians needed to be encouraged more than ever. So, led by the Spirit, Peter wrote a letter – to the “elect exiles” – both Jews and Gentiles, those chosen by God but rejected by the world. Join us for an in-depth study of the book of I Peter and consider a message more timely now than the day it was written.For more resources like this, visit us at:  Verse By Verse Fellowship.

Simon Peter, the leader of the apostles, was now an older saint. It had been more than 30 years since he had last seen Jesus, experienced the coming of the Holy Spirit, and preached the gospel at Pentecost. Yet Peter knew times were changing – the Roman Empire was becoming more hostile to the faith, persecution of believers was becoming increasingly intense, and Christians needed to be encouraged more than ever. So, led by the Spirit, Peter wrote a letter – to the “elect exiles” – both Jews and Gentiles, those chosen by God but rejected by the world. Join us for an in-depth study of the book of I Peter and consider a message more timely now than the day it was written.For more resources like this, visit us at:  Verse By Verse Fellowship.

How can a wife have the inner beauty of a meek and quiet spirit that 1 Peter 3:3-4 describes? Read or listen to this chapter from Your Marriage God's Way to find out. Table of ContentsWHAT ABOUT JEWELRY AND MAKEUP?OUTWARD APPEARANCE IS A REFLECTION OF THE HEARTGREATER BEAUTY IS FOUND INWARDLY FROM A MEEK AND QUIET SPIRITInner Beauty of a Meek and Quiet Spirit Is IncorruptibleA Meek and Quiet Spirit Is the Source of Inner BeautyGod's View of Inner BeautyJESUS WAS NOT BEAUTIFUL TO THE WORLD What makes a woman beautiful? Is it her physical appearance, such as her hair and face? Is it her mental acuity, such as her intelligence and education? Does it have to do with her emotions, such as her personality, or her spirituality, such as her heart for God? The apostle Peter answers this question for us, stating from a biblical standpoint what it is that makes a woman beautiful to God. That kind of beauty, of course, is the kind that a Christian woman should pursue and a Christian man should value. As we read in the previous chapter, 1 Peter 3:1-2 makes the point that a wife's greatest asset for winning over her spiritually immature or unbelieving husband is godly character. Then in the verses that follow, Peter lays out what such a godly woman looks like. He begins with her physical appearance because that is a good indicator of her spiritual health. It wouldn't be too much to say that what comes forth on the outside is produced from the inside: “Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a meek and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God” (1 Peter 3:3-4). The Greek word translated “adornment” is kosmos, which is related to the English word cosmetic. Kosmos is an umbrella term that encompasses everything related to the physical appearance—clothing, makeup, and jewelry. Note that Peter's instruction does not forbid outward adornment—his use of the word “merely” indicates a woman's beauty should not come only from her outward appearance. The NASB and Amplified Bible render the passage this way: “Your adornment must not be merely external.” Scripture is not instructing women to neglect their appearance. All of us, as Christians, do want to give attention to our physical appearance because every one of us—male or female, young or old—is an ambassador of Christ. We should care about what kind of Christian testimony we are presenting to others. Yet Peter says outward beauty should not be a woman's primary focus. WHAT ABOUT JEWELRY AND MAKEUP? If you have ever been made to feel guilty about any form of external beautification, let me point out that Scripture makes positive references to jewelry and fine clothing. Proverbs 25:12 states, “Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold is a wise rebuker to an obedient ear.” Gold jewelry is compared to the way an obedient ear accepts instruction. If outward adornments such as earrings were immoral, Scripture would not compare them to wise behavior. Likewise, the beautiful bride in Song of Solomon is complimented on her jewelry: “Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments, your neck with chains of gold. We will make you ornaments of gold with studs of silver” (Song of Solomon 1:10- 11). If jewelry were wrong, Solomon's bride wouldn't be complimented on hers. Also consider the virtuous wife of Proverbs 31—she was not complimented on her outward simplicity or plainness. Instead, she was applauded for the way she adorned her family and herself: “All her household is clothed with scarlet. She makes tapestry for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple” (Proverbs 31:21-22). In that time, scarlet, fine linen, and purple were costly materials, which indicates this virtuous wife cared about her family's appearances. Isaiah 61:10 beautifully compares salvation and righteousness with fine clothing, ornaments,

Simon Peter, the leader of the apostles, was now an older saint. It had been more than 30 years since he had last seen Jesus, experienced the coming of the Holy Spirit, and preached the gospel at Pentecost. Yet Peter knew times were changing – the Roman Empire was becoming more hostile to the faith, persecution of believers was becoming increasingly intense, and Christians needed to be encouraged more than ever. So, led by the Spirit, Peter wrote a letter – to the “elect exiles” – both Jews and Gentiles, those chosen by God but rejected by the world. Join us for an in-depth study of the book of I Peter and consider a message more timely now than the day it was written.For more resources like this, visit us at:  Verse By Verse Fellowship.

Simon Peter, the leader of the apostles, was now an older saint. It had been more than 30 years since he had last seen Jesus, experienced the coming of the Holy Spirit, and preached the gospel at Pentecost. Yet Peter knew times were changing – the Roman Empire was becoming more hostile to the faith, persecution of believers was becoming increasingly intense, and Christians needed to be encouraged more than ever. So, led by the Spirit, Peter wrote a letter – to the “elect exiles” – both Jews and Gentiles, those chosen by God but rejected by the world. Join us for an in-depth study of the book of I Peter and consider a message more timely now than the day it was written.For more recourses like this, visit us at:  Verse By Verse Fellowship.

Simon Peter, the leader of the apostles, was now an older saint. It had been more than 30 years since he had last seen Jesus, experienced the coming of the Holy Spirit, and preached the gospel at Pentecost. Yet Peter knew times were changing – the Roman Empire was becoming more hostile to the faith, persecution of believers was becoming increasingly intense, and Christians needed to be encouraged more than ever. So, led by the Spirit, Peter wrote a letter – to the “elect exiles” – both Jews and Gentiles, those chosen by God but rejected by the world. Join us for an in-depth study of the book of I Peter and consider a message more timely now than the day it was written.For more recourses like this, visit us at:  Verse By Verse Fellowship.

Lessons from their lives. Talk 30.  JESUS Welcome to Talk 30 in our series, Lessons from their lives. This is the final talk in the series and our subject today is the Lord Jesus. If you're already wondering why I am only giving one talk on the life of Jesus, it's because between March and June 2019 I gave weekly talks on various aspects of Jesus' life and ministry. You can find them by visiting my website www.davidpetts.org   What's more, as we are approaching Christmas, next week I'm planning to give a Christmas message with the title Christ the firstborn. Be sure to listen in to learn some exciting truths about who Jesus is. He's much more than Mary's firstborn son.   But, for now, let's just consider one aspect of how we can learn from the life of Jesus. Of course Jesus is unique. He is the Son of God. He lived a sinless life and at first sight it might seem impossible that we might live as he lived. Yet Peter, who was only too conscious of his own shortcomings, encourages us by saying that Jesus left us an example so that we might follow in his steps (1 Peter 2:21).   This is possible because, as Peter tells us in  2 Peter 1:3-4   (God's) divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.   And Paul tells us that with the help of the Holy Spirit it is possible for us to show qualities of character similar to those that Jesus showed.   In Galatians 5:22-23 he tells us that … the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.   Compare Colossians 3:12-14 love binds them all together   As we shall see, these are just the kind of qualities that Jesus exhibited throughout his earthly life, and so in this talk I am going to consider the fruit of the Spirit in the life of Jesus. The fruit of the Spirit in the life of Jesus   Self control After 40 days of fasting Jesus resisted the temptation to turn stones into bread When Jesus was crucified the mockers said: If you are the son of God, come down from the cross…   Gentleness (humility) John 13:3-4 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist.   Faithfulness In the garden of Gethsemane   Faithfulness to his Father - not my will… Faithfulness to his followers - sleeping, the flesh is weak.   Goodness Acts 10:38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.   Kindness Turning water into wine was an amazing miracle. But what motivated it?   Patience John 14:8-9 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father'?”   Peace Peace of heart springs from a right relationship with God. So Jesus must have always been at peace. But what about Gethsemane? the cross? Jesus sacrificed peace that we might have peace. Joy Psalm 16:11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.   Jesus lived life in God's presence   Love Throughout his life everything Jesus did was motivated by love Consider all the examples we've already looked at. Undoubtedly the greatest demonstration of his love was at Calvary   Cultivating the fruit   2 Corinthians 3:18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding (or reflecting) the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.   1 John 3:2 Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

Welcome to the first episode of For Songs Singles! Instead of four songs, we talk about one. It's a bit shorter and lets us take a deep dive into the creation and meaning of one song in particular. On this first episode we feature Hesitate, the blistering new song from LA-based indie-rock band Sons of Silver. Hesitate is a musical and lyrical tour-de-force. It jumps out of the speakers with driving guitars and pounding bass and drums. Singer/songwriter Peter Argyropoulos takes the global decline of our discourse, where we wall off those we disagree with, whether they are family or friends. The song is both provocative and funny—certainly not an easy task. Yet Peter and the band pull it off with ease. You may not agree with what he says or how he says it, and that's almost the point. For those who aren't sure where they fit in these hyperpartisan, hypersensitive times, Hesitate is the song for you.

Today we have on the Brain Booster a wonderful man in the shape of Peter Ballingall. Peter has just recently released a great book called ‘Trust and Let Go’ A collection of his thoughts about coaching over the past 50 years or so. The title is wonderful and sums up what we could all consider as a useful direction to go with our game and indeed our life. Trust and Let Go! With Peter I had the chance to discuss his great career and the influence of certain people along the way. Not least the great John Jacobs Peter had the opportunity as a young golf pro to work for and with John. It must have been an incredible time. Yet Peter took that opportunity with both hands He made the most of an opportunity presented by fate. It is a great message to us all When the chance comes along to take it with both hands Trust and Let Go! Peter went on to run incredibly successful golf schools over many years at Barnham Broom in Norfolk He was a pioneer in the world of golf schools More recently he has been in Spain at El Rompido A beautiful part of the world still coaching as enthusiastically as ever In our session Peter’s passion shines through His insights are very valuable You will gain a lot from listening to his wise words To get a copy of Peter’s book on Amazon UK go to https://tinyurl.com/vkr3s9my To become a Certified Mind Factor coach Go to https://themindfactor.net/the-certification-course/    

Which apostle do you think would not be one of the first eyewitnesses to the resurrected Jesus- Surely not Peter who had denied publicly three times and with curses- Yet Peter was the first of the Apostles to actually see the risen Jesus. How could this be- What happened with Peter and his Lord-

Which apostle do you think would not be one of the first eyewitnesses to the resurrected Jesus? Surely not Peter who had denied publicly three times and with curses! Yet Peter was the first of the Apostles to actually see the risen Jesus. How could this be? What happened with Peter and his Lord?

"Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right." (1 Peter 2:13-14)These words are hard for us to hear today because no matter which political party you're a part of, or even if you prefer not to affiliate with either at one point or another, all of us will be under the authority of someone we don't like or agree with. Try to imagine what it was like for the Christians Peter wrote this letter to Rome was persecuting, taxing, and even killing them. Yet Peter says to trust God with it all. God is sovereign over all authorities and all the moving parts. Their role is to punish evil and praise those who do good, but our world is broken. So it doesn't always happen that way. Come, Lord Jesus. He's our eternal hope. He is where the joy is!

Fiery Trials, that is what Peter talks about this week—a metaphor about unjust suffering for following Jesus. The believers to whom Peter writes did, in fact, experience this. The Christian Faith and the lifestyle it produced in the disciples was decidedly out of step with the values of the Roman Culture around them. Will we be faced with that? Who knows? This seems weird to us now because in Western Civilization, for hundreds of years, the culture has been so widely shaped by Christianity that values in society have not conflicted so widely or deeply between believers and non-believers. I mean, until recently, in many places like the Deep South even a nominal profession was the social norm. This is quickly eroding, however, and that is why I Peter is relevant to us today like never before in the West. We are increasingly finding ourselves out of step with the culture. Yet Peter presents this kind of suffering as a mercy—a severe mercy, to be sure, and not something one would seek out but something one should not be surprised to be faced with. As Rod Dreher says in his new book, Live Not By Lies, “No Christian has the power to avoid suffering entirely. It is the human condition. What we do control is how we act in the face of it. Will we run from it and betray our Lord? Or will we accept it as a severe mercy? The choices we will make when put to the ultimate test depend on the choices we make today, in a time of peace.” That, or something like that, is what we will talk about on Sunday. And what a glorious day it will be! All is not about the brokenness of the world. In fact, joy is a keynote in the Bible, and on Sunday we will drink deeply of the well of joy and thanksgiving. Again, we have a day of covenantal beauty with people joining the St. Patrick family—people taking vows, adults and children being baptized, and making room for our new family members. I can't wait! Blessings, Jim

Misschien is het niet op het eerste gezicht zichtbaar, maar de geschiedenis beweegt zich naar een punt waar Gods koninkrijk zich gaat manifesteren in zijn volheid. Het koninkrijk is hier al, maar wat moet er nog gebeuren voordat de Heer echt de koning wordt van de hele aarde?

Even if we don’t see it on the surface, history is moving to a point where God’s Kingdom will be made manifest in its fulness. His Kingdom is already here, but what needs to take place before the LORD will truly be King over the whole earth?

Today on Perry and Shawna Mornings, it’s all about learning to stay calm because God is in control.  First, maybe we could have more calm if we stopped complaining.  There are plenty of things to complain about right now:  Masks.  Social distancing. The election.  Schools.  How your church is responding to the coronavirus.  So here’s the challenge:  When you feel tempted to complain, take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ.  Let the temptation to complain remind you to give thanks instead!  Being thankful can lead to peace in the storm.  Then, Peter was one of the disciples who freaked out in the storm while Jesus was sleeping in the boat.  He also denied Jesus 3 times because he was afraid for his life. Yet Peter went from a terrified young man with such little faith to a man who eventually died for his faith.  It’s about growing into an unshakeable faith.  And finally Shawna shares her first two reactions when she found out she’d been given a trip to Israel.  The first:  That’s awesome!  Her second:  What if the plane crashes and I leave my kids without either of their parents?   It’s about dealing with our deepest fears by replacing our What if? questions with Even if statements

The Central Hub in North America gathered at Crosspoint Church in St Louis from 9-11 October 2020. The year 2020 has brought myriad challenges to our communities and so our churches. COVID, a polarizing election cycle and a civil rights crisis. Yet Peter's greeting helps us reset our perspectives, recognizing that life and ministry as exiles, in a hostile world would inevitably bring us seasons of trial. Through all this, we must first remember with wonder that God love us, pursues us and sanctifies us. Further we respond by conduct ourselves honorably, loving our neighbors, honoring our leaders and showing hospitality to all.

Pastor Seth Winterhalter continues our sermon series on the book of Acts as the story of God's supernatural work continues to unfold. In Acts 4:1-22 we see Peter summoned before the religious leaders as he is commanded to keep silent about the person and work of Jesus. Yet Peter boldly proclaims "for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard." As a witness to the supernatural work of God in your own life, how do you respond when you face confrontation? Do you remain silent, afraid to speak? Or do you count the cost and, trusting in the name of Jesus, bear witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ?

The church of the first century had to grapple with a harsh and unjust world, where believers often suffered under the oppressive authority of cruel and unjust people.--Nowhere was this truer than in the case of slaves and their masters, some of whom were crooked and cruel.--Yet Peter teaches slaves to submit both to kind and cruel masters -1 Peter 2-18-.--And St. Paul admonished slaves not to allow their lack of liberty to ruin their walk with the Lord -1 Corinthians 7-21-. He also sent the fugitive slave, Onesimus back to his earthly master, Philemon -Philemon 10-.--Such admonitions and actions are not an endorsement of slavery. On the contrary, they are the only healthy response living in an unjust world. --Paul commands Philemon to receive Onesimus back no longer as a slave, but as a brother -- as if he were Paul himself -Philemon 15-17-.--And Paul encourages slaves to seek their freedom -1 Corinthians 7-21-23-.--The seeds of the destruction of slavery are here in the New Testament, not in a radical and violent way, but by winning individuals to Christ through the gospel.

Teaching by: Pastor Ray BentleyMatthew 26:57-75Jesus was forsaken by the disciples. They all fled into the darkness of the garden, and He was alone. Every one needs to learn from His example of intimacy with God. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus had a communion and intimacy with the Father that strengthened Him to endure the cross. We are living in a unique time of history. Take advantage of being alone with the Father! After His arrest, He was brutalized, beaten and spit upon. And still alone. Even Peter denied Him. My heart goes out to Peter. For I have been in the same place, doing what I never thought I would do. I have failed. My flesh has failed. Yet Peter was restored -- and we are too!

In America, Christians have been largely insulated from the suffering that the rest of the Christians in the world endures for Jesus' sake. Yet Peter teaches us in suffering, we have a platform to shout loudly the Gospel with our actions. We must learn from Peter and lean on Jesus as we prepare ourselves to suffer well for the name of Jesus if we are called upon to do so.

Submission is an ugly word today. Instead, we value strength, ambition, and authority. Our culture sees submission as being something for the weak. Yet Peter tells Christians who are struggling under persecution that they are to submit. In a sermon called "Gospel Submission Part 1" we look at 1 Peter 2:13-17. Here, we face the important, but uncomfortable idea that as Christians who want to communicate and display the gospel in this world, we are to submit to earthly authorities. We look at what this means, as well as what it doesn't mean. When we are set free by Jesus Christ, the way we live out this freedom in humble submission to others will display the gospel to this world.

Peter’s decisiveness puts us in awe of how bold and sure he was of his faith and trust in Christ. Yet Peter was the same one who denied even knowing Jesus three times when Jesus was being persecuted. Just as Peter denied Jesus three times, Jesus offers Peter forgiveness and love three times as he calls out Peter’s faith and then calls him to carry out the calling before him to feed the lambs and sheep of Christ’s flock. His influence to the church comes from the forgiveness offered by Christ, a restoration only given through the grace of Christ.

As Peter continues his speech that we began looking at yesterday, he now gives a clearer idea of how they can respond to the Good News that he has shared. What was that Good News? That Jesus died for us because we are utterly incapable of saving ourselves. For many, the news that Jesus was the Messiah was still probably difficult news to fathom. For others, it would have been difficult to reconcile their expectations of what the Messiah would do, with the reality of his death on a Roman cross. Yet Peter is clear, that this was actually all part of God’s plan for the Messiah. Even if they were ignorant of it, it was the very fulfilment of God’s saving plan with the prophets having even foretold it. But whilst they may have failed to recognise who Jesus is in the past, that should not dictate their response to him now! In light of what they have learned, they now have the opportunity to turn to God. For the amazing news is that when they do that, when they repent and put their trust in God through Jesus, their ‘sins may be wiped out’. How amazing is that! That their sins and our sins can be wiped out simply by turning to Jesus, saying sorry, and making him the Lord of their lives! To reject Jesus is to cut ourselves off from God, but to accept him means forgiveness and life forever with him!It’s easy to think that our sins are unforgivable, but the Good News of Jesus is clear: that because he died for us, all of our sins can be wiped out simply by putting our trust in him. Perhaps you’ve thought all sorts of things about Jesus in the past, but if you can now recognise him today for the Lord who he is, then today is the day to repent and be saved! ALQuestionsWhat does it mean for you to know that your sins can be ‘wiped out’ as we repent and put our trust in Jesus?How is your life different because of the security you grasp because of Jesus’ death and resurrection?PrayerHeavenly Father, we thank you that Jesus’ death and resurrection change everything! Please help us to turn to you, to trust in you, and to receive your gift of salvation. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.


The coming judgment of God is not a popular topic today. We prefer to emphasize God's love instead. Yet Peter thought judgment was important enough to include in his final letter, so that would remember it long after he is gone.

The coming judgment of God is not a popular topic today. We prefer to emphasize God's love instead. Yet Peter thought judgment was important enough to include in his final letter, so that would remember it long after he is gone.

The coming judgment of God is not a popular topic today. We prefer to emphasize God's love instead. Yet Peter thought judgment was important enough to include in his final letter, so that would remember it long after he is gone.

On June 28, 2015 Pastor Brian Watson preached a message on Galatians 2:1-14. In that passage, the apostle Paul says that the other apostles agreed with his gospel. Yet Peter later acted like a hypocrite because his actions didn't line up with the gospel. 

In today’s scripture, the apostle Peter quotes from Isaiah 40: “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass…” We Christians are often distracted by things in our lives that don’t last. Yet Peter is calling us to build our lives on a foundation that which lasts for eternity: the gospel of Jesus Christ and God’s Word. How do we do this? That’s what this sermon is about.

When someone says they were "called" into ministry, exactly what does that mean? Should we assume that God spoke to them audibly? How can a person really tell if God is calling them to church ministry as a vocation? We look at the right and wrong reasons people choose church ministry as a profession. Here is the free download, Ten Tips To Discover Whether God Has Called You To Church Ministry Be sure to give us a review on ITunes! This helps us get the word out! Transcript of Today's Show “Calling” is a difficult concept because it is primarily subjective. I mean, I don’t know anyone who relates their story entering church ministry because they were awakened one night and God said, [Deep voice] “Get on your feet. You’re going to seminary.” But seriously, how does someone discern whether God has called them into church ministry? First, God is Sovereign. What does that have to do with calling? Actually, just about everything. God calls individuals to serve in His Church. It is His Church, so he gets to select those who will carry out his plans and purposes. Sovereignty means that God doesn’t consult with humans first before calling someone to serve as a minister in his church. Sovereignty also means that education, talent or personality is not relevant to God.  He does not depend on strength or abilities to accomplish the tasks He wants done. That reality is both freeing and humbling at the same time. Jesus bypassed the educated and eloquent scribes and Pharisees, choosing men who, for the most part ignored church. Peter and the other disciples knew more curse words than scripture verses. In fact, Matthew loved wealth and cheating people on their taxes far more than kneeling in prayer. Please understand: I am not criticizing seminary or even natural talent per se, but I do want to introduce an important perspective: The apostles were totally unqualified to be ministers by today’s standards, yet they turned the world upside down. Is there anyone who honestly feels that Peter would graduate any of our theological institutions today? Yet Peter used the keys Christ gave him to initiate the church age and later to open the church to non-Jews which was unprecedented. Intelligence and natural abilities can be useful tools, but that is all. If God hasn’t called you, no amount of seminary education or speaking skill will suffice. Academic achievement is only useful as an instrument to advance God’s purposes. Nothing more. Sovereignty means that God chooses whom he wants, when he wants for what he wants. A calling is really more about God than us. Before we look into some principles for calling, let me take a few moments to discuss some sure signs a person either is not called or perhaps not ready for pastoral ministry. Motivation plays a major role in ministry calling. Individuals desire to become pastors or church leaders for a variety of reasons and not all of them are inspirational. First, sometimes individuals pursue ministry to gain affirmation or recognition. One perks of serving as a pastor or ministry leader is the thrill of publically sharing the Word of God. It is a privilege to potentially impact lives in a meaningful way. Honestly, there is nothing quite like preaching under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Sensing God’s Presence with you while you speak is pretty cool. On occasion, folks will come up after I preach to compliment me about something I said in my sermon. That is always nice. However, if you crave that or need that affirmation, something is broken. Second, some are drawn to the ministry because they want to be recognized as an authority. Using Reverend in your introduction can garner respect as a spiritual leader in the eyes of the public. To those considering full time church ministry, I can report to you that it is difficult and challenging at times.  If you’re not genuinely called to this, you will live a very disappointing life.  One thing you will learn rather quickly is some people praise you to your face but criticize you behind your back. If you got into ministry for affirmation, you are more likely to get the stuffing knocked out of you than praised for all your hard work. By contrast, someone who is called understands that people are fickle. They don’t serve people to get love or acceptance. They serve people to express God’s love and carry out His directives. As a minister, you get plenty of practice loving the unlovely, blessing those who hate you, serving those who are unthankful and encouraging those who disagree with you all to advance the Kingdom of God. Part of ongoing ministry training is dealing redemptively with the capriciousness of people in your congregation. As a pastor or church leader, people will say and do things that will disappoint, annoy and even anger you at times. God uses the weaknesses of people to train ministry leaders to be free from craving human praise like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day. God wants his ministers to serve him, irrespective of how we are treated. Third, similar to wanting respect, some pursue ministry leadership to get a title. They want to be called, “Reverend,” “Pastor” or even, “Bishop.” What I am about to say will upset some of you, so let me ask you to forgive me ahead of time. Can we be totally honest for a moment? Nowhere in scripture are pastors or ministers titled. There is not a single instance when early church leaders are addressed by titles like Apostle Peter, Prophet Agabus, Bishop Timothy or Evangelist Apollo. The concept of titles for ministers was of little interest to Peter, Paul, James or John. The New Testament refers to apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers in Ephesians 4:11-16. Each time these terms are used, they describe a function, not a title. If you don’t understand that, you will misunderstand calling all together. In our society, if you attend college and graduate school, you can acquire a doctorate. That qualifies you for a name change. You’re no longer John Rodriguez. You are now Dr. Rodriguez. Education changes how you are titled. If you graduate medical school, people no longer refer to you as Jeff Greenberg. Now you are Dr. Greenberg. We have essentially adopted the same practice for ministers. Upon graduation from seminary or Bible School, church leaders get a Reverend in front of their names; I guess that is still better than a few hundred years ago when people referred to clergy as, Divines, but that is for another day. There is nothing ostensibly wrong with a title in itself. It can identify your vocation to those who don’t know you, but it also can create some ego issues. A person is a pastor, when they excel at doing pastoral or shepherding work; carrying out the daily labor of equipping, training and effectively leading a congregation to serve Christ. That is how pastor’s function. Someone is an evangelist when they excel at winning people to Christ consistently and then train other believers to do the same.  You’re not an evangelist because you get a new business card. The results or the function demonstrates what God has called you to do on His behalf. When a person is ordained properly, seasoned leaders together with a congregation recognize their calling to ministry by how they function. They have regularly demonstrated the practices associated with their calling, so other season leaders partner with God to authorize a candidate to be publicly recognized in that job. A calling to become a pastor or ministry leader is humbling. Titles should be used sparingly if at all. I have several friends with doctorates in various fields. They are qualified to be addressed as Dr., but few of them demand they be addressed in this way. I recognize their achievement, yet I still call them by their first names. It is not because I disrespect them, but because their significance is not their title, but their person. I realize what I have just said is somewhat controversial for some of you, so I invite you to investigate what scripture teaches and come to your own conclusion. Jesus spoke about those who desire to be titled rabbi, teacher or father in Matthew 23:7,8. In this context, Jesus criticizes the clergy of his day, saying that they don’t practice what they teach. He then says quote: “They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi.’ “Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters.” Let’s pause for a moment to recall who Jesus is addressing. In the midst of an argument with the Pharisees, Jesus turns to the future leaders of His Church to warn them. He instructs the apostles to steer clear of trying to gain recognition, praise or honor from people by seeking titles. He notes how the Pharisees used titles to exalt themselves. As many of you know, I’ve been a pastor for several decades. I believe that pastors and church leaders deserve godly respect. In his first letter to the Thessalonians 5:12,13, Paul charges the congregation to respect and appreciate their leaders because of the work they do. Respect is appropriate. I am not leading a new crusade against titles; that is not my point. But we need to get real about who we are as pastors and church leaders. I am an ordained minister. I have the reverend title, but seldom if ever use it. If I need a title to get respect, something is deficient in my character. As strange as this may seem, we live in a day when you can attend a seminary, either in person or online, complete a course of study, earn the title of reverend, yet still be an atheist! There are seminaries throughout the world paying professors to teach that scripture is archaic. Men and women graduate some seminaries embracing beliefs contrary to basic Christianity. If a diploma qualifies a calling, we are in deep trouble. Several years ago I met a minister who had been educated in the finest institutions in the world. He held several degrees; could speak five languages fluently and knew his denomination’s theology inside and out. I met him coincidentally enough at the altar of a small store-front church where he acknowledged he did not know God and wanted to invite Jesus into his heart. Education, talent or ability does not determine if God has called you into ministry.  Adding reverend to your name is a poor reason for pursuing a calling to church ministry. The reality is that the majority of a minister’s time will be spent in the mundane. To do this ministry correctly, you will spend a lot of time alone with God, studying scripture, worshipping and trying to discern God’s purpose and direction for the church you’ve been called to serve. On a daily basis you will serve the needs of other people in 100 inconvenient ways. The very word minister literally means is doulos, which means “servant” or “slave.” That means you are God’s servant doing His bidding and that often means going unrecognized and unappreciated. It is part of the job description. Fourth, there are a few people who are attracted to ministry because they are, well lazy. They view ministry as easy living. One of the more annoying jokes ministers put up with is that we only work two hours a week. Unfortunately, some people actually believe that. They don’t see the hours of study, prayer, counseling problem people, planning, visiting the sick, funerals, reading, resolving conflict with unhappy congregants or board members, comforting the hurting, managing staff, committee meetings, budget meetings and the hundred and one other demands on your time. Like any vocation, there are people who goof off. Lazy ministers don’t last very long. The principle of sowing and reaping catches up fast and reality drives them to seek another way of life. Finally, some think they should be in ministry because they like the idea of public speaking.  On a few occasions, I have been approached by people who wanted to preach in the worst way. When I finally gave them a chance, they got their wish: they preached in the worst way. All the while, they thought preaching and public speaking was easy, but anyone can flap their gums behind a lectern. To speak for God and with God is rare skill. A silver tongue is not required to be a spokesperson for God. The Bible is replete with those who were not the most polished speakers, but they each had something significant to say. I’ve known several ministers through the years who had no problem speaking in public but never said anything worth hearing. Don’t assume the gift of gab indicates a call. So, those are a few of the wrong motivations to go into ministry. What about the right ones? What are some clear indicators that God has called you into church ministry? #1 - I would say that first and foremost, you are a genuine lover of God. If God has called you to the ministry, you think about, dream about and find that your interests center around the church; not just your local church, but the church as a whole. When God calls you to church ministry, the scriptures, particularly the letters to Timothy and Titus stir your heart. These were written to church leaders and you find yourself wanting a deeper understanding of what Paul is saying. As a young man, before I knew God was calling me to ministry, I went from being an occasional reader to a voracious consumer of Christian books, articles and magazines. I couldn’t get enough and the majority of my fascination centered on teaching, preaching, pastoring and church-related subjects. I didn’t have an ambition at that time to make ministry my vocation. I just loved everything in scripture related to leadership. #2 - Another sign that God has called you is a genuine desire to help people. This also applies to other vocations too, but it really makes little sense to become a church leader if you don’t have a passion to better peoples’ lives. You need to be someone who has matured beyond a self-centered outlook on life. A mature person knows the difference between calling and separation. Just because you show signs that God is calling you doesn’t mean you are ready to launch out into full time ministry. Paul was called on the road to Damascus, but he was separated to do the work of ministry years later in Antioch, as outlined in Acts 13. There is almost always a time-frame between the initial calling of God and the release to do the work. Jesus taught in John chapter 10 that a true shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He contrasts this with a hired hand who abandons the flock if trouble starts. A legitimate calling means that you don’t quit just because the going gets tough. Let me tell you something. Every minister will feel like quitting at some point. I have felt that strong urge at least 100 times during my career. Just because you are a pastor doesn’t mean you don’t get discouraged. My pastor wanted to quit one day. A more experienced pastor told him, “It’s Monday. Everyone wants to quit on Monday. Wait until Wednesday and talk to me if you still feel the same way.” Needless to say, he never quit. If you are called of God, you can’t quit, because like Peter, there is no plan B. Walking away from my calling is telling Jesus that I won’t do what He has asked me to do. At the end of day, I can’t do that. Someone who is in ministry for the wrong reasons can just quit and never think about it again. A truly called person, can’t do that. He may want to, but his conscience won’t stop affecting him. #3 - If you are called, people naturally come to you for advice, counsel, or help. You are the person people come to find solutions or direction. They look to you for encouragement or comfort. Without saying it, they look to you like a shepherd. #4 - Jesus taught that fruit is the strongest indicator of a true calling. If you are called to pastor, you are able to relieve people of stress and help them feel whole again.   If God has called you to become an evangelist, you always seem to encounter people at the moment they are ready to receive Christ. That doesn’t necessarily mean you are called to full time ministry, but that is a start in right direction. If you hang around me for any amount of time, God is going to teach you something. Why? That is my gift. We may just be having coffee, but normally, something gets said that will impact your present or future. It has little to do with an innate ability on my part, or education or brilliance. The gift God put in my spills out. I have a close friend whose gift of pastoring just oozes from everything he does. When you spend any time with him, you feel God caring for you. I have another friend with a powerful ministry of exhortation. You cannot spend an hour with him without getting 10 ideas of how to do more for God. Proverbs tells us that a person’s gift makes room for him. The context is specifically referencing the gift of money, but I believe it has a spiritual application. #5 - If God has called you, other spiritual leaders will affirm that calling in you. Go to them for counsel and prayer. I am always wary of the self-ordained. It doesn’t always mean they are not called, but the confirmation of other spiritual leaders goes a long way to establish the whether a ministry is valid. Finally, one of the challenges in our day and age is this erroneous idea that ministry is always church related. In essence, if God has called you, then you must become a pastor or church leader in order to serve him. Nothing could be further from the truth. Serving the Lord as a minister has been powerful and fulfilling for me as a full time vocation; but that is because serving in this way is God’s will for me. During my years in ministry, I also have worked in the secular arena as a carpenter, insurance salesman, short-order cook and estate planner, though not in that order. I enjoyed each job, but never felt at home in any of them. They did not fit me. I meet people who are called, appointed and anointed to serve the Lord as a nurse, a businessman and even a politician. These callings are just as valid and holy as the call to serve in church ministry. I think if pastors began to preach this in earnest, many people would catch a vision for their true calling instead of wasting their lives doing something God hasn’t called them to do. I believe in my heart of hearts that God has fashioned each believer for full time ministry in some capacity. It may not be in church, but in education or industry or entertainment or wherever you are he has gifted and trained you. A book that had a huge impact on me, and is partly responsible for this podcast is a book by an author with an unusual name: Skye Jethani. He wrote a book called, Futureville that isn’t really about the future, but about discovering our ministry for Christ on this earth. I highly recommend the book. I put together a free download that sums up the points we discussed. You can download it here. Today’s Quote is from Olympic Medalist Mary Lou Retton:   “Each one of us has a fire in our heart for something. It's our goal in life to find it and to keep it lit.”

In the Transfiguration we see the beautiful and glorious wisdom of God. Christ sees the Father’s will as glorious. Yet Peter's eyes see naturally. The Transfiguration shows us that our perspective is flawed.

In the Transfiguration we see the beautiful and glorious wisdom of God. Christ sees the Father's will as glorious. Yet Peter's eyes see naturally. The Transfiguration shows us that our perspective is flawed.

Whether you've been a Christian your whole life, or just met Jesus last week, we all still struggle with sin. Yet Peter tells us that Christ Followers are "finished with sin." Really? Is that possible? We will look into Peter's own life to find an example of someone who truly learned to follow Jesus.Support the show (https://pushpay.com/g/hillsidechgr?src=hpp)

Peter’s audience was made up of those who, for various reasons, including their allegiance to Christ, were living lives as exiles. Their standing in society was at the bottom of the ladder. Yet Peter’s clear exhortation to them is that they are actually people of great privilege. They have been foreloved by God, caused to be born again into His family, and endowed with all of the rights and privileges that come with it. Their inheritance is everlasting, and even the adversity they face comes with the opportunity to recognize the genuineness of their faith. Given all of this, what is to be their response? The question is the same for us today. Given all we are and have in Christ, how then should we live? Peter begins a lengthy answer that takes up the rest of the letter, but first he gives a powerful summary. We are to be holy. But just what is meant by holiness? And what makes it possible? To these important questions Peter gives some simple yet profound answers.

Today we begin our study of 1 Peter. While only 105 verses, this letter from the pen of the Apostle covers a lot of ground. The recipients were Christ-followers whose lives had become difficult because they were forced to live out their love for Jesus in societies that were unfriendly to their faith. Yet Peter calls them to a joy-filled obedience based on the fact that, in Christ Jesus, they were a special people with an amazing privilege. Their identity was found, not in what the world threw at them, but in what Christ had made of them. Their greatest satisfaction would come in accomplishing the task Christ had fitted them for: proclaiming the excellencies of Him who called (them) out of darkness into His marvelous light” (2:9). As we study this Spirit-inspired letter, we will find it easy to identify with the original readers. Today we can quickly forget that, in Christ, we are a special and valuable people. We have been drawn to God and endowed with a sacred privilege. Though there will always be challenges and obstacles, the mission of Christ must continually be our priority. For we will be most satisfied when God is most glorified.