Friday slowdown

Truly our God is holy....

How in the world can we be holy? (continuing)

Back when I was growing up, and the dinosaurs were populating the earth, we used to giggle at this joke: "Be alert! The world needs more lerts!"

Seriously, though, "being sober" is one phrase that Peter uses three times in his letter. He doesn't mean the "not drunk" meaning of today, but intends a spiritual application. He means to be alert and to be self-controlled.  It carries with it the meaning of clarity of mind, and of sound judgment. It's also used as a qualification of elders and of women who serve the church, too.

All of that to say this: if we are going to live lives of holiness, we need to be alert -- spiritually alert. Jump over to the fifth chapter of I Peter where we read this:

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (I Peter 5:8)

Like a roaring lion....let's imagine for a moment that you lived near a wonderful zoo with amazing habitats and well-cared for animals. Suddenly you see a message on your smartphone that one of the lions has escaped, and he's not eaten lately. He's rummaging around and prowling nearby, and he is hungry! This would not be the time that you would go for your daily walk or jog, right? Or that you would take the grandkids to the park, either. You would make certain that you and your loved ones were safe from danger. You'd warn your family of the danger, and you would all take precautions so that the lion didn't get any of you.

Well, we actually live in enemy territory. This world is where the devil has lots of projects ongoing, and is doing a lot of evil things. If we feed our minds on the "stuff" of this world, and not on the Word of God, we are taking dangerous chances. It's like getting cocky and running outdoors when we know there's a lion on the prowl. No! Don't do it! We need to be aware of the dangers ourselves, and warn those that we love, as well! That's not how to avoid the devil, nor is it a good recipe for holy living!

Another ingredient for successfully implementing a holy lifestyle is our motivation -- Peter says we should "fix our hope completely on the grace being brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." There's our motivation: God's grace!
But why does Peter tell us to focus on the grace we'll receive when Christ returns? Maybe it's because those who would read his letter were going through some pretty intense trials...... Peter is reminding them of the joy of their salvation, but as the comedian used to say, "You ain't seen nothin' yet!" Be strong in the Lord through the trials. Focus on the fact that God is going to bless us abundantly -- far beyond what we can imagine! Those blessings will not be based on what we deserve, for we deserve punishment for our sins..... our blessings are based on His mercy and grace.....undeserved favor.

That picture of our future can motivate us to live holy lives now, no matter how much we are suffering.

How in the world can we be holy? We start by focusing on Christ's coming, guarding our thought life, and being alert to dangers in this world. We're motivated to keep at it, when we remember God's grace.

We'll actually finish this up next week -- gonna hang in there with me? Sure hope so!

How in the world can we be holy? (continued)

                                                                (Courtesy of clipartangel.com)

I want to make sure that I didn't give the wrong impression last time....Peter is going to give us instructions on holy living in an unholy world. That's true. But you know, we can't get to heaven by trying to be a nice person, and amassing a long list of good works.
Good works just won't "cut it."  Good works won't pay the penalty for our sins. We've noted before that only the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ, can satisfy the justice of God. That's what we trust in, not our good works.
BUT.....if our faith in Jesus is real, it is going to result in lives of progressive holiness. That's because we will be striving against sin and seeking to grow in holiness. Sure, good works are a result of that. But they are a result -- not a strategy.

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy;without holiness no one will see the Lord.  (Hebrews 12:14)

So, developing that holy lifestyle is important, and it's what we are looking at this week.

Clear as mud? (Grin) Well, I hope it's clearer than that....
Peter's first instructions to us are in verse 13:

Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. (I Peter 1:13)

Looks to me like Peter is urging us to focus on the fact that Christ will return.  Holy living is motivated by the knowledge that no one knows when He will appear; it could be today or it could be many years from now.

Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. 9 Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! (James 5:7-9) 

When we read verse thirteen in the King James, a wonderful mental picture pops into our heads: it tells us to "gird up the loins of our mind."
I see your eyebrows raised!
Here's what he means.....the menfolk of the day wore two layers of garments, and the outer layer was usually a long and flowing robe. If a man needed to run, or work in the field, or fight in a battle, that robe was going to get in the way! So, they would tuck their robes into their belts to keep them out of the way, and keep them from hindering them.
Today, we'd say we're going to "roll up our sleeves" and get to work.
Peter is telling us that we must be mentally prepared for action, or for combat in order to achieve this holy lifestyle. We have to mean business!
So, how do we "gird" up our minds? How do we remove hindrances to holiness?
Quite frankly, holiness begins in our brains. What we think determines how we will live, so it is practical to start with our "thought life." I've learned from experience that we must deal with sin on the thought level! We must judge our wicked thoughts the very moment that we have them.... then confess them to God..... and then replace those sinful thoughts with thoughts of Him and His Word. Deal with our thoughts instantly! I have heard so many preachers in my life say this, that I don't know who said it first, but it's a true analogy: you can't stop a bird from alighting on your head and then flying away, but you can stop it from building a nest in your hair!
That fleeting thought of jealousy, the quick flare of anger at someone, the judgmental attitude that makes harsh words fly off our lips -- all of these are instantaneous. Confess and replace those thoughts with thinking of God's blessings, or a verse that we are trying to memorize. Don't let those sinful thoughts hang around and make a home (build a nest) within us. Paul puts it this way:

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (II Corinthians 10:5)

I guess what Peter is trying to tell us is that it's at this basic level, the thought level, that our Christianity is either very real, or very fake.We can fool a lot of people; we can even fool all the people; but God knows our thoughts!

You have searched me, Lord,    and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise;    you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down;    you are familiar with all my ways.
 Before a word is on my tongue    you, Lord, know it completely. (Psalm 139:1-4)

Yep, He knows.
And truth of the matter is, if we are faking it and not working on a holy thought life, sooner or later it's going to pop out where everyone else can see. It's going to come out in the open. Whether it's harsh words against someone, or the jealous actions we take, or even someone who commits adultery -- none of that happens unless first the thoughts are entertained in the mind.  Interesting turn of phrase, don't ya think? Don't entertain those thoughts. Don't make 'em comfy, and keep 'em around. Get the broom of the Word and sweep 'em out!
We need to guard what enters (and stays in) our mind just as carefully as we guard what we eat. We wouldn't think of drinking spoiled milk because it would make us sick. But do we feed our thoughts daily on the media and television? Do we neglect feeding our thoughts on God's Word? How can we possibly be holy women or men?

Peter tells us to fix our hope completely on the grace that will be ours at Christ's return. Holiness will be beginning in our minds as we think often of our Savior. Think of His love, and His blessings, and of how we will be changed into His likeness when He returns!

More on this tomorrow......

Prayer requests

Is there a person in your thoughts that you have been praying for? Someone who doesn't know our Lord, but perhaps you have spoken to them before? Or maybe you haven't yet spoken to them about Christ, but you intend to?

It's important to witness to other folks.
It's also important to pray for them.
Jesus prayed for unbelievers when He was suffering on the cross, and Paul described his own prayers for unbelievers in several places in his letters.

Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.  (Romans 10:1)

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. (I Timothy 2:1-4)

OK, so we know we should....
But how?
First, because God draws people to Him, ask Him to shine His love onto the person we are praying for....

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them,and I will raise them up at the last day. (John 6:44)

God wants all to be saved, so ask Him to show the person His unconditional love.

Next, ask the Father to open their eyes so that they can see that light, that unconditional love. The world has a way of blinding people, or at least distracting them.

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (II Corinthians 4:4)

Lastly, pray that God will free that person from the things that bind them up, from the chains that would hold them back from being saved. Satan will do his utmost to keep unbelievers from using their free will to choose Jesus. He'll put up quite a fight.
And God can use circumstances in their lives to bring them to Himself. Have you ever stepped out in faith and said, "Lord, WHATEVER it takes...."? That can be scary. But if we truly desire their salvation, we can trust Him to do what needs doing.  We can trust Him to accomplish their salvation.

Before I was afflicted I went astray,    but now I obey your word. (Psalm 119:67)

We can pray on their behalf, and be warriors in the fight for their souls.

None of us can force anyone to be saved. But we can pray and ask our Father to show them his love, and to break the chains of unbelief and sin, so that they can be saved.

Is there someone on your heart? Are you praying for them?
Is there a request that we can join you in praying for?

How in the world can we be holy? (I Peter 1:13-16)

Hi there! Are you ready for this one? (Grin)
We mentioned last week that a lot of believers put on a good front when they know other folks are watching, but then other times they kinda let down their standards.  I hope you don't get tired of hearing what my grandma used to say....she called this "letting your halo slip"!
Remember when you were a teenager and you wanted to drive? Driving that car was oh, so important to you.... you studied the book for the written test (at least, that's what we do in the US) and then you nervously waited for the test examiner to ride with you on your solo drive. Turn carefully, use your signals, don't go too fast -- then do your happy dance because they said you were OK to drive! But after the test, did you drive just that carefully?

I hate to say it, but sometimes there doesn't seem to be much difference between the world and believers in Christ. They go to church more often. But the divorce rate is about the same. They watch the same television shows and movies. Many are involved in immorality on the internet and in real life. Some Christian business men and women have a terrible reputation. What's happening here?

Are our halos slipping?
Is it a case of being frightened? Are we intimidated?
Many of you have talked with me via email about the state of our world today. I don't believe there has been a time since the early church when Christians are as reviled and despised. In the Sudan, as in some other countries, people are set on fire or beheaded if they are faithful to Jesus. They may be asked if they will drop their devotion to Him and be sucked back into Islam, or in some countries, Buddhism, or some other faiths. Countries that wish to snuff out religion will jail those who speak up about their love for Christ -- or worse, simply kill them for saying they believe, or holding a Bible study in their homes.

In the US and in Western Europe, it is politically incorrect to say that we believe Jesus is "the" way....it's ok with some if we soft-pedal it and say He is "a" way. We are accused of intolerance. Some will get "in our face" and become quite vocal, even violent, as if the mere thought of our faith enrages them. If we should happen to speak out on the issues of the day, we are shouted down. We are de-valued. Second class citizens. Some spit the word "Christian" venomously in our faces.

A dear friend wrote me recently to say that she appreciated my courage in writing these things. I love her for that, but I can't take credit....the Spirit emboldens me.
I feel I must use the free speech that so many patriots died to give me. I must fight against those who would love to either eradicate us, as my friend said, or push us deep into the catacombs as before. They will continue to trivialize our God and our faith, and they will use their rights of free speech to say hateful things about us and about Jesus. One thing that keeps me going, and it may keep y'all going too, is that this world is not my home.....I'm just a-passin' through.

Our passage for this week (and last week, too) is one that needs to be in our hearts and minds daily. It wouldn't hurt a bit for us to write these verses on a card and memorize them. Will you take that challenge with me? Let's try at the end of two weeks to be able to say them from memory!

Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” (I Peter 1:13-16)

These are fabulous verses for us, for we are living in similar times to those whom Paul addressed in this letter! They had come from varied backgrounds -- some pagan and immoral -- and they were living in a pagan society where they faced huge pressures to conform. Peter was calling these believers to holiness, and he is calling us, too.

The word "holy" means to be separate. When we talk about a holy God, it is describing how far above and beyond His creation He is..... He is completely distinct from it. He is completely pure, for He is separate from sin.

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. (I John 1:5)

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; (James 1:13)

Your eyes are too pure to look on evil;    you cannot tolerate wrongdoing. (Habakkuk 1:13a)

When our Father calls us to holiness, it means we are to be set apart from the world, for God, and be separate from sin.
BUT here is where our title this week comes from -- how in the world can we be holy? Sin is in the very core of our being....we are fallen creatures. How can we ever hope to be holy?

I'm not a theologian. I have to make things simple both in order to understand, and in order to "give an account of the hope" within me! The moment we put our faith in Jesus as our Savior, we are set apart to God. As we go on living and keeping that relationship with Him, we are "sanctified" or growing in holiness. This is a process. We're not going to complete it and get a gold star anytime soon. In fact, we won't finish until we are with Him in heaven! But the Bible tells us that when we meet the Lord, we will be perfect, sanctified, completely like Him.

Oh, happy day!
Let me say that part again, OK? If we belong to God, He has set us apart unto Himself. He is progressively making us like Him. And someday we will be completely like Him!

Join me this week as we explore this..... Peter is going to give us instructions on being holy in this world!

Friday slowdown

I've researched and I believe this is correct....the song for today is similar in title to another that we've enjoyed, but this one was discovered in some property of Fanny Crosby at her death. Fanny was a prolific writer of hymns and songs, and some of the best-loved lyrics of faith were penned by her. The site I consulted mentioned that Ernie Haase "completed" what was found, and offers it as a new song of faith.

I found these words and the melody inspiring, and wanted to share with all of you.

Tell me not of worldly treasure, like a leaf they fade and fall,
Tell me not of worldly pleasures, next to Christ they're oh, so small.
Give me Jesus, give me Jesus,
There's no greater friend than He.
Give me Jesus, give me Jesus,
For He gave His life to me.
Earthly friendship has its weakness, it may wound and leave me too,
But my Savior never changes, He is constant, He is true.
Tell me not of fear and sorrow, though in life they cloud our days,
If we face a grim tomorrow, Christ is victory for always!
Give me Jesus....
(Fanny Crosby and Ernie Haase)

Blessings to all who stop by here!

Spinning our wheels? Not! Conclusion

So far, we've seen that Peter is encouraging us to think about the right hings, to be focused and in control, and to have hope....what else has he got for us here?
Let's refresh our memory of the verse and the focus passage:

So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. 14 So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. 15 But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. 16 For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.” I Peter 1:13-16)

"Don't slip back into your old ways..."
Sometimes, as my grandma used to say, that's a hard row to hoe. (Grin)
Sometimes it's hard to keep heading in the right direction.
When people get lost, they can easily think they are traveling in the right direction, but find that they are moving in circles, covering the same ground over and over.....spinning their wheels, you might say.
Sailing ships have had instruments for direction for a long time. Rudimentary ways at first, then sextants, and then better technologies. But what happens when all of the awesome technology or the instruments are not working for some reason? How to stay on course?
Well, the captain will set sights on a fixed point and keep heading in that direction....maybe a land mass if one is nearby, or at night, a star. As long as they can aim at that object, they can steer towards it. We need to set our sights on Jesus -- steering our thoughts and actions towards Him and His plans for us, we will be OK. But if we take our eyes off Him, we could be courting disaster.

Let's look at an example:

Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”29 “Come,” he said.Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. (Matthew 14:25-31a)

Ahh, Peter....this happened just after the miracle of Jesus feeding the five thousand. Jesus had gone away from them to be by Himself and pray. Later that night, when the disciples were out in their boat, crossing the lake, they saw Jesus. Not standing at the water's edge, but walking on the water. They forget all about the miraculous power that Jesus had shown, and think they are seeing a ghost. So, Jesus calls out to them and encourages them. Now, put yourself in the disciples' sandals....it's dark, and the wind is blowing, and the waves are getting larger. Would you rather hunker down in the boat, or would you, like Peter, answer the command of Jesus and put your piggies over the side of the boat?

Does this seem a little out of the ordinary, even for our impetuous and impulsive friend, Peter? Maybe so, but Peter had faith in his Lord. He trusted Jesus, so he stepped out of the boat -- onto the water. Not into it. Onto it. What a feeling that must have been! Was it a little squishy? Cushiony? Did he feel the movement? Well, it was firm enough to keep him on his feet.... at least it was as long as he had his eyes focused on Jesus. He was looking at his goal. Getting to the Lord. But as soon as he looked away from Christ, he started thinking about the wind, and the waves, and .... and he became afraid. We know what happened....he began to sink. First the water lapped around his ankles, and then around his knees -- he cried out to Jesus and He grabbed Him by the hand. The Bible says they walked together to get in the boat.
If we stay focused on Christ, He is here with us in the midst of any storm. We will not sink, but stand with our hand in His.
Verse 14 gives us the key to "not slipping back into the old ways." It mentions that we may have been disobedient before we were believers, because we didn't know any better.... as parents and neighbors of young kids, we all try to teach them things so they don't get hurt, right?  Don't touch the burner of the stove. Don't pull the kitty's tail. Be careful on your bicycle and watch out for cars. The list goes on.
We want the kids to be able to look after themselves, and make good decisions -- in short, we are grooming them for success!
Are we obedient children of God? Do we listen and then obey what He tells us to do, or not to do? Do we give Him the respect and honor that He is due as our heavenly Father? Before we accepted Jesus, our desires and thoughts, our focus was on "me, me, me" and not what God wants in our lives. As believers, and as obedient children, we must be different and keep our eyes on Him.

Then when the world looks at us, they will see that He has made a difference in the way we live, work, talk, raise our kids, and set our goals.
Then we'll have a testimony for Him.
And we WON'T be spinning our wheels!

Spinning our wheels? Not! Part II

This week we are studying Peter's instructions for us, to prepare our minds. We talked about what an amazing thing the human brain is -- quite a masterpiece of the Master Creator!
And we said that it was up to each of us, what we used these great minds for...

A mind with nothing to do is rather useless, no? Do you remember those old television ads that intoned, "A mind is a terrible thing to waste"? It's very true. Our minds were created to have such huge capacity for doing things. Think of all that we do with our minds: creativity, design, problem solving, caring, compassion, art, music, nurturing and loving.  To waste all of that potential would be a shame.
What do we think about?
What do we dwell on?
In fact, what kind of thoughts are going through our heads each day? Do we think about doing some good we can do when we leave our nest, or are we thinking about how to speed through our chores and errands, and not interact with too many people....too time consuming. Are we anticipating our prayer time in the morning, or are we thinking about catching a few more winks?  Are we eager to open our Bibles and see what the Spirit has for us today, or are we thinking about what's on our grocery list? Are we looking forward to accomplishing something today, or are we thinking of how to avoid doing those chores until tomorrow....or the next day....or the next?
All of these involve our wonderful minds, but they are not too productive!

Kinda like spinning our wheels, and not getting anywhere!
Well, what SHOULD we be thinking about? Well, an easy answer right off the bat is this from Paul in Philippians....a no-brainer, right?

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8)

I'm telling you, years ago my grandma said there was lots of junk out there on the airwaves, and I think it's gotten worse since then....am I right? We can fill our thoughts and our minds with that junk, or we can think about things that are actually worth considering! Why should we waste our time on thoughts that are useless -- or even harmful -- if we can instead focus on better things?

Second, Peter tells us that we need to prepare our minds by being self-controlled. Believers are not puppets on strings. We aren't remote controlled, like a kid's car or robot toy. Our Father gave us free will to make our own choices, and those choices include not just how we think, but also what we say, and how we live. Oh, but what about the influences in the world? They definitely want to control us! Take a peek at some of the commercials today: the advertisers are doing their best to change the way we think. They want us to think that we can't do without the product, in the first place. And in the second place, their brand of product is WAY better than anyone else's brand -- you gotta buy this one!!  Don't worry about the price. Don't even worry about if you really need it!

The devil employs much the same tactics in our lives. He makes us think that "things" are what we need. That any method we use to get those things is A-OK. That it doesn't matter who we hurt, or if we impact our own lives negatively....it's the things you pile up that are important! It's the amount of power you can wield that matters!

If we pay attention to him (and to the commercials) we will not be controlled, we'll be out of control. We will be thinking, "I don't care what happens to anyone else!" and "Get out of my way, it's me, me, me that is important!"
Spinning our wheels in life. Oy vey.
Our thoughts and actions need to be both self-controlled, and Spirit controlled. Both? Yes. We need to have the Spirit's guidance and assistance to avoid being haphazard and unfocused. Here is where the rubber meets the road, folks: when we are focused and intentional in our thoughts, our actions will be, too. We will be Spirit-led, and we will take responsibility for our actions. A person who says what they intend to do and then completes what they said is much more likely to be respected. That's a much better testimony than careening through life, spinning our wheels, and not "walking the walk." We need to ensure that when we say we'll do something, we do it -- and we do it well!

Thirdly, Peter tells us to set our hope "on the grace to be given when Christ is revealed." When people see our lives, when they really look at us, what do they see? Unbeliever or Christian, when they see the way we conduct ourselves, what's most apparent? What are we striving for in our lives? Do they see people that seem bored? That seem mopey? That seem to be unfocused, or unjoyful, or without hope?
Oh no, I hope not!
When people look at our lives, they need to see people that are full of purpose, that are focused and have true joy in their lives. They need to see people that are living with hope!

We have a big responsibility, you and I. When people look at us, they should see Jesus. Christ is revealed to the world through us! Ever heard the phrase, "you may be the only Bible some folks read"? It's absolutely true! We need to be walking commercials for the facts: our sins can be forgiven, and our souls can be saved -- and are worth saving! That grace is there for anyone and everyone who will receive it! We can show this to others by the way we live....and that, my friends, is not spinning our wheels!

Join me tomorrow and we'll conclude our study of this portion of the verse.....

What are we listening to?

Just days ago, when the hurricane-turned-tropical-storm was blowing through our area, we were standing on our porch, listening to the wind and rain.

I used to hear my grandma talk about the wind "howling" and it truly was, on this afternoon. As it whipped around the house, it seemed intent on battering it, and it "sang" and "whistled" as it rushed around eaves and rooftop.

We could hear the creaking of trees as they bent before the gusts, and the occasional snap of a limb punctuated the sounds of the storm.

After hours of battering the house, the wind moved on, the rain began to die down, and an eerie quiet descended. It was as if God had moved His hand over the woods and said for the storm to stop.

This situation in the lives of Jesus and His disciples came to mind....

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!”Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. (Mark 4:39)

As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.24 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. (Luke 8:23-24)

Have you listened lately to the sounds of power in God's creation? Have you then listened in the quiet, for the still, small voice of His Spirit?

He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” (Luke 11:28)

I love the Lord, for he heard my voice;    he heard my cry for mercy.  Because he turned his ear to me,    I will call on him as long as I live. (Psalm 116:1-2) 

Spinning our wheels? Not!

Are ya interested in that title? (Grin) We'll get to that momentarily, but first let's refresh our memory of the passage we are studying, OK?

Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” (I Peter 1:13-16, NIV)

Here it is in another translation -- check this out!

So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. 14 So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. 15 But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. 16 For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.” (NLT)

Wowser!
I warned you that we'd be camping here in I Peter 1 for a while....it's just so exciting and full of awesome stuff! (Grin)

Just a few days ago, seemed like everyone was telling the folks here in the Southland, "be prepared!"And it really is a good idea....get your seventy-two hour pack prepared: food stuffs, batteries, blankets, even toilet paper!  Be prepared..... if you are going on a trip, make sure your gas tank is full, tires are at the right pressure, and you've studied your route!

Our study this week deals with the preparation of our minds. The way we think -- are we ready for action?
In the previous weeks, we have discussed the living hope we have through Christ's resurrection; we have an everlasting inheritance -- heaven! That's our hope that we have, when all around us the world seems to be turned upside down. That is how we have inner joy, in spite of suffering. Our faith is secure, and we give praise and glory to Him....that's what the first few verses told us, right?

Therefore..... Peter is building on the foundation he built!
Therefore, prepare our minds for action.
Hmmmm. What do you think of, when you think about someone preparing for action?
Well, I guess athletes get themselves ready; they get in shape. They do particular exercises, and they eat nutritious foods, and then get lots of good sleep.
Some athletes also need the right equipment. Their preparation may include selecting the perfect bat or ball or shoes. They'll search and try many, many options before deciding on just the right one.
Race car drivers will prepare by honing their car's engine, tires, and more for the best performance on the track.
Jockeys will ensure that their horses are fed right, exercised correctly, and bedded down in clean straw.
And all of these folks will do something else: practice!
Over and over again they will practice their skill, until they feel they are fully prepared.

Oh, but wait! Peter isn't talking about our bodies here. He isn't talking about our equipment.
He is talking about our minds. He's pointing to the way that we think.
Did you know that our brain is one of the most complex things known to man? Billions of nerve cells make countless electrical connections inside our head. Millions of messages traveling around and across inside our brain, and all of it happens without our having to think or will it to happen!
We may be thinking of days gone by, concerns about tomorrow, our spouse's mobile phone number, our child's favorite video, or thinking, "Did I turn off the iron before I left the house?"
All of these are accessible inside our head, much like the files of a computer hard drive -- except better! Our mind is a marvel of God's creative work....He formed us in our mothers' wombs, the Psalmist tells us. We are "fearfully and wonderfully" made.

Yes, God gave us our minds. How we choose to use them is up to us. And Peter is urging us to prepare for action -- get ready!

We'll talk more on this next time....

Friday slowdown

Let's take time to be holy.....this hymn seems just right for this week.

Our alternative lifestyle - conclusion of overview (I Peter 1:13-16)

Our alternative lifestyle - a lifestyle that is outside the norm. We're continuing these thoughts today, so let's jump right in! Yesterday we asked ourselves the questions: are we living a life of faith, of purpose, of holiness? Is there anything different in us, when unbelievers take a look at our lives?

Here's why it's so important: no matter what the labels are, that people put on different generations....Gen X, Millennial, Greatest Generation, Baby-Boomers......every generation is looking for something. Today's world is no different. People are desperately searching for something real. They long for something authentic. And they are always, always watching Christians. To see if we are the real thing. Unless we are living an "alternative" lifestyle to that which is prevalent in the world, we will seem no different; we will never be the light that this world needs so badly. And that takes a transformation.

Transforming what?
Well, for one thing, our focus needs to be more on God, and less on ourselves. That's a big difference from the world, from the start! The world says, "Me, me, me! It's all about me!" But for a believer, the focus, the center of our life, needs to be the Lord.....not letting Him peek in from the edges, but placing Him at the center of our life.
How to do that?
Jesus told us:

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Matthew 22:37-39)

When we center our lives on God, and on building our relationship with Him, we will spend less time "going through the motions" of what we think we should be. No more spinning our wheels trying to be what the world thinks we should be. We will concentrate on His plans and His purpose for our lives.

Easy peasy, right?
Nope.
It can really be a struggle, living each day as an authentic believer, as a disciple with a life centered in Him. Sometimes we will fall back into old patterns of behavior. Sometimes we will fail to control our words or our actions. It will be important to remember His grace, and His mercy that says, "Get up, child, this moment is new. Start over."

And sometimes we will be tempted to compartmentalize our lives.
You know what I mean. I know you do.
We divide our lives into segments....we put way more effort into some than into others.
At church, we are supposed to be Christians, so we act like we are.
At work, we try to act like a Christian, but the other people don't know the script as well, so we don't have to play the role as carefully.
At home, we act like our real selves. After all, our secret is safe with the family, right?

The moment the doorbell rings, we shift gears and become the model Christian again. It's magic!
And sometimes we do the same thing with our relationship with God.
How many of us have been having a "disciplinary moment" with our kids in the car, but when we put it in park at the church door, the "Holy Spirit" suddenly comes upon us? Instead of the voice and attitude we had inside the car, we are smiling at the people at the door, singing with a lovely voice (when it was raised in anger moments before) and we have a nice visit with God.

Then it's back in the car and being our real selves again.
Oy vey.
Instead of being actors, God wants us to be authentic. To be transformed from the inside, not simply changing the way we act on the outside. And God is the one Who can do this. He is the One Who can transform us into the image of Jesus. Little by little. (That's sanctification!)

The Pharisees were not authentic. Remember?

 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness." (Matthew 23:27-28)

Our transformation? Our alternative lifestyle? It's something that we will have to work at. To struggle with. To pray about. To truly focus on God in the center of our lives.
The decision itself is not hard. If we've accepted Jesus as our Lord and our Savior, we will have a real desire to be like Him. We will want to behave like His disciple. Our heart will be so full of gratitude for His loving us and giving Himself for us, that we will be willing to serve.....not out of duty, but out of love for Him.
If we truly believe that He is with us, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, it can change the way we think and act! So then, the "me" that others see at home, at work, at the grocery store, will be the same "me" that people see at church!
And don't forget that last verse...."Love your neighbor".....when we walk into a shop, do we see the workers there as people there to serve us? Or as people who need to know the love of Jesus?
When we spend time with colleagues from work, do we use our talents to speak to them for Him?

Sometimes our human side makes us spend time focusing on what we don't have. Or on what someone else has. When our focus is on the plan and purpose God has for us, we can experience contentment. We are each unique. And talented. And God has a plan to use those skills and talents!

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1-2)

With our alternative lifestyle, we have a chance to be a candle, a light bulb, or even a lighthouse!

It's an adventure! An alternative lifestyle. A holy lifestyle.

We'll study this more next week! Hope you will be here with us!