Psalm 9

"The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble." - verse 9

Father, You are a refuge, a stronghold, a shelter and so much more.  You are everything we need.  Life is full of trouble, but in You we know no trouble that isn't completely under control.  We don't know how to trust You, we don't understand your ways.  I don't understand your ways, but I believe.  I believe that You are God.  I believe that You are perfect and that Your love is boundless.  Be our refuge and stronghold.  Help me learn to cling to know, even as I realize that learning to cling to You means that my life will be difficult.  You are so much more valuable than a comfortable life.  You are the prize.  I love you for dealing with me so gently.  Thank you Jesus.

Psalm 8

Verse 1: "Oh Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth.  You have set your glory in the heavens."

Lord God, you are magnificent.  You are perfect.  You are God.  Thank you for loving me.  Thank you for caring about me.  Help me to know your glory.  Help me to fear you properly.  You are awesome and mighty and all creation gives you praise.  I want to love you better.  I want to know you and become more like you.  I want to feel a passion for you like I've never known before.  Grab hold of my heart, my Lord and my God.

Psalm 7

Verse 15

"Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit he has made."


Lord, I dig so many pits.  I can't fix me.  I can't save myself.  Please pull me out of the pits I make.

Psalm 6

Turn, Lord, and deliver me.  Save me because of your unfailing love.

Psalm 5

Hear my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray.

Psalm 4

This one feels a lot like Psalm 3.  Starting out with "Answer me Lord when I cry out to you", or something like that, and concluding with something to the effect of "Because God is in control, I can sleep soundly despite all the craziness happening all around me."

We see the theme of trust, and the Lord watching out for the righteous while filling our hearts with joy.

Psalm 3

Lord, how many are my foes?  How many rise up against me!

The people are saying that I'm a hopeless case, that God won't take care of me.  They are going to be surprised because God has my back.  He is fighting for me.  He is my shield, and allows me to rest and sleep.  He answers when I call out.  I will not fear.

I ask Him to fight my battles and slay the wicked (even to break their teeth).  He will deliver me and all His people.

Psalm 2

Why do the nations conspire and the people plot in vain?  The rulers bind together and rise up against the Lord and his anointed One, saying "Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles".

I know that isn't memorized perfectly, but it's what I've got for this Psalm.  The overall message of the Psalm is that going up against the Lord, even for the most powerful of earthly leaders is futile.  He is in control.  We are not.  He laughs at arrogance.  
Also, we see Christ in this Psalm.  The anointed of the Lord whom every leader would be wise to "kiss", that is to recognize His Lordship.  

The Lord will look out for those who submit to Him.  Peeking at the last line of verse 12, "Blessed are all who take refuge in him".

Psalm 1

Finished with Revelation and read through the New Testament over the past three years (although I started in John, skipping the first 3 Gospel accounts).  What's next: read through Psalms and cultivate an attitude and posture of worship in my everyday life.  Each Friday hit this site and type as much of the Psalm for that week as I can.  I know it won't be perfect all the time, but here goes...

Psalm 1:

Blessed is the man who does not walk in step with the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.  But his delight is in the law of the Lord and on His law he meditates day and night.  He is like a tree planted by streams of water that bears fruit in its season and whose leaf does not wither.  Everything he does prospers.

Not so the wicked.  They are like chaff that the wind blows away.  Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment or have a place in the assembly of the righteous.  For the Lord watches over the path of the righteous but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

Revelation 22 - Amen

Look, I am coming soon!  Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll. (v. 7)

Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus. (v. 20)

Revelation 21 - It Is Done

A chapter a week, nearly every week for the past 3 years or so has us looking at Revelation 21.  I love this chapter.  I can't wait to see it.  I could read it over and over again and never get bored.  Check it out:

"It is done.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.  I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.  Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children." (v. 6-7)

And:

"I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.  The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.  The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.  On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there.  The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it.  Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life."  (v. 22-27)

Having one's name written in this Lamb's book of life is not hard to do.  It simply requires that we humble ourselves enough to admit that we are in need.  We cannot save ourselves.  We cannot get out of our own way.  We need a savior and that Savior is Jesus Christ, who shed His blood to pay for our eternal salvation.

Revelation 20 - The Beginning of the End

In this chapter we have an angel seizing and binding Satan for a thousand years, locking him up for that time so that Satan will be unable to get at people and deceive them.  I don't really get why after the 1000 years he has to be set free (v. 3), but I guess maybe that will make sense to me someday.

It's pretty cool how the martyrs are honored and given a special place to reign alongside Christ.  (v. 4-6)

Then we get to Satan being released from his cell, going out and deceiving the nations.  This is a tough one to understand.  Why is Satan turned loose?  Why not put him in the lake of burning sulfur (v. 10) and just be done with him?

One thing that always impresses me in Revelation are the descriptions of our God.  Verse 11 is just awesome.  I love reading how powerful and majestic our God is.  I can't get enough of it.  As I read passages like Revelation 20, there's so much I wish I could understand, but then I see how awe-inspiring God is, and I'm reminded that I need to trust Him, not my own understanding.  His love is perfect and His plan is perfect.

Revelation 19 -- Hallelujah

We have a celebration, and then a final battle sequence going on here.

The great multitude, the 24 elders and 4 winged creatures, then the multitude again all sound their praise and gratitude for the defeat of Babylon in chapters 17-18.

Then the angel speaks to John, John is overcome by awe, the angel deflects John's praise back to God, and then we come to the decisive battle scene.  We see the resurrected Christ, looking virtually indescribable, leading the armies of heaven against the beast and the false prophet.  It is hard to tell how difficult or bloody this battle is while it's happening, but the forces of evil come to a gruesome end, thrown into the lake of fire or having their flesh devoured by birds.

Bottom line, God wins.

Revelation 18 - Babylon's Fall

When we read Revelation 18 we see that it's a bad day to be Babylon.  Who is Babylon?  Could it simply be the sum total of all the evil everywhere?  Is it more specific than that?  Scholars disagree so who am I to speculate?

But we clearly see that the destruction of this Babylon will be utterly devastating, and will change everything about the world as we know it.  Babylon will be obliterated, "never to be found again" (v. 21).

Revelation 17 -- Prostitutes and Beasts

One of the strangest chapters ever.  Full of symbolism and images of things that once were, are not, yet will come back again.  Whoa.

I loved verse 7 when the angel says, "Why are you astonished?  I will explain...".

The explanation wasn't the easiest thing I've ever tried to understand, but I certainly appreciate the idea that God and His angels realize that these writings aren't all that easy to comprehend for us human beings.

Overall, what I mostly see is that evil is going to be dealt with.  The sources of evil are going to be dealt with.  Evil is going to be eradicated, and what's left will be nothing but good.  That sounds pretty fantastic.

Revelation 16 - 7 Bowls of Wrath

I don't know what to feel when I read something like this chapter.  Should I feel grateful that our God deals with evil?  I think so.  Should I feel afraid because our God clearly doesn't mess around?  Probably.  Should I be distraught because of the people who are going to be the recipient of this wrath?  Yes?  I think? 

I don't like to read about 100 pound hailstones falling on people who are cursing God the whole time.  That is not a feel good story to me.  But I know He is to be trusted and everything He does is born out of a perfect, infinite love that I can't begin to imagine. 

I have heard it said that only in comfortable suburbia do we long for a God who deals with everything and everyone gently and quietly.  There are billions of people all over the world who have been crying out for justice for centuries.  They will get their justice.  I see that in this chapter.

Revelation 15 -- Victory Over the Beast

It seems as if chapter 15 is basically a transition, wrapping up the battle against the beasts and preparing us to read about God's wrath being poured out against the forces of evil.  We see in verse 2 that victory has been achieved, followed by a song of praise.  Seven angels emerge to receive seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God, and the short chapter ends.

Revelation 14 -- The Tide is Turning

After a couple chapters of beasts running wild, we see the spiritual forces of good begin to assert themselves in chapter 14.  The Lamb appears with 144,000 followers, followed by three angels who point us toward God and denounce the beast.  There's a lot going on as this battle rages, and verse 12 reminds us that all this requires "patient endurance on the part of the people of God."  It's striking how much waiting, patience and trust play into our faith.  It's as if trust is the currency of the Kingdom of God.

The last seven verses are an interesting depiction of two harvests, one of the earth and another of grapes that end up getting squeezed in a bloody winepress.  It seems pretty clear that wickedness is being dealt with in the grape harvest, but the first harvest is less clear.  Taking a closer look, are we seeing Jesus coming like a "son of man", calling to Himself those who are secure in Him?  That makes sense to me.

Revelation 13 -- Two Beasts

Read through Revelation 13 and a couple primary questions come to mind.  Who are these beasts?  What do they represent?  Is this a look back or look ahead?

What does it mean for a beast to have a resemblance to a leopard, feet like a bear and a mouth like a lion?  How can it have ten horns and seven heads?  What are those?  That's the first beast described in verses 1-8.  In that section we see that all who are not in Christ, with their names in the Lamb's Book of Life will worship this beast.  Again, I ask, is this something from the past or something yet to come?  One thing we see for sure, that "this calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God's people" (v. 10).

The second beast comes "out of the earth", as opposed to the sea, and is clearly in collaboration with the first beast.  It's a powerful beast as seen in verses 13-17.

The rise of the second beast prompts John to call for wisdom on the part of Christians (v. 18).

There's a lot here and it's hard to understand.  I decided to google "who are the beasts described in Revelation 13" and found about 1000 articles which offered theories.  Maybe there's a consensus out there among trustworthy Bible scholars, but I couldn't seem to find one.  Nearly halfway through this walk through the Book of Revelation, and I've got way more questions than answers.  In fact, I'm not even sure I have that right now.  Our God is operating in a realm that I can't begin to grasp.

Revelation 12 -- Dragons and Wars

I remember hearing this passage read in church when I was small, and I didn't really know what was going on.  How can a woman appear in the sky, up with the sun, moon and stars?  Why was a dragon in the sky?  And the dragon wants to devour the child that's about to be born?  It's a pretty weird story for a 5-year old.


Looking at it now, I see that the woman and dragon are both referred to as signs that appear in heaven, presumably meaning the sky.  This is not a completely literal story, which makes me feel a little better.  So who is the woman?  The child about to be born is fairly clearly Jesus, so is Mary the woman?  She gave birth to Him, after all.  Could it be that the woman is actually the nation of Israel, since that nation birthed Jesus? 


Once the child is born and rescued from the dragon (Satan), the rest of the chapter describes a war that is waged between God's angels, and the Satan/demonic/evil angel team.  It's a classic "good guys/bad guys" story, but one with the greatest level of significance. 


So what can we learn from this chapter?  A couple ideas that stood out to me:


- Satan is an "accuser" (v. 10)
- he is defeated by those who had the courage to "not love their lives so much as to shrink from death", so selflessness is an attribute to pursue (v. 11)
- Satan is relentless, continuing to pursue the woman who had given birth to the Savior, even after he is hurled to the earth.  He also pursues the rest of the woman's offspring (other Christians), once the "woman" is protected from him (v. 13, 17)
- Provision is made by God for those who are engaged in this battle/war, in that the woman had a place "prepared for her" (v. 14)

Revelation 11 - Two Powerful Prophets and the Seventh Trumpet

In Revelation 11 we are introduced to two powerful prophets.  These two witnesses who will preach for 1260 days are a mysterious duo.  Scholars do not agree on their identity, but one thing is clear.  They are serving God faithfully, standing up against incredible evil, are martyred for their faithfulness, and are resurrected and taken up to heaven.  No small feat.

It makes us wonder just what the world's condition is that these two important servants of the Most High God are put to death, and the world's response is that people gloat and celebrate.  Although it's perhaps not that difficult to understand, being that the two prophets were carrying a message that stood opposed to the cultural norms.  Simply put, they were rocking people's worlds, and the masses were glad to be rid of them.  Although they weren't really rid of them, were they?

At the end of the chapter we see the seventh trumpet sounded (finally!) and are reintroduced to the 24 elders from earlier in the book.  As is their custom, they fall on their face in, providing us an example of submission and worship.

Revelation 10 - A Mysterious Angel and a Tasty Scroll

One of the best parts of reading through Revelation is that although I've read through it before, I haven't read it nearly enough to remember the particulars and how things tie together.  Reading chapter 10 makes me wonder how all these strange happenings will come into play in later chapters.

For all the odd things I've read so far, chapter 10 is right up there with the strangest.  Now that six out of the seven trumpets have been sounded, we await #7.  But that won't happen until later.  For now, we meet a mighty angel, presumably enormous, since one of his feet is on the land and the other on the sea.  He speaks a powerful message with a voice like a lion, and commands John to keep from writing it down.  Hmm.

Later, John is told to take a little scroll from this mighty angel and eat it.  It tastes sweet like honey but turns his stomach sour.  Sounds kind of like a Halloween candy binge.  Once John has eaten the scroll, which is weird enough because who eats scrolls?, he is told that it's OK for him to prophesy again.

I absolutely can't wait to get into chapter 11.

Revelation 9 - Locusts That Look Like Horses

In this chapter we really begin to see John's struggle to describe his vision.  The fifth trumpet ushers in creatures that defy description.  Locusts that have power like scorpions of the earth.  They cannot kill, but can torture people for five months.  The locusts look like horses prepared for battle, with faces that resemble human faces, golden crowns on their heads, women's hair, lions' teeth and breastplates of iron.  They have tails with scorpion-like stingers.

That is stranger than anything I have ever seen, probably stranger than anything I have ever imagined.  Reading this chapter is a good reminder of just how incapable we are of grasping many aspects of the spiritual realm.  It's also a good reminder of just how frightening the spiritual battle is that rages every day.

The sixth trumpet releases four angels to kill a third of mankind by way of fire, smoke and sulfur from their mouths.  Yikes.  The horses with deadly tails like snakes sound particularly devastating.  At the end of chapter 9, we see the cause of all this destruction.  People are worshiping demons and idols, and refuse to repent of the evil they do.  A final reminder from this chapter is just how loving and gracious our God is to provide a way for us to avoid this punishment that we deserve for our rebellion against a holy God.  Jesus took all of it on the cross.  For those who know Him, the debt has been paid in full.

Revelation 8 - Scary Stuff

So far in Revelation, while I certainly don't understand everything that's going on, I've felt like I could get the basic idea.  In chapter 8, quite honestly, it just gets weird.  I can read the words, but the implications of what I'm reading are far beyond me.  Obviously when we are reading about angels sounding trumpets that cause a third of the earth, sea, rivers/springs, and sun/moon/stars to be struck down or burned up, this is a fearful experience.  Our God is up to something serious and is not to be trifled with.

The chapter's ending in verse 13 is ominous to say the least, with the eagle warning about the next three trumpet blasts.  I thought the first four trumpet blasts were pretty devastating, and can't imagine what's coming next.

Revelation 7 - 144,000 Seals and a Multitude in White Robes

One thing I noticed from the list of 144,000 was the missing tribe of Dan.  Joseph is listed, and Manasseh (who belongs to Joseph) is listed as well.  So we have Manasseh counted twice essentially, and no Dan.  I did a little research, and quickly discovered that leading scholars are divided on what's going on here.  If the leading experts don't agree, chances are I won't figure it out definitively.

Regardless, after we see the 144,000 sealed from the different tribes of Israel, there appears a "great multitude that no one could count".  Is this a future vision, or is this going on now?  We see that these people "are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (v. 14).  So it seems like this is a future thing.  Am I part of that great multitude?  Are you?  It's quite an image.  Read it again and imagine yourself there.

Revelation 6 - Four Horsemen and More

Wow, this is getting interesting.  In this chapter we see the Lamb open the first six of the seven seals.  We've got a white horse, a fiery red one, a black one and a pale one.  We've got a voice from among the four living creatures from chapter four saying odd things like "Two pounds of wheat for a day's wages, and six pounds of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!"  What is that all about?

It seems likely that we're talking about some kind of crazy inflation in the price of food.  You can read all kinds of articles online about how recent increases in food prices mean that we are nearing the last days, that the return of Jesus is close at hand.  I don't know about all that...I'll let God decide how long it will be before the new creation is ushered in, and what all needs to happen to bring us to that point.  But one thing is clear; it's not going to be without trouble.  The rider of the 4th horse is named Death, with Hades following close behind, and "they were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth".  Yikes.

The fifth seal introduces us to the longings for new creation of those who have been martyred for their faith in Jesus, while the sixth shows us the kings, princes, generals, rich, and mighty of the earth being brought low, hiding in caves and among rocks, fearful of the day of the Lord and the Lamb.

Revelation 5 - Preparing to Open the Scroll

This is getting good.  This Revelation story is beginning to feel like a supernatural adventure.  Clearly John is caught up in the story, as we see him weeping and weeping (v. 4) because it seems no one is going to be able to open the scroll that God is holding in His hand.  It's fair to assume that whatever is written on this scroll must be fairly significant.

Enter Jesus, in the dual role of Lion/Lamb.  He takes the scroll, preparing to open it, and just then He is bombarded with worship.  The 24 elders we met in chapter 4, along with apparently hundreds of thousands or millions of angels sing and shout praises at the Lamb, falling down before Him.  A powerful scene to say the least.  That is some kind of scroll.  That is some kind of Lamb.

Revelation 4 - 24 Elders and 4 Living Creatures

OK, this is starting to get wild.  Verse 5 talks about flashes of lightning and peals of thunder.  Verse 4 introduces us to 24 elders dressed in white with crowns of gold on their heads.  In verses 6-8 we find a sea of glass and meet four living creatures.  The living creatures have eyes all over their bodies, and resemble a lion, ox, man and an eagle.  They each have six wings and again, are covered with eyes all over their entire bodies, even under the wings (v. 8).

We see the elders and the living creatures worshiping God continuously.  One wonders, is this something that will happen in the future, or is this something that is currently happening in some other realm?

Reading chapters like Revelation 4 remind us that our God is so far beyond what we can conceive or imagine, which makes it all the more breathtaking that He reached out to us when we rebelled against Him and made a way for us to live in perfect community with Him as part of His family.

Revelation 3 - Lukewarm

Most of chapter 3 reads like chapter 2.  The messenger angels are to report from Jesus to each of three churches both the good news and bad news about their works and deeds.  They serve as an encouragement and a warning, and then we come to verses 15-17 and read this warning to the church in Laodicea:

"I know your deeds and you are neither cold nor hot.  I wish you were one or the other!  So, because you are lukewarm -- neither hot nor cold -- I am about to spit you out of my mouth.  You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired great wealth and do not need a thing.'  But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked."

I have read commentaries that tell us that the word used for "spit you out" has more of a vomiting connotation that simply just spitting.  So basically Jesus is telling these people that their lukewarm, fence-sitting ways make Him want to puke.  I know His love is infinite and His grace covers all, but He also always tells the truth, apparently in vivid detail sometimes.  These people make Jesus want to puke.  I don't want to be that guy, although I feel like I am often as lukewarm as the Laodiceans.

Have mercy on me Lord, a sinner.  Keep making me into the man You created me to be.

Revelation 2 - Good News/Bad News

In reading through Revelation chapter 2, a couple questions came to mind.  First, does every church have an angel/messenger assigned to it?  (v. 1, 8, 12 and 18)

Then, who in the world are the Nicolaitans?  (v. 6 and 15).  This site has some ideas.  And this one has some similar, but slightly different ideas.  I guess the bottom line is that whoever they were, Jesus was not at all happy with their doctrine and practices.  Those who oppose the Nicolaitans are commended and those who do not are rebuked.  It's fair to say that Nicolaitans = bad company.

Throughout the chapter we see a clear picture that for each of these churches it's kind of a mixed bag.  There are things that Jesus praises them for, and other things that He holds against them (except maybe for Smyrna).  But one important idea to notice seems to be that regardless of their faults, it's not too late.  Each of these churches is promised a chance to be counted among the "victorious" who will eat from the tree of life (v. 7), not be hurt by the second death (v. 11), receive some of the hidden manna and receive a white stone with a new name (v. 17), and receive authority over the nations (v. 26).

Revelation 1 - Here We Go

Revelation.  That word alone can be enough to make people who study the Bible shake their head.  There is much that is difficult to understand.  And much of the ideas that seem simpler to understand are frightening.

After eight verses of introduction, the narrative begins.  Jesus appears to John in a vision with hair white as snow, eyes blazing fire, feet bronze like a glowing furnace, a voice like rushing waters, stars in his right hand, and if that's not enough, He has a sword coming out of his mouth.  I can picture most of that, but the sword coming out of the mouth is a tough one.  I can't imagine seeing all that and feeling anything other than absolute terror.  And John falls at His feet "as though dead".

Yet we see right there in that scene Jesus reassuring John, "Do not be afraid," He says.  And Jesus gives John the duty to write down all that he sees in this revelation.  The next 21 chapters will tell that story.

Jude -- Ouch

Reading Jude is not comfortable.  Verses 3-16 have the subtitle "The Sin and Doom of Ungodly People".  It's difficult to read some of the descriptions without having at least a slight bit of fear, wondering "am I one of the ungodly people who pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings"?  I don't know about the heaping abuse on angels, but I've certainly done my share of the first two on that list.

The later part of the letter gets a little more encouraging, as we are called to "keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life."  I like the sound of that, and I love verse 24's reminder that Jesus is the one "who is able to keep you from stumbling".

Bottom line: my standing before God is solid only because of Jesus.  Apart from Him I am a blemish at the feast, a shepherd who feeds only myself.  Thanks be to God.

3 John - Imitate What is Good

Another short little letter from John, "the elder".  He loves to see his spiritual children walking with God, walking in the truth.

John encourages Gaius to show hospitality to brothers and sister in the faith, and to be wary of men like Diotrephes, who have a selfishness to their faith that we are not to imitate.  We are to imitate what is good, not what is evil, because anyone who does what is good is from God (v. 11).

2 John - Because of the Truth That Lives In Us and Will Be With Us Forever

2 John is such a short letter compared to the enormity of the entire Bible, or even just the New Testament.  But here it is, so there must be some wisdom to mine.  What does God want to say to us in these 13 verses?
- the truth of the Gospel will be forever
- seeing our children walk in this truth ought to bring us great joy
- our eternal command is to love one another, and this love is shown by obeying God's commands (seems like kind of a circular logic there)
- a deceiver is one who fails to acknowledge the humanity of Jesus, that He came in bodily form
- stay away from these deceivers

1 John 3 - And That is What We Are

Dear friends, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known.  But we know that when Christ appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

- 1 John 3:2

Jesus has taken away our sin (v. 5).  He has done this in two ways.  He has freed those of us who trust Him from sin's penalty.  This is immediate.  There is no penalty, no condemnation for those in Christ.  At the same time, He is much more gradually, and equally lovingly freeing us from the power of sin.  We are forgiven; we are saints who still sin.  In Him, covered by His blood, we are not sinners who are trying to escape the clutches of sin.  In Him we have escaped.  We have been rescued.  And we are being led on a life-long process of becoming like our Savior.

Because of this reality, we should love one another (v. 11).  Love for others is evidence of our membership in God's family.  We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other (v. 14).  This is God's command:  to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us (v. 23).  It is not complicated.  Love God, follow Jesus, love His people.

1 John 2 - Do Not Love the World

What does John mean when he tells us to not love the world (v. 15)?  Or anything in it?  That sounds a little harsh, no?

He gives us the answer.  The three ideas that he is considering to be the essence of "the world" are the lust of the flesh (indulging in what I should not pursue), lust of the eyes (wanting what I should not desire), and pride of life (failing to recognize who I truly am, and my need for a Savior), are all to be avoided.  These things do not last.  They do not satisfy the deep longings of our soul.  "The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever."

1 John 1 -- "If"

One of the things that causes me to believe that the Biblical account of the life of Jesus is accurate comes from the writing of people like Peter and John, who walked with Jesus and would have known whether His resurrection happened or not.

From 1 John 1:1-3:

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.  The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us.


In the second part of this short chapter, we see the word "if" five times.  Reading what someone says after the word "if" is a great way to know what they believe to be true.  And since we're talking about a close associate, friend and eyewitness of Jesus, I especially want to know what he thinks.

1 John 1:6-10:

If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

2 Peter 3 -- 1000 Years is Like a Day

Jesus is coming and we don't know when....the reason He hasn't come yet is that He desires that all would come to Him.

But have no doubt -- He is coming and when He does nothing will ever be the same.  In the meantime, we are to "make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him."

2 Peter 2 -- False Teachers...Don't Be One

We are assured in this chapter that false teachers will be among us, introducing destructive heresies.  The challenge is to know when those false teachers and their destructive heresies are around.  Certainly Peter warns us so that we can be on guard against the false teaching, not following the false teachers into their "depraved conduct".  Reading the rest of the chapter, this is not a path one would want to travel.

Those who follow the evil false teachers will receive severe punishment.  There's no getting around this, and verses 13-22 are pretty uncomfortable to read.  The best defense against all this ugliness is undoubtedly found in the person of Jesus Christ.  We are safe in Him.  We are welcomed into His arms when we come with sincerity of heart.  There is no condemnation for those in who are in Christ.  For those who willingly pretend to be but are not, it apparently isn't pretty.

2 Peter 1 -- Everything We Need

Sometimes it feels like I'm so poorly equipped to live the life God calls me to.  Without Him, I am.  I can't win. In Him, I can't lose.

Verse 3: "His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness."

The power isn't mine.  It is God's.  And yet, I tap into that power that resides inside me by putting forth effort.  I have to work and train at it.  It doesn't happen magically.

Verse 5: "For this reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness; knowledge;"...and the list goes on from there.

But I have to make the effort.  However, the effort I put forth comes not from my own resources but from the divine power within me through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, who enables me to put forth the effort directed toward growing in godliness in the first place.

Walking through the process described in this chapter is a big deal with very tangible results.  We are assured that we will avoid being ineffective and unproductive (v. 8) as members of His family. 

Verse 10b-11: "For if you doe these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

Lastly, there are plenty of people in the world who question the historical accuracy of the Bible.  It's certainly impossible to prove to someone who doesn't want to believe that the Bible is believable.  At the same time, historians have little argument that Peter was an early leader of the church.  And Peter himself was there with Jesus and was executed for his role in the spread of Christianity. 

He writes in verse 16 about how he was an eyewitness of the majesty of Jesus.  If he didn't buy into the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, why in the world would he waste his life building the church?  Why would he be willing to die for something he knew to be untrue?  That stance makes no sense. 

1 Peter 5 - He Cares

To the elders - be shepherds.
You who are younger - submit yourselves to your elders.
All of you - clothe yourselves with humility toward one another.
Cast all your anxiety on him BECAUSE HE CARES FOR YOU.
Be alert and of sober mind.
Resist your enemy, the devil.  He prowls like a lion, looking for someone to devour.
God will restore those who suffer.
He will make you strong, firm and steadfast.
Peace to all in Christ.

Whenever I read something written by Peter, I am taken back to the roller coaster ride that was his days of walking with Jesus.  Incredible highs, crushing lows.  He was called a "Rock".  He was told to care for the early believers.  He was also called Satan by Jesus himself.  That's a pretty broad range of experiences.

When my life feels like a roller coaster ride, or when I feel like God couldn't possibly use me because of things I've said or done, I think of Peter.

1 Peter 4 -- Living For God

What does this chapter tell us about what it looks like to live for God?  Plenty.

Arm yourselves with the same attitude as Christ (v. 1).
Be alert and of sober mind (v. 7).
Love each other deeply (v. 8).
Offer hospitality without grumbling (v. 9).
Use whatever gift you have to serve others (v. 10)
Remember to do all these things in the strength God provides, because you cannot do them in your own (v. 11).
Rejoice when you suffer, because you are participating in the sufferings of Christ (v. 13).

1 Peter 3 - Be Prepared

Plenty of good stuff in chapter 3.  Wives, treat your husbands well.  Husbands, treat your wives well.  Repay evil with blessing.  The list goes on.

Probably the one that jumped out most at me comes from verse 15: "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you the reason for the hope that you have.  But do this with gentleness and respect,...".

It's wonderful to identify ourselves as follower of Jesus.  It's far better to advance God's Kingdom by living in a way that inspires other people to at least become curious about what it means to live the Christian life.  Be prepared to give an answer -- it feels like there are plenty of Christians who are ready to do that.  Not all, but many.  But out of those who have their answer ready, how many deliver that answer with gentleness and respect.  I dare say if the population at large was asked to describe vocal Christians, that gentle and respectful would not be words that come to mind.

Is it not possible to stand for something, and yet do it in a way that is respectful to others, even those who disagree?  I absolutely believe it is.

1 Peter 2 - Who We Are and More About How to Live

v. 3 The Lord is good.

v. 9-10 Those in Christ are chosen, royal, holy, and God's special possession.  We are called to declare His praises.  We are His people who have been brought into the light and have received His mercy.

v. 11-12 We are called to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against our souls.  That's a big deal.  I certainly ought to avoid things that wage war against me.  And yet, sometimes I am drawn to the very sinful ideas that are designed to destroy me.  Lord have mercy on me.

v. 13-17 We are to submit to human authority out of respect for God.

v. 18-25 We are to submit to human authority, even when the result is suffering, following in the example of Jesus.  The commonly stated caveat to this is that we must submit to authority unless it directly contradicts God's Word.  Then I read verse 23 it makes me wonder where that line is.  Jesus did not retaliate or threaten.  He simply suffered.  And those under whom He suffered were surely not operating in accordance with God's Word.  Verse 21 says that He is our example in this.  I am thoroughly convinced that I cannot idly stand by and allow others (especially those who have no voice) to suffer unjustly.  But perhaps I am supposed to consider myself differently, being willing to suffer unjustly if necessary.  Interesting.  Lord, please show me what these verses mean.