DAY 2 (Sept 5) - 1 Peter 1-5
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REVIEW AND REFLECTION ON YESTERDAY (Before I begin, I am
talking to the Lord about yesterday, and about the things this study has brought
up in my life and our lives. This is a long run-on string of incomplete sentences
and phrases from my “conversation” with God.
I pray you have the grace to forgive my bad grammar because I do want to
share it with you.)
First is about the you-personal and you-corporate, that
are linked in mankind's history with the Almighty Heavenly Father. I think about this and reflect on its
biblical significance, because I am aware of its dynamic here within this
little sudo-social bible study. How this
study in order to be genuinely effective in my life must as its first priority
be intimate between me and God only. The
"where are you"s in our beginning (Genesis); the personal
responsibility of choices; the way God called individuals to lead and to
specific callings; thinking about Moses - how it angered God when Moses told
God he wasn't enough for his calling that he needed others - God was really
specific about the fact that the calling was specifically for Moses, that God
knew what he was doing in order to save the people (the corporate you), but how
God in His anger with Moses still had mercy on him and gave him helpers. I am loving this, especially this morning,
because the people of this bible study are my helpers (yes I have other helpers
too). Honestly I am reminded of those
times when in the midst of his anger and frustration with me and at my lack of faith
in God to be able to use “little me” with all my faults, God still gives me
helpers and compassionately reasons with me. (Recalling: Moses, Gideon, David
after his fall, etc.) So this morning the Holy Spirt is prompting remembrances
of all the personal and corporate "you"s in scripture. As far as the corporate "you": I am
reminded of "if my people" 2 Chron 7 this is the power of unified
agreement, and Deut 28 the blessings and curses are for a corporate
"you" and yet even in the midst of that corporate "you",
the impact of the individual sin (Achan, Joshua 7), and individual faithful
seek of God’s mercy (Abraham, Moses, David, Peter, Jesus etc.) ... I am being
reminded of so much more regarding the importance of both the individual and
corporate relationship with God. I would
be wasting your time with to keep on trying to summarize what the Holy Spirit
is bringing to remembrance and expounding in my mind and spirit.
The point I am hearing from God is this: that both the personal-you (individual relationship) and the corporate-you (corporate relationship) matter and matter greatly and without separation. This study has the power of both. The power of its impact on my life comes from me individually seeking God (the "just you and me God"), but I am also challenged, encouraged, and empowered to take on more of His likeness, through the "corporate" sharing and through our prayers of agreement.
Oh how I don't want to be a "talking head", but rather one who really really believes what God says and trusts in it (Thank you Shondra) to the point that my To Do list, without manipulation, becomes a reflection of the areas that God is getting glory in my life and how God is using the details of my life in the lives of others for eternal good (Thank you Debora). I know there are those who haven’t shared yet who will have nuggets will help me grow toward our Savior and King and will also help me pray biblically for all of us. And I look forward to the expansion of the corporate “you” within this study. I am truly grateful to God for it.
**As I go to God in prayer at the start of today's study,
I am lifting you all up in prayer and my faith is strengthen knowing the power
of biblical Spirit-filled agreement. May His Word and His Spirit empower us to
seek Him more diligently and have a deeper impact on our daily lives as His
servant children, chosen and paid for well before we knew Him or loved
Him. (wow! too big for my little mind).
Prayer...
Reading...
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STUDY NOTES
It is Saturday morning with an empty house. I did a little more verse by verse study than
I normally can do. I wrote a great deal
of study notes which I will not post here in facebook (as they took up nearly
two full pages typed on the computer). I
am posting only a portion and my key impact points below. I will post them on my blog if you are interested
in reading them. HERE.
1:1-2 This letter is to God's elect, chosen by the
foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit,
into the obedience of Jesus the Christ by the sprinkling of His blood. THIS IS WHO PETER IS ADDRESSING.
1:3-4 We tend to talk about the power of the blood of our
flogged and crucified Savior yet it is through the resurrection of Jesus Christ
that we are birthed into new life and given an inheritance that is kept safe,
until the time that the fullness of our Salvation is fully made evident
manifest revealed in the last time.
1:5-13 Hope and Rejoicing: Rejoicing in suffering comes
from hope and trust and faith in the power of that new life and resurrection
and in knowing trials and real suffering prove and purify our faith. (In light of the trustworthy report that ISIS
is in this day going from house to house and beheading Christians, I am convicted
as to what suffering really is. May
their faith and testimony be purified and strengthen and proven, so as to draw
men to the saving knowledge of Christ Jesus and surrender their lives to be
birthed into the HOPE that genuine Christians carry within their jars of clay
... yes even their enemies into Salvation.
1:14-21 As obedient children… Peter builds off the truth he reminded
the readers about in vs 1:3-4. We were birthed by the Spirit into new life and
obedience to Jesus Christ. We, the elect, need to be reminded and encouraged in
what we already know and have participated in.
AND we need to build on that as obedient children. We are to grow in this new life through obedience
by being Holy for as our Father is Holy so should His children bear His likeness
by being Holy. It strike me how Peter
reminds them again and again of the details of the gospel and the sacrifice of
Christ and the power and hope of the Resurrection through the Spirit. These are the elect, and yet it seems to grow
into Holiness they (the elect) need to be reminded again and again of the
truth, details and hope of the gospel.
1:22 Purification produces LOVE one for another. NO LOVE, then I am not flowing from purified
attitudes/thoughts. Obedience brings
purification. THEN Purification brings
sincere love.
Chapter 2: Peter
circles back to the details of how to obey and be purified.
2:2 It strikes me that Peter quotes scripture (Ps 34) in
encouraging the readers. **The
importance of knowing scripture and keeping our teaching consistent with it and
flavored by it.
Chapter 2: a living religion not a dead one - chosen to
be set apart - light out of darkness - the contrast of light to that darkness
2:13 NIV84 "Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority
instituted among men;" oh my I
think this is a level of purity that the USA "church" falls so very
short of. I will stand first in line to
ask for God's mercy to forgive me (and then to forgive my nation), and to
repent (really and truly repent turn from our wicked ways of dishonoring and
disobeying authorities) and turn and obey. This is tough! We think if we disagree with the authority or
if the authority is indeed wrong we can disobey. That is full disagreement with this
scripture. Oh Lord, purify me.
2:13-25 we are free yet salves to and by God's love
3:1-7: The requirements
and blessings of obedience within marriage
3:8 is another scripture that I think I should mediate on morning
noon and night for months maybe years.
It is so full and I fall short of nearly every word. "all of you
(none is exempt), live in (every one of my moments is to be positioned in) harmony
(not the same note but notes that are consonant and in agreement and within the
same "scale", the same song, the same measure of the
"song", in turn with) one another (this is the sibling fellowship
John 15-17 comes to mind), love as brothers, be compassionate and humble (Peter
ties our compassion and it's thoughts and actions to humility).
3:9-12 "to this you were called" We so often
cry out to know what our calling is.
Peter gives us a piece of it right here.
We are called to return insult with blessing. UHMMM... I think I need to stick that in my
pot and let is stew in my spirit a bit. 3:10 "do good; ... seek peace and
purse it" (Ps 34:12-13, Psa 34 is quoted again)
3:14 the answer to fear is "set apart Christ as
Lord"
3:14-15 speak of "reason for the hope ... with
gentleness and respect"
3:17-22 When Peter speaks about suffering, he in detail
reminds the readers (God's elect) again of the details, hope, and power of the
gospel. Christ's suffering, sacrifice,
pursuit of us all, and His resurrection, and our spiritual change of state
purchased by it. **another reminder to the children of God of what they already
know and have participated in, and how their suffering is a part of that
participation (Reminds me of Phil 3).
4:3 "for you have spent enough time
doing..." {paraphrased in my soul
as "ENOUGH ALREADY LET THE OLD WAYS GO!"}
4:9-11 everything
we do fully surrendered and with excellence in accordance to His Word and
Person, in order to bring Him glory and make Him known. Our words = His Words. Our Hospitality = The Hospitality
He showed us. Etc. This is a very high standard.
4:12-14 Debora touched on this beautifully
yesterday. The pain that we experience
as we put to death our flesh, in order to reveal and produce the glory of
God.
*NOTE: I was
really frustrated with myself by late afternoon yesterday, because a hurt and
bitter attitude kept showing up. I kept
having to with great effort take it captive to the obedience of Christ. And then my bitter attitude
"escaped" and I had to with great effort capture it and take it
captive to the obedience of Christ again and again. I was discouraged by the afternoon, but then
Debora posted and God used her post to show me that part of the truth I started
the day yesterday that "are receiving our salvation" (this
progressive work of sanctification) and that is the source of our Joy. Because faith cry out for completion of our
Salvation, and when our flesh suffers in our struggle against sin we can
rejoice for God is producing in us His goodness and glory. Let judgement begin
with me and the church, and purify her.
God's judgement produces purity. (Heb 11 comes to mind. Discipline isn't pleasant to endure, but if we
allow ourselves to be trained by it, it produces a harvest of peace and righteousness.
5:1-4 (how to pray for my pastors and elders)
Be shepherds ... a command from Peter to elders and
pastors ... maybe this isn't always an easy choice to make ... to constantly
keep watch over a big mess of people who often make foolish decisions
And that they would be self-surrendered enough to want to
be, be willing to be shepherds not as obligation but as willingly. Keep them from greed over money even though
money is needed for their ministries, make them and keep them eager in
ministry, eager to serve. May they not
lead as a hard task master, but rather with the power and authority of Christ,
the perfect example of a humble servant example, and then as an example to
their flocks of this type of surrendered servant lives that show the power of
God.
5:5-7 young men = younger people and also those under a
spiritual authority obey, be humble,
cast anxiety on Christ (we don't have control it like our flesh wants, and this
can cause anxiety, we must cast our anxiety on God and put our trust in His
ability to provide perfect care for us.
He really does care about the details we worry about. We don't really cast our care on Him if we
take them back when we don't put our faith and trust in Him to do as He sees
fit with our needs. Submit to His
control not ours.)
5:8-11 Pray for the persecuted church
5:12 The purpose
of the Peter's letter is to encourage and to testify that this (all those
reminders about the details of what the gospel is) is the truth of grace of
God. And the command "Stand firm in it." Almost sounds like a battle
cry. In my mind it is paraphrased in a
shout of "Take courage!! Stand firm in the truth!! Stand firm in His
grace!!"
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(Wow! That is A LOT
of notes.)
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MY KEY IMPACT POINTS FOR TODAY
*In order to stand firm, we need encouragement and to be
reminded again and again of the life giving gospel. We need to be reminded and we need to remind each
other. I will look for ways to remind
others of everything God has done for us.
And I will remind myself of these things in order to maintain the
attitude of Christ Jesus.
Vs 2:13 Obey all authorities. Check my attitude and behavior. Is it in
obedience?
Vs 3:8 Be in harmony with Jesus and other believers. Be compassionate. Be humble. Tie my thoughts and acts of compassion to
humility. 3:8
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MY APPLICATION FROM TODAY'S READING
My application is that I would be alert and pay close
attention to my attitudes, thoughts, words, and actions. To be intentional about filling my thoughts
with the Word of God and His truth and the truth of the power of this life
given to us by the work of God. To be yielded to the Word and guided by the
Spirit to be obedient, humble and compassionate; and that my obedience,
humility and compassion would be the pure obedience, humility and compassion
according to Jesus. The King and ruler
of my heart.
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