Vino Divino

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
John 2 (click the link)


KEY VERSES:
7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.

8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”

They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” (John 2:7-10, NIV)


REFLECTIONS:
Picture yourself being back in Jesus’ day as an attendee of this wedding.  The wine runs out.  Ahh!!! 

In today’s world if someone runs out of wine at a wedding it might be an irritation to some, but everyone will eventually get over it.  In Jesus’ day running out of wine was a social disaster.  It would have been seen as a shame on the family and potentially bad luck to the bride and groom.  This would change the way the family was viewed by everyone around them.  And since this wedding involved the entire village, and several people from neighboring villages too, the impact was huge on the family.  

Mary immediately went to her son, Jesus, to tell him that the wine ran out.  Obviously, she was expecting that he could change that, so the family would not be disgraced.  It’s really hard to know what her motivation behind this would have been.  Did she know the family personally?  It’s likely that she did.  Back in those days everyone knew everyone in their little circles.  Is it possible that she was remembering her own shame when her village looked down upon her (and really shunned her) when her pregnancy became public?  That’s possible too.  I honestly don’t know, I’m just asking the question.  

Jesus’ answer to her was basically, “And that affects you and me how?  It’s not my time yet.”  Obviously Jesus didn’t see it as his problem, until his mother went to the servants and told them, “Do whatever he tells you” (verse 5).  Then Jesus took over.  He had them fill six jugs of water.  These weren’t just any jugs.  They were jugs used for Jewish purification rites.  That is, washing their hands and feet, as required by the Jewish law.  Also for washing their plates and cups, and anything else to “purify” as the need may be.  Using these jugs were meant to be a sign to the world that God was doing a new thing from within the old Jewish system, bringing purification to the world in a whole new way.  When the jugs were filled, he had them draw the water and take it to the master of the banquet to taste.  When he tasted it, he realized it was a very fine wine.  So much better than what they had run out of previously.  

So what does this story teach us?  Well, it teaches us that Jesus can—and does still—have an effect on people’s lives.  Jesus wants us to live the best life possible.  He died for that life.  He died for your life.  He died for my life, for your neighbors, for your coworker, for the man or woman begging for money on the street.  He came to change the world.  He came to make a difference.  He came to save us. He came to purify us.  

How often do we dwell on our own failures or disappointments?  We all have them.  And if you think about it, you might realize that not only do they dominate our thoughts, but actually how often do they keep us from reaching our full potential?  ALL THE TIME!  We think, “Oh, I’m not cut out for that”… “I’m not as good at that as he is”… “I can’t speak like she can”… “When I was 10 that didn’t go so well for me so…”  Before we’ve even tried to do the thing in question, we’ve already convinced ourselves that we can’t do it.  We’ve failed even before we’ve begun.  

One of my favorite sayings is “What you think about, you bring about.”  This is so true!  What if Jesus is asking you to do something important, but because you don’t think you measure up you don’t do it!

What if Moses never decided to follow God’s leading to take His people out of Egypt because of his stutter? 

What if Jesus gave into his fears in the Garden of Gethsemene on the night before he died and never had been taken captive?  

What if modern day people hadn’t followed God’s leading on their life?  People such as Jim and Elizabeth Elliot, Billy Graham, Greg Bland? 

You might be chuckling a bit right now (particularly at me using Greg as an example) but seriously, think about it.  What if Greg Bland had let his stutter keep him from becoming a minister?  What if he had decided not to come to Texas to check out Pedernales Valley Baptist Church?  What would our church look like?  How different would our lives be without the Bland family?

What if I had decided to ignore God’s voice in moving to Texas?  What if I had stayed in Maine and never met Tres?  I don’t even want to think about that…

Some of my examples above are light hearted or may seem silly—but what if—what if YOU are meant to do something great, and you don’t allow the purification of Jesus to come upon you?  Jesus is here.  He has your jug of water, and he’s waiting to turn it into fine wine.  Will you let him?


ONE MORE THING…
I also want to point out one more thing about the story above, did you notice it took place on the third day? I wonder what this little detail is meant to add to the story? Might it be a little foreshadowing of what God plans to do in and through Jesus on the third day?


WHO AM I?
My name is Kate Sansom and one of my thoughts upon reading this chapter was honestly “I really would love to taste that wine.”  It’s no secret, I like wine.  Can you imagine just how amazing wine would be from Jesus?  I am talking both literally and figuratively here.  I may not ever get to literally taste his wine, but I sure want to allow him to turn my water into wine—the finest wine possible.  I want my life to mean something for the Kingdom of God.  Our lives are so short in the grand scheme of things—I don’t want mine to be pointless.   

The Word Became Flesh

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
John 1 (click the link)


KEY VERSES:
This is one of the greatest chapters in undoubtedly one of the greatest books in the Bible—the Gospel of John. Verses 1-18 are worth committing to memory. They are the most foundational writings about the coming and person of Jesus.  

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 

3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. 

6 There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.  

10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. 

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 

15 John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'" 16 From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known. (John 1:1-18, NIV)

 

 

REFLECTIONS:

No Bible reader could see the phrase, “In the beginning,” and not think at once of the start of Genesis. John is not only telling us about Jesus as creator, but is also telling a story of new creation. The God who set the world in motion is creating once again. The very “Word” that created the heavens and the earth has taken on flesh. 

 

When I speak a word, it is in a sense, a part of me. It comes from the breath inside of me. It has an impact on those around me. Jesus is the Word of God, the expression and very essence of his being. So, John is giving us a clear theme of his gospel: if you want to know who the true God is, look long and hard at Jesus.

 

I appreciate that Tres chose to have us read John at this time of the year. I encourage to you to savor each chapter, make a special time in the morning (or whenever) to read each day, asking God to give you fresh eyes and ears to encounter Christ, especially as we prepare to celebrate his birth. 

 

To this day, one of the most enlightening chapters I have read is found in Brian McLaren’s book, A Generous Orthodoxy. It’s chapter one—“The Seven Jesus’s I Have Known.” It turns out that Brian has become quite a controversial figure in Christian circles, but I love his insight: we all shape Jesus in different ways and emphasize different parts of his life and mission, often leading to very different Jesus’s, depending on which preacher you listen to or church you attend. With that in mind, I encourage you to read John with an open heart and new curiosity. Let this beloved disciple more clearly shape and clarify your expectations and understanding of our Lord. Be open to new understandings of Jesus from this gospel that maybe you have missed over the years.

 

 

FURTHER THOUGHTS:

Later in this chapter, John the Baptist exclaims, “Behold the lamb of God.” It is no coincidence that later in John’s gospel we see that the death of Jesus takes place on the afternoon when the Passover lambs were being killed in the temple. John wants us to understand that Jesus is the new and better exodus, that Jesus is the true Passover lamb. Just as God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, God was now brining a new people out of an even older and darker slavery—sin. And this is not just for Israel. God’s lamb is going to take away the sin of the world itself.

 

By the time of the first century, people had been longing for the Messiah for hundreds of years—the one who would come to set things right, which is really the best way to understand the Jewish hope for the Messiah. He is the one who was going to fix everything, to set everything right once again.

 

By the way, that is still what Jesus is up to, setting things right in our lives. And he does this, not in the old way of the law (through fear, intimidation, and rules), but as one full of grace and truth. Receive the grace of Christ in a renewed way today. Jesus has come to set us “right,” so that we live lives full of love and grace, loving God and neighbor with our whole heart.

 

How can Jesus, the creator of the heavens and the earth, bring new creation to your life today? What things can he set right in you?

 

 

WHO AM I?

My name is Greg Bland and I am the proud father of four children. Our newest addition is Alexander Isaac Bland. We were privileged to adopt him on November 18, 2011. He is fun-loving, playful, brave, very imaginative, sweet, full of energy, and has a wonderful sense of justice for a 4 year old. We love to play together. I often see Alexander greet me from the upstairs window as I pull into the driveway. Then he yells my name when I come in the door. I’ll never get tired of that! In fact, while I wrote this devotional on my laptop in the living room, he tied me up so I couldn’t leave. 

 

The Lusts of God

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
Jude 1 (click the link)


KEY VERSES:
But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit. (Jude 1:17-19, NKJV)


REFLECTIONS:
The book of Jude is awesome!  Where else can you get fallen angels, burning hedonistic cities, Michael the archangel fighting the devil over Moses’ body, complainers being swallowed by the earth, the first murder, and a talking donkey?  Other than the example of Michael, these are all examples of beings following their natural desires, or as Jude puts it, “ungodly lusts.”  

In many cases we can recognize ungodly lust, but is there such a thing as godly lust?  I would say yes.  They are the intense desires of God to save all those who will come into His kingdom from perishing in this dying world ruled by a cruel master.  

Jude makes it clear that our own natural reasoning often leads to a less than desirable outcome.  How often do we lean on our own understanding, though, instead of relying completely on God and His perfect understanding of whatever we may face?  

As you can tell from Jude’s list there are many examples of not relying on God.  What does relying on God for understanding look like?  Glad you asked.  Jude, like many New Testament writers, tells the reader to pray in the Holy Spirit.  

Peter is the action hero of the New Testament—through him we can see a few examples of what happens when we take direction from God through the Holy Spirit.  

In Matthew 16 Jesus asks his apostles what his true identity is.  After telling Jesus who other people say he is Jesus asks point blank who do the apostles say he is?  Peter being the man of action that he is says, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed [this] to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”  

In Acts 10 Peter is hanging out with Simon the tanner by the sea.  Unbeknownst to Peter, God is working out the salvation of a gentile and his whole house by the name of Cornelius.  While Peter is praying on a roof top God puts him in a trance and gives him a vision.  In the vision he sees what are described as common and unclean animals, a voice tells Peter to kill and eat.  Peter answers the voice by saying, "Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean."  The voice answers by saying, "What God has cleansed you must not call common."  We are told that this happens three times after which Peter is left thinking about what just happened.  At this time men from Cornelius’ house knock on the door looking for Peter.  After an overnight stay they all go to the house of Cornelius where after some discussion Peter relays that, "You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.”  While Peter thought he understood the desires and will of God his limited understanding stood in the way of God’s desire to bring salvation to the house of Cornelius.  

These are just two examples of what happens when we allow the Holy Spirit to bring understanding and knowledge.  When we are admonished to pray in the Spirit it’s for good reason; only then can we be truly effectual for the Kingdom of Heaven. 


PRAYER:
Father, thank You for the immeasurable gift of Your Holy Spirit.  Lead us in Your ways, Your desires, and lusts.  Share with each member of Your Son’s bride what place, action, and understanding You would have for them.  I pray that You would help us to love one another more and give us grace to love You whole heartedly.  We pray these things in the perfect name of Your Son, Jesus.


WHO AM I?
My name is Paul Babb.  Let it never be said that I called one of God’s tasty creatures unclean.  Growing up in east Texas has its advantages.  One of those is an abundance of these tasty guys.  Believe it or not it was not necessary for God to send a messenger to tell me to eat!

Patience Is a Virtue

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
2 Peter 3 (click the link)


KEY VERSES:
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:10-13, NIV)


REFLECTIONS:
The present heavens and earth are "reserved for fire" (verse 7)? The heavens will pass away with a "roar" and the elements will be "destroyed by fire" (verse 10)? "Everything" will be "destroyed" (verse 11), the heavens will face destruction "by fire" and the elements will "melt in the heat" (verse 12)? Wow! Talk about your eye-opening biblical passages!

But I have a question: Is Peter really saying that the present world of space, time, and matter is going to be burned up and utterly destroyed? That seems to be the plain reading of the text. But, I'd like to offer an alternative interpretation—an interpretation that takes the whole Bible into account and provides us with hope for today as well as tomorrow (I'll explain below).

Instead of everything being utterly and completely destroyed, what I believe will happen is that some sort of "fire," whether literal or metaphorical, will come upon the whole earth, not to utterly destroy, but to test everything out, and to purify it by burning up everything that doesn't meet the test. The "elements" that will be "destroyed by fire" are probably the parts of creation that are needed at the moment for light and heat, that is, the sun and the moon: according to Revelation 21 they will not be needed in the new creation. But Peter's concern throughout the letter is with the judgment of humans for what they have done, not with the non-human parts of creation for their own sake.

The day will come, then, when everything done on the earth "will be laid bare" (verse 10). All of the intentions, words, and action of mankind will be judged with fire—thus, revealing their true character. That is the main emphasis of this text, and that is the promise which Peter re-emphasizes here over against those who said that the whole Christianity-thing must be a mistake since Jesus had not yet returned (verse 4). Many in our own day have added their voices to those of the "scoffers" (verse 3).

The whole misunderstanding about Jesus' return seems to have come about partly because "at any time" can of course mean "perhaps today or tomorrow," and partly because there really were some things which Jesus did say would happen within a generation (Mark13, for instance). For the most part, those events concerned the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, which did indeed happen within a generation of Jesus' day (A.D. 70, to be precise). But Peter warns that God doesn't work on our timescales. He quotes from Psalm 90:4, "A thousand years in [God's] sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night." We can't box God into our way of thinking.

The main thing I take from this passage is that patience really is a virtue. Patience was emphasized over and over again by many New Testament writers, primarily because they were writing to new believers from a whole variety of different cultures and walks of life. God had brought this strange mixture of people together as a family, and conflict naturally ensued—conflict for which patience was the perfect prescription. 

The patience we practice in our day-to-day relationships must be translated up to the cosmic scale. God will indeed bring upon the whole world "the day of the Lord," the day when all will be judged, when all will be laid bare (verse 10). But he will do that in his own time. And that doesn't mean that we are simply to sit around and twiddle our thumbs or whistle in the wind. What appears to us as God's delay is in fact his great patience. He lingers to provide more time for repentance (verse 9), and for that, we should be very grateful!

This is very much what Paul had in mind in a passage like Romans 2:1-11. Perhaps this is the sort of passage Peter had in mind when he mentioned Paul's writings (verses 15-16). For Paul, "God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance" (Romans 2:4). But if you don't avail yourself of that opportunity, the result will be the opposite: what you do instead with that time—with that interval before final judgment—will make matters worse when the day finally arrives (Romans 2:5-11).

This seems to be what Peter is saying, too. "Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation" (verse 15). God's patience is our opportunity. It's our chance to work on the holy, godly lives we ought to be living. It is our chance, too, to spread the gospel in the world. Since we know that that day is coming—the day when the new heavens and the new earth will emerge, filled to the brim with God's wonderful righteousness (verse 13)—we should be working towards that already, right here and right now.

This is the point where a wrong view of what God intends to do will really damage our understanding and our behavior. If we imagine that God simply plans to burn up the present world in its entirety, leaving us as disembodied souls in some kind of timeless "eternity," then why should we worry about what we do here and now? What does it matter? Why not just enjoy life as best we can and wait for whatever is coming next—which is, of course, the answer that many philosophies, including many "Christian" philosophies, have offered over the years. But if God intends to renew the heavens and the earth as Isaiah had promised all those years before (Isaiah 65:17-25; 66:22), then what we do in the present time really does matter. And this is what we see in the last couple of verses.

First, you and I need to "be on your guard" so as to not get swept away by the thinking or behavior of the surrounding culture. This is a very real danger for every one of us. We must keep our faith firmly planted upon the rock-solid foundation of Christ (Matthew7:24-27).

Secondly, it is our calling, as followers of Jesus, to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." This looks right back to the opening of Peter's letter, in which he urged his readers to add one virtue onto another: faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection, and love. This is a joyous endeavor, a splendid striving that enables us to grow closer to our Lord today and to grow to bear the type of character that will last on into eternity.


PRAYER:
Thank you, Father, for your patience. You are so generous, kind, and good. Thank you for the opportunity to turn further away from our former way of life and to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior. Strengthen us to live with patience today. Strengthen and inspire us to strive to put on the holy character of our Lord. Help us to make the most of every opportunity—give us boldness to share the gospel story with others, and give us a sensitivity to your Spirit so that we might understand the ways you desire to use us as your ministers out in the world today.


WHO AM I?
I am Tres Sansom, and I'm already growing tired of Christmas music. Can't we at least wait until December before we start playing Christmas music 24-7? I know that makes me sound like a Scrooge, but there's only so many times I can handle hearing the same 20-30 songs over and over and over and over again. I truly need patience to make it through the next month with my sanity intact.

Righteous Lot

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
2 Peter 2 (click the link)


KEY VERSES:
For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment… and if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds), then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment. (2 Peter 2:4, 7-9, NASB)


REFLECTIONS:
I can’t wait for next year.  Why?  Hope springs eternal that Tres will assign some fun Scripture passages for me to write about.  

I love God.  Do you notice how He has Peter write about Lot?  He calls Lot righteous.  Lot.  Abraham’s nephew.  

• The one who was greedy and wanted the green, garden-like land (Genesis 13:10). 
• The one who moved near Sodom, was captured by rival kings in the area, subsequently rescued by Abraham, and still chose to live in Sodom.  (Genesis 14)
• The one who, when Sodomites sought to violate his angelic visitors, offered his virgin daughters for them to violate instead.  (Genesis 19)
• The one whose wife lingered too long and was turned into a pillar of salt.  (Genesis 19)
• The one whose daughters got him drunk so that they could bear children by him.  (Genesis 19)

Yeah, that righteous Lot.

In all honesty, I feel for Lot.  His life’s antics are intermingled with Abraham’s (who, in all fairness, had his ups and downs as well).  It’s kind of hard to match up to the “friend of God”!  But here he is, mentioned in the New Testament as righteous!  Maybe we should look a little closer at Lot; who is this righteous man from Genesis 19?

• The one who sat at the gate—commonly the seat of justice and social discourse (perhaps he attempted to influence society?)
• The one who bowed down before the visitors and urged them to stay with him, then prepared a feast for them! (reverence and hospitality)
• The one who pleaded for the Sodomites to not act wickedly causing them to ask who made him judge? (he stood against evil and had understanding of what was upright)
• The one who warned his future sons-in-law of the coming destruction, though they ignored his warning (reaching out to save his family)
• The one, who even though he hesitated to leave, had the compassion of the LORD upon him (19:16)

Lot was a man who had made some poor choices along the way.  His choices landed him in the middle of a god-forsaken city, the pit of hell in a manner of speaking.  Yet God saw him.  God reached out to him and he responded.

I can’t help but be overwhelmed at the goodness, the kindness, the rich compassion of God who despite some really lousy choices made by Lot, deemed him worthy of being rescued and being called righteous.


POINT OF ACTION:
Have you ever made some poor choices?  I have.  I chose to marry a man who ended up abusing me physically, emotionally, verbally, and sexually.  Then I chose to have a friend who treated me the same way.  I chose for years to let my kids bear witness of this.  I chose for many years to let them influence me and my walk with God.  I chose to believe what they said about me, instead of what God says about me.  I wasn’t sure I was worth rescuing, or even deserved rescuing.  But, “the compassion of the LORD was upon me” and in His great mercy, He took me by the hand and led me out of my own pit of hell.

The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation (trials) and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the Day of Judgment.  He knows how to rescue each of us.  He is intimately acquainted with our hearts—He alone is able to judge correctly—separating marrow from bone.  He alone determines our righteousness.

Maybe you’re in a tough spot right now.  Maybe you don’t feel very righteous; maybe you’re held hostage by all the bad choices you’ve made and feel you don’t deserve rescue.  Remember Lot.

God reached out to Lot and Lot responded.  How is God reaching out to you?  Are you responding, or are you being a “tough-it-out Texan,” determined to get yourself out of the mess you got yourself into?

Jesus loves you.  Isaiah 30:18 says, “Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you.  For the LORD is a God of justice; how blessed are all those who long for Him.”  My friends, do not lose heart at your present trouble.  I truly believe there is nothing that brings God greater joy than for us to lay down our pride and run to Him with arms wide open crying, “Daddy!  I messed up and I need you to rescue me!”


WHO AM I?
I am Beth Peeples.  I’m still in awe of how the Lord chose to rescue me.  I am a tom-boy.  Always have been, always will be.  Princesses and fairy-tales are for girly-girls, not me.  Funny how God decided to rescue me with a knight in shining armor and I couldn’t be more grateful.  I am a blessed woman.

Participating in the Divine Nature

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
2 Peter 1 (click the link)


KEY VERSES:
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. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:3-11, NIV)


REFLECTIONS:
I can still vividly recall when the exciting truth of this passage hit me with its full force. I had grown up in a church that emphasized biblical knowledge. I had spent my entire life studying the Bible, and I could easily spout off one answer after another to questions about God, the Bible, or the Christian life. But at the same time, I was a very selfish, petty, and worldly person. Most of the time, my life resembled my unbelieving neighbors’ much more than Jesus'. Though I had undoubtedly read 2 Peter 1 a number of times, I had totally missed the extraordinary news that I was designed to "participate in the divine nature." And then one day, this amazing message hit me like a ton of bricks. God opened my eyes to his desires, and set me on a course of action that revolutionized my life.

Before we get into the nitty-gritty details of this passage, it's important for us to see the big picture within which all of this cluster of exciting and challenging ideas means what it means. And the big picture of this passage is that it describes what God wants for his people. All too often, people get the idea that "religion," or even "Christian faith," is about what God wants from us—good behavior, denying ourselves the things we like, a gritted-teeth morality of forcing ourselves to behave unnaturally. But this is a total caricature. Here, in these three breathtaking paragraphs from verses 3-11, we see the truth.

First, God has already given us everything we need (verse 3). He's given us a starter kit for all that we need to become everything he desires for us. There is indeed a lot in this letter about the moral effort we have to make. But in verse 3, Peter is quite clear—it all comes from God in the first place. 

Second, God wants nothing less for us than that we should come to share his very own nature (verse 4). WOW! This is an extraordinary statement! In fact, this idea is so incredibly amazing, that it causes some Christians to feel uneasy—they focus on humility so much that it keeps them from imagining the possibilities of what it means to share God's very being or nature. But the truth is, this is central to what it means to be a Christian. The New Testament is full of passages declaring that God desires for us to "participate in the divine nature." Here's but a sampling: 

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. (Romans 8:29-30) 

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:17-18) 

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:22-24) 

Dear friends, now we are 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) 

If we say that the Holy Spirit is fully divine, and if we say that the Holy Spirit has come to live within us and transform us from within, what is that but to say that the divine nature is already dwelling within us, leading us forward until we are fully suffused with God's own presence and power? Obviously, for most of us, most of the time, it doesn't feel like that. But that may be because we are not yet very good at recognizing what actually happens when God takes up residence in our life.

 

Third, God has indeed called and chosen those of us who follow Jesus (verse 10). In this verse, Peter urges his readers to "confirm" this call and choice. He doesn't mean that we can make God more sure of it; rather, we can make ourselves more sure.

 

This leads directly to the fourth point: God has already set up his "kingdom," his sovereign rule over earth as well as heaven (verse 11). When "the eternal kingdom" has fully and finally arrived those who in the present time follow Jesus will find that they are welcomed into that ultimate heaven-and-earth reality.

 

Now, all this is just the outer framework for this remarkable passage. But it is all the more important because it shows that whatever we do by way of obedience and allegiance to God, it all takes place within the grace of God, by the promise of God, through the power of God, and leading to the kingdom of God. And that's a great place to start!

 

But it's not a good place to stop, because Peter has much more to say to us in this passage. Central to it all is the idea that, by God's grace and empowerment, we are to learn the discipline of Christian moral development. Peter is clear—we are to put forth an effort to grow in godliness. This has sometimes been frowned upon, as though it leads automatically to a legalistic, works-based religious experience that leads automatically to pride and arrogance. ("See what a fine Christian I've become!") But the God-centered framework we've just discussed should make it clear that nothing could be further from the truth. While we put forth an effort, God is intimately involved in the whole process (see Philippians2:12-13). Once this point is grasped, there are two basic things which must happen.

 

First, we must escape "the corruption in the world caused by evil desires," in order to become partakers of God's own nature. We are to passionately and intentionally seek an escape from—to flee from (2 Timothy 2:22)—the evil desires that drag us down to the sub-human level. Think of Joseph when Potiphar's wife tried to seduce him (Genesis 39). She made a grab at him, but he ran away—he "left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house." Both Paul and Peter want us to do the same.

 

This running away from the evil desires—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16-17)—isn't a negative thing, despite what the people of our culture try to tell us today. Lust is a drug. Like all drugs, it demands more and more, but gives less and less. It turns people into shadows of themselves. It leads to a moral "corruption"—it does to the moral fiber what cancer does to physical cells. So, Peter urges his readers to go in the opposite direction. 

 

Finally, we are to become more fully human by building one aspect of Christian character on top of another: faith… goodness… knowledge… self-control… perseverance… godliness… mutual affection… and finally love. All these things take thought. They take creativity. They take effort. They take intentionality. They don't happen by accident. You have to want to do them. You have to choose to do them. But when you do—and when you pray for God's grace, promises and power to help—you will be coming to know Jesus. And in that knowledge, you will become fruitful and effective in God's service (verse 8).

 

 

POINT OF ACTION:

If you're interested in reading more about the divine-human collaboration of putting on the character of Christ, I'd like to recommend a number of books for you to read. No one has had a bigger impact on my understanding of the way God changes our lives than Dallas Willard. Three of his books that I'd recommend are: The Divine Conspiracy, The Spirit of the Disciplines, and Renovation of the Heart. Because his books are sometimes difficult to understand, I'd also recommend that you read Richard Foster's Celebration of Discipline, John Ortberg's The Life You've Always Wanted, and James Bryan Smith's The Good and Beautiful Life. Read these books, then read them again, and again. Practice, practice, practice the spiritual habits they describe. Intentionally invite others to join you in seeking after Jesus. Pray together and encourage one another in the endeavor to participate in the divine nature.

 

 

WHO AM I?

I am Tres Sansom, and I am so grateful for the incredible truth of this passage! 

 

Prayer Partners

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
2 Thessalonians 3 (click the link)


KEY VERSES:
As for other matters, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not everyone has faith. But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance. (2 Thessalonians 3:1-5, NIV)


REFLECTIONS:
The last few verses of the previous chapter record a simple yet powerful prayer offered by Paul on behalf of the Thessalonians: 

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17) 

Having told the Thessalonians what he is praying for in relation to them, Paul asks them to pray for him. What he asks is that the "message of the Lord" will "spread rapidly and be honored," as was the case among them (verse 1). Wherever Paul went he announced the good news of Jesus. This was "the message of the Lord"—the message both from the Lord and about the Lord. And Paul longed that this message might "spread rapidly," that it might make its way freely into people's hearts and lives, changing them and forming them into a holy and loving people who would bring God glory in the world. But often he must have felt as though, when he preached, the message of the Lord was being held back by strange and invisible forces. Certainly his experience at Athens, not long before the writing of the two letters of Thessalonica, must have seemed like that (Acts 17:16-21, 32-34).

 

What will break the hidden chains, and set the "message of the Lord" free to "spread rapidly and be honored"? The answer is simple: prayer. It must have seemed strange to the Thessalonians, who were brand-new Christians, that Paul, the great apostle through whom God was doing so many remarkable things, should need their prayers so that his work could prosper. But the God who inspires prayer by his Spirit, and attends to it in his love, is no respecter of persons. One day, when we stand before the Lord face-to-face, it will become clear just how much work for God's kingdom has been advanced and upheld by people who have given themselves in love and devotion to pray earnestly for the advancement of the gospel.

 

Paul requests prayer not only for the effectiveness of his preaching of the gospel. He also asks the Thessalonians to pray that he may escape the clutches of "wicked and evil people" (verse 2). Paul has his feet firmly planted on the ground—he is a realist who sees things as they really are. He never allows his celebration of God's love and power to blind him to the fact that wicked and evil forces are at work in the world. Those who have preached and lived the gospel for a while know only too well what Paul means. When God's light shines into places where darkness had allowed evil to flourish, it makes people nervous… then angry… then malicious. Not everyone believes the gospel when it is preached. Those who hear it but do not believe it may well resort to plotting violence against those who preach it. This happened to Paul much of the time, and he—like many preachers in our day and age—needed prayers for God's protection.

 

But notice, yet again, that behind the preaching and praying—the work in which apostles and churches share—stands the Lord himself, who remains "faithful" (verse 3). Here again is the paradox of Christian living: because the Lord is faithful and will guard us, therefore we pray that he will do so. This "formula" makes no sense to many people unfamiliar with prayer—it seems utterly illogical to them. But those who are well acquainted with prayer know that prayer has a power and sense which operate below and above logic. Our praying hearts, minds, and lives are put at the disposal of the living Lord, who remains sovereign, but who also longs for our collaboration in his work of strengthening the church and guarding it from evil.

 

Because of this, Paul once again turns to the church of Thessalonica and its needs. Because Paul is committed to praying for the church and because he knows that God is faithful (see Philippians 1:6), he is confident that the Thessalonians will continue to live in the way that he has taught them (verse 4). What they need, if they are to be able to sustain this way of life, is to have their hearts and their lives firmly rooted in the experience of "God's love and Christ's perseverance" (verse 5). Focus your hearts and minds on Jesus himself, Paul says, and as you meditate on his perseverance—his strength in the midst of suffering—something of that perseverance will be given to you. And as that happens, you will know God's love surrounding you and enabling you to live for his glory.

 

Christian living without prayer and meditation is impossible. Just as we need oxygen to remain alive, we need regular and sustained interaction with God. May we all learn the secrets of how the word of the Lord and the love of God can be set free to spread rapidly and bring glory to God in our individual lives and in his world at large.

 

 

POINT OF ACTION:

Pray for God's work in and through our church. Pray that the message of the Lord will sink deep into our hearts and minds so that we might know him better. Ask that God would set our hearts ablaze so that we might passionately pursue him and eagerly strive to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ask that God would empower us as his messengers to boldly proclaim the gospel among our family, friends, coworkers, and others. And pray that God might open the eyes of unbelievers all around us so that they might see the truth of Christ, embrace the gospel in faith, and experience the life that is truly life.

 

In our world today, many Christians face violent opposition and persecution because of their faith. They need our prayers. Seek to learn more about the church outside of America. Google "persecuted church" to learn of the many ways you can pray for Christians encountering the forces of darkness. Visit Voice of the Martyrs and sign up to receive their weekly prayer updates so that you can pray for specific individuals and churches in need of God's protection. Commit to praying regularly for Yesupadam and Love-n-Care Ministries. Pray for Pastor Nehemiah and his family, who minister among the sometimes violent tribal people of Narasinga Puram (PRF provided the money to build their church building). Begin now praying for Hailey Bland—she is in the process of preparing herself and a team of missionaries to go to Western China, where they will proclaim the message of the gospel to the Tajik people.

 

 

WHO AM I?

I am Tres Sansom, and I am gearing up to eat my body weight in food tomorrow. Turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, squash casserole, rolls, pecan pie, chocolate delight. I am sooooo thankful for good food and family fellowship!

 

 

You Will Get What You Want

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
2 Thessalonians 2 (click the link)


KEY VERSES:
Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. (2 Thessalonians 2:8-12, NASB)


THE BIG IDEA:
I’ve always wondered about this passage that says that God will send upon them (those who reject the love of the truth) a “deluding influence.”  WHAT??? God is gunna purposefully delude people into believing that which is false so that “they may be judged”?  Doesn’t sound like God is playing fair here!!!  He Himself is sending them this “deluding influence,” and then judging them for not believing?  WOW.  Well, in reading the entire chapter, and in knowing how much God loves us and went so far as to send his Son to die for us, I’ve got an idea about what this is all about.  Now, I’m no theologian, so this is coming from a bit out in left field, but I think it makes sense, so follow me here.  Throughout this chapter (please read the whole thing if you haven’t already, it’s only 17 verses so will only take you a couple ‘o minutes) Paul is talking about Satan being restrained, and that restraint being removed as time marches on.  I think that we are seeing that happen right now.  Evil is getting evil-er, and good is getting good-er; maybe another way of saying this is that the fine line between good and evil is getting a lot less blurry.  The activities of Satan are becoming more blatant, and society is accepting as OK what used to be thought of as unthinkable.  Just look at the news every day and you’ll see this happening everywhere in the world.  Satan is gaining ground, evil is called good, and good evil.  People are not so much trying to hide their sin anymore; instead they “march for the right to justify their sin.”  Right? 


PERSONAL REFLECTION:
Well, we are all given free-will to choose God or not.  He’s not going to coerce anyone into heaven.  So once that decision is made, God is going to let us have exactly what we want.  Back in the 60’s the Rolling Stones wrote, “You can’t always get what you want.”  But God works just the opposite; He will let you have exactly what you want.  Life with Him? OK!  Live without Him? OK!  He’s just going to make that distinction very clear; if you want a life without God, he’ll give it to you… in spades!  In fact, He’ll make that distinction clearer and clearer as time moves on; isn’t that what we’re seeing in the news every day?  If you want a life WITH Him, he’ll give you the strength and power to make it…. and by His grace, make it an abundant life!!!


POINT OF ACTION:
There are two critical truths to take from this.  First, God says that in the last days things are going to go from bad-to-worse; and that His people will have to stand firm and hold on to the truth.  My thinking is, that the worse “bad” gets, the closer we are to His returning!!!  Second, in the final verses of this chapter He tells us what to do: “So then brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.  Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen  your hearts in every good work and word.”  Our job is to stand firm in the faith, knowing that as evil is left unrestrained even more, it’s just the precursor to His returning!


PRAYER:
Lord, come quickly!


WHO AM I?
I’m Alan Wassel. Like I said, I’m no theologian. Sometimes I get puzzled by some of the passages in scripture like this one, but knowing that God loves me really helps sort some these things out.