Enduring Many Trials

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


KEY VERSES:
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. / So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. / You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:3-9, NLT)


REFLECTIONS:
Most believe Peter wrote his letter from Rome during the time of Nero’s persecution of the Christians. Nero, the emperor of Roman, set fire to parts of Rome in order that he might destroy the ramshackle buildings of Rome that would give him room to erect some marble palaces and other monuments he thought would establish his name for eternity. Nero was so focused on himself that he did not even think about how the Roman people would react negatively to his new building projects; even if it caused thousands of people to be homeless. So Nero quickly looked around for a scapegoat that he could blame for the fire. There was in Rome a growing group of people who were just in the right place to lend themselves to take the blame for the fire. They were called Christians who worshipped a God who died for their sins. 

During this period, Nero would dip Christians in tar and burn them as torches to light the gardens when he threw an outdoor party. He tied Christians to chariots and dragged them through the streets of Rome until they were dead. He would throw Christians to the lions; he would tie them up in leather bags and throw them into water so that when the leather bags shrank, the Christians were squeezed to death. 

Paul and Peter were both believed to be martyred during this period. Paul was tortured and then beheaded. Peter was crucified upside-down (this was a fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy in John 21:18). 

Now try reading 1 Peter again through the eyes of these early Christians who were being tortured by Nero. It places a new perspective of enduring many trials.


POINT OF ACTION:
If claiming to be a Christian in the Roman Empire during this period was like signing your own death sentence, why was the Christian Faith increasing so rapidly instead of decreasing. Even though Satan was trying to use Nero to eliminate the Christians from the face of the earth; God was using Nero to spread the Christian faith throughout the earth. It does not matter what the circumstances, God can use anything or anybody to achieve His will on earth. 

People throughout the Roman Empire were seeing faith in action. Christians were gladly dying for their faith and believe in Jesus Christ.  These Christians were looking forward to the reward waiting for them in heaven.

Key Points:

• There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. 
• Trials will show that your faith is genuine (people may come to know Jesus as their personal savior because they see your faith in action just like the early Christians).
• Your faith is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold.
• When your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
• The reward for trusting Him will be the salvation of your souls.

If you really think about it, we are on earth just for a blink of an eye compared to the time we will spend with Jesus in eternity. Heaven is going to better than anyone can even imagine.


PRAYER:
Please forgive me Heavenly Father for my complaining and sometimes acting like a two year old child who cries out only because they do not get their own way.  Take my hand and walk with me through the refining fire of change (trials of testing my faith).  If my knees begin to shake and my legs buckle underneath me because of the trials I’m facing, please pick me up in Your arms (as a Sheppard carries His sheep) and carry me through Your refining fire so I can be as pure gold.  I love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.


WHO AM I?
I am Max Peeples, a man who has not really faced any trials when compared to the trials faced by the early Christians in Rome. I’m so blessed by God; He has given me a glimpse of heaven because He allowed me to marry an angle who lives on this earth (my wife Beth).