7 Failures of Peter

~ Peter’s 7 Downward Steps to a Fall ~

Many Christians identify with Peter and his failings. Consider some of the Peter’s failings in order that we might learn from them.

Doubting  ~  We see Peter doubting His Lord on at least two different occasions. [1] “And Peter answered Him and said, ‘Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.’ So He said, ‘Come.’ And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!’” (Matthew 14:28-30).  [2] “Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying,  ‘Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!’ But He turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men’” (Matthew 16:22-23). 

Boasting  ~  “Peter said to Him, ‘Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.’ But he spoke more vehemently, ‘If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!’” (Mark 14:29-31a). The Scripture warns all of us about pride and boasting: “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).  

Sleeping (at the wrong time)  ~  “Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, ‘Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour?’” (Mark 14:37).  Again Scripture warns all of us about sleeping when we should be obeying Christ: “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed” (Romans 13:11).

Striking  (inappropriately)  ~  “Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus. So Jesus said to Peter, ‘Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?’” (John 18:10-11). 

Following (at a distance)  ~  “Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest's house. But Peter followed at a distance” (Luke 22:54).   

Associating (with the wrong crowd)  ~  “Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, ‘This man was also with Him’” (Luke 22:55-56).

Denying  ~  “But he denied Him, saying, ‘Woman, I do not know Him.’ And after a little while another saw him and said, ‘You also are of them.’ But Peter said, ‘Man, I am not!’ Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, ‘Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean.’ But Peter said, ‘Man, I do not know what you are saying!’” (Luke 22:57-60a).

Consider the results of Peter’s downward spiral ~  “Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, ‘Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.’ So Peter went out and wept bitterly” (Luke 22:60b-62).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

 

Quote: Vital Contact

~ The Process of Growth ~

Do you know the best way to care for a pearl?

The following is an excerpt from a book.

The pearl grows only when it remains in vital contact with the oyster. Christians can only grow spiritually as they remain in contact with their Savior. God’s plan is for individual Christians to meet together in a local church for spiritual growth, including collectively remembering His work on our behalf, prayer, fellowship, and outreach to those outside the Church.

A healthy church is characterized by unity and what we do together has eternal consequences. Churches are organized as non-profit organizations; however, an ineffective church becomes a non-prophet organization and has lost its purpose.

Pearls are delicate and much more easily damaged than other gems. The best way to care for a pearl is with water. Oils from our skin and even mild detergents can cause serious harm to the value of the pearl. Water is the safe and effective cleaning agent.

The one precious pearl is sanctified (cleaned) by the One who gives “the water of life” (John 4:10-11) from “the spring of the water of life” (Revelation 21:6). Regular involvement in a local church is one of the primary means God intends for us to be cleansed, remain clean, and continue to grow.

~ from “ONE PRECIOUS PEARL: God’s Design for His Church, pg 102  (ISBN: 9780741462329)

Learn more about this important book at Amazon, the Publisher, or the Author’s website.

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

Messiah, 63

~ Messiah Would Rise From Death (3) ~

“Search the Scriptures—they testify of Me.”

— Jesus Christ (John 5:39)

The Scripture

“Lord, You brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit” (Psalm 30:3).

The Messiah  

“But he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you’” (Mark 16:6-7). 

“But the angel answered and said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay” (Matthew 28:5-6).

“But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, ‘Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, “The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again”’” (Luke 24:2-7). 

~~~ EXPLANATORY “MESSIAH” NOTES ~~~   

(1)  Each Saturday ALN posts an example of a Hebrew Scriptures prophecy (or foreshadowing) related to the coming Messiah which was fulfilled in the birth, life, death, or resurrection of Jesus Christ.

(2)  While extensive it will not be a complete list—there are hundreds of prophecies of the coming Messiah which have been fulfilled by one man—Jesus Christ at His First Coming.

(3)  It is important that there are many more prophecies of the Messiah, yet unfulfilled, which Christians believe will be fulfilled at the time of His Second Coming.  A particularly relevant Scripture verse in this regard is: “Do not despise prophesies” (1 Thessalonians 5:20).

(4)  These posts will typically consist only of Scripture—which speaks for itself.  Sometimes italicized or bold font will be used by ALN for emphasis.

(5)  The numbering of these fulfilled prophecies of the Messiah is used to differentiate individual posts. It is not chronological (either by time of the prophecy or by sequence in the life of the Messiah).  The posting sequence will, for the most part, be in the order that the prophecies appear in Scripture.

(6)  Because of the chosen methodology (#5 above) we will find many specific prophecies repeated multiple times throughout the Scriptures.

(7)  These serial posts are in addition to our regular Tuesday ALN postings on random topics.

(8)  Subscription to ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog is simple—just use the link on the left sidebar.  Once subscribed you will not miss future posts.

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

Inferior AND Guilty, 2

~ Simple Questions, But Profound Answers Are Needed ~            

On April 3 this year the ALN post was entitled “Inferior AND Guilty” and recently I received the following comment. 

The Question  ~  “Who made all? Who made all such that sin could enter the world in the first place? Who made me? Who made me inferior and guilty? God Bless You. I tearfully pray for clarity on this.”

My Quick Reply  ~  “You have asked some simple questions which require profound answers—of which I am not capable. Tomorrow I will post a few words about these questions. The only satisfying answers must come from the Spirit of God directly to you, largely through the written Word of God and I will be praying for His Spirit to provide you with some deeper insights than I can give. May God richly bless you.”  

A Partial Answer  ~  These are great questions… On the surface the answers are simple. Beneath the surface the answers are very difficult and my reply is, “I don’t know!” The simple answer to all four questions is “God”! But beneath the surface of the second question is where the struggles lie. The complexity of the other three would be diminished if we could only understand the mind of God with regard to the second question. Since I am not God, it remains mysterious to me. But here are some thoughts—beginning with the easiest questions to which the Scriptures give plain answers. 

Who made all?  ~  “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). “In the beginning was the Word [Jesus Christ], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John 1:1-5). “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence” (Colossians 1:15-18). The answer to this question is “God.”

Who made me?  ~  “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7).  “And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man” (Genesis 2:21-22). Also see the verses in the answer to the previous question. The answer to this question is also “God.”

To this point we have clear authoritative answers to two of the four questions.

Who made me inferior and guilty?  ~ In Genesis 3 we read that Adam and Eve chose to disobey God and through pride (wanting to be like God) they sinned. Then they became ashamed of their actions (guilt entered in) and they hid from God. “Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ So he said, ‘I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.’ And God said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?’ Then the man said, ‘The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.’ [Adam blamed Eve] And the Lord God said to the woman, ‘What is this you have done?’ The woman said, ‘The serpent deceived me, and I ate’ [Eve blamed Satan] (Genesis 3:9-13). Also see the verses in the answers to the two previous questions. The answer to this question is also “God” in the sense that He gave us a decision-making ability. He allows us to choose between options. 

It appears to me that the root concern of all these questions is with the second question. 

Who made all such that sin could enter the world in the first place?  ~  From the previous answers above, the answer to this question is also “God.” Now, for some related thoughts.

Have you ever loved someone deeply? Has anyone ever shown by their actions that they really do love you? If you have children, do you love them? Do they love you? If you answered yes to any of those questions, how would it change that love if they could only love you—they had no option but to love you? But having a choice to love or not is what is known in Christian circles as the doctrine of the “free will” of man. God, our Creator, did not make us robots but gave us the ability to make decisions. The first man, Adam, chose to disobey God (sin) through his pride and then blamed God’s best gift to him. The first woman, Eve, chose to disobey God and rather than admit her sin she passed the buck to Satan. When they were confronted by their loving God, they were both ashamed (felt guilt) and guilt has been with the human race ever since.

In God’s omniscience (all-knowledge without time restraints) He knew that this would happen. God was not caught by surprise. He knew from before He created the earth that His created beings given free choice would sin. But what kind of love is a love which has no choice but to love? It pleases God when some of His created beings choose to love Him. “We love God because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Now that is real love. 

In God’s infinite love for us He had a plan from the very beginning to justify (make you just as if you had never sinned) and redeem you (buy you back from the slavery of sin), but He did it with conditions. The conditions are that you have a choice to make—which makes your love for God meaningful. The only acceptable way to be back in a right relationship with God is to realize you are guilty, acknowledge your sin, comprehend that you are unable to save yourself, and then be humble enough to accept the payment for your sin by Christ’s sacrifice on your behalf at the Cross of Calvary. “Jesus said to Thomas, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me’” (John 14:6). 

Do I fully understand it all? Emphatically no. But someday, in heaven, I will. Jay, may God, through the Word of God and the Spirit of God, provide meaningful insight to you. May I suggest you spend significant time reading the Word of God rather than listening to reasoning from men like me. The Gospel of John would be an excellent starting place. 

An Appeal  ~  Do other readers have comments they would like to share? 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW