Good morning and Happy Thursday. It’s December 16th, 2021. Today I am in Hawaii for a memorial service for a dear friend and partner in the Gospel, Pastor Alex Michel. He gave his life to the proclamation of the Gospel, and I am honored to be a part of his “Going Home” service. Today, Peter challenges each of us to respond to His call to the ministry, just like he challenged Alex many years ago. I am so glad he said “Yes.” Read on...
Today's Reading:
1 Peter 1,2,3,4,5
Scripture
“‘… and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.’ This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve … ‘A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense;’ for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word …”
(1 Peter 2:6-8)
Observation
You have a 50-50 chance. It’s not a multiple-choice question. It is eitherYes or No. Straight-forward. Simple. No middle ground. No neutrality. The choice is rudimentary, but the results are astronomical. Either you believe and respond, or you don’t. You say “Yes” to Jesus, or you say “No.” And saying nothing … is a “No” vote. In other words, to be in the affirmative, you must say “Yes!”
You must make a choice.
To “believe” means to “trust in,” “rely upon,” “put your full weight on.” This is the extent to which I must trust in Jesus — in areas of my life, my future, my everything! (Especially in a world where I see people “getting ahead” by their own means, being shrewd or even dishonest). Nevertheless, I must constantly re-calibrate back to my goal in life and resist the alluring temptation for “more.” It is not to be known as much as it is to make Him known!
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood… so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9).
Application
My goal must be to proclaim the excellencies of Him who called me out of darkness and into His light! Coming back to believing and obeying Christ is a daily re-calibration. It keeps me vigilant. It constantly helps me re-assess my life to be sure I am full of fruit, not just full of activity… because if it is, I will be full of baloney … just sayin’.
Prayer
Father, I believe in You. Help my unbelief. Teach me what it truly means to believe, not just to agree with.... but to believe even when I don’t understand. Give me the vision of what You’d like. I will make Your will the cornerstone of my life.
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