Burunche’s Blog

1Peter 5:8 – 9 “Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in your faith and in the knowledge that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.”

I have horrible news! THERE IS AN ENEMY OUT THERE AND WE ARE ALL TARGETS! To make matters even worse, we were born as targets, targets for attacks by Satan.

Jesus told his disciples that he saw Satan fall from heaven “like lightning.” What caused Satan to be cast out of heaven? Pride! Arrogance! Believing that he was equal with God when he wasn’t. What opens us up to Satanic attacks? Pride, arrogance, and believing that we can be our own gods.

All this time that Peter has been stressing on humility, he has been aiming toward this one point. If we humble ourselves and follow the Lord, He will protect us. But we must realize that Satan is out there just waiting to catch us off – guard.

Several years ago, we were friends with a pastor who was kind, loving, an excellent teacher, and a caring shepherd of his members. But one day while cruising the internet, our friend accidentally landed on a pornographic web site. Instead of putting controls on his computer and getting out of that website as fast as possible, our frined stayed and watched…..and eventually found himself addicted to online pornography. Through the love and care and support of his family, he was eventually able to beat this horrible addiction, but in the meantime, he had developed the cancer that eventually killed him. One question that cannot be answered is this: did the addiction to online pornography weaken our friend’s immune system so that he was more susceptible to developing cancer? St. John wrote in 3John 1:2 “Beloved, I pray that in every way you may prosper and enjoy good health, as your soul also prospers.”

We need humility to protect ourselves! Sometimes our very virtues can become failings if we are not careful or if we trust ourselves too much. Remember that Peter told Jesus that he, Peter, would never desert Jesus; yet, only a few hours later, he denied knowing Jesus three times. If we trust in ourselves and pride ourselves on certain virtues, those are the very things that may trip us up.

When Peter advises us to be watchful, he means that we should watch ourselves, not others. Many people are more than ready to correct others while they are blind to their own failings and shortcomings. And sometimes priding yourself on how humble you are can also become an inverted form of self – worship that leaves you open to spiritual attack.

How can we resist the devil? First of all, if you find yourself in a place of temptation, LEAVE! Temptations are not to be played with. Second, when the temptation is mental, the best thing to do is to call on the Name of Jesus and ask Jesus for help. The hymn “What a friend we have in Jesus” puts it well: Have we trials and temptations, cumbered with a load of care? Jesus knows our every weakness. Take it to the Lord in prayer.” There is power in the Name of Jesus. When we believe in Jesus and trust Jesus, we have access to that power. When we are tempted or assaulted, we can call on the Name of Jesus and He will help us.

We must realize that our brothers throughout the world are also suffering and that many of them are suffering far more than we are. Temptations and trials should cause us to have pity on others and to pray for them, not just to focus on our own problems. Praying for others not only puts things in perspective but also helps lift our burdens.

Finally, we must realize who Jesus really is. Jesus is the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the Lord of everything. Jesus is the Supreme Commander of the Angel Host, the Lion of Judah. We are not calling on some wimpy stained glass image but on the One who holds the keys to hell, death, the grave, and eternity. Call on the Name of Jesus. He will never disappoint or fail you.

And finally, this is my prayer for all who are reading this devotional:

Jude 24 “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you unblemished in His glorious presence, with great joy— 25to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all time, and now, and for all eternity.” Amen!

AUGUST 30, 2020

1 Peter 5: 6 – 7 “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you. Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.”

As I am writing this, Hurricane Laura has just passed over the Gulf Coast. Some parts of Louisiana have seen a great deal of destruction. Years ago, we lived in New Orleans while I was doing my Master’s degree in Public Health and Tropical Medicine at Tulane University. We actually lived on the West Bank, across the Mississippi River from New Orleans and only 4 blocks from the levee that kept the Mississippi from overflowing the entire area in which we were living. It was shocking to look west and see large ocean – going ships majestically moving up the river with their superstructures stretching higher than the houses below the levee. To be in New Orleans when a hurricane threatens is truly to know fear! You will have to travel east over causeways or west over causeways or north across Lake Ponchartrain over ….guess what? A causeway! And these causeways stretch for miles over swamps, streams, and lakes. Our escape plan was simple: if we were threatened, we planned to go north into Mississippi as quickly as possible.

Interesting enough, despite the fact that a break in the levee would have flooded our ground floor apartment completely, we actually lived without fear. Why? We believed that God had brought us to New Orleans, that God had opened up the chance to rent this apartment, and that God was going to take care of us. We literally had to cast our anxiety on God, but we did and God did take care of us completely.

Here Peter is continuing his theme about the need for personal humility. If we are puffed up with pride, God can’t exalt us because our pride will block him from doing so. The only way we can qualify for God to exalt us is if we acknowledge Him as God and humble ourselves before Him, worshiping Him and trusting Him.

How can we possibly know what God might have planned for us? We might have some very small while God has something much bigger in mind. Mary McLeod Bethune was born to former slaves in South Carolina in 1875 and began working in the fields at age 5. But Mary was a woman of great faith. Before her death in 1955, she had risen to become the founder of a college and a college president, a civil rights leader, a member of the “Black Cabinet” for President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and an inspiration to millions. Nobody looking at that 5 year old little girl in a cotton field could possibly have predicted what she would become….but God knew.

We all need to take a close look at ourselves. Are we relying on ourselves, or are we trusting in God? Are we strutting around all puffed up, or are we willing to remain humble? Are we trying to dictate to God what He should do with our lives, or are we willing to trust that He can do magnificent things. Mary McLeod Bethune’s example should point the way. Humble yourself and God will exalt you.

PRAYER: Father God, thank you that your plans for us are far more wonderful than anything we can possibly imagine. Thank you that you are truly sovereign and that you know all, see all, and love us in spite of ourselves. Help us to humble ourselves and to trust you. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

1 Peter 5:5 Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

“When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years.” Mark Twain

“People never learn anything by being told, they have to find out for themselves.”
― Paulo Coelho, Veronika Decides to Die 

I was raised in the Middle West, where we were taught to respect our elders and never to address an older person by their first name. But when we moved to Memphis, Tennessee, in 1983, we entered a world that demanded a whole different level of respect for elders. Children reared in the American South were taught to respond “Yes, Ma’am,” “Yes, Sir,” or “No, Ma’am” or “No, Sir.” Titles were extremely important, and no properly reared child would dream of calling someone older by their first name; in fact, there was a lot of use of honorifics. “Mr. Skaggs ” ,“Miss Geraldine”, “Uncle Lester”, “Aunt Leticia.” And this honoring of elders also carried over into respect for the opinions of elders. Any young person demonstrating a lack of respect was apt to get the “stink eye” from his mamma, his grandma, or his auntie!

These days, submission has come to assume bad connotations; however, Peter is beginning an explanation that will lead to a very important point. Remember the Roman centurion whose servant was sick? The centurion recognized that Jesus had authority and informed Jesus that he too was a man under authority and a man who had authority over others. The centurion could exercise authority because he submitted to authority. And it was this respect for authority and this faith that led to the miraculous healing of the servant.

Those who are unwilling to submit to human authority will also refuse to submit to God’s authority. Remember that Peter earlier urged us “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to the king as the supreme authority, or to governors as those sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right.” 1 Peter 2:13 – 14

Clothing yourself with humility does not mean that you must become a doormat! You do not have to check your brains at the door as if you were checking your coat at some function. But clothing yourself with humility means that you are willing to listen to others and to accept the possibility that others might know more than you do or have a different perspective on a situation. And clothing yourself with humility allows you to be quiet and listen to God.

Have you ever attended a prayer meeting where you felt that people were more interested in ordering God around than they were listening to God? It happens too frequently. While the Bible does encourage us to let our requests be made known to God, nowhere in the Bible does it say that God is deaf or that we must scream at him to be heard. If we don’t stop and listen to God, we might miss something drastically important! What if we are asking for the wrong thing or for too little? Perhaps God wants to give us something far more magnificent than that for which we are asking; meanwhile, we continue to shriek our demands for something small.

Why does God oppose the proud but give grace to the humble? Those who are proud have set themselves up as little tin gods. Their very pride blinds them to the magnificence of the Creator of the universe who spoke everything into existence. God does not oppose the proud because he is hurt or upset; God opposes the proud because He is God and they are not. It is as if someone decides that he wants a mountain to move and begins kicking rocks at the foot of the mountain. The only thing that will happen is that the person will get a sore foot!

When we clothe ourselves in humility, we protect ourselves from attacks of the devil. And we will talk more about that tomorrow.

PRAYER: Father God, thank you for your grace and mercy. Please forgive us when we forget that you are God and that we are not. Help us to humble ourselves and to trust you in all things. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

1 Peter 5:1 – 4 “As a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings, and a partaker of the glory to be revealed, I appeal to the elders among you: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is among you, watching over them not out of compulsion, but because it is God’s will; not out of greed, but out of eagerness; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.”

His voice was like thunder as he interviewed his quaking assistant pastor and the church secretary! “How DARE you take that decision without asking my advice? How can you possibly know ANYTHING?”

Was this a question of church doctrine or a possible mishandling of a sensitive ministry situation? Unfortunately, no. That morning the assistant pastor had asked the church secretary to buy some toilet paper; unfortunately, the type favored by the Senior Pastor was unavilable. Wishing to make it to the office on time, the secretary had bought a cheaper brand. And now the Senior Pastor was infuriated, all over toilet paper.

“Ridiculous!” you say. “Surely nobody could behave so badly over such a tiny problem.” Sadly, such scenes are all too common. Abraham Lincoln is quoted as having said, “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”

We once belonged to a congregation in a large urban area. We were preparing to return to the misson field at a time when one family in the congregation suffered a tragic house fire in which they lost all their possessions. When the call went out through the congregation for people to donate household items, we felt very glad to be able to donate some of the things we would otherwise have put into storage. Imagine our shock and dismay when we learned that the elders in the congregation had picked over all of the donated items. leaving only the dregs for this poor family who had lost everything! For the remainder of our stay in that city, we found it extremely difficult to accept the authority of these elders when they were addressing the church on spiritual matters. As these men would pontificate, vivid memories of their ruthlessly pillaging the donated items for their own benefit made it nearly impossible to accept their authority. ABUSE OF AUTHORITY AND DEMONSTRATIONS OF GREED CAN DRIVE PEOPLE AWAY FROM JESUS!

Here Peter is gently reminding all the church elders that even though he is one of the original twelve disciples and even though he personally witnesed Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection, he has refused to lord it over them. If Peter, who has tremendous clout, has humbled himself, then all the other elders need to be humble and gentle, shepherding those entrusted to them.

If you are a Christian boss, then you should take Jesus as your model and not Nero! Think about it. Jesus took twelve men, several of whom were semi-educated fishermen, and molded them into disciples. Even Judas, who later betrayed Jesus, originally went out and preached about the kingdom and did miracles and cast out demons. Jesus was the Son of God and could do miracles. Jesus knew the human heart. Jesus could have been as intimidating as he wished and he would have had the right…..but he didn’t choose to do that. Instead, Jesus gently and persistently brought his disciples along, nudging them, urging them, encouraging them, perhaps even laughing with them. And those were the men who went out after Jesus’ ascension, preaching the kingdom and changing the world.

Intimidation accomplishes only two things: your subordinates will become paralyzed and will refuse to take initiative for fear of reprisals and if given a chance, your subordinates will leave! And there is one other thing: Some day you will stand before the Chief Shepherd and answer for the way in which you have handled those whom God has entrusted to your care. On that day, what will that Chief Shepherd say? Will He say, “Receive your crown of glory that will never fade away” or will He say, “Depart from me! I never knew you!” Authority comes from God and is to be handled gently and sensitively, without greed or self – seeking. Choose your behavior wisely, for you are choosing for eternity.

PRAYER: Father God, let these teachings sink into our hearts! Let us remember that Jesus came as a suffering Servant to seek and save the lost, not as a tyrant to dominate and intimidate. In Jesus’ mighty Name we pray. Amen.

1 Peter 4:14 – 19 “If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. Indeed, none of you should suffer as a murderer or thief or wrongdoer, or even as a meddler. But if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but glorify God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God? And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should entrust their souls to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.”

“If you want to be popular, sell ice cream. But if you are a Christian, sooner or later, you will be unpopular.” This meme appeared recently on FaceBook and it is really accurate! Stand for righteousness and sooner or later, somebody is going to be hacked off at you. But while you are standing for righteousness, make sure you are not just being obnoxious!

Several years ago, we attended a church where one fellow prided himself on being a defender of the faith. But after awhile we realized that the faith he was defending was a very narrow view of Christianity and that he was far more willing to pick fights than to try to meet people where they were and to find common ground. While our friend had undoubtedly read these verses from 1 Peter 4 at some point, he obviously failed to notice the part about being a meddler!

Dallas Willard wrote an excellent book entitled The Allure of Gentleness: Defending the Faith in the Manner of Jesus. Willard’s main point throughout the book was that Christians should know what they believe and why they believe; however, they should also study the example of Jesus. Jesus never compromised in his teachings about the Kingdom of God, but he also treated his hearers with gentleness. The major exceptions came when hypocritical religious leaders were acting as obstructions to people entering the Kingdom, rather than as facilitators.

Many of us remember coming home and begging to do something because “everybody else is doing it.” And the answer was generally the same: “You are my child, and you are not doing that.” In the same way, God wants his children to behave differently from non believers. This is why judgement begins with the family of God.

Yesterday we mentioned Christians who are suffering in various parts of the world. These people did nothing to deserve murder, starvation, physical abuse, or anything else that came upon them. Peter wants Christians to understand that we can’t misbehave and then run back and hide behind God; it simply won’t work.

Verse 19 contains a difficult truth, namely, that sometimes Christians ARE going to suffer according to God’s will. The story is told of Dr. Jeanette Troup, a missionary surgeon in Jos, Nigeria, who was one of the first doctors to die with Lassa Fever. As Jeanette began caring for patients suffering from this new illness, she told someone that “Nothing can come to me that has not already passed through the hand of God.” Jeanette Troup entrusted her soul to a faithful Creator and continued to serve faithfully, even though she realized she was taking risks. Dr. Jeanette did die as a result of Lassa; however, she left a legacy of faith and courage that has inspired others ever since.

PRAYER: Father God, help us to be faithful. We thank you that when suffering comes, we can continue to trust you, knowing that you are faithful. Help us to be steadfast but gentle when we are telling others about you. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

1 Peter 4:12 – 13 “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial that has come upon you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed at the revelation of His glory.”

The church was under persecution! Peter himself was writing and visiting and counseling as much as possible, knowing that at any moment some Roman soldiers might haul him off to prison or worse. This was not a time for “pie in the sky” or “floating around on a pink cloud” Christianity. Christians were already dying for their faith, and Peter anticipated that things were about to get worse.

Throughout the world today, there are Christians who are suffering and dying for their faith. Entire congregations in northern Nigeria and Burkina Faso, Bible translators in Camerouns, Chinese Christians whose babies may be killed and whose churches are being destroyed, Christians in Sudan who have actually been crucified and have somehow survived to narrate the stories of their ordeals – no, being a Christian is not for wimps!

Peter is warning the church to listen up! Sooner or later, if you stand in opposition to sin, those committing sin will fight back. But we are to be encouraged that Jesus has already gone before us, leaving us an example. If our faith has never cost us anything, is it really faith or mere convenience?

Why should we study the example that Jesus has left us? No follower is greater than his or her leader. If Jesus has suffered, we too can expect to suffer. But in the midst of suffering, Jesus can also strengthen us and encourage us and help us so that we will be able to bear our trials.

We have been following on FaceBook the sufferings of one family of our acquaintance whose autistic daughter became extremely ill and had to be hospitalized. Due to COVID restrictions and the fact that the girl was in the ICU, the family’s time to visit was extremely limited. It became apparent that this young lady had several different kinds of infections causing her to have seizures and cardiac arrhythmias. Several times the family was in despair and called for urgent prayer. Thankfully, the girl is much better and will soon move to a rehab center. In the midst of these struggles, this family’s faith remained rock – solid and they were even encouraging the families of other patients. Only the power of God can give such faith, such assurance, and such continuing strength.

Live long enough and you will have trials. The only question is this: how will you meet those trials? May you know the grace of God, so that when your trials come, you will be able to triumph!

PRAYER: Father God, help all who read this devotional to look to you for their strength and consolation! Help them to truly know you as Savior and Lord in the power of the Holy Spirit. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

1 Peter 4:10 – 11 “As good stewards of the manifold grace of God, each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve one another. If anyone speaks, he should speak as one conveying the words of God. If anyone serves, he should serve with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.”

“Hey, Joe! Did you meet all the specifications on that job you just finished?”

“Well, not exactly, but it’s close enough for government work.”

I heard this exchange years ago, and at the time it seemed funny. But decades later, having run two different bush hospitals in northern Ghana, having spent my career operating on trusting patients, I don’t find this phrase funny at all!

Ask any supervisor and he or she will tell you that workers who can be trusted to carry out tasks completely and graciously are worth their price in rubies. Far more common are those who, like “Joe” in the above exchange, are just doing what they have to do so that things will look good and their bosses won’t bother them. One pediatric surgeon whom I knew had a great poster in his office comparing surgery to flying or to sailing. The idea was that the requirements for performing surgery properly were as rigorous as those for flying or for sailing and failure to meet these requirements would result in disaster.

Peter was a working man, a fisherman who knew hard workers and slackers when he saw them. Throughout this epistle, Peter is trying to get Christians to understand that once you choose to follow Jesus, you are not living for yourself any more and that everything must change. If those around you don’t see any difference between the pagans and you, what’s the point in their giving up their sins? So what should be our motivation?

The key phrase here is this: as good stewards of the manifold grace of God…

In those days, every household had a number of servants, over whom was a steward who ran the household and kept track of all supplies. It was the responsibility of the steward to make sure everyone did their work properly, that the household owner was not cheated, and that things ran smoothly, no matter what the challenges. And in a close – knit society, there were no secrets. Everybody knew the good stewards from the bad ones, respecting the good ones and scorning the bad ones.

Peter is advising us that God has already extended His grace by sending Jesus to die for our sins. We are all sinners, and none of us can do anything good enough to earn our way into heaven. It is only because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that we have the hope of eternal life, if we will believe in him and follow him. We therefore should respond by conducting our selves in such a way that people will give glory to the God whom we claim to serve. We are to be gracious in speech and to serve others with enthusiasm.

Is such service easy? Is it easy to speak graciously? Are you kidding? Anybody who has begun to follow Christ can tell you that they are tempted endlessly to snap out a sharp retort or to slack off when things get tough or they are tired. And if you are only working for yourself, there is really no much to keep you from behaving badly. But Christians are not living for themselves but for God, and everything we do must reflect God’s glory in some small way.

“Wow!” you say, “that’s impossible!” In our own strength, absolutely! But God gives his children the strength and the courage to do what we cannot do ourselves. And because Jesus has the power and the glory forever, he can give power to his followers to do what would be impossible for them in their own strength.

PRAYER: Father God, life is hard! We feel stifled and frustrated and are so afraid that we are failing. But you are our God and you have promised to help us and to give us strength. We thank you that you are a good Father who sees when his children are trying and who helps them in their time of need. Lord, let our words and our service glorify you! In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

1 Peter 4:7 – 9 “The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear-minded and sober, so that you can pray. Above all, love one another deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without complaining. “

“Dr.! Uncle Bob! We can’t leave for Tamale! Big Man just got a phone call and there’s trouble in the North!” It was February 4, 1994. We had been in Accra for a week, buying drugs and medical supplies for the Assemblies of God Clinic, Saboba, the mission clinic where we were working. That morning we had the clinic vehicle loaded teo the hilt – the inside packed with drugs and supplies, and 4 LP gas bottles on the luggage rack on top of the vehicle. (We had no electricity in Saboba and we depended on gas refrigerators.) Now our driver was telling us that the day before, conflicts had broken out in several locations and that it was unsafe to travel to Saboba.

What we didn’t know at that point was that this news signalled the beginning of months of conflict in which people would die and numerous villages would be destroyed. We would be trapped in Accra for nearly two months, only returning to Saboba March 31, 1994. And it would be during that conflict that our small clinic with eleven workers was to be re – born as a bush hospital, Saboba Medical Centre. (Re-named as Assemblies of God Hospital, Saboba in 2015 and presently with 112 beds and more than 200 workers.) With no place else for Konkomba tribe members to go, we were the only safe hospital. We began operations and blood transfusions and other lab tests, using nurses to do basic screening procedures. Some of our staff came to us as refugees, having fled from other areas where it was no longer safe for them to live.

In case you are wondering why you heard very little about the Northern Ethnic Conflict of 1994, it’s because there was trouble in a place called Ruwanda at the same time. The problems there far outshadowed anything happening in northern Ghana.

The most amazing part of our experiences in 1994 was the response of Konkomba Christians health workers. Our staff cared for everyone who came, regardless of their tribal background. Our hospital was a safe place for anyone who came. In the most trying of times and under the worst of circumstances, our staff graphically demonstrated that love that covers a multitude of sins and hospitality that refused to complain.

Why is Peter making such a big deal about loving others and extending hospitality? The key statement is this: the end of all things is near. At the time Peter was writing this, Emperor Nero was beginning his reign of terror against Christians. Before it was over, Peter himself would be crucified and the Apostle Paul would be beheaded. Peter is advising his hearers that the time when they could play games and indulge in lust and orgies is over. They are facing eternity, and they must be able to pray. It is impossible to pray extensively with a mind fogged with drugs and alcohol. It is also impossible to pray with a mind twisted by hatred and obsessed with revenge.

This election year we are seeing and hearing vicious rhtetoric spewing out on all sides of issues. But Peter’s advice still stands. We must love one another deeply, so deeply that we remain unoffended by opposing political views. Elections come and go, but divisions within the Body of Christ will remain rooted in hatred unless and until Christians are willing to love deeply. How deep is your love?

PRAYER: Father God, help us to love as you love! Help us to love, forgiving others and opening our hearts and our homes to others. Let your love so fill our hearts and minds that others will be warmed by that love and want to know you, the one true living God. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

1 Peter 4:4 – 6 “Because of this, they consider it strange of you not to plunge with them into the same flood of reckless indiscretion, and they heap abuse on you. But they will have to give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. That is why the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged as men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.”

His friends were shocked! Jimmy (not his real name) had been one of the wild bunch frequenting the bars in Charleston, WV, getting into fights, and doing drugs. Jimmy had even wound up in prison for a brief stretch because of his drug dealing. But while in prison, Jimmy had had an encounter with Jesus Christ that had totally transformed his life. Now Jimmy’s friends were shocked, amazed and outraged! Who did this guy think he was? Mr. “Holier than Thou?” Mr. “I’m better than you?” Mr. “Holy roller?” Things got so bad that Trevor finally had to break off those friendships. Jimmy began attending a local church, where he found love, acceptance, and encouragement. Once or twice, Jimmy tried going back to the bars, but nothing was the same and he stopped.

Yesterday we considered the quote from Blaise Pascal, a seventeenth century French mathematician and philospher. Pascal said, “There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.”

Pascal was absolutely correct when he said this. All around us, you can see people attempting to fill that God – shaped vacuum with all kinds of things – money, power, fame, sex, drugs, music, videos, pornography, gambling, or even work. Nothing can substitute for God.

We are each given a life to live as a gift from God. But there will come a time when God will ask each of us what we have done with his gift. On that day, how will we answer?

The verses about the dead refer to the possibility that after Jesus died and before His resurrection, He descended into hell, where he preached to those who had died before His coming as a man. This was to allow even the dead to have the opportunity to accept or to reject Jesus as the Son of God. In his second letter, Peter tells us that “The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

God is a God of love, but He is also a God of mercy and justice. The mercy of God is demonstrated by the many ways in which God has revealed Himself so that men may know Him and worship Him. But God is also a God of justice. At the end of time, we will have to answer for the way we have used God’s great gift of life. By ourselves, none of us is good enough to earn our way into heaven; our only hope is salvation through Jesus Christ. But even those who believe on Jesus will still have to answer this question: how have you handled God’s great gift of life?

PRAYER: Father God, forgive us for wasting your gifts! Forgive us for living for ourselves and not trying to follow you. Lord, we confess that we are sinners and that it is only because of Jesus’ death and resurrection that we can claim any hope. Help us to follow hard after you all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of Jesus. Amen.

1 Peter 4:1- 4 “Therefore, since Christ suffered in His body, arm yourselves with the same resolve, because anyone who has suffered in his body is done with sin. Consequently, he does not live out his remaining time on earth for human passions, but for the will of God. For you have spent enough time in the past carrying out the same desires as the Gentiles: living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and detestable idolatry. Because of this, they consider it strange of you not to plunge with them into the same flood of reckless indiscretion, and they heap abuse on you.”

There is a story about a man whose wife was a Christian and who urged him to accept Christ. While this man agreed that Jesus was the Son of God and that the Bible was the Word of God, he still wavered. This man was a politician and he told his wife, “I just have just one thing I need to put through the state legislature that I know I could never support if I were a Christian. I’m just going to take care of this one issue and then I will follow Christ.” Unfortunately, the course the man followed was quite predictable. The schemes this politician had were evil ones, and once he had begun supporting them, the contacts he made and the actions he took led him further and further away from God until he died without repenting.

Peter had no illusions about the lifestyles new converts had pursued before they became Christians. All the perversions that are being touted as evidence of free speech in America now were already being practiced at the time of the early church. And they are just as sinful now as they were then. Peter doesn’t mince words: “living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and detestable idolatry.”

“But,” you say, “we don’t have people practicing idolatry.” Oh? In the last few years, statues to Baal and Lucifer have appeared in major American cities. And at any rate, idolatry doesn’t just refer to the worship of physical idols but to focusing on money or power or comfort or sex or lust or anything else rather than living for God.

Peter is sounding a wake – up call! The time when we could play with passions has ended. The question is this: how are we going to live the rest of our lives? Are we going to lurch from one desire to another, from one golden calf to another, from one addiction to another?

Peter advises us to take Jesus Christ as our example: “since Christ suffered in His body, arm yourselves with the same resolve, because anyone who has suffered in his body is done with sin. Consequently, he does not live out his remaining time on earth for human passions, but for the will of God.”

“But what if God wants me to suffer?” you ask. Well, how much real benefit are you deriving from the things you are pursuing right now? It was Blaise Pascal who said that “there is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.” As long as you are trying to fill that God sized vacuum with anything other than God, you will continue to strive. Only God can fill that vacuum. Only God can satisfy.

The peace of the Holy Spirit is a peace that truly is beyond human comprehension. When you give your life to Christ, you will receive that peace. Now you will definitely have problems! Satan is quite real and wants to steal your joy and your peace, kill you, and destroy everything good in your life. And without Christ, you have no protection from Satan. It is only when you accept Christ as Savior and Lord that you are covered by the blood sacrifice He made for your sins on Mount Calvary.

Each of us is choosing every moment to live for God or to live for ourselves. But if we live for ourselves, we are doomed to frustration, failure, and emptiness. If the fear and angst over COVID has accomplished nothing else, it has re – emphasized the fact that there are no guarantees in life. Thousands of years ago, Joshua challenged the Children of Israel with a choice: Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15

PRAYER: Father God, help everyone of us to realize the emptiness inside of us without you! Cause all who read this to turn and follow you. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.