Category: From Pastor

This week’s devotions are based on Week 4 of Cross Examined: Were you with him? (LISTEN HERE)

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Anyone who is married knows “the look.”

Without saying a word, a person says everything.

In fact, a look can say more than words, even when someone says something.  A look is an expression of the heart, even if the words are saying something different.  

Body language experts analyze “the look” that people have as they are saying things to determine if what they are saying is accurate or not.

So what did “the look” communicate to Peter?

Just as Peter finished denying Jesus for the third time, Luke records this:

Luke 22:61 The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. 

Just as Peter said, “I don’t know what you are talking about,” his eyes must have moved from the person who accused him of being with Jesus to Jesus himself.

The glance was intentional.

Jesus wanted Peter to see he knew.

Jesus wanted Peter to see he cared.

Jesus wanted Peter to see he noticed.

The rooster crowed.  

Peter went out and wept bitterly.

The look was piercing to the soul of Peter.

The look pierced a heart that regretted denying Jesus.

The look reminded him of what Jesus predicted would happen.

The look triggered a shame of a confidence that turned to cowardice.

The look caused the tears to flow.

But yet Jesus looked.

He didn’t look away.

He looked “straight at Peter.”

He didn’t look at the servant girl or the soldier.

He didn’t look at his accusers or the high priest.

He looked at Peter.  He wanted his eyes to lock with Peter’s.

The look shook Peter to the core, but the look loved Peter even more.

The look told Peter Jesus cared.

The look told Peter Jesus wouldn’t deny him.

The look told Peter Jesus was doing this for him.

The look told Peter Jesus still loved him.

Jesus didn’t say anything.

Peter didn’t say anything.

The look communicated everything.

Let Jesus’ eyes lock with yours today.

Let his eyes communicate to your heart.

His look cares enough to point out sin.

His look communicates his love to forgive it.

 

Apply: What do you imagine Jesus’ look to be?  What does it communicate to your heart?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for caring so personally for me that you would meet your eyes with mine to call me to repentance and show me your great love.  AMEN.

This week’s devotions are based on Week 4 of Cross Examined: Were you with him? (LISTEN HERE)

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Just the other day someone threw out a name and asked me if I knew them.  They mentioned that this person knew me.  I had to admit, “I’m sorry I don’t know him.”

Someone was remembering an event and thought that I had been with them.  They asked, “You were with us, weren’t you?”  My recollection said, “I’m sorry I wasn’t with you.”

At times there are inconsequential interactions where we deny knowing someone or being with someone.

The interaction Peter had wasn’t a casual conversation.  The answer had consequence.

Perhaps it would be similar to a police investigator coming to your home and asking, “We believe you were with John Smith last night at the time of the robbery.”  The answer to this would have consequence.  If you were with him, you would be arrested as an accomplice.  If you weren’t, you would be let go. 

So would you claim you knew him and were with him?

I suppose our “honesty” would lead us to admit it, but it sure would be tempting to say, “I don’t know a John Smith” and “I wasn’t with him.”

Once caught in a lie, the denial would get more strong.

As the officer said, “We know you were with him, for the clothes on his accomplice match what you are wearing.”  You may be tempted to say, “I swear!  I don’t know him.  I wasn’t with him.”

This fictitious situation perhaps helps us relate with the pressure Peter felt to answer the accusations of the servant girl and soldier.

The tension was personal safety or admitting connection to the man on trial.

What would you do?

Luke 22:56 A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.”

57 But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.

58 A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.”

“Man, I am not!” Peter replied.

59 About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.”

60 Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

The example of Peter lets us know what is possible even for us.  We are fully capable of denying our Savior when we perceive a negative consequence if we say we know him or are a follower of him.

So how do we avoid doing the same thing as Peter?

Here are two suggestions

Remember acknowledging the Lord carries more weight than appealing to mankind.

Matthew 10:32 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.

Remember that the worst anyone can do to you is give you a ticket to heaven.

Psalm 56: 10-11 In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise—

11 in God I trust and am not afraid. What can man do to me?

So stand firm.  Stand confidently.  It the best thing to know Jesus and be found with him!

 

Apply: When do you find yourself in situations like Peter. What makes it easier to acknowledge knowing and being with Jesus for you?

Prayer: Lord, keep me unwavering in my conviction of you and confident of blessing of being connected to you.  AMEN.

This week’s devotions are based on Week 4 of Cross Examined: Were you with him? (LISTEN HERE)

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One of the toughest situations for a Christian is when their association with Jesus is called into question with a very real negative consequence lurking if one would claim allegiance to Jesus.

At the extreme of these situations are areas of the world where truly one’s life can be taken if it is made known they are a Christian.

In the United States, we are blessed to not face this type of situation, and I pray we never will.  However, do we not cower for less?

Peter found himself in a situation which had potential negative consequences for him if he was honest and claimed connection to Jesus.

Jesus had warned him, but in the face of pressure he caved.

Luke 22:54 Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. 55 And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. 56 A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.”

57 But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.

58 A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.”

“Man, I am not!” Peter replied.

59 About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.”

60 Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” 62 And he went outside and wept bitterly.

I am truly grateful that Jesus chose Peter to be one of his disciples.

He creates situations that from the outside appear to be “How could you do that Peter?” type of situations, but then we pause and realize, “I could do the same thing.”

How true is that.

Peter didn’t know if he would be the next one shackled and put on trial.

It was easier for him to deny Jesus than face unknown consequences.

Have you found yourself in a similar situation?

At work, your faith remains hidden for fear of potential job loss or lack of promotion?

At school, you fear ridicule from classmates if you are too vocal about your faith.

On social media, you don’t want to deal with the haters that may comment on your faith focused post.

It’s in the back of our mind.

Satan often wins small victories when we are not as bold, not as confident, not as clear that we are connected to Christ.

And we find ourselves doing the same thing as Peter.

“I don’t know him.”

 

Apply: What situations do you find yourself in that lead you to hide your faith?  What encouragement do you receive from this interaction with Peter?

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your love that stays with me even when I fail to stay with you.  Give me strength to be bold for you, even if the outcome could be negative.

This morning’s devotion is based on Week 3 of Cross Examined: Why are you sleeping? (LISTEN HERE)

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I’m always impressed when I visit a fire station.  While I haven’t been to many, there is a common theme in each of them.  

They are ready.

The gear of each firefighter is intentionally placed with boots set out, the coat ready to put on and the lower pants ready to pull up.  The hoses are cleaned and rolled/folded in such a way so that they will not get tangled when pulled.  The gear needed is stowed in proper compartments and the doors of the truck are even open so no time is wasted getting them open.

So when the alarm rings, even if it’s in the middle of the night, it takes very little time to be in the truck with sirens blazing off to the emergency.

It certainly would be cumbersome for a firefighter to wait around in full gear anticipating an emergency, but they have their gear at the ready so whenever the emergency comes, they are ready.

As we examine Jesus’ question, “Why are you sleeping?” this week, it is a reminder to always be ready to face the attacks and temptations of Satan.  When we are spiritually asleep we are not ready.  

Maybe read this familiar section of Ephesians 6 as if you were living in a spiritual firehouse and had to be ready at a moment’s notice to take on a temptation emergency:

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. 

Can you picture as Satan comes with a temptation that you jump into your Gospel boots, throw on your breastplate of righteousness, strap on the belt of truth, put on your helmet of salvation, hold up your shield of faith and swing away with the sword of the Spirit?  

Satan doesn’t have a chance when we are awake, alert and always ready.

It’s no wonder Jesus penetrates our heart with the question, “Why are you sleeping?”  He knows temptations are all around us.  He doesn’t want to see us fall.  He wants us to use the weapons he has gifted to us to win every attack from Satan.

But it means staying awake.

It means being ready.

It means praying in the Spirit and for the Spirit.

So get your physical rest, but stay spiritually alert and ready at all times!

 

Apply: Which part of the armor of God is often missing for you when temptation comes?  How might you be prepared with it the next time Satan attacks?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, as always, thank you for posing penetrating questions that lead us to be stronger spiritually.  Keep us spiritually awake and alert so we don’t fall into temptation.  AMEN.

This morning’s devotion is based on Week 3 of Cross Examined: Why are you sleeping? (LISTEN HERE)

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“I’m tired.”

I will often say this at the end of the day when bedtime approaches.  It is normal at the end of the day to be tired and head to bed.  We don’t usually question a person at 2 in the morning, “Why are you sleeping?”  It’s the right time to sleep.

But if the phrase, “I’m tired” comes at 2 in the afternoon and you put your head down on your desk and fall asleep, your teacher or boss might come up to you and ask, “Why are you sleeping?”

Sleeping is ok, but not when you should be alert.  Being tired at the wrong time might be an indication of a physical ailment.

So being spiritually tired at the wrong time might be a warning signal that something is wrong.

The disciples were tired.  It probably was past their bedtime, and they were “exhausted from sorrow.”  You can understand why their bodies succumbed to sleep.

However, Jesus rouses them, “Why are you sleeping?”

Jesus knew that if they were physically tired and sleeping, the temptations of the evening would be harder to resist.  He wanted them up and alert so they didn’t fall into temptation.

Luke 22:45 When he [Jesus] rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. 46 “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”

Even though it was dark out, Jesus wanted his disciples to be children of the light and not succumb to the cover of darkness and fall for the temptations Satan would bring their way.  The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:4, “But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 5 You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.”

“Be alert and self-controlled.”

This happens when we are spiritually awake (and being physically rested doesn’t hurt either!)

Paul mentions that sin often happens under the cover of darkness.  Our sinful nature loves when we perceive others can see us.  Parties with drinking and debauchery often happen at night.  Robberies and rapes often happen at night.  Our short temper and unloving actions often happen when we are tired.  Darkness provides cover for our dark deeds.

Jesus knows this.

Jesus doesn’t want his followers to fall for it.

So he questions, “Why are you sleeping when you should be alert and resisting temptation?”

He doesn’t want us to lose our vigilance.

Again the Apostle Paul encourages in 1 Corinthians 10:12 “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”

Being spiritually alert means understanding how Satan works in your life.  Recognizing when you are spiritually vulnerable (around certain situations or people) and having the self-control to avoid those situations or find the way out to avoid falling into sin.

So stay alert and don’t fall asleep (spiritually!).

 

Apply: What situations or interactions might be better to avoid or limit because they are a place or relationship that creates more temptation for sin?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for always staying spiritually alert and forgiving me when I fall asleep and let Satan lead me into temptation.  Keep me alert and self-controlled so that I don’t fall into temptation, but rather flee from it.  AMEN.