Daily Meditations on the Bible / We stand with Israel
… he has brought to light through the preaching …
Summary: The word “preach” means to proclaim. To bring something into the light is to make it visible to others. Preaching God’s Word is to bring the truth of God to light for others to see.
Continue reading “Titus 1:3 (b) — Light”
… in the hope of eternal life …
Summary: How we think about when eternal life begins affects the decisions we make. Choosing to see it as Paul does helps to keep us on the road home.
Continue reading “Titus 1:2 (a) — The Road Home”
To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
Summary: A doxology is an acknowledgement of God’s divinity and authority. The affirmation of God’s power is a unique kind of doxology that affirms our dependence on God.
Continue reading “1 Peter 5:11 — Ultimate Power”
Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
Summary: The devil is always seeking to separate God’s chosen from the flock. He does this by distracting us from the Word and from prayer. Our safety is found only in God.
Continue reading “1 Peter 5:8 (b) — Lyin’ Lion”
Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—
Summary: Peter begins a passage dedicated to helping elders shepherd their flock. Why would he need to remind them of this? Shepherds are people, too.
Continue reading “1 Peter 5:2 (a) — Shepherds I: Like David”
To the elders among you…
Summary: When Peter addresses part of his letter to “the elders,” he inadvertently highlights a sad and serious shift in cultural norms.
Continue reading “1 Peter 5:1 — Elders”
Finally, all of you, be like-minded …
Summary: The ideal church holds that the Bible is the Word of God. The members are people who live in submission to God’s will and service to others. There is an openness to feedback from the church body that helps each member become more Christlike.
Continue reading “1 Peter 3:8 (a) — The Ideal Church”
… fear God …
Are you afraid of God? Should you be? Peter seems to think so.
It seems to me that if God can create and sustain the universe if he created life as we know it, and if he became man and died for our sins, he is a bit beyond our comprehension. We can’t outthink God. We shouldn’t even try.
And let’s talk about power. How much power does God have?
Continue reading “1 Peter 2:17 (c) — An Appropriate Kind of Fear”
…and,
“A stone that causes people to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall.”
They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.
What does it mean for a Christian to “obey” the message? The message is the offer of salvation through belief in Jesus Christ. But what does it mean to obey?
Each of us comes to the Lord from a different place. By that, I mean that you and I are very different. We have grown up in different ways, and have different opinions and experiences. Even in my own family my three brothers all experienced growing up from a different point of view.
Continue reading “1 Peter 2:8 — Obedience”
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk…
In looking over Peter’s letter, I get the impression that he is giving us a “Cliff Notes” version of the entire New Testament in a few words. I marvel at the consistency of God’s Word. Whether we look through the lens of Luke, Paul, James, or Peter, the message is consistent.
I’ve helped to raise a couple of amazing young men from when they were very tiny babies, but that doesn’t mean that I am an expert on babies. I do know, however, that there are different kinds of babies. The kind of baby that Peter is talking about is “newborn.”
Continue reading “1 Peter 2: 2 (a) — In Search of Truth”