Tag: Peter

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Chief Servant Officer.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t Lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor. ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5‬:‭2‬-‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The Apostle Peter, wrapping up his first letter to the churches, turns his thoughts towards those who lead in local churches. He writes, “And now, a word to you who are elders in the churches.” Peter uses the word, presbýteros – properly, a mature man having seasoned judgment & experience. I would like to say, it could be a mature “young” man, however the word is specifically used in a more senior context. In other words, it’s not just maturity, it is also age. How old would a “senior” be in the early church? Lifespans back then are difficult to nail down, but men normally lived to about fifty. And according to Numbers 8:25, there was a hard retirement at fifty as well – “and they must retire at the age of fifty.” When you’re young fifty sounds soooo old, like it’s approaching death! Of course, nowadays, reaching fifty is considered fairly young 🥴.

Peter has weighty words of specificity he gives to the elders who are leading churches. 1. Care for the flock. Shepherd (poimainó) them 2. Watch over them willingly. Look at them (episkopeó) diligently. Not grudgingly (anagkastós) with forced or compulsion, but willingly (hekousiós), freely, voluntarily. 4. Not for your own benefit (aischrokerdós), “base gain,” or greediness, but with eagerness (prothumós) cheerfully, passionately. 5. Not as a master, lording over them (katakurieuo), but as a (tupos) a constant and repeated pattern, a model, (ginomai) becoming someone to follow.

And when the chief shepherd (archipoimén) is revealed, you will receive a crown (stéphanos), a victors crown, not a (diádēma) royal crown – unfading, never-ending glory and honor.

Pastoring, shepherding and serving people is one of the most difficult callings in the Church world today. And, it has changed significantly over the past 100 years. Gone are the “Little House on the Prairie” days, the minister, played by Dabbs Greer, portraying the real life, Robert Alden (Pastored in Walnut Grove which he founded in 1875). Gone are the days of simple sermons, leading a few hymns and praying over Sunday potlucks on the lawn. The only core responsibilities that remained the same are marrying, tarrying and burying!

Today, Pastors are expected to be a business savvy/financial genius, HR expert, legal advisor, handyman, technical wizard, golden-tongued speaker, builder, blogger, podcasting guru as well as an emergency care, bedside faith healer. Yet, the calling hasn’t changed – shepherd the flock that God has given. My primary role is what it has always been in church ministry – a servant. Now I happen to be an actual elder (well over fifty) and so I am a chief servant officer. Pray for your Pastor, your Chief Elder and Servant who watches over you.

Prayer

Dad,
The advice and list that Peter gave us as Pastors is still completely doable! It’s harder today, but still very much possible. It’s all the other “required” expertises that make this Holy Calling much more of a challenge. I just can’t know what I don’t know or be who I am not meant to be! The expectations are impossible to fulfill! And, they are not from you. Our people want more, need more and maybe even deserve more than the average pastor can give. Plus, we are now in the top five of untrusted professions of society. We are so desperate for You to pour out Your Spirit on all flesh – fulfilling Your promise that Joel made so long ago. We need our sons and daughters to prophesy, old men to dream dreams, and young men to see visions. We are waiting, anticipating You and You alone. Amen.

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Hunting peace.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil. ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭10‬-‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Peter offers amazing results for those of us who want the good life. In a world of decisions that have immediate consequences, this is GOLD. Peter writes if we want a life filled with love and see good days… what is required? Simple – just “pauó,” restrain our tongue! And something even more difficult – stop our mouth from trash-talking “dolos,” deceit. Wow. Was Mom right? Even Thumper, from the Bambi movie knows this, “If you can’t say somethin’ nice.., don’t say nothin’ at all.”

The Apostles all write about this in one form or another. Paul in Colossians 4:6, Ephesians 4:29, James in James 3:6 – they all speak of controlling the little fire-starter organ, known as our tongue. Apparently our mouth is the gateway to the hateway!

Peter’s godly, Spirit-filled advice is to help us control our mouths. It starts by controlling what we think about, even starting with what we look at. He writes, “zéteó,” seek or search for peace. Peace, “eiréné,” is the Hebrew equivalent to Shalom. Peter follows that up with not just seeking it, but when we find this peace we should, “diṓkō,” pursue it or aggressively chase after it! Search for peace, targeting it, then hunt it down and make it ours.

This godly peace must do some deep work inside our hearts, allowing our heart to see the world, our friends and our circumstances differently. Can a peace perspective have that kind of dramatic effect on my mouth? Writing under the influence of the Holy Spirit, directing thoughts and quill-strokes on parchment, I believe this is direct wisdom from God! When I feel my heart is angsty and out of sync with God, I can easily see my hot, viperous words flying out of my mouth. But if I hunt down peace and allow the Spirit of God to settle my soul and de-escalate my rabid rise of evil thoughts, maybe – just maybe, I can put the kabash ( a real Hebrew word) on my wild tongue.

Prayer

Dad,
I try really hard to guard my words. They seem to fly out of my mouth faster than I can put a stop to it. It’s flat out embarrassing to think the battle started in my heart. It is sad to think that my heart was seeking, and desperately searching for anything other than peace. My heart was looking for trouble, looking for a reason to validate my feelings and emotions that actually came out of some poor attitude or pity-party I was having. I am so sorry. Help me with my thoughts! Help me with the posture of my heart. Remind me to hunt down peace rather than something awful and evil. Thank you for your supernatural peace that will eclipse my soul, helping me think right and therefore speak better words, godly words. Amen.

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Assuming God Intent.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“Soon the news reached the apostles and other believers in Judea that the Gentiles had received the word of God. But when Peter arrived back in Jerusalem, the Jewish believers criticized him. “You entered the home of Gentiles and even ate with them!” they said.” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭11‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Awhile back Robin and I had dinner with another couple and one of them used to work for Apple retail. She said that Apple’s training emphasized that when in doubt, one should assume positive intent when seeing another employee or even a customer behaving suspiciously. The whole idea is to trust that people are doing the RIGHT thing even though we don’t fully understand what we see at the time. What a brilliant concept!

There are so many examples in the Bible where God was totally involved, and had specifically told people what they needed to do. Jesus himself was criticized for eating with sinners! Like people’s sin might accidentally rub off on him and make him unholy? Mary, was pregnant with God’s only son and it was the only way God could save humanity – but people suspected that she was unfaithful to Joseph!

Here in Peter’s story, he is questioned for eating with Gentiles, not knowing that God had orchestrated the whole thing. When will we get it? Oftentimes God has directed people to do something that may appear suspicious, but it is completely within His plan. We should practice assuming God intent.

We have so much social media criticism flying around, quoting and misquoting preachers or “catching” Christian celebs in what we think are compromising positions. Have we considered that they may be doing exactly what God told them to do? Word got back to Jerusalem and the Jewish believers criticized Peter! So yeah, Peter had a great God story to tell, but how far would the gossip have gone? Luke made sure the truth, the God intent, was written down for all to see.

I think it’s helpful to assume positive intent when working with people. But, I think it is far more important to assume God intent in the community of faith. Next time I see a suspicious behavior in a believer, I’m going to hold my criticism, assuming God intent, until I get a chance to hear their big God story!

Prayer

Dad,
You are doing BIG stuff in our dark and dangerous world. You are always at work, bringing light and justice to the shadiest situations that we will never even know about. And, you are involving us in your grand story – the redemption of humanity! I am positive that you know what you’re doing. And, I trust that you have people doing good work in areas and with individuals that I will never see. Help me in my negative and critical thinking, assuming the worst in other believers. I would rather think well of them and that you have a plan and a reason behind the scenes. Help me believe in you working through others!

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One of these days, Chicken Little will be right.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.” ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬-‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It seems that every generation feels that things have gotten so bad, the end MUST be soon. I wonder if Noah thought the same thing – because, in his case, it was true! I don’t see a lot of apocalyptic references throughout the Old Testament, but there are a few. Isaiah, Daniel and Ezekiel have some visions of what the future held, and they were strange and mysterious.

For Peter to write the church and say this, he must have taken Jesus word’s seriously – he was coming back soon. John, the revelator writes, “behold I come quickly” Rev 22:12. But, what is quickly, especially to God, who is outside of time itself? FYI, I absolutely believe Jesus is returning and that God will wrap everything up according to his will and plan.

For us earth-bounders, we only see history and human behavior in cycles. Looking backward from these days, all the way to Peter’s days, we know that some behaviors have been atrociously worse. There have been so many global episodes of bad actors perpetuating on the masses in their respective domains of control. I have a friend who believes that earth is looking more like heaven than ever before! I don’t.

When Peter encourages the Church to be earnest in prayer, I wonder what that could have meant? In prayer for one another? It seems likely. Especially because he drops the famous line that “love covers a multitude of sins.” More sin, needs more prayer and more love, right? Then he backs up the idea of us needing MORE support while watching and waiting for the world to end with this – hospitality!

If you haven’t noticed even the entertainment industry has really ramped up the futuristic, syfi, apocalyptic shows and movies over the past few decades. Even non-believers in God are trying to figure out what the future holds. Of course, many of the future-casters are just trying to force behavioral change surrounding the hot topic of global climate change. In almost every one of their future scenarios, humans are the enemy that needs to be destroyed. Feels like they are just lashing out at God like petulant toddlers.

Peter reminds us that when everything gets bad, we should share goodness, like meals and shelter. If the global pandemic was a test run for an “end of the world” scenario, believers did NOT pass. I don’t think most of us were in a sharing and caring mood – we treated our own family members like the infected on The Walking Dead! There seems to be a particular idea from Peter that when the going gets tough, the tough should get together – not separate, and hunker down in isolation. I have a feeling we’ll get another chance when the next rotation of the “world ending” comes into view. We can do better then, right? One day, the sky will fall and this world will end. Chicken Little will be right.

Prayer

Dad,
I agree, things do look bleak. There is a lot going on in our country and in our world that makes us all nervous about the future. Yet, I know you hold the future! And, I know you are bringing about the most amazing plan of your Kingdom coming and your will being done! In that I find peace, comfort and even an excitement in the finality of waiting. I want to be ready. I want to stay alert and aware of what you are doing. This is not an escape prayer, but it is a “let it be done” prayer – Come quickly Lord Jesus!

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Blood much thicker than water.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing.” ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Peter is a family man. He was married and possibly had kids. The Chosen series portrays Peter and his wife as having a tragic miscarriage, maybe so.

Here in his letter to the churches he writes about how family (wives and husbands) should behave, then naturally talks about how the Church should behave. Some churches, especially as they age, seem to gain a reputation of treating their own members worse than their own blood family. Peter doesn’t mention it, but it is a Biblical truth. The church, the body of Christ does share blood! They share the blood of Christ that washed and cleaned up each and every one of us who believe. So, as followers of Christ, His blood is way thicker than water!

Peter states the obvious that is often missed or purposely ignored in “the Church.” This was true then and it’s just as true today. The family of God should be of one mind, a word that speaks of harmony or frequency, no sharp dissonance in our words and behaviors towards each other. Then Peter uses one of the 23 “one another’s,” mentioned in the New Testament. He writes, sympathize with each other. Have a shared passionate suffering as though you were mourning together. Peter couples that word with the Greek word, “eusplagchnos,” which root word, “splagxnon,” is a medical term. Splagxnon are the visceral organs! Our “bowels” as they exercise positive gut-level empathy.

We must get away from treating each other so awful that it’s worse than what one faces in the culture of the world! He admonishes the Church to BE tender, BE humble. Then lays on the tough part, DO NOT RETALIATE! Don’t give evil for evil or insult for reviling, abuse.

But Peter, that’s exactly what we do! We were hurt badly, so we MUST hurt back! We were treated horribly, so we must return the favor! We don’t need to bless them, we need to teach them a lesson. They need a lesson, not a blessin’. People shouldn’t be mean and vicious in Church, but if they are, we will give it back to them a thousand times worse because it’s what they deserve!

This is why the Church can be such a difficult place to gather together because we’ve used the Bible as an excuse to judge and condemn each other. When we treat each other horribly, we are NOT behaving Biblically. Forgive, reconcile, keep no records of wrong! Peter begs us to employ God’s method of behavior towards us, “pay them back with a blessing,” and MEAN IT! Don’t fake a blessing, make it real. This word, “blessing” is the word Eulogy. You know, saying good words at someone’s funeral. Use the eulogy, speaking good words back, when someone is speaking vile about you. Find good in them. Find good in what God thinks of them. Then, speak it back and eulogize (bless) them. We’ve got to fix this about Church. We’ve got to start being Biblical instead of vomiting our supposed righteous indignation all over the family of God. It starts with us, let’s do it God’s way when we gather!

Prayer

Dad,
You know I hate the way we treat each other in Church, when we gather as the family of God, followers of Jesus. I am at blame as well. You know I’ve always hated it since I got deep into the culture of the church and saw what goes on behind the wizard’s curtain, otherwise known as “church leadership.” Sadly, I wanted to keep the young in age or in faith, far away from the inner workings of the church because it no longer looked like Jesus. We’ve got to do better, we’ve got to be better. We desperately need you to correct us, help us stay open and tender. Absolutely forgive us for misunderstanding the application of grace and truth by using power instead of humility. Wash our mouths out with your Spirit soap of mercy and make us clean. Amen.

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A Sailor’s Life?

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.” ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I wonder if Peter had a sailor’s mouth, or a fisherman’s mouth at least. I know he was Jewish, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t struggle with the workman’s culture of talking up the weekend or the night out with the guys. Peter wasn’t always a saint.

Here in his letter to the Church he lays down the admonishment of better behavior now that Christ had redeemed their lives. He generalizes getting rid of all evil behavior, but then gets more specific. The general word, “kakia” is wickedness, better understood as an intentional desire to injure. Wow! Right? Proverbs talks a lot about intentional wickedness in a couple of Hebrew words for fool, the worst of the two is Nabal: an obsession to do wrong, causing pain to anyone and everyone. Peter encourages those to cold-turkey-quit several evil habits that are inappropriate for followers of Jesus. Eliminate deceit. The word “dolos,” baiting the naive, employing decoys to snare people, especially the innocent. Kick hypocrisy. The word, “hupokrisis,” someone acting under a mask. A theater term used to describe a performance by actors playing a part. If you’ve ever been around theater people you know that are able to quickly move in and out of roles, alternating their voice and persona to fit the part. In relationships, we want to be known for who we really are, and not some projection of a fake representation of ourselves. For jealousy, Peter uses the word, “phthonos,” or envy. A jealous envy that negatively “energizes” someone with an embittered mind, conveying “displeasure at another’s good.” Whoa, that one hurts! How often do I de-celebrate another’s success or accomplishment? Unkind speech is “katalalos,” a defamer. A person that slanders, employs back-biting, and tries to de-rail a person’s life!

Getting rid of these qualities just reminds me of the power of transformation and the character of Christ who creates this change in me. Given my nature and proclivity, I would likely be deceitful, possibly even hypocritical, envious and slanderous all just to get what I want! Wouldn’t that make sense if I didn’t live by a godly code of conduct? Maybe I get ahead, make more money or just get there faster than people around me. Believe it, that is a lot folks “truth.” I like how Peter tells us that getting rid of these qualities helps us grow into what he writes is the “full experience” of salvation! The word, “auksánō,” is to grow and it is key to authentic discipleship.

Prayer

Dad.
Do I lead a life of former thoughts, attitudes and behaviors? Not always. And, certainly not purposefully! Do I strive to lead the counter-life of Jesus? Do I yield more and more to the Holy Spirit allowing him to lead and guide me into this “full experience” of salvation as Peter says? I sure hope so. I often check and catch my thoughts just before they come out as behaviors (translated: WORDS). Should I be thinking this? Should I be a dualistic life? Should I be celebrating someone’s failure? These are the small decisions of detail that form who I becoming, right? I want to keep growing and maturing becoming like Jesus!