Take Root 1st & 2nd Peter - 40 day challange

  Day 20 1 Peter 5:1-3 Therefore, I urge elders among you, as  your  fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ,  and  one who is also a fellow partaker of the glory that is to be revealed:  2  shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion but voluntarily, according to  the will of  God; and not with greed but with eagerness;  3  nor yet as domineering over those assigned to your care, but by proving to be examples to the flock. First, we are called to get in the game…be involved…we should always mind our own business and our brother’s welfare is our business.  If my buddy is headed off a cliff, I need to step in front of him. Not because it is my job, but because I love him. Not so I will gain something but to honor God and save my friend. I am not better than him and he may need to step in front of me tomorrow but that is what a family does.  That is how a team operates. Do the right thing and do that thing right…Love God and love y

  Day 21 1 Peter 5:4-7 4  And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.  5  You younger men, likewise, be subject to  your  elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God is opposed to the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. 6  Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time,  7  having cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares about you. Verse 4 finishes up the verses before it with a promise that the Chief Shepherd is coming… Then he transitions into a subject our culture has completely abandoned.   What if we were subject to our elders?   Our society would be incredibly different.   But in our selfishness, we see them as a burden and in so doing miss all the wisdom they possess… We act arrogantly and foolishly because we think we know it all – when in reality - in just a few years we will be trying to give wisdom to the younger generat

  Day 22 1 Peter 5:8-11 8  Be of sober  spirit , be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  9  So resist him, firm in  your  faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brothers and sisters who are in the world.  10  After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen,  and  establish  you .  11  To Him  be  dominion forever and ever. Amen. I always think of a herd of animals when I read this verse.   The wolfs and lions are always looking for a weak animal that has wandered away by itself from the heard. I need to know that if I am in community and deep in God’s word it is much harder for the enemy to attack me. It must be something I do on purpose. Secondly the passage implies that self-pity is not resisting the enemy. It instructs me to know that if I am suffering, I am n

  Day 23 1 Peter 5:12 12  Through Silvanus, our faithful brother (for so I regard  him ), I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it! Silvanus who is also referred to in the bible as Silas is a great example of a humble man of God.   He is a friend…a comrade that helps things get done. He does not seek attention he is just about the business of the Gospel.   When Paul and Barnabas had a dispute and Barnabas left with John Mark, Silas is the one who joined with Paul on his missionary journey. He endured prison and beatings next to Paul and proved to be a loyal friend. Here we see him joined to Peter as Paul is probably in prison or has been martyred at this point.   The unity between Paul and Peter is seen through the relationship of this man - as well as in Peter’s letters where he refers to Paul’s letters as scripture. (2 Peter 3:16) The passage ends with a strong command…we stand in the grace of God. We are

  Day 24 1 Peter 5:13-14 13 She who is in Babylon, chosen together with  you , sends you greetings, and  so does  my son, Mark. 14 Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace be to you all who are in Christ “She” who is in Babylon is most probably a reference to the church in Rome. This letter was addressed to the "elect resident aliens" scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. So here we have a picture of unity that crosses cultural, race, and community boundaries with the implication that it is because we are all “chosen”.   How we all could use this view today.   That we are one in Jesus and should see each other that way regardless of skin color, political views, denomination, or even national affiliations.   Peter audibly tells us to do so.   “Greet everyone with a holy kiss” means to be enthusiast and loving when we see each other. To genuinely love and cherish each other. This refusal to allow division is capped off with his mentio

  Day 25 2 Peter 1:1-4  Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: 2  Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 3  His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  4  Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. It really is all about Him. Through Him we received faith. Through knowing Him we have grace and peace in abundance. His power has given us everything we need to live a godly life…and through His promises we escape the corruption of the world. How can we be anything but grateful and longing to please Him? If we understand this - arrogance is an impossibility

  Day 26 2 Peter 1:5-9 5  Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in  your  moral excellence, knowledge,  6  and in  your  knowledge, self-control, and in  your  self-control, perseverance, and in  your  perseverance, godliness,  7  and in  your  godliness, brotherly kindness, and in  your  brotherly kindness, love.  8  For if these  qualities  are yours and are increasing, they do not make you useless nor unproductive in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  9  For the one who lacks these  qualities  is blind  or  short-sighted, having forgotten  his  purification from his former sins.  Because we have escaped corruption, we can build something…diligently pursue moral excellence, grow in knowledge, let that knowledge control your behavior, and let that knowledge make you tenacious. This tenacity will lead to godliness, kindness and finally love. Never be satisfied always chase holiness. Unless you are growing in

  Day 27  2 Peter 1:10-15 “10 Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choice of you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; 11 for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.12 Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them and have been established in the truth which is present with you. 13 I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder, 14 knowing that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15 And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind.” Peter makes an interesting statement – encouraging them to be “more diligent to make certain about His calling and choice of you.”  This seems like an odd decla

  Day 28 2 Peter 1:16-18 "16 For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such a declaration as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory: “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well pleased”— 18 and we ourselves heard this declaration made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain." The temptation is to market Jesus with clever phrases and activities. While it is important to do our best to reach others with Christ the power is in Christ Himself.   Recently our weekend at the ranch was a great example of that. We certainly had no powerful speakers…there was not a lot of entertainment or high-tech productions…. but we did all share what God has done in our lives…and God’s Holy Spirit moved and impacted people.  No clever tales just eyewitness accounts of the majesty of God. Peter leans on t

  Day 29 2 Peter 1:19-21 "19 We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." Verse 21 is one of my memory verses.  It is my prayer for our “Ranch Re-boot” weekends.  That the Holy Spirit would carry us along and speak through us.   Like so many things in the bible, I think it has multiple applications. No doubt Peter is stating that scripture is God breathed. That a man wrote it but was carried along by the Holy Spirit and wrote the words of God.  I also believe The Holy Spirit works today…. Not in adding to the scripture- but in interpreting the

  Day 30 2 Peter 2:1-3 "But false prophets also appeared among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. 2 Many will follow their indecent behavior, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; 3 and in their greed, they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep." We carry a precious commodity within us…the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We should be incredibly careful to handle it correctly.  Not because people will love us for it – but because God has already judged those who handle it frivolously. Tommy Nelson used to say that when you listen to a sermon your eyes should narrow.  You must be a good “Berean” and make sure what comes out of the preacher’s mouth lines up with what God wrote in His book.   Nothing is secret…the good the bad and

  Day 31 2 Peter 2:4-10 "4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, held for judgment; 5 and did not spare the ancient world, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example of what is coming for the ungodly; 7 and if He rescued righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the perverted conduct of 0unscrupulous people8 (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds), 9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from a trial, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt passion, and despise authority. Reckless, self-centered, they speak abu

  Day 32 2 Peter 2:11-16 "11 whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a demeaning judgment against them before the Lord. 12 But these, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, using abusive speech where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed, 13 suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions as they feast with you, 14 having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having hearts trained in greed, accursed children; 15 abandoning the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the reward of unrighteousness; 16 but he received a rebuke for his own offense, for a mute donkey, speaking with a human voice, restrained the insanity of the prophet." There is nothing new under the sun.  

  Day 33 2 Peter 2:17-19 "17 These are springs without water and mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved. 18 For, while speaking out arrogant words of no value they entice by fleshly desires, by indecent behavior, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, 19 promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what anyone is overcome, by this he is enslaved. " God’s disgust is seen here for those who lead His little ones astray.  The love God has for His own is fierce – and for those who intentionally lead His children into harm’s way all the while presenting themselves as pastors and teachers… God has no patience.  It reminds me of the verse about being lukewarm…it makes God sick. Be hot or cold – be a Spirit filled man or don’t – but if your not don’t preach your wickedness in the pulpit and in counseling rooms. I shudder to think of the consequences for those who have used the church as a cover for chil

  Day 34 2 Peter 2:20-22 "20 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. 21 For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. 22 It has happened to them according to the true proverb, “A dog returns to its own vomit,” and, “A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.” Twice now I mentioned that “apples don’t make a tree an apple tree – they just show that it is one” … This passage is the flip side of that which says if there are no apples it probably isn’t an apple tree.    If the Holy Spirit is inside you, He will impact your walk.  If not and you just pretend to be a Christian, you may clean some things up for a while, but your true nature will eventually come out.  We must be sure there

  Day 35 2 Peter 3:1-3  “Beloved, this is now the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of a reminder, 2 to remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles.3 Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts,” Do I treat people God puts in my path for ministry in such a way that I can open a letter to them with “Beloved”?  Do I conduct myself in a way that would make that greeting feel normal?   We know Peter was an “A type” man’s man.  He argued with Jesus, cut off ears, walked on water…. yet starts his second letter with a gentle, encouraging greeting.  As in our lives, age tends to mellow you…you learn a lot of things that help you determine what is important and what is not…but I am not sure I love like Peter does.  He then proceeds to coach them…stir them up, prepare them for conflict, warn of

  Day 36 2 Peter 3:4-7 "4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue just as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, 6 through which the world at that time was destroyed by being flooded with water. 7 But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly people." This passage says mankind is sort of like the blindfolded guy holding the tail of an elephant.  He thinks he knows everything there is to know about the elephant but has no idea what he is holding onto.   We stand and say all these years nothing has ever changed - and yet to God that is a blink of an eye. It is a second to the eternal Lord and we point and say – see it will never change.  Judgement or Mercy is coming

Day 37 2 Peter 3:8-10 "8 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be discovered." We ain’t like Him. He is not slow…He is patient…and He loves us all! BUT the day is coming.  No one will expect it…they will all have decided that “science” is god - they will be arrogant and self-assured -   and suddenly everything will become clear.  There are two very distinct facts about God – He is loving, and He is holy. Those two clashed in His children and resulted in the Cross.  The cross allows both traits to co-exist. If we disregard either at

  Day 38 2 Peter 3:11-14 "11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! 13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.14 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found spotless and blameless by Him, at peace," Focus…. I remember a story a buddy talked about coaching at Second Baptist High School.   He was the tennis coach and the tennis team was coming in after practice and his brand-new red Ford 150 had been “keyed “with long scratches down both sides… All the kids were upset and when they looked at my buddy he just shrugged and said “oh, well …it’s all gonna burn anyway”.  I bet that is a high school lesson that lasts longer than any class as

 Day 39 2 Peter 3:15-16 "15 and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, 16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which there are some things that are hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. " A couple of key takeaways in this passage. One is that the apostles were aware they were not writing just personal letters to churches, but that God was writing scripture through them. It’s not like these were just memos and later on someone decide to call it scripture. Paul according to what was given to him wrote some difficult things that carried the weight of scripture from the mouth of God.   So, when you start discounting passages because Paul wrote them, or they don’t seem to fit in the culture today be aware that Peter (whom Jesus said He would build the church on) disagr

  Day 40 2 Peter 3:17-18 "17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unscrupulous people and lose your own firm commitment, 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen." Congratulations!... You completed the 40 day challenge.  And Peter sends us off by saying - Be on your guard! … Keep your head on a swivel because there are those who would deceive you.  Peter was aware of the consequences for misinterpreting scripture as he points out it leads to the destruction of the one who does so he warns us not to fall into that category. He refers to no losing your firm commitment and being carried away. You can’t sit stagnant. You must grow in grace and knowledge.  You are either killing sin or it is killing you. So be on your guard…stay on offense and learn to handle the word like and expert swordsman.  My assignmen