"WHEN WITNESSING"

“But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” 1 Peter 3:15b-16

Verse 15 of 1 Peter 3 encourages us to always have an answer for everyone when they ask about our faith. The end of 15 and all of verse 16 tells us how our attitude ought to be when we witness. I made a reminder list of what to do and not to do when witnessing. Since the verse addresses more specifically what to do and why, I will list what not to do and why not.

"REASONABLE ANSWERS"

“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have.” 1 Peter 3:15a

This scripture suggests what seems like a daunting task to many. Not just new believers either. There is almost a general fear among believers about answering questions about their faith; particularly if it means quoting or referencing the Bible. I know our enemy, the devil, feeds this fear. What we do to protect ourselves from any possibility of embarrassment or failure or panic is to avoid any and all situations where we might be questioned or even have an opportunity to share our faith. Or, we have some weak, unsubstantiated, emotionally driven explanation that sounds like an apology at best. We, in essence, trip all over ourselves trying to appear more knowledgeable than we are, or we string together a series of excuses or self deprecating nonsense to survive the awkward moment.

Let me share one answer that we all can use until we get better at it and so we don’t have to freak out about it. Let’s answer the question, “Why do you have hope?” I have hope because Jesus paid the price for my sins on the cross. I needed a Savior and Jesus met my need. I have no hope outside of Him. God sent His Son, Jesus, to be our hope. I have trusted in Him and He answers my questions even when that answer is “no” or “wait” or “maybe”. I know He hears me and I know He will listen to you, too. Hope that this helps a little.

"EVERYTHING IS HIS"

"The earth is the LORD'S, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; 2 for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters." Psalms 24:1-2

He made everything out of nothing. It all belongs to Him: every space, all molecules, and what they do, every being, every animal, fish, and microbe.
From time to time, I need to sing a gospel song to make a point.

"Love, See, Keep, Turn, Do, Seek, Pursue"

For, "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. 1 Peter 3:10-11

Sometimes it is convicting to focus on the verbs in a passage.

In 1 Peter 3:10-11 Peter is directly quoting Psalm 34. Both Peter and the Psalmist use some very simple verbs to suggest action as our response. Let me put the verbs in short phrases and respond. Hope this helps you take it in, it did me.

“THE LENTEN SEASON”

God said, “is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter – when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?" Isaiah 58:6-7

I was not raised to observe Lent. However, as I have gotten older, I now see the importance of it. I had heard of people fasting by giving up a meal or a daily treat such as dessert or favorite beverage but I thought that was just a Catholic belief. As I read the passage from Isaiah I now see the need of not only giving up something but also giving something to someone else. A good example of this would be giving up a meal from your favorite restaurant and then taking that money and buying a meal for someone in need. Maybe we could skip a movie that we wanted to see and take that money and buy food or shelter for someone. Just think of how much good could be done over the next 40 days if every Christian would sacrifice something from themselves and then pass that on to someone in need. I always heard that if you did something for 40 days you would develop a habit that would be hard to break. Wow! Wouldn’t that be great to live like this every day? Maybe that is what God intended to happen by us observing Lent.

"Payback"

9 “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called to that you may inherit a blessing.” 1 Peter 3:9

The surest way to receive a blessing is to be a blessing. God not only wants us to think right, He wants us to speak right and do right. It is wrong to return evil for evil, or insult for insult. I have heard it said that the misapplication of “an eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth” world would be a blind, toothless world. If you cannot speak the truth in love, then do not speak. A growing attitude in our society fostered by so much “trash talk” is the notion that we posture and threaten when crossed, in anyway. Most often this retribution talk is to a third party. Such as, “If they ever do that again, I’ll hurt them, sue them, kill them, embarrass them, make them wish they were never born” kind of talk. We are just talking, but the vindictiveness of our language is over the top. We need to back down the reactionary rhetoric and deal directly with conflict or with an intermediary. Otherwise it just adds to wounds and delays healing.

"FORWARD WITH HOPE"

“One thing I do: Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. I press toward the goal…” Philippians 3:13b – 14a

Recently, I have been greatly encouraged by a number of unrelated factors that have caused my hope to soar. I want to list seven things that are blessing my heart and lifting my spirit. Such good news!

"A Joesph Calling" TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by: Os Hillman

"And he sent a man before them - Joseph, sold as a slave." Psalm 105:17

God is doing a unique work around the world today. He is rising up Josephs throughout the world. Some are still in the "pit" stage of their pilgrimage, while others are heading toward fruitfulness. What does it take for a man to become a true Joseph? It takes years of preparation and testing to be a true Joseph. It takes what the psalmist says in Psalm 105:17. "He called down famine on the land and destroyed all their supplies of food; and he sent a man before them - Joseph, sold as a slave. They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons, till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the Lord proved him true. The king sent and released him, the ruler of peoples set him free" (Psalm 105:16-20).

"THE WAY OF GOD"

Isaiah 26:3

As you may or may not know, I work here at Grace Harbor Church & School throughout the week in the School Office. I really enjoy the kids, the interactions with the parents, and especially the camaraderie with the wonderful staff that we have here at GH. Once a week, our third and fourth grade teacher Sherry Siu shares a morning devotion with the staff, and anyone who can attend is invited—Wednesday mornings in the prayer room at 8am! As I am covering the front office at the time, I am unable to attend, but Sherry faithfully brings me a copy of what was shared to keep me in the loop as a part of the team. This week’s devotion was based on the verse, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” (Isaiah 26:3). I thought this was an especially poignant verse for this time in our church and school. We have been experiencing a lot of growth and positive changes lately. In the midst of changes that happen in our lives however, whether they are good or bad changes, if we let them distract us from what (or who!) we should be truly focusing, we have given over to our human, earthly way of thinking. If we instead focus on what we can be learning through the changes, or how we can be helping, or what God could possibly be trying to show us, it would do us well. The devotion that Sherry shares is from Oswald Chambers, and one part especially stood out to me, in which he is talking about focusing our thoughts on God: “…Your mind will no longer be at the mercy of your impulsive thinking”. It takes a lot of discipline to keep our eyes steady of the path of righteousness, but it is worth it! This is the way of God, the way that brings peace in the midst of trying times. Keep at it my friends, and encourage others to do the same by fighting against peace destroyers, such as gossip. Instead, let’s lift each other up, lavish each other, be love to each other…after all, it IS Valentine’s this weekend after all, isn’t it? :)

"LIKE SHEEP"

“For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” 1 Peter 2:25

As Peter encourages the scattered and persecuted believers, he draws an illustration from Isaiah 53, where the beautiful picture of the coming Messiah is illustrated. Indeed, we are like sheep (not the smartest animals on the farm) and we need shepherding. Jesus is the Great Shepherd, the perfect Shepherd. He tends to us like His flock and makes every effort to keep us under His care. But, we stray. Physically we lose contact with His flock and Him. Emotionally we are led astray by our feelings, and mentally we are scattered in our thoughts. He loves His sheep so much; He would die for each one. He did die for each of us to have a way through redemption to return to Him. We are inwardly drawn to Him. We know our need for guidance, and protection, and we are painfully aware of our tendency to be prone to wander away. We forget our vulnerability, we assume our own strength, and we are tempted by greener pastures or alluring opportunities. So, we have to constantly attach to Him, our Shepherd, our Overseer, and our Lord. We belong in a flock, for safety, fellowship, discipleship, worship, and service.

'UNJUST SUFFERING ADVICE"

"For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God." 1 Peter 2:19

It is not easy to think of God when we are suffering, especially unjustly. When I am in pain for an unjust reason, I am thinking about one thing pretty much exclusively, ME. Yep, ME. I mean after all, when it is unfair, it is about ME - MY rights, MY feelings, MY justice, MY problem. ME, ME, ME. God, make it right for ME. MY feelings have been hurt, MY heart has been broken, MY rights have been trampled. I feel like I take it all the time and I don't deserve that. I think I should be treated better. I think what is most important is what will make it right by ME. And so it goes very often as we pivot at the center of the universe, jockeying for good old number one.

"PROPER RESPECT"

"Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king." "1 Peter 2:17"

Wow, what a mouthful of advice and counsel this is, especially in this day and age. I want to just teach through this passage as if we were sitting at the table having a cup of coffee.

IS IT OKAY TO BOAST- Just Be Careful What We Boast About?!

“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth for in these I delight,” declares the Lord." Jeremiah 9: 23-24

So we are not to boast in our own accomplishments, or strengths, even if we give credit to God who gave it to us. Our only "claim to fame" and reason to boast is that at some point we had the good sense (through guidance of the Holy Spirit) to "know" the Lord. It is from Him that all goodness and boastful attributes come from. The scripture does not reference knowing "about" the Lord…..most of the world knows about Him. It says to know Him, and that means knowing what He says, and how He would act in any circumstance. The only way to KNOW someone, is to spend time with Him and listen to His words through His word, and in our hearts. In that knowledge, we can boast that we know the Lord.

"THANKFUL, THANKFUL, THANKFUL"

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." Colossians 4:2

I love, love, love Paul's short and sweet directives. So often in life we get these long drawn out explanations of what to do. It is like directions. Give me the short and sweet step by step clear notes. Not a story or a paragraph of filler for me. Just as Jack Webb on Dragnet used to say "Just the facts, ma'am." I think I sometimes love Judge Judy for the same reason. Cut to the chase and get to the point. Don't sugar coat it or beat around the bush. Somebody just lay it out the way it is, and let's render a decision. We are so indecisive and try so hard too often, to soft sell or explain the details to a fault.

"NOT REJECTED"

"I ask then: Did God reject His people? By no means!" Romans 11:1

Paul answers his own question here. Paul is himself a Jew and now a believer in the Messiah and proponent of the Way, a follower of Jesus. Yet he knows from the promises of the Old Testament and in his own heart that he is not rejected for being a Jew. You see I too am a follower of Jesus and a proponent of the Way and a believer in the Messiah, but not a Jew. In Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, as the Word says and we are all one in the family of God, those that know Christ as Savior. God loves His people. Those that He chose and those that have been adopted. The most important part of this verse is the promise that He will not reject us. He is waiting to accept us and once He does, He will not forsake us. Anti-Semitism has been around for a long time. There is a fresh wave of Jew-hating going on these days and it would be easy for Christians to get caught up in the sentiment. God is not anti-Semitic. He has not turned on His people. So you say to me, is the Jew saved? The Jew who accepts the Messiah, before eternity is saved. Know this, God still desires that every Jewish person would know Him. I believe someday there will be a great turning to Jesus of many Jews, especially those that still anticipate the Messiah, and those who earnestly study the Scriptures. I believe that God will make every attempt to reveal Himself to His people, those He chose and those of us who have been adopted. He loves us all, as He does all humankind.

BE ZEALOUS

"Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord." Romans 12:11

Today, this verse blesses me and convicts me. It is my greatest desire to be a servant of the Lord. Absolutely nothing brings me deeper or more lasting joy. At age 17, when I to the best of my ability, fully committed myself to the Lord, I have been on a lifelong quest to find and do His will for me. Through great success and miserable failure, I have endeavored to serve Him in whatever circumstance or situation. I have done so joyfully, at times, and with quite a bit of resistance and attitude at other times. I count it all joy to be where I am today and am grateful beyond words for His blessings and His gifting of me, for the privilege of having been able to serve a dozen or more ministries, churches, and organizations. As soon as I describe my life, the zeal for Him begins to mount and rally. My zeal causes me to serve Him and serving Him increases my zeal. Indeed, there is a veritable fountain of zeal within me…..
As long as I keep my eyes on Him.
As long as I keep surrendering to Him.
As long as I put Him first.
As long as I stay in His word and keep praying.
As long as I thank Him for at least one particular breathe, each day.
As long as I stay objective and admit I’m not always so, He keeps me going, He lights my fire, He holds me up, and He moves me forward.
My fervor is still strong, I do not lack zeal and I will not stop until He takes me home.

"Submission"

“Submit yourselves for the Lord’s Sake to every Authority instituted among men…” 1 Peter 2:13

Submission is not a very popular word these days. It almost exclusively means surrender. It is as if “giving in” means “giving up”. Totally different though aren’t they. I remember as a kid with my arm twisted up behind my back by bullies being forced to cry “Uncle”. I hated it, as I still hate bullying, today. Well, what about when the “authorities” are making you comply unfairly? We must obey the law of the land in the jurisdiction we live, unless it demands us too deny our faith. Be careful here. Being treated unfairly is not necessarily forcing you to deny your faith. Many around the world are hanging on to their faith and being persecuted totally disregarded, with little or no recourse. A ticket that exaggerates your mistake is not persecution. Very few of us, if any, have known true persecution. The Word is clear. Submit to the authorities. Use your recourse, but always with a Christian attitude and make sure any anger is totally righteous. Respect authority for its purpose even if it is enforcing its right, with wrong character. We must differentiate between rights and righteousness. We should not act un-righteously about out rights. We can be bold without being belligerent, bombastic or even brash. This is not easy. Being wise in this arena is a test of tact. One help I get from Peter is that he reminds us to do this submitting for the Lord’s sake, or in His name. In every situation, call upon Jesus for guidance, protection and wisdom. Submit, wherever you should and do so in His name and for His glory.

"Silencing Fools"

"For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men." 1 Peter 2:15

From time to time I just want to scream at the world to "shut up". Stop all the nonsense, quit with all the head games, be still for just a moment, take a deep breath and hear something different for a change. Could we just get a moment of peace and quiet so that we could hear God? Oh, He is still there in all the noise and distraction and constant barrage of stuff that is hurled at us from all quarters, for who knows what purposes. I only know this, all of it does not make much difference, and we are missing the most important thing, way too often. Have you heard plenty ignorant talk? Have you had your fill of foolishness? I have.

"HOPE"

“Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the Lord.” Psalms 31:24

I am reading a book by Ray Johnson entitled, “The Hope Quotient”. The premise of the book is that we put too much emphasis on our I.Q. (Intelligence Quotient) and ever-increasing emphasis on our E.Q. (Emotional Quotient) but really need to put our emphasis on our HQ (Hope Quotient). Everybody needs more hope, as the old song says, “High hopes, he’s got high hopes, high apple pie in the sky hopes.” But this kind of hope is more than emotional sensation, or a catchy phrase. Real hope that causes us people of the Lord to be strong and take courage. Hope is something that we can latch onto and use it as a bridge between discouragement and encouragement. This is what came to me after a quote I read in this book. All of the men in my Pastors Mentor Fellowship are reading this together. The quote from Howard Hendricks about discouragement says, “Discouragement is the anesthetic the devil uses on a person just before he reaches in and carves out their heart.” Wow! Graphic and gripping and so true; we need a bridge from discouragement to encouragement. It is hope. Hope makes us stronger so we can get stronger. Hope hands us courage so we can take it.1 Corinthians 13 says faith, hope, and love, and though love is the greatest and faith is the key, HOPE is most often what we need most. A lot is said and written about faith and love, but not about hope.