Lent Devotions
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Lent Week Three – this week.

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Lent Day Sixteen
Peter Warned and falls.

Music
Peter walked on water!
Save me – Peter’s Song – Ian Calk

Matthew 26:31-35 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Peter’s Denial Predicted
31 Then Jesus said to them, “Tonight all of you will run away[a] because of Me, for it is written:

I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.[b]

32 But after I have been resurrected, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”

33 Peter told Him, “Even if everyone runs away because of You, I will never run away!”

34 “I assure you,” Jesus said to him, “tonight, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times!”

35 “Even if I have to die with You,” Peter told Him, “I will never deny You!” And all the disciples said the same thing.

Matthew 26:69-75 Denial

Mark 14:27-31 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Peter’s Denial Predicted
27 Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will run away,[a][b] because it is written:

I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep will be scattered.[c]

28 But after I have been resurrected, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”

29 Peter told Him, “Even if everyone runs away, I will certainly not!”

30 “I assure you,” Jesus said to him, “today, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times!”

31 But he kept insisting, “If I have to die with You, I will never deny You!” And they all said the same thing.

Mark 14:66-72 denial

Luke 22:31-34 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Peter’s Denial Predicted
31 “Simon, Simon,[a] look out! Satan has asked to sift you[b] like wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you[c] that your faith may not fail. And you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

33 “Lord,” he told Him, “I’m ready to go with You both to prison and to death!”

34 “I tell you, Peter,” He said, “the rooster will not crow today until[d] you deny three times that you know Me!”

Luke 22:54-62 Denial

John 13:36-38 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Peter’s Denials Predicted
36 “Lord,” Simon Peter said to Him, “where are You going?”

Jesus answered, “Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you will follow later.”

37 “Lord,” Peter asked, “why can’t I follow You now? I will lay down my life for You!”

38 Jesus replied, “Will you lay down your life for Me? I assure you: A rooster will not crow until you have denied Me three times.

John 18:15-18 and John 18:25-27

Devotion
Peter’s loyalty tested

I love Peter! I see myself in some of Peter, and there are parts of Peter that I wish I saw in myself. I see myself in Peter in the ways that his mouth opens up and says things before he really thinks it through! I wish that I saw in myself the courage to step out of the boat by just asking Jesus “call me” and I will come walk to you on the water. Peter was willing to take up a sword to fight for Jesus.
Peter was willing to argue with Jesus about whether or not he should died in Jerusalem and whether or not he should have his feet washed or his whole body washed. Now those aren’t necessarily things that I would like to have as part of my walk except that Peter had this courageous faith. Yes, sometimes he was off in his application, but he was wholeheartedly following the Lord. I think that pleased the Lord!

It’s easier to steer a ship that is moving, than one that is standing still!

With this background, when Jesus says that there’s someone here who will betrays him and whatever and Peter says
“no not me”,
it had to take him a back to be told
“oh Peter, before the cock crows twice you will have denied me thrice.

Jesus loved Peter so much, even though he was impetuous and kind of a wild kind of guy. when Jesus knew that the devil was asking to attack Peter so Jesus prayed specifically that the devil would not prevail against Peter.

Luke 22:31-32 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Peter’s Denial Predicted
31 “Simon, Simon,[a] look out! Satan has asked to sift you[b] like wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you[c] that your faith may not fail. And you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

• Peter walked on water! Matthew 14:22-33
• Peter declared Christ was the Son of God! Matthew 16:13-17
• Peter was one of the chosen three, Peter, James and John, that went with Jesus to the Mount of transfigurarion. Matthew 17
• Peter was the one Jesus went up to and specifically made a point of asking him to feed his sheep. John 21:15-17

He was warned!
I don’t know about you but sometimes I think if I’m told I’m going to mess up in the area, I’m going to do all I can to not mess up!. I am sure that Peter was preparing to not do anything that could set him up for denying him. Wouldn’t you? Peter had lifted a sword and cut off the ear of one that came to take Jesus away (Mt 26:51-54, lk 22:50;Mk 14:47; John 18:10-11)! Yet, when he was face to face with accusations, he crumbled.

In John 18, we hear that Peter got into the courtyard because John(who always referred to himself as “a disciple”) knew the high priest and was able to get Peter in, though he would stay in the courtyard. Apparently those guys from Nazareth had as unique of an accent as folks that we here in America recognize as from New York, Boston or let’s say those that come from Jamaica.

As far as I’m concerned all the southern types of accents have started rolling together for me, though many years ago, when I knew which cousins were from what state, I could differentiate between the southern states. Not anymore.

Peter didn’t keep his mouth shut, or at least when someone else said “hey I saw you with that man Jesus!” he said no not me. He was exposed because of his accent. On the other hand, if you want to see this a different way, this was Passover. Everybody from Israel, every Jew that could make it, was in Jerusalem for Passover. He could have hidden amongst all the visitors! He just denied it.

“No, not me!”
Cockadoodledoo

Then another denial.

And another, which is stated he started to curse, which is the third

Cockadoodledoo

I’m just combining the different gospels….

As it would happen, Peter looked up and saw Jesus being marched off and Jesus looked into his eyes and their eyes met. Peter realized what had happened. Luke 22:61. All of the gospels says he went off and wept bitterly.

How does this relate when you look at Judas?

Judas was certain that Jesus was on the wrong path, and he turned him over to the high priest.

I don’t think Peter was questioning Jesus’s path, but he was finding out that he wasn’t so quick to want to die for Jesus.

Judas was willing to take money to turn Jesus over. It doesn’t say that they were going to kill him, but that they were going to take Jesus into custody.

Peter was not willing to put his life on the line and pay the cost to be associated with Jesus.

When both men realized what they had done, they went into deep despair.
Peter went back to fishing, figuring he was unworthy to serve the Lord. He may have not known anything else to do, because his whole plan was to walk with Jesus and now Jesus was dead. “Now what do we do?” He did what he needed to do, he went back to fishing.
Judas tried to get rid of the “blood” money he had gotten for turning Jesus in, and the Pharisees basically said “it’s not our problem that’s your problem”. Judas took his own life.

I have to wonder, like I said in the blog about Judas,
did he miss the concept of forgiveness?
Did he miss the concept that there was going to be a price to be paid and that then there would be grace?
Did he miss that Jesus allowed him to participate even though Jesus knew that he was a thief?

Then I wonder, what did Peter know the Judas didn’t?
Did Peter have some basis of Faith like David in Psalm 22, Psalm 23, Psalm 51 and Psalm 55(to list a few) that somehow God was a loving God and fully intended to forgive?

When I get to the itty bitty bible study on 1st and 2nd Peter I’m going to be looking at what theme does Peter have, in order to see where his understanding about Jesus is.

Then again, his understanding changed dramatically when he and Jesus stood on the beach after Jesus rose again.
It also probably changed in the upper room, both when Jesus came to see them, and the wonderful story in Acts 2 and Peter preached the whole BIBLE!

I wonder what Peter learned from his experience with JESUS. When Peter stepped out of the boat in faith and walked on the water, and then he looked around at the storm and he took his eyes off Jesus, and said “Lord Jesus save me”, and Jesus reached out his hands and caught him. I wonder, did that impact Peters understanding that Jesus knows we’re going to mess up, and Jesus would forgive. This experience had to be enormously impactful to this fisherman!

There is only one way that we will know. That is when we stand before Jesus and we start celebrating with all the saints that have gone before us, and we can look at Peter and say “hey what’s up? What did you know the Judas didn’t?”

The next thing that I think of every time I talk about what I’m going to ask God about when I get to heaven is this; will I care?

So there’s a couple of points that I take from Peters confession of loyalty, denial, an ultimate forgiveness and call to walk in his calling.

1. Never be so arrogant as to assume that I cannot stumble and fall. Pride does go before a fall and a haughty spirit Before Destruction(Proverbs 16:18). There’s a reason this and other Bible verses exist! Humility! Christ was humble. Humility is one of the key character qualities God wants in our lives. 2nd Chronicles 7:14 says if my people who are called by my name shall humble themselves and seek my face and turn from their Wicked Ways then I will hear them and then I will heal their land. There’s a few stops in that verse.

1. 1. MY People
   2. Humble themselves
   3. Seek my face
   4. Turn from their Wicked Ways

   How did Peter do?

   • Peter walked with Christ, and was counted as one of ‘them’.
   • Peter humbled himself, weeping bitterly in repentance.
   • When he heard that Jesus had risen from the dead he didn’t just seek him, he ran. as much as he could. to the Grave.
   • Then when Jesus confronted him, Peter turned from his Wicked Ways.
   • God healed his relationship with Jesus.

   
   2. Short accounts
   Of course I’m not going to hold anything against Peter for going off and going back to fishing or whatever, because, come on! Jesus was dead! Peter didn’t have 1st John to explain that he could go to Jesus for forgiveness.

   But we can recognize once we realize that we have sinned that we need to go to Jesus and ask for forgiveness. That’s in 1st John 1:9 – 2:3. The longer we wallow in despair over sin, the longer it takes for us to be forgiven.

   Peter’s letter talks about “if you humble yourself under the mighty hand of God he will lift you up in due time.”

   1 Peter 5:6-7 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
   6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time,[a] 7 casting all your care on Him, because He cares about you.

   Then, there’s this verse:

   Proverbs 3:11-12 King James Version (KJV)
   11 My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction:
   12 For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

   It shows that chastisement confirms that we are his children, and we can rejoice because we know that we’re being taught a lesson! That goes with James!

   James 1:2-4 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
   Trials and Maturity
   2 Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials,
   3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
   4 But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.

   I believe that this is the key difference between Peter and Judas. I’m not sure Judas ever made the full transition into being adopted as a child of God. Whereas Peter knew something was going to happen, he just didn’t understand what. Also, this became part of Peter’s testimony and teachings!

   3. Another part of this test is be ready to be confronted and convicted. Here’s another difference between Peter and Judas.

   Peter was convicted,
   Judas was condemned.

   The Holy Spirit Will convict us of sin and that is our chastisement to teach us to turn away from sin.
   The enemy condemns us and that turns to self-destruction. “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” Romans 8:1!

   There is conviction,
   There is chastisement, and just like the 2 Chronicles 7:14 verse, the point is to cause us to turn away from sin so that God can heal our land.

   In James’s explanation of prayer for the sick it says “if any has committed any sins let him confess their sins and they will be healed.” Peter didn’t need to confess to Jesus, because he was looking eye-to-eye at Jesus just as the cock crowed. Jesus still confronted him “Peter do you love me? Then feed my sheep.”

   There are some teachings about which Greek word was used each time Jesus said Peter do you love me as in which word love whether it’s agape or whether it’s phileo. Thoughtco.com has a great explanation of the four types of love in the Bible.
   In John 21, Jesus asked do you agape love me and Peter said Lord you know I phileo love you. Jesus wanted Peter to say I agape love you, Yet Jesus gives up, and simply asks Peter the third time, do you phileo love me?

   Jesus would not allow Peter to wallow in his sin.
   Jesus would not allow Peter to be crippled by the sin.
   Jesus made sure in the time he had between his resurrection and his Ascension that he got Peter pointed on the right path.

   I have no idea how things may have been different for Judas if he understood a little bit more about mercy and Grace. Someone had to turn Jesus in I suppose, otherwise there wouldn’t have been the fulfilled prophecy about the 30 pieces of silver. I don’t know.

   I do know that
   I depend on the faithfulness of God’s love, Mercy, Grace, and forgiveness, as taught by Jesus Christ before he died on the cross for my sins.
   I depend on Jesus Christ as my Advocate with the father.
   I depend on Jesus Christ understanding what I’m going through so that he can help me and give me leading and give me guidance.
   I depend on the Holy Spirit dwelling Within Me to teach me and to guide me and to comfort me and to cause me to grow into the fullness of God.
   I depend on my father God to keep his promise the by my believing on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I am a new creation all things all old things are passed away and all things are created new and by leaning on God, I can become more and more like Jesus everyday.

   That is what I see from the life of Peter. He goes from the older fisherman, to a teacher, miracle worker, being sent forth by Jesus to an apostle that helps start the very Foundation of the Christian Movement. He also was part of the leadership the interactive with Paul.

   At the end of Peter’s life we’re told that not only did he give his life for Christ, but that he chose to be hung on a cross upside down. He said he was not worthy to be hung in the same manner as his Lord. He did have the opportunity to give the ultimate sacrifice for his Lord.

   I can’t imagine the gospel story without Peter.
   I am so thankful he said yes to follow Christ.
   I am so thankful that in the gospels we see him as such an exuberant follower. And
   I am so thankful that we have the story of his denial followed by the story of Christ specifically calling him to feed his sheep because we all in some way, big or small, everyday, deny Christ.

   All of us rise from some fantastic spiritual high and say “Yes Lord call me to walk on the water”.
   All of us have seen the storms we take our eyes off Christ and we start to sink and we need to cry out “Save Me Lord!” At least I think everyone.
   I know I do.
   And I am thankful that the apostles, the disciples, the leaders of the beginning of the Christian church, were not perfect. Looking at their lives gives me hope!

   My question to you is, again, are you at Judas or a Peter?

   Do you know about the forgiveness of sins for those who seek God and desire to be a child of God?

   Got Questions provides a detailed explanation of The Roman’s Road.
   Billy Graham’s version of the Plan of salvation

   My other question, in light of Judas from the previous day of Lent, are you despairing?
   Do you feel that God has given up on you?

   For the third Sunday in Lent I’m talking about Jesus crying out “my God my God why has Thou forsaken me?” I suggest you read that and if you need more help with despair and depression that causes you to consider harming yourself, please go to my post about suicide, or call 1-800-273-TALK for help right now. Once you have taken your own life, there is no hope to be changed, healed, delivered, empowered, and set free. The time for that is before suicide.

   Prayer and Worship
   I have decided to Follow Jesus – Elevation Worship
   Give me Faith – Elevation Worship
   Give My Life to YOU/Our King has Come – Elevation Worship
   You make me Brave – Amanda Cook and Bethel Music
   No longer a Slave – Bethel Worship

2. ~~~~~~~Hi!
   My hope in the midst of despair and my joy in the face of depression is because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. If you do not have one, or are not sure you will join him in heaven, please check out these links:
   • Got Questions provides a detailed explanation of The Roman’s Road.
   • Billy Graham’s version of the Plan of salvation.

   Thanks for joining me in this journey,
   In His hands and under His wings,
   ~Christi
   Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

   

   M. Christine Wildman

   “The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
   If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
   If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

   Copyrights and Legal-eze
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   • Naomi’s Heart Ministries
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