Don’t Be Distracted – Just Follow Me

John 21:19

New International Version

Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

For Encouragement

Bravado, denial, disillusionment, fallback to old ways, failure, and disappointment—Simon Peter knew this road well and traveled it for gold. However, that was not his lot in life. Jesus had much more for the man He had prepared to lead His church. So, in the early morning in one of His post-resurrection appearances on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus met him and his friends, disappointed and wallowing in failure after a futile all-night fishing trip. Jesus refreshed them over broiled fish and bread for breakfast, after which He restored Peter. The way He did it must have brought into sharp focus Peter’s personal weaknesses, and conveyed to him his need for divine enablement to succeed in his assigned responsibilities.

The Lord’s repeated question to Simon was penetrating. “Simon, son of John. Do you love me?” (John 21:15, 16, 17).

Peter’s first two responses were sincere but not convincing (15, 16). Guilt can weaken a man’s confidence, but thank God He knows the integrity of our hearts.

In each response, Christ gave Peter a charge and mandate. For the third time, Jesus repeated His question, “Do you love me?” He had been with the Lord for three years, so he understood the Lord’s repeated question. They revealed his weakness despite his gallantry, and that hurt him. It is painful when someone says something that highlights our weakness.

Peter surrendered his weakness to Jesus.

Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.

How else could he express it, and isn’t that what the Lord expects from us—to surrender our weaknesses to Him? (2 Corinthians 12:9).

“Jesus said, Feed my sheep.”

Peter has his commission now and is almost rejoicing in his heart, but there is more for him. Jesus told him the way he would die, not a pretty way to die, but reminiscent of how He, Jesus, died. Then He added a command:

“Follow me!” (19).

This command has loads of reminders and hope. Jesus was telling Peter:

“I have tread victoriously on the path I am calling you to journey with me. I know the pain and suffering that would challenge you, but I know how to conquer them and move you to higher grounds, and I will see you through. Please don’t go ahead of me and don’t retreat in cowardice again. Just follow me. But I also know your tendency towards distraction as on the sea-walk with me (Matthew 14:28-31). Your show of bravado in Gethsemane was also a showoff and unnecessary, as I told you (John 18:10-11). This call is serious business, so don’t blow it, Peter. Follow me!

With a pounding heart, Peter follows the Lord for a beach stroll. He hears some familiar footsteps behind them. It is John following them, and his curiosity asks,

Lord, what about him?

Peter! Peter! Peter!

Did you hear the Lord a few minutes ago about distractions? But we are so much like Peter. We concern ourselves with other people’s matters than our own, which are screaming for attention. As the Lord said, leave that to me, Peter. It’s not your concern.

His message today as His disciples is: Don’t get distracted. Just follow me with your eyes fastened on me, for I am the Pioneer and Perfecter of our faith, and you will ride into victory with me.

Shalom

Of Promises and Conditions

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Joshua 1:7

New International Version

 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.”

For Encouragement

In Joshua 1:8 b, God not only promised Joshua prosperous ways and success (NKJ), but He also reassured him of these blessings. The Standard College dictionary defines prosperous as successful; flourishing, and success as a favorable or expected outcome of something attempted. God emphasized His promise of guaranteed success in the undertakings of His servant in the Promised Land. This reassurance is what Joshua needed to hear, and I believe it is precisely what we all want to hear from God now.

It’s crucial not to overlook a vital aspect of this enticing promise from God—the conditions that are intricately tied to it.

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all written in it (8a).

It’s like taking medicine when we are sick. We want to be healed by it, but want nothing to do with its bitter taste. Believers do the same thing. We want the promises of God, but not the conditions that come with them. Drug manufacturers have found a way out by coating the pill, putting it in a capsule, or adding flavor to reduce the bitterness. Likewise, believers want to rationalize or manipulate God’s word to avoid the conditions. We claim these promises and pray all day long, hoping to twist the arm of God to make our ways prosperous and successful. However, nobody can manipulate God. His arm is too big and strong for any of us to twist. He means what He says, and He does not play favoritism. His word is unchangeable.

God’s message to Joshua was straightforward:

Obey my instructions and I will make your ways prosperous and give you outstanding success in the Promised Land. No one can stand before you and prevail all the days of your life. Only hold on to my word with a firm grip and let your stand be unwavering.

The summary above is the essence of being strong and courageous (vv. 6a, 7a, 9a). It’s not just a command, but a path to empowerment and responsibility. Obedience to God’s word is the key to unlocking His promises, and it’s in our hands if we take this challenge.

The outcome is stark and sobering. As long as Joshua lived, the people followed God and experienced success. Before his passing, he urged them to fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and truth … (and) choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve … (24:14-15) so they may continue to prosper. However, after his death, everyone did what was right in his own eyes (Judges 21:25). The result was not just a lack of prosperity, but failure and defeat instead of success. This serves as a stark reminder of the harsh consequences of not adhering to God’s instructions.

God promises us many things in the Bible, ours to claim for His glory. But many of them come with conditions we have to meet if we are to claim them. It’s not just about fulfilling these conditions, but also about having faith in God’s faithfulness and His ability to fulfill His promises. So, let’s determine to fulfill the conditions in His word, and the promises will be ours to claim.

If You Think You’re Standing

Luke 22:31-32

New International Version

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

For Meditation

The schemes of the devil are subtle and ensnaring. Without the Lord, we have no chance against them.

We feel spiritually solid and impregnable because we know our word and pray. People recognize our spiritual vitality and maturity. They respond with respect and come to us for counseling. When the allegation came against that brother for sexual impropriety, who else could they appoint to lead the investigation than us?

We breeze through the case without mercy. “How could he do such a thing after the Pastor’s excellent teaching and recent sermon series? And he is not even repentant enough.” So, we recommend the harshest disciplinary action and move on.

Sometime later, you travel on business. A meeting lingers, and you dine late and alone in the dimly lit hotel restaurant. The lady across from your table sends you an occasional parcel of smiles. You pay no attention at first, but she persists. You sit there with confidence and give her a cocky smile in response, “Not me, lady! Go get one of your types somewhere.”

The next day, you are on a flight home, lost in your thoughts. “How did it happen? How can I face my wife today? Do I have the guts to confess it? How will the church react if they hear about it?”

The fact is, we are very human and weak in this world without our Savior. We will always fall until we acknowledge this and humble ourselves under His Sovereign protection and constant intercession (Rm. 8:34). Pride is our worst enemy. Still, we can hardly believe we are swimming in its warm pool.

Follow the discourse of Jesus with the disciples at the Last Supper table with me as Dr. Luke tells the story, and let’s observe some things together.

Jesus warned the disciples against the leadership style of the world, recommended His servanthood model in its place (Lk. 22:24-30), and addressed Peter in his self-confident posture.

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail” (31-32).

To appreciate the force of Jesus’s statement, walk through Peter’s failures after this event with me. He slept in Gethsemane (45), followed the Lord at a distance after His arrest (54), denied the Lord three times as the Lord predicted (55-62), absent from the crucifixion scene (Matthew 27:55-56), failed to grasp the resurrection report from the women (Luke 24:11-12), and went back to his old business (John 21:3). It was all downhill until the Lord intervened and restored him after the fishing fiasco on the shores of the Sea of Tiberias (15-19). Do you see how worse things could have been for Peter without the Lord’s intercessory prayer?

So, let’s take the admonition of Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:12 seriously and appreciate Jesus’s current intercessory ministry in heaven on our behalf.

“If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

Shalom

Quenching That Thirst

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Psalm 42:2

New International Version (NIV)

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
    When can I go and meet with God?

For meditation

The Psalmist, in his poignant words, expresses a deep yearning for God’s presence, asking when he could go to meet Him in the temple (Psalm 42:1). This intense desire, like a fish out of water, is a palpable yearning to leave the dry place and enter God’s presence, the fountain of life, from whose presence flows streams of living water.

God is not just a part of his life, but the very essence of his being. The Psalmist has cultivated an intimate and dependent life with Him, which he cherishes. He thirsts for God as for water in the desert, especially when he cannot sense His presence (Psalm 42:2).

Today is Tuesday, the second day after that Spirit-filled worship service, where the Holy Spirit immersed us in Christ. Are you feeling a dryness already? Did dawn bring a yearning to be in His Presence for a closer and more intimate fellowship through the week?

Thank God for the Holy Spirit and the written Word; we don’t have to go into a physical building to secure His presence. Our bodies are His temple (1 Corinthians 6: 19).

Life has bumps and challenges of many kinds, and today is no exception. Perhaps it’s a tough conversation with a loved one, a demanding work project, or a health issue. Whatever it is, remember that dryness will come as you struggle through the busyness of your day. What will you miss the most, and what will you reach out for in those moments?

Imagine a stroll with Jesus through the woods, with the backdrop of waterfalls and chirping birds at such times. Isn’t that refreshing? Can you make that your experience with Christ in the word and prayer?

As a beloved disciple of Jesus, He has intricately woven your life into His, so you should miss Him when something drives a wedge between you and Him.

Paul said it this way.

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

Jesus was Paul’s life, and ours too, as believers.

Our Lord sought closeness with the Father while on earth, and He calls us to the same desire for intimacy with Him every day, especially when the going gets tough.

“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” when they got so busy that they could not “even have a chance to eat (Mk. 6:31)?” This is the closeness He wants for us as His disciples, a time of rest and rejuvenation in His presence.

May we accept this call and step away with our Lord to a quiet place for Him to strengthen, refresh, and refocus us each day.

Shalom

Divine Caution

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Jeremiah 9:23-24

New Living Translation

This is what the Lord says:

“Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom,

    or the powerful boast in their power,

    or the rich boast in their riches.

But those who wish to boast

    should boast in this alone:

that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord

     who demonstrates unfailing love

    and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth,

and that I delight in these things.

    I, the Lord, have spoken!

For Meditation

That is all we can boast about—that we know Jesus and understand He is the Supreme King and Sovereign Lord—the only source of our contentment and joy.

Everything else is vanity, as King Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 1:14, a chasing after the wind. How useless could that be?

As Wiersbe comments:

“No amount of education, power, or wealth—three things the world today depends on and boasts about—can guarantee the blessing of God. God doesn’t delight in a nation’s learning, political influence, armies, or gross national product. He delights in a people who practice kindness, justice, and righteousness because they know and fear the Lord. God promises covenant blessings to those who obey Him, not to those who only submit to religious ceremonies.”

Throughout the annals of history, God has consistently displayed His unwavering love for His people, even in the most diverse and challenging circumstances. Consider how He shielded His people, the Jews, in Persia by thwarting the sinister plot of the proud and hateful Haman (Esther 6:6-12; 7:9-10). Despite Israel’s transgressions that led to their exile, God’s steadfast kindness and love for them remained. He dispensed justice by vindicating the innocent and punishing the guilty. In that foreign land, righteousness served as His banner, a constant reminder of how His people should live. His ways and standards should be the norm for His people.

Consider the end of all the tyrants of this world and know that God reigns over His creation to preserve His beloved and humble the proud and arrogant.

In this world marred by sin, we are called to serve this compassionate God. It is imperative, then, that we cast off our reliance on our own wisdom, strength, and wealth, and instead, embrace “Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30).

Let this divine wisdom and humility embrace you and rejoice in your salvation and intimacy with Christ through the indwelling Holy Spirit.

The grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ rest on you. Amen!

One God … One Lord

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1 Corinthians 8:4-6

New King James Version

Therefore, concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.

For Encouragement

Biblical affirmations hold a profound significance in our lives as believers. They serve as pillars that fortify Christian truths in Christ—the Lord of the church—and guide our minds and hearts to their rightful place of rest and belonging.

Christian doctrine leaves no room for ambiguity. It paves a clear path to glory—the narrow road leading to the pearly gates and the streets of gold. What a joy it is to hear the resounding affirmations of our faith in Christ, unclouded by doubt or uncertainty.

Paul said with an apostolic authority that idols are not gods. He was commenting on the controversy of eating meat sacrificed to idols (1 Corinthians 8:4-8)! They are lifeless human creations to satisfy their spiritual emptiness and fill the spiritual void in their hearts that can do nothing (cf. 1 Kings 18:23-29).

With equal authority, the apostle to the Gentiles affirms that there is only one God (1 Corinthians 8:4).

There is one God, the Father,

    by whom all things were created,

    and for whom we live.

And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ,

    through whom all things were created,

    and through whom we live.

In the scripture above, Paul affirms, as John MacArthur puts it, the essential equality of God the Father and God the Son [The MacArthur Bible Commentary, pg.1583].

The heart of our faith lies in the profound unity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, as one in the Godhead — the Trinity — and there is no other besides Him (Deuteronomy 4:34-35). Contemplate this magnificent truth and let it fill you with awe.

So, what more do you want to know? How do you apply your understanding of this golden truth? What power and authority do you lack in your Triune God that you should go after any of these other “gods” who are lifeless and powerless? If Jesus is your God, Lord, and King Eternal, why do you fear eating what He has blessed for our enjoyment with prayer?

As Paul declares in his doxology:

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

    How unsearchable his judgments

    and his paths beyond tracing out!

“Who has known the mind of the Lord?

    Or who has been his counselor?”

“Who has ever given to God

    that God should repay them?”

For, from him and through him and for him are all things.

    To him be the glory forever! Amen. (Romans 11:33-36).

So, rejoice in your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and through Him, give glory to God the Father in the power of the Holy Spirit.

A Woman Worthy of Commendation

Romans 16:1-2

New International Version (NIV)

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae. I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me.

For Meditation

What a remarkable woman she was! Can you picture this special woman called Phoebe through Paul’s testimony about her (Romans 16:1)?

“She has been a benefactor of many people, including me,” Paul writes to the church in Rome (2).

What countless number of itinerant preachers must have been blessed by her selfless service as they passed through Cenchreae. Her unique blend of selflessness and dedication to service, coupled with her unwavering faith, is truly admirable. 

See her in the church. Observe how she comes around somebody in need to help in any way possible. Can you feel the warmth and comfort she brought many a burdened soul as she ministered in her calling as a deaconess in Cenchreae? Can you imagine her Pastor’s joy? Above all, can you imagine God’s delight in her?

Why wouldn’t a person like Phoebe receive such high commendation from the great Apostle to the Gentiles? How would Paul hesitate to recommend her to the brethren in Rome to accord her “any help she may need” (2)?

Reflect on this: Are you living a life worthy of such commendation from your church? Do people truly recognize and appreciate your commitment to service in God’s house? How many have benefited from your kind, encouraging, and hospitable heart? Can you be sure that your Pastor would readily commend you to another church for help, or might there be some hesitation? These are questions worth pondering.

Let us hope and pray that the church will continue to receive blessings from individuals like Phoebe, who serve with their hearts to refresh others in a way worthy of God’s people (2a). May there be a multitude of Phoebes in our midst until the day Christ returns, each one a beacon of selfless service and devotion.

So, may you be a Phoebe, wherever you are, and may you prosper in all your ways and get refreshed by others because you have been a generous benefactor for many in God’s service (Prov. 11:25). The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be upon you! Amen.

The Attitude of Faith

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Daniel 3:17-18

New International Version

 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand.But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

For Encouragement

Imagine being young and far away in a foreign land, a situation many of us can relate to. Now, imagine how you got there, a story that might be filled with personal trauma. Exile is no fun, and it changes the trajectory of many lives in different ways. This was the situation Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego found themselves in, in Babylon. 

Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, handpicked them for royal service in the Babylonian king’s court (Dan.1:3-5). With their prayer support, Daniel interpreted the king’s dream that no one could (22:17-18, 27-49). Now, the same king demanded they bowed to a golden statue he had raised on the plain of Dura (3:13-15). Jerusalem was fresh in their hearts, and the worship of any other god apart from Yahweh was anathema to them. But there was more to consider.

Now, imagine the king raising an enormous oven to roast all non-conformists alive. The three Hebrew boys, Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego, were faced with a choice. Do they bow to the image of King Nebuchadnezzar, or do they maintain the sanctity of their faith in Yahweh by refusing to bow? The stakes were high, and their decision would have far-reaching consequences. 

The three’s decision brought them before the king for interrogation. Give it to Nebuchadnezzar here—he verified the truth first and allowed them to change their recalcitrance before condemnation (13-15). 

They would do well to fall and worship the image the king had made. But he would throw them into a blazing furnace if they did not worship it. Then what god will be able to rescue them from his hands?

Every astute Christian will face such a challenge in this world. It comes down to where our loyalty lies and the resilience of our faith in the only God who alone is able to deliver His people from any and every situation.

What the three said to the king is classic godliness—the attitude of faith in our Lord that every Christian must exhibit in every situation, everywhere—the perennial “What if” that haunts all of us. 

The three Hebrew boys showed unwavering faith and loyalty to the Lord. They declared, “if we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

That is it! The declaration of absolute trust in Yahweh to deliver them from the fire while holding high His sovereignty, for our example. 

The world and its leaders tell us to love it and demand that we yield to its standards. They have imposed consequences for non-compliance. But God says we must have no other gods before Him or bow down to them (Exodus 20:2-3). He is a jealous God who frowns on our disobedience. Our challenge is who to obey. Who you trust at such critical moments will reveal who your God is.

So, how has your faith stood in the face of such intense trial and suffering this week? This is a question that invites deep introspection, a reflection on the strength of our faith in challenging times.

Something to ponder as we go into this weekend.

Caught in Their Trap

Mark 12:17

New International Version

For Meditation

It’s a subtle phenomenon – the union of enemies to pursue a common enemy. Gangsters are notorious for this, after which they visciously assume their adversarial positions.

In the history of the world , no one has drawn more enemies to Himself more than the Carpenter from Nazareth. Read through the gospels and observe the number of plots against Him. None, however, raise an eyebrow for me than when the Pharisees and Herodians allied to catch Jesus in His words (Mk. 12:13-17).

Those were two groups of people who hated each other, so why the alliance?
The Herodians were a group of Jews who supported the rule of the Herods, a non-Jewish dynasty of kings under the Roman administration. That’s not a group the Pharisees would align with under normal circumstances. However, Jesus is not your ordinary “circumstance.”

The son of a young woman scandalized for carrying Him during her betrothal. Bethlehem became His place of birth with no decent place and room to receive Him into the world, but a sheeppen.

Angels announced His birth to shepherds in the field, and wisemen came from a far country to pay homage to the little child, bearing precious gifts worthy of kings but who knew or cared. The Messiah would never come to His people in obscurity, and certainly, will not be born among sheep and placed in a manger.

At twelve years, He taught in the temple courts, surrounded by amazed learned scribes. When John baptized Him in the Jordan, the heaven opened, and the Spirit descended on Him like a dove before a large crowd. A voice from heaven announced Him as God’s beloved Son.

At Cana, He delighted the guests of a wedded couple by turning water into wine.

His sermons and teachings captivated large crowds who confessed they had never heard any teach with such authority. He healed like no other. Demons recognized him and fled at His command. The blind, lame, leprous, and deaf all received their healing. Jesus even raised the dead. Why would the people have enough of Him

They crowded around Him everywhere, so the religious leaders, the Pharisees, and the teachers of the law could not take it. They despised Him to the core and had to get rid of Him.

The dynasty of Herod felt threatened too, as He claimed to be the Messiah, Israel’s real king. Jesus must therefore die. Two opposing groups with a common enemy. What an opportunity! As the saying goes, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

So, a delegation of these two parties – the Pharisees and Herodians – came to Jesus with a scenario they trusted would trap Him by His response.

Should we pay taxes to Caesar or not?
Crafty people they were. They tried the flattery way by heaping praise and affirmation on Him (Mk. 12:14) before their question. How many haven’t fallen for such ploy, but not Jesus. He knew their hypocrisy and called them out.

With a denarius, Jesus demonstrated His wisdom and posed a counter question that dismantled their plot and sent them away, scratching their heads (15-17).

“Give back to Caeser what is Ceaser’s and to God what is God’s” (17).

Jesus never ceased to amaze, yet His haters continued in their defiance.

Many, like the Pharisees and Herodians, have conferenced and plotted with crafty schemes to get rid of Jesus from the world’s culture and their lives. They will not have Him as their Lord and King, so salvation means nothing to them.

Some like the idea of heaven and claim it by their own means – what makes sense to their canal minds. Still, others prefer to follow their dead spiritual leaders who promised them something euphoric.

All those spiritual gurus remain dead, but Jesus rose from the dead and is alive and coming back as he promised. He is mercifully and graciously calling “whoever believes” (John 3:16) and wills to come and receive life in Him for eternity. He who has promised is faithful and will save you if only you will come (Romans 10:13).

The door to heaven is still open through Jesus (John 14:6) until you draw your last breath (Luke 16:19-31). The choice remains yours today, but remember, you do not own tomorrow (Hebrews 3:15).

So, do not be caught in your own trap of unbelief and drag yourself into hell. Take the escape door Jesus has opened to you (Colossians 1:13-14) and receive eternal life in Him (John 1:12-13; Romans 10:9-10, 13).

Shalom