[1 Peter 2:13–3:7] In our modern culture we don't want to be told what to do. Peter tells us we are called to be subject to authority — in government, on the job, and in the home. All of these positions of authority have been ordained by God. We are to submit even when we suffer wrongfully. In the example of Christ, we are to endure these trials. The reward of this suffering is a life in Christ like we have never known.
Blessed is the man in whom there is no guile. God calls us to walk with Him in truth. When we get to the point where we try to cover the sin that God puts His finger on, we open a door of deception that leads us into a dark season. God in His mercy will send a messenger with a message for you to deal with your sin. If we have the courage to turn from our sin, He will forgive and cleanse us. God is not against you He is for you. You can be free from sin, surrounded by His mercy and shouting for joy. Don't wait one more minute, deal with your sin!
When God wants to move or call His people to take a step of faith, skeptics will speak up — whether a person in your life, the enemy himself, or your own inner skeptic. The skeptic has arguments like, it’s easier to stay where you are; this takes too much effort; you’re going to offend someone; it’s impossible; now isn’t the right time; it’s too risky; you might fail; or they paint a negative picture of the outcome. No matter what the skeptic says, know that Christ has already given us all the resources and authority we need to fulfill God’s calling on our life. We’re not called to be comfortable, or to please men. God’s timing is perfect, and He will work all things to fulfill His purposes.
This message is for those who feel like giving up and have been wrestling with the following questions: Why does it seem like the unsaved are so much better off than I am? How come my walk is so narrow and strict while others in the body of Christ seem to be at liberty to enjoy a broader walk and are free to enjoy pleasures that I am deprived of? Your cry is God just give me one reason to go on with this journey. The reason is for the salvation of souls. Those who walk narrow will have something of God revealed through them so that many souls can be snatched out of the fires of hell. Judgment is coming and God wants you to be a testimony to every lost soul. Will you live your life for the betterment of others? You are going to heaven and God wants to use you to take some souls with you.
Christ is the cornerstone of the spiritual habitation that God is building. When we lose sight of Christ we will stumble over the placement of that stone. We need to focus on Christ, the foundation, as we too are living stones built upon Christ. The good news is that God has chosen us and He is forming us to fit into this spiritual house.
Do we have the moral courage like Daniel to see our part in what has become a spiritual landslide in this generation? We must go into the prayer closet and allow the Holy Spirit to show us where we neglected to do what God has called us to do. Our cry must be, “How can my life bring glory to God?” We must turn away from everything that hinders us from glorifying God. The key to get out of our struggle is total surrender to the will of God! When we stretch out our hands to His will, God will do something supernatural in us and through us.
Acts 8:26-39 is the story of the Ethiopian eunuch’s salvation and spontaneous baptism by Philip. The word “baptism”, or “mikvah” in Hebrew, first appears in Genesis 1:10 when God gathered the waters together. The people of Israel were very familiar with baptism. There were 48 baptismal pools in the temple that were used for ceremonial and preparatory cleansing, all of which focused on the external. Jesus changed everything! Through repentance, He focused the cleansing on the internal, and reduced all those Old Testament baptisms to just one — in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
God has given each of us a calling that often times seems unreachable. We have doubts and fears about what God has asked of us. When we attempt these tasks in our own strength, we limit God. In these situations we need to put full trust and dependency on God and he will allow us to outrun or go far beyond what we thought possible.
The Bible tells us that in our relationships with one another there should be love, mercy, comfort and unity. We are called to humble ourselves and love one another. The question is how do we humble ourselves? Humility is based on a revelation of Jesus. We fix our eyes on Jesus and see Him in His humiliation and exaltation. As you see Him in His glory you will be moved in your heart by His character, love, suffering and resurrection. Be in awe of Him and allow the salvation and all He has done for you to work its way deep into your heart and then work its way out onto others. It is God who works in you both to will and to do His good pleasure.
David Wilkerson delivers an Easter message on the power of Jesus' blood. The Son's mighty atoning sacrifice not only wipes away all of our sins and makes us clean but also gives us an eternal hope because now we are justified and will be able to stand before God's throne. Christ gives us peace and joy as we look forward to heaven, and that great gift should be one that we desperately desire for others to know too.