Thursday, June 14, 2012

No Strangers Allowed


1 Peter 1:1- 5 -  Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time



When I read the word stranger…I had a hard time accepting it. One of my gifts is the ability to speak to anyone…to strike up a conversation with someone I have never met…it is easy for me. But in  Peter’s world... persecution must have made them very suspicious of others they did not know….were they a believer…or someone who would do them harm if they knew they believed in the Messiah.  And he speaks also of how they were divided by distance…unlike our world where technology has shortened the distance between the great span of nations in our world…at least for conversation. The believers of Peter’s culture must have felt that many they saw every day were strangers…spread so far apart with no means of communication except letters or personal visits. 



 I guess if I really think about it….we are all strangers until we happen to cross paths with the ones God chooses to send our way…either for us to help…or for them to help us. And as Peter describes for us here..if we allow the Holy Spirit to provide the strength and power for us to be obedient… a wonderful thing happens…we begin to develop that chance meeting into a relationship of support or encouragement…a stranger becomes a friend to talk to…a fellow sister or brother in Christ.



One reason God gives us this gift of friendship…of relationship with others is to support us in our times of trials. Peter tells us just a few verses more how we must stand obedient in the trials God allows to envelop our lives is to develop our faith…to prove it genuine to the others who are watching us.  He says we need to prepare our mind…be holy( which in this passage is to be reverent ….to understand that God is sovereign…in control).  He also tells us to be self controlled…to be obedient because the world will fade some day soon from our sight…our home is Heaven is our permanent dwelling where he will take all of us who have asked him to live in our temporary heart on this Earth.



The other reason is tucked into verse 8, it says, “ Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,” …It is very hard to describe this joy of the unseen Christ to someone who hasn’t met him yet…but the joy provides the message for those of us brave enough to speak to those strangers around us.  We must remember that our redemption was necessary…none of us was perfect enough to get to Heaven on our own.  And this salvation we enjoy…the joy that we experience came at a costly price…not just to the Christ who hung on the cross…but to those disciples like Peter who did not allow their fear of the world’s persecution to stop them from spreading the gospel to others. God planned it that way…so we could prove we really meant what we said when we acknowledged him as our Savior.  Our lives now are to be marked by holy reverence…allowing our faith to shield us from any danger Satan throws in the way to try and stop us.



Father…I thank you once again this day …for allowing me to be your child.  Give me new strength and power against the tricks of Satan that try to make me believe I am powerless.  Help me be bold and share your love with all that you place in my path.  Give me a reverence for you that keeps me obedient in every task you give me to do. Continue to give me the strength to walk through these trials you allow in my life to prove my genuineness.  Thank you for choosing me….sanctifying me…and giving me new power each day to accomplish everything you have given me to do. Help me to hear your voice when you have something for me to do…even if it interrupts my schedule for the day. Amen.

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