Confess The Name Of Jesus

atthew 10:21-33 KJV; 4th Sunday after Pentecost; Do not fear to confess Jesus before others for in him you have eternal life.

Denying Jesus

Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written:

“‘I will strike the shepherd,
    and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’

But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”

Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.”
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”
But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same. (Matt 26:31-35 NIV)

The Lord knows that Peter is not going to keep this promise. In fear for his own safety, Peter will deny him thrice that very night. Even today, people around the world are persecuted; they are threatened with torture and even death for His sake. We may wonder how Peter, who knew Jesus so intimately, could desert him? But, what about us? Jesus died for us! He died that we might live! Would we deny him? Do we love the Lord enough to consider dying for his sake? Are we honestly able to declare "Even if I have to die for Jesus' sake, I will never deny Him;" let alone keep that vow?

Consider too, this day, how it is that we might be denying him, not by just our words, but by what we have done and by what we have left undone. Does the way that we choose to live, in itself, deny that Jesus is our Lord?

May God help us to follow the Good Shepherd wherever he may lead us. Never denying, always affirming that he is our Lord and Savior. He is our King!

God's Peace - Pr. J

His Home Is With You

Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them." Matt 14:23 NIV

It would be good, indeed, if we could obey every one of Jesus' teachings. This can be most difficult as he teaches us to love our Father in heaven above all things and our neighbor as ourselves. He teaches us to turn the other cheek. Human nature takes over and sometimes (no, often) our egos take over. We all fall short of following his teachings. We know this and daily go to him, asking our Father's forgiveness, being renewed by his promise of love and faithfulness, even in our feeble attempts to obey his teaching to love even as he loves us.

Because he loves us so much that he was willing to die for us; we love to listen to his teachings and strive to follow them even as we are reassured that the Lord is with us to guide and help us. If he was for us at Calvary, he is for us even now.

Here is a trustworthy saying:

If we died with him,
    we will also live with him;
if we are faithless,
    he remains faithful,
    for he cannot disown himself.

2 Tim 2:11, 13

He is faithful! Thanks be to God for He has come to make his home with us and is with us now and always, even to the end of the age!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Christ Bids You Come And Die

Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." Mark 8:34

What else is there to say; except to ask ourselves are we willing to take up our cross to follow Jesus and what does that mean for us. Does it mean giving up an hour each Sunday to thank God for the gift of His Son's life for us? And... then grumble if the service goes ten minutes longer than an hour. 

No, when Jesus calls you; he asks that you commit your life totally to following him; every minute of every day. He calls you to give up your desires so that the will of our Father in heaven is done. Even as Christ was willing to take up his cross for us; he bids us to take up our cross even in the face of death.

"Here is a trustworthy saying:

If we died with him,
    we will also live with him;
if we endure,
    we will also reign with him.
If we disown him,
    he will also disown us." 2 Timothy 2:11-12

May God grant us the courage to take up our cross and follow him wherever he would lead us.

God's Peace - Pr. J.