COMMENDABLE PATIENCE

1 Peter 2:19-20

For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God.

Personal Challenge

We all desire and appreciate fairness. That is part of how we are wired. That also means we do not care for unfairness. If we get to the point in our lives where unfairness to another does not bother us then we must check what has happened to our conscience. If we desire to be commendable before God, then we must learn to endure grief and suffering in situations where we have been wronged, when we have done the right and good thing and suffer at the hands of another. If we are following the command of Jesus to love our neighbor, then we must be prepared to suffer wrongful responses, especially in the society that we live in today. It will be worth it though, so we must love our neighbor and protect them from the hostile environment of today. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Saint of the Week

Ignatius of Antioch

WHAT/WHO DO WE BOAST IN?

Jeremiah 9:23-24

Instead, let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows that I am the Lord, who shows mercy, judgment, and righteousness on earth, for in these is My will,” says the Lord. “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, “that I will visit upon all the circumcised their uncircumcision.”

Personal Challenge

It is so easy to get caught up in the customs and ways of the culture around us. This is especially true when that culture screams at us to be a part of it. One of the expectations of our culture is that we take great pride in who we are, what we do, our a complishments, and the belief that we are entirely self-made. This is so contrary to the expectations that God has for us. We are nothing without Him. It is Him that we should boast in and not ourselves, and most assuredly not the world around us. As followers of Christ, we boast in God because He shows all of His creation mercy, judgment, and righteousness, He declares that there will be a day that so many who proclaim Him as Lord will be judged for their actions and not their proclamations, church attendance, or bright and shiny gold crosses. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

HONORABLE

1 Peter 2:12

having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Personal Challenge

When the New Testament scriptures talk about the Gentiles it is talking about those outside of the church. This verse is very clear about the behavior of the followers of Christ with respect to the Gentiles. We are to live honorable lives. As Christians we are to be demonstrating the love of God in everything that we say or do. This is being above reproach. If we are relishing in lies, conspiracies, and demeaning speech, then we are not honorable. If we delight, or are even complicit in the mistreatment of others, especially the foreigner amongst us, then we are not honorable. If we support, either explicitely or passively, any person, group, or entity in these behaviors, then we are not honorable. God expects us to be so set apart from the world, that the world praises us for living His way, even as it hates us. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

WHO GETS RESPECT?

Isaiah 66:1-2

Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is My throne, and earth is the footstool of My feet. What kind of house will you build for Me? Or what kind is the place of My rest? For My hand made all these things, and all these things are Mine,” says the Lord; “and upon whom will I show respect, but to the humble and the peaceful and to him who trembles at My words.”

Personal Challenge

Isaiah reminds us about how great and awesome our God
is. He follows that by letting us know that in that in that grandeur and majesty God still shows His respect to some humans who are His created ones. Who does He show that respect to? The humble, the peaceful, and those who tremble at His words. He does not yield to the haughty, or the proud, or the aggressors. Those He will bring down to humble results. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

CHOSEN AND ROYAL

1 Peter 2:9

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

Encouraging Words

Those who choose to follow in the footsteps of Christ are identified by Him as a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and His own special people. There is nothing in the scriptures that identifies these followers as members of a particular church or faith practice, but as people who sincerely love their neighbor and their enemies. Jesus expects our actions to be in alignment with His actions. This expectation must be evident in or lives Monday through Saturday even more so than on Sunday mornings. As a reminder, here is what Jesus said He was expecting…

Matthew 25:35-36

‘for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord have mercy!

THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON HIM

Isaiah 61:1-4

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because of which He anointed Me. He sent Me to proclaim good news to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to preach liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind; to declare the acceptable year of the Lord, the day of recompense, and to comfort all who mourn; to give those who mourn in Zion glory instead of ashes, the oil of gladness to those who mourn; the garment of glory instead of a spirit of indifference. They shall be called generations of righteousness, the planting of the Lord for glory. They shall build the ancient deserts, raise up those formerly abandoned, and renew the desert cities that laid waste for generations.”

Encouraging Words

One of the items that has come up in the news feed lately is how the Christian Nationalist movement, which is being fed by the New Apostolic Reformation group, is that they are doing what they are doing with Donald Trump, the Republican party, and Project 2025, is to usher in the second coming of Christ. Wow! Do they have it all wrong. This passage is what Jesus read in the synagogue the day that He formally announced His first coming. He came to proclaim good news to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to preach liberty to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind. He came to lay the foundation for His kingdom and the actions that we see from that list above are doing everything they can to destroy what He came for. Lord, have mercy! If we desire to be followers of Christ then we must be advocates of everything in this passage and living as His ambassadors. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy on those being abused and impacted by the actions of this county. Lord, have mercy on Your loved ones, Your creation.

GROWING IN THE LORD

1 Peter 2:1-3

Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

Command With a Promise

It is so easy to get caught up in the erroneous teaching that if we say the prayer of salvation and attend church on a regular basis, then we will become good and godly Christians. The error in this is that in most cases, our hearts, and therefore our behaviors, are not changed to conform to the image of Jesus, just by sitting in pew. This passage provides a promise for us, if we exercise the command. We must lay aside (give up, forgo, abandon, etc.) all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking. This means in our personal life, as well as our work life, as well as our politics, as well as our church life (especially when praying in public or wearing Christian paraphernalia). If we do this, which is following in the footsteps of Christ, then we will grow in our relationship with our Lord and His graciousness. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Saint of the Week
St. Dorotheos of Gaza

SHINE, SHINE

Isaiah 60:1-2

“Shine, shine, O Jerusalem, for your light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. Behold, darkness and gloom shall cover the earth upon the nations, but the Lord will shine on you; and His glory shall be seen upon you.”

Encouraging Words

My daily reading of the scriptures has brought me to Isaiah. Today I read Isaiah 1-5. So much in there is descriptive of what is going on today in our world and so disheartening. I suggest that you read it. Then this is the passage for today’s verse for the day. No matter how dark and gloomy our world becomes, God’s glory will shine through. We have the Russian Orthodox Church backing a horrendous invasion of Ukraine. We have Israel committing genocide in Gaza and attacking their neighbors. We have our regime in the White House destroying our democracy and treating people like animals. All of these are happening in “the name of God”! They are the darkness and gloom that Isaiah is calling out. The true God, not the one of these perpetrators, will prevail and overshadow their darkness and depravity with His shining light. Hold on to that truth. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy on the victims of these attrocities!