DO PEOPLE SEE HUMILITY IN YOU?

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time He will lift you up in honor.

1 Peter 5:5b-6 NLT

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

All Christian believers are to submit themselves to the leading of the church elders, those who reached a level of spiritual maturity in and through Jesus that qualified them for assignment to such a lofty level of responsibility. This is the counsel we saw given to the spiritually younger, those subordinate to the church elders.

Today, we find the Word of God shifting the attention to specific character traits that all Christian believers should be focused on, whether elders or the spiritually younger. Look at the second half of 1 Peter, chapter 5, the fifth verse:

And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Note here that we have an absolute statement, one we often find in the scriptures when a command or demand is given. We shouldn’t gloss over these when we find them because they reflect the expectation that no one is excluded from what God wants.

In this instance, all Christian believers are to “dress themselves with humility toward one another”. All means all, and so no one gets a pass here. Every Christian is to “dress” themselves with “humility” just as they would put on attire every day.

Think about this illustration for a moment because it’s important. When we go out into the public, we usually give a lot of attention to how we look. We carefully choose our clothing so to look respectable when someone looks at us and often a person can learn a lot about us, simply by the way we dress.

God’s call in this half verse is for every Christian to wear humility in the way they live in such a way that others can notice it in them. Every thought, word, and action a Christian undertakes should be grounded in modesty and an attitude that refuses to reflect some self-imposed level of superiority over others.

This is the order all Christians are receiving here but it’s important to see that the Lord adds two other things here that serve as incentives to one being obedient to what He is telling them to do.

First, we find a reminder of one of the tidbits of wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs. In the third chapter, verse 34, here’s what we find:

The Lord mocks the mockers but is gracious to the humble.

Simply put another way, we find the Word of God in 1 Peter saying:

“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

The key takeaway here is that when a person chooses self pride over humility, they violate God’s command and that sin places them in opposition to Him, not a place anyone should willingly choose to be in.

Conversely, Christian believers who comply with God’s call to humility in the way they carry themselves daily will find grace and, as we see in verse 6, “lift them up in honor” when “the right time” comes, that “right time” being the day when Jesus returns.

Today’s message serves to challenge all Christians and force self reflection. The question is simple:

Do people see you dressed in humility when they encounter you in life?

Or maybe the more pertinent question is:

Does the almighty, powerful God of all Creation see you dressed in humility as He sees you living life?

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

COUNSEL FOR THE SPIRITUALLY YOUNGER

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders.

1 Peter 5:5a NIV

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As the fifth and final chapter of 1 Peter begins, we find specific guidance being given to the elders of the Christian churches which were “scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia” (1 Peter 1:1). Peter shares this appeal as a fellow elder of the church himself (1 Peter 5:1).

As we move beyond this in the chapter, we find an exhortation to those “who are younger”.

Now, the title itself helps clarify who Peter is addressing here for we shouldn’t read this as if he is talking about chronological age. In other words, the elders aren’t to be seen as being the old people with years and years of worldly experience under their belt as opposed to those who are just learning to spell life. Rather, Peter is addressing the matter of spiritual maturity with the elders of the church having reached an elevated level of growth as a Christian believer that leads to the Lord entrusting them with the highest levels of leadership in the church. All other members of the congregation then are subordinate to the elders from a spiritual leadership standpoint and indeed should aspire to one day become an elder themselves.

With this perspective in hand, let’s look at the first half of verse 5 of 1 Peter, chapter 5. There we find this:

In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders.

God’s Word makes it crystal clear that He expects the church to be united with His Son Jesus as its head. Any divisiveness within the body works against this expectation and so it should come as no surprise when we see the call for the church congregation to “submit” themselves to the elders as long as those elders haven’t fallen into blatant sinfulness, disobedient to the very Lord who placed them in their special position of leadership. For obvious reasons, the flock shouldn’t follow any false shepherd who guides them with no regard for their well being.

Every congregation should have an elder body of specially selected spiritual leaders to oversee and guide all functions of the church. Everyone led by them should submit to their guidance and direction. This is the counsel for the spiritually younger

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

THE TASKING OF ELDERS

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

1 Peter 5:1-4

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Every church that I have ever been a member of had elders who formed the backbone of overall congregational leadership. Some of these leaders actually bore the title “elder” but in other churches, they were called “deacons”. Regardless of the title, the  responsibilities of these special leaders remain very similar and it’s important to remember that there exists a rich legacy of people appointed by the church to govern over its affairs. It’s widely believed that it started as the Christian church was just getting started in the holy city of Jerusalem. Here’s what we find in the sixth chapter of Acts:

In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the Word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the Word.”

This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly. Vv. 1-7a

After receiving the Holy Spirit, the eleven chosen apostles of Jesus plus Matthias who was selected by lots to replace Judas were very busy preaching and teaching the Word, carrying on the Gospel work that Jesus has called them to. When we think about it, we know the number of believers numbered in the thousands, five thousand or more at the least. It was an incredible undertaking when a social matter rose to the surface.

At the heart of the problem was a complaint of inequity by the Hellenistic Jews over the “daily distribution of food”. These were Greek speaking Jews who in many ways adopted the Grecian ways of life and their grievance was grounded in the Hebraic Jews gaining preference.

To settle this matter, we read where “the Twelve gathered all the disciples together” and addressed them with these words:

“It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the Word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the Word.”

Note here that the Twelve worked to get consensus within the congregation regarding a viable solution to the predicament at hand. They proposed that the body select seven men, not just any men but seven who were “known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom”, to handle the civil affairs of the church so the apostles could give their “attention to prayer and the ministry of the Word”.

How did this go over with the congregation?

The scriptures tell us that the “whole group” was “pleased” and did as they were told, selecting Stephen, Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas. They “presented” them “to the apostles” who then “prayed and laid their hands on them”, essentially commissioning them to their ministry service.

As we see in this passage, the appointment of additional church leaders was a success. The apostles were able to dedicate their time to Gospel ministry and as a result, “the word of God spread” and the “number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly”.

From this point on, Christian congregations appointed elders who held special responsibilities in support of those who were bringing the Word to others. As we pivot to today’s opening verses from 1 Peter, chapter 5, we find Peter addressing the elders of the believers who were exiled and “scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia” (1 Peter 1:1). Look at his words again here:

To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. Vv.1-4

Peter knew all too well about the responsibilities of a church elder because we see by his own confession that he was one as well. This is why he had absolute credibility when it came to reminding his peers of what was expected of them.

First and foremost, they were to be “shepherds of God’s flock” that He had entrusted to “their care”. Shepherds watch over their sheep and the elders were to willingly watch over their congregations just as Jesus, the Good Shepherd, did during His days of ministry. In both instances, it was God’s will to do so.

Next, Peter reminds the elders of the critical nature of integrity when it came to leading the church. The elders were to turn away from “dishonest gain”, instead being willing to selflessly serve others.

Finally, the elders were to lead their flocks with grace and love, not lording over those who may have been subordinate in positional authority within the church.

What was in it for the elders?

None other than “a crown of glory” that would given to them by Jesus, “the Chief Shepherd” when He returns to earth and appears. This “crown” would be one “never fade away” as the elders, along with all those who placed their belief in Jesus, would not perish but rather gain eternal life (John 3:16).

If you are an elder in the church today, the Word of God is tasking you with specific duties and they aren’t optional. It’s an amazing privilege and honor to serve any church in this capacity, one I have held many times, and the Lord has great expectations for those He has elevated into positions of leadership.

My prayer is that one day you will have the opportunity if the Lord wills it. Until then, if it happens at all, please support and be in prayer for those called to higher levels of service to the churches and their respective congregations.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

THE COMING TIME OF JUDGMENT

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler.

For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And,

“If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

1 Peter 4:15, 17-18

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

The earth and heavens as we know it are going to end one day (Revelation 21: It’s as sure as the guarantee that we all will die.

This utter destruction will align when Jesus returns to judge all humanity. We know through His own words found in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 24:

And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the Heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of Heaven with power and great glory. And He will send out His angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather His chosen ones from all over the world, from the farthest ends of the earth and Heaven.

Heaven and earth will disappear, but My words will never disappear. Vv.30-31, 35

When Jesus returns, it will be with the fanfare of the One who God has granted all authority in Heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). It will be a cataclysmic event of epic proportion and this means everyone on earth and in the heavens will be aware when it happens as Jesus descends from the “clouds of Heaven” in “power and great glory, dispatching “His angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet”. These angels “will gather” the “chosen ones” of Christ “from all over the world, from the farthest ends of the earth and Heaven”. They will be the ones who come to judgment throne and gain pardon because Jesus, the Savior their placed their belief in, already had paid the sin penalty owed.

As for everyone else, those who decided to rebuff God’s offer of salvation, we learn of their fate from Jesus Himself as He speaks in the 25th chapter of Matthew, verses 31-33, 41, 46:

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on His left.”

“Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”

“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Through the very words of Christ, we gain an image of the coming time of judgment and there will only be one of two outcomes for every single person who has ever lived.

For those who believed in Jesus, the sheep of the Good Shepherd, they will be justified and thus found righteous, gaining promised eternal life and a share in the very inheritance of Heaven’s Kingdom (Romans 8:14-17).

For everyone else, an everlasting life of punishment, torment, and damnation awaits within “the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels”. That’s right, refusing to trust and follow Jesus will earn you a forever existence with the devil and his minions.

If you have chosen to not follow Jesus today, is that what you really want?

I hope you’ve given it the proper thought as the implications are immense.

Why all this discussion about the coming time of judgment?

Because we find Peter touching on it in his letter to “God’s chosen people” who were “living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia” (1 Peter 1:1). Here’s what he writes in the fourth chapter of that letter:

If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler.

For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And,

“If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” Vv. 15, 17-18

Fresh off of speaking about how Christian believers should expect to suffer for their faith just as Jesus did, we find Peter touching on the kind of suffering that no believer should experience, the suffering that comes with major sins like murder, stealing, or any other criminal offense. Even more minor offenses such as meddling were to be off limits.

Peter goes on to make a clear point intended to be a shot across the bow for anyone who had chosen to reject Jesus. For if those who were in God’s household would face judgment despite their righteousness and justification, those who were His very children who were faithful and obedient in following His Son, then what about His assessment of sinners who were unsaved and the subsequent outcome? What would “become of the ungodly and the sinner”, a question born out of the very mouth of Solomon in the Book of Proverbs (11:31)?

As we saw prior, Jesus has already answered Peter’s question, drawing the line in the proverbial sand regarding the two sides people will fall on when He returns for the final time.

Which side will you be found on?

My advice is not to be on Jesus’ left.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

THE BLESSED NATURE OF TRIALS

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Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in His suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing His glory when it is revealed to all the world.

If you are insulted because you bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed, for the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you.

But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by His name!

So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for He will never fail you. 

1 Peter 4:12-13, 14. 16

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

There’s good news and bad news associated with believing in Jesus and becoming a Christian.

The good news is that you immediately gain the assurance of eternal life and a place in Heaven, a guaranteed and glorious future that no one can take away.

On the flip side, the Christian life isn’t for the faint of heart for on this side of Heaven, persecution and suffering are a constant possibility, just as they were for the One who saved us. In fact, this is what He shares with His disciples on this matter:

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated Me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you also.” John 15:18-20

Jesus made it clear here. Not one of His servants is greater than He is and if He endured suffering, persecution, and hate then so will anyone who affiliates and aligns themselves with Him.

Indeed, believing in Jesus doesn’t bring a person into some kind of perfect worldly existence free from all the tribulations of life. We’ll only be free from that when He returns but as we share in the various hardships that our Savior endured, the scriptures tell us that we should see the blessings that are found in those trials. Look at this wonderful passage from the eighth chapter of Romans where we find the Lord speaking truth to us about the joys and sorrows that come from the Christian life:

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by Him we cry, “Abba, Father.”

The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Vv.14-18

The gifts imparted on someone who places their belief in Jesus abound in these five verses.

First, they gain the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, complete with all the guidance and counsel they could ever need in life.

Second, this receiving of the Holy Spirit’s lead results in the Christian believer becoming a bona fide child of God, an “adoption into sonship” that gives every believer the right to call God their “Abba, Father”.

Finally, because the Christian believer is a true child of the God Most High, they become a co-heir to the very Kingdom of Heaven with Jesus, their savior.

It’s nothing short of a magnificent progression of endowments granted by the God who is the Giver of every good and perfect gift from above (James 1:17), a progression of endowments that should leave us in an abundant spirit of thanksgiving and praise for we will one day share in the very glory that Jesus has already entered into.

That’s what’s ahead but before we get there, we have the matter of our present life at hand, a life where we will first share in the sufferings of our Savior before we get to share in His glory. This is the blessing found in our trials when we go through difficulty due to what we believe. We share in the experience of Jesus and what a privilege it is to walk anywhere and through anything that He did.

No one likes going through tough times but when we look to the cross, we’re reminded that even death couldn’t keep Christ from the glory His Father had in store for Him, a glory that far exceeded the pain and anguish He endures on earth.

This same assurance applies to us as believers today. For the Word of God is clear when it lets us know that any suffering we might endure while going through trials in this life for the cause of Christ will pale in comparison to the glory that will be revealed to us later when we claim our inheritance and inhabit the place Jesus has prepared for us in Heaven.

Oh what a wonderful day that will be, a day worth looking forward to no matter when life might bring us here on earth.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

USE YOUR GIFTS!

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In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.

Do you have the gift of speaking?

Then speak as though God Himself were speaking through you.

Do you have the gift of helping others?

Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies.

Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to Him forever and ever! Amen.

1 Peter 4:10-11

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

We all have a single Creator God. No one has been fashioned by anyone or anything else, no matter how much someone might try to infer.

In the Old Testament, Israel’s great king David, a man who was after God’s own heart, knew this well as seen through his own testimony. Here’s what we find from him in the 139th Psalm:

“For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Vv.13-14

As David expresses so well, we are “knit together” by the very hands of the Lord Himself. Further, God, speaking through the Apostle Paul to the Thessalonian believers, goes on to let His people know that through Him, they “live and move and have...being” (Acts 17:28). This lets us know that God isn’t only at work forming us physically but spiritually as well, installing gifts within us all to be used to serve Him and others, ultimately bringing Him honor and glory.

This brings us to our scripture passage for today as we continue to look at the fourth chapter of 1 Peter. Look again at those words here:

God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.

Do you have the gift of speaking?

Then speak as though God Himself were speaking through you.

Do you have the gift of helping others?

Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies.

Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to Him forever and ever! Amen. Vv.10-11

Note here that not one of the believers Peter writes to was exempt from getting a spiritual gift from God. Not one. The same remains true today but sadly too many Christians fail to allow the Lord to activate His gift in ways that they might be obedient to the call to “use them well to serve” others and, in doing so, “bring glory to God through Jesus”.

In other words, they let their God-granted gifts go to waste and there is no questioning that this doesn’t sit well with the greatest gift giver ever, the Giver of every good and perfect gift from above (James 1:17). We know this because of a parable Jesus told during His ministry years, one that has come to be known as the Parable of the Talents. In support of this message today, it would serve us well to revisit this passage. Jesus says this:

“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip.”

“The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money.”

“After a long time, their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money.”

“The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’”

“The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’”

“The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’”

“The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’”

“Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’”

“But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’”

“Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’” Matthew 25:14-30

Three servants. Each given the responsibility to put what they had been given to use so to provide a return on investment. Two did, one didn’t.

This provides us the moral of this story and it’s simple:

Don’t be the third servant.

I mean, who would want to put themselves in a position where they receive the judgment and punishment of the Master, their spiritual gifts taken away before being cast into utter darkness to weep and gnash teeth. Only a fool would look for this kind of trouble.

My prayer today is that you, like I, will be able to identify with one of the other two servants, receiving the Master’s favor instead of His condemnation while gaining an abundance of additional gifts from Him.

The call from God’s Word is for all Christian believers to use their gifts, the gifts He has given in accordance with the purposes He has for our respective and collective lives. Today, and every day, let’s commit and devote ourselves to doing just that.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

BEFORE THE END OF THE WORLD

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

The end of the world is coming soon.

Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.

1 Peter 4:7-9

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

There is a day ahead when Jesus will return to judge the world and all who are in it, the living and the dead.

The scriptures affirm that no one knows when this will happen (Matthew 24:36). So what are we to do in the interim?

Well, one thing all Christians should know is that they are responsible and accountable for carrying on the work that Jesus began, the work to ensure all would know their opportunity for salvation through belief in Him. This tasking is referred to as “The Great Commission” (Matthew 28:18-20).

In addition to this, we also find guidance in today’s three verses from 1 Peter, chapter 4. Look again at those words here:

The end of the world is coming soon.

Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay. Vv.7-9

Here we learn that Christian believers are to do this as time marches toward the day when Jesus returns and the world as we know it ends (Revelation 21:1-2).

1. Pray without ceasing.

Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers.

While this verse might not say this exactly, we do find it as an exhortation in the scriptures (1 Thessalonians 5:16). And while none of us are perfect in prayer and may not meet the mark of doing so unceasingly, we can practice an “earnest and disciplined” prayer life, one that is grounded in seriousness and consistency as we come before the Lord through which all things are possible.

2. Show deep love for one another.

Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other.

If there is one thing sorely missing today as we live within our communities, cities, states, and nations, it’s love. I say this because of the deep divisions we find between people, people who are often closer to war than they are peace. In the context of race, socioeconomics, religion (even within religions like Christianity), and even gender, we find too many people at odds with one another and the cure is love, not just any love but the love one can only find in the Lord. This is why Jesus, when asked about the greatest commandments, had this to say:

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Matthew 22:37-38  

The road to proper love first goes through loving God with all we are, heart and soul and mind, and then when all our love is invested in Him, then we can in turn, share His love with others. When we do this, love others with the purity and perfection found in our Lord, then we will find the words of 1 Corinthians, chapter 13, verse 8 come to be:

Love never fails.

Imagine a world where we love like this, a world where love leads to forgiveness and the covering of “a multitude of sins”. It’s what Christians are to strive for during the run up to the end of the world.

3. Show hospitality to others.

Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.

When we love one another as the Lord loves, we will care for them as He does and when we think about the Lord’s care, one thing should quickly come to mind:

His provision.

Indeed, the Lord meets our needs and gives us what we need in order for his will to be done in our lives. We aren’t ever left in a place where He isn’t near and ready to offer us a place to stay and meal to eat.

Today, many people are in this position, in need of shelter and a something to eat. Unfortunately, there always seems to be a shortage of available space to accommodate the homeless and hungry, much like Joseph and a very pregnant Mary experienced in the town of Bethlehem. And while the couple eventually was allowed to gain the shelter of a stable, no one in town opened their home and offered a meal or two to the travel-weary parents of the coming Messiah.

Many people wonder why we have such a large homeless issue in America. Perhaps the question should really be why we have such a large hospitality problem. For if we would see our homes and food as really belonging to God and not ourselves, perhaps our perspective would change and we would see ourselves as instruments of His provision to others.

Just some spiritual food for thought.

Friends, this world is not going to last forever. This we know. We also know what we’re to do before it happens and so it’s time to get to work telling others about the salvation available through Jesus, praying earnestly with discipline, loving others as the Lord loves, and showing hospitality to anyone who needs it.

The Word of God calls us to such and our only proper response is to carry out what we’re told to do with obedience.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.