Faith

Or if you are so inclined, it's like a 'build it' manual that needs to be followed to produce the finished product. This one still needs some help with translation.

That was my first take on Second Peter, when in chapter one starting at verse 5, there seemed to be a maze to work our way through. Remember, Peter was not writing a novel for the world to read – just some instructions for believers. The list seemed to be all intertwined – step 1, then 2, etc.

Each step produces something that can be joined to or used in the next step. This was one super list. A sentence almost without end.[more]

But it ended good – "get or do love." Sounds like a repeat of First Peter in some ways. To a programmer, it is the conclusion of an "IF" statement. If you build up all that goes before in the list (work on it diligently), it will produce love toward and for your brothers and sisters.

The point that grabs the mind of people is that "these are works, and Jesus is all about faith." Taking that approach misses what Peter, Paul and Jesus had to say – our faith will produce some kind of change in our lives. If it does not, then we have not caught the message – we have not/are not living out what they taught. We are not becoming the people they want us to be.

More next time – just be different!

You know how those little statements you write kind of come back to poke at your memory? Well that statement at the top was on a piece of paper sitting on my desk.

Easter week is not going to move. Just think what would have happened if Jesus had decided not to show up that weekend so long ago. Easter would have bene moved! What would it be called now? Strange things would be etched in peoples minds. Everything that led up to that fateful weekend [more]would be on some other date.

Worse yet, if He had run the other way, there might not have been an Easter. I'll leave that for you to compute in your mind. Would it have made a difference in your life? What if …?

By the way, my note had to do with rearranging some things here at home, and the fact that it would be better if we moved everything that week. Interesting how first glances don't always tell the full story. Not only that, they can make us think about things we keep pushing to the side for another day.

Peter is still like that fisherman he was before Jesus found him. Here is a man who thought a lot of himself, up until the time he heard the rooster crow. That was the lesson that he heard clearly. There was no mistaking that he was not the best thing since sliced bread.

Or a good peanut butter and jelly sandwich either.

Let me be clear – Peter was not about to mince words. His advice? "Humble yourself and He (God) will lift you up higher at the right time". In other words, don't hold out to get the recognition you (think) deserve. Back off, and God will see that you get your name in lights at just the right time.

That's a hard thing for us humans to do. We want people to khow what we have done, and how great we are. Maybe there is a lesson from "Mr. Hotstuff." At least, we know he got the point. Just in case you think you are "hot stuff", cool your jets. Let somebody else do the recognition thing. You don't need to toot your own horn.