Faith

Got to thinking today about that video we saw in church two weeks ago, and had to see who the voice was. Found out that it was from a sermon by S.M. Lockridge. Believe it or not, his full name was Meshack Shadrack Lockridge. Although he died in 2000, his message lives on in a powerful way.

There are at least two videos of his little 5 minute message, but each is powerful. You can check out the GodTube version, or if you want the DVD for high quality viewing, there are two different ones. Igniter Media's version can be purchased as a DVD. Also ran across this guy who was so inspired, he has created a video which is available in multiple formats – plus, you can download any of his formats FREE.

After you listen to S.M. Lockridge once, you'll never forget who the real king is!

Remember when Peter said "don't keep acting like you are ignorant?" Well, in Chapter 2 he gives a little better direction. Almost like he should have written this chapter before he reminded us of how "not so smart" we are. He tells us that we as believers (followers/seekers/disciples) should start out on the easy stuff (milk) in the Bible. Then move on to the heavy stuff.

In other words, don't get caught up in trying to figure out "why do babies die?" or "why are there wars?" Peter, just like Paul in First Corinthians says start with the easy stuff and grow in your faith. All we have to do is spend a little time each day reading, and letting what we read sink in. When we have questions, we shouldn't let those stop us from reading more.

As we read, we will eventually find the answers – they might not be obvious, but they are there!

I got past the easy stuff in chapter 2, and went looking for that corner stone. What was it that he was actually talking about, and how did that relate to Jesus. That was a trip worth taking – all the way back to the Old Testament and what Isaiah and Ezekial had to say. Now I'm in the loop to find the significance of the "stone". Stay tuned.

Almost like Peter was collaborating with James and John. They all talk about how believers in Jesus were supposed to be different. Different enough that people could see it in the way they lived everyday! From the words, it's almost as if they wanted those early Christians to stand out in the crowd. It wasn't the way they dressed, or the neighborhoods where they lived. IT was how they lived and treated one another.

Peter is a little blunt in 1 Peter chapter 1 when he says "don't keep doing what you did when you were ignorant." (my translation of verse 14) Kind of reminds me of how little kids play games – "What boundaries, foul line, batter's box or double dribble?" As they grow older and learn the rules of a game, they play differently and expect others to play differently too.

OK, so what have I learned and how does that change how I live? What about you?