1 Peter 5:1-11 The
elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness
of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be
revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as
overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest
gain but eagerly; nor as being lords 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 does not fade
away. Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders.
Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed
with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Therefore humble yourselves under the
mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your
care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because
your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may
devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same
sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may
the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen,
and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion
forever and ever. Amen.
Michael continues that according
to 2
Peter 1-21: “Simon Peter, a
servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like
precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus
Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of
God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto
us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of
him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding
great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine
nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And
beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue
knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to
patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly
kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you
that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus
Christ. But he that lacks these things is blind, and cannot see afar off,
and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the
rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if
ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be
ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ. Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in
remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the
present truth. Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle,
to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; Knowing that shortly I must
put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me. Moreover
I will endeavor that ye may be able after my decease to have these things
always in remembrance. For we have not followed cunningly devised fables,
when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but
were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father
honor and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory,
This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which
came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. We have
also a more sure word of prophecy; where unto you do well that you take heed, as
unto a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star
arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the
scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in
old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by
the Holy Ghost.”
These profound "Words of
Truth" were written according to God's Holy Spirit by revelation to his servant,
Jesus' disciple Peter. Even though he was a lowly fisherman without lofty
credentials, God chooses the foolish things of this world to confound the
wise.
Our responsibility like Peter’s
is our response to God's ability ... to yield to the Holy Spirit of Christ
in us, the hope of Glory. He has called us as able and sufficient
ministers of the New Testament of the good news of the gospel of grace. The
good news of the gospel is God's saving grace in John 3:16-17. “For God
so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God
sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world
through him might be saved.”
Jesus called Peter to do the
impossible, however Jesus said, "with
God all things are possible to him that believes." As the
apostle Paul said, “I am sufficient unto
all things and I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
May we ever live to the
praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ, Michael
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