Yes, modern times, modern machinery..............all those moving parts........to move a glass compartment round and round to accommodate thousands of people a day.
Was thinking of our lives the last few days with Thanksgiving Day well over and Christmas Day in view now..........seeing all those commercials of yes, really low, low prices.........get that furniture today and pay no sales interest till 2020. That furniture would be wore out in that time if the family has more than two people in it, right? But thinking on the time that has passed and people who have either touched our lives or influenced them to a great degree. In some cases I have seen our family as those in that revolving door and people stepping in for a time to meet us and then move on or out as the case might be. I remember the young people we took to church, and one young man who was touched by God and how he touched our hearts. Although he is not with us today, I pray we see him again one day. For couples who separated and went their separate ways, we certainly shared in their heartache and in their new lives as well. For the wife, was a difficult road to finding work again after so many years of raising children. For the husband, well, he went on with his work and hopefully with his singing for the Lord. In others, we saw young adults go into ministry, come out of ministry and some go on to make a life with a spouse, raising children and becoming hopefully what God planned for them. Some have kept in touch, many have not, but in all that, I can still visit them in my heart where I hold those so dear, and in those thoughts, the man or woman or child who touched our hearts in ways no one could have done.
I think of those that were of the divine nature and how God brought just the ones we needed in our lives at the time. My thoughts pour over those who had come almost a thousand miles to end up in a church we attend today. My thoughts go to those who fought overseas and returned to fight internal battles of the mind in seeing so many die needlessly in countries so needing God and real family lives! I think of those who have families close by, like less than five hours, but do not see them much. I think on those I came in contact with in the summer time in the park and who were on the verge losing their home, and/or losing their jobs and had no place to go.
But God has a plan! He has one that is of love and life forever!
Finding that pathway is for those who see, and many today are blind. They are like those I think about from that movie, "Wreck-It Ralph"...........the flying insects flying toward that great light close to the end of movie. They become mesmerized like the "bad guy" in the movie, who at this point is a part himself and a part flying insect.......although is the violent, harmful insect of great size, right?
But being mesmerized by something is not good, whether in a cartoon movie or in real life. What do we attach or dreams or visions to? Is it to life or......?
Jesus presented the "real", that which adds to us, and helps us to continue to being the children of God! As we have read through the Gospels, we discover all the ups and downs of the lives of disciples who followed Jesus. Jesus talked of their "little faith" by rebuking them in Matthew 8:26.
And He said to them, "Why are you timid and afraid, O you of little faith?" Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great and wonderful calm ( a perfect peaceable-ness) 27 And the men were stunned with bewildered wonder and marveled saying, What kind of Man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him! (Amp)
Just like the disciples, He comes to question us. He asks, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" (Matthew 16:13)
He asks them:" Who do you say that I am?"(Mark 8:27)
Jesus knew the Spirit of God had shown Peter who He was.......and desired they not speak to others about it........(Mark 8:30)
As we saw in Peter, we too, can have knowledge of the Holy One. We can know why He was sent. In the case of Peter though, we also know that he not only attached his hopes and dreams to Jesus, but am thoroughly convinced that Peter also had some great visions of conquering the Roman occupation in Jerusalem at the time.
Again we find Jesus addressing Peter in that of Matthew 16:21 and onward to verse 25..........21 From that time forth Jesus began [clearly] to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders and the high priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised from death. 22 Then Peter took Him aside to speak to Him privately and began to reprove and charge Him sharply, saying, God forbid, Lord! This must never happen to You! 23 But Jesus turned away from Peter, and said to him, Get behind Me, Satan! You are in My way [ an offense and a hindrance and a snare to Me] ; for you are minding what partakes not of the nature and quality of God, but of men. 24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to be My disciples; let him deny himself [disregard, lose sight of, and forget himself and his own interests] and take up his cross and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying, also]. 25 For whoever is bent on saving his [ temporal ] life [his comfort and security here] shall lose it [eternal life ]; and whoever loses his life [his comfort and security here] for My sake shall find it [ life everlasting].
Yes, Peter spoke sharply about his plan for the Lord Jesus, and in return Jesus spoke God's plan........"for you Peter are minding what partakes not of the nature and quality of God, but of men."
Change comes, people come and yes they sometimes leave. Although I would liked to have kept them friends by my side or at least close to me and mine for a long time. Alas, it turned not that way.......no that revolving door keeps us together in God's presence and allowing those to come that we might meet for five minutes, one hour, two months or maybe some 18 years. But sooner or later we meet the "new", the incoming, those just starting out in marriage, those having that first child or maybe the third, we meet those who have lost a spouse and a close friend of ours, but that revolving door keeps turning, life is going forward, and the sun will surely rise in the East tomorrow.
Peter certainly faced some challenges, like we all do. And Peter turned his back on Jesus when others asked of his involvement in Jesus' life.
Luke 22:55-62
55 Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. 56 And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, "This man was also with Him." 57 But he denied Him, saying, "Woman, I do not know Him." 58 And after a little while another saw him and said, "You also are of them." But Peter said, "Man, I am not!" 59 Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, "Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean." 60 But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!" Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." 62 So Peter went out and wept bitterly.
NKJV
It all came down to "loyalty". For we find Peter in Acts. And he spoke " we must obey God rather than men."
See below the passage:
Acts 5:23-32
24 Now when the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these things, they wondered what the outcome would be. 25 So one came and told them, saying, "Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!" 26 Then the captain went with the officers and brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned. 27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, 28 saying, "Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man's blood on us!" 29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. 31 Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him."
NKJV
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