Is it Life You Seek?

John 1:35-42
35 Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. 36 And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!" 37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38 Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?" They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are You staying?" 39 He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour). 40 One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone).
NKJV

Seek: zeteo....2212.........in Hebraism........to worship God.........in the bad sense......to plot against

Interesting meaning of seek: as to worship or to plot against...........

Jesus was asking them, "What do you seek?" And they responded, "where are You staying?"

Jesus told them to ...."Come and see."

Are we seeking life? Are we coming to see what He will say to us?  For real life is only found in Jesus! You will not find it anywhere else!
What culture dictates is not the truth of what God has given us.

Are we really looking for His peace or our way into our peace.........that is: which is comfortable for us in this day and time? What boundary lines do we have in place? Are we keeping God's Word out and letting everything else in to our hearts?

What amount of time do we give Him? And when we do spend time with Him, are we plotting against what He is speaking to us? Wow, that is a bad place to be!

In asking this, I go back and look at Jesus and his conversation toward Peter. "You are Simon the son of Jonah and You shall be called Cephas (which is translated, A Stone.

Now Simon Peter has just met Jesus. And Jesus is calling him the hollow stone. Yes, I know the teachings on Peter the Rock, but Peter was not the Rock yet and had some way to go in his walk with the Lord!

In looking this up I have read it and it is literally the stumbling stone. 4074......petros....but that takes you to.....2786...that takes you to............OT 3721....hollow.....
So "hello, hollow stone"...............!

Now let's consider the walk Peter had with Jesus. He spent time with Him everyday after that first initial meeting. And Peter had to be drawn to the life in Jesus.

Was watching one of the movies over the holiday weekend and of how Jesus was portrayed by the one actor, Bruce Marchiano...."The Gospel According to Matthew", but the movie we saw was the one, "Emmaus".  And all the while, I thought how I believed Jesus is just like what the man Marchiano portrays Him to be. In that I considered the joyful expression on this man's face that would be the face of Jesus and the joy that radiated from His heart. He seemed to effervesce with life giving water.
That joy had to be in Jesus, and ever effervescing into life speech for others. Day after day, Peter had to see some form of light.
In truth, the man heard the Word given By THE WORD OF GOD! AND yet we saw him fail. Ah, yes, failure.
In taking the Word of God, we take our place as the righteous man and through Jesus we have that name. His Name places us in His kingdom that has come. It is always our fearless confession before the world. It is through grace that we are saved and not of ourselves; it is the gift of God. It is not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we (each of us who walk this earth ...ST) should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:7-10)

Again, seeing Peter waffle in some areas and who does not do that? It is not a good thing to do and some can fall into " a big pit" when the Word of God is not their focus.  Peter's was knee deep into his own thinking and believing how Jesus would not die. Peter spoke this in Mark 14.....verse...31  But Peter insisted emphatically, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And all the others said the same. NIV

Mark 14:17-31

17 In the evening He came with the twelve. 18 Now as they sat and ate, Jesus said, "Assuredly, I say to you, one of you who eats with Me will betray Me." 19 And they began to be sorrowful, and to say to Him one by one, "Is it I?" And another said, "Is it I?" 20 He answered and said to them, "It is one of the twelve, who dips with Me in the dish. 21 The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had never been born." 

22 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." 23 Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 And He said to them, "This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many. 25 Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God." 26 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 

27 Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: 

'I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep will be scattered.'  

28 "But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee." 29 Peter said to Him, "Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be." 30 Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times." 31 But he spoke more vehemently, "If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" And they all said likewise. NKJV

Even in all this of Jesus' speaking to Peter, the man Peter was still disputing what He, Jesus had told him. And Peter had the rest agreeing with him in this matter. Jesus told them that His sheep were going to be scattered. And Peter remarks, :"Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be."(Mark 14:29)

Yeah Peter............you stumbled! And what will make us stumble if we do not adhere to The Word of God? What will cause us to make some really bad decisions?

Today, many are taking the stance that some things are okay. They mention word to co-exist!  In the body of Christ, many are speaking and writing that it is okay to endorse a gay and lesbian lifestyle. Yet we know from Scripture and it is made clear that kind of perverted life style brings one to death. And any who endorse it will face judgement. It is like they are inviting that judgment into their lives by promoting it publicly. And judgment will come to them and their house.

There is a very sad story given us in the book of Judges. In chapter 19 we are told of a man traveling with his daughter and a concubine. They are heading back to Jerusalem, but evening was drawing to a close, and it began to be dark outside, so the man looked for a place for the night, But nothing was available. An elderly man came by and told them not to stay outdoors, but get inside. So the old man gave them sanctuary. 

Judges 19:22 As they were enjoying themselves, suddenly certain men of the city, perverted (literally, sons of Belial) surrounded the house and beat on the door. They spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying, "Bring out the man who came to your house, that we may know him carnally!"

The concubine is given to the perverted men so the man would not be touched or defiled by such debauchery. What was seen was violence with the sign of being of the aggressive (angry) nature. It was "not the natural" of what God had created and planned. The perverted men wanted the man.  The Levite gave them his concubine so that they would not sin against God. And they attacked. For when you read on in chapter 19, the concubine is beaten and left for dead on the threshold of the door of the old man's house.

Pressure can come with many different looks and sounds!
In both of these examples we are the reminded of the "pressure" that is placed on others in situations that are of chaos. They represent anything but the order that God set forth for those He created to live and be. In those instances, where is their trust residing?

Pressure showed itself in the Garden of Gethsemane and Peter bowed to it. He took the stance of protecting himself. And how many will continue to do that today and this hour? People need prayer and even the body of Christ needs prayer, that there is no co-exist in the Bible. It is not found anywhere in the Bible.  God disdains the perverted lifestyle! He created Adam and Eve. Simple! It was man with woman, to have children and raise them with father, mother and have siblings.

No, no hate here just a reminder of the love that God sent forth by His Son Jesus and that through Him we will have life eternally with Him. Away from Him and apart from His plan, His Word, people perish!

 Peter had to turn away from the " me, myself and I mentality" and truly embrace the Lord Jesus. He had to let go of tradition and titles and other people's perspectives. Peter had to learn to have a place at Jesus' feet and really see and hear Him speak. Peter had to learn that the voice speaking loudly to us, should be the Lord's voice and not the world's. For in giving regard to other men who walk not in truth of God's Word will only bring one back into slavery and into a place of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of a calm and well balanced mind and discipline and self-control. (2 Timothy 1:7)Amplified Bible

We are to abide in Jesus, and the word He gave us. In that self-discipline toward really capturing all He told them and tells us as we make our way through the pages of the Gospels, we find we gain self-control and His love in us that will protect us from that "spirit of fear".

In closing: Jesus is asking: "What do you seek?"

And what will we tell Him today..........? Is it unto life everlasting with Him................or the perverted that will perish? 

What will be our answer?
Will we be found seated at His feet heeding His teachings and warnings or will we cast it away?

2 Corinthians 5:10
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.  NIV

Amen!




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