HAPPY NEW YEAR and something new...


HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

A new year brings me to try something new.  I am going to attempt to take us through a book of the Bible through our morning devotions.  We will be looking at the book of 2 Peter which is 3 chapters long.  I think it might take about a month to cover it in devotional form.  

The new year also marks 3 years of changing our food intake to be what I like to call "clean eating."  I do this for my health but also because of the logic behind what I have learned about what our body can use and not use.  I continue to choose to eat what my body can use and especially use to maintain health.

2 Peter 1:1-3 says,

1 - Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: 
2 - Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 
3 - seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

Peter starts his letter off in typical 1st century form.  Inside of putting his name at the end of the letter like we do, he starts of with you knowing who is writing. 

After stating his name which might have brought some "oohs and aahs" from those in that time because it was the great Peter who walked with Jesus writing to them, Peter follows immediately that he is someone who is a slave (bond-servant) and one sent out (apostle) by Jesus Christ.  The focus goes immediately to who he wants you to know about.

Who is Peter addressing?  "...to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours,..." Peter is addressed those that are saved not any less or more than Peter himself.  It was another statement of humility from Peter to not be put on a pedestal. 

How did we get this faith?  "...by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:..."  We are quickly back to Jesus just like after the introduction of himself and now after the introduction of who he is addressing.  Peter gets very quickly to the cross (how are we made right) and the deity of Jesus calling Him "God" and "Savior" and "Christ."

Peter starts to pray for them.  What does he pray for?  "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;..."  Peter is praying that they would see more of grace and peace by increasing their knowledge of God and Jesus.  The word of "knowledge" is to be fully acquainted with.

Peter continues to pray for them.  "...seeing that His divine power has granted us everything pertaining to life and godliness,..."  Peter is praying that they would see God's power and upon seeing it they would conclude that God is all-sufficient for living life God's way.

Peter prays on.  "...through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence."  How do we see this divine power?  Through the continued "true" (interesting word added for emphasis so we focus where this information is coming from) knowledge of God who is the motivator and originator of inviting or calling you out to Himself.  It brings Him glory for us to follow and that calling to us was His excellent decision (meaning thought, feeling, or action of God).

Recap:  Peter's prayer is for the saints to see grace and peace multiplied and God's divine power in action and the base of that happening or the avenue to see that happen is our focus on knowing more of who God is. 

I am challenged at how humble Peter is.  How quickly Peter goes from himself to telling you about Jesus.  I think that might be a key about how to truly be humble in a way that is not "woe is me, I am just a worm."  If I get my conversation going to Jesus and about what He has done and away from me, I can't help but be humbled in the renewed knowledge of Him.  I will see grace and peace and God's power when I do this and I will realize that this calling to me was true and right by He, Himself, my God.

"Lord, help us to get to You in our conversations with others.  Amen."

 Pastor Adam
A simple man serving a great God and the local pastor of Stillwater Community Chapel (stillwater-chapel.org). We are in our 38th year of full time ministry. God directed us to this local body of believers on the Western Range of the Rockies to grow with them in mission and mindedness of Christ.

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