If you do not believe in God who are you giving thanks to? We in America on the 4th Thursday in November celebrate an annual holiday called Thanksgiving. Most in this land celebrate this holiday, but what is it they are celebrating, is it Thanksgiving? I say to you if you are not giving thanks to the Lord you are not having Thanksgiving. Sure you are celebrating something; many celebrate time with family, many enjoy the parties feasting and food, many celebrate their wealth and prosperity, and for many more it’s shopping and buying things. It is a celebration for sure but is it Thanksgiving? The first official Thanksgiving service was given on May 14th 1607 near Jamestown Virginia. You may notice that I said service because that is what it was; it was a service in remembrance and giving of thanks to the Lord. There would be many such Thanksgiving services throughout the American Colonies, the most Famous of which is at the Plymouth Plantation of The Pilgrims in 1621. The lives of these early colonists to America were very difficult; the winters were unbearably cold, they had to build shelter, they had to scavenge for food and learn to grow crops in a foreign environment. There were many lives lost in the winter months with much starvation and hardships but these colonists knew that it was God who provided for them and got them through the winter. They therefore came together to celebrate a feast to the Lord of harvest giving Him thanks for all that He had provided and had given to them.
Jesus in His wonderful dialogue with the Pharisee Nicodemus in John chapter 3 speaks of a time that occurred during the 40 years that the Israelites wondered through the desert with Moses. The Lord said: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). The story is found in Numbers chapter 21. God had provided for the people in the barren land of the desert by giving them manna from heaven, a flour like substance that they used in making bread. The people became unthankful, became grumblers and complainers towards God and loathed the food that God had provided for them to eat. So God sent snakes in amongst the people that bit them and many died. They came to Moses with a repentant heart and asked him to pray to God to save them. God told him to make a fiery serpent and put it on a pole and it should be that all who were bit when they looked upon it shall live. It was faith that healed them, God provided the method and when they looked upon the fiery serpent with faith they were saved. We have eyes to see the world that is around us, we also have spiritual eyes, for many they are weak from lack of use, but they are still there and can see spiritually and seeing spiritually is called faith. When we look upon Jesus Christ with our spiritual eyes and believe we are saved from our sins, one of which is being unthankful towards God for all that He has given and done for us, and when we look upon Him with our spiritual eyes and step out on faith and believe we shall live and never die.
Every single one of us have problems, this life is difficult, I like you have many difficulties and struggles that I am going through, in many ways this past year has been one of the most difficult in my life. But I am giving thanks to God inside of these struggles, I know through faith that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). You see I have a confidence in this because of faith; God has given me faith in adversity, a hope in tribulation, and a Lord over my struggles in Jesus. You can have joy in hardship with the faith that it is for your good. Even with the struggles God has given me so much to be thankful for, my cup overflows. We have more than enough, he provides for us bountifully, and meets all of our needs. Most of all His grace, He adopted me as His child, He has given me an inheritance with Him in heaven that I do not deserve. It is on Him that I stand, I do not stand on my accomplishments for I can accomplish nothing, I do not stand on my good but His, He is good. It is easy to look around us with our fleshy eyes at our hardships and tribulations then loath what God has given us, but I encourage you to see with your spiritual eyes and see how bountifully God has blessed you and you will know that your cup runs over. Come with me in having a Thanksgiving service to the Lord. “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
God Bless you and Happy Thanksgiving,
Mike Peek
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Notice of changes to the blog “A Slave of Jesus Christ”
I have enjoyed memorizing, meditating on, and writing about my Lord Jesus Christ as given to us through “The Gospel According to John”. I have reached a point in this gospel where the stories become larger, some more so than others. For example, I have begun to memorize John chapter 4, the story of the Samaritan women at the well takes up the first 26 verses of this chapter, then Jesus teaching His disciples about the harvest takes up the next 12 verses, then a shorter story comprising 4 verses of the Samaritans believing because of the testimony of the Samaritan women. Each of these stories vary greatly in size some are short, some are long; since it has been set before me by God to memorize, then meditate on these scriptures before writing about them, some changes will have to be made going forward which I think are good, because it will give me time to take in all that God has for us in this wonderful gospel. I typically memorize about 4-5 verses a week, since the first full story in chapter 4 is 26 verses long it will take me six weeks to memorize meditate on and take in all that God has in store for me in this; therefore the next addition in writing specially on the Gospel According to John will happen in 5 weeks with the Samaritan women at the well. Each addition will vary in length between additions based on the overall length of the story. I will however continue to write every week. During the intervening weeks between additions to the Gospel According to John, I will write about all the things that God has put on my heart to write about. So come back in 5 weeks for the Samaritan women at the well, but in the interim I hope you enjoy the things that God has laid upon my heart.
God Bless and Trust alone in Jesus Christ,
Mike Peek
God Bless and Trust alone in Jesus Christ,
Mike Peek
Sunday, November 13, 2011
A Resounding Yes
I have been in a trial this past week and through this trial I have relied on my God, Jesus Christ; He has lead me to Psalm 17 which I have held onto all week and specifically verse 15. I have heard a lot of brothers and sisters in Christ over the years talk about their life verse, I however did not have one. Throughout the word of God there are a multitude of scriptures that I hold dear to my heart and many which stand high above others. Earlier this week one of my brothers in Christ who knew I was going through a trial sent me an email message by Max Lucado called “Contentment”. In this message Max Lucado asks the question: What if God’s only gift to you were His grace to save you? Would you be content? I pray to my Lord daily, I lift up to Him all the concerns of my life continually and I believe with faith that He hears all of my prayers and will answer them. As I told you earlier I have been undergoing a trial this week that has particularly hit me hard. Just like many of you who share this life as a human being, there are several things going on in my life that are trials and difficulties, I lift those up daily, I pray for the concerns of all of those around me, and God who is faithful has answered many of my prayers in a real and profound way, interceding in areas that you know without God the outcome would have been impossible. On the trial I have been through this past week I have prayed about many times. Not only praying about the outcome, but also praying to God to reveal my heart in this situation, and every step I take to be the right one, the step He is willing for me to take. Now in this particular situation I believe that my prayers will be answered, that I will be vindicated, because it is the right and just thing. Psalm 17:2 says “Let my vindication come from Your presence; Let Your eyes look on the things that are upright.”
So I asked myself this past week in prayer to God and in reading Psalm 17; am I truly content with His grace? Is the grace of God enough for me? I am thankful for everything that God has given me in this life; He has truly blessed me and given to me abundantly. Now in pondering these questions, is His grace enough? Would I be content? In thinking about these questions, the trial I’m going through and meditating on Psalm 17, God has given me my life verse, and yes, His grace is enough. The greatest desire of my heart is to gaze upon my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and that is what He has truly given me, He has given me Himself. Jesus is the prize, Jesus is the pearl of great value, and Jesus is the treasure head in the field. Psalm 17 was a prayer by David, and the desires of his heart in Psalm 17:15 are the desires of my heart. “As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness” (Psalm 17:15). God is so Holy and Righteous that a man cannot look upon His face and live. To look at the face of God you must be righteous and by the grace of God I have been cleansed of all my sins by the blood of Jesus Christ through faith in Him. Can you imagine what that will be like; to gaze upon the face of God, to see Jesus in His glorified state and just look upon Him? I imagine since I will have all of eternity that I may just get stuck right there for the first 1000 years gazing upon the face of God, and then realize that I am just like Him; righteous, clean, good, holy. My sinful nature completely cut off, never to sin again. Oh how I look forward to that day, to the day that I will see the face of Jesus in righteousness and awake in His likeness. Is His grace enough? My answer, His grace is everything!
God bless,
Mike Peek
So I asked myself this past week in prayer to God and in reading Psalm 17; am I truly content with His grace? Is the grace of God enough for me? I am thankful for everything that God has given me in this life; He has truly blessed me and given to me abundantly. Now in pondering these questions, is His grace enough? Would I be content? In thinking about these questions, the trial I’m going through and meditating on Psalm 17, God has given me my life verse, and yes, His grace is enough. The greatest desire of my heart is to gaze upon my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and that is what He has truly given me, He has given me Himself. Jesus is the prize, Jesus is the pearl of great value, and Jesus is the treasure head in the field. Psalm 17 was a prayer by David, and the desires of his heart in Psalm 17:15 are the desires of my heart. “As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness” (Psalm 17:15). God is so Holy and Righteous that a man cannot look upon His face and live. To look at the face of God you must be righteous and by the grace of God I have been cleansed of all my sins by the blood of Jesus Christ through faith in Him. Can you imagine what that will be like; to gaze upon the face of God, to see Jesus in His glorified state and just look upon Him? I imagine since I will have all of eternity that I may just get stuck right there for the first 1000 years gazing upon the face of God, and then realize that I am just like Him; righteous, clean, good, holy. My sinful nature completely cut off, never to sin again. Oh how I look forward to that day, to the day that I will see the face of Jesus in righteousness and awake in His likeness. Is His grace enough? My answer, His grace is everything!
God bless,
Mike Peek
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Believe in Jesus but also Believe Jesus (John 3:31-36)
(He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. He who has received His testimony as certified that God is true. For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. ~John 3:31-36)
Jesus is the Son of God, the creator of all things. John Chapter 1 told us that He was in the beginning with God and that He was in fact God, and that all things were made through Him (Ref. John 1:1-6). That He became flesh and dwelt among us, that God Himself became flesh. The Holy Spirit of God came upon Mary (a virgin) and she conceived and bore a Son and that Son was Jesus. Now Jesus being God speaks the words of God and John gives witness of this. God sent John to baptize, and while he was baptizing God told John that there would be One whom John would see the Spirit descend on and remain on, and it would be He who would baptize with the Holy Spirit. (Ref John 1:32-33). So John gives testimony of Jesus speaking the words of God, that all He said was of God because Jesus is God. He also said that people were not listening to him, oh they were listening to Him speak, but they were not listening as though they were the words of God. But for those who would hear and believe certified who Jesus was.
God the Father sent His only begotten Son Jesus into a world that He knew would reject Him. At the end of John chapter 2 the Apostle John writes about Jesus and man. “He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man” (John 2:24-25). God the Father knew what was in man before He sent Jesus, and God the Son knew what was in man. I don’t know about you, I’m a father; I personally would have a hard time purposely sending my child into a hostile environment. The Father knew Jesus would be rejected, and knew that man would kill Him, and knew even after the sacrifice that men would continue to reject Him. The more and more I come to know my Lord, the more amazed I am that anyone could think for a minute that they could earn favor with God. The more I’ve gotten to know Jesus, the more I’ve gotten to know myself, and realize not just how sinful I was, but how sinful I am. Works cannot save a man in fact works themselves are sin when done to earn favor with God. God is a good Judge, what do good judges do to criminals that try to bribe them? You who break God’s laws (The Ten Commandments) are a criminal; if you do good works to earn favor with God, what you are in effect attempting to do is bribe the Judge. Jesus is my Master; any work, is only a good work, when it is done to bring glory to my Lord. Paul said: “For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).
John the Baptist finishes his dialogue about Jesus with his disciples by giving the good news; that there is a Way to have everlasting life and that Way is Jesus Christ. He tells them: “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36). The way to eternal life is to have faith in Jesus Christ, that His death on the cross was and is payment for all of your sins. But John is also saying here; make sure that you believe Jesus, His words. There are a lot of people in this world that call themselves Christian but when you talk with them about scripture they will deny the words of Jesus. Do you believe in Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God? Jesus said He was the only begotten Son of God. Do you believe that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life that no one comes to the Father but by Him? Jesus said this. Do you believe the things he said about Hell? Did you know that if it were not for the words of Jesus we would know little about Hell, Jesus spoke more about Hell than anyone in the bible?
Believe in the only begotten Son of God, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, the only Way to the Father. Believe by faith that when He died on that cross that He paid for all of your sins; past, present, and future. And believe the scriptures, the scriptures are the inerrant, infallible, Holy Spirit inspired written word of God. Believe what they say about Jesus, and believe what Jesus said.
God Bless you;
Mike Peek
Jesus is the Son of God, the creator of all things. John Chapter 1 told us that He was in the beginning with God and that He was in fact God, and that all things were made through Him (Ref. John 1:1-6). That He became flesh and dwelt among us, that God Himself became flesh. The Holy Spirit of God came upon Mary (a virgin) and she conceived and bore a Son and that Son was Jesus. Now Jesus being God speaks the words of God and John gives witness of this. God sent John to baptize, and while he was baptizing God told John that there would be One whom John would see the Spirit descend on and remain on, and it would be He who would baptize with the Holy Spirit. (Ref John 1:32-33). So John gives testimony of Jesus speaking the words of God, that all He said was of God because Jesus is God. He also said that people were not listening to him, oh they were listening to Him speak, but they were not listening as though they were the words of God. But for those who would hear and believe certified who Jesus was.
God the Father sent His only begotten Son Jesus into a world that He knew would reject Him. At the end of John chapter 2 the Apostle John writes about Jesus and man. “He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man” (John 2:24-25). God the Father knew what was in man before He sent Jesus, and God the Son knew what was in man. I don’t know about you, I’m a father; I personally would have a hard time purposely sending my child into a hostile environment. The Father knew Jesus would be rejected, and knew that man would kill Him, and knew even after the sacrifice that men would continue to reject Him. The more and more I come to know my Lord, the more amazed I am that anyone could think for a minute that they could earn favor with God. The more I’ve gotten to know Jesus, the more I’ve gotten to know myself, and realize not just how sinful I was, but how sinful I am. Works cannot save a man in fact works themselves are sin when done to earn favor with God. God is a good Judge, what do good judges do to criminals that try to bribe them? You who break God’s laws (The Ten Commandments) are a criminal; if you do good works to earn favor with God, what you are in effect attempting to do is bribe the Judge. Jesus is my Master; any work, is only a good work, when it is done to bring glory to my Lord. Paul said: “For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).
John the Baptist finishes his dialogue about Jesus with his disciples by giving the good news; that there is a Way to have everlasting life and that Way is Jesus Christ. He tells them: “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36). The way to eternal life is to have faith in Jesus Christ, that His death on the cross was and is payment for all of your sins. But John is also saying here; make sure that you believe Jesus, His words. There are a lot of people in this world that call themselves Christian but when you talk with them about scripture they will deny the words of Jesus. Do you believe in Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God? Jesus said He was the only begotten Son of God. Do you believe that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life that no one comes to the Father but by Him? Jesus said this. Do you believe the things he said about Hell? Did you know that if it were not for the words of Jesus we would know little about Hell, Jesus spoke more about Hell than anyone in the bible?
Believe in the only begotten Son of God, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, the only Way to the Father. Believe by faith that when He died on that cross that He paid for all of your sins; past, present, and future. And believe the scriptures, the scriptures are the inerrant, infallible, Holy Spirit inspired written word of God. Believe what they say about Jesus, and believe what Jesus said.
God Bless you;
Mike Peek
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)