Today I took a look at Day 4 of the 5 day @YouVersion plan ‘Different’
Check out the full 5 days here:
http://bible.com/r/1AP
Today was about our different thinking as believers in Christ.
The plan started off with this core thought,
Physical and emotional pain have a way of changing our brains.
It goes on to explain,
“It’s why getting burned changes how we think about fire. It’s how a difficult diagnosis changes a lifestyle, often creating passionate advocates in the fight for a cure.”
When painful realities enter our bodies, or the bodies of people we love, those painful realities change our thinking forever.
It all come back to perspective.
Peter experienced this firsthand, especially as it related to his thoughts about suffering.
In Matthew 16, Jesus predicted His own suffering and death. Peter then took Jesus aside and basically reprimanded Him! Then, Jesus looked at Peter, and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me.
You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” (Matthew 16:23 NLT)
Wow. Later, as Peter watched Jesus suffer through the crucifixion, he denied Him, fearing for his own life. Yet, something about these painful experiences changed Peter.
- Painful experiences often lead to powerful passion.
When Peter wrote about suffering in 1 Peter 4:1, he wrote as a man with a new outlook on suffering.
Looking inwardly will help change our outlook of things.
When Peter described suffering, he used the same word, páschō, that Jesus had used with him in Matthew 16.
Peter used this same word throughout 1 Peter, and it’s where we get the modern word “passion.”
Páschō is why we refer to Jesus’ trial, crucifixion, and resurrection as the Passion.
- Painful experiences often lead to powerful passion.
Jesus’ physical pain, His páschō, should be the basis of our passion.
Jesus’ death and resurrection has the ultimate power to change our thinking, and in turn change our behavior.
This is why Peter started his fourth chapter like this, “Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin.” (1 Peter 4:1 NIV)
Done with sin.
That’s what the Passion of Jesus can do.
As believers we are able to continue to mature, develope and reach a point, step by step, where were are ready to just be done with sin our lives.
Christ’s Spirit comes in, lays on our hearts, covers us with His love, grace, and mercy, and slowly but surely we become more like Christ. We desire what He desires more than just the things we desire.
The Holy Spirit has a way of helping us see certain injustice and he spurs us on, ready to fight against those things.
Day by day, moment by moment we are given the opportunity to ask God to show us how Jesus’ physical pain and passion can change our thinking, giving us the resolve to be done with sin.
We are able to ask God to show us how to pray for people around the world who are suffering physical and emotional persecution for their faith.
Finally, if we are persecuted for our faith, may we know that we have company in our páschō with Jesus.
Here are a few focus words that will help form a personal prayer. Don’t try to use proper grammer, big lofty words, sentences or paragraphs just look at these words and phrases as we let The Holy Spirit read our minds, our thoughts, the deepest desires in the core of who we are. Think on these things:
The suffering Jesus went through.
Passion he showed
Christ whole mission.
His display of love.
Being set free from sin.
Our reason to live.
Our purpose.
God’s plan.
The present comfort and help to people who are persecuted for their faith.
In Christ name and for His sake, Amen.
Go with God right up until the end, beetle.
Please note:
Today’s post is part of Day 4 of the 5 day @YouVersion plan ‘Different’
Check out the full 5 days here:
http://bible.com/r/1AP
Here is the scriptures focused on for today:
Matthew 16:21-23 EASY
After this, Jesus began to explain everything to his disciples . He told them,
‘I must go to Jerusalem. There, people will cause me to have great pain. The important Jews , the leaders of the priests , and the teachers of God’s Law will hurt me. Then people will kill me. But three days later, God will cause me to become alive again.’
Then Peter took Jesus away from the other disciples . He began to tell Jesus that he must not say things like that.
‘No, Lord ! God will never let this happen to you!’ he said to Jesus.
Jesus turned round and said to Peter,
‘ Satan , go away from me! I must obey God. But you are trying to stop me. Your thoughts do not come from God. Instead, you are thinking like men think.’
Matthew 16:21-23 EASY
https://bible.com/bible/2079/mat.16.21-23.EASY
1 Peter 4:1-19 EASY
Christ had trouble and pain while he lived in his body. So, you should prepare yourselves to have trouble and pain too.
Think about it in the same way that Christ did.
Then you will be strong. If someone has trouble and pain in his body, he no longer wants to do wrong things. As a result, that person will want to do what God wants him to do. While he continues to live in his body, he will not want to do the bad things that people often want to do.
You have already done those kinds of bad things for long enough.
The people who do not know God like to live in that way. In past times, you also did those bad things. You did many wrong things that your bodies wanted to do.
You had sex in a wrong way. You were drunks. You went to many wild parties where you drank too much alcohol. You worshipped idols , and God hates that.
The people who do not know God are surprised that you no longer live in that bad way.
They continue to enjoy those bad things all the time. But you do not join with them.
So they say bad things against you. But those people will have to explain to God what they have done. He is ready to judge every person, whether they are alive now or they have already died.
This is why even dead people needed to hear the good news about Christ.
Their bodies had to die, as all people must die. But they heard the good news so that their spirits could live, as God wants them to live.
All things in this world will soon come to an end. So, you must think clearly. Then you will be able to pray in a serious way. Continue to love each other very much. That is more important than anything else. If you love people, you will forgive them for any wrong things that they have done. Always be happy to have other believers as visitors in your homes. God has helped each of you in a certain way. You should use that gift from God well, so that you can help other people. Think carefully about how you do that.
Remember that God has given many different gifts to his people so that they can serve him.
- Has God helped you to speak well? Then speak God’s messages to people. Or
- has God helped you to serve other people? Then let God make you strong to do that.
- Do everything so that people will praise God. They will say that God is great, because of Jesus Christ. He is the one who has all authority and power always.
- Everyone should praise him! Amen ! This is true!
My friends, I know that people are causing you to have bad trouble. It is like a fire that is burning you. Do not be surprised about that. These things are happening to you, to show whether you really trust God. So do not think that something strange is happening to you. Instead, thank God when you have trouble. Remember that Christ also received much pain.
If you have trouble like he did, then you will be happy when he returns.
When everyone sees how great Christ really is, then you will thank God, and you will be very happy.
People may say bad things against you because you belong to Christ. But God will bless you when that happens. It shows that God’s Spirit is with you.
He is the Spirit who shows that God is really great.
But if you receive pain because you do wrong things, that is only right. You must not kill anyone. You must not rob anyone. You must not do bad things to other people. You must not cause other people to have trouble. If you do bad things like that, then they are right to punish you.
But if you receive trouble because you are a Christian, do not be ashamed about that. Instead, you should thank God that you belong to Christ.
The time has come when God will start to judge people. He will decide what should happen to everyone. He will first judge the people who belong to him. Since he will start with us, think about what will happen to other people! They have refused to obey God’s good news. In the end, it will be very bad for them. Is that not true? The Bible says: ‘When God saves people who are good, it is difficult for that to happen. So, think about the people who refuse to obey God. It will surely be much worse for those bad people.’
So remember this. If you receive trouble because that is what God wants, you should trust him.
God made you and he always does what he has promised. So you should continue to do what is good, and you should continue to trust him.
1 Peter 4:1-19 EASY https://bible.com/bible/2079/1pe.4.1-19.EASY
tombeetlebailey 