October 15 – Rejoice When?

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed” – 1 Peter 4:12-13 (ESV)

 

Suffering is no fun. But there is a suffering that comes to every faith believer. It’s an unjust kind of suffering. All who truly follow Christ, are recipients of accusations, slander, maligning, and unwarranted actions by others who do not know Jesus as Savior and Lord. As we factually consider the causes and actions and lay them out, our reaction typically is; “They have no right to think or say that. We’ve done nothing to deserve this treatment. Yet it happens. It’s just not fair!” Why do we react that way and cry out for fair dealing? We do so because it’s easy to expect that our life of following Christ to be free of such treatment – it should be easy. For a while in our western world we have happily gone along with that assumption. However, our promise in 1 Peter 4:12 is that fiery trials will come and we shouldn’t be surprised when they do. As the Apostle Peter wrote, we should not think “something strange” was happening to us. Instead, if our suffering is a response from the world to our boldly professing the name of Jesus as Lord and Savior, our reaction should be rejoicing.  

 

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July 24 – Obedience is Forever and Ever

“Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.” - 1 Peter 1:22-23 (NASB)

Of  all things we are called to do as believers in Jesus who is God Almighty, obedience is the most difficult.  It is also the most important. “The first and the last thing [our] God asks of [us] is simple, universal, and unchanging obedience.i ” After God created the first two people of the human race to live in His world, He immediately began to communicate with them and he continues to do that with us today. We learn about Him through the Holy Spirit inspired writing of His people like Apostle Peter. We learn about his love in giving His Son to die for us and by believing in Jesus we receive eternal life.  We are born again through God's Word. And this is for eternity because God's Word is His communication to  us and it is eternal. The love indicated here by Peter is the love of choice, the kind of love that can respond to a command. “Fervently” means to stretch to the limits. We can trust Him forever and live with Him forever. His Word will never perish or fade away – let's trust it today and every day.

i Murray, Andrew. The School of Obedience [Annotated, Updated]: If ye love me, keep my commandments – John 14:15 (p. 3). Aneko Press.  

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May 10 – Eyes Opened By Faith

Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:8-9 (ESV)

 

As an Apostle, Peter, one of the 12 disciples of Jesus helped spread the news of the early Christian Church. Peter walked with Jesus and heard him teach. He many times ate meals with Jesus and talked with him face to face. Peter wrote these words in his first letter because he wanted those who would be reading it but had never seen Jesus. We have never seen Jesus as Peter did but we love him and we believe in him. The promises are many as we focus on verse 9. “Obtaining” could be translated “presently receiving for yourselves.” Christians now possess the result of their faith, a constant deliverance from the power of sin. In another sense, we are waiting to receive the full salvation of eternal glory in the redemption of our bodies We can experience this inexpressible and glorious joy because we have believed in Christ – even though we have never seen him.  Our faith has opened the eyes of our hearts and minds to believe in Him as our Savior and Lord.  It’s hard to express sometimes but in our hearts we know He is true. What a joy it is to have that assurance.

 

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March 19 – Reckoning “A Little While”

“By God’s power [you] are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials.” – 1 Peter 1:5-6 (ESV)

 Even though right now you are not suffering any affliction or trial, there are those who are. And, they are doing so for the sake of Jesus Christ in who they believe. We need to acknowledge that suffering does exist and it does hurt. Affliction is a reality in each of our lives  at one time or another.  Peter recognized and personally experienced many and various ways in which we can be grieved. Specifically, Peter’s first readers were burdened by mental anguish that comes from enduring hardship. Because of the gospel, Peter doesn’t have to end on a note of hopelessness and despair. Instead, he gives us promises to which we can cling. First of all, Peter reminds us that our trials last only “a little while.” Which needs to be understood in the light of eternity; even a lifetime is “a little while” compared to forever! Any current misery is not our eternal end, salvation is. Secondly, we are able to say with confidence that in every moment of suffering, God is present. He is present with His people; He knows and is perfectly able to sympathize with us when we suffer. (Hebrews 4:15)

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A Remembrance: On this date in 1913, our father, Richard B. Anderson (1913-2003), was born in a farmhouse outside of Boone, Iowa. He served the Lord for nearly 40 years preaching and teaching and making disciples in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). After retiring from active missionary service he continued to teach other the promises of God as revealed in the holy Scriptures. "Inspiration for Living" was a pre-recorded telephone-call-in ministry for 17 years. It is that work that we first used in 2016 to begin this "90 Seconds with God's Promises" blog.   

 

 

February 28 – Living Hope

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” -  1 Peter 1:3 (NASB)

When we hear the term “born again” we need to keep in mind that many have used it in ways to make it commonly misunderstood – especially from its original meaning in the Bible. In our verse today we have a promise of God’s great mercy. He has caused us (faith believers) to be reborn with a living hope. Again we consider the difference between the today’s usage of ‘hope for’ and the living hope that Christ has provided. Our hope in Jesus is a living hope. We have absolute assurance because what we hope for has already been done. We have already a living hope and all it promises in Jesus Christ. When Jesus died physically while hanging on the cross, He, the Son of Man, was absolutely dead. He had committed His spirit into the hands of God the Father. But Jesus did not remain dead. He was resurrected to a new life. That is what our living hope is about – we too have in Christ the benefits of His resurrection. He has already caused it to happen for us through our spiritual birth. It’s a hope that is alive and never will disappoint us.

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February 14 – The Only True Love

“Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.” – 1 Peter 4:8 (NASB)

In the very popular movie “The Princess Bride” . Westley and Buttercup are in love and go through a great deal to be with each other. It’s a fun and uplifting story. If you search for “true love,” on the internet you will find a glut of opinions of what the world says true love is. Love is no small thing and true love is a gift. Spiritual love is from God for God is love. Covering and forgiving sins is the nature of true spiritual love, whether from God to man or Christian to Christian. God’s love is essential and so we want to know what God means in John 15:17 “This I command you, that you love one another.” This is what Jesus prayed for his disciples on the night in which he gave Himself to those who were going to kill Him. From John 17:26 He prays, “so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” Knowing Jesus is knowing true love. It is Jesus abiding in us that brings and manifests true love in our lives. Let’s be fervent “stretched” in our love for one another today.

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December 3 – Shifting the Burden

“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” - 1 Peter 5:6-7 (NASB)

It is a true statement and worthy to be learned. “God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble,” (Proverbs 3:34; Matthew 23:12; James 4:10). As we are told by the Apostle Paul in Philippians “be anxious for nothing,” here Peter tells us to “humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God.”  This is an Old Testament symbol of the power of God working in the experience of men, always accomplishing His sovereign purpose. But humility can cause anxiety.  Peter also tells us what to do with our anxiety – get rid of it! Cast it ALL on Him! This is a good practice to follow and we have a good reason we can trust it – He cares for us. How wonderful it is to know that we have a heavenly Father who cares and knows that we have special concerns. We stumble and fall because of our worry but He is always there to help us up. Our Lord tells us here to turn to him and turn those cares over to Him. Transfer the anxious thoughts and worries from your ledger to His ledger. Then observe how much He cares for you and me. He truly does, it's a promise.

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September 22 – Merciful Father

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” – 1 Peter 1:3 (NASB)

Even if we do not know them, there still is one father and one mother for every person created. Though God was known as Creator and Redeemer in the OT, He was rarely called Father except as in Isaiah and Jeremiah. Jesus Christ, always addressed God as His Father in the gospels except in the separation on the cross (Matthew 27:46). In doing so, Christ claimed to be of the same nature and being, as the Father. Jesus does not forbid the showing of respect when He said “And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.” Christ says no to the use of such names as spiritual titles, or in a sense that accords undue spiritual authority to a human being, as if he were the source of truth rather than God. By speaking of “our” Lord, Peter personalized the Christian’s intimate relationship with the God through His Son. For God provided a glorious salvation for mankind. He is merciful because sinners need God’s mercy. We were in a pitiful, desperate, wretched condition as sinners. Only by God’s mercy are we forgiven and born again.

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June 19 – Joyful Righteous Freedom

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” – 2 Corinthians 3:17 (ESV)
“It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.” - Galatians 5:1 (NASB)
“Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.” – 1 Peter 2:16 (ESV) 

Today we have three verses on freedom. The United States will be celebrating freedom on the nation’s newest federal holiday. Juneteenth National Independence Day became the 12th legal public holiday on June 17, 2021. The action of one human owning another and determining all aspects of another’s life has always been a tragic part of human history. Slavery continues around the world even to this day. The pursuit of freedom from bondage and statutory slavery is a natural desire. Often over-looked is the deadly slavery to sin that holds people in bondage to unrighteous thought, speech, and actions. Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God came into our world, born as a baby and lived a perfect human life⸺free of any sin. Christ was never a salve to sin so when He offered himself in our place, to die for us, it gave each of us the opportunity to be free from slavery to sin as well. Christ’s death satisfied the penalty for sin that was due (Romans 6:23). Through faith believing in Christ, we are set free from sin – we are no long in bondage to sin, we are free as we abide in Christ’s righteousness.  

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May 31 – He Cares For You

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." - 1 Peter 5:6-7 (ESV)

So, how are you doing with the task of humbling yourself? Not easy is it. Sort of like we pray for patience and immediately we encounter a circumstance where patience is needed.  It doesn’t take long to fall like that. Pride is the same.  If we want to give up pride, we must accept being humbled by circumstances and people. It can be a pretty bitter pill to swallow.  Successful at humility comes from God and submitting to His leading. As we allow ourselves to accept opportunities for humility, we do so under the might of God’s hand.  He is able to give us all that we need to swallow pride and give up all our self-needed sufficiency. At the proper time (which is God’s time, not ours) God will exalt us by manifesting Himself through us. People will see His work in our lives, not our own efforts. When they comment on such times, we give credit and glory to God.  Our other promise is: God cares for us so much that he is willing to take on all things we worry about. We do not have to worry because He cares and takes care of us.  

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May 13 – Eyes Opened Through Faith

"Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” 1 Peter 1:8-9 (NASB)

Peter, the disciple of Jesus, became one of the foremost apostles who helped spread the news of the early Christian Church. He also was used by the Holy Spirit to write some of the books in the New Testament. Peter walked with Jesus and heard him teach and watched him do miracles and heal all who came to Him with physical or spiritual need. Many times Peter ate meals with Jesus and talked with him face to face while breaking bread together. Peter wrote these words in his first letter to believers in the new Church. In the same way we have never seen Jesus as Peter did but we love Him and we believe in Him. These words are also given to us and can be applied to us personally. We can experience the “inexpressible joy and be filled with glory” because we have believed in Jesus the Christ – even though we have never seen Him.  Our faith has opened the eyes of our hearts and minds to believe in Him as our Savior and Lord.  It is hard to express sometimes but in our hearts we know He is true. It’s a joy to have that assurance.

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April 11 – He Was Wounded, We Are Healed

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” – 1 Peter 2:24 (ESV)

It is during this time of the years that we increase our focus on the resurrection of Jesus Christ because it is Easter.  After the Passion Week (Palm Sunday-Easter), How much do we think about Christ’s resurrection?  Doesn’t it diminish for the rest of the year?* We know, however, that the Resurrection Day, falling on the first day of the week is the reason the disciples and apostles began the practice of meeting for worship, teaching and fellowship. In the first century, every first day of the week was a time to remember. Christ’s death and then resurrection is the why of following the Way of Jesus. Our promise today from Peter is that we have been given by Jesus, eternal life and saved from death because Christ paid our penalty and defeated death for us. Why not follow the early example of the believers and make that the center of our weekly worship?  Worship happens in a community of believers as often and as regular as is possible. We need each other to remind all that we meet on Sundays mostly because the disciples set the pattern for us the first Sundays after Christ ascended into heaven.  

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*The Easter date floats on our calendar. Each year it is marked on the First Day of the week between March 22 (very infrequent) and April 25 (also infrequent).     

Easter is always on Sunday, but it moves around more than other holidays. 

Easter as early as March 22 is very rare. The last time it happened was 1818, and the next time will be 2285. Easter last fell on the latest date in 1943, and will again in 2038. Next year it's April 20.

How the date is determined sounds simple but is pretty complex. Generally, Easter is observed on the Sunday following the first full moon in the Northern Hemisphere, or the first full moon after the vernal equinox March 20.

In depth explanation of how the Easter Date is calculated:  http://assa.org.au/edm 

January 1 – A Little While

“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”  1 Peter 5:10-11 (ESV)

Perhaps it seems out of place to begin the New Year with a benediction. The New Year may not always be as “Happy” as we would wish, but as Christians we are blessed in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3) and can look forward to a “Blessed New Year” throughout the problems that may come. Suffering is a common experience for all humans. None seek it out but we know that it is part of our walk with Jesus Christ for He promises that we will suffer for His sake as we proclaim our faith in Him. So, Peter confirms for us that suffering is going to be ours for a “little while.” But, afterward, God promises that He Himself will be the one who will restore us, and confirm us, and strengthen us, and then establish us. What a promise that is! We are members of God’s family and we live in His dominion. This is what will be ours for eternity. So, the suffering of last year and the suffering we will encounter this year is all but for “a little while” when the rest will be ours for eternity. 

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November 13 – Holy Be Holy

“ Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:13 (ESV)

In the first chapter of 1 Peter we learn that as believers we are call to be Holy. We know the word Holy. Some of us sing songs about God being Holy. The various churches label places and artifacts as Holy. God in the Old Testament has the People of Israel build a Tabernacle for worshiping Him. In it was the Holy Place and deeper in was the Holy of Holies. Holiness is important in God’s way and revelation in the Bible tells us He expects us to live holy lives.  In our verse today Peter gives us three of five ways to approach being holy. We are to prepare our minds for action. Get our thoughts in the proper order so we are to be sober-minded.  This means to be in control of what goes in and what comes out. This means not to mess around with things that intoxicate our thinking and crowd out or blur the things God wants us to think about. The third is to set our hope on the promise of the grace we have and will receive when Jesus Christ is revealed. That’s an end time event we’re to be prepared for.

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November 8 – Learning To Cast

“…having cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares about you.”  1 Peter 5:7 (NASB)

What is before the ellipsis in our verse?  It is the instruction to take on humility under God’s mighty hand. He promises He will exalt us in time. This is after we have turned over to God all that we are anxious about. That is the requirement. Everything that upsets us. 

• Every worry. 
• Every concern. 
• Everything that is not working out the way we believe it should. 
• Every apprehension about the evil, hateful, ungodly, despicable cheating, lying, and underhanded manipulations, affecting our future. 
• Every fear of losing our freedom and liberty and our major dismay with who will be leading our country. 

Wrap all these up and cast them on Jesus. He does not want us to lug these cares around. They get in the way. He can do something about it and we can only give them to him. God cares and that’s our promise you, He cares about me, about us –all who He has chosen and called and redeemed from permanent spiritual death. He does not want us to be stirred up or to stir up others with things we really can’t change. He cares about us enough to take these anxieties away for us. 

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October 6 – Words for Strength

“And this word is the good news that was preached to you. So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.  Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. ”  1 Peter 1:25b-2:1-3  (ESV)

From out of the Word of God, which stands forever, we find today’s promise from God. He has given us these Words for strength to our spiritual life. We can think of it as the milk that is essential for a newborn to grow big and in strength. The Word is just as essential for us. The Word of God, we considered yesterday in our post is true and will not fade away, we have it secure. It is the good news of Christ Jesus. For all who have in faith believing come to Jesus for salvation and for eternal life; have tasted the benefit of faith and know that our Lord is good.  The Word of God helps us grow into the children of God we have been called to be. We have been saved through this Word and we grow strong in our faith through this Word.  We are not left to fend for ourselves, having to make our way by ourselves, God has given us His love through the Scriptures for this purpose: to grow into mature servanthood and develop passion and love of our Savior. It’s a natural thing to want more of God’s word. 

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October 5 – Never Fades, Never Perishes

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” Isaiah 40:8 (ESV)

“…for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” 1 Peter 1:24-25 (ESV)

We have a promise found in our verses today that was given first in the book of Isaiah and then quoted by the Apostle Peter in his first letter to the believers who were scattered across Asia Minor. It promises the permanence of God’s Word, our Bible. It is a good promise for us to cling to and remember, to even commit to our memory. The words which God has given to us in the Scriptures are true and they are eternal. Unlike the grass and flowers which we plant and cultivate and tend to so attentively will ultimately suffer from the heat of the sun and lack of water – even if we keep all those threats at a minimum, the expectant life is pre-determined. Many attack the Bible and question its absolute authority, but the words of God recorded in Scripture remain and will stand forever.  They do not fade away, wither away, or dry up.  In fact we can know with assurance that each day the words from God our Father remain fresh, powerful and effectual (Lamentations 3:18). This promise keeps us looking upward and faithfully believing what the Bible gives us.    

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October 4 – All Hope and No Shame

“Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”  1 Peter 1:13  (ESV)

Again we find our verse of promise in the first letter Peter wrote to believers who were suffering under the persecution of Nero. It reminds us about how we are to live since we are believers alive in Christ Jesus. Our promise is the grace given to us the moment Jesus Christ is revealed once again to the world at his Second Coming. Grace is what we live on each day. It is also a future promise and we are called to set our hope full on this promise of grace. How? We do so by making ourselves ready for action today.  “Take this seriously,” is what Peter is saying. God has promised us the grace that will carry us through to the time He wraps things up on this earth. We are tempted and distracted by other enticements which derail our commitment to Jesus in this life. But our hope is a hope we will realize – we are promised it will never disappoint us or shame us to trust this hope. So, we are to place our hope fully and squarely on the promise of grace that will be ours when our inheritance is revealed.  

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October 3 – Permanent, Pure, Perpetual

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”  1 Peter 1:3-5  (NASB )

The verse chosen for today is packed with promises. Peter the Apostle wrote this letter from Rome. It is written to the churches that were in what is now Turkey. Great persecution had broken out caused by Emperor Nero. Peter aims to help believers not be cast down under this persecution. The first promise is actually in 1 Pet. 1:1-2. Peter addressed the letter to those who are chosen by God. Peter teaches that it is God who has called each believer to be born again and the power of that new birth comes through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The power of Christ’s resurrection is in us through our new life from our new birth in Jesus.  It confirms for us that as a result of God’s choice to give us new birth, we have received a promise of an inheritance. Unlike earthly bequests we may have, this one is guaranteed ours by the power of God. It is imperishable, undefiled, eternal and reserved for us. The reservation is protected by the power of God. It has been fully granted but we know it only in part and will have it fully revealed in heaven. 

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September 21 – Trust and Cast Off

“When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You.” Psalm 56:3 (NASB)
“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,  casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.”  1 Peter 5:6-7 (NASB)

Two verses today affirm the promise that we can depend upon God to care for us and to take care of us – especially when we are in upsetting circumstances. Notice: the verse in Psalm 56 does not say, “I never struggle with fear.” Fear strikes without warning sometimes and other times we see it approaching like a stampede of buffalo on the prairie. The battle begins. The Bible does not teach that true believers will have no anxieties. Instead, the Bible tells us how to fight when they strike. The promise in 1 Peter 5:7 gives us our strategy when fear and anxiety come upon us. Are we feeling fear, worry, or other forms of anxiety these days?  Has an uncertain future disturbed the life we had several months ago? Dealing with feelings of anxiety every day is more or less normal. The question we have is: How do we fight them? We fight anxieties by fighting against unbelief and fighting for faith in future grace by meditating on God’s promises and assurances of future grace and by asking for the help of his Spirit. (1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 4:7)

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