Jesus Fellowship: Live Godly in a Pagan World. 11/25/15

Day 328

https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/dramatized/niv/1Pet.2

1 Peter 2

2 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

The Living Stone and a Chosen People
4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house[a] to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame.”[b]
7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

“The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”[c]
8 and,

“A stone that causes people to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall.”[d]
They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Living Godly Lives in a Pagan Society
11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.

18 Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. 19 For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. 20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

22 “He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth.”[e]
23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 25 For “you were like sheep going astray,”[f] but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Supplied Life Devotional by Bill Freeman

November 25th

"We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair." 2 Corinthians 4:8
The word "perplexed" comes from the Greek word aporeo. The prefix means "no," and the root means "way." Thus, it is rendered "no way" or "at a loss for a way." You have no way. You have no answers. Many times God's sovereign love designs that you have no answer. You are in front of a wall. You cannot go over it, around it, or under it. There is no way that you can penetrate it. There is no answer. You just kneel in front of the wall and say, "O Lord Jesus. Hallelujah, I am in Your hands." In this kind of death situation- whatever it is-- He will revive you. And on the third day, He will raise you up in resurrection. This means that God needs a little time to prove that it is not you delivering yourself. After a few days there in death, you begin to stink. You begin to realize that there is no ability in you. But then, seemingly out of nowhere, there is an inner surge, an inner welling up of life. Then your mind begins to see things differently. God is sovereign over all. He has torn and He is going to heal. He is healing you now. He has stricken you and He will bandage you up (Hosea 6:1).
God's sovereign love comes to us in a pattern-- death and resurrection. This cycle is repeated over and over again in our experience. Just as the Lord Jesus passed through death and resurrection, we follow in His pattern

Pray Until Something Happens (PUSH)

Anna, Ariana, Ariel, Georgie, Linnette, Wes, and Zoe.