love

The end is near

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The end of the big game is minutes away and the outcome is obvious. Do we grab our stuff and head for the parking lot?

Peter is pretty straight forward: stay put, keep fighting and keep serving. No fair ducking out early. You leave when the Lord calls you, not before.

Keep the love of God flowing, especially in terms of hospitality. Honestly, you won’t miss the rapture if you’re too busy serving the Lord. Keep your focus on the work God has set before you. Use the gifts He has provided, as good managers of the resources and abilities God has favored you with. Don’t be shy, go all out. There is no need to hold back or be reserved.

This is how we glorify God. We are not showing off or proclaiming our own greatness. On the contrary, we are demonstrating what God can do with a sinner yielded and filled with His power.

For more details, see 1 Peter 4:7-11.

Copyright 2019 David J. Cooley

Having purified your soul

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We have a fresh start, a second chance. We can continue living as we always did, feeding our heart and minds with things that will eventually rot and fall apart. Or, we can nourish our new imperishable nature with things that are likewise imperishable.

Purity is maintained by obedience. What is so important for us to obey? Jesus stated it simply: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35 ESV)

God’s word is imperishable. It does not change or need an update. It is a never-ending source of strength and comfort, needed to accomplish even simple things like loving one another. No wonder it is called the good news.

1 Peter 1:22-25

Copyright 218 David J. Cooley

The unseen God

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“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” 1 Peter 1:8 ESV

Peter walked and talked with Jesus. Literally and actually. He saw the storm stilled and walked – momentarily – on water. He felt his great words of encouragement and the sting of rebuke. The people he writes to have not had that experience.

And neither have we. We say seeing is believing but are denied that opportunity. We can rely only on faith and the testimony of those who have gone before us.

In some ways, it may have been harder to believe with Jesus standing right there next to you. There was nothing special about him. The halos we see in paintings are only an artistic device – they were not actually there. He was just another man. The dampness of the rain and heat of the sun fell on him like anyone else. He shivered in the cold and tramped along dusty roads, leaving footprints like you and I. Most people of his day rejected any notion that he was anything but human. Maybe a better person than most, but still thoroughly human. Yet he was God in the flesh.

Even though we do not see Him, we love him. Our faith is not built on wishful thinking or an emotional high but on something very real – Jesus Christ himself.