The Resistance

1 Peter 5:6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 11 To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. 12 By Silvanus, our faithful brother as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand. 13 She who is in Babylon, elect together with you, greets you; and so does Mark my son. 14 Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to you all who are in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Once a nation has been conquered by an overwhelming force, the only means left to those who will and would is resistance.

We saw this during WWII, as France was conquered by Nazi Germany, rapidly, completely and devastatingly. From the outside, it appeared as though France had completely capitulated to the Nazis, but within the borders the story was different. There was unseen, invisible resistance – even to an apparently irresistible force. France was indeed a battleground, even though it had the appearance of being completely controlled by Germany.

During Peter’s time it was much the same. Rome had conquered the known world to such a degree the famous ‘Pax Romana’ was in place. (This meant Rome had conquered all its enemies, so there was therefore “peace” brought about explicitly by Roman power.) Who could withstand Rome?

The Bible teaches us Satan is the ruler of this world. He was ceded control of the earth by the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. Capitulation. Defeat. Destruction. We see evidence of his presence everywhere we look. Wars. Rumors of wars. Lies. Corrupt business deals. Murder. Rape. Child sexual perversion. Prostitution. Human slavery and human traffic. Addiction to pornography, alcohol and drugs. The pure idiocy of self-destruction, even down to the extent of sniffing bath salts, as has only recently become popular. Who could make anyone even think of sniffing bath salts?

If you refuse to believe Satan is real, I feel sorry for you. The profound evidence, not just of his existence, but of his power to influence human beings is all around us every day of our lives.

But God is stronger. In fact, Satan was and is no match at all for those who claim Jesus as Savior. Satan was defeated by Christ at the cross, and though he remains the ‘prince of the power of the air,’ he no longer has any power at all over those filled with God’s Holy Spirit by faith in Christ. As Peter says, “We are the resistance!”

-Pastor Bill

Be Humble

1 Peter 5:1 The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: 2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; 3 nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; 4 and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away. 5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

One of mankind’s biggest problems has always been its desire to be god. We always want to call the shots. Be the boss. Completely control our lives.

Observational truth teaches us none of that is possible. We cannot control our own lives, we are never the boss, and we do not call the shots. In essence, our lives are completely OUT of our direct control.

I naturally want to be the boss of me, but I can’t be. I naturally do not desire to be humble, but I can be.

Can I get a clue here? “Yes!” Peter says. “Be what you can be. Be ALL you can be.”

Be humble. (Because you ain’t all that, even if you think you is.)

Be a humble leader if you are blessed with that responsibility. Be a humble follower when your life directs. In fact, be a humble follower even when you are a leader, because humble followers make the only leaders worth following.

I am not God, and I never will be. Why would I even attempt to assume that role, or even think of approaching God as some sort of co-equal. Who am I to even think of questioning God, or judging what He chooses to do? Have I checked the span of the universe lately?

This sort of thinking is the realm where Satan works most powerfully. He plays to the same temptations he always has. “You can be your own bosssssss,” he hisses. “You can control you own livesssssss,” he lies. “Follow your heart,” he says. “Trust your natural instincts,” he advises. And – most importantly – “Evaluate God’s Word to see if it works for you.”

How arrogant.

-Pastor Bill

Really, They Are His

Luke 15:11 Then He said: "A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.' So he divided to them his livelihood. 13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. 17 But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants." ' 20 And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.' 22 But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' And they began to be merry.

Fatherhood is so much more than biological, and so many times less than logical.

As the father of a newborn, the dreams you have for your child often exceed what is possible, but that doesn't stop you from dreaming. You just can't help yourself. Unfortunately, as time goes by, and dreams become reality, we often find we can't help our children either.

They have to learn to help themselves, and most often they do that by watching you as a father, seeing how you help yourself.

Are you a self-made man? I sure hope not. Here's ALL I hope your children see: that you are a God-made man.

There's going to come a time in your child's life when their life and their future will be completely on the line, and unless they've seen you (dad) on your knees they'll have no way of knowing where life begins, and they'll take what the world offers instead.

We already know the world is an emotional meat-grinder, bent on destruction. Despite our dreams, and our hopes, we have no way of protecting our children when they are beyond our care - but God.

Fortunately, God's love for our children exceeds even our own, because, really, they are His.

-Pastor Bill

The Grace in Suffering

1 Peter 4:1 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. 3 For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles--when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. …12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. 14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.

If given the choice, we would probably travel far and spend much to avoid physical suffering. There is never, in any way, shape, or form, written into the DNA of any human - or probably any other form of life - a desire to seek after or travel toward suffering.

But, when you choose to follow Christ, that is exactly what you are doing. Peter would not have that fact hidden.

Now, most political or religious “organizations” would probably agree. This is a killer decision. No one, knowing the full-on truth of the potentially high cost associated with Christ, would choose to willingly place themselves in a position where physical suffering is possible. Yet millions, and perhaps billions have chosen exactly that – a pathway of potentially suffering for simply knowing Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

How can this be explained apart from the grace of God which leads to repentance from the world?

Becoming a Christian doesn’t mean you will physically suffer for knowing Christ, but it does mean you may. Here, according to God’s Word, Peter says physical suffering is both purifying in your life and glorifying of God.

By the Holy Spirit, we learn this Spiritual principle of transcendence. We have seen it in Christ first, and then in others, and now the Spirit of God is calling us – to a love that transcends the physical, to a love that is eternal, to a love that is indeed powerful enough to bring joy even in the midst of suffering.

This is God’s great grace, known only by those who know Christ and know suffering. Peter is not speaking of some theory or philosophical principle – he is speaking of what he knows to be true by his own and by others’ personal experience. This is his witness, not merely words on a page.

-Pastor Bill