"For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to him from the Excellent Glory....and we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain." (2 Peter 1:16-18)
So many people tend to speak of Peter in a sort of joking manner, even belittling this great Saint. As for me, I would like to have Peter on my side. Most people speak of his bumbling imperfections, yet he was the only one of the disciples who ever walked on water, who recognized, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God," always one of the three, the one who drew a sword to defend Jesus, who was the first to take off, running for the Tomb. Also, if Peter were such a bumbling fool, why did Jesus give him, "the keys of the kingdom of heaven," and, by the way, even after all the disciples were baptized in the Holy Spirit, it was Peter who stood up and declared fearlessly the first sermon of the newly "formed" Church. Perhaps we owe a lot of the survival of the Church throughout the centuries to the "DNA" of this sword-welding Follower of Jesus Christ.
Our text today is a testimony of this old warrior of the Cross, "We were with Him on the holy mountain." It is the spirit of this testimony which has the power today to reach men and nations. We will never really impact anyone if we cannot say this in absolute reality, "We were with Him." This reality enabled Peter to face persecution and the cross. This reality enabled those who, "were tortured," those who, "had trial of mockings and scourgings,..of chains and imprisonment,..stoned,..sawn in two, were tempted, were slain,..being destitute, afflicted, tormented"--- to, "endure to the end."
Through the centuries, people have argued, debated, maligned, and rejected Jesus Christ and His Church on what man loves to call, scientific and intellection grounds. But, "science falsely so-called," and arguments have no chance against, "We were with Him."
Father, in Jesus' Name, may I always be, "with Him." Amen.
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New Article on "The Impotence of the West" at: www.apf327.blogspot.com
I was really sick yesterday; hence, the reason there was no devotional
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, heard "the call to evangelize China, that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking Unto Jesus"
(Hebrews 12:2)
"Looking Unto Jesus"
(Hebrews 12:2)
