POST #100 - DIVE IN!!!

 It is a Good Son-Day Indeed

When Waxing Poetically Goes Bad

Post #100 - dIVE IN!!!

Jo and I have been V-logging and messaging 100 times on this platform.  The intent for family and friends is to have fun, spread a little joy, inspire, and listen to some tunes.  We hope you are having fun with us.

If you have not notice, the last few messages had a theme that centers on Christ underappreciated work on earth after His ressurection and before He ascended to Heaven.  In each of His appearances there is a little something to pick up.

In John 21, appears before his inner circle disciple Peter.   Peter, also known as Simon, and nicknamed , Cephas (the Rock) by Christ was a man who saw most of Christ miracles first hand.  From all accounts from the Bible, he had a angry mouth and temperament that got him into trouble, and arguments.  He was implusive.  He would shoot or slice first and ask questions later.  Peter was quick to commit without fully understanding the meaning of Jesus' words or actions.

Astonishingly, here is Peter reprimanding Christ . . . 

Mark 8:31-33   

Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead. As He talked about this openly with His disciples, Peter took Him aside and began to reprimand Him for saying such things. Jesus turned around and looked at His disciples, then reprimanded Peter. “Get away from me, Satan!” he said. “You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”

The one great trait Peter had was humility after hearing from the Lord. He allowed Jesus to correct him.  There was not wonkiness or things going sideways after Christ's rebuke.  He continued to follow Christ.

Predictively, here is Peter taking matters into his own hands even after Christ clearly told Peter what needed to happen. . . 

John 18:10-11 and Luke 

When the other disciples saw what was about to happen, they exclaimed, “Lord, we brought our swords should we fight? Then Simon Peter drew a sword and slashed off the right ear of Malchus, the high priest’s slave. But Jesus said, "No more of this. Peter, put your sword back into its sheath. Shall I not drink from the cup of suffering the Father has given me?”  

Peter was hard-headed. He took matters into his own hands. Christ told him of His iniment death and of His ressurection.  Just to be clear, Peter was not aiming to cut Malchus' ear.  Mmmm, Peter's intent was to kill a man he had resented for years.  Malchus was not a person well liked by the Jewish commoners.

Malchus was a lead hench man for Jewish ruling council.  The council was not well liked by the Jews at the time because they worked closely with the Romans (the invaders--tormenters).

A quick note.  The restoring Malchus' ear to his head was Christ's last healing miracle on earth before He ascended into Heaven.

Shockingly, here is Peter denying Christ . . . 

Luke 22:56-62

A servant girl noticed him in the firelight and began staring at him. Finally she said, “This man was one of Jesus’ followers!”

But Peter denied it. “Woman,” he said, “I don’t even know him!”

After a while someone else looked at him and said, “You must be one of them!”

“No, man, I’m not!” Peter retorted.

 About an hour later someone else insisted, “This must be one of them, because he is a Galilean, too.”

But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.

At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Suddenly, the Lord’s words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly.

Here is Peter's Encounter with Christ after the denials . . . 

John chapter 21 excerpts

Later, Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee. This is how it happened. Several of the disciples were there—Simon Peter, Thomas, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples.

Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.”

“We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night.

 At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who He was. He called out, “Fellows, have you caught any fish?”

“No,” they replied.

Then He said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it.

Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic, jumped into the water, and headed to shore. 

“Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus said. So ,Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore. There were 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn’t torn.

“Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.  Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since He had been raised from the dead.

After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than the others?”

“Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.”

“Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.

Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

“Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.”

“Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said.

A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.

“I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don’t want to go.” Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, “Follow me.”

Peter turned around and saw behind them the disciple Jesus loved—the one (Judas) who had leaned over to Jesus during supper and asked, “Lord, who will betray you?” Peter asked Jesus, “What about him, Lord?”

Jesus replied, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me.” So the rumor spread among the community of believers that this disciple wouldn’t die. But that isn’t what Jesus said at all. He only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?”

 

Restoration! go ahead and click

Peter, like me, like many of us was not perfect by any sense.  He had a passion for loving Christ. He humbled himself before Christ and took his correction. He was obedient and followed through on the directive he received from Christ.  I love the way Peter without hesitation dove into the water when recognized the Lord.  He did not do paralysis by analysis -----overthinking if he was worthy to appear before the Lord after the denials.  The gift of being in Christ's overwhelmed the guilt and shame he was holding.  

Upon this Rock, I will build my church.

Matthew 18:15-19 

Then Christ asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.”

God will love you, mold you, use you wherever you are at.  Don't hesitate!  Dive into the water and embrace the Glory of the Risen Savior! 

Song of the Week  Hallelujah! Sing a New Song to GOD. Sing HIS praise in the assembly of godly people. Psalm 149:1.

"Blessings", April 2024, Otis Kemp & Brisco

Lyrics

(Blessings falling down on me

It's bringing me joy

It's your blessings I receive

And it's bringing me joy)

Such a blessing with my eyes get to see the sunrise

No better feeling in this world then to know that you're alive

Every day that you wake up it's a blessing

Got breath in your lungs stop stressing

Go to Psalms 23 when you see the enemy

Go to stomping on the devil's head You got the victory

God ain't never let you down

Always by your side anytime you need them watch your angels come around

Lord, I seen glory glory to your name

Them blessings keep flowing flowing every day

So when you're down and you need up your prescription remedy, yes, is Jesus

Tell him I want you

And I trust you

Ain't no bigger blessing than you

(It's bringing me joy

It's your blessings I receive

And it's bringing me joy)

I fell in love with a feeling

Prepared for a come up

Prayers manifesting

Hugs from a mother

Eyes on the sun

Working til' I sweat

Plans for my children

Everybody blessed

Gangsta gospel

Went there been there

Time don't wait and the world don't play fair

Dear lord I receive it

I ask my brother nem' who do you believe in

I was backsliding like a moonwalk

And I was outta pocket like a pool ball

Time in prison times of affliction

I need some benediction to combat the system

Father God I know I'm always begging

I lust for your approval and I spread the message

Blessings I was just stressing

I was wondering do heaven got a guest list

Blessings

(Blessings falling down on me

It's bringing me joy

It's your blessings I receive

And it's bringing me joy)

If it wasn't for you

Tell me where would I be

Don't wanna know don't wanna see

You make everything so complete

Just want to say thank you for my family

And keeping me in my friends

Just want to say thank you for my family

So keep on doing what you're doing

(Blessings falling down on me

It's bringing me joy

It's your blessings I receive

And it's bringing me joy)

If it wasn't for you

Then where would I be

If it wasn't for you

Tell me where would I be