ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (JUNE 25, 2012)

The Rock

Matthew 16:13-23; Luke 22:54-62


"For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us."
(Psalm 103:11-12)

Sometimes I wonder if I will ever get living the Christian life right. Looking at the disciple Peter, "the rock," reassures me.

The New Testament reveals Peter's often impulsive, hardheaded, blundering ways. He walked on water - and sank, spontaneously cut off a soldier's ear, and informed Jesus, "You can't die!" Worst, he denied all association with Jesus three times. Jesus rescued Peter, healed the ear, called him out in his sin, and predicted his denials. But Jesus also commended him for recognizing Christ as the Son of God, revealing that he and his confession of faith would build the church through the ages. Later He commissioned Peter to feed His sheep.

By the opening of the book of Acts, Peter has become a respected leader and fearless speaker for the new church. Jesus, in His great love, would transform Peter through the cross and by the Holy Spirit.

Our journey is not measured only by victories. God, our Rock, knows our shortcomings and loves us - even uses us - anyway.

INSIGHT
"God...knows no season of change. He has a single relentless stance toward us. He loves us."
(Brennan Manning)

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Job 3-4
Psalm 44
Luke 7

Matthew 16:13-23
New Living Translation (NLT)
Peter’s Declaration about Jesus
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”[a]
14 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”
15 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah,[b] the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John,[c] because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. 18 Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’),[d] and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell[e] will not conquer it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid[f] on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit[g] on earth will be permitted in heaven.”
20 Then he sternly warned the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
Jesus Predicts His Death
21 From then on Jesus[h] began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead.
22 But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him[i] for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!”
23 Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”
Footnotes:
a. Matthew 16:13 “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself.
b. Matthew 16:16 Or the Christ. Messiah (a Hebrew term) and Christ (a Greek term) both mean “the anointed one.”
c. Matthew 16:17 Greek Simon bar-Jonah; see John 1:42; 21:15-17.
d. Matthew 16:18 Greek that you are Peter.
e. Matthew 16:18 Greek and the gates of Hades.
f. Matthew 16:19 Or bind, or lock.
g. Matthew 16:19 Or loose, or open.
h. Matthew 16:21 Some manuscripts read Jesus the Messiah.
i. Matthew 16:22 Or began to correct him.

Luke 22:54-62
New Living Translation (NLT)
Peter Denies Jesus
54 So they arrested him and led him to the high priest’s home. And Peter followed at a distance. 55 The guards lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat around it, and Peter joined them there. 56 A servant girl noticed him in the firelight and began staring at him. Finally she said, “This man was one of Jesus’ followers!”
57 But Peter denied it. “Woman,” he said, “I don’t even know him!”
58 After a while someone else looked at him and said, “You must be one of them!”
“No, man, I’m not!” Peter retorted.
59 About an hour later someone else insisted, “This must be one of them, because he is a Galilean, too.”
60 But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.
61 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.” 62 And Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly.

GOD MY REDEEMER IS WITH ME [PART 2]

with Ann Spangler

We are born with a craving that this world cannot satisfy. God understand that better than we do, which is why invites us to know Him as "Goel" and "Emmanuel". Do you know God in this way?

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (JUNE 24, 2012)

Strength and Weakness

Judges 13:2-5; 16:4-6; 15-23, 27-30

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 

(2 Corinthians 12:9)

God promises His guidance on our journey with Him. Still, sometimes we feel we've lost our Divine Compass. We walk off the trail - often even purposely. 

Samson was dedicated to the Lord from birth and was empowered by Him. Unfortunately, he didn't always use good judgment. One such decision led to his demise. Delilah, an enemy temptress, whined until he revealed the secret of his strength. She shaved his head as he slept and called the Philistine soldiers who bound, blinded, and imprisoned him. 

With his hair cut and his vow to God broken, Samson lost his power. The Philistines held a celebration to their pagan god, ordering Samson from prison to entertain them. Samson prayed God would strengthen him one more time. While the revelers partied, he pushed down the temple pillars, killing everyone. 

God will never let go of you. His will is accomplished in our failures. Even wayward Samson is noted in the book of Hebrews as one for whom God had something better in store (Hebrews 11:31-40).

INSIGHT

"GOD GAVE US THE ABILITY...TO... SACRIFICE....[DOING] THIS...WE DRAW [CLOSER] TO THE ONE WHO SACRIFICED HIS ALL FOR US."

(ELIZABETH PEALE ALLEN)

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR

Job 1-2 

Psalm 43

Luke 6

Judges 13:2-5

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

2 A certain man of Zorah, named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, had a wife who was sterile and remained childless. 3 The angel of the Lord appeared to her and said, “You are sterile and childless, but you are going to conceive and have a son. 4 Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean, 5 because you will conceive and give birth to a son. No razor may be used on his head, because the boy is to be a Nazirite, set apart to God from birth, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines.”

 

Judges 16:4-6

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

4 Some time later, he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah. 5 The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, “See if you can lure him into showing you the secret of his great strength and how we can overpower him so we may tie him up and subdue him. Each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels[a] of silver.” 

6 So Delilah said to Samson, “Tell me the secret of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued.”

Footnotes:

a. Judges 16:5 That is, about 28 pounds (about 13 kilograms)

 

Judges 16:15-23

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

15 Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when you won’t confide in me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me and haven’t told me the secret of your great strength. ” 16 With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was tired to death.

17 So he told her everything. “No razor has ever been used on my head,” he said, “because I have been a Nazirite set apart to God since birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man.”

18 When Delilah saw that he had told her everything, she sent word to the rulers of the Philistines , “Come back once more; he has told me everything.” So the rulers of the Philistines returned with the silver in their hands. 19 Having put him to sleep on her lap, she called a man to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him.[a] And his strength left him. 

20 Then she called, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” 

He awoke from his sleep and thought, “I’ll go out as before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him. 

21 Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding in the prison. 22 But the hair on his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.

The Death of Samson

23 Now the rulers of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to celebrate, saying, “Our god has delivered Samson, our enemy, into our hands.”

Footnotes:

a. Judges 16:19 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts and he began to weaken

KNOWING THE NAMES OF GOD [PART 1]

with Ann Spangler

What is in a name? Parents get to choose their children's names, but what about God? His names point to his character. They give us a deeper dimension of who he is and how he acts.