Hey Pastor John,
As I was getting ready for bed, I asked Jesus to give me something to read. I wanted to hear from Jesus. Peter came to my mind, so I read him. This is so good that I wanted to share.
1Peter 1:
- Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ. To the chosen sojourners of the Diaspora in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
- according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, even the sprinkling of blood, for obedience to Jesus Christ: Grace to you, and peace be multiplied.
- Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in His abundant mercy has begotten us anew into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
- for an incorruptible, and pure, and permanent inheritance reserved in heaven for you
- who are kept by the power of God through faith for the salvation prepared, to be revealed in the last time.
- In this you rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, you are distressed by various trials
- so that the trying of your faith, much more precious than the trying of gold that perishes, though it be tried by fire, may be found worthy of praise, and honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ
- (whom having not seen, you love, and in whom, though not seeing him now, you believe, and you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory),
- receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of yoursouls.
- Prophets who prophesied of the grace that has come to you searched for and diligently inquired about this salvation,
- trying to determine who or what time the Spirit of Christ which was in them was indicating when it testified beforehand of the sufferings of Christ and of the glory that followed.
- To them it was revealed that they were ministering those things not to themselves, but to you, which things are now reported to you by those who preach the gospel to you by the holy Spirit sent from heaven, into which things angels long to look.
- Wherefore, girding up the loins of your mind, being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
- as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to desires, as in your former ignorance,
- but rather, as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all your ways,
- for it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
- And if you call on the Father, who without respect of persons judges according to each one’s work, live out the time of your sojourning with fear,
- knowing that you were not redeemed from your worthless way of life, received by tradition from your fathers, with corruptible things such as silver or gold,
- but with the precious blood of Christ, as of an unblemished and spotless lamb,
- known indeed before the foundation of the world, but revealed in the end times for your sakes,
- who through him have faith in God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory so that your faith and hope might be in God.
- With your souls purified by obedience to the truth through the Spirit unto a sincere love of the brothers, love one another fervently with a pure heart,
- being born again, not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible, by the living and eternally enduring word of God.
- For, “All flesh is like grass, and all the glory of man is like a flower of grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls,
- but the word of the Lord abides forever.” And this is the word that is preached to you.
I hope you and Barbara rest well.
Love you,
Michelle
===========
Thank you, Michelle.
Barbara and I read this together. There are more benefits to reading and learning the Bible than I can even say. This chapter from 1Peter is full of love and truth! May God help us all to truly take it in!
Pastor John
Comments welcome:
https://x.com/WitnessofSpirit/status/1885339233235181690