| General Non-Fiction posted April 29, 2017 |
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Scripture teaches serving God must be by His Spirit
Serving God When You Don't Want to
by Deniz22
How to Live and Die for Christ When You Don't Want To
Peter failed the Lord. He publicly denied Him three times, and after he got through cussing up a storm, people believed him when he said, "I tell you, I know not the Man!" Seems an angry, cursing man is living proof in the eyes of men, one does not know the Son of God.
After His resurrection, Jesus treated Peter exactly as He had before He was crucified. He kept loving him and ministering to him. After strengthening Peter, Christ prophesied Peter's ministry culminating in his successful death. By that I mean, Peter had already tried to die with Christ, but unsuccessfully.
Here's what Jesus said about Peter's future ministry and death and how it was to be accomplished: "Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish." John 21:18 (NKJV)
Here's my paraphrased version: "Peter, when you were young, both in age and spiritually, you made up your own mind what you were going to do about serving Me. But the Holy Spirit is going to come on you as you continually pray. He is going to empower you and impel you to go places for Me you won't want to go, including your death on a cross."
The Bible explains Jesus words: "This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me." John 21:19
Peter's first attempt at dying for Christ was aborted because he didn't want to die. Neither would he naturally want to die when he did, but the Spirit would empower him this time to overcome his fear. Christian lore tells us Peter was crucified upside down. The unusual physical position was said to be requested by Peter because he felt unworthy to be crucified like Christ.
If believers are to follow Christ, minister and die in a way which glorifies God, we must be filled with the Spirit. This is how Christ served His Father and so must we in order to please Him.
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? Hebrews 9:14 (NKJV)
How to Live and Die for Christ When You Don't Want To
Peter failed the Lord. He publicly denied Him three times, and after he got through cussing up a storm, people believed him when he said, "I tell you, I know not the Man!" Seems an angry, cursing man is living proof in the eyes of men, one does not know the Son of God.
After His resurrection, Jesus treated Peter exactly as He had before He was crucified. He kept loving him and ministering to him. After strengthening Peter, Christ prophesied Peter's ministry culminating in his successful death. By that I mean, Peter had already tried to die with Christ, but unsuccessfully.
Here's what Jesus said about Peter's future ministry and death and how it was to be accomplished: "Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish." John 21:18 (NKJV)
Here's my paraphrased version: "Peter, when you were young, both in age and spiritually, you made up your own mind what you were going to do about serving Me. But the Holy Spirit is going to come on you as you continually pray. He is going to empower you and impel you to go places for Me you won't want to go, including your death on a cross."
The Bible explains Jesus words: "This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me." John 21:19
Peter's first attempt at dying for Christ was aborted because he didn't want to die. Neither would he naturally want to die when he did, but the Spirit would empower him this time to overcome his fear. Christian lore tells us Peter was crucified upside down. The unusual physical position was said to be requested by Peter because he felt unworthy to be crucified like Christ.
If believers are to follow Christ, minister and die in a way which glorifies God, we must be filled with the Spirit. This is how Christ served His Father and so must we in order to please Him.
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? Hebrews 9:14 (NKJV)
Peter failed the Lord. He publicly denied Him three times, and after he got through cussing up a storm, people believed him when he said, "I tell you, I know not the Man!" Seems an angry, cursing man is living proof in the eyes of men, one does not know the Son of God.
After His resurrection, Jesus treated Peter exactly as He had before He was crucified. He kept loving him and ministering to him. After strengthening Peter, Christ prophesied Peter's ministry culminating in his successful death. By that I mean, Peter had already tried to die with Christ, but unsuccessfully.
Here's what Jesus said about Peter's future ministry and death and how it was to be accomplished: "Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish." John 21:18 (NKJV)
Here's my paraphrased version: "Peter, when you were young, both in age and spiritually, you made up your own mind what you were going to do about serving Me. But the Holy Spirit is going to come on you as you continually pray. He is going to empower you and impel you to go places for Me you won't want to go, including your death on a cross."
The Bible explains Jesus words: "This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me." John 21:19
Peter's first attempt at dying for Christ was aborted because he didn't want to die. Neither would he naturally want to die when he did, but the Spirit would empower him this time to overcome his fear. Christian lore tells us Peter was crucified upside down. The unusual physical position was said to be requested by Peter because he felt unworthy to be crucified like Christ.
If believers are to follow Christ, minister and die in a way which glorifies God, we must be filled with the Spirit. This is how Christ served His Father and so must we in order to please Him.
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? Hebrews 9:14 (NKJV)
Scripture, Romans 7, tells us "to will is with us" meaning our fleshy will which wants to always protect and exalt self. Only by being born-again, which allows the Holy Spirit a clean place to indwell forever, can we ever serve God acceptably. This does not exclude spiritual growth through understanding scripture or fervent prayer as we strive to obey the One who gave Himself completely for us.
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