SPIRITUAL DIARY
Date: 11-24-03
My Worship Time Focus: Be Hopeful
Bible Reading &
Meditation Reference: 1Peter 1:1
1. Message of the
verse: “Peter, an apostle of
Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia,
Asia, and Bithynia,” (AV) “This
letter is from Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to God’s chosen
people who are living as foreigners in the lands of Pontus, Galatia,
Cappadocia, the province of Asia, and Bithynia.” (NLT)
Dr. Wiersbe’s book on Peter is “Be
Hopeful.” Hope is one of the themes that
run throughout this letter by Peter.
Suffering and grace also run through this letter and they are all
mentioned in 5:10. “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you
have suffered a
little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and
steadfast.”
Peter is the same person in the Gospels
who was first named Simon, but Jesus changed it to Peter, or Cephas in the
Aramaic. Many times he is called Simon
Peter and it has been suggested that this could refer to the two natures of
him. Peter was the apostle to the Jewish
peoples, and Paul was the apostle to the gentiles. Ephesians 2:19-20 explains, “The Apostles and prophets worked
together to lay the foundation of the church (Eph. 2:20); and, once that
foundation was laid, they passed off the scene. There are no apostles and
prophets in the New Testament sense in the church today.”
Peter wrote to those
who were strangers who were scattered throughout what is modern day
Turkey. The word “scattered” refers to
those who were Jews and lived in places other than Israel. Dr. Wiersbe says that Peter’s letter was probably
written to Gentiles too along with Jewish people.
Dr. Wiersbe says that there are two theme verses in
1Peter; 1:3 and 5:12. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” (1Peter 1:3). “Through Silvanus,
our faithful brother (for so I regard him), I have written to you briefly,
exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in
it!” (1Peter 5:12)
2. Spiritual
meaning for my life today: I look
forward to seeing what the Lord will teach me as I study 1Peter. One thing seems certain and that is true
believers will one day soon began to suffer for their faith and 1Peter is a
letter which encourages those who will suffer for the cause of Christ.
The
Word of God was insightful to me as I read it today.
My
Steps of Faith Today: I
continue to seek help and confront from the Lord as I am being prepared to give
testimony to My Awesome God. I want to
lay hold of what Christ has laid hold of me for.
Memory verse for the week: Philippians 3:12b
3:12b But I press on, that I may lay hold of that
which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.
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