1 Peter 1:13

Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober {in spirit,} fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

While watching a football game with a group of friends, we noticed that the quarterback was struggling mightily against the other team. His throws seemed off a majority of the time. He threw the ball to the other team repeatedly. One pass was thrown so poorly, the official thought that the ball had been tipped before the throw. One of the big problems that we noticed is that his feet was not set.

The most noticeable action that a quarterback has when throwing the ball is the arm movement. Just as vital as the thrown is the footwork before the thrown. If the quaterback does not properly set his feet in preparation for the thrown, the pass will struggle in many ways. The ball will not have has much strength because there is not a power base for hip movement. The throw will not be as consistently accurate because the body is moving around so much. You can see then that a quarterback needs to take the time to set his feet before he throws.

In the same way, we need to make sure that we do not focus on the “throwing motion” in our Christian lives. When we come upon a trial, the most noticeable thing is how we react to it. However, a big part of what will help us is taking the time to prepare before we have the trial. It will allow for a better reaction. We need to spend time in God’s word and in prayer. We need to roleplay, planning ahead for different outcomes. We will be a lot more successful throwing the ball (reacting to trials) if we plant our feet first.

Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober {in spirit,} fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Philippians 3:14

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Runner’s will tell you that when you train, you need to finish hard. During the last 20 yards or so you should sprint as hard as you can. This prepares you for race scenarios. Imagine you are dead even with someone and you are just twenty yards out. Maintaining the current speed is not good enough. You need to give yourself that final edge so you can finish strong and win the race.

It is very easy to finish poorly just in every day things. The other day I had to move boxes around from one room to another. The entire time I was bargaining with myself, trying to give myself a time when I could quit. I really did not want to finish strong. I started the project with much vigor, but I constantly had to talk myself out of quitting. Many times I will allow myself a “break” or to even quit and I never finish what it is I meant to accomplish.

As Christians we need to finish strong. There are many good works that we can do for other people and for God. When we first entertain the idea it is very exciting. We dream up all the things we might be able to do. The planning stage is very enjoyable. Getting to work is another story. We start working and we start feeling drained. It was not as easy as we thought it would be. It is very easy for us to allow ourselves to quit. Instead we need to finish the good deeds we set out to do for the Lord.

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

2 Peter 1:12

Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you.

Children constantly have to be reminded about what they are supposed to do. Parents might have to tell their children repeatedly that they have to clean their rooms. There are a couple of reasons why children might need reminding. One is rebelliousness. They do not like being told what to do. Therefore they intentionally do not do it and they need to be reminded (sometimes forcefully) by a parent.

Another reason that they need to be reminded is that they just get distracted. They may start cleaning and have the intention of doing a great job for their parents. Then their sibiling comes by and suggest another activity. They see something shiny. They come across their favorite book and start reading it. There are a million things that can distract them, even though they meant well. It is important for someone to remind them of the task at hand.

As we get older, we really do not differ from children, especially in our spiritual walk. Peter needed to remind those Christians of what was required. We need to remind each other and also ourselves. Like children we may be rebellious against God’s word and disobey intentionally. Other times we may have great intentions, but we let the cares of the world choke us and we get distracted from what we need to do. We need to spend time in God’s word and with other Christians so that we are constantly reminded of what we ought to be doing.

Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you.

Leviticus 10:10

and so as to make a distinction between the holy and the profane, and between the unclean and the clean,

Warning labels have reached a ridiculous level in our nation today. Companies use warning labels in order to stop lawsuits. Some of these things should be common sense. Take spray paint bottles for instance. On their warning label it says that you should only use this product to pain. This seems as though it should be clear to anyone who buys the product. So why do they have to put it on there? Because people have decided to use it for something other than its intended use.

One of the main uses for spray paint other than why it was created is in order to make what amounts to cheap mind altering drugs. Spray paint, which is normally a safe product to buy and use, then becomes dangerous. It can lead to all sorts of health problems, including death. Something that was created to be useful, when it is used improperly, can turn into a source of death.

Our bodies are like that can of spray paint. We were created for a specific purpose. However, we have to be given warning labels because people insist on profaning what God has created. The warning label is the word of God. It tells us how we should use this creation. Our minds are to think of righteousness and love rather than evil and malice. Our lips are to be full of grace rather than deceit. The list goes on and on. If used properly, we do exactly what God intended us to do. However, improper use of the body will lead to pain and death. Use with caution.

and so as to make a distinction between the holy and the profane, and between the unclean and the clean,

Psalm 38:3

There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your indignation; There is no health in my bones because of my sin.

Going against our conscience and disobeying the Lord has a multitude of consequences. It damages our relationship with the Lord. It puts are eternal destiny in danger. Often times it hurts those around us that we love. One of the most devestating effects that it can have, though, is on our emotions. When we sin against God, it affects how we feel and how we think.

Guilt takes a terrible toll on our body. It hangs over our head and causes angst within. With this angst comes a certain amount of stress. The Psalmist here recognizes that the stress he feels over sin is causing physical pain. We understand this. Our chest tightens up. We feel tired all the time. We lack energy. While many things in our lives can cause stress, sin is one of them that we can and should avoid.

Not only that, but a right relationship with God brings joy to those who possess it. When we sin, we damage that relationship. Like Adam and Eve, we hide from God. When we do that, we also are hiding from the relationship that gives us so much joy. Nothing in the world can replace that. There will be a deep sense of sadness in those who lose their relationship with God. If we find ourselves in sin, we need to repent of such sin and bring ourselves once again into that relationship. Also, we need to be diligent to not sin in the first place, saving us all of this anguish.

There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your indignation; There is no health in my bones because of my sin.

Genesis 12:13

“Please say that you are my sister so that it may go well with me because of you, and that I may live on account of you.”

Abraham was a very righteous man. He is considered the father of faith to both Jews and Christians. Yet despite his deep faith, Abraham was far from perfect. In fact he made the same mistake twice. Abraham lied to the rulers of countries that he was visiting about Sarah, his wife. He told her to claim that he was her sister. He feared for his life that the kings would just take Sarah as their wife by killing him.

His fear was well founded. Granted he should trust the Lord, but it was not above kings to do this at that time (or in times since). Look at David, the man after God’s on heart, and his behavior toward Bathsheba and you could relate to the fear that Abraham felt when confronted with this ungodly kings. You can understand why he would be tempted to tell them that she was his sister, because death is never a pleasant prospect.

You can also almost see the wheels turning in Abraham’s head. He tells Sarah to say that their relationship is brother and sister because this was partially true. It was not an outright lie, but just an omission of some very important details. Yet God was still displeased with this lie. At times, people today do the same thing. They tell a little white lie to avoid unpleasant consequences, and rationalize it to themselves on both accounts. We should all remember that God expects total honesty from His followers, and he will punish those who lie.

“Please say that you are my sister so that it may go well with me because of you, and that I may live on account of you.”

Jonah 3:6

When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne, laid aside his robe from him, covered {himself} with sackcloth and sat on the ashes.

There is great power in the word of God. If you have any doubts about that, look no further than the book of Jonah. This is the story of Jonah the prophet. He was called upon by God to go and preach to the Assyrians about their coming judgment. Hating the Assyrians and fearing their repentance, Jonah ran and hid. He actually went so far as to throw himself out of the boat, momentarily prefering death by drowning than doing the will of God.

The Assyrians who he was commanded to teach were a terribly ungodly nation. Reading historical accounts of just how they treated their prisoners would send shivers up the back of anyone. They had their own gods that they worshipped. This is why the needed the judgment that was to come. It is not that they were a righteous city waiting for a preacher with earnest desire. No, this was much closer to a modern day Sodom.

So we see the city of Nineveh, so far showing a resistance to God, and we see Jonah, so far showing a resistance to preaching, and you would expect that God’s word would not find soil to sit in. Yet the exact opposite happens. The Assyrians from King to servant, all repent of their sins. They go into a total fast, hoping that they might recieve forgiveness from God. They do, and they are spared. God’s word is truly powerful to be able to succeed in such an environment. Praise the Lord.

Matthew 23:3

therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them.

Two preachers were catching up on the phone one day, and one of the preachers asked what the other was preaching on. “Humility,” he replies. “How did it go?” the first preacher asked. “It was probably the best sermon I have ever preached,” the preacher said without the slightest clue of the irony in his statement. He had missed the fact that he was proud about the sermon on humility.

This was Jesus’ biggest problem with the Pharisees. It was not so much that they were false teachers, although that was the case on occasion, but it was actually that they just would not practice what they preached. He even tells them that they need to do as the Pharisees teach. What they were instructed not to do was what the Pharisees actually did.

What a terrible indictment. It is one that we should strive to avoid. It is good for us to study the word of God and to know the truth. However that is not nearly enough. We need to practice it as well. We have to focus on the fact that God is not satisfied with mere knowledge or teaching. God demands obedience. We need to live in such a way that God would never tell people to do what we teach. He would be satisfied to tell them to live as we live.

therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them.

John 3:3

Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

A new born baby is a beautiful thing. Everyone always congregates around one. They enjoy looking at a newborn. It is so pure and innocent. There is no sin to taint it. Not only that, but a baby is exciting because it is full of potential. There are so many exciting outcomes. This baby may be the President of the United States someday. There is no limits to the potential of a newborn. It is a new and exciting time for the parents especially as they imagine what their child might do.

When a person becomes a Christian they have a new life. Their old life they had tainted by their sinful choices. They chose to serve themselves rather than God. There was no hope for them, only an awaiting of judgment. Yet God says that we can be born again. When we are baptized, we become pure and innocent once again. Our fate, which was determined to justice beforehand, has been opened up and no includes the possibility of eternal glory with our Father in Heaven. It should be an exciting time for us.

As we continue to grow as a Christian, we can forget about the potential that we were given with our new life. Maybe we take it for granted. Maybe we do not want to put the effort into realizing it. But we can lose the purity that God granted us by choosing sin once again. Instead of awaiting glory, we once again have eternal damnation. We must return to God, and be cleansed from our sins once again. By doing so we can once again receive new life.

Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Luke 8:24

They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm.

Jesus and His disciples decided to go sailing across a lake in this chapter. Jesus is tired, understandably so considering all the responsibilities that He has, so he decides to take a nap. As He is sleeping this huge storm comes overhead. The waves are crashing into the boat. The wind is howling. The disciples, some of whom have spent their life in boats on the ater, realize that this is a situation that could easily capsize their ship.

Face with that reality, they start crying out. When you read through the text it almost sounds as if they are whining. They hurriedly wake Jesus up and exclaim their current misfortune. Jesus is upset that they felt the need to disturb Him. Did they not trust in God? Did they not believe that God would protect His chosen one? If they did believe the promises of God, why would they worry about a thunderstorm. Granted this one was bad, but it is nothing compared to the power of God.

There are many times when we make the mistake of the disciples. We look at the storm clouds in our lives and we panic. We think that the world is over and everything is so terrible. We cry out to the Lord saying that we will surely perish. Yet we need to remember the calm of Jesus. He was not scared because He knew that God was in control. If we will have faith like Jesus, we will be able to sleep through even the loudest storm.

They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm.