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About-Him.Com Devotional 05-01-2004
We took a week off and traveled around the southwest a bit, beholding the majesty of our Lord's creation. An excellent time to try out the digital camera we got for Christmas.. All through our trip I kept thinking of the verse below. God's creation does make one feel a bit insignificant!
Psalms 8:3 ¶ When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
We posted our photographic efforts at http://about-him.com/page56.html Hope you enjoy it.
The Life of Christ From His Baptism to His Ascension:
135: Peter's Confession of Christ: Mt. 16:13-19; Mk. 8:27-29; Lu. 9:18-21
Matthew 16;13 ¶ When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.
15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
The popularity of Jesus was waning. Those who would have made Him king, now scorned Him. He was constantly beset by the opposition of the Pharisees and Sadducces. Somewhat earlier he had been forced to leave Judea. Later He was rejected twice in His home region of Galilee. He had spent the last few weeks wandering in semi-pagan areas where He could continue the instruction and teaching of His disciples.
He asked His disciples, “Just whom do men say that I am?” Some, such as the guilty Herod, thought He was John the Baptist, returned from the dead. Some said Elijah and others Jeremiah. Others simple said perhaps He was one of the prophets. After all of His mighty works, they were blinded to the fact that God Almighty was in their midst clothed in a cloak of humanity.
Well so much for the fickle crowd, Jesus made the question a bit more personal, “But whom say ye that I am?”
Peter answered without hesitation, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Peter was not the only one of the twelve to be convinced of the Lord’s Deity (John 1:41-45), nor was this the first time that he made this confession (John 6:69). The revelation of the Lord’s Deity was not something that man had given to Peter, it came directly from the Father in heaven.
Jesus conferred upon Peter, The Keys to the Kingdom with the power to bind and loose.
Matthew 16:17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
The Luke account continues (vs.. 21-27) with the admonition to keep it quiet for a while. The cross and all of it’s suffering was drawing closer, and anyone who confessed Jesus as Lord would be given a cross also. He must make a choice. Do I confess Him and possibly lose my life here, or do I deny Him and be denied by Him at the eternal judgment?
Conclusion and Application:
Who is He, a good man, a prophet, or God Almighty clothed in flesh? I believe you know the answer. Jacob prophesied of His coming and called Him Shiloh (Gen. 49:10). He is Immanuel, God with us (Isa. 7:14). He is the child born and the Son given, the mighty God and the everlasting Father (Isa. 9:6). He is the Holy One of Israel in our midst (Isa. 12:6). He is the suffering Servant who bore my sin and disease (Isa 53). He is Jesus, the Alpha and Omega ,the First and the last , and beside Him there is no God (Isa 412:4, 44:6; Rev 1:8, 22:13)
The Keys to the Kingdom were given to Peter as the spokesman for the other apostles. The eleven stood with him when he used the keys at Pentecost. The convicted crowd cried out “What shall we do?” Peter responded, “Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and you will receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38). He used the keys again when Samaria received the preaching of Philip by being baptized in the name of the Lord. He laid his hands on them and they were baptized with the Holy Ghost (Acts 8:16-17). Peter used the keys again when Cornelius and his household were baptized with the Spirit as Peter preached the resurrection of Christ. He baptized them in water in the name of the Lord (Acts 10:47-48).
The keys to the kingdom are still held by the church. The message has not changed. It is still repentance and water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ with the promise of being baptised with the Holy Ghost.
The church has authority in as far as it remains true to the word of God and the commandments of Jesus.
There is a price to be paid, in other words a cross to be carried, when we confess Jesus as Lord. The time may not be too far distant where that confession will cost you your life.
Somebody Has Said
Everything that is above you is under His feet!
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Humor
A lawyer e-mailed one of his clients who was out of the country on vacation. The news was bad and the attorney needed instructions.
His e-mail read:"Your mother-in-law passed away in her sleep last night. Shall we order burial, embalming, or cremation?"
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Don & Marie Spooner
About Him! Ministries
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