Serving others changes us

Posted on by Matthew Laker

Peter has been journeying with Jesus and has seen people who have faith that Jesus is their only hope.   Peter has been witnessing the power of the kingdom of God on others.  He has been learning about what the kingdom of God is. He has been learning who Jesus is and what it will take to follow Jesus.  Now Jesus gives Peter an opportunity to trust in him and his word.  Jesus creates an environment for Peter to experience Jesus in a deeper and new way.

Jesus calls a little huddle among the 12 apostles in Luke 8:40-9:6.  Jesus gives Peter and the other disciples power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure disease.  Jesus then sends the apostles out to preach the kingdom of God and heal the sick. 

 

Jesus sends Peter out and tells him to take nothing.  We know this is to bring about a lesson because later he would tell them they can take things with them as they proclaim the kingdom.  The purpose of this sending was more than just proclaiming the kingdom.  

On this trip, Peter would go from knowledge of Jesus to experience of Jesus.  In this moment, Peter would learn about his need for Jesus as well as the faithfulness of Jesus.

What we really believe about Jesus come out in how we live our life?  Do you believe Jesus is good enough?

 

What we really believe about ourselves will be seen in how we speak of ourselves and live out our life.  Peter now has to live out his trust in Jesus as he goes out and trust in who Jesus says he is.  Peter’s theology (belief) and faith are put to practical tests.  Jesus sends Peter into a lived experience so that he would know Jesus in a new and deeper way.  

David Benner shares “true knowing of our self-demands that we know our self as known by God, and true knowing of God demands that we know God not just as an abstraction or as objective data but in and through our lived experience.”

 

Two questions of reflection:

a)Looking at the circumstance you currently find yourself in, what is God revealing about himself to you? What do you need to accept about him?

b)Looking at the circumstance you currently find yourself in, what are you learning about yourself? How does God see you?

 

This sending out of the 12 was to proclaim the kingdom of God.  However, I think the first priority was the training of the 12.  It was a season for them to put into practise what Jesus had revealed to them.  It was a season for their life to be transformed.  

Transformed lives have a natural way of proclaiming the kingdom that goes beyond oneself.

The Apostle Peter’s faith goes deeper

The Apostle Peter’s faith goes deeper

Posted on by Matthew Laker

(Series: Walking with the Apostle Peter and Jesus)

Jesus will transform your life, just as you are part of the journey in transforming someone else’s life.

peterIn Luke 8:40-9:6, Jesus calls a little huddle among the 12. Among this group is Peter. Jesus gives the apostles power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure disease. Then Jesus sends them out to preach about the kingdom of God and heal the sick.

Previously, Peter has been watching people who have faith that Jesus is their only hope.   Peter has been witnessing the power of the kingdom of God in others and has been learning how God views him and who he is. Now Jesus creates an environment for Peter to experience him in a deeper and new way.  This is an opportunity to trust in him and his word.

I remember when my triplets were born.  During those early months we were experiencing much stress and I remember one important conversation.  A good friend said to me, “now you have a choice to live out your theology or not.”  At the core of that comment was this question:

Do you believe who Jesus says he is and who he says you are?

Jesus sends Peter out on a training mission and tells him to take nothing.  We know this is to bring about a lesson, because later he would tell them they can take things with them as they proclaim the Kingdom.

Peter would go from knowledge of Jesus to experience of Jesus.  But the question is, for both Peter and ourselves, will what we really believe about Jesus come out in how we live our life?

Peter now has to live out his trust in Jesus as he goes out on his own  and trust in who Jesus says he is.  Peter’s theology (belief) and faith is put to practical tests.

David Benner shares “true knowing of our self, demands that we know our self as known by God, and true knowing of God demands that we know God not just as an abstraction or as objective data but in and through our lived experience”(The gift of knowing yourself).

Jesus sends Peter into a lived experience so that he would know Jesus in a new and deeper way.

Three questions of reflection:

a) Looking at the circumstance you currently find yourself in, what is God revealing about himself to you? What do you need to accept about him?

b) Looking at the circumstance you currently find yourself in, what are you learning about yourself? How does that align with God’s view of you?

The sending out of the 12 was to proclaim the kingdom of God.  However, the first priority was the training of the 12.  It was a season for them to put into practise what Jesus had revealed to them;  a season for their life to be transformed.  Transformed lives have a natural way of proclaiming the kingdom that goes beyond one self.

As you serve others and as you proclaim the kingdom, be aware that Jesus is wanting to teach you something in this process. Be aware that Jesus is wanting your life to be transformed as you are part of the journey of transformation in someone else.

The Apostle Peter’s identity being challenged

Posted on by Matthew Laker

peterJesus declares, I will define who we are. “I will make you….” (Matthew 4:18-22).

When we watch the life of the Apostle Peter the more he understands who God is, the more he understands who he is.

Knowing God and knowing self are therefore interdependent” (The Gift of Being Yourself: The Sacred Call to Self-Discovery By David Benner.)

For Peter to find salvation and wholeness, he will have to walk away from the nets. However doing so is not an easy task as the nets are what have defined Peter for so long. Peter seems to have been a faithful Jew, a hard worker, and a family man. He most likely did not have an easy life, but things were average for him. His identity as a business man was as secure as it could be. Then Jesus challenges him to drop that old identity, his net, and follow him.

As we follow Jesus he is going to lead us to see our spiritual nakedness (Gen3), our true selves and our need for him.

In Luke 5:1-11, Peter’s response to Jesus is to recognize his need for Jesus and then challenges Peter’s identity. It was after raising the fish-filled nets up out of the water, that Peter runs to Jesus and shares that he is a sinner. He understands this about himself. However, as Jesus reveals more of himself to Peter, Peter moves from knowledge to experience. God wants us to be aware of our need for divine help. He wants to replace the fig leaves we grab to cover our nakedness (Gen.3:21) and give us real wholeness in our life. To do that we must see ourselves as Jesus see us.

When Jesus says to Peter, “I will make you….” (Matthew 4:18-22), Jesus declares to Peter, I will define who you are.

For us today the question becomes: will we cling to the old nets? Like Peter, will we let Jesus define us or will we let the things we do, or do not do, with our hands define us?

At times we place our self-value in what we have, what we can do and what others think of us. Yet Jesus calls us to walk away from that and drop the nets. Let him define us.

Jesus calls us to an identity that is grounded in our relationship to God the Father. Jesus came to restore our relationship with God the Father. It is as we understand who God is and what Jesus has done that we understand who we are and what we can do.

To go there we must step out of the boat and let go of things we have grabbed a hold of to define us and be honest with ourselves.

What nets do you hold on to that secure you in a false self?

Peter not only understands and comes to know God deeper but he begins to understand himself better, his true self. True self is only found in seeking and accepting God. There, Jesus declares, wholeness is found.

A Framework for Prayer

Posted on by Matthew Laker

3 prayersEver find yourself looking for a tool to help frame your prayer time?  

Having a prayer framework can help you stay focused in your  conversation with Jesus. Over the years in my own journey I have used different frameworks to help guide my prayer times.  

A prayer framework is simply a pattern to follow in your prayer time for life.  Jesus provided this to the disciples when they asked him how to pray.

Mike Bickle, in his book “Growing in Prayer: A Real-Life Guide to Talking with God,” shares about how nearly all prayers can be categorized into three themes.

Using these three themes, you can frame your prayer time.  To start, you could spend time within each theme, You could draw three circles that overlap just a little in your journal and place within those circles a request that follows under each heading. Then start praying.  

The three themes to consider are:

1. Praying for the fruit (or Character of Christ) to be established in people’s lives.

It is the desire of Jesus that the fruits of the Spirit, as we read in Galatians 5:22-23, are developed in us.  As the fruits of the spirit take root and reproduce in our life or others we both will enter, engage, and experience the life we were created for.  This areas is about praying for personal character to be transformed by Jesus. 

What this could look like:

Jesus I bring to you Sue (a name chosen at random, not connected to anyone in specific).  Holy Spirit let her see and hear clearly the voice of the spirit guiding her.  Reveal where there may be sin holding her back so that fruit may spring up out of the darkness from your light.   May she know you in greater depths and may she know herself and who she is created to be.   

2. Pray for the releasing of the gifts of the Spirit

Here we are asking for a releasing of the supernatural; we are praying for God’s power to be seen in people’s lives and other various places. (1 Cor. 12:7-10)

What this could look like:

Jesus, in John’s life, I ask for a greater measure of your power to be manifested. Release the gifts of the Spirit in his life that your kingdom may grow and lives be transformed.  Give him favour with others that he may serve and experience your power and glory.  

3. The wisdom of the Spirit released.

Here we are praying for an increase of understanding and insight into God’s plan and will and word for us or others.

What this could look like:

Jesus grant my church wisdom and insight as to the next steps we are to take.  Give us specific direction for each area of the life of the church and overall journey.  

These are just three themes to serve as a simple framework to guide your prayer time.  

What frameworks have you found helpful in your journey?  Try this for a week and see if it can help you and your prayer time.