The Death of Comfort

So I'm reading my Bible today and was reignited by a wonderful chapter of scripture - Luke 9. Now i've read Luke many times before, but today - as i was reading - i found myself saying, 'That is deep!' or 'That makes so much sense!' over and over again. I'd find one verse and say, 'i should blog on this' and then find another and say the same thing. It's definitely worth a glance if you've been wanting to read the Bible and unable to know where to start. Take a minute and read through chapter nine and see what you think. For me, today, i want to just take four verses and let them melt into my soul for a second. They are verses 23-26.

"Then he (Jesus) said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self ? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels."

These four verses are filled with key slogans of the Christian faith like 'deny yourself' or 'take up your cross' or 'gain the world yet forfeit your soul', but what amazed me was how they were all wrapped up in this pretty little package of Jesus. They are there - one after another - in a discourse that is taking place immediately after Peter's declaration that Jesus is the Messiah and Jesus' declaration of what would happen in the days to come - His death and resurrection. Then, when all the cards have been laid on the table and there is no longer any question of the purpose or plan of Jesus or God, Jesus brings some sound advice and challenging words. These words are as true to us as believers today as they were for the first disciples who sat at Jesus' feet and listened to them. Let's break them down a little and look at these different thoughts.

If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me: This has been commentized to death, but is way too important to overlook. Jesus is saying, 'The choice is yours and if you choose to come after me there is a MUST that's gonna follow. This isn't a suggestion. This isn't a recommendation. This is a mandatory requirement. You must take us your cross every day and follow me.' Please understand that a cross was not a cute necklace or a chiseled penny to keep in your pocket - but a device used for torture and death. And honestly, in our culture, the sheer reality of denying yourself is in itself a form of torture. The reality of not getting what you WANT in order to give someone else what they NEED is torture. The idea that we are not our own world and that the entire cosmos does not rotate on our axis is torture. The concept that God would ever have us do something that would hurt - whether our flesh or our pocketbook - is torture. However, this is His call to his disciples and one which we must take seriously in our lives today.

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it: You cannot read that verse without thinking about martyrdom, but i believe it is so much more than this. It ties in perfectly with the idea of denial and cross carrying. It is making the decision that life desperately needs to be about more than just you. It is coming to the realization that there is a world out there that is so much bigger than just 'us' and that God has a job for us to do in it. I heard a saying once than really spoke to my heart and it went like this, 'I'd rather be someplace very scary and dangerous, not having a guarantee of daily food or security over a safe home in a safe neighborhood with a safe job, if i knew that it was where God wanted me to be. I'll trade security for God's will any day of the week.' This willingness makes the difference. Will God call all of us to become actual martyrs? Maybe not in the death of our flesh, but always in the death of our comfort.

What good is it for a man to gain the whole world and yet lose, or forfeit, his very self: The idea here runs in the opposite direction of the Western mandate. Aren't we called to gain the whole world? Aren't we called to harness ambition and allow it to make positive steps in our nation which not only help our pocketbooks, but the standard of living of all Americans? However, we can't forget that we were created by God with a purpose - a specific purpose - which may not always link up with what our thoughts on 'success' may be. Jesus is letting it be known, that there is a possibility that you could have everything this world (kosmos) has to offer and still miss it. And when we forfeit the perfect plan of God for the 'kosmos' which surrounds us, the Bible tells us that we are destroying or doing damage to our very selves. Tying in with the last point - the perfect place for us to be is in the perfect will of God. No matter how scary it seems. No matter how dangerous it looks. No matter how uncomfortable it is. There is a perfect place for you to be.

Now you have to ask yourself, 'Am I there now or have i deviated off the path because it was too difficult... too scary... too unsure?' If you know you're not there, it's not too late. I'm reminded of Jonah who spent some time in an unlikely place thinking about the uncomfortable place where he had to go. Let's turn back today and not wait for that 'big fish' experience. Hear the voice of God whispering to your soul today and respond...

Grace and Peace!

GP
www.gphintz.com

Loving Enemies - A Challenging Opportunity

I came across a wonderful scripture today. It's one of those scriptures that are extremely idealistic and seemingly impossible when you put a real life situation in its context. It's the kind that cause you to read faster and skim and overlook and justify. It's the sort that causes you to make excuses. It's one of those ones that make you think. And, when it is all said and done, and you are given the opportunity to live it out - it causes you to become a better person, a stronger believer and a greater Christian. The verse I'm referring to can be found in the book of Luke, chapter 6 and verse 35.

"Love your enemies! Do good to them! Lend to them! And don't be concerned that they might not repay. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to the unthankful and to those who are wicked." NLT

I know what you're thinking. "Yeah! Thanks Jesus. You had to bring up the enemy thing again. I don't really have any enemies - just people i dislike... just those i don't trust or choose to spend my time with. That's all."

Looking deeper into this verse will help us understand it so much better. We find it beginning with Jesus giving three distinct commands.

1. Love Your Enemies - Now he is telling you to express 'agape' love to those who hate you and express hostility toward you. This statement falls in line with the true reality of 'agape' love - a love which is shown to both friend and enemy. The same love that is found in another popular Bible verse called John 3:16.

2. Do Good to Them - Here, Jesus is expressing what that agape love practically looks like. He's telling us to 'Do Good'. This whole statement is cooked down to one word in the Greek NT and that word is 'agathopoieo' which can be defined as 'to do good; to do something which will profit another, to be a good help to someone or to do someone a favor'. The amazing contradiction here isn't that Jesus is telling us to do good, but to whom we are to do this good - our enemies.

3. Lend to Them - Yes. That's right. 'Lend to them'. And, in this regard Jesus is not simply referring to your coat or an old dirty pair of socks, but money. That's right - Cash, Ben Franklins, C-notes and Pesos. Jesus understood that when you are willing to lend your money to someone, that you are on the right road of relationship that reflects that agape love.

Now, the Greek ties together these two separate sentences found in the NLT. 'Lend to them' and 'Don't expect them to return it'. So, originally the sentence read... "Lend expecting nothing in return".

This can be taken two different ways - 'Lend and don't expect even the principle back.' Our way of saying this would be 'Give' instead of lend. Or, instead of this, Jesus is telling them not to expect any interest at all, but to give, only expecting to receive the principle back one day. I am choosing not to debate either one of these thoughts, but to simply tell you that if you're willing to 'lend money' to an 'enemy', I'm happy with either one of these reactions. Lend to them not expecting anything or expecting your principle alone tells me that your heart is right. You're not lending to make a profit of your enemy. You're not trying to take advantage of a bad situation. You're not trying to hustle anyone. You're just operating with the 'agape' love God desires from His children.

Now, the best part of every tough command is the promise that goes along with it. And we find this promise in the same verse... 'Your reward from heaven will be very great'.

For me, i don't need to know what the reward is. Simply understanding that it comes from heaven and the very presence of God and angels and perfect peace is enough for me. Is it a monetary blessing and the opening up of doors that could only be opened by the hand of the Divine? Is it in inner peace which sustains me through the most difficult times? Is it a supernatural protection against forces that i am not even aware lie in my future to thwart me? Honestly, i don't know and i don't care. I only know that when God gives me something it's good and He knows what is best for me and those things that i need more than anything.

He also continues and gives the greatest compliment of all. He says that when we 'do this' - when we express 'agape' love to our enemies, that we will be acting as 'children of the Most High'. He tells us that we'll look like our daddy when we do that. He tells us that we'll be reflecting the family name. And for myself, there's nothing that could be better than being a good reflection of my family... a strong likeness of my daddy.

Through looking at this verse a little closer, i hope that you were challenged to truly look deep at your life. Don't just skim over this. Don't just put a checkmark down that you read this and move onto the next thing. No. Really ask yourself, "What does this mean to me? What is God trying to tell me right now and how am i going to walk this thing out?" By doing this, you're expressing your willingness and a strong desire to live out the words of Jesus.

Be Blessed!
GP
www.gphintz.com

Mexico Mission Trip Video - RAV 2008

Hello y'all! I hope you enjoy this video. If you want a truly clear picture of what our mission trip at Rancho Agua Viva in Ensenada, Mexico was like, I think that this video will truly answer any questions you may have! Enjoy!

www.fpcwickenburg.com

www.igniteyouthgroup.com

www.aguaviva.com

GP

www.gphintz.com

Judas' Pavement of Decisions

Reading through Matthew, I'm saddened by the few verses that i see dedicated to Judas Iscariot in Matthew 26. I mean, i know what's going to happen and i know the end of Judas' story, however it's still amazing for me to sit back and read the words.

"Then one of the twelve - the one called Judas Iscariot - went to the chief priests and asked, 'What are you willing to give me if I hand him (Jesus) over to you?' So they counted out for him thirty silver coins. From then on Judas looked for an opportunity to hand him over." vs. 14-16

Just going through this short portion of scripture, i see the digressing steps that are leading Judas to his demise. Deep down, i had always hoped that Judas was sought out by the evil priests and taken advantage of. That he was tempted and lured into his poor decisions. But, this portion of scripture tells me quite the contrary. I see the chief priest asking themselves, 'How the heck are we going to get this Jesus? We need to get him, but how?' And then i see Judas who 'WENT TO' them.

Now, it's probably not by chance that this portion of scripture is preceded by the anointing of Jesus and the alabaster box of precious oil and the statement that the disciples became very 'indignant' about the oil being poured over the head of Jesus. In their minds, that oil should've been sold and the money given to the poor. And even though most of their intentions were probably pure, you have Judas - the treasurer - sitting there watching all of this money disappear over the head of Jesus. And in John 12 we find out that the one who made a vocal disapproval of this action was none other than Judas himself. 'Why wasn't this sold for 300 pence and given to the poor?' And this is followed by a clear picture into the heart of Judas, 'This he said, not because he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the money bag and often took some for his own use.'

Seeing this ointment and money poured over the head of Jesus must've enraged Judas. And the Bible says that he 'WENT TO' the chief priests. The word for 'went to' is the Greek word 'poreuomai' and means 'to pursue the journey on which one has entered'. So, we see Judas pursuing a journey on which he had already started. When did he start this journey? Was it the day he was born? Was it the day he met Jesus? Was it the first time that he stole from the treasury?

I am unable to pinpoint the exact point when Judas started his journey which led to his demise. However, i am able to look at my life and the lives of many people who have lived on this earth and understand that life is a progression... a path... a road to travel which is paved by the decisions which we make. The choices aren't always easy, but they will direct us as one decision folds into another which folds into another which folds into our destiny.

Every day we are forced to make decisions which will take us closer to God or further away. Maybe they aren't as 'extreme' as stealing from the purse of God, but they may be a question of what we'll say, do or see... It is one idea... followed by one decision... followed by one action.

Today, let's ask ourselves about the decisions we've been making. Where is the road of our life taking us? Where is our pavement headed? And, if it's not headed toward the destination that we desire, let's turn the car around before our 'right' decisions become a speck on the horizon that can't be seen with the naked eye...

GP
http://www.gphintz.com/

Sin, Death and Cannibalism

Going into my study on the book of Leviticus, i must admit that i was fairly pessimistic. I have read the book before and could equate my reading time as a great high in Genesis (one of my favorite books in the Bible), a slight decline of excitement into Exodus with an incredible boring lull in Leviticus which carries me through the remainder of the Pentateuch. However, i am pleased to say that i am thoroughly enjoying my time in Leviticus and came across an incredible set of verses that i'd like to share with you.

The portion of scripture is highlighting the 'sin offering' which was the animal sacrifice that the Jewish people would make to atone (or amends for) their sin and is found in Leviticus 6:24-30. Now, i haven't made sense of every detail yet, but i find a striking resemblance here to some very common New Testament words of Jesus.

"The Lord said to Moses, 'The sin offering is to be slaughtered before the Lord ... it is most Holy... Whatever touches any of the flesh will become holy, and if any of the blood is splattered on a garment, you must wash it in a Holy Place... Any male in the priest's family may eat. It is most holy.'"

Here's a description of what Jesus did and said. "And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." Luke 22:19-20

The Sin Offering? One who takes away the sins of the world? One who washes clean? One who can be taken and eaten?

I'm reminded of my Catholic upbringing and one of the prayers that has been singed into my brain stem from weekly repetition...

"...Lord Jesus Christ, only begotten Son
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father
You take away the sins of the world
Have mercy on us
You take away the sins of the world
Receive our prayer..."

Now I've studied about the scapegoat and the laying on of hands by the priest and sending the goat from the camp and if you're unfamiliar with this story, i'd encourage you to study it out or stay tuned and we'll cover this in the future. However, this portion of scripture in Leviticus gives us insight into the words of Jesus - 'this is my body'.

'Body' in this context is the Greek word 'soma' which simply means 'the body of a man or an animal'. Flesh. Meat. Body. So, when Jesus is saying this, He's declaring that this bread was His actual flesh. Now i'm not going to debate transubstantiation right now, but i do want you to see the word picture that the disciples are seeing. They are quite familiar with Leviticus. They've learned about offerings their entire lives. They had read Leviticus 6 many times and now Jesus is standing before them saying, 'Take and eat my body'. What a vivid picture of Jesus telling them, 'Listen up guys! I am the sin offering. I am here to take away your sins and the sins of the entire world. You guys are worthy. You guys are my priests. You guys, come on, take and eat the sin offering today. This is it guys.'

So, what we see here is the realization that Jesus has come for a greater purpose than to be a great teacher. We see that Jesus is calling them out of a life of mediocrity and telling them that they were worthy to be called priests. We see that Jesus is saying, 'Yes guys. You are priests now. You have a mission and today I'm allowing you to see yourself, not as fishermen or tax collectors, but as priests. Priests for a Holy God. Take and eat.'

Now, in this same way, we are called to take and eat. We are called to partake in the Lord's supper. We are called to 'do this in remembrance of me'. Understanding that when we do, we are taking of the sin offering. We are receiving that free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. And we are accepting the realization that we are called to be God's priests on this earth. No matter what our occupation may be. No matter what our family may see us as. No matter what our history looks like. When we take and eat, we are lining ourselves up with the will and plans of God and saying, 'Yes!'

1 Peter 2:5-6 "As you come to him, the living Stone - rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him - you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."

The sin offering has been made and we are encouraged to take and eat of it. If you've not made that decision in your life, i'd encourage you to stop, find a quiet place and spend some time communicating with God. You speak, but also be quiet before Him and allow Him to minister to you. His plans for you are great - take the first step today.

GP
http://www.gphintz.com/

A Tux to Talk About

Oftentimes, when i reach a more difficult passage to understand in the Bible, my first inclination is to simply skip over it or move on to the next concept, idea or parable. I had this temptation when i stumbled across Matthew 22, but fought it to comprehend.

I wanted to know what Jesus was talking about with the wedding feast and why did the poor sap get kicked out of the party just because he wasn't wearing the 'right' clothes. I mean, come on, i've been at weddings where the "distant cousin" comes in with jean shorts and a metallica t-shirt on, smelling of cheap beer and cat urine. Sure, many whispered of his arrival, but no one would kick him out. He was still family.

And this simple truth - family - is what i have discovered. The concept of wedding clothes here is very important; not only for the actual story, but for what the story represents to its listeners. Matthew 22 starts with a parable that's equated to the Kingdom of Heaven and a king who is preparing a wedding feast for his son. The people who were originally invited paid no attention and went back to their homes and some, who were left over, actually murdered those who had brought the invitations. When the king heard this he was ticked! He sent out his army, killed the murderers and destroyed the entire city. Then, he was still going to have a party so he sends some more servants back out.

These servants have only one agenda - 'Invite as many people as you can find'. In fact the king says, 'Go into the highways and as many people as you find - invite'. And this is exactly what the servants do. In fact, the Bible says that they invite both 'good' and 'bad'. (Matthew 22:10) I was intrigued by this verse and wanted to see what the Bible meant by 'good' and 'bad'. I found out that the word used for 'good' is "agathos" and means 'upright, honorable, good, pleasant, etc.' On the other hand, the word 'bad' is "poneros" and means 'of bad nature or condition and, in an ethical sense, evil or wicked'.

I found this comparison in another portion of scripture from Matthew - chapter 7. The Bible says,

'Every good tree brings forth good fruit while every corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that doesn't bring forth good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. By their fruit you should know them.' 7:17-20

Now 'corrupt' is the word "sapros" and actually means 'rotten, putrefied, unfit for use, worthless, etc.' And so we see that the fruit of 'good' or 'bad' is actually produced by what is inside - whether rotten or healthy.

At the actual wedding feast there is one man in our parable that is noticed by the king and this man is chastised for not having a 'wedding garment' on. This man was probably still wearing the clothes that he was out working in or that which he was sitting in the streets in. The man was speechless and the king has him bound and cast out of the party and into the darkness.

Now, i spoke of how i just wanted to skip this passage over. I didn't want to deal with the 'reason' behind this one individual being kicked out when all of the others were allowed to stay. None were 'religious' or 'worthy' of having an audience with the king. Why was this one chosen? The answer is simple. Not because of what he had, but because of what he didn't have.

The wedding garments were there. The wedding garments were available. My main trouble with this verse was seeing this wedding feast through the eyes of today. Imagining some derelict trying to tie a bow tie and putting on a cumberbum in order to partake in the festivities. However, the word for garments found in the King James is 'raiment' and is equated with an 'outer covering' or 'cloak'. This was something that he would "put on". Something that was available. Something that was there. Something that was accessible to all.

The Jewish audience would've been quite familiar with the passage that Jesus was alluding to found in Zephaniah 1:7-8 "Be silent before the Sovereign Lord, for the day of the Lord is near. The Lord has prepared a sacrifice; he has consecrated those he has invited. On the day of the Lord's sacrifice I will punish the princes and the king's sons and all those clad in foreign clothes."

The raiment that Jesus was speaking about was Himself. The disciples would be sent out to invite all - the good and the bad. There will come a day of reckoning where all will stand before the King and it'll be at that moment where we all will be seen for who we really are and if we have chosen to 'put on' the right clothes for the party.

Maybe you're hearing this story for the first time and it is making sense to you. Maybe you want to know that when you're standing at the wedding feast of God that He'll come to you and throw His arms around you. Maybe you want to put on this spiritual raiment today. Well, Jesus died and rose again so that we could have life and His gift of eternity is free. Simply turn to Him, ask for forgiveness and commit your life to follow Him. There's no prescripted prayer, just a heart that longs for their creator crying out for a relationship.

Be encouraged!

GP
http://www.gphintz.com/

Lineages: What's the Point?

Well, when I read the Bible I am often discouraged when i come across a large portion of scripture dealing with the family tree of some famous Bible character. You start out strong, but after about five verses of sounding out names which have way too many syllables, you find yourself skipping along to the end of that portion of scripture and to the next topic. This was true until i began trying to figure out who all of these mysterious names were that i came across in the book of Matthew.

Now, i love the fact that Jesus' lineage is so perfectly ordered. I mean, you have 14 generations from Abraham to David and then 14 generations from David to Babylon and then 14 generations from Babylon to Jesus. This made digging deeper easy for me because i could cut this big pie in thirds.

Today, let's just take a peek at the first 14 generations talked about in Matthew and a few highlights from their lives:

1. Abraham - This man has an incredible story that needs to be read by all. A few highlights are: God cutting covenant with Abram, God giving him his son Isaac at the age of 100, Meeting God as He was heading into Sodom, God's provision in every area of his life, etc. (If you are unfamiliar with any of these stories, please stop reading this and open up a Bible to Genesis 12 and start reading. I promise you that you won't be disappointed!)

2. Isaac - This is God's promised son to Abraham. He was born when Abraham was 100 years old and taken to the mountain to be sacrificed at the demand of God. However, God provided a ram to be sacrificed in his place at the last moment.

3. Jacob - I have an entire blog posting on Jacob, but a few quick facts are: He was a mama's boy, he deceived his dad and stole the blessing from his brother Esau, he fell in love with Rachel and was deceived into marrying her sister Leah before her and then ended up with their slave women also, he became the father of the 12 tribes of Israel, his name was changed to 'Israel' and he was the father of Joseph and the technicolor dreamcoat.

4. Judah - This one was the greatest shocker for me. God provides an entire section in the OT about Joseph, yet uses Judah in his lineage. Not only that, but Jacob's true love was Rachel and Judah's mom was the girl that Jacob didn't even want - Leah. Here we see God using something that was entirely out of the control or plans of Jacob for His glory! Now, Judah had three sons - Er, Onan and Shelah. Er got married to Tamar and he ends up dying. Onan is ordered to impregnate her and takes advantage of the task without following through on the obligation and God kills him. Judah promises the third son's seed to Tamar when he gets older, but doesn't deliver. So Tamar dresses like a prostitute and lures Judah in after his wife's death. He sleeps with her - not knowing who she is. She takes some of his possessions and later, when she's found pregnant, he wants to have her killed until she brings out his possessions, looks at her belly and says, "Who's Your Daddy?" (not really. i added that) So Tamar has Judah's babies - twins - named Perez and Zerah.

5. Perez - not much said about him

6. Hezron - or him

7. Ram - or him

8. Amminadab - with a name like that i wish the Bible talked more about him

9. Nahshon - not much said about him

10. Salmon - or him, but i bet he was a fisherman

11. Boaz - Now Boaz is important for two reasons. The first is that the Bible says that his mother was Rahab. Rahab is an important piece of the puzzle because her story can be found in Joshua two. At that point in her life she was a harlot, or prostitute, and decides to help Joshua's army by hiding them and protecting them. She is promised protection when they come back to destroy the city and her entire family is spared. Later, she marries Salmon and enters into the lineage of the Messiah.

12. Obed - His mother was Ruth. This is very important to understand because Ruth was from the land of Moab, which was a foreign land. This is a country who did not worship the Lord Jehovah as the Jewish people did. Yet, God brings Ruth to a land and brings her and Boaz together. God shows us that the Messiah is for all people through this simple act of allowing Ruth to be part of His lineage.

13. Jesse - not much is said about Jesse except for the fact that he was a father and he ended up having a son and this son has provided some of the greatest life lessons of all time as we've witnessed God's hand on his life. And this son was...

14. David - If you don't know about David, please stop right now and read about his life. From being a boy and chopping the head of Goliath off to his infidelity with Bathsheeba to the final blessing of his family, it is a page turner. He has brought me much understanding into the heart of God and i'm sure it'll do the same for you.

Well, there it is! The first 14 generations of Jesus highlighted in the book of Matthew. I hope you enjoyed, but most of all i hope that you'll look at those long, boring lists in the Bible as nuggets of truth that will encourage us to serve God in a greater way! Be blessed.

GP

http://www.gphintz.com/

There's Hope in the Snare

Oftentimes, when I'm reading the Bible I come across different scriptures that seem to rise from the page, rear back and smack me silly across the face. They are either verses I've heard that I'm seeing in a new way or a verse that I may have not consciously stumbled across that seems to speak to me. Today, I found the former in Matthew.

"Woe to the world because of the things which cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come!" Matt. 18:7

Now, there are certain things I understand. Sin is out there. Sin is bad. Sin has consequences. Sin can put you into bondage. Sin can steal God's plans from you. Sin can destroy you. I know all of these things. They are foremost on my Christian mind. However, I often overlook the repercussions that come from one who births sin and influences others to do the same.

The word 'woe' is simple to understand for it means to put in a place of suffering or misery resulting from infliction. So, in other words, it means 'Things are not good' or 'Bad things are a coming'. Let me put it this way - if the sentence starts with 'woe' in the Bible, you don't want to be between that word and the period which ends it. Comprende?

Now, here's where it's gonna get interesting. The word for 'sin' in the NT is 'hamartia'. Whenever you find the word 'sin', this is the Greek you find. However, you will not find 'hamartia' in this verse. Instead you find the Greek word 'skandalon' which is rooted in the definition 'a trap or a snare', but looking at this verse it can be defined as 'any person or thing by which one is trapped or ensnared or drawn into error or sin'.

For those of us who draw breath and have fought the good fight and felt the pull of sin understand this trap or snare perfectly. There are things which are out there that are strategically placed and are consistently calling our names. Unfortunately, those who set out the traps rarely understand the severity of their actions. Their goal is normally to get your attention and your money - little do they know that their actions are bringing on themselves a greater consequence.

Now, I believe that it's important that we are consistently searching our own life and our own actions to assure that we're not setting up traps or snares for our friends by our actions, but that's not the main point I received from this text. Instead, I saw that there is a world system that is in full motion today and I saw that Jesus said that "the system and the traps and the snares 'must come'". I saw that He was not ignorant about them and even 2000 years ago He spoke about them. Sure, in many ways they've changed throughout the centuries, but their goal remains the same.

We, in turn, should not be ignorant about them. We need to continue to reach out to those who are setting up traps due to their ignorance and share with them the good news. We need to continue to pray for those who are trapped and ensnared and struggling. We need to be patient with those who desire so much to be free but feel like they are in quicksand. We need to love until it hurts and believe until it comes true.

Sin is a trap and those who are caught need someone who's broken free from the trap to show them how to open it. They need someone who has mastered the lock to show them the way. That someone is you and your day is today. You know right now who God has put in your life that's struggling with a snare. Don't wait - reach out today and help pull them out!

And maybe you're in the snare. You're in the trap. Some days it feels like you're not going to make it. Some days you sense the quicksand is going to pull you under. Well, let me tell you about one of my favorite quotes by Francis Assisi. He said, "Be patient with everyone, but above all - yourself." In life, the one we have the hardest time with is our self. Don't give up and don't quit, but remember that God loves you and His plans for you are great!

GP
http://www.gphintz.com/

From the Mouth of Peter

As I'm reading through my Bible I was amazed at a rapid succession of quotes that I found from Peter in the book of Matthew. Even though I understand that they weren't spoken in one fluid motion, they were put together by the author of Matthew for a reason. It looks at this disciple, Peter, and gives us an incredible insight to his faith, his temperament and his personality.

The first quote is probably one of the most famous 'Peter Quotes' around. It happens when Jesus and his disciples are in Caesarea Philippi and Jesus throws out a question to those around Him. (Matthew 16:13-20)

"Who do people say the Son of Man is?"

Now, this term - Son of Man - was used 43 times in the New Testament as a distinctive title of the Savior. And now Jesus wants to know who people are saying the Savior is. The disciples start giving their 'textbook' answers - all those things that they had been taught or have heard. 'Jeremiah' or 'Elijah' or some even said 'John the Baptist'. Jesus stops it and basically says - 'OK. That's what people are saying. Now, I want to know what YOU are saying. What about YOU?'

And you can just picture Peter jumping to his feet and saying 'You are the Christ the Son of the Living God!' This statement, in itself, took great courage. Even though he was in a safe atmosphere, others were threatened with their very life for making such a 'blasphemous' statement. But here you see Peter, unafraid of the consequences, speaking his heart. 'You are the Christ!'

Now this reckless abandon was as good as it was bad. In Philippi, Jesus ends up blessing Peter and calling him the rock that the church was going to be built on, but a short time later Peter is chastised by Jesus and called 'Satan' or the great deceiver.

This happens when Jesus begins teaching his disciples about what's going to come. He's telling them that He's going to suffer and that He's going to die and that He's going to be raised from the dead. Peter seems to space out on the last point because he grabs Jesus by the arm and takes him aside and rebukes him. Now, the word 'rebuke' can actually mean to discipline or train and you hear Peter's heart by his words:

"Never Lord! This will never happen to You!"

In Peter's mind, Jesus must've thought that he wasn't strong enough to protect him. Or maybe he thought that Jesus was just looking for some reassurance of his allegiance. And Peter communicates that 'come hell or high water' or 'over his own dead body' that he wasn't going to let anything happen to Jesus. His intentions were pure. His motivations out of love for Jesus. However, Jesus calls Him Satan, carnally minded and a personal stumbling block for him. Not quite the response that was expected for a vow of allegiance.

The Bible tells us that only six days later Jesus separates a few of his disciples and heads up the mountain. And it is at that moment that Jesus is transfigured and seen standing with Elijah and Moses. You can imagine the sight and the glory and power of the moment as these disciples, flesh and blood, fell to their knees before this heavenly vision. In this moment, one voice speaks up and it's Peter's.

"Lord, it's good for us to be here. If you want me to, I can go ahead and build three shelters. One for you. One for Moses. And one for Elijah."

Jesus doesn't say anything but I like to imagine that he had a grin and gave Moses and Elijah a wink. The moment ends and Jesus is left standing before his disciples as the man they knew so well.

When I look at Peter in these three distinct moments I see a man of passion and fire and one who was unafraid to let his voice be heard. He wasn't scared to answer the tough questions and give his ideas when they were asked (and even sometimes when they weren't). The scary part, as I read, is to understand that this freedom did bring a rebuke from Jesus.

It's important to understand that as we continue to ride the cutting edge of Christianity, we mustn't be afraid to step out and do some things which may seem unorthodox.

That we aren't scared to speak up and let our voice be heard.

However, we do have to be willing to listen to the voice of God and know that just because we're speaking... just because we're acting... just because we're doing, doesn't mean that we're always right.

I want to have the strength of Peter in my life, but I also understand that I need to have his humility to understand when I've misspoke or acted out of turn, I need to be willing to accept when I'm wrong.

It is this courage and action that will drive the church aggressively forward in these days. People are hungry for something that is real and someone who is real. We don't want perfection, but we do want action and we want hearts that are willing to move and act and shake the ground beneath our feet, even though we may sometimes fall and scrape our knees.

Thank you Peter for speaking. Thank you Peter for being so aggressive. I pray that more of us take aggressive Christianity seriously and have the strength to admit when we missed it. Let your example sear the hearts of Christians today!

GP