In this fourth lesson of Sue Edwards’ study on 1 Peter, we come to what I consider to be some of the most difficult verses in the Bible. I am, by nature and heritage, a fighter. I feel justice deeply within my soul and spirit. Even as a child, I would get in trouble for standing up for those treated unjustly as well as being quick to point out misbehavior (read: tattle). I believed that the world should be fair and just. I still do.

So of course, I’m frustrated almost every day as I see injustice at every level. I do indeed feel like an alien in a strange country. I do a lot of prayer ministry with women, and my spirit rails at the pain they have suffered. I often wonder how some of these women even get up in the morning, so horrendous was the abuse they have endured. And yet, Peter tells us to submit. (Don’t you hate that word?) He says to submit to ungodly governmental officials (a timely word for today). He says to submit to ungodly laws (another timely word). He hints that if we are ever in a situation like Christ was, we are to submit.

It just doesn’t make sense. Or does it? A seriously misunderstood spiritual principal is that of coming in the opposite spirit. When we fight back according to our flesh, there is almost always anger, hatred, bitterness, strife and a whole host of other ungodly attitudes flying around in the atmosphere. It makes sense to our wounded flesh, but it’s really a snare. We simply add fuel to the devil’s schemes. He’s coming at us (directly or through people under his influence) with these attitudes. When we respond in like manner, we’re simply adding fuel to the fire. No hope of putting out that fire. James 3:5 talks about how even our words (not to mention our actions) can figuratively set a forest ablaze. I’ve been there and chances are, so have you.

But when we come in the opposite spirit, when we repay evil with love and kindness, it’s like throwing water on that fire. Our actions dilute the impact, cause the fire to sputter, and perhaps to die. It works, and Jesus is our example. Problem is, it’s so counter-intuitive that it’s very hard to remember and harder to do. But friends, it works.

I don’t think it’s coincidental that 1 Peter 2:24 is at the end of this chapter. Jesus was our model. He went to the cross without fighting back. He forgave. He made a public spectacle of Satan (Col. 2:15), turning Satan’s biggest coup into his biggest defeat. And in the process, he bought not only our forgiveness, but also our healing. When we respond like Him, we are in a position to actually receive and experience that healing. I’m going to make a greater effort to submit to what God allows in my life. How about you? Share with us how you interacted with this passage.

 –In what circumstances do you find it most difficult to submit and behave as Jesus did?

–Where are you being stretched and challenged to behave rightly now?

–Do you believe Godly submission will result in the healing of your spirit, soul, and body?

It took many years of growing and healing before those verses really sank in. And healing didn’t come easily. It took a blessed combination of marriage and a child, therapy, prayer ministry, deliverance, and a lot of applying Scripture literally before I could break out of the identity I had been born and raised in. Could it have happened more quickly? Maybe. But one of the verses I learned to love and hate is Deuteronomy 7:22. I’ve found in my own life and in the lives of the many people I’ve ministered to, that healing is best when it’s progressive. Yes, we all want to experience a miracle healing, just like we all want to win the lottery. But we know what happens to those who win the lottery. Most are broke within a year. And I’ve seen the same thing happen when a very wounded person experiences a huge deliverance. They’re free for a while, but since they don’t know how to change their thinking, it isn’t long before they are right back where they started. Deep healing takes a little longer, but is ever so much more lasting.

But I digress. I was struck by verse 6 (will not be put to shame) in relation to verse 9 (an amazing identity—chosen, royal, priest, His possession). How do we enter into that identity? One lesson that has helped me tremendously is understanding the difference between true moral guilt and shame. True moral guilt is related to what I do. I sin, make a mistake, behave badly. True moral guilt is easily resolved by repentance and the forgiveness of the cross. Once forgiven, it’s gone. But shame is related to who I am. It’s often a by-product of guilt, introduced by the enemy to an unsuspecting, unprepared person. Getting rid of shame is often harder because it requires a new mindset. Remember last week’s lesson? I have to gird up the loins of my mind and deliberately bring every though into agreement with the Truth of Jesus. I have to deliberately take on the new identity. I have to agree with the Truth God gives me and reject the lies that Satan gives me. In dealing with shame, it seems that more of the responsibility falls on me.

So as you read the passage for this week, consider these questions and share your thoughts with us .

What does Peter mean when he says we will never be put to shame? Is that true for you, or do you need to do some work on guilt vs. shame?

In verse 9, Peter is making reference to the special position the nation of Israel has enjoyed. From your knowledge of the Old Testament, discuss how this identity has been extended from the chosen nation of Israel to the chosen person of you.

How will this understanding change the way you live this week?

Remember that this letter is addressed to people under duress. To exiles in the government-instigated Diaspora. People who were being tested and tried in various areas of their lives. Peter says that, contrary to what we tend to think, the testing can result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus is revealed. Have you seen this in your life?

In my ministry, I find that most personal challenges or problems start in our minds. And I’ve learned that in order to survive and even thrive in an environment of testing, the battle begins in the mind. Peter tells his readers to literally “gird up the loin of their minds.” This image is a reference to the way men dressed in the first century. They wore long, flowing robes that hindered their movements. They could walk, but if they needed to run, they would gather up the robes and tuck them into their belt, creating a sort of pantaloons. They took a deliberate steps to prepare them for action.

We need to do the same with our minds. We need to take a deliberate action to constrain, restrain, and retrain our minds to prepare ourselves for action, to prepare ourselves for the testing that inevitably comes to each of us. Peter tells us to be “sober-minded”—to not become drunk and silly because of our stink’ thinkin’. Then he tells us to hope (imperative) on the grace of Jesus. This is another deliberate action, an intentional choice. A decision.

Peter tells us to not become conformed to the passions of our ignorance. In other words, we often make decisions and take actions based on incomplete facts. We don’t know what God is doing in our lives, so we can’t make decisions based on feelings, on ignorance. Rather, we need to decide, to make a deliberate decision, an intentional choice To gird up the loins of our minds, to rein in those wayward thoughts and emotions, and to set our faces like flint toward Jesus. So this week, share with us how you are going to do this and how this community can help you.

 Where are you being tested this week?

In what areas of your life are you most vulnerable to stinking’ thinkin’?

What can you do (practical steps) to gird up the loins of your mind?

What resources has God given us to assist in the effort? Read and consider 1Cor. 2:12, 2 Cor. 10:4-5, and Phil 4:8.

Photo Courtesy of flick.com/katclay

The book is laid out in landscape mode with five columns. The first column contains the Greek and a word-for-word translation, like an interlinear. The next four columns offer a paraphrase of the same verse with parenthetical comments reflecting four different views of Revelation—the Preterist, Historical, Futurist, and Idealist. Don’t know what those are? Read the excellent introduction.

Let me give you an example. The word-for-word translation of Revelation 1:3 is, “Blessed [is] the one who reads and the ones who hear the words of the prophecy and who keep the things in it having been written, for the time is near.”

The Preterist paraphrase, from the perspective that the events of Revelation were fulfilled in the first century, is, “Blessed is the one who reads and who hears the words of this prophecy (of the replacement of Israel by the church) and who keeps the things having been written in it, for the time has begun.”

In the next column is the Historicist paraphrase, interpreting Revelation as unfolding church history, is, “Blessed is the one who reads and who hears the words of this prophecy (of the triumph of the Protestant Reformation over Roman Catholicism and the papacy) and who keeps the things having been written in it, for the time of fulfillment is beginning now and will continue throughout the church age.”

The Futurist paraphrase, arguing that the events of Revelation remain largely unfulfilled, is “Blessed is the one who reads and who hears the words of this prophecy (of the end times) and who keeps the things having been written in it, for the time is near, because the rapture of the church can happen at any moment.”

And the Idealist paraphrase, suggesting an ongoing battle between good and evil, is, “Blessed is the one who reads and who hears the words of this prophecy (of the spiritual war between the true church and the ungodly, anti-Christian world that unfolds throughout history) and who keeps the things having been written in it, for the time is always near.”

Imagine having this type of detail for every verse in the book! It’s a leader’s dream! No, you probably won’t read it word-for-word, but it’s a great resource for a difficult book of the Bible.

Welcome to our online Bible study in 1 Peter. This is an experiment for me, so let’s figure out what works. We’re using Sue Edwards’ study, 1 Peter: Finding Encouragement in Troubling Times as a conversation starter, but feel free to weigh in from you own study. What I’d like to do is have a conversation. Share your thoughts about the passage or the comments of others. Just be kind in your comments—they will be moderated.

One thing I like about Sue’s study is that she divides the passage into several “core” sections. Within the section, she asks a nice selection of objective, interpretive, and application questions. She then has “digging deeper” questions that require the use of references (atlas, commentary, etc.) and “summit” questions that grapple with deeper theological issues. You can choose to do just the “core” questions or dig deeper, depending on your interests.

The question that most intrigued me in this passage is in the first verse, the greeting. Peter addresses this letter to the parepidimois, which is translated strangers, exiles, pilgrims, or refugees. She has a note that explains,

Peter wrote this letter to Gentiles, and probably some Jews, living in five Roman provinces (in the region now known as northern Turkey)… The Emperor Claudius (A.D. 41-54) displaced people from their homelands in order to strengthen his empire through colonization. … The immigrants moved around by Emperor Claudius were naturally viewed as foreigners by the native populations. Complex social relationships accompanied by tension and misunderstanding were likely between Roman citizens and noncitizens, free and slave, rich and poor, and people of different ethnic backgrounds. These colonized regions were ripe for local persecution and Christians were a prime target.

As things in our nation change more rapidly than I’m comfortable with, I’ve been giving a lot of thought to being a citizen of another “country.” Paul tells us in Phil. 3:20 that “our citizenship is in heaven,” The subjects of the faith chapter in Hebrews 11 were “strangers and foreigners on the earth.” And Paul tells us in 2 Cor. 5:20 that we are “ambassadors” for Christ.” So I’ve been thinking a lot about what that means. It’s so easy to get caught up in the things of this world. What is it like to be an exile from one country and need to make a way in another place? What would it be like to be forcibly removed from my home and sent to a place where I don’t know the language or culture? Where I couldn’t earn a living? What resources would I have from my home country? Where would I need the resources of the host country?

I often wonder if I represent my home country (heaven) effectively now. If I don’t, how would I expect to do so under persecution? That’s who Peter is addressing his letter to. Exiles. Refugees.

What do I need to learn to represent my home country (heaven) now? And what more will I need if/when persecution comes?

I welcome you to weigh in on this question or anything else in 1 Peter 1:1-12.

One of my areas of delight and specialization is working with people who are stuck in their personal or spiritual growth. People who know there’s more, but they can’t seem to grasp it. Or people who are so defeated they no longer even dream of more. Most of these people have been abused or seriously wounded in childhood and have never developed the skills to mature. This is a focus not many aspire to, but I love it. The problem is, there aren’t many resources out there for this target population.

Until now. I recently received a review copy of Stuck: The Places we Get Stuck and the God Who Sets Us Free by Jennie Allen. This is an intriguing 8-week Bible study for women covering areas we all get stuck in—broken, mad, discontent, scared, overwhelmed, and sad. The final chapter is Unstuck. The leader’s package includes a DVD, a leader’s guide, a participant’s guide, and an intriguing deck of cards. I was immediately impressed with the quality of the product. No black and white study guide here. Thomas Nelson has invested in slick paper, colored ink, a variety of fonts, and great graphics. Even the 8” by 7” size is distinctive. The product is just downright appealing.

OK, but what about the content? Allen is a pastor’s wife from Austin, TX with a master’s degree in theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. The study is solidly biblical. She doesn’t offer quick fixes or psychological strategies. Her lessons are straight from the Word of God. The study guide offers several mostly objective and interpretive questions, with “projects” for each chapter. The participant can make a list, draw a picture, or answer questions. The study guide is to be done in advance, leading to a short discussion before the DVD is shown.

The DVD is beautifully done. Again, Thomas Nelson spared no expense. In each segment, Allen is in a different location, one that complements the chapter content. She is real, authentic, and compelling. A mom with young to pre-teen children, she relates well to that generation. Her openness will prompt excellent discussion.

And for the main discussion, she has developed something I haven’t seen before. There is a deck of cards with application questions for each chapter. The leader puts these one the table with the questions face up. Participants pick one they like, and these questions direct the discussion to apply the biblical principles. It’s a clever approach that gives the participants a part in directing the discussion.

My only regret is that she targeted this to women. I’d love to use it in our mixed small group and I know some men who could benefit from her teaching. But if you are leading a women’s group, consider this study. I think you’ll like it.

What is your opinion about Halloween? And what is that opinion based on? I was pretty ambivalent until I started working with women who had been profoundly abused, especially those who had been abused in Satanism, Wicca, or other cults. For them, Halloween is a high holy day and one that often results in profound abuse to women and children. At that point, our family stopped celebrating Halloween in any form.

Contrary to many of the frivolous themes we see in Halloween today, its history is one seeped in death and divination.  It’s the one pagan holiday that the Christian church has never been able to sanitize. As Christians, it behooves us to understand the spiritual dynamics behind the smiling jack-o-lantern and the cute children trick-or-treating the neighborhood.

I’ve written an e-book detailing all of this and more. If your family or church wonder about why or how to celebrate Halloween, may I encourage you to download Let’s Take Another Look at Halloween from Mighty Oak Ministries. Consider using it as a discussion starter in your small group or Sunday school class. And let me know what you think.

Do you see Jesus in your daily activities or do you save him for emergencies? God longs for you to spend your day with Him. Reflecting Him helps you pulls back the veil so you can see how a true relationship with the Lord changes your life. As Jesus becomes a part of everything you do, you will soon be reflecting Him to those around you.

Carla McDougal, founder of Reflective Life Ministries,  has developed a set of resources that will help women:

• Realize life is not about me, but all about Him.
• See daily applications for lessons learned from scripture.
• Understand how God is directing your life—often without you knowing it.
• Learn the importance of prayer in your everyday activities.
• Discover the joyful intimacy of a life filled with Jesus.
• Realize how your personal relationship with Jesus changes when you make Him part of everything you do.

I had the opportunity to review the ten-week Reflecting Him study guide. I liked the format and questions. Throughout the study, Carla uses examples written by a potter comparing the process of pottery making to our lives. The study is written in small enough bites to digest, but is deep enough content to stimulate change and growth. There are a lot of application questions, which I always like. Carla’s refreshing authenticity and humorous style encourages you to dig deeper into the Word.

The study guide is part of a larger set of resources, including a video teaching series, a complimentary leaders’ guide, and a music CD. If you purchase from the Reflective Life website, use promo code: RHBLOG1 for a 10% discount.

As part of this blog tour, leave a comment below for an opportunity to win the complete set of resources.

Let’s face it. Most of us have a lot to be stressed about these days—job stress (or no-job stress), marriage stress, debt stress, family stress, health stress… I could go on and on, and so could you. But Scriptures tells us to “be anxious for nothing…” So how does that work? How do we begin to dethrone the stress bully and begin to walk in victory?

I recently had the opportunity to review a book that gives us some strategies for dealing with stress. Stress-Free Believers: Turn Worry into Faith, Turmoil into Peace by Harold Metzel helps you dethrone the stress bully that attacks the peace of believers, offering a battle plan you need to get harmful stress off your back so you can manage the tough times with composure. In this book and the accompanying study guide, you’ll learn how to:

Convert your thoughts from worry to faith

Develop patience in the midst of chaos.

Take control of your thinking, emotions, and commitments.

Identify the tools God has given you to overcome stress.

Recognize the part you play in God’s comprehensive plan.

Allow God to work in your life as He did in the life of Jesus.

I found the first half of the book packed with excellent strategies for renewing our minds and our faith. I will definitely use it in ministry. Unfortunately, by the second half of the book, Metzel seemed to default to his current ministry of stewardship. While the information was still useful, I kept wondering how it related to stress.

The author, Harold Metzel, a 30-year veteran as pastor, missionary, Bible College president and VP of a large charitable foundation in San Diego, currently coaches individuals and pastoral staff on ways to become even better stewards of what God has given. When visiting churches across the nation, he demonstrates ways to avoid unnecessary taxation, increase income using current assets, and provide a more effective inheritance. After counseling with many stressed-out believers, he now offers practical steps to bring stress back to a healthy level. For more information see: www.haroldmetzel.com or www.stressfreebelievers.com.

Leave a comment below and I’ll enter you in a drawing for a Stress-Free Believers Survival Kit. You just might win:

Stress-Free Believers Book

Stress-Free Believers Group Study DVD

Stress-Free Believers 5-CD Audio Book

Stress Relief Aromatherapy from Bath & Body Works: 1.6 oz Filled Candle, Travel-Size Body Wash & Foam Bath, Travel-Size Body Lotion

For many of us, there is a disconnect between the Bible we treasure and the book we struggle to read. Route 66 is an eight-week course to learn how to let the whole Bible guide your life. The eight sections—living faithfully, distinctively, emotionally, imaginatively, discerningly, purposefully, infectiously and hopefully—provide an introduction to the eight different kinds of literature within the Bible. Each section includes questions for discussion and five days of daily readings. While Route 66 is quite readable for the average lay person, author Krish Kandiah has peppered it with the insights of scholars like Goldsworthy, Brueggemann, Fee and Vanhoozer—guys I read in seminary—making them accessible to a new generation of Bible readers.

Route 66 is an ambitious undertaking. As I was reading it, I thought of several groups or types of groups that would benefit from it. That being said, it often felt disconnected or disjointed as the author strove to make the Bible fit his outline. Kandiah is British, so some of his examples may not translate smoothly to an American audience.  On the other hand, it was fun reading something from a British perspective.

Route 66 is ideal for individuals, small groups, church leaders, and those wanting to engage in serious study of the Bible. To make your life as a leader easier, Kandiah has additional resources on his website, including three minute Route 66 devotional readings, a sample chapter, leaders guide, power point template and slides.

About the Author:

Krish Kandiah is the Executive Director: Churches in Mission for the UK Evangelical Alliance. He is also an external examiner for Oak Hill College, an Associate Research Fellow at London School of Theology, and is part of the theme development group for Spring Harvest.

Dr. Kandiah previously held the position of Director of the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics, in addition to being Tutor for the Mission and Evangelism at Wycliffe Hall. He was also an Oxford University Theology faculty member.

Before becoming the pastor of a multi-cultural church in Harrow, Kandiah worked with students in the UK with Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship, and in Albania with the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students. He has wide experience in evangelism and cross cultural mission, and he is in demand around the world as a speaker and lecturer—though he is still a regular speaker at university missions and at Spring Harvest.