Tag: Bible Verses

Profile of Simon Peter the Apostle, Forgiven After Denying Christ

Jesus invites Peter to get out of his boat and walk on water. Getty Images
By

Jack Zavada

Jack Zavada

Updated on May 06, 2019

Peter the apostle is one of the most prominent characters in the Gospels, a rough and tumble man whose emotions often got him into trouble, and yet he was clearly one of the favorites of Jesus Christ, who loved him for his big heart.

Peter’s true name was Simon. With his brother Andrew, Simon was a follower of John the Baptist. When Andrew introduced Simon to Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus renamed Simon Cephas, an Aramaic word meaning “rock.” The Greek word for rock, “petros,” became this apostle’s new name, Peter. He is the only Peter mentioned in the New Testament.

His aggressiveness made Peter a natural spokesman for the twelve. Often, however, he spoke before he thought, and his words led to embarrassment.

Jesus included Peter in his inner circle when he took Peter, James, and John into the house of Jairus, where Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead (Mark 5:35-43). Later, Peter was among those same disciples Jesus chose to witness the transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-9). Those same three saw Jesus’ agony in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:33-42).

Read More

1. Submit ourselves to God

No person has ever died for us. Only Jesus has. No one on earth is able to counsel, comfort and heal us perfectly. Only the Holy Spirit can. He is our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6 ESV  For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Just as He gave up His perfect body for us, Jesus invites us to give up our imperfect selves to Him so that He can make us more like Him, through the power of His Holy Spirit. This is the reason He died; to give us His life. First, we need to choose to die to our past and leave it behind so we can receive Jesus’ new life.

John 11:25 ESV  Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,

Read More

Exodus 20:3-6 ESV

“You shall have no other gods before me. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

I confess I have followed the ways of the world and unknowingly been misled by Satan. Today, I declare I am a child of God and I will follow my Heavenly Father alone. 

Ephesians 2:2 NIV  in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

Father God, You have given me the privilege to become a temple of the Holy Spirit. I confess that I have damaged or disregarded my body, which is Your temple. Today, I repent of every ungodly activity I have used this body for, to satisfy my own desires and fleshly lusts, including (please name all of them e.g. sexual immorality, pornography, drunkenness, smoking, taking drugs, cursing, slander, gossiping etc.) 

Read More

The End Times – Tribulation—Midpoint

Temple—The Jewish temple will have been reestablished on the Temple Mount, but there is no indication as to exactly when, just that the temple and the sacrifices have been reestablished by the mid-point of the Tribulation. At the midpoint, the Antichrist will put an end to the sacrifices.
Daniel 9:27

Seal Judgments

These are judgments of God that will be scattered over the first 3 ½ years of the Tribulation. They include the rise of the Antichrist, war, famine, pestilence, beasts, the persecution of believers, and natural disasters. They are compared to birth pangs in that they are unique, intense, don’t stop until completed, grow in intensity, and grow closer together. The seventh seal is silence for half an hour, and then the distribution of the seven trumpet judgments.
Revelation 5-6

But deep down, I had always struggled with self-hatred, and I didn’t know why. 

For the majority of my life, I used my perfectionism as a way to counteract it. But any time some aspect of my health, academics, athletics or relationships were less than perfect, I would increasingly hear a whisper: “Your fault. You did this to yourself. You failed. You’re terrible and unworthy.” And the self-hatred cycle continued.

It brought me to shameful places I never would have imagined.

These included physical ailments and deep depression, opting out of ministry and career opportunities and “punishing” myself – all the way down to suicidal thoughts and cutting my wrists. When the accusations came with such intensity, it was like someone or something else was taking over my thoughts and actions – not me and certainly not Christ.

I wondered, “Maybe this is a ‘thorn’ in my side I must deal with, to keep me humble and dependent on God?”

But no, I was confused. I continued to grow in my faith and knowledge of God, and knew these inner shouts of self-hatred, accusation and inadequacy were Satan’s lies. I truly believed in all the Biblical truths about my identity in Christ and that “it is for freedom Christ set us free.” I tried to proclaim these truths over the lies, but somehow I still felt trapped. I knew there was abundant, overflowing joy, and powerful, Spirit-filled living in store. I had experienced many glimpses of it while doing full-time ministry. But now where was it? I kept praying desperately for this freedom.

Read More