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The Word of God says:

1 Peter 4:11 (KJV)
¹¹ If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

My reflections on the Word of God:

Today is the third day of looking at this verse.  Ours focus in this verse has been how the believer should live in the midst of what is happening in the world. Here the truth to believe is that God is always working in His world, and He will have the last word. As one of my friends is fond of saying, what God says is not different than what God’s does.One of the important lessons that I have learned, and I might add that I am not fully grown, because I like the hymn writer would have to say, “I’m pressing on the upward way, new heights I’m gaining every day; still praying as I onward bound, Lord plant my feet on higher ground”. The lesson I am learning is that the purpose of my life is to glorify God.Now, here is something to wrap up this focus on this verse. What we say for God, and what we do for others is not to bring glory to ourselves. We need to always remember that whether we speak or serve, that the Bible says, “In all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ”. The glory does not belong to you, and it does not belong to me. The glory belongs to God the Father, and to Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son.

1 Peter 2:9 (KJV)
⁹ But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:

1 Corinthians 6:20 (KJV)
²⁰ For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Matthew 5:16 (KJV)
¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

John 15:8 (KJV)
⁸ Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I pray that I will never lose sight of whom I am, and who I belong to.  Father, may everything I say and everything I do bring glory to You, and not to me.

 Hebrews 13:15 (KJV)
¹⁵ By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

To God Be the Glory (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

http://www.biblestudycharts.com/SH_To_God_Be_the_Glory.html

The Word of God says:

1 Peter 4:11 (NASB)
¹¹ Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

My reflections on the Word of God:

Yesterday we focused our attention and our hearts on examining the responsibility of using the God given gift of speaking the Word of God. The portion of the verse that we reflected on says, “Whoever speaks is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God”.

Today our focus moves on to the portion of the verse that says, “Whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies”

All of God’s children can serve others. However, the Sovereign Lord has chosen to especially give to some of His people one or more of the serving gifts.

Some have put the spiritual gifts into two groups; the speaking gifts and the serving gifts. That is not our focus today. However, if you have such gifts as hospitality, helps, mercy, giving, and the other gifts of service, you are to use them to minister to others.

The other point that we should take special note of in this verse is that the one who serves should do so in the strength that God supplies.

Living in this present world will bring its trials and troubles. However, when you are living for Jesus, walking day by day with Jesus, staying connected with the Father in heaven through prayer, and serving in the strength that God provides, you will find that nothing can keep you from fulfilling your God given mission.

Galatians 6:10 (NASB)
¹⁰ So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.

Mark 10:45 (NASB)
⁴⁵ “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I praise You, and I thank You for the spiritual gifts that You give to Your people to enable us to do the will of God in this world.

Father God, I pray that each of Your children who You have gifted with the unique gifts of service will do so in the strength that You provide.

Hebrews 6:10 (NASB)
¹⁰ For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints.

Footsteps of Jesus (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

http://www.biblestudycharts.com/SH_Footsteps_of_Jesus.html

The Word of God says:

1 Peter 4:11 (NASB)
¹¹ Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

My reflections on the Word of God:

Today our focus will be on the first part of this verse. Here we will be examining the speaking gifts. These gifts are grace gifts from God. They include such gifts as preaching, teaching, exhortation, encouragement, and prophesy. All of these are spiritual gifts given by God, and involve proclaiming the Word of God.

It never ceases to amaze me of the enormous privilege and responsibility God has entrusted to His set apart children. A Grace gift from God comes with the responsibility of using it in the service of others.

You don’t get to choose what you say. What you say is to retell what God has said. When you speak, what you say should be what God has said in His Word. The focus should be upon the Word, and allowing God to speak through you.

Romans 3:2 (NASB)
² Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God.

Hebrews 4:12 (NASB)
¹² For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

2 Timothy 4:2 (NASB)
² preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.

Titus 1:9 (NASB)
⁹ holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

Father God, my dear Father, I praise You and I thank You for the spiritual gifts that You have given to me. Father, my God, I pray that I will use faithfully the gifts that You have entrusted to me.

Father God, I thank You for the enabling power that You give to those You have given the gift of proclaiming the Word of God.

Tell Me the Story of Jesus (Click on link below to watch the video):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cclh18f3Fc4

The Word of God says:

1 Peter 4:10 (ESV)
¹⁰ As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:

My reflections on the Word of God:

Yesterday we examined the first part of this verse, and today we will look at the second half of verse ten.

The emphasis in the second half of this verse is accountability to God for the grace gifts that we have received from Him.

Notice how this verse reads in the Amplified Bible.

1 Peter 4:10 (AMP)
¹⁰ As each of you has received a gift (a particular spiritual talent, a gracious divine endowment), employ it for one another as [befits] good trustees of God’s many-sided grace [faithful stewards of the extremely diverse powers and gifts granted to Christians by unmerited favor].

God who is the giver of spiritual gifts gives us gifts to enable us to carry out our mission and ministry in the world. God expects every believer to be a participant in ministry. He equips the under shepherd of the saints and the saints.

Being a good steward of the manifold gifts of God is essential in being and doing what God has purposed for His church and for each Christian.

The Apostle Paul shows us God’s purpose for the church, and how faithfully using our gifts results in success.

Ephesians 4:11-13 (NASB)
¹¹ And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,
¹² for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;
¹³ until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I praise and thank You for being a loving and a gracious God. Lord I praise You and I thank You for giving us everything we need to do Your will.

Father God, my request is that the people of God will recognize the truth as reveal in the Bible that You have given each of us spiritual gifts. I pray that we will unwrap our gifts, and use them is service to others.

The Word of God says:

1 Peter 4:10 (ESV)
¹⁰ As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:

My reflections on the Word of God:

This entire chapter could be entitled, “How to Live for God”. Our focal verse for today tells us that we should use our God given spiritual gift(s) to serve one another.

The first thing we notice in this verse is the assertion by Peter that every believer has a gift. Let’s look at this for a moment. I received feedback from one reader yesterday who said he gets a strange look from people when he asks them about their spiritual gift. The expressions get even stranger when the discussion progresses to, “using this gift to serve others”.

Let’s ponder first what the following scripture verses have to say about, “As each has received a gift”.

Romans 12:6-7 (ESV)
⁶ Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith;
⁷ if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching;

1 Corinthians 4:7 (ESV)
⁷ For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?

The above passages are not an exhaustive listing of the spiritual gifts. I cited these passages to show that the scripture does teach that God gives to His people gifts. We don’t earn them. They are grace gifts from a God who loves us, and equips us to live in the world as He says we should, and do the things that He tells us to do.

Next let us ponder what the following scripture verses have to say about, “use it to serve one another”.

1 Corinthians 4:1-2 (ESV)
¹ This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.
² Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.

Luke 12:42 (ESV)
⁴² And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time?

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I am so grateful for the spiritual gifts that You have given to me, and to each of Your children.

Heavenly Father, I pray that when You look at my life You will find me to be a faithful steward of the gifts that I have received.

Living for Jesus (Click on link below for lyrics and midi file):

Living for Jesus

The Word of God says:

1 Peter 4:10-11 (ESV)
¹⁰ As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:
¹¹ whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

My reflections on the Word of God:

During our reflection upon this chapter we have been looking at how we should spend the rest of our time upon this earth.

1 Peter 4:2 (NIV)
² As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.

The life of the Christian should be lived with the sole purpose of knowing and doing the will of God. How long is the rest of our earthly life? That’s a good question. The answer, however, rests in the hands of the Lord.

Psalm 31:14-15 (NIV)
¹⁴ But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.”
¹⁵ My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me.

It is comforting to know that when life gets hard, and when earthly friends turn fickle, we have the blessed assurance that our life is not in the hands of other people, nor is it in the hands of the Government. Our life is in the hands of the Lord.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

The servants of God of every generation who commit their lives to knowing and doing the will of God are in good hands. The world may call you nobody, but God will call you somebody. And the goodnews is that God has the last word.

Psalm 31:19-20 (NIV)
¹⁹ How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.
²⁰ In the shelter of your presence you hide them from the intrigues of men; in your dwelling you keep them safe from accusing tongues.

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I give You the honor and the glory that You alone deserve. Lord, my trust and my confidence are in You to save and to keep me all of the days of my life.

Lord God Almighty, I thank You for my journey. I have gone too far, by leaning on Jesus to turn around now.

Lead Me, Guide Me (Click on link below to watch video):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fXYjvaPLLE

The Word of God says:

1 Peter 4:9 (NASB)
⁹ Be hospitable to one another without complaint.

My reflections on the Word of God:

It is interesting to note that for the first two hundred years of the church the meeting place was in the homes of believers who were willing to host the church in their homes.

The home is the ideal setting for showing the fervent love of Christ for one another. It fosters fellowship, care, and ministry within the church.

The house churches of the early church were a place where love in action was visible to a watching world.

What worked for the early church will also work for our churches today. The home is the ideal laboratory for the practice of acts of fervent love.

1 Peter 4:9 (AMP)
⁹ Practice hospitality to one another (those of the household of faith). [Be hospitable, be a lover of strangers, with brotherly affection for the unknown guests, the foreigners, the poor, and all others who come your way who are of Christ’s body.] And [in each instance] do it ungrudgingly (cordially and graciously, without complaining but as representing Him).

The concept of the house church is a concept that Jesus recognized and approved of during his earthly ministry.

Luke 9:4 (NASB)
⁴ “Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that city.

Luke 10:5-6 (NASB)
⁵ “Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’
⁶ “If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you.

One of the things that everybody needs is love. The home is the ideal place for the Christian family to use for the practice hospitality to one another with love and a cheerful disposition.

Romans 12:13 (AMP)
¹³ Contribute to the needs of God’s people [sharing in the necessities of the saints]; pursue the practice of hospitality.

Hebrews 13:2 (AMP)
² Do not forget or neglect or refuse to extend hospitality to strangers [in the brotherhood—being friendly, cordial, and gracious, sharing the comforts of your home and doing your part generously], for through it some have entertained angels without knowing it.

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I pray that my life and my home will be a place where hospitality is practice with a loving and cheerful heart.

The Word of God says:

1 Peter 4:8 (NASB)
⁸ Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.

My reflections on the Word of God:

We have been working our way slowly and methodically through 1 Peter chapter four. Yesterday we focused on the first part of verse eight, and today we will focus on the latter part.

Love is not an option for God’s people. Rather, it is a commandment. The Lord Jesus commands us to love one another.

John 15:12 (NASB)
¹² “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.

The commandments of God are not to just be restrictive, but are for our good and for God’s glory. When we love one another with a fervent love our focal verse says that a multitude of sins are covered.

Love is one of the first duties of a Christian. There is nothing more Christlike that we can do than to learn to practice love the way Jesus loved people.

Colossians 3:14 (NASB)
¹⁴ Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

Yesterday we said that love is a verb. Love is something that you do for one another. When you love others fervently it is well pleasing to God, and it blesses others.

There is one example in the Bible that I want to review because it shows how loving others with a fervent love is doable. Love is something that each of us can do. The example from the Bible is about a church that has been in existence for just a few months.

Paul wrote two letters to this church. In the first letter he prays that their love would grow. They already loved one another, but he wanted their love to increase. In the second letter he gives thanks for he saw visible evidence that their love had grown.

1 Thessalonians 3:12 (NASB)
¹² and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you;

2 Thessalonians 1:3 (NASB)
³ We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater;

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I praise You, and I thank You for Your amazing love for Your people.

Father God, I pray that when You look at us You would see a person who obediently follows Your commandment to love one another. Father, I pray for a growing love for You and for each other.

More Love to Thee, O Christ (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh453.sht

The Word of God says:

1 Peter 4:8 (ESV)
⁸ Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

1 Peter 4:8 (NIV)
⁸ Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

My reflections on the Word of God:

The big idea in this verse is the priority of love in the life of Christ followers. It is the insignia that should identify believers in the world. The Bible says that the world should know that we are Christ followers by the way we love one another.

John 13:34-35 (ESV)
³⁴ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
³⁵ By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

The words, “Above all” tell of the priority of love. It should be of first importance in our relationship with other believers. Love is a verb; it is something that you do. It should not fluctuate the way our feelings and moods change.

The Bible says that we should love one another earnestly and deeply. Notice what Peter said about this subject earlier in his letter to the saints.

1 Peter 1:22 (NIV)
²² Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.

Today, we have looked at just the first part of our focal verse. Tomorrow, we will look at the second part of the verse.

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

Our dear Father in heaven, I am so glad that You took the initiate to love us first. We realize that without Your love for us, and Your living in us, we would not be able to love one another the way You have taught us to do.

Father God, I pray that each of us will have the desire in our hearts and the faith to reach out and take the initiative to love one another.

Blest Be The Tie That Binds (Click on link below for lyrics and midi):

http://www.biblestudycharts.com/SH_Blest_Be_The_Tie.html

The Word of God says:

1 Peter 4:7 (ESV)
⁷ The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.

1 Peter 4:7 (NASB)
⁷ The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.

1 Peter 4:7 (KJV)
⁷ But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

My reflections on the Word of God:

I can hear the Amen ringing in my ears, and it is stirring my heart as I read the words of our focal verse in the various translations.

I have a dear brother in Christ who is on a mission to call the people of God to watch and pray. This is exactly what Peter in admonishing God’s people to do in the first century.

God’s set apart people of every age need to be alert, to be self-controlled, of sound judgment, and have a sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.

1 Peter 1:13 (ESV)
¹³ Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 5:8 (ESV)
⁸ Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

All of this preparation and discipline will prepare you to pray.

Ephesians 6:18 (NASB)
¹⁸ With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,

My prayer in response to the Word of God:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I pray that You would give me and all of Your believing people a burning desire in our hearts to watch and pray.

Father God, if there was ever a time in our life when we needed to be devoted to prayer the time is now. Lord Jesus, when You come again, I pray that You will find us faithfully watching and praying.

Revelation 16:15 (ESV)
¹⁵ (“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”)

Colossians 4:2 (ESV)
² Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.

Sweet Hour of Prayer (Click on link below to watch video):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4C6DpXOm7nM