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What Does It Mean to “Come” to Jesus?

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The following is taken from The Royal Invitation, a new online devotional available at the BLB. The Royal Invitation is one of five books contained in a collection written by Frances Ridley Havergal in the 1880s. This book embraces the many requests from God’s word for us to ‘come’ to Him. (Click here for previous posts)

 

“Come unto Me.” (Mat 11:28)

But what is ‘coming’?

What would you understand by it, if you heard the words “Come to me” for the first time? What does a little child understand by it (Matthew 11:25)? It is positively too simple to be made plainer by any amount of explanation. If you could see the Lord Jesus standing there, right before you, and you heard Him say, “Come!” (Mat 14:29) would you say, “What does ‘come’ mean?”

Fear not, believe only, and let yourself come to Him straight away! Take with you words and turn to the Lord: say unto Him, “Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously.” And know that His answer is, “Him that cometh  to Me I will in no wise cast out” (Jhn 6:37).

Give a quiet hour to the records of how others came to Him.

Begin with Matthew 8, and trace out all through the Gospels how they came to Jesus with all sorts of different needs, (Mat 9:10, 14, 18, 20, 28). Trace in these your own spiritual needs of cleansing, healing, salvation, guidance, sight, teaching.

The disicples knew what they wanted, and they knew Whom they wanted. And consequently they just came (Jhn 3:26).

Ask the Holy Spirit to show you what you want and Whom you want, and you will talk no more about what it means, you will just come (Jhn 12:32). And then you will say, “Now we believe, not because of thy saying; for we have heard Him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.” And you will say, “My Lord and my God” (Jhn 20:28).

Jesus beckons, “Come unto me.” Will you come?

___

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Comments

  1. Wonderful post Chris. I really enjoy thinking about the meanings of words and putting myself in the shoes of those people and their stories that are recorded for us in God’s Word. “Come to Me”, just seems to show the love and caring of the Savior. He is kind & humble & meek, yet He is Almighty God! Thanks again for your very good post.

    • Amen Jeff! Isn’t it amazing? The Word get’s better and better and so very deep and so rich. I’m still struggling with word meanings. Justin’s posts really make me scratch my head as I work out the tenses and stuff but they are meat indeed. I’m thankful we have folks at BLB that are so smart.

      Typology is pure honey to me as I study and learn. It’s my favorite.

      And picturing all the prophets and the saints and apostles is so amazing.

      The audio commentaries BLB makes available are WONDERFUL! I’ve been listening to Joe Focht on the book of John and all the commentaries I’ve listened to are so insightful.

      God bless you! 🙂

  2. Many came to Jesus but did not follow on with Him so I rather disagree with the sentence above.

    “The disicples knew what they wanted, and they knew Whom they wanted. And consequently they just came (Jhn 3:26).”

    John 6 shows examples of this, in particular John 6:60-71 key verse being John 6:65.

    There are so many instances in the gospels that indicate that folks wanted the Messiah but they wanted Him to be what THEY thought He should be. They wanted Him to conform to their expectations rather than them conforming to His.

    They wanted religion instead of relationship. Signs, wonders, a King who would rule and when told to “Come to Me” they turned back in favor of their own concepts and ideas of what and who God SHOULD be in their own estimation. Many reject the Holy Spirit in favor of their Self Spirit.

    John 3:22-36 is not at all stating what this post states.
    “The disicples knew what they wanted, and they knew Whom they wanted. And consequently they just came (Jhn 3:26).”

  3. (Isaiah 55:2, 3) Wherefore do ye spend money for [that which is] not bread? and your labour for [that which] satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye [that which is] good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, [even] the sure mercies of David.

    (John 6:35-38) And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

    (John 17:6-8) I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received [them], and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.

    (John 6:41-47) The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven? Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

    (Romans 10:1-4) Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ [is] the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

    (Matthew 13:13) Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

    (Romans 4:5-7) But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, [Saying], Blessed [are] they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

  4. That is it Tess. That which anyone prefers more than Jesus. The supreme act of God is the Everlasting Gospel of Jesus.
    Mar 7:8, Mat 16:23, Mar 8:33, Act 8:12, Act 15:17

  5. Hallelujah.

    Thank you Chris, Tess, Sean and Bob.

    I have just read each during my lunch break and am feeling the better for it. Ah the fatigue of my daily working life! Yet the Spirit calls and says “Come.”

    His yoke is easy and burden is light. Praise God for the Good Shepherd who by His very nature is lowly in heart and condescends to a man as myself.

    I thank God that He called me out of the darkness of dead works into the Kingdom and the light of His only Begotten Son.

    Strange and wonderful are our God’s ways.

    A choice was given me, even while I was practicing an old style martial art in a foreign land amongst those who bowed down to a false god.

    Strange as it may seem when they bowed, words were brought to my mind that I said to myself “I will bow to only Jesus Christ.” Yet this only happened after just beforehand an echo of my past from some 20 or so years earlier reminded me of my mothers warning to me as a young man.

    Yet despite this, I was still unable & unwilling to turn and to truly look.

    But God in His abundant mercy 1 Peter 1:3, (He loved me first even though I was still a sinner), showed me that the path I had been treading and was continuing to tread was a wide path, IT CLEARLY LED TO DESTRUCTION.

    So though I chose the Lord Jesus, in fact He had already chosen me, and by the Father’s mercy and drawing I came. I became born (again) by the will of God. John 1:13

    I praise God that the Good Shepherd and the Father would not allow me to be snatched from His hand, and that I heard the Christ’s voice. John 10:27, John 10:28, John 10:29

    Thank you Lord Jesus for my life, for Your prayers for me.
    John 17:9 You are truly the Good Shepherd.

    Father I thank you that all Christ’s belong to You. John 17:10

    May we His children glorify His name.

    Praise God.

    In Christ
    Mark H NZ

    • Beautiful Mark! Thank you so much for that. I didn’t see your post, I was busy with what God was laying on my heart. It never ceases to amaze me but alot of what you said, much more eloquently that I did, was exactly what was on my heart.

      I’m still praying that God will give me brevity! 🙂

  6. Thank you Sean and Bob. These scriptures, for me are some of the most beautiful in the bible.

    Jesus didn’t come to lead religious systems or set up a denomination. The bread of God is He which cometh down from heaven and giveth life unto the world (unto mankind, not just Israel but all mankind, to whosoever will, totally inclusive).

    We can exclude ourselves but He does not and will not exclude us. The world will say that’s narrow minded. There can’t be just one way. Christ alone. Yes, it is narrow! Narrow is the gate that leads to eternal life. Few there be that find it and broad is the way that leads to destruction. Folks will say that’s not tolerant. It’s the most tolerant thing in the world for God to give His son for you. It’s your intolerance when you reject His gift. Confucius didn’t die for you. Boodha didn’t. Mohammad didn’t. Joseph Smith, Edgar Casey, none of them did and their bones are still in the grave! None of them were begotten of the Father. None of them descended, taking on moral flesh and willingly dying at your hands because He loved you enough to pay that price. Forget political correctness, I’m not giving an inch of ground to “other way” theologies.

    A mortal stands over an ant hill knowing that the water hose is about to annihilate the ant world. He hollers down, run for your lives but they don’t speak his language. What can he do? He willingly becomes an ant and then goes into the ant colony and all the other ants say, who do you think you are? God descending and becoming human was a unimaginable step down but He loved us just that much and today there is a man sitting on the throne in heaven. A man we will some day be face to face with and no way am I gonna say, wow I’m glad I was a good child and earned my way here.

    People don’t go to hell for their sins. They go to hell for rejecting the One who died for our sins. Once we truly open our hearts and receive Him in He gives us a new heart, a heart where because He reigns sin does not reign. HE reigns and glorious is that new way of living. He shapes us daily and the more we receive HIM in the more He pours His Holy Spirit into our hearts so full we’re overflowing.

    God wants to give life. He sent the true bread down from heaven to give life. We say we want life and then we have to define what is that life. Our sin nature, with Satan’s willing help, will always try to make us believe money, worldly goods, lustful living, and a prideful “my way” walk will get us where we want to go. In truth our sinful self wants instant gratification, the easy road and worldly glory and self satisfaction.

    He tells us that He ALONE is that bread, that life. He and He alone did for us what we cannot do for ourselves. He paid the price we cannot pay and His blood alone covers our transgressions.

    God doesn’t grade on a curve. You don’t get to heaven by being better than your neighbor. You and your neighbor are not now, nor will you ever be, anything other than filthy rags. You’re saved because Christ died and purchased you and your part in it is to receive it with your whole heart and walk in that glorious newness thanking God for such a gift and asking for more of Him in you every day. Your works are His answer to that prayer because you willingly obey and GREAT joy comes when you stop being determined to save yourself and realize He’s living in you and empowering your steps.

    I get so sad when folks try to rehabilitate the old man instead of living BORN AGAIN. We mistakenly try to give that old dead thing CPR and get it to behave itself. That old dead thing is a zombie and if you keep trying to train him he only becomes a frankinstein of all your not good enough efforts.

    Walk fresh, alive and with joy as the kings and priests that HE’s creating you to be. Be the bride He’s going to sing over.

    One more thing and then I’ll stop. Did you know that the dna in your body if stretched out would reach 1 Billion miles? Every individual dna determines whether it will be bone or an organ, etc. You’re dna is a language but there is no language without the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. Not one thing can just have thought. Who but God could orchestrate 1 Billion miles of dna in every person, place and thing in the universe? You can build a computer but you cannot make it think. The software has to have a programmer. Not only does God program the Billions of dna, He continues all of it as we breath, age, sluff off old skin and replace it with new. He’s causing not only every breath you take but He created the air you breath in every second while simultaneously creating every unique snowflake, every glorious sunrise and sunset. He creates every color for His glory and your enjoyment.

    OK! I’ve gone on long enough! Thanks and thanks so much for the beautiful scriptures Sean and Bob! God bless you! 🙂

    • As misunderstood as the bloody mess that animal sacrifice was, we who are redeemed by the perfect sacrifice can understand the blindness of those who did not comprehend the revelation through Abraham and Isaac. Today with the illumination of the completed Holy Bible that blindness has been replaced by refusal.

      2Cr 4:4, Jhn 12:35, Mat 24:14, Mar 14:9, Mar 16:15

      We pray that our God will impart wisdom and open the eyes of understanding for the lost, those who are already dead and have but the little chance left in the remainder of their lifespan to accept the Glory of God.

      Mat 16:15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
      Mat 16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
      Mat 16:17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed [it] unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

      Tess, you who are concerned that your comments are too lengthy and Mark, Jerry, Donna, Sean et al, know of my concern that my comments seem harsh without much recognition for politeness. We suffer our human inadequacy before the Divine Word of God.

      1Cr 12:3, Eph 1:17, 2Th 2:13

      • Bob, how do you account for Eze 40:1-Eze 48:35 HNV otherwise known as “The Millennial Temple” and the animal sacrifices that will be executed there while Messiah Yeshua rules the nations from David’s throne from Jerusalem in the land of (Jacob) Israel? Nine chapters, that’s a large portion of scripture to ignore.

        I don’t mind harshness. Nobody is harsher than Yeshua when speaking to the corrupt leaders of HIS day and their perversion of HIS WORD and their duty to HIS people.

        J.

        • I do not account for what is contained in the Word of God. You will find your answers in Rev 16 and Rev 21. The differences must then describe two separate times.

          • Well what does the inconvenient theology make of the differences? There is only one sacrifice in the New Testament. This does no harm to those things that were a figure of the perfection of God.

          • Then back to the question. Why does The Perfection reinstate the “bloody mess”?

            Eze 43:18-27 HNV. Also, Eze 44:9 HNV, Eze 44:15 HNV, Eze 45:18 etc. right on to the end of the book.

            These are prophetic scriptures of a time that has yet to come. Why go back to Temple services?

            Sorry if I come accross as being harsh.

            J.

          • The bloody mess does not appear in Rev 16 or Rev 21. Who is the Prince in Eze 46:18? New Heaven and New Earth, New Jerusalem in Rev are inconvenient differences. Was the presence of God in Solomon’s temple before Ezekiel? 2Ch 7:1-2 All the washings and sacrifices are in Revelations yet they are fulfilled in the Lamb Rev 22:1

          • It is necessary to realize the Godly extravagance of celebration. The only instance of The Divine Voice singing for the joy of this glory. It is called the Everlasting Gospel.

          • Yes, all new in the end, but for a thousand years starting from HIS return to take David’s throne there will be animal blood shed in Israel. The question remains, as inconvenient as it may be…why?

            Why is it “necessary to realize”? Remember, we receive our righteousness only by HIS blood shed, not by anything we do, or realize. 🙂

            J.

          • The church is grafted in, an exception. Ezekiel’s temple commences after the church age for a millennium. The Lord’s supper and presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice will no longer be available. Ritual purification with animal sacrifices will return for all who live during that time. We barely discern the immensity of the love that God has bestowed on His Church.

  7. I’ve never found your comments harsh without recognition of politeness. For me they are exactly the opposite. Encouraging, insightful and always expressive of your love for God and I thank God to be blessed by them. I also find this very true with Mark’s Jerry’s, Donna’s and Sean’s. 🙂

  8. Tess, Good to hear from you again it’s been a while since I’ve seen your name and I pray all is well.

    I’d like to discuss one very small thing that you wrote in your second comment here. Let me preface and say that I totally understand and agree with the point you are making, but… let me ask you a question. You wrote – “not just Israel” -, now again I understand your point and agree “for all mankind” and I would rather not discuss that, but focusing on these particular words, -“not just Israel”- why do you use them? What drives you to write/say them? Do you understand what I am asking?

    J.

    • Hi Jerry S,
      I believe I do understand what you are saying and I worded that very clumsily indeed.

      I do not believe in replacement theology. I’ve been studying both the church and Israel. Jesus came to be the Messiah for all mankind. Anyone who will.

      The rejection of Christ as Messiah opened the door for all who come to Jesus. God works all these things out in such marvelous ways. Israel has been and always will be His chosen people. Israel has a destiny different from the church. Jerusalem is His Holy city. All languages flow toward Jerusalem. All language west of Jerusalem reads from right to left and all language east of Jerusalem read from left to right. (hope I didn’t get that backwards.)

      It’s a glorious thing to know Jesus is Messiah to all mankind. Whenever you see the Jews get all upset and want to throw Jesus off a cliff it’s because He’s making gentile inclusive statements. Likewise today there are many in the church who believe the Jews rejection of Christ disinherits them. That’s hog wash and anti-semitism started just that way. The RCC actually encouraged Hitler at worst and at best did not raise their voice against him or ex-communicate him.

      Forgive my clumsy wording. I was actually thinking of how Israels rejection opened the door for God to include all mankind in His plan for salvation.

      I hope that addresses your concern. We almost lost my mother to a very hard ordeal but God is so good. She broke her pelvis in 4 places, got pneumonia at the hospital and a UTI almost died, got congestive heart failure, total dehydration, pulmonary edema and became septic. WOW huh? But God is so good. She’s home and although we have to lift her, clean her, feed her and play nurse she’s still ours and God’s right with her and us. Getting old aint for sissy’s!
      Be blessed and well.

      • Thanks for indulging me and my question. Honestly I figured as much of you from reading your comments. I wanted to bring up an off topic issue when I read your comment and used what you wrote as a spring board to do it, forgive me if I over stepped.

        I’m not Jewish, but that does not matter. We are all (me) subject to our sinful nature pushing us around and when I read what you wrote, and I didn’t want to lead you into any answer other than your own, my own “envious” nature came to my mind. I believe “Envy” is what drives the anti-Semitism that you mention and it need not be. I’ve come to realize we (I), the “church”, as believers in the Hebrew Messiah “loose” nothing and “gain” everything when we see our Savior through HIS earthly heritage with no need to fear our Yeshua’s Jewishness. Using this view of HIM and HIS WORD has shown itself to be an immense and valuable blessing to me in my walk allowing for applications to my life that otherwise I would not have been aware of and I’ll also say this view of HIM is going to be unavoidable in the days to come.

        Luk 15:11-32 HNV and Mat 20:1-16 HNV – these passages speak of envy. The former of the elder son (Israel) toward the younger son (nations) and the latter of the early morning laborers (Israel) toward the 11th hour laborers (nations). Though both of these passages have several lessons we can glean, the foremost lesson, to put it succinctly, is for Israel not to be envious of those nations who will share in the promises to the nation of Israel. This goes to your point – “all mankind”. Very important here, the flip side is also true! We (I), the nations can also be envious toward Israel for the same reasons as the elder son or the early morning laborers. Simply put – what makes them so special? It’s not fair treatment!

        What do you think?

        J.

        P.s. sorry to hear of your families troubles. HE is in control of all things and fully trustworthy.

        • Great points Jerry,
          One thing that occurs to me is that given the typology of (Israel older son and nations younger son) the younger son squandered his inheritance. The younger son was welcomed back with love and open arms by the father but the elder was envious. The elder son lost nothing by his father’s acceptance of the prodigal back. The elder still had his inheritance. Israel still retains the promises God has given them i.e. land covenants. Follow me? I often wonder if this could signify that during the 1000 reign the church gets the New Jerusalem and Israel gets the earth until God creates a new heaven and a new earth. Do I know this? Nope. Just a thought. Would be kinda cool though since the whole world has cornered Israel into an area of land about the size of New Jersey.

          Now I’m quite sure that I could be attacked for saying this so let me just admit I don’t know what God’s plans are but I know they’re gonna be glorious!

          One thing about us is that we need to understand that God’s glory isn’t something there’s only so much of. There’s plenty of heaven for all God’s children. No need to be envious we should all want all His glory for all His children.

          • Thanks for indulging me; I know I can be intense about the WOG. Yes, no need for envy among those who know HIM, Jew or gentile. We must stay diligent though… Rom 1:13-32 HNV, 1Pe 5:8 HNV.
            Blessings to you and yours.
            J.

  9. Amen to staying diligent. These are the days to be watchful. Knowing the bible is absolutely essential. Knowing the bridegroom and having a relationship with Him is essential. We can’t look for a handsome or wealthy or polished or charismatic groom. We have to look for the man we know and love. We have to have a relationship with the groom or we are not fit brides.

    My preachers religion isn’t going to save me. The bloodline of my father isn’t going to save me. Attempting to never break a rule isn’t going to save me. Getting to know the one who gave His life for me requires that I diligently seek Him. We always have to believe Him and question ourselves. Our motivations in believing what we believe. I can’t believe my idea of Him or my intellectual rationalization or my dogged determination to perceive Him only on my decision about what I want Him to be.

    I have to be willing to be what He wants me to be and yield to Him. To talk to Him daily and listen carefully to His leading. It’s opening up in His word and having communion with His Spirit who leads us into all truth.

    There are tens of thousands of lofty theologians who in an effort to be a little smarter than the next guy have written loads of bible babble. It’s only you alone with God and His word praying that will get you into right relationship with your Creator and Savior. And our faith is in His love and it is secure for our God never changes and His promises are real and everlasting. God does not have butterfingers and we can trust, obey, relax and get to know Him. We can ask Him any question and know that He will answer. In any storm if He is in the boat with us we are right where we want to be. If there’s a storm and He’s not in the boat He’s on top of the water walking to us and if we wanna walk on water too we are gonna sink but He’s right there to catch us. There are so many times I’ve jumped out of the boat thinking I could walk and began to sink but He’s been there to catch me and always will be. Don’t ya know He must have laughed at Peter’s audacity? I’m sure He laughs at mine too. 🙂

    • Often associated with his missteps, people do not refer to Peter with the phrase, “walk on water”, but he is the only other human who did. Peter was quick to follow his heart, was embarrassingly hasty, refreshingly innocent and young at heart. This trait also put him at some of the greatest moments of the Holy Spirit. Peter’s behaviors display the inadequacy of human efforts to manage the divine.

      Luk 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired [to have] you, that he may sift [you] as wheat:
      Luk 22:32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

      • Mark 6:45-52; John 6:15-21; Matthew 14:22-33
        All give the account of this event. But there are some things here that I find amusing.
        #1. The account in Mark states in vs. 48 that Jesus made as though He would pass them by.
        OK, they are screaming because they are thinking they are seeing a ghost. Jesus makes like He’ll just pass them by? That’s cute! I’m sure it’s meant to inform us that He was to the side of the boat but it’s an amusing picture.
        #2. They think they’re seeing a ghost so Peter says, if it’s really you command me to come to you on the water?? Who did Peter think it was if not Christ and why would he want to walk out to a ghost that might not be Christ? That’s some kind of hootspa!

        Also significant here is that Jesus did not say, it is I, He said I AM. It’s translated that way to have it make sense to the reader but the Hebrew word is I AM.

        Also John 6:21 says as soon as Jesus entered the boat they were immediately at land. Very awesome.

        There are so many wonderful lessons in all of this.

        Storm lesson 101: From the first storm incident with Jesus in a boat in Mark 4:35-41 When we are going through troubled waters if Jesus is with us we can have faith that we are safe. We don’t have to wake Him up or assume something silly like we AND Jesus are gonna sink. If we are in a boat with Jesus we are just where we should want to be regardless of what’s going on around us.

        Storm lesson 102: When we start out alone He’s still has His eyes on us from a distance and he sees our struggle rowing. Keep rowing and watching for Him. As soon as He walks up we’ll learn the lesson that we can’t walk on the storm without Him but as soon as He’s in the boat, we’re just where we need to be. With Him and safely on the other side of the storm.

      • AMEN Bob! And Peter was loyal and had zeal! He didn’t quite get it until Pentecost but he was loyal. I tend to think Peter ran and denied because he realized fighting wasn’t an option and at that point he lost heart and went into protection mode but Jesus made it a point to say to the disciples come and bring Peter and He gave Peter the answer to the “what do I do now?” Feed my sheep. We all have our human character flaws to overcome and have to come to an end of self before we can hear rightly what Jesus wants of us.

        • There is so much expressed with Peter. His experiences are uncomfortable to us as we recognize our own missteps to our regret and prayerfully our repentance. The Bible places all under conviction, some repent while most then shun the Word of God. Peter is at great moments of the Holy Spirit such as the transfiguration, walking on water and daily living with the Messiah yet Jesus prays that Peter will strengthen the brethren “when” he is converted. How many there are that attend or pass through churches and assemblies without actually accepting, believing and receiving Jesus. Tragically, nearly everyone we meet throughout the day have no time for Jesus, who are dangerously close to damnation.

          Jesus renames Peter as He says that He will give him the keys of the kingdom of heaven. When we move closer to God, He comes closer to us. We identify ourselves as Christian for this purpose. God speaks the name of each being’s manifestation, what they are. Changing names is not common in this world. Some change their name to conceal their identity; others take a different name to avoid hindrances while interacting within a foreign culture. Titles are appended to names and marriage arranges names in recognition of the union. Our names identify with an ancestor, family or culture rather than our own manifestation. We do not choose to come into existence and are not involved in our first name. First naming is set to specific roles in Genesis. God presented animals to Adam to see what he would name them. Naming is a revelation of the namer and additionally enables spirit to know more of the physical/spirit perception of existence.

          Jesus foretells Peter will be converted and commands that he then is to strengthen the brethren. Those who are not in Jesus are lost, are dead. How strange it is to share the company and personality of friends and family who are naïve of their condition in relation to Jesus. Jesus is all about saving, resuscitating, healing and edifying. Jesus urges us continuously to find the lost, spread the gospel, feed the sheep, heal the sick and strengthen the brethren. Peter was converted and foretold as well. Act 2:39

          • Amen Bob!!! I didn’t realize until just very recently that Jesus appeared to Peter (apparently) alone. Luke 24:34 Evidently, before He appeared to the disciple on the Road to Emmaus.

            Peter’s life is a wonderful study and seems to me anyway to mirror our Christian walk and provide us with so many insights.

            Also the Peter after Pentecost does not seem to behave the same. He was so mightily used by God. No more foot in mouth issues, rash proclamations about defending Jesus to the death or using his own might to cut off an ear. He, with the help of the Holy Spirit learns the “keep my sheep”. He sets self aside and allows God to speak through Him instead of deciding who He thinks God should be and coming up with rash ideas of building booths for Moses, Elijah and Jesus and not allowing his feet to be washed. He seems to truly get the servanthood lesson.

            When Christ isn’t acting like we think He should we tend to try to direct Him instead of fully giving ourselves over to His leading. We become Christians and begin to work the program using our own understanding and might. We look at our brothers/sisters and say “what about them” kinds of statements and it isn’t until we’re totally made aware of our total need to set all of self aside and listen and obey do we really begin to bloom as true Christians. We’ll go through lots of Peter’isms throughout our walk but He’ll always bring us back to the realization that it’s not about us it’s about Him.

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