I will share about Christian books I have read or listened to.
I will be sharing about my life before and after Christ. I will include stories about my pet and other pets I have encountered.
A Transformed Person
Have you ever felt like you needed to have a do-over? If so, you’re in good company. Peter did as well.
Peter was one of Jesus’ twelve disciples, invited by Jesus Himself to leave his life as a fisherman and join Him during His ministry on earth. On the night that Jesus was betrayed, Peter followed Him to the sham trial. The people in the area were openly and aggressively hostile to Jesus. Imagine what that must have felt like, to be surrounded by people who may choose to treat Peter the way they were treating Jesus at that very moment.
In Matthew 26 and Luke 22, we see that Peter chose to keep a low profile. He wanted to go unnoticed by the angry mob. That didn’t work for long, though—three different people recognized him as a follower of Jesus and asked him about it. Each of the three times, Peter denied ever knowing Jesus.
If we skip ahead in Scripture, though, we find Peter doing the exact opposite. In Acts 2, Peter is standing in front of a big crowd, filled with people who may persecute him. Rather than denying knowing Jesus, he proclaims the secret to life: repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and receive the Holy Spirit.
This is risky. What will people think? What if they turn on him the way that they did Jesus? Yet, he was bold anyway. He was a transformed person compared to who he had been earlier in the story.
How did Peter transform? He was restored by Jesus. He also received the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Two major things happened between these passages of scripture: Jesus visited Peter, and with grace, restored him. Secondly, the Holy Spirit came down from heaven for the followers of Jesus. With the Holy Spirit came power, empowering the believers to live bold, transformed lives (Acts 2).
Many of us face moments like this: moments where the right answer is boldness for Jesus, but the easy answer is to keep our heads down. What will people think? What will they do?
Here’s some great news: we’re never alone. We don’t have to be bold on our own. The Holy Spirit is with us every day, giving us the power to be bold and transformed. We can walk out our newness each day with His help.
You can start today. Boldness is now. The Holy Spirit is ready to walk with you.
The Strength of God in Us
Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 12:10 are a paradox. We don’t often think of hardship and difficulties in life as a sign of strength or joy. Our culture often celebrates the physically and mentally strong, and it’s easy to elevate those who are successful and talented.
But Paul says that God works differently among those who follow Him. Rather than looking for those who are naturally talented and strong, God likes to use those who are weak and humble.
Our natural successes and talents can get in the way of God working in our life, but when we are weak and helpless, we must rely on God’s strength alone.
That is why Paul says he delights in difficulty, persecution, and hardship—because it’s in those moments that God is able to be his strength and joy. God forms character in times of difficulty.
Paul was not a naturally gifted speaker or writer, and yet God worked mightily within his weakness to produce powerful speeches and letters that are part of Scripture....
