Refelction on leadership – 1 Peter 5

In circumstances when leaders today are holed in at their various ‘Aso rock’ of one type or the other, in situation when the whole machinery of society at different levels is deployed first and foremost to protecting the leader and to serve his convenience, it is refreshing to be reminded of a leadership style that would out last the stars! This I term  the Shepherd’s leadership Model. (v1-4). The profile of the model is that:

1. The Shepherd serves the flocks – be they human or animals rather than the reverse.  Jesus Christ the Chief Shepherd, the good shepherd laid down his life for the sheep (John 10).
2. The shepherd is willing to pay what ever price to attend to the interest and need of his flock.  Think of the suffering involved.
3. There are no  absentee shepherd.  He is where the flock is!  – in the field (like the shepherds at the Lord’s birth), at the watering hole, beside still waters or at the burning bush!  The shepherd must be an example to the flock (v3).  Even the Lord in John 10 says the shepherd leads and the sheep follow! Think of the migratory nature of the Fulani and his cows – Always in search of food and water for the herd!! The needs of the flock drives the shepherd!

The motivation for the shepherds to pay this price include:

1. The love for his flock (v1) –  as exemplified by  the Chief Shepherd  who observed that “no greater love than this that a man lays down his life for his friends” in John 10. Peter in 1Peter 2v21 says “to this we have been called because Christ has suffered leaving us an example to flow in His footsteps”.
2. The Hope of sharing in His glory - that there is some satisfaction waiting there at the gate when the flock gets home safely.  The deep satisfaction of success (2John v4), the crown of glory waiting to be received at the end of the journey (v4).

Lord, thank you for the privilege of being a lead of some sort, a shepherd of the flock.  Help me to develop the right attitude and serve as unto you and not unto man through Jesus Christ to who be Glory, honour, power and dominion for all times.  AMEN.

Positive attitude to suffering as a christian – 1 Peter 4v12-19

I am amazed at the constant reminder to christians to see suffering from a positive
point of view, to see the positive role of suffering and pain in the overall process of
preparing us for heaven and for the Master. Peter summarises the type of attitude we should have towards suffering. These include:

1. Rejoicing! (v12-13). That you are identifying with Christ, is it not the Father’s plan that we should “conform to the image of His Son” ? (Rom 8v29).  No wonder the disciples rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for him (Acts 5v41).  Oh! how this attitude runs counter to the normal worldly attitude of self pity or looking for scapegoat – someone or some circumstance to blame and sometimes even outright aggression towards the perceived source of suffering.  It runs counter to the present day theology that seems to equate suffering to the devil, to something evil that requires the engaging of all the arsenals of spiritual warfare at our disposal to cast, bind and reject etc! You will rejoice if you see the suffering as the process of sharing in Christ’s suffering.  Yes not every suffering is necessarily evil to be cast out or rejected, suffering could be embraced.
2. Focus on the glory after the pain (v13). That when fully refined by the pain, we will be what He designed us to be – a vessels of His glory!  Think of the fact that the suffering would not be permanent – an end is at sight when His glory is revealed. Think of the blows a piece of wood undergoes in the process of being carved into something admirable! Think of the pains a pure refined gold or silver undergoes in the process of being formed into a beautiful piece of jewelry!
3. Remember  your identity (v14-16). A realisation of the fact that “the Spirit of glory and of God” lives in you and is on you, the fact that you bear his name gives you the reference point to see your sufferings in its context.  It is therefore not what people say that matter as much as what you are  in Christ, Who is in you and whose name you bear. This transforms the context of suffering from punishment to a process of refining and a process of conforming you to the image of Christ as you follow His example.
4. Surrender control to God (v19). Accepting that God is in control releases sufficient power not only to endure the suffering but to still be active in service – doing good – while the refining process is going on.

Father, I praise you for the privilege of suffering within the context of your purpose for me. Thank you that I have Jesus Christ as my example as clearly stated in 1 Pet. 2v21 that “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps!” AMEN.

Speech therapy – God’s approach – 1 Peter 4v1-11

Is it really possible that man can speak “as one speaking the very words of God”? (v11).  It is possible if we practice or follow the therapy proffered by the apostles some of which include:

1. Mind Management: (v1;7).  Speaking often reflects want pre-occupies the mind.  Bring the mind under control and the quality of what comes out would be directly affected.  The Lord Jesus even emphasized this when He said “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matt 12v34-37).  In deed my speech is a reflection of me!  Therefore, pre-occupy the mind with Jesus Christ as Lord (1 Pet 3v15) and what comes out through the mouth would be speech that reflects the thoughts of Jesus, that reflect his will and that is designed to honour Him.
2. Make the praise and worship of God your default habit (v11). Paul in Rom 12v1-2 admonishes to present the whole of one’s life to God as a living sacrifice which is the highest form of worship.  This goal helps to recondition the mind, renew the mind and reforms the mind to the things that please God and this definitely would improve the speech that comes out of one’s mouth.
3. Be others’  focused (v8-10) The motivation in our interaction with others should not be to gratify self but to love them, serve them, use our gifts in helping them to be the best God intends them to be.
4. Focus on your Model – Jesus Christ (v1). 1 Peter 2v21 admonishes that we should follow the Lord Jesus Christ in HIS STEPS – This includes the :

• attitudes of His mind (v1, Phil 2v6-11)
• his purpose in life – to glorify God (John 16 – 17)
• his value systems and love for others, love that brought Him to the cross, love that showed itself in suffering
• the purity of life.

Father, may my speech reflect your glory and bring your pleasure today in Jesus name.  AMEN.

Submission to the Lordship of Christ – 1 Peter 3v8-22

How can one be fully prepared for the challenges of daily living? There is hardly any child of God who does not want to live in harmony with others, who does not want to be sympathetic, compassionate, humble and committed to brotherly love and yet we so often find ourselves flat on our backs when confronted with circumstances requiring such display of godly character traits. Peter here re-echoes the Lord’s admonition to  us to avoid repaying evil with evil or insult with insult, instead to bless and be a blessing. Think of the challenges of imbibing the recurring call to “…keep our tongues from evil and our lips from deceitful speech” (v10).

How can we manage ourselves when we are at the receiving end of obvious injustices? When our actions are misunderstood and we are misjudged?
Peter’s prescription is crisp and clear: “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord”(v15). Enthrone the Lord Jesus as the lord of your hearts,  be consumed with an unquenching desire to submit to His lordship, to his leading. Let Jesus Christ be all that matter to you. Peter’s earlier call is also relevant here “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.”(1 Peter 2v21).
In summary therefore, submission to the Lordship of Christ is the secret to our being able to successfully face the challenges of daily living as highlighted above and this is possible as we:

The aroma of a submitted life – 1Peter 3v1-7

When the bible  talks of submissiveness it conveys a picture of a surrendered life, it means the control of one’s life is not in his or her hand but in the hand of the one to whom it is surrendered.  Like roses, powerful aroma ooze out of such life some of which are:
•    purity of life (v2)
•    reverence – an adorable life (v2)
•    beauty – an inner beauty which reflects in a gentle and quite spirit – fruits of the Holy Spirit being exhibited (v3).

A life of submissiveness not only possesses or exhibits feminine qualities such as highlighted above but invariably would display masculine ones such as :

• being considerate – a display of goodness and honour to the perceived weaker party to a relationship
• Showing respect to the perceived weaker party, having regard to the basic equality between all parties (husband and wife) when it comes to the matter of sharing in God’s grace.

It is of note that the quality of our submissiveness has a direct bearing on the response we get from God in answer to our prayers.

Father, help me to be submissive to you as my God, my groom, my master and also help me to be considerate and respectful to those you have put in my charge particularly my wife by the way I show her commitment, love and care for her through Jesus Christ my Lord.  AMEN.

The practice of holiness in daily living – 1 Peter 2v13-25

If holiness were measured solely by the times we spend with or in the presence of God such as our quite time, Sunday worship services and the various midweek activities, many would be able to identify with it and strive to be holy. The greater challenge however, lies with the practice of holiness in our daily living, in the market place, while rubbing shoulders with those who have no knowledge of or have any respect for the call to holiness.
To help us come to grips with the challenge, Peter reduces the concept of holiness in daily life to letting our consciousness of God influence our conduct within the context of our social responsibilities. In effect, He says “for the Lord’s sake” (v13), “in view of His revealed will” (v15) and “because of the consciousness of God” (v19), we should:

The key to sustaining holiness – 1 Peter 2v4-12

Everyone who comes to Christ is admitted and built into a body of believers that make up a spiritual house.  Of this house,
-    Christ is the cornerstone that holds it together,
-    the sure foundation that guarantees the eternal durability of the whole structure,
-    the head that gives it life and direction and
-    the first born of  the children of the living God.
Peter aptly describes the believers as “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God” (v9). The secret to sustaining holiness therefore lies in our being able to understand who we are within the context of our relationship to the Holy God and what our privileges and responsibilities are as a result of the relationship.
Understanding who we are -

Practical steps to holiness – 1 Peter 1v13-23

It is exciting to be confronted with the fact that holiness (that pure, stainless, perfect aspect of the nature of God) is attainable by every lay christian and that it is not the preserve of a few ‘holy men’ endowed with the ‘gift of holiness’.

There are clearly two aspects of holiness – the attainment of holiness (call it the finished or completed aspect) and the maintenance of holiness (which is the present continuous aspect)  – both of which require the active participation of the individual. We attain holiness by the finished work of Christ on the cross of calvary by the cleansing of His precious blood. The writer of Hebrews noted that “we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Heb. 10v10). Even at this level, the acceptance of the salvation Jesus offers is a prerequisite to the attainment of holiness. In the Old Testament, any person like the priest and any item made holy remained holy until defiled or desecrated.

Having been brought into personal relationship with God and made holy, there is the aspect of maintaining the state of holiness. Talking about this aspect, the writer of Hebrews said “by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy” (Heb.10v14). Peter reduces this aspect into a few practical steps that the individual, by choice, can take which will result in daily holiness hence his call to believers, to those who have attained the first leg of holiness to  “ prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed” (v13).

Clearly holiness is not an attitude of the mind, a feeling or an emotional or psychological trip into the unknown spirit world but rather that it is a result of conscious choices made within the context of our relationship with God. Some of those choices Peter address focus on the principles of substitution – deliberately replacing the things that defile or facilitate defilement with the things that provide the enabling environment for the nurture of holiness. These include:

Reasons for praising God – 1 Peter 1 v1-12

1st November

God deserves our life-time praise because:

1. He sent His son our Lord Jesus Christ into this world to give us new life and a living Hope.  Hope that is active and living   in this life as we look forward to the joys of   eternity.  This He did in His mercy and in no way merited because it happened when we were still in darkness (Rom 5v8)
2. Think of the price he paid – the pains of separation between Him and His Son on the cross (since God’s eyes do not behold sin), the torture of the cross. Of course we would praise Him for the glory of His resurrection which brought us hope, salvation and life.
3. We would praise God for the inheritance He has preserved in Heaven for us such that is everlasting – no fading neither will it perish or spoil.  We would praise Him for the deposit  He has made by the dwelling presence of His Holy Spirit as a guarantee of what is to come (2 Cor 1v22-23) – An inheritance that no eyes have seen, no ears have heard neither the heart of man perceived – the inheritance that God has in store for those who love Him (1 Cor 2v9-11).
4. We will praise God for the promise of His presence (Ex.33v14) which shields us as a shelter, protecting us from the arrows and attack of the enemy.  Within the shelter of His name we find rest (Ps62 v1-2), we find confidence to face the storms of the world because He is our fortress (Ps 27).
5. We will praise him for the trying of our faith by the sufferings and trials we go through and must go through.  What other way to purify our faith and make it more genuine.  Even gold which is deemed precious go through this process and yet it still perishes – what more of our faith that is positioning us for eternity?  There is no other way to prepare us for a life time of praise than to also learn to praise under pressure.
6. We praise God for putting the love of Jesus in our hearts – a love that fills our hearts with inexpressible and glorious joy (v8).
7. We praise him for our salvation, for the grace that brought salvation plan, the grace that men of old talk about and longed to experience, and grace that was made real by the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, – the salvation story that only men can testify to, even angels would envy us for this unique experience.

Saved by grace alone ,
this is all my plea ,
Jesus died for all man kind and
Jesus died for me.

Father I praise you through Jesus Christ my risen Lord.  AMEN.

Prayer – the Christians’ breath – James 5v13-20

If only we would be conscious of the power locked up in prayer, that with prayer, the deepest of God is accessible – his grace, mercy, his power, His presence – then we will pray more, we will praise him for our joys, praise him for his power, his sovereignty, His glory, praise him for who he is.  For praise is prayer that acknowledges God for God not for His benefits.
Brethren, oh  that we will heed the call to prayer, the call to breathe the breath of God!  Let us heed Paul’s admonition to  Christians to DEVOTE themselves to prayer. (Col. 4v2)