As I’ve been studying the book of I Peter, I am learning how we can go from being unconfident in our Christian walk to having confidence to speak boldly about Jesus and how He has affected our lives.
Peter went from the failure of denying Jesus to proclaiming, POWERFULLY, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He didn’t just all of a sudden wake up one morning and have that confidence; it was something he needed to learn to acquire. Right before Jesus ascended to Heaven, He had a talk with Peter, mainly to help Peter understand that he was forgiven, and that God had a job for him to do. Jesus encouraged him, “Feed my sheep.”
We also have a job given to us by God. We have gifting specifically designed for each one of us, and we are to use that gifting to further the Kingdom of God and to bring glory to His name.
We also must go through trials and suffer for the cause of Christ. Peter knew about this all too well. The book of Acts talks about the persecution of the early church, and the things they had to suffer. Their lives were literally on the line. Because of this Peter learned to have confidence in spite of the suffering, which put into him a fire and a boldness to preach to a huge crowd where 3000 people were saved and thus was the beginning of the early church.
Peter tells us of the reason we are to have confidence in Christ. I Peter 1:3-4 says that Jesus “has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.” Because of this we are to rejoice in suffering. These trials will prove whether our faith is genuine. This is a process. Each trial, each struggle, each time we struggle, further goes to prove the strength of our faith in Christ. We learn each time that we can trust Him, and that He is leading and guiding and directing each step we take. This builds that confidence in us to speak of His faithfulness. “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…” (I Peter 3:15)
When we are able to proclaim Jesus to others with boldness, we do so, not with confidence in ourselves, but in Him! He is faithful and we can trust Him because He will do what He has promised. The Apostle Paul puts it this way in Philippians 3:3, “For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh.” He is our confidence and He gives us confidence to proclaim His message to others.
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Donna Knuth Rice
I am trying a blog for the first time in my life, and frankly, I feel like I don't have a clue as to what I'm doing! But, here goes.
I work at a Christian Television network in the Correspondence Department, where I write letters and emails to our viewers, pray with them for their needs, and send materials they request.
I am a Christian. I was saved at the age of 11 during a youth meeting at my church. My pastor led me to the Lord, and to say the least, my life has been an adventure.
I am a widow. My late husband, Allen, passed away after 34 1/2 years of marriage. He had been sick the last seven years of his life, and it was a struggle, for him and for me.
We met as part of a singing group that was affiliated with a Christian Radio station, and we sang together all through our lives together. We both worked in television and radio all through our married life, mostly for Christian stations.
Besides singing I also play flute. I had the luxury of having parents who started out as music teachers...so music was in our house constantly.
Some people describe me as being a loud-mouthed lime type...can't disagree with that. I have a tendency to put my foot in my mouth more times than I can count! I also have a tendency to say exactly what's on my mind...which is why I get myself in so much trouble! LOL! Trust me, that's something me and God have been working on for a very long time.
I have no children here on earth, although I have a baby in heaven. My baby here is my dog Jack. He's a black lab/ chow mix. He's a big boy....thinks he's a lap dog!
Can't think of much else to say. The reason I started this blog is because a few months ago in church, a guest pastor came and delivered a message, and when he asked for those of us who wanted prayer to come forward, I did. When he came to me he asked me if I did any journaling. I told him no 'cause I wasn't very good at it. He told me to start, and prophesied over me that my journal thoughts would impact other people. I wasn't sure just how I was to go about doing this. In fact, I was a little hesitant at first. I started journaling at home, and our assistant pastor's wife asked me to submit something for our Senior newsletter. I didn't the first edition, but something I had heard on Christian radio a long time ago and has stuck with me all these years, came to mind so I submitted an article. That article will be my first post.
I don't claim to have all the answers, and my thoughts may seem a little "out there", but I feel God has been prodding me to do this, and so here I am.
I hope what I post will bring encouragement, and "Something to Think About".
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