Profound and Sometimes Preposterous Ponderings of Pete

In the book of  "Jeremiah" in the Holy Bible , God mentions 5 times that Israel will be His People and He will be their God. One of the more popular worship songs by Hillsong is Oceans .  There is a line in it that states "I am yours and you are mine" in reference to a relationship with God.  I could spend a lot of time listing the multitude of songs with similar lines in it. I have been a Christian for over 26 years and I have come to a strong understanding of being His.  I understand surrender and yielding to God and more importantly how much and how often I need to do so. The book of James talks about being a bond servant/ slave to God and what that entails. Again, belonging to Him.  I love hymns and a favorite is I Surrender All. So, I think I have a good foundation of Christ giving all to me and so I belong to Him.  No problem.  My life is so much better because of it.  But here is what hit me between the eyes.  The other part. ...

6 months ago today, one of the most influential men in my life, Eric Van Rhee, died.  I tried writing a poem about it but the words failed.  He was not just my pastor and mentor, he was my friend.  He was my brother in a very deep and true sense.  He stood next to me while my daughter died.  He and his wife Jodi, who is very dear to us as well, sat with us as we had to make the decision to let our Rachael die.  He gave me vision.  He encouraged me. He restored my confidence in myself as well as my love for the Word of God.  He trusted my gifts.  Today, I was reminded of how much he meant to me.  A lot. Too many hurts and betrayals has made me trust others very cautiously.  I trusted Eric implicitly and without hesitation.  Never blindly.  At the movies the other day, the previews showed a remake of the classic Western, "The Magnificent Seven."  I was excited and the first thought that came to my head is Eric and I ne...

  John 6:53 Jesus said to them,  “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.  60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” 61 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! 63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. 64 Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. 65 He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.” 66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. A hard teaching indeed!  Especially if you take it only at face value.  Sounds like cannibalism an...

Eph 2: 8  (ESV) For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.   (Some versions state good deeds in verse 10) I often use this passage with new Christians, Christians suffering from low self-esteem, or Christians who were feeling depressed because of recent and/or past mistakes.  But that is not where I am going with this post.  Good works.  What is meant by good works?  Can we think of some folks, perhaps in more recent times than those in the Bible that can be associated with good works? Wesley Brothers, Charles Spurgeon, Oswald Chambers, William Seymour (Asuza Street Revival), Billy Graham and let's not forget Mother Theresa just to mention a few.  I would also include Eric VanRhee and my son Kevin, but I...

John 17: 9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 S...