Profound and Sometimes Preposterous Ponderings of Pete

Exodus 22: 18 “You shall not permit a sorceress to live. 2 Timothy 1:6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. Deuteronomy 18: 10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, 11 or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you. Galatians 5:9 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like th...

Exodus 3:13 Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”  14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.  This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” I am - present tense perfect.  This is a very simple but huge concept.  God is telling us several things in that simple phrase.  I will discuss a few here. 1.  He created time and exists outside of time.  He is Not constrained to it and controls it. For Him, present perfect is where He exits, always. Genesis 1:3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. Psalm 90: 4 A thousand years in your sight  are like a day that h...

How many times have you or I been corrected about our behavior or perceived or even more often miss-perceived behavior by both well-meaning and judgmental (more so these) brothers and sisters with the statement, "I am just speaking the truth in love."  If I had a dollar for every time I heard this phrase I would by a boat.  The miss-application of this and several other scriptures is worn out.  Oh that I could teach a lesson on misused, misapplied and not even in the Bible, scriptures.  The only scripture that quotes this phrase is Ephesians 4:15  Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.  But like many misapplied scripture, this one is taken out of context.  Lets look at the whole passage. Ephesians 4: So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the ...

Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. (note the gender in the following verses) Proverbs 1:20 Out in the open wisdom calls aloud, she raises her voice in the public square; on top of the wall she cries out,  at the city gate she makes her speech:  22 “How long will you who are simple love your simple ways?  How long will mockers delight in mockery  and fools hate knowledge?  23 Repent at my rebuke!  Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,  I will make known to you my teachings. Proverbs 4:6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. Proverbs 7:4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and to insight, “You are my relative.” Proverbs 8:1 Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice? Proverbs 8:11 for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Proverbs 9:1...

10 years ago today, I lost a special arrow, 2 weeks to leave, a slowly melting tallow. My heart yearns to hear her laugh again My tears still fall like unwelcome rain. She left my bow to early it seemed, but God Himself her flight had deemed. Was the shot a useless spend? For so many hearts a cruel rend? The answers have seemed to escape my lore, So many lives fell to the floor. Why Oh God did her death bring storms? Did not her leaving break the norms? The grief and loss surgically removed, the need for justice and politics proved. I am no longer the man she knew, my heart has changed this is true. God in His wisdom took her to His throne, but I in my wisdom did nothing but groan. So now I still grieve but with bittersweet sting, 10 years ago on butterfly wing, My sweet little Rachael whom I will soon see, Flew to paradise long before me.

Sunday morning during the church announcements, Brenda Emerson (my cousin-in-law) spoke about Timpanogos caves in American Fork, Utah and how they shut off the lights there when you take a tour and it becomes truly pitch black darkness.  She mentioned that this occurs deep in the ocean as well as outer space too.  She talked about how beautiful and awe inspiring to come out of the cave into the light and see God's creation all around. I only mention this because it started me thinking about something that has nothing to do with caves, ocean depths, or outer space. I apologize for the thought meandering, mostly to my love ones who often exclaim,"Where did that come from!" LOL! Most of us have heard, at one point or another, the song This Little Light of Mine.  I am not going to go through the whole song but it basically talks about how every person has an internal light and it is up to each individual how much he or she lets the world see but the singer is telling you...

A few weeks ago on Sunday, during the singing part of our worship, I came under some spiritual attack.  The devil tickled my mind with worry and fear.  So I rebuked him in the name of Jesus Christ.  It worked.  The power of the Holy Spirit prevailed and the devil was rebuked and left me alone.  In the process,  told the devil to get out of my Father's house.  When finished, a voice in my mind, I truly believe it was God's voice said with love (and maybe some amusement?), "You know, it's your house too." Bam! I was whisked away into a whirlwind of revelation.  I believe that I was called to not just further the Kingdom of God but to help secure the ground gained by teaching and discipling and preaching the Word of God.  I forgot for a moment, that while Christ is the only begotten and first born son of God, through Him, I too was a son of God by adoption. Romans 8:14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 T...