Vital Men Bike Ride to Duluth, Minnesota
June 2-4
Three Days
Get signed up early to get hotel reservations made.
Give buck Kraft a call at 641-780-1295
This is a great opportunity to invite friends for this ride and allow the Holy Spirit to do his work.
See you on the road!!
Strength and Courage
Michael
55 And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them.
There is nothing more resting than sitting around a charcoal fire in the evening. Sitting back, watching the charcoals burst and crackle. This is a moment of relaxation to calm a man’s mind at night.
For the Apostle Peter, that night he was warming himself by the fire and nervously trying to blend into the crowd. All this while an innocent man in whom he pledged his life would, in a few hours, get brutally tortured, humiliated, and murdered. This was not a night of rest.
Peter was a strong leader, and a man who placed high value on honesty, integrity, and loyalty. He was a man of his word, but on this night, he would deny knowing the man whom he called the Messiah. All this while warming himself by a charcoal fire.
Later, after his denial, he hit rock bottom in life. Again, he would face another charcoal fire at a place they call, Peter’s Primacy. Here, Peter is forgiven by the man he denied, and he is given three opportunities to receive reconciliation between himself and Jesus.
The two charcoal fires provide two events in salvation. It is as if Christ took Peter back to that courtyard when he built that fire on the shore of Galilee that morning. This was a place of forgiveness for Peter, and it was the justification Christ won for us all on the cross.
In a way, the confessional is our charcoal fire. It is a place of confession where we meet Christ, who sits on the throne as the High Priest. The charcoal fire allows us a place of mercy to give us a place of reconciliation. Without the second fire, Peter would have never recovered from his sorrow and guilt. He would never have been able to be the shepherd for Christ’s flock. All this had he not had the charcoal fire moments.
Strength and Courage
Michael
Get Plugged In This Summer!!
Vital Ministries Teaching on KBOE 104.9 FM Radio Every Sunday at 8:30
Vital Men’s Breakfast May 6 at 7:00 AM at the Newton Perkins
Vital Bikers Men’s Ride June 2, 3, and 4
Vital Bikers Couple’s Ride June 23, 24, and 25
Strength and Courage
Michael
25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
Thomas takes on a bad rap in this portion of scripture. Could we all of had said the same thing? Yes, some had seen him from the disciples, Mary Magdalene, and the followers on the road to Emmaus, but not Thomas.
We forget Thomas’ words in John 11:16. Thomas says to his fellow disciples, “Let’s go too and die with Jesus.” Heading back to Bethany to raise Lazarus from the dead was going to get them all killed. Yet, he says, “Let’s go and die.”
Only a man with a deep devotion to a person or cause would ever make such a statement. Thomas was truly loyal, but he had doubt, and for him, only physical proof would satisfy his pessimistic view.
If you look deeper into what is there in scripture and read between the lines, you will find a man having deep love for Jesus. Remember, he gave up everything to follow him. In that love, you find a man paralyzed on the inside over Christ’s death.
I know it does not say this in Scripture, but for a moment Jesus walked through the doors in John 20:25 just for Thomas. What a moment it was. Jesus asks for Thomas directly. “Thomas, put your finger here and look at my hands. Put your hand in the would on my side. Do not be faithless anymore. Believe!”
What a moment! We never again hear of Thomas being pessimistic. He now had proof! Later we see Jesus saying that he believed because he had seen Jesus. Then the Lord gives a blessing to us, “Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”
At times, we get pessimistic and encounter doubts needing proof that Jesus hears our prayers. It is in those moments, men, that we hold onto the blessing of not seeing. That is called faith.
Strength and Courage
Michael
Vital Men’s Breakfast
May 6 at the Newton Perkins
7:00 A.M.
Men, Fathers, Sons, Grandfathers, Friends
Come have breakfast, hang out, and have a short devotional time together.
Hope you can make it!!
Strength and Courage
Michael