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Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.

Puritan Prayer for the Morning

O  God, the author of all good, I come to You for the grace another day will require for its duties and events. I step out into a wicked world; I carry about with me an evil heart. I know that without You I can do nothing, that everything with which I shall be concerned, however harmless in itself, may prove an occasion of sin or folly, unless I am kept by Your power.

Hold me up O God and I shall be safe. Preserve my understanding from subtlety of error, my affections from love of idols, my character from stain of vice, my profession from every form of evil.

May I engage in nothing in which I cannot implore Your blessing, and in which I cannot invite Your inspection. Prosper me in all lawful undertakings, or prepare me for disappointments. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with food suitable for me, lest I be full and deny You and say, “Who is the Lord?” Or be poor, and steal, and take Your name in vain.

May every creature be made good to me by prayer and Your will. Teach me how to use the world and not abuse it, to improve my talents, to redeem my time, to walk in wisdom toward those without, and in kindness to those within, to do good to all men, and especially to my fellow Christians. And to You, O God, be the glory.

Mason Barge 2/14/2015

For Understanding Truth

Lord God, let me not put my trust in the words of men, for their minds are weak and their tongues are tainted by the world; but let me test everything having to do with faith against our only true teacher, Jesus Christ, and the true Word of God that was inspired through the Holy Spirit.

~ Mason Barge 2014

Benediction

Now, oh Lord, I pray that you may lift up the light of your countenance upon me, and give me peace; in my going out and in my coming in; in my sitting down and my rising up; in my work and in my play; in my joy and in my sorrow, in my laughter and in my tears; until that day comes which is without dawn and without dark.

Think of the day ahead in terms of God with you, and visualize health, strength, guidance, purity, calm confidence, and victory as the gifts of His presence.

Psalm 67 (NKJV)

John 21:15-19 (ESV)

The Redemption of Peter

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”

He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”

e said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.)

And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

Notes on the Scripture

After Christ’s arrest, Peter denied Him three times “before the cock crowed,” out of fear for his life. Jesus had predicted these events.

Today’s passage reminds us of those denials, because the resurrected Christ has Peter declare his love three times. Peter is thus fully rehabilitated. He is the disciple who will found the church.

Christ does all of this, apparently, to prepare Peter for the sacrifice which he will be called upon to make. Like Jesus, Peter will suffer for spreading the true word of God, specifically the word as revealed by Christ. Notice that Christ describes the sacrifice which Peter will have to make before commanding him, “Follow me.” Peter is thus made fully aware of the suffering he will endure, as the cost of his faithfulness.

Church tradition, and several non-Biblical books, state that Peter was crucified in Rome, but there is no account of his death in the Bible itself. Most accounts state that he was hung upside down at his own request, as he did not consider himself worthy to be crucified in the same manner as Christ.

Saint Peter and Saint Paul by El Greco, ca. 1597.

Daily Inspiration

“The Messenger”

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