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Post by John on Apr 17, 2018 13:36:58 GMT -5
So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, Son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
The disciples just finished having a meal with the Lord. This was after the resurrection. Remember what happened before Jesus was sentenced to death. Peter followed at a distance, and wound up denying knowing Jesus three times. The sheep were scattered, and Peter fled out of fear. Now Jesus is questioning Peter's love and commitment. He is telling Peter, if he loves him, he will feed his sheep. The cost of that commitment would be high.
When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thou whither thou wouldest not.
Before his being crucified, Jesus told Peter he would deny him three times and the sheep would be scattered. Next time, Peter would serve the Lord faithfully, all the way to dying on a cross. Tradition says Peter requested and it was granted to him that he be crucified upside down because he felt unworthy to die in the same way Jesus did.
As the day of the Lord's return draws near, those who continue to stand faithful to Christ, and won't go along with the anti-Christ one world religion will in many cases die for their faith. I know Peter doesn't regret his decision to go to the cross, as he dwells in the presence of the Lord where he has been for nearly 2000 years. Not all of the faithful die for their faith, but all true followers of the Lord will suffer persecutions. The Apostle John was exiled to the isle of Patmos where he wrote Revelation. Whether we live out our days or die a martyr, if we want to receive our reward, we must finish the race. Entering is not enough. Time is running out. If we love Jesus, we will feed his sheep, no matter the cost.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2018 14:00:57 GMT -5
Amen, thanks for this word Butero. Peter denied Jesus three times and so was forgiven and restored by Jesus for each of those times. But each time when he denied Jesus, he was essentially fleeing the sheep like a hireling, because he feared the wolf........instead of witnessing and feeding the gospel to those who enquired if he knew Jesus. So I believe that is why Jesus in restoring Peter, told him to feed His sheep....instead of running away out of fear of the wolf.
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Post by frienduff on Apr 17, 2018 19:10:59 GMT -5
YES praise the LORD . No matter what is coming against us , whether we live , whether we die , WE THE LORDS . And sooner than most realize it will begin to turn nasty against the lambs world wide, I mean even in western socities . So what a wonderful reminder you gave to us butero. Throw up the hands and praise the LORD . Throw up the hands and praise the LORD , YES throw up those hands and praise the Lord .
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Post by otherone on Apr 21, 2018 17:45:25 GMT -5
Just a note on this scripture.... when Jesus first asked Peter if he loved him he used the word in Greek that means the kind of Love God had for us to die for us.... When peter replied he used a Greek word that means more best friends.... and Peter was hurt that the last time Jesus asked him he used that best friend word and put it in a sense of are you really my best friend.
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PG4Him
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Post by PG4Him on Apr 23, 2018 12:49:51 GMT -5
Maybe you all can help me with a small conundrum.
Conventional wisdom says that Peter was a coward for returning to work after Jesus' burial. Many point to Peter's denial to prove this.
However, Jesus said multiple times that His disciples would be unable to carry on without Him during those three days. In John 9:4 He said night is coming when no man *can* work. In Mark 2 He said they would fast on the day the bridegroom was taken away. Even when He said Peter would deny Him three times, He didn't call Peter a coward.
I wonder if Peter's actions in those three days were due to weak character or to spiritual darkness that crippled him.
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Post by 2fw8212a on Apr 23, 2018 13:10:22 GMT -5
Even when He said Peter would deny Him three times, He didn't call Peter a coward. I wonder if Peter's actions in those three days were due to weak character or to spiritual darkness that crippled him. Peter was trusting in himself when he said he wouldn't deny Him. When the Lord Jesus Himself said he would deny Him three times.
"Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’" - Matthew 26:31
Peter spoke out of the flesh when he said the Lord was wrong to say such thing about him (Matthew 26:34-35).
"...You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above..." - John 19:11
"For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth." - 2 Corinthians 13:8
But later, his desire would have been granted by the Lord to him. So he could die glorifying Him.
"Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish." - John 21:18
"For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh," - Romans 8:3
God bless you in Jesus' name!
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PG4Him
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Post by PG4Him on Apr 23, 2018 13:25:37 GMT -5
Peter was trusting in himself when he said he wouldn't deny Him. This is a very sobering thought on what we think we can do in the kingdom ourselves. How often I've watched someone 'name it and claim it' when God is beating them over the head with signs to the contrary. Yes I believe that we speak in faith about things not yet seen... but we can't just claim whatever we want. Peter's good intentions were opposed to God's plan. Good intentions are not enough. Thank you for your insight!
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Post by John on Apr 23, 2018 14:07:07 GMT -5
Maybe you all can help me with a small conundrum. Conventional wisdom says that Peter was a coward for returning to work after Jesus' burial. Many point to Peter's denial to prove this. However, Jesus said multiple times that His disciples would be unable to carry on without Him during those three days. In John 9:4 He said night is coming when no man *can* work. In Mark 2 He said they would fast on the day the bridegroom was taken away. Even when He said Peter would deny Him three times, He didn't call Peter a coward. I wonder if Peter's actions in those three days were due to weak character or to spiritual darkness that crippled him. Probably the latter more than the former. I don't think he fully understood Jesus would rise in three days and thought it was all over. I would imagine doubts set in and he felt the need to return to his normal life.
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PG4Him
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Post by PG4Him on Apr 23, 2018 15:16:46 GMT -5
In a funny way, this reminds me of James saying you can't just tell someone "be blessed" when they are hungry. I know James meant physical food in that passage, but I think you can apply it to feeding sheep as well. If I see someone starving because they don't know how to access God's promises, I shouldn't let them fend for themselves. It's sad how many people I meet in the church who have no idea how to study or pray.
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Post by John on Jan 8, 2019 14:09:32 GMT -5
Maybe you all can help me with a small conundrum. Conventional wisdom says that Peter was a coward for returning to work after Jesus' burial. Many point to Peter's denial to prove this. However, Jesus said multiple times that His disciples would be unable to carry on without Him during those three days. In John 9:4 He said night is coming when no man *can* work. In Mark 2 He said they would fast on the day the bridegroom was taken away. Even when He said Peter would deny Him three times, He didn't call Peter a coward. I wonder if Peter's actions in those three days were due to weak character or to spiritual darkness that crippled him. When you read the story, it looks like his denial was based on fear, but the Bible never tells what drove him to this. This is the same Peter that tried to defend Jesus with a sword. Maybe he suffered a moment of doubt.
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Post by John on Jan 9, 2019 9:12:00 GMT -5
As I was thinking about this passage of scripture yesterday, something else came to mind besides what I wrote in the OP, but what it means to feed the sheep. Frienduff brought up how you can get a wrong image of Jesus from TBN. Are they feeding the sheep? How about people like Copeland, Joyce Meyers, Benny Hinn, Joel Osteen, etc.? My first reaction would be to say no, but that would be incorrect. Those not feeding the sheep are those failing to do their calling. These men and women are feeding the sheep junk food and poison. Both lead to death. No food and you starve. Bad food long enough, and you get sick and die. What we need to feed the sheep is the true Word of God, so they will get strong in the things of God and live, not only in this life, but eternally in the presence of God.
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PG4Him
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Post by PG4Him on Jan 9, 2019 9:19:11 GMT -5
You can’t get perpetual revenue from dead unbelieving sheep. There has to be enough food to make the people feel like they are feasting on something. You just keep it watered down and sugary.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2019 10:29:24 GMT -5
Maybe you all can help me with a small conundrum. Conventional wisdom says that Peter was a coward for returning to work after Jesus' burial. Many point to Peter's denial to prove this. However, Jesus said multiple times that His disciples would be unable to carry on without Him during those three days. In John 9:4 He said night is coming when no man *can* work. In Mark 2 He said they would fast on the day the bridegroom was taken away. Even when He said Peter would deny Him three times, He didn't call Peter a coward. I wonder if Peter's actions in those three days were due to weak character or to spiritual darkness that crippled him. I don't know for sure....but I think Peter in general was set forth as an example of what we all can be like in our flesh, and young in the Lord, still learning, not yet matured, etc. And many other saints in the bible, their weaknesses were not hidden....Moses comes to mind and Elijah. It's to show that the victory is not of us mere things, but of the Lord alone. One thing is that after the death of Jesus the disciples were confused and frightened, they did not yet understand all that Jesus had been teaching them......I'm guessing that they might have been wondering that with the death of Jesus their leader, the movement had come to an end. so they just kind of picked up where they left off with their lives and maybe also were waiting on the Lord in that time. And the Holy Spirit had not yet been poured out. So I would we could perhaps take all those factors into consideration with this.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2019 10:41:08 GMT -5
As I was thinking about this passage of scripture yesterday, something else came to mind besides what I wrote in the OP, but what it means to feed the sheep. Frienduff brought up how you can get a wrong image of Jesus from TBN. Are they feeding the sheep? How about people like Copeland, Joyce Meyers, Benny Hinn, Joel Osteen, etc.? My first reaction would be to say no, but that would be incorrect. Those not feeding the sheep are those failing to do their calling. These men and women are feeding the sheep junk food and poison. Both lead to death. No food and you starve. Bad food long enough, and you get sick and die. What we need to feed the sheep is the true Word of God, so they will get strong in the things of God and live, not only in this life, but eternally in the presence of God.
Here is some understanding I have received from the Lord about this Butero. What those false shepherds are doing actually is feeding themselves....of those sheep. Instead of feeding and guarding the sheep for the Lord. Shepherds are servants, the sheep don't belong to the shepherds to fatten their wallets and exploit them to build their "ministries". They are to care for the sheep for their Master who is the one who owns the sheep and does with them what HE wills. What is happening in our times is exactly and precisely what happened with Israel: Eze 34:2-5 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. Zec 11:16 For I am going to raise up a shepherd over the land who will not care for the lost, or seek the young, or heal the injured, or feed the healthy, but will eat the meat of the choice sheep, tearing off their hooves.
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Post by frienduff on Jan 9, 2019 18:21:28 GMT -5
Here is some understanding I have received from the Lord about this Butero. What those false shepherds are doing actually is feeding themselves....of those sheep. Instead of feeding and guarding the sheep for the Lord. Shepherds are servants, the sheep don't belong to the shepherds to fatten their wallets and exploit them to build their "ministries". They are to care for the sheep for their Master who is the one who owns the sheep and does with them what HE wills. What is happening in our times is exactly and precisely what happened with Israel: Eze 34:2-5 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. Zec 11:16 For I am going to raise up a shepherd over the land who will not care for the lost, or seek the young, or heal the injured, or feed the healthy, but will eat the meat of the choice sheep, tearing off their hooves. Exactly sister . exactly . But I got good news , and I personally experienced this myself . It did not matter how much they talked and hyped and so on ,THEIR language was dead to me . No amount of sugar could give it life . BECAUSE THE TRUE SHEPARD , HIS FOOD IS PLENTY and the stink of those others , Smells like rotted eggs and dungto a lamb . I experienced this sister . I had no taste at all, PEROID for their stuff , EVEN ON DAY ONE . just dead and lifeless . BUT THE BIBLE , OH THAT WAS AS HONEY .
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