April 17th, 2019

Luke 22:54-60 Then seizing Jesus, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. 55 But when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. 56 A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.” 57 But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said. 58 A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” “Man, I am not!” Peter replied. 59 About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.” 60 Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. 
 
JESUS has specifically prophesied this. “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.” But Peter denied the Lord’s prophecy: “But Peter insisted emphatically, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” (Mark 14:30) Even emphatic human emotions are inadequate to withstand the Lord’s purpose.  
     Do you cringe at Peter’s insistent denials? He emphatically declares: “Woman, I don’t know him. Man, I am not! Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” The emphatic disciple who said, “I’ll never deny you.” became equally forceful to deny his relationship with Jesus. Satan was, indeed, vigorously sifting the passionate Peter to turn his faith into chaff. 
     Be aware of evil’s emphatic attacks on your faith. The devil and his demons are relentless to turn our gifts into guilt. Each of us in the church have likely heard some affirmation of a gift you have to glorify God. When we faithfully respond to such encouragements, something may occur to frustrate or hurt us. We make a mistake and are embarrassed. Perfection is desired and expected but never reached. Evil emphatically points an accusing finger to say, “You have failed!” 
     Yes, we see sin’s emphatic hold on Peter for that moment. Too often, it has the same hold on our spiritual lives for years. We live afraid of what we might do wrong, when we should focus on what we can do right. Our eyes dimly see God while sharply focusing  on our faults. We forget “ God has given me this gift. God will guide me to glorify him. If I error, even sin in the gift, he will pick me up to take me forward. This is about God.”  
     Fear, complacency and distractions of all sorts can cause us to emphatically deny Jesus. But know this: emphatic Peter denied; yet, Jesus passionately forgave and anointed him (John 21) to be an unrelenting emphatic apostle.
     God will do the same for you. If for some reason you feel, “I’ve failed. I’ve emphatically denied Jesus too many times. I don’t measure up.” Then measure, instead, the Lord’s emphatic grace, power and love for you. Believe in his strength. Live for him. Live  with him. Live in him. You will emphatically demonstrate to the world how great is the Father’s love that he would call you, “My child.”
 
Prayer: Forgive me, Father, for emphatically denying your gifts. I pray for faith and healing to move my mind, heart and body more humbly to serve you. Amen.