WORD From The Woods


John 1:1-18 (ESV)
    “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. ( John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me. ’”) For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known”


     As Christians, we talk a lot about following Jesus Christ. The word “Christian” literally means “Christ-follower.” I think that even if we’ve studied the bible and followed Christ for a long time, it’s easy to get a wrong impression of who Jesus Christ is from our culture.  We are led to believe that Jesus was just a soft-handed, meek and mild, quiet, gentle, super nice guy. Jesus certainly was kind and gentle, but He was also tough and loud when He needed to be. The problem with the “world’s view” of Jesus is that it looks at Him as just a really good man that lived 2000 years ago and did some incredible miracles. Even as true Christians, we often fail to recognize that this Jesus we claim to follow, was and still is 100% divine as the second person of the Triune God. The Trinity, one God revealed in three distinct persons, is something that we can’t fully comprehend as finite human beings, but it’s the reality none the less. John, is his gospel account tells us that Jesus Christ has existed for all eternity and that He was right there with the Father when God spoke this limitless universe into existence!  As loggers, we are blessed to work out in God’s good creation every day, and we see first hand how awesome it really is! As you think about this passage from John, realize that this Jesus not only created the universe and all that is in it, but He also came down into this broken, sinful, rebellious world to live among us and willingly lay down His life in our place so that we could have redemption and become children of God. This is the Jesus that we are called to follow and have a relationship with. No other religion on earth claims to have a god like our God. When we look at Jesus the way John did, it should transform our faith and inspire us in a whole new way to truly follow Him!


God Bless, and have a great week! -Terry Mann-

WORD From The Woods


1 Timothy 4
    “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer. If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. Command and teach these things. Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”


    In this passage, Paul is encouraging his young disciple, Timothy, to be strong and stand firm in the faith as a good servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. There were all kinds of false teaching and distractions to draw people away from following Christ that Paul was warning Timothy about. I love that, instead of naming ever specific false teaching or doctrine, Paul just tells Timothy to train himself for godliness. The last verse in the passage says to persist in these things, and by doing so he will save himself and his hearers. I don’t think this is talking about saving in the sense of salvation, but saving them from falling into false doctrines. It’s just like when the FBI trains specialists to look for counterfeit money, they train by studying authentic currency so that when they see a counterfeit, they will recognize it immediately. They don’t study all they different counterfeits, they study they real thing. That’s the example that Paul gives here, to devote ourselves to the study of God’s word and training ourselves for Godliness, and by doing that we will become equipped to stand against the false teaching and deception that we will certainly encounter. One of the things I love about Timothy is the fact that he was a very young man when he was called into service to Christ. Most commentators think he was in his 20s or 30s when this letter was written, and he was already shepherding a group of believers in Ephesus. Paul tells him not to let his youth stop him from what he’s been called to do, but to be a godly example to those around him. I pray that you will be encouraged by this passage to draw closer to Christ and become more equipped to be an example to those around you!


God Bless and have great week! -Terry-

WORD From The Woods


Galatians 1:11-24
“For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days. But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord's brother. (In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!) Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” And they glorified God because of me.”


    Paul says in this passage that the gospel he is now preaching is not something that he came up with or learned from any other man but it is the gospel of Jesus Christ. This gospel was given to him in an encounter with Christ Himself, on the road to Damascus (Acts ch. 9). Paul goes on to tell the Galatians that this gospel had changed him from one who was a zealous and violent persecutor of the Christ followers, to a man who may well have been the most hard working Christian that has ever walked the earth!  As Paul puts it, Christ, by His grace, was pleased to call even a sinner like Paul to salvation! I think we need to look closely at Paul's former life as a Pharisee. He says in this passage that he was zealous for the traditions of his fathers. How many times do we let tradition get in the way of the gospel? Do we ever sacrifice true worship for tradition? I think if we would examine our hearts closely we would see all kind of ways that tradition has infected (and I don't just mean affected, but infected) the way we worship and serve The Lord!  Paul goes on to say that people were hearing about his dramatic conversion even before he had a chance to tell them himself. The work of Christ in his life was so powerful that his testimony was spreading like wildfire! We need to do the same as Paul and let the world know about the work of redemption that Christ has done in our life!


God bless and have a great week! -Terry-

WORD From The Woods


     Well, another Resurrection Day celebration is in the books, back to living our normal Christian lives……Resurrection Day doesn’t stop for us as Christians after Easter dinner and an egg hunt. We should celebrate it every week on the Lord’s day, and it should change the way we live and act in the world each end every day!  One of the core values I’ve had for a long time as a Christian, and for the ministry of Fellowship of Christian Loggers, is discipleship. Discipleship is really pretty simple, it’s just the process of equipping others to grow in the Christian faith and teach others to do the same. This is what’s known as “The Great Commission,” and it’s generally quoted from Matthew 28:19
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”   Now, that sounds really nice right? Go tell the world about Jesus! The problem is, many people will quote just that one verse without ever looking at the entire context of the passage. Or they just take it to mean that Jesus was a really nice guy and if we just learn be really nice and spread the love of Jesus to the world around us, they can learn to be nice too. As if, the doctrine of niceness will convince people to turn away from their path to hell, and nice them right into the Kingdom of Heaven. Many Christians act like we’re standing on the outside of the world looking in, just trying to be nice enough for people to want the nice faith we have. Now, I’m not saying christians shouldn’t be nice, we should be like Christ and demonstrate love in all that we do, love is kind and does no wrong, but it’s not always nice, (see Matthew 23.) What I to want to point out today is the broader context of The Great Commission, this was the last thing that Jesus said to His disciples before He ascended to heaven. Matthew 28:16-20 “Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Notice is the word ‘therefore” in verse 19, like I said, many people like to quote that one verse by itself. But, when you see the word “therefore” in scripture, you need to find out what it’s there for. To do that you need to back up and look at the broader context. You see that the disciples worshipped Jesus when they saw Him. That’s the position we need to start with when it comes to discipleship, fall on our face before a Holy God in worship Him because He is God and we are not. They worshipped Jesus because they knew that He had all authority, not just in Heaven but also here on Earth! That’s why, when Jesus taught them to pray, He prayed to the Father “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.”  It’s because Jesus has all authority in all the universe that we can “Go therefore, and disciple the nations.” But disciple them to what?  To be nicer to each other?  Just like verse 20 says “ to do all that Christ had commanded.” To repent, to turn away from sin and follow Him. Then He says that He will be with them always even to the end of the age, but how could that be when He was about to disappear into the sky not to be seen again for at least 2,000 years? To understand that, we have to know where He went. Mark tells us plainly in his gospel account of the same great commission.  Mark 16:19 “So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.” Jesus ascend to the throne room of Heaven, where He was and still is seated at the right hand of the Father ruling and reigning over Heaven and Earth as the King of kings and Lord of lords! In the end of Matthew 22, Jesus quoted from Psalm 110 to establish His authority, right before he unloaded a scathing rebuke of 7 woes against the religious leaders in the temple.   Psalm 110:1-2 The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies!” The apostle Paul understood the authority of Jesus when he wrote to the church in Corinth. 1 Corinthians 15:25-26 “For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” I point out all these verse to show you the reality, that when we come to faith in Christ, we enter into a Kingdom that is being ruled by a Savior who not only died to pay the penalty for our sin, but who is a risen, glorified King who is seated on His throne and has ALL authority in Heaven and here on this Earth, yesterday, today and tomorrow.  We aren’t just standing on the outside of this messed up world looking in, hoping people will want to follow Jesus with us. We are members of the great and eternal Kingdom of Heaven, and as such, we bear the authority and commission of King Jesus to go into all the world, making disciples, teaching them to obey all the He has commanded!


God Bless, and have a great week! -Terry-

WORD From The Woods


Mark 10:46 - 11:11
    “And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.  Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’” And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!” And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.”
  
    Yesterday we celebrated Palm Sunday, and the beginning of Holy Week. Palm Sunday is the day that we remember the triumphal entry of the Messiah, the Savior and Shepherd-King of His lost sheep. His sheep were lost because they were spiritually blind and unable to see in a dark and sinful world. I think this is why we find the healing of the blind man, Bartimaeus, and the Triumphal Entry of Jesus together in the same context. Jesus had great compassion on those he healed of their various physical problems, and that was part of why he healed them, but the real reason he healed so many people was to demonstrate the fact that he came to heal people's souls! He came to bring us out of spiritual death and darkness, into new life with Him! I love they way Bartimaeus calls to Jesus, "Jesus, have mercy on me," he knew that he didn't deserve healing, both physically or spiritually, but he called on the abundant mercy of the Savior.  When Bartimaeus was told to stop, he persisted even louder! Jesus told him that his faith had made him well, this wasn't some healing power that Bartimaeus discovered within the depths of his own faith, but because he placed his faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone to save him spiritually. I also love his response when Jesus tells him to go his way, he immediately followed Jesus on HIS way! Jesus' way was now Bartimaeus' way! The cry of Bartimaeus was the same cry of the the people of Jerusalem when Jesus entered, the people were crying out "Hosanna," which simply means, "please save us." The people of Jerusalem were so hungry for their long awaited messiah that they called out to him with praise honor and worship, begging for him to save them! They spread out their coats and branches just so Jesus wouldn't have to ride in on the dirty streets, this was a way of honoring Him as King.  I pray that we can learn to have a heart like this toward our Messiah, that we would praise, honor and worship Jesus as our Savior and our Lord, willing to make his way our way! That we would lay everything down at His feet, longing for Him to save us from spiritual blindness! Are we willing to jump up and follow Jesus on his way as Bartimaeus did? Let this awesome account of the Savior-King coming to His people, stay on your heart and mind this week as we prepare to celebrate His death and resurrection this coming weekend.


God bless and have a great week! -Terry-

WORD From The Woods


Philippians 4:2-9
    "I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you."


     This passage emphasizes something that I think is really important and very lacking in our "Christian culture" today. It emphasizes the value and the necessity of unity and community amongst the body of Christ. There are going to be disagreements on secondary doctrinal issues, but when it comes to the essentials of Christianity we must stand side by side. We don't know what the issue was between Euodia and Syntyche, but whatever the disagreement was, Paul basically told them to get over it and focus on what was really important, that is the gospel of Christ. Paul challenges and encourages the body of believers at Philippi to stand together in Christ because together their witness to the lost and hurting world will be most effective. When we are busy gossiping and bickering within the church, Satan can just sit back and enjoy the show because we will never be effective in ministry that way. As Paul is closing his letter to the Philippians, he not only charges them to stand together but leaves them with words of encouragement and a list of Christ-like characteristics to emulate. Most important of all he reminded the church that they must constantly be in corporate prayer, bringing all things to God with thanksgiving, and the peace of God which passes all understanding would guard their hearts and minds. These things are so important in our personal lives, but they are just as important in the corporate setting of our gathering together for worship and fellowship each week! As Paul said "practice these things, and may the God of peace be with you"


God bless and have a great week! -Terry-

WORD From The Woods
1 Peter 5
“So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it. She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son. Greet one another with the kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.”


    This is the final passage in our study through Peter’s letter of exhortation to a group of persecuted Christians. Peter doesn’t spend a lot of time trying to make these folks feel better about the tribulation and persecution that they were facing, he encourages them, tells them to stand firm in the faith, and compares their real but temporary troubles to the eternal glory and dominion of the Kingdom of Christ, that they were partakers of. This is  great reminder to us as we face various trials in our lives today, we are also fellow partakers in this glorious reality if we are indeed followers of Christ! After all the great things we’ve learned from this letter, Peter’s final charge to the readers is to clothe themselves in humility. I love that picture! When we get dressed in the morning, we put on the appropriate clothing for the task we’re heading out to do. That’s the idea behind clothing ourselves in humility. This charge is certainly important for all believers, but  he specifically directs it here to the elders, the spiritual leaders. One of the most important qualities of any Godly leader is true Christ-like humility, and to lead others well, we must put on humility to be rightly equipped for the task. He also gives us the important warning to remember that the enemy is prowling around like a roaring lion, seeking to destroy the work of the Kingdom. I loaded a round of trucks early this morning, and a couple of the drivers saw a mountain lion on the way in. They we’re terrified to turn their back to the darkness, knowing that a lion was prowling around out there and kept on guard as they were throwing their wrappers. It was as great reminder to me that we must always be on guard, watching out so we don’t fall prey to the enemy’s schemes to trap us in sin! I hope this study of 1 Peter has been a good exhortation to you! Peace and grace to you as you go about your life this week, stand firm, declaring the grace of the Lord Christ Jesus to the world around you!


God bless and have a great week! -Terry-

WORD From The Woods 


1 Peter 4:12-19
     “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And “If the righteous is scarcely saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”
Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.”


   Last week, we talked a bit about the suffering and sacrifice that comes as a Christian when we resist the worldly passions and pursuits that come at us in this life. In this next passage, Peter really focuses in on the reality of suffering for the sake of Christ. He even goes so far as to say that we should rejoice in suffering for the sake of Christ! Peter is clear, we don’t rejoice when suffering comes as a result of our own sinful actions or just plain stupidity. Christians throughout the ages have purposefully caused their own suffering in various ways to then turn around and misuse this passage to say “oh look, I’m suffering for Christ.” That’s not at all what Peter is talking about here. He’s telling us to make sure that our suffering is not a result of our own sinfulness, but that we should rejoice when we suffer as a result of standing for Christ. He points out the reality that our temporary suffering for Christ in this life, is nothing compared to the eternal suffering that awaits those who will spend eternity in hell! We may simply face ridicule or at some point even violence because of proclaiming the gospel, or maybe just for living a Christ-like life. It may come in the form of losing friends or business deals because we refuse to compromise on biblical ethical standards. Whatever the suffering or persecution looks like, when it legitimately comes as a result of following Christ Jesus, we can stand up and rejoice! Peter tells us that we can do this because Christ suffered more than we could ever imagine, when He took on the sin of the world and left it at the cross! Don’t ever forget that the weight of our own sin is what caused the suffering and death of our Lord and Savior, and our own suffering can’t even begin to compare. The other awesome aspect of suffering for Christ, is that God uses it to shape us into the people He desires for us to be! James taught this clearly when he wrote, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”  The reality of God using trials in our lives for His good purposes, is something that we can take great comfort and joy in! So much more could be said on this subject. I hope that as you go out this week and face various trials, you can face them with a renewed sense of joy in what Christ has done for you on the cross, and what He continues to do as He grows you through it all!


God Bless and have a great week! -Terry-

WORD From The Woods


1 Peter 4:1-11
     “Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does. The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self- controlled and sober- minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”


     I think that this passage has a really important message to all believers, but it’s especially important to us who work in the logging industry.  Peter charges his readers to be good stewards of God’s grace. Now, I don’t think anyone understands good stewardship better than those of us who work in the woods. We’ve all see the “cut and run” practices of some timber companies, and we’ve seen good, responsible, sustainable stewardship of other company’s management practices. The timber companies that have invested in good site prep and planting, and maybe a good thinning program will see a huge reward when they get to final harvest. It takes hard work, great investment and a willingness to see the end result and not run for the quick money here and now to have a healthy sustainable forest that will produce for the coming generations. The grace that God has poured out on us is no different, in that it requires good stewardship on our part. If we come to Christ and receive his grace but never tell those around us about it then we are wasting the most precious resource that we have ever been given. If we receive God’s grace but don’t seek after Him and allow Him to work in us and through us so that the world around us sees a difference, then we are taking His grace for granted. In this passage, Peter tells us not to follow the world around us into all kinds of human passions such as drunkenness, lust and idolatry. He says that other people will be surprised when we don’t follow them in these things and they will ridicule us, but we need to remember that they will all give an account to God one day for what they have done. This is exactly why the gospel needs to be shared with the world around us! If we follow the world in various worldly passions, then we cheapen and waste God’s grace. We need to remember that this life is short and what we do now matters for all eternity! As you go out this week and work hard at whatever it is you do, remember that if you have received God’s grace through Jesus Christ, we must work even harder to be good stewards of that grace!


God bless and have a great week! -Terry-

WORD From The Woods


1 Peter 3:8-22


     “Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness 'sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him”


      In this passage Peter talks about suffering, this could be physical suffering or spiritual suffering caused by various trials. Peter is looking specifically at suffering for the sake of Christ, not the suffering brought about by our own foolish choices. If you choose to follow Christ and serve Him as His disciple, you will experience this kind of suffering because the world is hostile to God, more so now than we’ve ever seen in our lifetimes. But as Peter says here it's far better to suffer for the sake of Christ than for doing evil! Suffering temporary persecution in this life for sharing the truth of the gospel, is nothing compared to the hope we have in Christ.  We should count it as joy because of the eternal value of the message we have to share. Suffering for unrepentant evil deeds is something that lasts for all eternity if a person never repents and receives the life giving salvation offered through Jesus Christ. This is why Peter tells us to always be ready to give an answer for the hope that is in us! When we face trials with other people, it's so easy to get caught up in the fight and forget the eternal weight of the situation. Peter calls us not to repay evil for evil, but to have sympathy, humility, tenderness and brotherly love for those we have conflict with. We're called to a higher standard, not because we're better than anyone but because we are representing Christ. And the hope that we have in Christ is something that everyone around us desperately needs, even if they don't know it. Noah probably faced more persecution than anyone who ever lived while building the ark. He and the other 8 members of his family were the only people on earth that followed God. He remained faithful and followed God's year after year, even when it didn't make any sense at all, God saved him and his family from the waters of the flood. The waters of that flood pointed to the temporary nature of this life and how God offers a new life in Christ for eternity. The flood washed away the evil in the world and gave Noah a new start in life. This was a baptism of the evil world. Baptism in and of itself won't save a person, but it points the the reality of Christ. It points to the reality that, in Christ we have a new life now and for eternity!  When we face suffering and conflict in this life, we must remember that we don't fight against flesh and blood, but that there is a spiritual battle going on. satan is constantly trying to stir up strife and keep us from sharing the hope that is within us. Don't fall for his feeble attempts! The power that we have in Christ by the Holy Spirt is far greater than any arrows satan may through our way. Stay strong and share the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ with the world around you!


God bless and have a great week! -Terry-