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Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
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Today’s message
I start with a warning: when we see someone fall and we are still standing, the illusion is born that we will never experience that. Be careful. Standing today does not guarantee tomorrow. Be sober; be vigilant. Our adversary has an ambush posture. Like a lion that needs to get within 30 meters of its prey without being noticed, he seeks closeness to attack. That’s why I take care of my mind: I do not let alcohol, uncontrolled medications, or bad thoughts, resentments, and hurts dominate me. Sober mind, open eyes. That’s how I walk.
I enter the story of Peter. Andrew finds Jesus first and says to Peter: We have found the Messiah. Then, by the Sea of Galilee, Jesus calls: Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men. There he reaches people and transport. Peter gives everything: house in Capernaum, boat, schedule. Where is Jesus? In his house. In his boat. In his business. He saw the transfiguration, Jairus' daughter resurrect, walked on water. The guy gives his house, his boat, his life. Total surrender.
I want to highlight three of them.
- First mission of Jesus: to achieve this purpose in a short period of 3 years — a limited time to establish a structure that would change the world.
- Second mission of Jesus: he has to choose the right people / establish a legacy — people who would continue the idea and mission beyond him.
- Third mission of Jesus: he needs resources — money, transport, housing, food, and practical provisions for the mission.
Feed my sheep.
But the crisis came. The model changed with the death and resurrection of Jesus, and Peter's self-confidence cracked. He had said: Even if all forsake you, I will never forsake you. However, under pressure and in the wrong company, he slipped. After appearances in John 20, Peter confesses: I am going fishing. This is going back to the old place, reactivating old sustenance. I know this impulse. That’s why I ask you: watch your heart where it decides to go back.
I want to give you four practical cares
- Be sober and vigilant: do not rely on the feeling that falling is someone else's problem.
- Guard your mind: reject bad thoughts, resentments, and hurts that numb you.
- Do not return to the past: identify and uncouple the sustenance that keeps you tied to the old place.
- Accept Jesus' rescue and return to responsibility: serve, shepherd, take your part.
On the beach, after a night without fish, Jesus comes to meet and calls Peter back: Feed my sheep. He did not cancel the purpose; he redirected the man. I receive this for myself too. Jesus' idea remains, even when the model changes. If I fall, I do not stay there: I get up, accept forgiveness, cut the ties of the old and continue in the mission. Sober mind, open eyes, hands serving. That’s how I continue.
Did you know
- In John 1:40-41, Andrew is the first to follow Jesus and introduces the Messiah to his brother Peter.
- In Mark 16:7, after the resurrection, the angel instructs to tell the disciples and Peter, highlighting him by name.
- Capernaum, where Peter lived, was a strategic port city on the Sea of Galilee and became the base of Jesus' ministry.
Key phrases
- He has the posture of an ambush predator.
- Jesus has a purpose which is to save.
- I am going fishing.
- Feed my sheep.
Translated from the Portuguese original.
Seek
To seek today
Go deeper
Go deeper
Jesus Did Not Give Up on Peter — He Will Not Give Up on You - Claudio Duarte
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