HCC Monthly Harvest Seed
Mark 14:27-30 (NLT) - On the way, Jesus told them, “All of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say, ‘God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’28 But after I am raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.” 29 Peter said to him, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I never will.” 30 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me.”
Luke 22:31-34 - “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. 32 But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So, when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.” 33 Peter said, “Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you, and even to die with you.” 34 But Jesus said, “Peter, let me tell you something. Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.”
Mark 14:66-72 (NLT) – Now as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came. 67 And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with Jesus of Nazareth.” 68 But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are saying.” And he went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed.69 And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by, “This is one of them.” 70 But he denied it again. And a little later those who stood by said to Peter again, “Surely you are one of them; for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it.” 71 Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this Man of whom you speak!” And immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he broke down and wept.
Three of the four Gospels record this event in Peter’s life.
Jesus prophesied what would happen - and with all of his sincerity Peter told Jesus that it would never take place that he would never deny him and that if need be he would die for Jesus.
We know that at the end of his life Peter did indeed die for Jesus in Rome, crucified upside down on a cross. Peter did make good on his promise but before he did – there was this night.
~ Halford Luccock - a Methodist minister said: “in Christian experience, great living begins in tears. It is God’s starting point. When Peter broke down and wept, all pride, of which he had much, and all self-sufficiency and self-trust dropped away from him.
Peter began to weep because he remembered what Jesus said. – Sometimes we don’t take seriously the Word that God has given us until it finally comes to pass.
We would do well to remember long before we need to remember so that His Word to us is always on our mind.
The rooster was a wake-up call to Peter. The second crow of the rooster caused him to remember what Jesus said.
Right after the third denial the rooster crowed the second time. The question really is – Peter, what were you thinking when the rooster crowed the first time.
The first crowing didn’t slow him down at all. He never stopped to realize what was happening. This wasn’t just some shmo, some jabroni, this was Peter.
A disciple trained by Jesus himself.
All of us will face moments of crisis in our lives. Times where the heat is on and we are either going to confess our faith and trust in Jesus or it will reveal our lack of faith and trust in Jesus.
Satan desires to sift the best of us.
Luke 22:31 - And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.
Satan wanted to sift Peter just as badly as Satan had sifted Job.
The name Satan is not a complimentary name. Satan means adversary. It means enemy.
Remember Jesus gave Simon a new name. He called Him Peter or Rock. This was a new identity. You are Peter – You are Rock solid.
Remember that Satan used to be called Lucifer. Or the shining one or the light bringer. He got a name change that means adversary and enemy. He is called a devil which means – slanderer, deceiver and accuser.
The roosters in our lives are the points of crisis that really test our faith in God.
These are the times when we will face persecution, ridicule. It is where the devil lies to us about God’s love for us.
These points of crisis in our lives are where we must learn what we really believe about Jesus and about ourselves.
It is where Satan causes us to find fault with ourselves and with God.
Remember Peter used to be called Simon – That name means – something that is unstable. Simon was someone that could be sifted. This is why Jesus looked at him and used his name twice. Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you like wheat.
But Jesus had already called him Peter. He knew that Simon would come through the sifting. He said I have prayed for you that your faith would not fail.
The value of the rooster is found in the sifting.
Think about this. Jesus granted Satan’s request to sift Peter. Why because the value of the sifting was greater than the value of Peters comfort.
Sifting helps us to discover all of the impurities, dirt and trash that are in our lives. You can’t remove all of that from wheat without sifting and the same is true for us.
Without sifting you can’t remove what needs to come out because it is hidden among all the good.
Peter was saved. He believed in Jesus. But the battle isn’t over.
For Simon to truly become Peter the unstable needed to be filtered out of Simon.
We can do to things with the dirt, impurities and junk that Satan sifts from our lives.
b) The Second thing that we can do is recognize those things that our sifted out of our lives and then allow God to remove them. This is called repentance. This only makes us stronger. Now all of the sin, all of the instability and all of the dirt is removed.
When this happens then Satan’s plan to weaken us actually works against him.
32 But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So, when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.”
God removes the flaws and faults and our faith comes out stronger. Not only are we now a rock and stable in our walk with God we are able to help strengthen others.
That is one valuable rooster.
This Resurrection season I pray that you will learn to appreciate the Roosters in your life. My you be stronger for it.
I look forward to what God is going to do in us and through us as we all become Rock Solid in our Faith.
Remember that you are Loved<
Pastor Marvin & Dawn
Image by Andreas Neumann from Pixabay
HCC Monthly Harvest Seed
Happy December and Merry Christmas!
Luke 2:25-29 (NLT) - At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him 26 and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So, when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, 28 Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,29 “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised.
One of the most untold stories of Christmas is what happened forty days after the birth of Jesus. This was when Joseph and Mary went to the Temple with Jesus for the ceremony of purification and dedication and had an encounter with Simeon.
The Christmas story is about real people living real life who are serving a very real God. The stories we read in the Bible are perfect for life today because these people were living everyday life just as we are.
temple when he did.
I don’t want you to miss this. – Simeon was able to walk into a very precious moment with God, simply because he lived each day led by the Spirit of God. –
Don’t miss this. – It is when we walk everyday with the Spirit of God that we are led into extraordinary moments with God.
I want you to notice I said walk not stumble. Those who walk with God don’t stumble into things accidentally they are led there intentionally by the Spirit.
One of the Great Lessons we learn from this story is that being Led by the Holy Spirit isn’t really all that difficult.
Notice that everyone in this story was where they were supposed to be when they were supposed to be there.
Mary and Joseph- They came to Jerusalem 40 days after the birth of Jesus to dedicate him.
Luke 2:21-24 -And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.22 Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
Simeon
Luke 2:27 - So he came by the Spirit into the temple.
Simeon was led at just the perfect moment by the Spirit of God into the Temple.
All of them were just doing what they should be doing.
Being in the will of God is not a matter of luck it is a matter of obedience.
Everyone was doing what God called them to be doing at that point in their lives. This obedience brought everyone together in the same place at the same time.
We get so afraid sometimes about missing the promises of God. Listen the Holy Spirit will lead you right into it.
When you don’t know what you should be doing just do what you should be doing.
I love the saying “If you aren’t doing what you should be doing then you are going to get the very things you don’t want”.
Encounters with the Holy Spirt are commonplace when you learn how to listen and are led by the Spirit of God.
Those who are filled with the Spirit of God are being led even when they don’t realize THAT they are being led.
Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
Someone needs to get this – If we are not leaning on our own understanding then that means that we are going to be led in ways that we don’t make sense to us. What we are doing is taking each step, in faith knowing that God knows what He is doing.
When you are Spirit led you will never suffer from FOMO.
FOMO – Fear of Missing Out.
I want you to hear me - if you will be filled with the Spirit, you will be led by the Spirit. If you are led by the Spirit, you will not miss God and you will not miss out on His promises.
Over the years I have met people that are afraid that somehow, they will miss out on what God has for them.
Hear me – If you are living for God – you will not.
Being filled with the Spirit is not just about walking in His power but it is also about walking in His timing. He will lead you where you need to be at the very moment you need to be there.
To many times we over think things. Our obedience and God’s timing will always intersect when it should. This is the essence of being Spirit Led.
Simeon allowed the Holy Spirit to work in His life and because he did God allowed him to be a part of something truly amazing.
Simeon reminds us that we can wait with expectancy when God gives us a promise.
Scripture says that Simeon was eagerly waiting for the consolation of Israel.
It does not say that he was impatiently waiting but that as he went about his days, he did it with hope and expectancy, looking to see when God would keep his promise.
He wasn’t anxious about God’s promise, his impatience didn’t leave him weighed down a heaviness.
Expectancy – The act or action of living with the knowledge that something will happen. Hope that is certain and steadfast. The feeling that something exciting and positive is going to happen. Anticipation that comes with a promise. It is knowing that God is good and will always keep His Word and promises. An eagerness to see God proved true.
God had promised Simeon that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah or the consolation of Israel. God’s peace and comfort for the Nation of Israel and for all mankind.
Christmas reminds us that God is a promise keeper.
Christmas reminds us that if God will fulfill the promise of that first Christmas that He will fulfil every promise that He has given us in His Word.
2 Corinthians 1:20 - For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.
The fact that Jesus came the first time gives us the hope that He is coming the second time.
The story of Simeon reminds us that God gave a promise of Salvation to all people, and He fulfilled that promise.
My Prayer this month is that you will have a renewed expectancy in the promises of God.
Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas!
Pastor Marvin & Dawn