Today is the Feast of the Lord’s Transfiguration. When Jesus decided it was time to show 3 of his Apostles His Divinity, he set a Priority for them and us, Himself!
Here is today’s Epistle reading:
2 Peter 1:10-19
10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: 11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 12 Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. 13 Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; 14 Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me. 15 Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance. 16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. 19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
Verses 10 – 12 are so important in this present day, as we forget whom our Priority should be. Instead we make everything in this life a priority and above God almighty. Our job, our pleasures, our hobbies, the beach, the mountains, our friends, those parties, and even ourselves and so on. We even put our families above Him, or at least use them as our excuse. We forget about the One who created us. We want our own pleasures, our own way, our own will, and most of the time, this does not match His Will for us.
We are told in verse 10, “give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall…” and if we do give our due diligence, our priority to Jesus, then he promises in verse 11, “For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”
You see my brethren the ‘if then’ statement — if you love Me, put Me first: then I will give you the everlasting kingdom! Whose Kingdom — Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ’s Kingdom. Is not that what we strive for, or at least SHOULD be striving for?
What do the next few verses say after that: I, meaning me, the Priest, must continually tell and explain this fact to all of you. So in fact I must also put Jesus first above all things. He must be my Priority above all!
Jesus the Christ MUST be priority over every thing in our lives. Over own own life!! We do nothing by ourselves, but by all things by He who strengthens us. Is this easy — heck no. That is where prayer comes in, you know that thing we are to do unceasingly. Talk to God and a continuous basis, as well as be silent and listen to what He has to say to us. That think we do not do……….
So when our lives get so full, we ignore God. The result will be, He will be a gentleman and stay out of the way. When we learn to put Him in first place, He will open up His Eternal Kingdom to us, and we will be able to accomplish more than we thought we could by ourselves.
Lord, I know not what to ask of Thee. Thou alone knowest my true needs. Thou lovest me more than I myself know how to love. Help me to see my needs that are concealed from me. I dare not ask for a cross nor consolation; wherefore I only wait upon Thee. My heart is open unto Thee. Visit and help me, according to Thy great mercy. Strike me down and heal me; cast me down and raise me up. In silence I worship Thy holy will and Thine unsearchable ways. I offer myself as a sacrifice unto Thee. I have no other desire than to fulfill Thy holy will. Teach me to pray, and pray Thou Thyself in me. Amen. Saint Gregory Palamas
Amen!
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