While critics of the Bible try to point to its so-called inconsistencies and contradictions, I find it to be an absolutely Perfect Book!

One of their many accusations deals with the “Call Narratives” in the New Testament. And Peter’s history is no exception! (He is the writer who reminds us that the enemies “twist” God’s Word to their liking! See 2 Peter 3:16, specifically.)

Now, this much is true. We do find three times that the Lord appears to “call” Peter unto Himself! (Come to think of it, David was “anointed” King three times as well!)

There is such a “call” in John chapter 1. And I’m going to label this Peter’s “call” unto salvation! John 1:40-42 tells us: “One of the two which heard John (the Baptist) speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.”

This is a quiet call! Maybe that “sill small Voice” of Whom we have heard! See 1 Kings 19:12, the life of Elijah. Andrew brought Peter to Jesus. Jesus did the rest! And Peter’s life was never the same. He has met Jesus, personally! Jude 1 says of each of us Believers: “Them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and CALLED.” Peter heard and responded to that Call!

In the second place, Peter was called to service, to follow Jesus! We go from John to Matthew for this event. “And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, FOLLOW ME, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:18-19

Again, every Christian should have heard this “call” too. To be a witness for Christ! Proverbs 11:30 speaks of “winning” souls. (“He that winneth souls is wise.”) The verb thee is spelled “laqach” in Hebrew. It means “to lay hold of, to catch,” the same idea as fishing for the lost, as in Peter’s case here! Have you heard and responded, obeyed the “serving Jesus” Call? By the way, Peter is now a saved and serving child of God. Two “calls,” as the Gospels have revealed to us. (Peter is still a fisherman by trade. He is not yet going with Jesus everywhere! And he well may have pursued his craft, casting his nets on the Sea of Galilee, for up to a year before the third “Call” comes! At least that is what the biographers of Peter seem to think.)

So then thirdly, sometime later as I said … the New Testament historian Luke chimes in with these words. “And when they had brought their ships to land, THEY FORSOOK ALL, and followed him.” These favored Galilean fishermen had toiled all night with no results! But at Jesus’ command they moved the nets a few feet and so many fish were captured that their net actually broke! This is the “call” to full-time Apostleship! (Preachers, God-call Preachers, still experience this amazing Thrill yet today!)

Matthew might have a parallel Sentence here. “And when Jesus had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter …” Matthew 10:1-2

See?

No contradictions!

Three calls!

Salvation, service, apostleship!

Or for us … Salvation, Service, and (you Preachers) full time Ministry! (Maybe bi-vocational, but still full-time!)

All I know to write now is this … whenever He calls you … OBEY!

Wow!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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Once the Holy Spirit came, just as Jesus had previously promised, everything concerning our Lord’s followers was different.

I shall use Peter as the “example” for such a bold statement.

Peter who often spoke rashly, after Pentecost, became rather eloquent! As if Someone (the Holy Spirit) outside himself had taken control of his once stammering tongue! Acts 2:14 records for us … “But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words …” (Of course, post-Pentecost the Holy Spirit has actually come to live within Peter!)

Yes, I am saying that the Holy Spirit can affect our words, voices, tongues!

Also, Peter in that great Pentecostal Sermon seems to have been given unusual insight into Scripture. He quotes and properly applies the Prophet Joel, King David, and some of the Psalmists as well! The once called “ignorant” fisherman … is now a skilled expositor!

Yes, the Holy Spirit is the real “Teacher” of Scripture! “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things.” John 14:26

Something else. Peter’s once non-existence grasp of prophecy has now become precise and quite understandable! He comprehends that Jesus is coming again some day. And that God is going to put all enemies under the Feet of our dear Lord. Jesus as Victor! “For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool.” Acts 2:34-35

And in the future, fully so in the Millennium I suspect. Quoting the prophet Joel, Peter relates … “And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: and on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: and I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come …” Acts 2:17-20

And this new Holy Ghost filled Peter can exalt Jesus as never before. He has become a skilled defender of the Faith! Especially of the Fact of our Lord’s Resurrection! “This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.” Acts 2:32 (All the preaching in the Book of Acts is Jesus-saturated! Focusing sharply on the Resurrection of Christ!)

And power? I mean the sheer Power of the Holy Spirit? Look at the harvest of souls … “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” Acts 2:41-42 (That morning there were 120 Christians in Jerusalem. That night there were 3,120 of them! Powerful growth!)

And no telling what else. There is no limit to the Holy Spirit’s effectiveness with the sincere saints of God! “And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.” Acts 2:40

Verbal accuracy, Bible insight, prophetic acumen, doctrinal boldness, Peter is truly a changed man!

And what the Holy Spirit did for Peter long ago … He is still doing today in the hearts of dedicated Believers in our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ!

Are YOU yielded to Him?

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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I owe the “seed thought” for this little devotional to an old Scottish Preacher named George Morrison. It focuses on an incident in the life of the Apostle Peter, in his relationship to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Our Saviour had, earlier in the day, miraculously fed 5,000 men, not counting their families! Subsequently Jesus sent his Disciples (by ship) to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Whereupon He went to a mountain top and prayed for some time, several hours it appears.

Meanwhile a storm had arisen on the Lake. That’s when, with the winds raging, Jesus walked on the water and came toward his fearful followers. The Disciples actually saw Him walking on the sea!

Then … “Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.” (Matthew 14:28)

Then Jesus said … “Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.”

That’s when it happened … “Peter saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; AND BEGINNING TO SINK, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.” (Matthew `14:30)

Immediately, as one would expect … “Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him …”

Sad words, “beginning to sink.” 

That godly old Preacher (Dr. Morrison) then developed these thoughts, hoping (I am sure) to teach us some things about “sinking,” should such a thing ever happen to us!

First, Peter’s “temperament” put him in danger! His impulsiveness, his boisterous spirit. His adventuresome personality! (The eleven other men remained in the boat!) Yes, that temperament worked to Peter’s good at times. (“And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:16) But here, not so. BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR NATURAL INCLINATIONS! EVERY CHRISTAIN HAS SOME “WEAK POINTS” IN HIS LIFE.

Second, Peter began to sink in “familiar waters!” Not far from “home!” He had played in this general area as a child, had invested countless hours trolling these waters. He knew his environment! Yet he began to sink there. BE ON GUARD EVERYWHERE. DON’T GET TOO LAX, EVEN AT HOME!

Third, Peter began to sink after serving Jesus for a while! After a time of “loyal discipleship!” No one is exempt! Yesterday’s right decisions do not automatically predetermine today’s options! SERVANTS OF GOD, BEWARE! LONGSTANDING CHRISTIANS HAVE ALSO MADE SHIPWRECK OF THEIR LIVES AND TESTIMONIES!

Fourth, Peter began to sink on a “permitted path!” Jesus had given him permission to come across those waters! YES, EVEN IN THE MIDDLE OF GOD’S WILL, WITHOUT VIGILANCE, WITHOUT KEEPING OUR EYES ON JESUS, WE MIGHT “BEGIN TO SINK!”

Fifth, when Peter got into trouble here, “fear” had preceded his sinking! Fear, worry, apprehension … these things do not usually buoy a life when the winds of adversity are blowing! Faith, trust, reliance on Jesus would have prevented this whole near tragedy! (PETER WILL LATER TELL US TO LEARN TO CAST ALL OUR CARES, ALL OUR WORRIES, ON JESUS! BECAUSE HE IS INTERESED IN OUR WELFARE!)

Sixth, there is no sign that the other Disciples even noticed that Peter was sinking! Sinking “alone,” with no one aware except Jesus! Oh, how we need systems of accountability in our homes, Churches, Sunday School Classes, wherever we congregate in Jesus’ Name. A GOOD LESSON HERE … KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR FELLOW BELIEVER! THROW HIM A LIFE-JACKET IF NEED BE!

Last of all, maybe best of all … Peter began to sink when “Jesus was near!” That’s comforting! Otherwise, the outcome here would have been catastrophic. KEEP JESUS NEARBY, EVERY MINUTE OF EVERY DAY. BY THAT I MEAN BE CONSCIOUSLY AWARE OF HIS PRESENCE! HE IS OUR SAVIOUR IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE!

And I might add in closing … HALLELUJAH, WHAT A SAVIOUR HE IS!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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That’s what we called them, anyway, when we were young. Little flying creatures with “tail-lights.”

Here are a few interesting facts about these little bugs, miraculous creations of our great God …

Their flashing “lights” are used to send signals, messages actually! To ward off an enemy. To attract a mate. Even to mark off their “territory.”

Really, scientists say that these little marvels are not flies at all. Rather, they belong to the “beetle” family of the Lord’s vast creation!

The color (hue) of light they emit can vary from one species to another. Yellow, green and orange have all been observed! No one can ever accuse God of being boring!

Textbooks proclaim there are as many as 2,000 species of these “light-producing” beetles, flies.

The chemical (chemicals) that produce the “glow” we are discussing have been isolated, studied, and are now being utilized in several helpful endeavors in today’s world. Like food testing, forensic investigation, and even types of cell research!

Their “light” is nearly 100% efficient. By that I mean it is “all light” and virtually “no heat!” (We can’t build lightbulbs that effective! Not yet anyway.)

In one way these little creatures “preach” to us Christians! They let their little lights shine wherever they go! So should we …

The light of the Gospel. The light of a godly countenance. And some day, the Light of the Glory of God!

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

Wow!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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