Cowards, Drinking and Anger

Was Peter really a coward?  Then why did Jesus give him a name meaning "rock?"  How did Jesus view drinking?  Did Jesus ever get angry?  Two of the most taboo issues in the church today I believe are drinking and anger.  Let's see what scripture has to say about these things. :)

 
First let's look at the confusing life of Peter:
John 1:42 says, "Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).
 
I love that Jesus renamed Peter.  Of anyone in the Bible I can most identify with Peter. :)  He was always getting himself in trouble, always saying things he wasn't supposed to say.  However he was the one who openly confessed when Jesus asked the disciples, "Who do you say I am?"  Peter said, "You are the Christ, the son of the living God."
 
Perhaps this is why Jesus renamed him Peter which means rock.  This confession of Peter's was very rock-like. :)  Jesus also could have renamed Peter meaning rock to signify that Peter was not going to be tossed by the waves anymore.  At least that was Jesus' goal for him.  Peter was the one who denied Jesus three times but then in Acts he spoke out more boldly then any of the other disciples publicly.  His fear was gone.  He became the opposite of being ashamed of Jesus.  He said when told to stay silent once, "We cannot but tell."  He could not hold himself back from sharing the gospel!  Peter who denied Jesus!  He became very bold and very rock-like once he was transformed by the Holy Spirit. :)  He was the main reason the early church grew so quickly.  At Pentecost, it was Peter who spoke and led thousands of people to be saved that day! 
 
John 2

Jesus Changes Water Into Wine

"On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, ² and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. ³ When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”

⁴ “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”
 
lol I love that Jesus says to her, "Woman....."  That is pretty funny.  Why did he not call her mother I wonder?  Who knows.  But here it is, the proof that the church is wrong to prohibit alcohol of any kind.  Jesus did not.  His very first miracle recorded was this one of turning water into wine.  Why did he do that?  Because He was ok with drinking.  Drinking in excess we know is not good as it says in Eph., "Do not be drunk with wine but be filled with the Holy Spirit." But sometimes, it is good to have a few drinks to relax and enjoy life. :)  I'm serious. 

^" His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

⁶ Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.

⁷ Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.

⁸ Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”
They did so, ⁹ and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside ¹⁰ and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”
 
(This proves that the wine Jesus made was not diluted wine.  It was strong wine.)

¹¹ What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

¹² After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.

Jesus Clears the Temple Courts

¹³ When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁴ In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. ¹⁵ So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. ¹⁶ To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” ¹⁷ His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
 
 
So Jesus not only turned water into wine, he also got angry, very angry.  Oh dear. lol.  People in the church today generally think Christians should not get angry.  But sometimes anger is good.  An equivalent, modern day example of this would be if you knew a child was being abused.  That would make you angry, would it not?  Perhaps furious.  Jesus was angry that they were violating His, God's, holy temple.  They were abusing it essentially. 
 
¹⁸ The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”

¹⁹ Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”

²⁰ They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” ²¹ But the temple he had spoken of was his body. ²² After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.
 
 
I find it ironic that just in verse 11 it said, "and his disciples believed in him" after he performed the miracle of turning water into wine.  But here it says, after he died and rose again and they remembered what he said here THEN they believed in him?  Perhaps the first was a conversion of the mind and the second was a conversion of the heart?  I once heard, "So many people miss God by 10 inches.....the distance from their head to their hearts." 
 
What belief do you have in Jesus?  Is it just mental?  Do you just know about Jesus, or do you KNOW Jesus?  Something to think about. 
 
"Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name.²⁴ But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. ²⁵ He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person."
 
This is a puzzling passage to be sure.  The verse that comes to mind is, "Do not cast your pearls before swine" meaning do not give people who will not value your best, your best.  Jesus "knew what was in each person" meaning he could see into their hearts.  An ability I wish we all had, but unfortunately we do not.  He knew exactly what everyone was thinking about Him, all the time.  There are many times where it says Jesus knew what the Pharisees were thinking.  How did he do this?  Because he was FULLY God at the same time that he was fully man.  He knew that inside the hearts of most of mankind is darkness, black.  He knew that these people that he was preaching to and healing would later crucify Him.  Perhaps that is why it says, "But Jesus would not entrust himself to them."  He did not fully trust anyone, and how could he?  No one in his life proved to be trustworthy.  They all deserted him when He needed them most.  His own mother and brothers said he was crazy.  His closest friend and disciple Peter denied him three times.  He knew people are fickle.  He knew people are generally out of themselves. 
 
Also, "He did not need any testimony about mankind," because He created us.  He knew when He was here exactly what we are and who we are.  He knows every hair on our head and every thought that we think.  Jesus was God in the flesh.  He still had all the capabilities of God when he was on this earth. 
 
Jesus was all-knowing as He always is when He was on this earth.  He knew that he was on his own.  He knew that in actuality his disciples did not believe in Him until after he died.  He had his disciples physically with Him, but He was essentially a lone ranger. 
 
And that is how the Christian life is sometimes isn't it.  I love the phrase, "Though none go with me, still I will follow."  Jesus did it alone for his whole ministry.  What would Jesus do?  Jesus would follow God, even if no one around him was walking with him. 
 
Will you follow God even when no one around you is?  Even when it's not popular?  I love stories of the underground church.  In China, it is NOT popular or accepted to be a Christian as it is here in America.  But I wonder how many "Christians" are ACTUALLY Christian here.  90% of Americans "say" they are Christian.  But I think in reality only about 10% or less are.  Jesus said, "Narrow is the road that leads to life and few are there that find it." 
 
Would we all still be Christian if we had to live in China and could be imprisoned for our faith?  Probably not.  Persecution puts faith to the test.  Hard times put our faith to the best.  We do not know what we are really made of until we go through something really hard. 
 
Will you still follow God when it's hard?  I hope so. 
 
That is why in Revelation it says repeatedly, "To him who overcomes I will give the right...."  We have to overcome, because it is in overcoming that we prove our faith to be true.  It's easy to say we believe everything when times are easy, but what about when they are hard?  What about when the person closest to you dies?  Will you still believe and trust in God then?  Or will you turn your back on Him?
 
James says, "Show me your faith without deeds and I will show you my faith by what I do."  Jesus said, "You shall know them by their fruit."  What fruit are you bearing? 
 
I know I am saved because no matter what Satan wants to throw at me I'll still hold onto my faith.  No matter what happens, I know God ALWAYS loves me and I know He has plans for me. 
 
"The biggest black eye you can give Satan is to take your mess and turn it into your message."  My mess is that Satan tried to knock me down by killing the one closest to me; my message is that it didn't knock me down.  Take that Satan! lol
 
A poem by Langston Hughes
 

Mother to Son

Well, son, I'll tell you:
Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
It's had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor—
Bare.
But all the time
I'se been a-climbin' on,
And reachin' landin's,
And turnin' corners,
And sometimes goin' in the dark
Where there ain't been no light.
So, boy, don't you turn back.
Don't you set down on the steps.
'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.
Don't you fall now—
For I'se still goin', honey,
I'se still climbin',
And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.

 
Look at the life of Job.  God allowed Satan to take EVERYTHING he had, but Job STILL believed that God was GOOD.  He questioned God, yes, but he never cursed God.  Do you still believe God is GOOD when things are not "good?"
 
I certainly have questioned why God would allow many things to happen to me.  But that doesn't change the fact that I know HE IS GOOD.  Do you believe that God is ALWAYS good?  That God is truly good ALL the time?  No matter what happens to you?
 
I pray that you DO!  GOD LOVES YOU AND HE WANTS ONLY THE BEST FOR YOU, BUT WE LIVE IN A FALLEN WORLD.  Do not get mad at God when things go wrong in your life.  He said, "For I know the plans I have for you....plans to prosper you, not to harm you."  It is not God's wish that ANY harm come on us.  That is all Satan's doing.  God is NOT punishing you for anything.  He loves you.  HE LOVES YOU! 

Jesus said, "In this world you WILL have trouble, but take heart, for I have OVERCOME the world." Amen?
 
We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us!  
 
May God bless you and make you stronger and stronger every day! :)