Gary Gleans

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. Not only do we fail to appreciate our relationship with Christ; we also fail to appropriate our resources in Christ.  The fact that we are in Christ produces within us blessings that are far greater than could be attained from any other source.  Prosperity and prestige in this world tend to be the blessings that pull at our heart strings.  God has far more valuable resources that should captivate the affections of our hearts. THE POWER OF GOD: It is hard to overestimate the value of the power of the Creator and Sustainer of the universe being available to us.  The...

Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Too often we fail to appreciate that which we already have because we tend to focus more on the things we don’t have.  Perhaps, our relationship with Christ is one of the things we take for granted the most.  Peter wants his readers to understand the riches they have in the Lord Jesus Christ. THE POSITION OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST: Peter presents himself with two titles: servant and apostle.  We can all claim the servant title.  I don’t believe any of us should claim the apostle title.  However, we can all claim some sort of title that describes our position within the body of Christ.  Some are elders, deacons, pastors, Sunday school teachers, me...

By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it.     She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son.     Greet one another with the kiss of love. The final words of a letter can be especially meaningful.  This particular passage has some precious thoughts as well as some interesting personal references that I’m not sure exactly to whom he is referring.  The important implication is that in times of suffering we absolutely need to stay close to one another and help each other to remember and rejoice in the truth of the promises of God. STAND FIRM IN GRACE: God’s grace must be clearly understood, believed, and we must stand firm in it. Peter’s entire epistle was written to exhort his readers for this purpose.  The grace of God can be hard to see in times of ...

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.     Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.     And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.     To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. The persecution we face in this fallen world has a satanic source.  We are a part of a spiritual battle that is taking place, and we know little about it.  As in any battle, we have an adversary, but we also have allies.  Peter reminds us of this reality and instructs us as to how we are to respond to each of them. RESPECT OUR ADVERSARY: Let me be clear that there is nothing respectable abou...

Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”     Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Youth is a blessing, and healthy churches will have young people that are both serving and being served. There are certain weaknesses associated with youth that must be avoided and pruned away with intentionality.  Today’s youth are tomorrows elders and there are at least three areas that tend to be weaknesses in youth that should be strengthened so that our churches will have qualified elders. SUBMIT TO AUTHORITY: Independence is something we strive to build into our children.  We want our children to mature and be able to take care of themselves and make wise decisions.  However, in...

So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.     And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.     Leadership is vital to the well-being of the church.  Church leadership is different from leadership in other areas.  When the church is under persecution, It is vital for leaders to serve the flock well.  Peter teaches us some important truths to remember about leadership in the church. LISTEN TO EXHORTATION: Too frequently leaders are not open to exhortation.  Authority is ordained by God and all of us need it....