Keeping Promises

TITLE: Keeping Promises
DATE: April 6, 2019
TEXT: Mt: 26: 33-35 – ESV - 3 Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” 34 Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” 35 Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same.

During the Gold Rush days in California, Charlie Parkhurst was a stagecoach driver.

Charlie showed great skill and bravery in taking passengers and gold shipments along the dangerous roads. Not the least of Charlie's accomplishments was the killing of not one, but two highwayman.

Charlie smoked cigars, chewed tobacco, played cards and drank.

Charlie eventually retired from the Stagecoach and went into the cattle business around Santa Cruz,. On December 31, 1879, some neighbors found old Charlie dead at home. It was only when they got around to dressing the body for burial, they discovered Charlie Parkhurst was a woman, not a man.

It's not my intention to go into the unfair stereotypes that women had to unfairly follow in the 1800’s.
 It is my intention to say that Charlie wasn't what, or who she seemed.
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The same could be said about Peter when He made His bold boasts and grandiose clams that he would never fall away EVEN IF all the other disciples headed off into the sunset. Considering Peter’s past track record, these were not the wisest  remarks. Do you remember the night

1. Peter walked on the water. What did he do next? He sank, didn’t he.?
2. Earlier in the evening he tried to stop Jesus from washing his feet. What did he do next? He asked Jesus to wash all of him. ….

Peter may have thought he was self-sufficient, self-contained and self-saved but he wasn’t. Scripture also includes the disciple when it casts its loop for sinners. Holy Scriptures remain right when they say “ALL HAVE SINNED.” (emphasis mine)
Scripture is right when it says, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

Which is why we lost and condemned sinners should rejoice that we have a Savior Who never forgot Who He was.

• When He said "I am THE Way, THE Truth, and THE Light", He meant it.
• When He said He had come to "seek and save the lost" He meant it.
• When Jesus said He would do something, He meant it.

Even if it meant dying a terrible and painful death on the cross to save a dying world. No, the only One Who could ever say: "Even if all fall away....I never will”, is Jesus. He says those words to the Father and He kept the promise. He drank the bitter cup of suffering and He died the death we deserved. All this to keep the promise that with faith in Him we shall live forever.

THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, people make all kinds of promises about what they will do. Some they keep, many they don't. I give thanks that Your promises are sure. Help me make my promises to You just as dependable. In Your Name.  Amen.

The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html