My Online Faith Journal

   " To sum up, let all be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil, or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing."  1 Peter 3:8-9, NASV      Peter is writing to families in this section,that really began back in chapter two, but now continues through chapter 3.  He discusses the relationship that a wife and husband have together.  Then sums up what he is saying in verses 8-9 with the above words.  The key word in verse 8 is "all".  This isn't a command for one person or the other, but everyone is included.  Peter included a warning for husbands in his earlier passage that if the husband did not treat his wife with honor and a fellow heir his prayers would be hindered.      I'm reading this book right now by Gary Smalley called "The DNA of Relationships" and in it Smalley talks about having a "No

    Some thoughts from 1 Peter 1:22-2:10.  One of the things that struck me as I read this passage was what a different view of the church God must have from what we do.  As you drive around your community you notice churches of various denominations such as Lutheran, Pentecostal, Baptist, Methodist and some others.  From what I see in this passage, God doesn't see such divisions.  In fact, he sees no divisions at all.  We are actually all being used together to be built into a spiritual house.       I know I may get some criticism for speaking against denominations.  I was ordained in the Baptist faith as a deacon in 1997 and as a minister in 1998.  I have been a part of either the Methodist denomination my first 18 years of life and Baptist since then.  I know that there is some distinct differences in denomiations that we would disagree on.  But, I don't see these distinctions in heaven or in this passage.  God isn't going to have a Baptist heaven and a Methodist heave