No One wrote:
> satan via a sockpuppet (demon) wrote:
>
> > <nothing meaningful>
>
> A Hindrance to Christ?
>
> Right Motive, Wrong Method
>
> "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your
> mind on the things of God, but on the things of man." (Matthew 16:23)

Amen.

> It's important to keep in mind that Jesus did not speak these harsh, withering
> words to the devil himself, but to Peter-on whom, only moments before, He had
> lavished such well-deserved praise.

Actually, the rebuke was for satan, who had placed a lie in Peter's
heart that "GOD does not know what HE is doing."

With that lie, Peter had indeed become a hindrance for Jesus, Who had
chosen to do that which was the perfect will of HIS Father.

> The same one who had boldly confessed Him
> as Christ and Son of the living God, the one on whose faith, example, and
> leadership Jesus promised to build His Church-

Peter's boldness came from the Holy Spirit.

> this same one He now rebuked and shamed.

The rebuke was for satan followed by words to drive satan's lie out of
Peter's heart.

> What had Peter done to deserve such denunciation?

By receiving satan's lie into his heart.

> He had become a hindrance to
> the Lord Jesus, a stumbling block along the path to glory. And he had done this
> out of what might seem the best of motives: Peter wanted God's will for Jesus,
> and, of course, for himself, the titular head of the Church. His motives seem
> to have been all right, mostly.

Peter falsely believed that GOD's plan was bad (i.e. that GOD did not
know what HE was doing)..

> But he hadn't been paying close attention. Perhaps he was too busy imagining
> what it would be like to be the chief builder of the Church, the one to whom
> everyone else looked for direction and comfort. There he would be, right-hand
> man to the King, making sure everybody knew what they needed to do, and that
> they did it promptly and efficiently. Yes sir, the days of hard straining to
> catch fish would be far behind him then. Life would be good in the shalom of
> the Lord. Doubtless Peter couldn't resist glancing at the other eleven to see
> if they were admiring him as much as he was.
>
> But now Jesus was talking about, well, unpleasant things-suffering many things
> and being killed. Clearly, that wasn't in Peter's little daydream about the
> Lord, the Church, and himself. Well, he must have reasoned, one good
> demonstration of leadership deserves another. So, just as he had blurted out
> "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God," now Peter made bold to tell
> this very one, "Mercy, no, Lord. This shall never happen to you!"

Thereby revealing the false belief that GOD's plan is bad. This false
belief included satan's intent to deceive Peter and was therefore a
lie. It is written that satan is the source of all lies and so satan
was in their midst.

> And then Jesus' withering denunciation.

Again, the rebuke was for satan.

> Why was Jesus so brutal in putting Peter in his place?

It was the way to drive out satan's lie from Peter's heart.

> Because the stakes were
> high, as the stakes are always high when the glory of Christ and the progress
> of His Kingdom are at issue. For God will glorify His Son, and He will cause
> His kingdom to make progress on earth, as it is in heaven, but He will do so
> only on His terms, and not on ours.
>
> PETER'S FAULTY FOCUS Didn't Peter want Jesus to be glorified? Undoubtedly he
> did. Didn't he long for the coming of the kingdom and its progress on the
> earth? Certainly. But Peter had begun to get a picture in his mind, both of
> what that would look like and how it ought to proceed. And, frankly, that
> picture didn't include anything like suffering and being killed.

That false picture arose from the false belief that there is a better
plan than GOD's (ie GOD's plan is bad).

> Peter was thinking about God's agenda with the mind of a mere man, trying to
> plan God's work for Him in ways that would be agreeable to his sense of how
> things ought to play out.

Peter's faith in GOD faltered thereby allowing satan to place his lie
that "GOD doesn't know what HE is doing" into his heart.

It is our faith placed steadfastly in LORD Jesus Christ, our LORD and
our GOD, that results in HIS saving us.

"My LORD and my GOD!" -- Archetypal agnostic "doubting" Thomas upon
seeing our risen LORD Jesus Christ.

The brethren of LORD Jesus Christ are neither perfect not more
special...

....we are simply forgiven by GOD:

http://www.interviewwithgod.com/forgiven/

For those who have not been forgiven by GOD and who have not unwisely
blasphemed the Holy Spirit:

http://HeartMDPhD.com/HolySpirit/TheWay

May GOD bless you in HIS mighty way making you hungrier than ever.

Prayerfully in Jesus' awesome love,

Andrew <><
--
Andrew B. Chung, MD/PhD
http://ABChung.LiveJournal.com

"Unlike the 2PD-OMER Approach, weight loss diets can't be combined
with well-balanced diets"
http://HeartMDPhD.com/Love/TheTruth