“And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.  Peter responded and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If You want, I will make three tabernacles here: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” (Matthew 17:3-4).

God is not the god of the dead, but the God of the living.  Because Christ lives, you too shall live.  Abandon the old life which leads to death and walk in the life Christ gives you.  Do not be concerned with the speculations of this age but be transformed by the renewing of your mind in Christ Jesus.  Walk with Him knowing that He is leading you out of the bondage to sin and death and into a new life.

Lord, standing with You were Moses and Elijah, representing the law and the prophets.  You bring all things together according to Your word so that we may live into the abundant life You offer.  Do not let us go astray with speculation about Moses and Elijah being there, but take their lead to look to You, the author and finisher of faith.  Help all who call upon Your name to humbly walk, following You, into the life You are offering by grace through grace.

Lord Jesus, seeing You as You are, the embodiment of Scripture fulfilled, overwhelms my heart and mind so that the trivialities of this age pale in comparison.  Keep me abiding in You and help me to look to You as the source of my being.  I know You are walking with me this day.  Help me to live knowing that You are leading me each moment of this and every day that You give me.  Teach me how to be faithful.  Amen.

“Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James, and his brother John, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves.  And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light” (Matthew 17:1-2).

Who is Jesus?  In this temporal world we see what we can in the physical realm, but we are physical and spiritual beings.  You are both.  Our Lord has come to awaken us to eternity.  He shows us who He is.  He is the Eternal One through whom all things were made.  He has come that we may have life and have it more abundantly.  He is calling us to become a child of the Heavenly Father.

Lord Jesus, You are King of kings and Lord of lords.  You have come so that we may have the abundant life that leads to eternal life.  Guide us in Your goodness to see You as You are.  Never let us trivialize or ignore the reality that You, through whom all things have their being, have come to share eternal life with each one of us.  Lead Your faithful ones in the light of Your presence to walk with You.

Savior of all believers, You came humbly to reveal light and life.  Walk with me so that I may walk in the light of Your presence.  Guide me in Your goodness and mercy this day so that I may do those things You give me to do.  Help me to keep my eye on You always as You lead me in this day.  Tune my heart to be in constant prayer, seeking Your Holy Spirit to help me throughout this day.  Amen.

“Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom” (Matthew 16:28).

John saw the kingdom and gave a report.  Yet, do we who believe, still not see that the kingdom has broken in?  It is not just the place, but the kingdom, where our Lord and we are eternally united.  Think in terms of the relationship you have and not the place where you physically stand.  Be led by the Holy Spirit to walk in the way of true life.  Walk with the Lord and trust that He has done all that needs to be done.

Lord, I sometimes think mechanically and skeptically.  Lead me to hear Your words simply.  You have come to unite us with the Father eternally.  By grace, through faith, You do this.  Guard my heart and mind so that I do not trust myself but trust You above all things.  Let me be encouraged by the hope You give me.  Teach me to look to You alone for the guidance I need to come into Your eternal presence.

Lord Jesus, You have come so that we may have life and have it more abundantly.  Guide me in Your goodness and mercy to walk with You this day knowing that all things are in Your hands.  In Your grace, turn my eyes from longing for the things of this world to live into the life You give through faith.  Let me know that when I see You, I see the kingdom of heaven.  Lead me ever deeper into Your kingdom.  Amen.

“For what good will it do a person if he gains the whole world, but forfeits his soul? Or what will a person give in exchange for his soul?  For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every person according to his deeds” (Matthew 16:26-27).

There are those who do think of themselves alone and as the center of being.  What good does that do?  So, you live for yourself.  What have you gained?  Experiences?  But if you live for yourself, when you die, they die.  Jesus is telling us the most fundamental truth there is, we are not alone, nor are we the center.  The richest people in the world leave behind everything they gained in this life. Only your soul survives.

Lord, in the end, my soul is either yours, or else is forfeited.  If I seek my selfish desires, I cannot have a heart that really lives.  Lead me in the way You know I need to walk to be shed of the evil that resides in my heart.  Lord, I pray You, bless me because I have walked with You rather than walking in my way.  Save me from the condemnation this world brings so that I may become what You intend.

Lord Jesus, You are being forthright and telling us of reality.  Help me to think this through and see it for what it is.  Guide me now and always to understand that You created me, and I desire to walk with You.  Either I will belong to myself, or I will belong to You.  You have ransomed my soul.  Guide me in the way, truth and life You give me by grace so that I may live and  join You in eternity.  Amen.

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:24-25).

It is not about you or me.  We did not invent life.  We can barely (if at all) control our own life.  The One who is the author of life calls us to follow Him and He will show us what life is.  The struggle runs deep in our sin-sick soul.  He must carefully pull each thorn of sin out of us to make of us what He will.  You do not need to figure it out, for He knows the plans He laid down at the foundation of all things.

Lord, I do want to do things my way.  I have a strong will and it often gets in the way.  Lead me, Lord, so that I may humbly follow where You lead.  Teach me how to deny myself so that I may come into Your purpose.  I worry about this life, but You have told me to stop worrying about this life.  Teach me what it means to deny myself for Your sake so that I walk in faith with You leading.

Lord Jesus, You denied Yourself by taking my sin with You on the cross.  Help me to take up my cross and learn what it means to deny myself.  Help me to get out of the way so that the Holy Spirit can guide me.  You know what I need.  Help me to live with You being the One who, in every situation, provides counsel for my thoughts, words, and deeds.  Help me to focus upon living rightly and not upon being saved.  You have already done all that is needed, my Lord, Savior, and God.  Amen.

“And yet Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You!”  But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s purposes, but men’s” (Matthew 16:22-23).

How many times do we rebuke the Lord in a particular situation?  We think it ought to go one way, but it does not.  We get angry at the Lord and ask, “Where were You?”   But all things will work together according to the Father’s will.  We may not understand, but He who sees all things knows the plans He has.  Faith and trust will carry us through those places where we do not understand.

God, I know that You are good all the time.  You have called us to follow Jesus as He leads us through the storms of this life.  You have come to conquer sin, death, and the devil.  In my unbelief, help me to always move forward on the narrow path which leads to salvation.  Keep me from standing still in places that confuse me and help me press on through every storm that will come my way.

Guide me, Lord Jesus, in the narrow way of life.  You gave up Your earthly life so that I might live a new one.  Help me to set my mind on Your purpose and not only on mine.  Lead me through those times when I am selfish to look to You in truth and know that all things are in Your hands.  Guide me now and always to have hope in You above, through and in all things.  You are the author of my faith.  Help me to live with the knowledge that You are always leading.  Amen.

“From that time Jesus began to point out to His disciples that it was necessary for Him to go to Jerusalem and to suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and to be killed, and to be raised up on the third day” (Matthew 16:21).

Why does God need to die?  That’s why He came. But the real question is, why does He need to do this to save us?  But even these questions avoid the problem.  We are dead because of sin and how do we come to life, real life, in order to dwell with the Lord forever?  The source of life takes on our life, dying to give us His life.  The mystery is great, but the reality of it gives us hope upon hope.  We are taken from separation into eternal relationship with God.

What shall we do with these things, Lord?  You who knew no sin took our sin upon Yourself so that we who do not have eternal life might take on Your life and live.  It seems a strange way to do things, but You are God.  Lead me out of speculating on these things to simply walk with You as You conform all who believe in order to become like You in preparation for all that is to come.  Help me to always hear Your word, whether I like what I hear or not.

Lord Jesus, You say many things plainly.  You have told us of things that must take place.  Though born resisting You, help me now to live following You.  Guide me through those things I do not understand to come to the place where I may live into the life You are giving me.  Guide me so that I do not stop because of what the world is doing but press on toward the prize of the upward call You give by grace.  Amen.

“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”  Then He gave the disciples strict orders that they were to tell no one that He was the Christ” (Matthew 16:19-20).

The keys are given.  Not the power, but the keys.  The keys lock and unlock.  What is hidden remains hidden for those who will not believe.  What becomes evident to those who believe is unlocked.  We are bound by the reality of sin.  That is unlocked so that we may know the reality of the Creator who made us.  We are bound by death, but the chains are unlocked that we may have life.

In the beginning, Lord, You laid the foundation of the world knowing all that would happen.  Guide me Lord, in the everlasting way of life so that I may understand what it means to carry the keys.  Help me to bind what is wicked and loosen those who are bound.  It is Your power and Your kingdom, but You have invited me to be a part of what You are doing in this age.

Lord Jesus, You have come in order that I may have life and have it abundantly.  Day by day, continue to loosen me from the chains that bind me.  Set me free to be Your servant.  Let me publicly through all I say and do, make the confession that You are the One who has come to redeem the lost, help the broken- hearted, and heal the sick souls who seek Your redemption.  Include me in what You are doing and help me to be faithful to Your call.  Amen.

“And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.  And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it” (Matthew 16:17-18).

We are blessed when we make the good confession.  It is not a formula, but the truth.  The Holy Spirit awakens our spirit to know the truth.  The truth, the Anointed One who is God in the flesh, moves our soul from death to life.  Upon the truth of who He is, the bride, His church is going to be knit together from every tribe, tongue, folk, and nation.  All those who will come to Him in truth, and live as life has been created to live will be with Him forever.

Lord, I hear the words, but sink them deep into my soul so that I am one who does not just speak the words, but believes that You are the Christ.  Teach me how to live knowing this.  Guide me to understand that in You I do have hope and a future.  Lead me into all righteousness so that I may prepare for the eternal life which is mine in You.  You are the Word and You are truth.

Lord Jesus, Savior of mankind, guide me in Your goodness and mercy to live the good confession.  You are the Christ.  Be Christ in me and help me to walk in the salvation You have prepared from the beginning for all who believe.  In Your goodness and mercy, lift me up out of the thinking of this world to see things through Your word.  Guide me in the Gospel that You have given that I may be more like You each day.  Amen.

“He said to them, “But who do you yourselves say that I am?”  Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:13-14).

We have heard this so many times that the significance for some diminishes almost to the point of irrelevance, The Incarnate One is God in the flesh.  God has come to save those who will follow Him.  The world fights for power.  God does not.  The world wants power.  Power belongs to God.  He is humble, gracious, and kind.  He is our Savior and God, the Almighty who comes to lead the way home.

Lord, I have heard the confession and, with every recitation of the creed, say it again.  But the truth of who You are often does not sink in.  I do not fully believe that You, who made all things, can fulfill a simple request.  Take away my unbelief and disrespect so that I live with the deeper faith You give that knows You are the Savior of the world.  Lead me ever closer to You and always farther from the ways of the world.

Lord Jesus, You are the Anointed One, the Light of the world.  Shine in the darkness of my soul and enlighten me to be one who follows You all the days of my life.  Help me to understand that in You is all life, for You are the author of life and all thing were made through and for You.  Guide me today in faith to seek You and listen as You direct me in how to live life as You have created it to be lived.  Amen.