Where are you today? Are you discouraged? Are you lonely? Do you feel weighed down? I have the best news for you! Jesus Christ loves you! Jesus Christ, your Creator, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, loves you!

Remember He said in John 15:

¹³ Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Jesus Christ proved His love for you –Romans 5:

⁸But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

⁹ Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

¹⁰ For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

¹¹ And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

Jesus Christ is compassionate. He always cares for His own. He cares about you and your circumstances and your feelings and your dreams. He loves you with an everlasting love. Remember the example of how He treated Peter? It was the night of the Last Supper. Jesus Christ was preparing Himself and His disciples for His crucifixion and return to Heaven.

This is what Jesus Christ told Peter in Luke 22:

³¹ And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

³² But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

What does it mean to you that Jesus Christ prayed for Peter’s faith to fail not?

How would you describe your faith?

Peter’s response:

³³ And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.

Do you think Peter understood what was going to happen?

Jesus Christ’s warning:

³⁴ And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.

This is what happened according to Luke’s account recorded in chapter 22:

⁵⁴ Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest’s house. And Peter followed afar off.

⁵⁵ And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them.

⁵⁶ But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him.

⁵⁷ And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not.

⁵⁸ And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not.

⁵⁹ And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilaean.

⁶⁰ And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew.

⁶¹ And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.

⁶² And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.

Why do you think Peter could not keep his word to go with the Lord even to prison and to death?

The message from the angel at the empty tomb specified Peter- Mark 16:

⁴ And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.

⁵ And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.

⁶ And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.

⁷ But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.

Paul records that an intimate conversation took place between the risen Jesus Christ and Peter-1 Corinthians 15:

³For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

⁴ And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

⁵ And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:

⁶ After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

⁷ After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.

⁸ And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

⁹ For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

Why do you think Jesus Christ met with Peter before He met with the other disciples?

Why do you think God wants you to know that Jesus Christ met with Peter?

Why do you think God kept the actions and words of this meeting from us?

I suppose it was personal and intimate just for Jesus Christ and Peter.

1 John 1:

⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness

What does the intimacy of Jesus Christ mean to you?

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God

Dearly Beloved,

Run with your eyes on Jesus alone!

Run in faith that Jesus loves you, has uniquely designed and created only one you, has a good plan for your life, runs with you and will accomplish His purposes for you and through  you!

Run in His strength alone!

Run with your eyes on the prize!

Run with the desire to finish strong!

Run with the desire to finish with your lamp burning!

Run with the expectation of being in His physical presence when you cross your finish line!

Run to His glory alone!

Run and keep on running!

Coach Patti