Peter decided that the two women were telling the truth.  Jesus was indeed risen.  And over the next few days as Jesus appeared to them, Peter was forever changed.  After Jesus had gone to God, Peter preached one, if not the, most convincing sermons in Biblical history.  Thousands upon thousands believed in the gospel story.  It is always convincing when someone says, "Let me tell you what happened.  I saw it.  I was there."  Peter no longer was fearful of the Jewish high priests and Pharisees.  Bring them on!!!

These personal accounts from John, Luke, Matthew, Mark, James, Peter and others, which are identical to each other, are powerful.  The fact that they wrote down what they saw is certainly a God thing.  He had us in mind.  He wanted us to hear first hand accounts about Jesus so that we would have great confidence in the story of Jesus.  So that we would believe and know our sins are forgiven.

The other doubter that I really love is Thomas.  Remember when Jesus appeared to his disciples and Thomas wasn't present.  When his friends told them that Jesus was risen, Thomas said that couldn't happen.  People didn't rise from the dead.   He said he wouldn't believe it unless he put his finger in the nail holes in Christ's hands and his side where the Roman soldier had stabbed him.

And then Jesus appeared to Thomas and said, "Thomas, put your hand in my side.  Touch these wounds in my hands."  And Thomas fell to his knees and said, "My Lord and My God."  He called Jesus God.  No other person had ever said that.  And he didn't have to touch his hands or side.  He could see Him.  It was Jesus.

That's pretty powerful.  Peter.  Thomas.  Doubters.  God bless them.

Give me a good doubter any day of the week.  I don't want to be like a sheep that follows the crowd and ends up going over the cliff.  Sheep are stupid.  When you doubt something, you should try to find out the truth.

Peter doubted.  When  Mary Magdalene, and Johanna the mother of James came back from the empty tomb, none of the disciples believed their story.  Luke 23: 11-12 "And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.  Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulcher; and stooping down, he held the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass."

Good old Peter.  Everyone else was sitting around agreeing with each other.  But Peter was an individual who was always asking questions.  Always looking for the truth.  So even though he didn't believe the two women, he got up off his behind and ran--not walked--to the tomb to check it out for himself.  He doubted what the women had told them, but his doubt wasn't going to stop him from checking it out for himself.

And then, he wondered "in himself at what had happened."  Then he was ready for the truth.  I think you can tell I really love this character, Peter.  He is so real.  Flawed, but a real person.  Always first to speak.  Always first to question.  Never intimidated.  I just think he is a neat person.  If you want to get a real picture of him, read what Luke and Acts have to say about him.

1 Peter 1: 15-16 Moreover, I will endeavor that you may be able after I die to have these things always in remembrance.  For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty."  He was an eyewitness.  He checked everything out for himself.  And when he discovered the truth, his life was never the same.

I can't seem to stay in the book I am writing about.  In this case 1 Peter.  I start looking up references to something and then I am chasing rabbits.  Additionally, I am always reading some other book in the Bible because I have finished the one I am writing about and so I start reading something else.  And no, I don't always understand everything I am reading.  I just keep on keeping on.  It is so interesting.

I say that to say this.  I am halfway through the book of Luke and have been amazed at how many times he quotes Peter.  Peter seems to be his secondary character.  Of course Jesus is first.

Luke was a doctor.  He was precise.  And the things he wrote about and the way he wrote about Jesus was different from Matthew, Mark and John.  When Luke became a Christian, he really had no idea of what had happened in Jesus' early life.  So he went back to the sources.  Probably to the mother of Jesus, because some of the things he tells us, the other three gospel writers don't tell us.  Like the story of Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist and how Mary came to see her before Jesus was born.  

There is a translation of the four Gospels called the Parallel Gospels that has all four, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John on the same page.  In columns.  So you can compare what each writer wrote that the others didn't.  And what they left out.  It is fascinating how differently each one wrote.

But Peter, and the stories about him seem to fascinate Luke.   At one point Luke says that Peter, always outspoken, says:  (loose translation)  "Lord, when you tell these parables are you telling them for us, or are they for everyone?)  Luke 12: 41.   Peter's mind was always turning, trying to figure out what and who Jesus was.  But when it was crunch time, Jesus asked the twelve, "Who do you say that I am?"  And Peter, always first to speak said "Thou art the Christ, the son of the Living God." Matt. 16:16

1 Peter 3: 15 16b  "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you--with meekness and fear: " that "…they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ."

I am never exactly sure of the total meaning of the word "sanctify".  The dictionary says that it means to, "set apart, declare holy, consecrate, purify, free from sin."  Whatever it meant in the Greek, in our English translation, all of those words apply.  It takes action on our part.  We have to clean out the sin.  we have to purify our lives, our speech.

I do know what it means to "...be ready always to give an answer…" to anyone who asks a reason for your hope.  The hope that drives your life.  Sometimes people do ask.  Usually they don't, but you can be ready if they do, if you study God's word.  It's okay to say, "I don't know exactly where this is found in the Bible, but I have read it myself.  I know it's in there."  You can always get  back with them later.

But don't hit them over the head with the Bible.  Meekness.  Fear.  It's scary.  You may be rejected.  But Peter says that they may be ashamed when they see your sincerity, genuine care for them, and your love of Christ.

Go ahead.  Share Christ.  Be ready.  Always.  What do you have to lose.  More importantly, what do they have to gain.

Be bold.  Be courteous.  And remember, you may save someone's life.  That's what you and I are all about.

Eventually Peter has to say something we don't want to hear.  1 Peter 2: 13-15  "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; or to governors, as to them (law men) that are sent by him (the governor) for the punishment of evildoers…for so is the will of God, that with well-doing you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men."

Now Peter has gone to meddling.  But what he doesn't say is submit yourselves to the king or governor.  I can live with that.  I can submit myself to "every ordinance".   Kind of.  Obviously Peter didn't have to deal with the United States government that loves to pass ordinances.  Stupid ones.  And even when they are outdated, they stay on the books.

But I try.  I'm just not a very good submitter.  I bet you aren't either.  But we must try.  My biggest problem is stop signs.  They irritate me.  When no one is coming from any direction, stopping just for the sake of obeying the rule is difficult for me.  I (we) want to make our own rules.

But the reason that Peter gives for stopping (or whatever law you are breaking) is that it is the will of God.  I would rather it just be something Peter is advising us to do.  But no, Peter invokes the will of God.  That is a different ballgame.

And God's reason is that when we do what we are supposed to do, we silence those who rebel against the law.  God calls them ignorant, and foolish.

I don't particularly want to be included among the ignorant and foolish.  And I do want to do the will of God.  His purpose is that we have a witness to those who don't know Him.  Okay.  I'll try harder.

I tried to drive to Tulsa today because I had two Dr. appointments that had been really hard to get.  Of course the roads were covered with ice.  And at a little over 30 mph, driving in ruts, I did a 180 plus another 90 and ended up in a ravine.  A highway patrol was there within a minute and helped me out.  No air bags deployed and I ended up going in backwards.  So nothing was hurt.  Me or the car.

As it was happening, I was saying out loud, "Dear Jesus, Oh, dear Jesus."  Over and over.  If I weren't a Christian, I doubt those words would have been my instantaneous reaction.  But there I was, spinning and calling on the name of the Lord.

Yes, I went on and made both appointments and all the roads were clear and melted off by the time I started home.  God is good.

Which made me think of the verse, "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks."  What goes in comes out in times of panic.

What comes out of your mouth?  If you haven't been putting good stuff into your heart, you know the kind of stuff that comes out of your mouth.  We've all been there.  But no more.  Peter calls on us to be holy.  As Christ is holy.  It takes preparation ahead of time.  You can't wait until you need him.

My four children read this blog.  Not one word from any of you about how I should have stayed home.

It's been four days since I have had heat.  And of course the temperatures are freezing and this morning we had 2-3 inches of snow.  Luckily I like to sleep cold.  Luckily I have good insulation.  It's in the 20's outside and the 50's inside.  And luckily I had a carpenter come three years ago and build a fireplace for Ken that runs on propane.  (Ken was always cold because of dialysis.)  And install a propane tank and lines etc. etc.  So one room is warm "enough" and I am cuddled up under a blanket with my two dogs--waiting for someone to get around to fixing my heat pump.

Which gives me time to read.   At no other time in my life have I read the Bible like I am reading it now.  I have so much time on my hands.  These last years have been so full--every day I was cooking the special foods that Ken was approved to eat.  Cooking without salt is a challenge.

But now, I have quit cooking.  I stand in the kitchen and eat peanut butter out of a jar with a spoon.  Or tuna out of the can.  I find it interesting that the reason I cooked was to give Ken the things he liked to eat and was allowed to eat.  I didn't know that was the reason.  I thought I cooked for both of us.  But when he was gone,  I found that I don't care enough about food to cook it for myself.  I never served him sandwiches.  Now they are my main meal of the day.

I think what I am trying to say is that I am surprised at myself.   I am not the same without Ken.

And Peter was not the same when Jesus left.  When Jesus died, Peter was a better man.  He was ready to start a new life as a messenger to the world about the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I don't think he ate peanut butter out of a jar with a spoon.  I've got to pull myself up by my bootstraps and do what Peter did.  Find a new normal and get busy with some  new purpose.  I can do it.  God's gonna help me.  It's just strange to be me without Ken.  I'm not sure who I am yet.