John 21:18b -19

"When you are old you will stretch out your hands , and somone else will dress you and lead you to where you do not want to go". Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would Glorify God, then he said to follow me.


The last nine months of Peters life he was chained to a post in a dark cell in the Roman prison called Martine. Nero, the Emporer at the time had declared himself the enemy of God and at his command Peter was tortured until his excution. It is recorded that even during this time, Peter was able to bring forty seven people to the Lord including those that tortured him. Peter was finally lead out and crucified upside down so as not to have the same death as Christ.

Yesterday my post was from John 15:8 "This to my fathers glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciple." To my fathers glory... showing yourselves to be my disciple. Is this not what Peter did. In his life, after meeting Christ and following Him for three years, to he continued to glorify Him as His disciple. Following Jesus even after He left the world to sit at the right hand of the father.

Years later, AD 67, Peters last months on earth. After faithfully wittnessing to the world the Gospel, after traveling to Rome and preaching his last free moments to a nation of unbelievers. After seeing his wife brought out and killed, speaking to her of God. He continued to be a disciple of Christ Jesus.

Peter glorified god in his last moments. He saw his death as the begining of life, as he saw his wifes death, as he saw the death of all believers. He did not fear, he glorified the father, he glorified Christ. As John states in his Gospel, Jesus said this to indicated the kind of death Peter would Glorify God in. In his death he would glorify God.

In John 15:8 and in 21:19 we see the intentions of Jesus and what God asks us to do. To Glorify Him. To be the Disciple of Jesus and "follow Him" as He glorifies the father. We are not just asked to love, and forgive, to be good people and have a happy life as a lightfooted carefree Christian. We are asked to, in all things, glorify God.

Peter in his death, revealed by Jesus years earlier did this. The Apostle Paul also would suffer much persecution and joy, telling us "in all things be thankful" to God. Many others give glory to Him as they walk, knowing that nothing is done, nothing is accomplished accept through the hand of God.

We are the ones who become selfish and forget this lesson. We are the ones now who believe that we somehow are promised gold and silver and then complain whwn we only have wood and straw. We are the ones that believe that when we suffer we are away from God and when we have happiness we are in His grace. He is not that inconsistant, He is not that careless. He longs always to have fellowship with again and to walk with us. He looks for us only to realize that He is all we need and in all things to Glorify Him.

We will not all be asked to go to iour deaths proclaiming the name of the Lord as we are crucified. We are asked to be a Disciple of Jesus Christ and to Follow His example in our lives giving Glory to God in all that we do. To allow the Spirit to dwell within us and to guide us to that true discipleship and to strive to lift up His name even when we don't, or do see, the joy in it.

Be a "Disciple" and "Follow Him." Live the true definition of unconditionally in love of the Father and Glorify God in all things. This is the calling that is opon your life as a Christian, this is what He wants from you.

Lord God, to die is gain to live is Christ. Allow me to follow Him and in His example glorify you in everything that I do, any circumstance that you present, any station of life, any joy and any pain, to you. Allow me to give that to you, in thanksgiving, to you. Amen.