i had the privilege of sharing on 1 peter four last night, thought i'd post the notes i took on it. it's a wonderful, convicting chapter. this is rather long-winded, but i hope this blesses you.

Verse 1:

Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh,

Christ died a painful death. He suffered a ton. His mind was entirely set on the work at hand, on the Kingdom, on God’s desires above His.

Arm yourselves with the same way of thinking,

I love this terminology. Not, think the same way. Not, be of the same mind. But, arm yourselves. Arm. It’s a call to action, a call to preparedness for whatever arrows the enemy shoots at us. A call to put on the full armor of God. Christ was equipped, armed with that way of thinking—total, absolute surrender to the purposes of God—and was thus able to face what He faced. I think it’s interesting, we face very little opposition for our faith. And yet it is imperative that we be armed with this kind of thinking. To be fully submissive and surrendered to God’s purpose for our lives, so that if and when the suffering hits, we won’t be shaken. We won’t be taken off-guard. I think of a man walking on a trail, and someone warns him, hey, there’s quicksand up ahead. This guy isn’t just gonna say well yeah, I know there’s quicksand but what are the odds I’ll hit it? And just keep moseying along. He’s going to be ready, prepared for the potential danger, watching his steps as he travels onward.

For whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,

Apart from Christ, why would you suffer? I looked forward to the next few verses and it talks about how the gentiles now revile those who walk with Christ, because they are different and no longer indulgent in the lusts of the flesh. Perhaps this is what he is saying. That if you are suffering for the name of Christ, it’s because you have ceased from sin, because you are focused on Christ’s will above your own desire, and are thus seen as servants of Him, and the enemy, the prince of this world, does not like those who are in opposition to his system.

Verse 2

So as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.

This is the result of walking in the spirit. This is the result of walking for the will of God. You exchange what you once knew in lust and lasciviousness and instead use your life for His purpose and glory. And that is the ceasing from sin. If you live your life for the will of God, you are no longer walking in the flesh. And that is what the world hates. This verse most definitely brings to mind Galatians 2:20. It is no longer I who lives, but Christ. Hallelujah! The flesh is dead. It’s dead. Over and done with. It is on this premise that we face suffering and opposition, not on the premise of the flesh. If you are living a life after the flesh, don’t worry too much about suffering because the enemy already has you where he wants you. No longer for human passions, but for the will of God. We must fully abandon the ways of the flesh, to hate even the garment stained by the flesh. Later on he talks about suffering for sin committed, but for this, the suffering he’s talking about comes alive when we are completely submitted to Christ.

Verse 3-6

For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.

The times past more than suffice to satisfy a man after the flesh, it is all the same, all death, all dead, and there is nothing in it. But people without Christ have only the flesh, and when they see someone living for the living God, that frightens them because it threatens their self-proclaimed kingship over their flesh, their vaporous fleeting lives. They are shocked when you do not indulge, when you turn your back on the things of this world, and they are offended. Some will malign you. Some will hurt you. But they will give an account to the Righteous Judge of all things. I recall last week talking about suffering, and how even though we can be hurt and tortured and what have you, we cannot be touched, because to die is to be with Christ. Such a wonderful thought. And again, we don’t face too much opposition right now, but we are called to be prepared, and ready for it. You never know what the Lord has planned, and things can change so quickly. He sums up this thought by saying that this is why the Gospel is made available to all men, that whoever would cast off this mortality for the glorious life of eternity with God can do just that. That any of us who were once dead in sin can live this life not in terms of the flesh, in debauchery, but rather by faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us. This is the message of the Cross. This reminds me of Titus 3:1-11. Let’s check that real quick:

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him,  knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.

And this passage leads perfectly into the rest of this chapter:

Verse 7:

 The end of all things is at hand,

interesting to note, historically speaking this was written shortly before the siege of Jerusalem, when the Romans took control and began tearing apart the church and anyone in opposition to Rome. But it obviously applies to the battle mindset we must have, knowing that the end is near. Jesus said multiple times to ‘be on the alert’—because things are hitting the fan and we must be ready—armed—with that same mind of Christ, so that we will be prepared for whatever happens.

 Therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.

 Be alert! I think of 2 Timothy 2:4: No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. We must not be entangled in the affairs of everyday life; we must not be focused on our circumstances; we must be sober, temperate, so that we can be focused on and pleasing to the Victor of this raging battle. I mean, the only way to overcome is to understand that He has overcome—and to lean on His victorious arms.

Verse 8:

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

Again and again in scripture we see that love is dominant, love is powerful, God is love, and love does in fact cover a multitude of sin. Forgiveness, Christ-like forgiveness, it bites the bullet and buries transgressions forever, freeing the debtor from that which he was bound to. There is perfect freedom in this, and so we are encouraged, exhorted to love perfectly and earnestly, with the mind of Christ.

Verse 9:

Show hospitality to one another, without grumbling.

It is only once we are armed with the same mind that we are exhorted to be armed with in verse one that we are able to show hospitality without grumbling. To not count wrongs or who owes what or merit or credit, but to simply take one another in and care for one another. Just as in chapter two, where it talks about how Christ did not retaliate, did not count wrongs suffered, but forgave and loved in spite of anything that He could’ve been upset about.

Verse 10:

As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:

We are called to use all we are given to serve. I love that Christ came not to be served but to serve—that He is God, He is almighty, and yet He came and humbled Himself as a servant to all men. This is what we are called to—to abandon rank and title, riches and prestige, popularity and public affection, and replace that with a giving, loving, servant’s heart. The Pharisees were all about prestige, what they looked like, their own reputations, their own righteousness. But we are called to the opposite. To serve one another.

Verse 11:

Whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in EVERYTHING God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To Him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. AMEN.

This further demonstrates the point about giving up self for Christ. Christ wants nothing of our own filthy righteousness. God cares not a bit about what we can do, about talents and good looks and humor and amicability and popularity. He wants and deserves ALL glory, and ALL praise, and we are to cast of the wickedness of pride and instead love and live as Christ lived. The original sin was pride, wanting to be like God, wanting to be elevated. Christ says no. God has said no. If there is anything praiseworthy in this world, I guarantee that it has nothing to do with us. It ain’t Derrick Vachon. It ain’t how many people you’ve led to Christ. It ain’t the number of attendees at your church. It is entirely Christ. Nothing else even comes close to praise-worthiness.

I love this little section, verses eight through eleven. It begins with ‘above all, keep loving one another earnestly’, because this is what provides the strongest testimony of Jesus Christ in a dark world. The end result is bringing God glory through love, perfect, agape, Christ-like love. ‘By this,’ Jesus says, ‘Shall all men know you are My disciples, if you have love one for another.’ He gave us a new commandment as seen in John 13, that we love one another as He has loved us. This pretty much sums it up. Love one another as He has loved us, and ALL MEN shall know we are His disciples. What an exciting promise and premise on which to conduct our relationships. To look at the young women in all purity, the young men not in envy or strife, our fathers and mothers with respect, and above all to love all with perfect sacrificial love. This, again, can only be attained when once we have armed ourselves with the same mind that Christ had on this earth. Love covers a multitude of sins. At the risk of redundancy, I will say again, we cannot love like Christ until our interests are completely made void—we cannot and must not ever be focused on our own image and self worth, we must simply love, LOVE in the way Christ did, not bearing malice or carrying the deadly weight of pride around with us. There is no room for Derrick Vachon in my relationship with others, and vice versa. It has to be Christ. Christ is EVERYTHING. And when we walk in that, what a powerful testimony of Jesus it is.

Verse 12:

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.

Again we can look back at the earlier verses and see that Peter is saying, if you live for Christ, if you walk in His love and truth and have cast off the flesh, if you have grasped the victory we have in Christ, then you can expect at some point to suffer. I like this exhortation, do not be. Don’t be surprised, be ready.

Verse 13:

But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s suffering, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed.

Consider it all joy to suffer like Christ! You can rejoice in knowing that the enemy is trying to thwart you, to kill you, to hurt you, because as it says in the next verse, If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. When we suffer, we can be glad to know that His glory, His radiance, His very Spirit rests upon us. When we live our lives in complete surrender to Christ, He shines through us so brightly that it becomes only natural for us to have to suffer sometime, because the world is in complete opposition to Christ. Look at Christ, He suffered tremendously, He was beaten, mocked, betrayed, executed. That same Christ now lives in me, in you, and therefore the same enemy that wanted to rid the world of Christ 2,000 years ago is the same enemy who wants to rid the world of Christ today. So when you suffer, rejoice. Christ is being manifested through you. Praise the Lord for that, and no wonder we are told to rejoice in our sufferings! To think that His name is made more and more famous with each trial. Wow. And the end of verse thirteen, we rejoice now knowing that we can rejoice one day when His glory is revealed. It’s gonna happen, we have to be armed with the willing mind of Christ. We have to be armed with the willing mind of Christ in order to walk in the joy of victory, anticipating the day His glory is fully revealed.

Verse 15:

But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler.

There is complete shame in that. What does it benefit anyone? No, it even tears down and destroys. If a believer is suffering for these things, he is tearing down what could have been the effectual ministry of Christ through him, and that is something to be terrified of, to be ashamed of. This verse is an ultimatum. It’s God or the world. There can be no living in sin. There can be no walking after the flesh. You have to decide, and if you profess to believe, you sure as heck better make sure you’re not suffering for sin. Again, Titus 3 clearly states the reasons why.

Verse 16:

But if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.

As you suffer for the name of Christ, there is no shame in that. The response of glorifying God only makes the testimony of Christ in your life more and more apparent. To praise Him in all things, this is the true mark of a mature believer. To not turn tail and run at the first sight of trouble. We are called to this. To be armed. A brother reminded me that Peter is saying this— Peter, a man who denied Christ three times to avoid suffering. He knew the pain of rejecting the Father, and when he finally had the chance to suffer for Christ, he knew the privilege of suffering for Christ.

Verse 17:

For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?

Things are happening, the end is near, Christ will return, what are we doing with our lives? Are we in obedience to the gospel? I think Peter is specifically addressing wayward Christians. Not, what will be the outcome for those who don’t believe the gospel, but, what will be the outcome for those who don’t obey the gospel. We know the outcome of judgment for those who reject the gospel, who don’t believe in Christ—the outcome is death. But Peter is saying there is a severe judgment for those who essentially cling to a form of godliness but deny its power, who are not strong in the gospel, but who live lives of sin and debauchery even though saved from that very life. God has no use for the fruitless branches.

Verse 18:

But, if the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?

Very powerful words, again, addressing the issue of ungodliness. There can be no ungodliness in the body. Ungodliness, sin, destroys the testimony of Christ if not checked and abandoned. It is this ungodliness that is so prevalent all around us. How sad to know that America is called a Christian nation. Look at the ungodly state of the American church. I’m by no means hating on the church, but look at the dire situation. Do you think other nations look at the American church and say, they are different! They follow Jesus. They love one another. They don’t do the things we do. What’s wrong with them? It is sad to say, but the inverse is dauntingly true.

Verse 19:

Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.

All that being said, if we are walking with Christ and as a result are exposed to suffering, we must entrust our souls to our loving Savior, and live uprightly in His love. This is the command given. To entrust our souls to Him. If He is for us, who can be against us? We can walk and rejoice and thrive in the comfort of His love, in the comfort of the thought that we suffer because He is within us, His spirit and glory rests upon us. To know that for certain! God’s full glory, the glory revealed to Moses on Mount Sinai, is upon us! When we are walking according to the Father’s will, we are covered in His glory. Look at Stephen, when he was martyred. God’s glory shone so blindingly, and there was no doubt that he was a man of God. The very Spirit of God indwells us! There is nothing greater than knowing that in this life, amidst suffering and temptation and trial and pain, the God of our fathers is living within us. And one day, one perfect beautiful amazing day, His glory will be revealed in its full splendor to us. Praise the Lord.

rejoicing in the way peter presents the Gospel in 1 peter chapter four. i'll be posting some thoughts on it soon. may He be lifted high in your life today and always. be right back.

God has been up to some crazy things lately! You may have heard that He has called my good friend Dave Voetberg and I to Thailand for somewhat long-term mission work. I am so excited to be a part of reaching the lost with the glorious light of Jesus Christ! Praise the Lord for this opportunity. We will be heading to northern Thailand to a city called Chiang Mai. The need for Christ there is dire (I suppose as dire as anywhere)—around 97% of the nation of Thailand is enveloped in Theravada Buddhism. The rest (around 2%) have barely even heard about Jesus Christ, about salvation, about redemption, about true freedom.  The proverbial fields are cloud-white for the harvest. But the laborers are few! As I began to pray about mission, as the Lord has put this on my heart very strongly, I was confronted with the possibility of bringing our Jesus to Thailand. I prayed about this, sought answers of the Lord, and awaited His response. By His grace, the doors were opened and I have committed to serve Him and the Thai people specifically for this next season of life. As He would have it, nothing here is tying me down (house payment, job, girlfriend/wife, etc) and I rejoice to be able to give all my attention to this task He has called me to. The task is a huge one, as Thailand is a dark nation and in desperate need of the light of Christ. The way will be beset with trial and difficulty, but I know and do believe that the impact Christ will have on the Thai people will far outweigh the difficulty of the labor of love He has called us to. On that note, Dave and I rejoice to say that Lord willing, we will be devoting much of our time not just to converting people, but to discipling them and helping to plant churches in the city we’re going to. Our goal, our hope is to make His name famous, to bring Him glory, to magnify Him above all else, sharing the testimony of His goodness and omnipotence with everyone we encounter. For, as Acts chapter two has shown, people are moved to repentance upon hearing of the greatness of our King. So to break this down specifically, here is what this trip will look like: we will be gone for a year, beginning at the end of February. The first couple months, Dave and I will be working with an American church in Chiang Mai, working on language studies, kids ministry, and Spirit-led evangelism. After that, the two of us will be moving to a town a little bit south of Chiang Mai, where we will be partnering with each other (much as the disciples were sent out in twos) to bring Him glory and share the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ day in and day out. I beseech you for continued prayer on our behalf as we delve into the work the Lord has called us to. In addition, we are both left to raise support for this trip on our own. Since we are not going with a group or represented by an organization, there are some practical matters we must attend to. On my end, I still have some ground to cover. Basically, covering cost of living, transportation, insurance, airfare, etc, I am looking at needing roughly $14,000 to make this trip a reality. I have been working hard to make this happen as the Lord leads. Unfortunately, working in Thailand would be entirely impractical—an average day of work gets you around seven dollars, not to mention work/visa issues etc. Therefore, I am working hard here in the states, picking up random shifts at the coffee shop, selling items on craigslist, and of course, asking for funding. I know the Lord will provide, and I feel He is calling me to do all I can to be faithful in this mission, including the uncomfortable area of asking for support. So I am asking you to prayerfully consider supporting this mission, not for my well-being or comfort but for the glory and fame of Christ our King, as well as the salvation of souls in a nation that has not even heard of Jesus Christ but desperately needs Him. I am so blessed to know that you are even right now considering this, praying about it. I encourage you, do not give out of compulsion, do not give out of appearance, give simply if the Lord has put this on your heart. I know the Lord is blessed as His saints come together for the furtherance of His kingdom, for the spreading of salvation, and it is on this basis that I ask you to consider giving to this cause. I thank you for taking the time to read this, and I look forward to updating you on what God is doing in Thailand. It is through the Body’s dedicated prayer, financial support, and heart for the Lord that missions such as these become realities. Pray for Thailand, pray for Dave and me, pray for boldness on our part, pray for a direct and open path to bring Jesus Christ to the Thai people. Keep your eyes upon Jesus, I will be in touch.

In Him, for His glory,

Derrick Vachon

titus, salvation, thailand, prayer requests, finance

greetings friends! are you rejoicing? good. good. i mean, what other response could we have knowing the truth in titus 3:3-7? 'for we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another, but when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.' bam! such a wonderful truth. an awesome reminder, a solid call to love those who are lost with the same love Christ has for us, knowing that we were once just like them, and the only thing that makes us different is the wonderful matchless grace of Jesus. hallelujahx100.

which brings me to thailand. as many of you know my brother dave voetberg and i will be heading to thailand at the end of february, with the sole purpose of spreading the light of Christ in a very dark place. the fields are white for the harvest, and a bountiful harvest it is! ninety-seven percent of thailand is buddhist, and right around two percent even know about Jesus Christ. praise the Lord Christianity is not illegal there, so God willing we will not be met with too much resistance. but it is a very dark place, and needs Christ ever so badly. much of thailand falls into the category of titus 3:3, and it is our prayer that we could be used of the Lord to bring the beautiful conclusion of titus 3:4-7 to these people. it is our prayer that His name would be made famous, that people would be saved and discipled, and that Christ would infiltrate communities all throughout thailand to the glory of God. please, please remember thailand in your prayers, and dave and i would be incredibly blessed to know you are praying for us individually as well, as the road will be a challenging one. thank you brothers and sisters.

this is the part where i talk about finances. i am still needing to do some serious fundraising as we will not be able to work whilst abroad. basically, this is a list of all the things i need to cover while i'm over there:
visas--$400
monthly expenses (rent, food, gasoline, etc)--$800
motorcycle--$500-700
plane tickets/health insurance--$2,000

this is a rough breakdown, but i'm looking at needing around $14,000
i am around halfway there.
i have a little over a month to come up with the rest. if you are moved to contribute, please let me know very soon! i know the Lord will provide, and if it is on your heart to be a part of that, i thank you so much. it seems like a rather large burden, but i am confident He will take care of these necessities. please consider this and pray about it. i do not want you to give because you all of a sudden feel like you should because you read this. i want you to give if the Lord has put that on you. please feel free to contact me if you would like to talk more about this.

alright, so there is the scoop thus far, i look forward to further updating you all on what's happening. thanks so so much for your prayers and support, and until next time, rejoice in our common salvation!
much love.

hello planet! derrick vachon here. i've decided to start up a blog so that whilst abroad, anyone interested can get the latest on the wonderful things Jesus is doing. soon i will be posting all sorts of details on the thailand trip, prayer requests, encouragement, etc. looking forward to sharing about the greatness of our King! this will be the easiest way to keep up with what's goin' down, especially if you are one of the strong few who have shunned the social phenomenon known as facebook. fix your eyes on Jesus. be right back.