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Day 287, or October the 14th. What's your memory

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like? Our thoughts today are from Mark chapter

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14, verse 31. But Peter insisted emphatically,

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even if I have to die with you, I will never

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disown you. And all the others said the same.

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And now the big picture surrounding this verse. Towards

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the end of his gospel, Mark records how Mary

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anoints the feet of Jesus, then Judas betrays

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him at Passover, and later Peter denies him.

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Jesus is taken prisoner and tried by the Jews

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and the Romans. The crucifixion should have been

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the end, but it was a glorious start of the gospel

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going around the world, to you and me. And now

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our action step for today. In the Garden of Gethsemane,

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Peter reassures Jesus that he will never let

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him down. This is shortly after leaving the upper

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room where Jesus and his disciples celebrate

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their last Passover meal and the very first communion

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or Eucharist. Everyone agrees that they can be

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relied on. Within hours, however, they are all

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scattered and Peter even denies that he ever

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knew Jesus, never mind being a follower of his.

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One of the reasons this verse is so encouraging

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is that it reminds us that we all will disappoint

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Jesus no matter how hard we try, but Peter was

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forgiven and reconciled, and so can we be when

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we repent and turn back to Jesus. I heard about

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a shopkeeper who was regularly tempted to cheat

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with weights or change when he served his customers.

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Then he was converted. his old lifestyle didn't

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disappear but he found it helpful to excuse himself

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when temptation came and take a look at a picture

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he kept of the evangelist who led him to Christ

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i know folk who carry crosses or wear badges

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to remind them of Jesus never depend on these

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aids but if they help to remind you of Jesus

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then use them No matter what the idea, if it

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works, use it. It doesn't matter how you do it,

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just find a way of bringing Christ to mind, otherwise

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you will be on that merry-go-round that always

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finishes up with betrayal. So how will you do

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it?