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Twisting Scripture

Posted on by korgrocker

“And remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him— speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction.”
2 Peter 3:15-16 NLT

Almost as an aside, Peter rushes to the defence of his spiritual brother Paul, who was a trail blazer when it came to theology in the early years after Jesus was crucified. Paul’s life was overturned on the Damascus Road, and regarding his message, we read in Galatians 1:12, “I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ.” In the first and second chapters in Paul’s Galatians letter we get a hint of the preparatory process Paul went through before he was able to set out that “direct revelation from Jesus Christ”, and God’s plan for mankind, but it was, at that time, probably so radical, particularly to Jews, that he suffered much abuse, not only because of his message, but also his theology. People in his day misinterpreted what he said, and, as Peter wrote, “twisted his letters to mean something quite different”. But the same process goes on today. 

The Bible is not difficult to understand. The Gospel message is perhaps too simple for some. The problem is that when we get to a passage or verse of Scripture, that might not fit in with our sinful world view, we try and make it say something that it doesn’t. The Bible was written over many years and the last contribution to it was nearly two thousand years ago. In those days the culture was different. The geography was different. In our technological age, however, Western Christians are sometimes left puzzling over what God thinks, but the answers we seek are in the Bible somewhere, if only we look. A modern approach to Scripture involves “liberal” thought, where people miss out or reinterpret Biblical truths to suit their own point of view, or try and make it more palatable, so they think, to the secular society around them. So someone of a particular sexual orientation will ignore what difficult verses say. Jesus’ teaching about marriage makes some people feel uncomfortable, so they say it was for that culture but it doesn’t apply today. And then we find the Anglican bishop who even denied that the virgin birth actually happened.

As an aside, an Anglican vicar, David Goodhew, summed up the dangers of liberal theology, when he said, “churches trimming faith to fit in with culture have tended to shrink, and those offering a ‘full-fat’ faith, vividly supernatural, have tended to grow.” A religious observer, commenting on the previous quote, wrote, “Christianity is not dying – rather, it is becoming more conservative. Congregants don’t want to be preached to about politics. What they want is the full-fat version of faith.” There is no point in going to a church that has effectively become secular in what it offers to society around them. We can find all the secularism we want in the local pub. Only Bible believing churches will survive, because they regard the Bible, in its entirety, as the inspired and eternal Word of God. Isaiah 40:8, “The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever“.

Paul aptly summed up the Bible when he wrote to Timothy, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realise what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). We ignore this verse at our peril, something that Peter emphasised, as he wrote that life for those twisting Scripture will not end well. And the same end is waiting for those who ignore the parts of Scripture that fail to fit in with secular thought.

To avoid misinterpreting Scripture we must rely on the Holy Spirit within us to lead and guide us and bring to our minds exactly what God intended. So we precede reading a difficult passage with a prayer, and we allow the Holy Spirit to do what Paul wrote, teaching “us to do what is right”. And we definitely don’t ignore those Bible passages that challenge us.

Dear Father God. We pray for Your Spirit to open our eyes to the truths embedded in Your Word. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Lord’s Patience

Posted on by korgrocker

“And remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him— speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction.”
2 Peter 3:15-16 NLT

The Lord is patient, Peter wrote, because He wants to see many people come to Him for salvation. Would His patience have run out earlier if more people had responded to the Gospel? Is there still plenty of room in Heaven? These are questions based on human logic, and not the great, infinite, patient, and eternal capabilities of God. Peter was also obviously aware of the Apostle Paul’s letters so they must have been widely circulated in the Middle East and even beyond in those days. One such Pauline scripture, perhaps even the one Peter was referring to, was Romans 2:4, “Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?” We need to take note of the fact that God in kind. Other religions view God as being harsh, stern, unloving, impersonal, but the God we pilgrims worship is kind, loving, merciful, always there for us, wanting a personal relationship. He is a Father to His children. God’s kindness and patience are interrelated. However, in Romans 11:22, Paul wrote, “Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off “. We need to trust God in both His kindness and His patience. We may not totally understand, but that is what faith and trust is all about.

Earlier in 2 Peter 3, Peter wrote, “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent” (2 Peter 3:9). Peter is building a picture of God’s loving and patient kindness, based on His desire that He wants to give mankind as much of a chance as possible to come to repentance. A picture to refute the growing accusations that perhaps Jesus had forgotten to return to earth, or that he had changed His mind. Throughout the Bible there are references to God’s patience, such as while Noah was building the ark. Even though God had decided to destroy the people of the day, He patiently waited for up to another hundred years so that Noah would be saved. “So God said to Noah, “I have decided to destroy all living creatures, for they have filled the earth with violence. Yes, I will wipe them all out along with the earth!” (Genesis 6:13). Noah was 500 years old when he became the father of his three sons, but 600 years old when God shut up the door to the ark and opened the floodgates. 

We pilgrims are also to be patient and kind. Colossians 3:12, “Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tender hearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” These are all God-qualities, that are built within us as fruit of the Holy Spirit. Like God, we are to be patient. Patient with those around us. Patient in the face of irritations and trials, of which there are many in our lives. But the original meaning of patience was not a stoical passivity but an active endurance. To be patient is exampled through Jesus, who suffered much on this earth, and yet He was and is the Son of God. God’s plan for man’s salvation was birthed long before it was implemented, as we read in the great prophecies in Isaiah. And yet God waited patiently until His purposes and place, and history itself, coincided in a cross at Calvary.  Romans 5:6, “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.” The right time is now, folks. 2 Corinthians 6:2, “For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.” Today, not tomorrow, or next week. We don’t know when we will have the opportunity to draw our last breath, but God is listening even now.

Father God. You want to-one to perish and all to be saved. We pray for our friends and families, that they will indeed hear Your voice, Your gentle whisper, connecting with their very souls. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Make Every Effort

Posted on by korgrocker

“And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight.”
2 Peter 3:14 NLT

Peter starts off this verse with a passive “wait”. As we pilgrims look forward to the new heavens and earth, we wait. I don’t suppose we have any choice, because only God knows the future and will make things happen according to His plans and purposes. But in that we can play our part. The previous verses in 2 Peter 3 implied that we have a role in hurrying along the coming “day of God”. We pray, we share our messages of hope, we praise and worship the coming King. We do all we can and we wait, but Peter came up with another specific requirement. He wrote “make every effort” to do something else – “to be found living …”. We need to get ready for the coming Lord, and in an active way that will impact every remaining moment of our lives. 

Firstly, Peter wrote that we should be found “living peaceful lives”. That has two element to it – living at peace with those around us, but more challenging perhaps, living at peace with ourselves. The first is perhaps one in which we can work at quite easily. We avoid doing anything that will upset anyone else. Paul wrote in Romans 12:18, “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men“. The writer to the Hebrews went a step further, “Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). It will take effort, but it is achievable. There will of course always be those looking for a fight, but as the Proverb says, “A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare” (Proverbs 15:1). With the Holy Spirit within us, we are empowered to live at peace with those around us. So when we face a difficult situation, we pray for the right response. When someone provokes us, we remain silent. When we have the opportunity to stand up for ourselves, perhaps if wrongly accused, we gently and non-confrontationally, state our case. When Jesus was before Pilate, we read in Matthew 27:12, “But when the leading priests and the elders made their accusations against him, Jesus remained silent“. Jesus also said, “And when you are brought to trial in the synagogues and before rulers and authorities, don’t worry about how to defend yourself or what to say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what needs to be said” (Luke 12:11-12). So as far as we are able, we live at peace with those around us.

But, secondly, what about inner peace? There is a worldly route to inner peace and tranquillity, the “gurus” will claim, through meditation, mindfulness, the use of therapists and other strange and, in the end, useless methods. There is only one route to inner peace, peace with ourselves, and that is through Jesus. He is the Prince of Peace. Inner peace is wholeness in mind and spirit, and it includes our consciences. Many people suffer dreadfully from a lack of inner peace because they are full of guilt and their consciences are constantly nagging them, dragging them down. They can become ill with symptoms caused by their mental chaos. So they end up with a psychiatrist who may help for a while, but in the end it is only God who can heal an inflamed and enraged conscience. Confession and restitution can work wonders in restoring an inner peace. In the world around us there is much that can cause us anxiety and destroy that inner peace. Wars, political instability, secular ideologies and so on. But these are all temporary phenomena and boulders put there by the enemy to trip us up and destroy our peace. We pilgrims look beyond the circumstances at the horizon where we see the emerging light of a new dawn. 

Peter wrote that our lives must be “pure and blameless in his sight”. It’s all about holiness and there is a connection with peace. Our lives must be found to be holy in His sight and there is only one way – Jesus. We reach out again to Him today, connecting with the Prince of Peace, the Lord of lords, the King of kings, our wonderful Saviour.

Dear Prince of Peace. We thank You for Your words of eternal life, bringing us a future and a hope. Amen.

‭‭

All Things New

Posted on by korgrocker

“Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.”
2 Peter 3:11-13 NLT

Noah took a hundred years or so to build the ark. He wasn’t in a hurry, obviously! But God patiently waited before He brought judgement on the nations with the Flood. Could Noah have hurried the “day of the Lord”, if he had built the ark a bit quicker? Quite possibly. Peter wrote that his readers should “[look] forward to the day of God and [hurry] it along”. Does this mean anything to us pilgrims? Are we living our lives, as Noah did, in expectation that the “day of the Lord” is just around the corner, and we should be doing all we can to hurry it along? Is such a thing even possible? 

Jesus gave us an indication that once the Gospel has reached every corner of our world then the “end will come”. Matthew 24:14, “And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come“. There have been extraordinary efforts to meet this goal. The Bible has been translated into many languages. Quote from Wikipedia, “As of September 2023 all of the Bible has been translated into 736 languages, the New Testament has been translated into an additional 1,658 languages, and smaller portions of the Bible have been translated into 1,264 other languages according to Wycliffe Global Alliance“. But that in itself won’t satisfy Jesus’ statement because the Good News, the Gospel, has to be “preached”. But it’s a start. Will this goal ever be reached? With God’s help it will be, and we can’t be far from when “the end will come”. 

We will certainly know when the Gospel has been preached throughout the world, because Peter told us what would happen next. Fire will destroy the heavens and the earth. That will really be global warming on steroids! But there will be nothing left, paving the way for the “new heavens and new earth He has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness”. To find out all about this we turn to Revelation 21:1, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone.” Peter wrote that the existing heaven and earth was destroyed by fire. John just noted in his vision that it had “disappeared”. But either way, the earth and sky we know was replaced by a new heaven and earth. If that was not enough, though, we read on in Revelation, “And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband“. What a creation! More details can be found in my book, “The End Times”. 

We pilgrims know how the story ends, and that must change our world view. We may perhaps come to the conclusion that saving the planet is a pointless exercise, if it is going to be destroyed by fire anyway. Peter wrote that we must hurry along the coming “day of the Lord” and look forward to the new heavens and new earth that “He has promised”. We pilgrims take the long view as we lift our eyes above the horizon and see coming the glory of the Lord. Is there a hint of a glow I see just over the hill?

Dear Lord Jesus. Please help us as we preach Your message of Good News to those around us. Maranatha! Amen.

Day of the Lord

Posted on by korgrocker

“But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames.”
2 Peter 3:10-12 NLT

The phrase “day of the Lord” is often used in the Bible. In the context it seems to indicate an event during which an act of God brings about some outcome in accordance with His plans and purposes. An example can be found in Ezekiel 30:2-3, “Son of man, prophesy and give this message from the Sovereign Lord: “Weep and wail for that day, for the terrible day is almost here— the day of the Lord! It is a day of clouds and gloom, a day of despair for the nations“. The phrase is also often associated with the return of Christ, as we read in 2 Corinthians 1:14, “even if you don’t understand us now. Then on the day when the Lord Jesus returns, you will be proud of us in the same way we are proud of you“. There is usually a sense of imminence in the verses about the “day of the Lord”, but near or far, no-one knows when it will be. Peter graphically describes the day as coming “as unexpectedly as a thief”. In Matthew 24:42-44, Jesus said to His disciples, “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected”. Paul picked up the theme as well, as we read in 1 Thessalonians 5:2, “For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night“. 

If we pilgrims allow our minds to elevate into Heavenly themes, we can perhaps imagine carrying on what we are doing at this very moment and then, suddenly, something far reaching, catastrophic even, happens. Our eyes suddenly look up and we see what Jesus said would happen in Matthew 24:29-30, “Immediately after the anguish of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will give no light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory“. Sometimes I believe it is that close, and, in their day, many in the Old Testament thought the same. Joel 2:1, “Sound the trumpet in Jerusalem! Raise the alarm on my holy mountain! Let everyone tremble in fear because the day of the Lord is upon us“.‭‭ 

Most people in our societies today have no idea that there will be such a thing as the “day of the Lord”. The situation will be as Jesus foretold in Matthew 24:37-39, “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes“. But Noah was ready for the flood. It had taken him a hundred years to get ready, but God was in no hurry. And He is in no hurry today, but there will be a day ….

Jesus went on to teach His disciples about being “a faithful sensible servant” (Matthew 24:45). We pilgrims are all servants of God, and He has entrusted us to administer His interests here on Planet Earth. So we are careful to live as He has commanded, in our personal holiness, in our lives at work or school, home or away. And we take every opportunity to warn those around us of the “day of the Lord”. It took Noah a considerable time to build the ark, and we can imagine the ridicule he would have experienced by those around him. But Noah made it into the Hebrews hall of fame (Hebrews 11). We read in Hebrews 11:7, “It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes by faith“. 

So, fellow pilgrims, the “day of the Lord” could come at any moment. Are we ready?

Jesus, we echo the words at the end of Revelation 22 “Amen! Come Lord Jesus”. Maranatha. Amen,

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Days and Years

Posted on by korgrocker

“But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”
2 Peter 3:8-9 NLT

It was obviously a problem for those early Christians – why was the expected return of Jesus apparently being delayed? Did He really say He would come back again “soon”? But then, what does “soon” mean? Has God changed His mind? In John 14:3, Jesus said that after He had prepared a place for them, He would return to get His disciples, “When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am“. But there can’t be a delay with the Heavenly building work because, after all, God only had to speak the word and something would appear from nothing. But Jesus did say that even He didn’t know when He would come again – Matthew 24:36, “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows“. All He said was that His followers must be ready – He said, “You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected” (Matthew 24:44). 

The Bible tells us much about the End Times, and how Jesus will return. Jesus provided some detail in Matthew 24 and 25. His discourse contained warnings and signs of the end, and He left the impression that he would return within a generation. Matthew 24:34, “I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things take place“. However the word “generation” can also be translated “age” or “nation”. But comparing current world events with the End Times prophecies, we can surely assume that we are living in the End Times, and must do what Jesus advised – get ready for His return. 

Peter gave a reason for the apparent delay in Jesus’ expected return. He wrote, “He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.” That’s the grace of God. The fact that we are currently alive in itself indicates that God is giving many generations the opportunity to reach out to Him and embrace His loving and saving grace. If Jesus had returned when the early believers had expected Him to, then we probably wouldn’t be here. God is patient, and events will happen as He orders.

But what about Peter’s suggestion that “ A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day?” God lives outside of time, or perhaps time lives inside God. But the Eternal Being sees the end from the beginning. All history, all world events past, present and future, all generations and nations, are laid out before Him and He can therefore see many things, that we can’t. But what we do know is that God can be trusted. The One who holds the world isn’t capricious, or unpredictable. He is holy, loving and kind. The accolades we could write about God are many, but one driving factor is His righteousness. His perfect righteousness can be trusted to bring about a conclusion that is right. All we are asked to do is to have faith in Him, believe in Him, put our trust in Him and get ready for Jesus’ return. It may not be in our lifetimes, but that doesn’t matter. What does, is that we follow Him and keep His commandments. Day by day, year by year. Time is unimportant. 

So how are we living? How do we treat those around us? How is our relationship with Jesus? It would be terrible to find that He returns, and finds us unprepared. Especially when His grace is freely available.

Father God. We know You love us, so it is no hardship to return that love. We say “Come Lord Jesus”. Amen.

The Same Word

Posted on by korgrocker

“They deliberately forget that God made the heavens long ago by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water. Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood. And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed.”
2 Peter 3:5-7 NLT

There are ahead of us in time certain world events that will be catastrophic in their totality, as Peter described. But before we get there we are in a season of grace where we have the opportunity to consider who or what this “same word” really is. We think of a word as being something articulated and mouthed in our own languages that helps us communicate with those around us. From an early age, babies learn to speak and communicate, and through schooling, this extends to both spoken and written words. Information is contained in words, and without such a form of communication the world would be a poorer place. 

God Himself used words to create the heavens and the earth. We know the Genesis story well. Those verses that started “Then God said…”. The scientists and technologists have tried many times to emulate what God can achieve, but one thing they have failed to do is to speak in a way that creates something from nothing. One thing I always ask evolutionists and physicists, if I get the opportunity, is “Where did all the matter come from in the first place?”. They talk about the “big bang” and other complex theories, but of course, they have no answer to the origin of matter. Only God can create something from nothing, by a word. Neither can they answer the question, “Why is there matter and life around us, and not just nothing?”. It is usually at this point that the conversation changes. 

John’s Gospel starts with, “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone” (John 1:1-4). John set the scene for who Jesus really was, and is, right at the start of his Gospel, and we have to embrace the implications of this when we think about Him. The Son of God Himself was directly involved in the “same word” that uttered “Then God said …”. In fact, John said He was that Word at the very creation of the world. But after this He fulfilled God’s plan for mankind by becoming one of us. Who ever heard about a God who created the world and then became a part of that creation? The One with unlimited power and presence becoming a limited human being. And all to enable human beings to find God, their Creator, and turn to Him so that they could live with Him forever. Such love and grace!

But back to the consideration of what is to come. According to the Bible, Jesus didn’t just come to this world, born as a human baby, living and dying, and then never to be seen again. That “same word” still exists today. And we know that he is actively at work in Heaven preparing a place for us, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am” (John 14:1-3). And one day He is coming back. Hebrews 9:28, “so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him“. 

But we also know that one day everyone will be judged according to what they did in their lives. Revelation 20:12, “I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books“. And the One who will be the Judge is Jesus Christ Himself. John 5:22, “In addition, the Father judges no one. Instead, he has given the Son absolute authority to judge“.

So we have gone full circle, in a way. The same Word, who spoke into being the world we know, will one day utter judgement on those who come before Him. No more “gentle Jesus meek and mild”. The last judgement will be a scary occasion “when ungodly people will be destroyed”. In fact, the very Word that created will speak out punishment and judgement, scaring even the created environment to disappear. “And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide” (Revelation 20:11). But because of our loving and gracious God, we have an opportunity, in this season of grace, to embrace all he has for us. The Word who become flesh died for us at Calvary, that our sins would be forgiven and His righteousness able to cover us like a cloak, enabling us to enter God’s presence. Don’t miss this opportunity. Grab every opportunity to warn those around us. One day it will be too late.

Dear Father God. We reach out to You today, deeply grateful for Your love and grace. Please forgive us for our sins. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Word

Posted on by korgrocker

“They deliberately forget that God made the heavens long ago by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water. Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood.”
2 Peter 3:5-6 NLT

Here we are on the first day of 2024. It will probably be a year of change, to follow on from the past year of change. We look back and perhaps wonder how we survived. But here on the intersection of two events in the calendar perhaps there is something within us providing a hint of Holy-Spirit-inspired excitement. Is this the year Jesus will return? Will revival break out in our communities? We don’t know, but what we do know is that God has plans. We are not discarded resources, fit for nothing anymore. We are children of God, and He wants to use each one of us for His will and purposes. That is why we have been created, and perhaps we need to look up today and echo the words of Isaiah 6:8, “Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.”” We have a message of hope that the sad and cynical world around us needs to hear.

But back to our verses today from 2 Peter 3. We can sometimes forget that the world was created. But Peter obviously hadn’t. Referring to the “scoffers” described in the previous verses, he pointed out that they had “deliberately” forgotten all about the Creation story. In Genesis 1:6-8 we read, “And God said, “Let there be an expanse [of the sky] in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters [below the expanse] from the waters [above the expanse].” And God made the expanse [of sky] and separated the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so [just as He commanded]. God called the expanse [of sky] heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day” (Amplified version). God created with a Word. He spoke and amazing things happened. But we should take note that God used part of His creation to administer judgement to a whole world of ungodly people, as Peter pointed out to his readers. The “scoffers” in previous verses thought that the world in which they lived was unchanging. They said, ” … From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created” (2 Peter 3:4b). But they “deliberately forgot” the Flood and the changes it brought to this planet. 

The “scoffers” will also not have read the rest of the story. Jesus Himself warned of catastrophic events still to happen. Matthew 24:29, “Immediately after the anguish of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will give no light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken“. Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear“. And, ominously, Jesus reminded His disciples of the event long ago, “People didn’t realise what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes” (Matthew 24:39). We tend to be complacent, thinking that because the sun rises every day, and we have air to breath, that the world is unchanging. Of course, the ecologically conscious amongst us warn about global warming and assign blame to man-made use of fossil fuels. They hold conferences and feel good when world leaders sign pledges to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, but in general the events Jesus warned about will bring a whole new dimension to the meaning of climate change. In fact, as we read in Revelation 20, there will be no climate left capable of changing. But in Revelation 6:12-14, we read, “I watched as the Lamb broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became as dark as black cloth, and the moon became as red as blood. Then the stars of the sky fell to the earth like green figs falling from a tree shaken by a strong wind. The sky was rolled up like a scroll, and all of the mountains and islands were moved from their places.” 

We need to be aware that the world is not immune from change. Astronomers tell us of events far away where stars flare up and disappear. It could happen to us as well. But there is Someone who is unchanging, and who will last for eternity. We read Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Malachi 3:6, “I am the Lord, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed“. ‭‭We don’t know when the world will end. But we trust in the One who holds the world in His hand.

Dear Father God, the unchanging One. Thank You for Your unchanging Word, the living Word, Jesus. Amen.

Scoffers

Posted on by korgrocker

“Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.””
2 Peter 3:3-4 NLT

‭‭The resurrected Jesus had a conversation with Peter where He asked three times if Peter loved Him. Towards the end of this we read in John 21:21, “Peter asked Jesus, “What about him, Lord?””, referring to the disciple John. “Jesus replied, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me.” So the rumour spread among the community of believers that this disciple wouldn’t die. But that isn’t what Jesus said at all. He only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?”” (John 21:22-23). Soon after, on the Mount of Olives, we read the account of Jesus’ return to Heaven and we read in Acts 1:11, ““Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”” 

There was an expectation in the early Church that Jesus was coming back to Planet Earth, and this was going to happen within a generation. The problem was that as time went on, He didn’t re-appear as expected, and people died without seeing Him again. But apparently there were some “scoffers” who tormented those early believers by asking them, “Where is He?”. “What happened to the promise?”, they said. And they pointed out that the world around them was as it always had been. The seasons still took place. Crops grew. Rain fell. Mountains remained. Lakes were still full of water. People were born and eventually died. Nothing had changed. 

We still have the “scoffers” today, and there seems to be so much more to scoff at. Science, technology, the internet and social media seem to have combined to bring about a plethora of theories and ideologies, each with their own adherents and opponents, evoking a sometimes violent clash, as opposing sides scoff at each other. And as for those who believe in a Man who was crucified two thousand years ago and who said He was coming again, such a “theory” is so implausible (to them) that the “scoffers” say it isn’t even worth scoffing at. Generations of “scoffers” have never left this earth. Regarding my faith, I have been asked frequently, “You don’t really believe that stuff do you?” We pilgrims have all met then “scoffers”, I’m sure.

There was a character in John Bunyan’s “The Pilgrim’s Progress” called Atheist. He once claimed that he was a pilgrim believer, but apparently he left his country out of curiosity and intrigue, not to find relief from a burden of sin or to escape the wrath to come. He sought for evidence of God’s existence and for the hope of eternal life, but finding none, he resolved to give up and go back to his country. And he became a scoffer, renouncing the gospel. He became a person who rejected all forms of religion and turned into a “scoffer“. From the book, 
“So this man drew nearer and nearer until he came right up to them. His name was Atheist, and he immediately asked the pilgrims where they were going.
Christian said, “We are going to Mount Zion.”
Atheist burst into howling and scornful laughter. He said, “I cannot but help laugh on account of it being so obvious that you are both ignorant persons; for you have committed yourselves to a very tiring journey that will provide you with absolutely nothing for your trouble, other than a fruitless journey.
Christian said, “Why man, do you think it possible that we will not be received at our destination?”
Atheist said, “Received! But there is no such place that you dream of in all this world.”

I once worked with a man like Atheist. He was brought up as a Catholic, but sometime in his journey through life, something happened to make him change and turn on his previous belief in God, and he never missed an opportunity to scoff at me for my faith. Incidentally, it was a bitter-sweet experience for him, because part of my testimony for becoming a Christian was because of him and his atheistic and humanistic ideologies, forcing me to confront my agnosticism and reach out to God instead. So while I had the opportunity I replied to his scoffing with a word of thanks,

So how do we pilgrims deal with “scoffers”? Psalm 1:1 is a good place to start. From the Amplified Bible version, “Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favoured by God] is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked [following their advice and example], Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit [down to rest] in the seat of scoffers (ridiculers)“. About this blessed person, the next verses read, “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And on His law [His precepts and teachings] he [habitually] meditates day and night. And he will be like a tree firmly planted [and fed] by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season; Its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers [and comes to maturity]” (Psalm 1:2-3). The Bible has several references to “scoffers”, but in God’s Word we can find the words we need to bolster our faith and keep us spiritually strong on our journey through life.  No “scoffer” will ever stop God loving us, and His strength will keep us from withering in a land of Godless ideologies and “scoffers”. There will come a day when the “scoffers” will find that God isn’t impressed by their foolishness, and they will suddenly realise that Jesus really did come to this world to save us.

Dear Father God. Thank You for the purity of Your Word and its power, shining like a beacon in a cynical world. Amen.

Wholesome Thinking

Posted on by korgrocker

“This is my second letter to you, dear friends, and in both of them I have tried to stimulate your wholesome thinking and refresh your memory. I want you to remember what the holy prophets said long ago and what our Lord and Saviour commanded through your apostles.”
2 Peter 3:1-2 NLT

This is Peter starting to wrap up his letter, reminding his readers in Asia Minor what the purposes of his letter were. In fact, his first letter had the same purpose as his second – making and encouraging disciples. He wanted to strengthen their faith so that they could stand on their own spiritual feet by themselves. If there was anyone qualified to write this letter, with its encouragements and wisdom, its warnings and scope, it was Peter. The fisherman from Galilee, impetuous, outspoken, but with a special place in church history. Jesus said to him, “Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it” (Matthew 16:18). So as a trusted disciple with a trusted mission in the future of Jesus’ church, the local representation of this church in the five provinces of what is now modern Turkey was important both to him and to God. In fact he referred to his readers as “dear friends” perhaps indicating that he knew them all personally. 

In Peter’s day there was no New Testament as we know it. The Apostle’s teaching was the gold standard for those early believers and it was only through the letters written by them, or by personal visits, that the Gospel message was propagated. Peter was executed about 68 AD and his second letter was probably written a year or two before that. The Gospels may have been written just after this, though we can’t be sure. So those early believers were particularly vulnerable to false teaching and error. But Peter carefully “tried to stimulate [their] wholesome thinking and refresh [their] memory“.

What did Peter therefore wish to remind the early believers of? A disciple of Jesus Christ builds his faith on the foundational truths of the Gospel, truths laid down by the Apostles, the men who had been with Jesus. The men who stood up in the Sanhedrin and confounded the Jewish leaders with their boldness and wisdom. Acts 4:13, “The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.” What a tremendous accolade – being noticed as having been with Jesus. Do those around us make the same connection? Hmm..

Jesus’ first disciples were giants of the faith. They had experienced the tongues of fire at Pentecost. They were men driven by their love of Jesus and the Holy Spirit within them. The words of Jesus never forgotten, words still ringing in their ears. And words they now repeated over and over again to anyone who would listen and who would embrace the Saviour as they had done. Words of eternal life, of the Kingdom of God, of Jesus Himself. 

What is the “wholesome thinking” that Peter referred to? Paul’s words might help us with an answer, because he reminded his readers of how they should align and renew their thoughts. We read in Ephesians 4:21-24, “Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy“. Those early believers weren’t on their own because they had the Holy Spirit within them, bringing to their remembrance what they had been taught. Bringing to their minds “wholesome thinking” from the teachings of Jesus.

What do we pilgrims think about such a reminder from Peter’s letter? Don’t need to hear it? Or something we take on board and remind ourselves to once again open the Bible, perhaps to a section we have neglected.  There are many distractions in our world and our thoughts can quickly rush off to irrelevancies and even untruths. We are constantly exposed to information, most of which is unwholesome and can even draw us away into wrong thinking. We, like those early Christians, need to “refresh [our] memories”. Regularly, and frequently. And against the timeless truths of Scripture, the things of the world grow strangely dim. We need to become, and stay, close to Jesus – only He has the words of eternal life.

Dear Lord and Father of mankind, forgive our foolish ways; reclothe us in our rightful mind, in purer lives thy service find, in deeper reverence, praise. Amen.