2 PETER 3:17-18 GROW IN THE GRACE AND KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST

Passage:

2 Peter 3:17-18New International Version (NIV)

17 Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

Truths:

1. The scriptures have already forewarned about the destruction of the ungodly.

2. Therefore we need to be on guard and not get carried away by the lawless ways of the world.

3. We have a secure position in Christ and we shouldn't fall from it.

4. We need to grow in grace and knowledge of our saviour and Lord Jesus Christ. 

5. All glory belongs to him forever.

Application:

     We are in the last days and we have been warned of the destruction of the ungodly and hence we need to be on the guard and not let ourselves be carried away by the selfish desires of the worldly people. We have been saved from eternal death and are a new creation in him with a renewed spirit and hence we hold a very secure position now. We should not let anything in the world make us fall from this secure position. How can we be on guard?? We can be equipped only if we are deeply rooted in the word. As my mentor put it in one of our classes " Be saturated in the word of God so that when the world comes, we do not become saturated by the world" And this deep rooting in the word can happen when we HEAR , READ, STUDY,MEMORIZE AND MEDITATE ON THE WORD.

           In this way we can grow in the grace and knowledge and our saviour(the one who saved us from eternal death) and our Lord( the one who rules our life, His will is our will) In all that we are and in all that we do, we need to give glory to Him forever.

Prayer:

Abba Father, Thank you for the secure position that I am in now - I have the assurance of my salvation and nothing in the world is more precious over this. Enable me to overcome my evil fleshly desires and let your spirit in me show to others the security that I hold in you. Help me to spend more time with you in the word since in this way I can hear your voice and your will becomes my will. Enable me to be lead by the light of your word at all times. 

In Jesus mighty name I pray

AMEN

2 PETER 3:10-16 WAIT WITH EAGERNESS FOR THE LORD'S COMING

Passage :

2 PETER 3:10-16

10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. 11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. 14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15 Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

Truths :

1. Day of the Lord will come like a thief.
2. Heaven will disappear,elements destroyed by fire & earth will be burned up.
3. Since we look forward to the day of his second coming we should be :Leading a holy and Godly life; we should be looking forward to His coming and eagerly wait for the Lord
4. We are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth where righteousness dwells.
5. We should make every effort to be Spotless, Blameless and at peace with him.(Action to Take)
6. Lord's Patience = Salvation
7. Paul had written regarding these matters in his letters, but it was not easy for the unlearned to understand and unstable people distorted the scriptures to their own destruction.

Promise of the Lord: Destruction of the ungodly and the new heaven and earth to the righteousness
Sins to Confess : Leave all the worries, sins of this world and wait patiently for His return.

 Application :

          We do not know the time when the Lord is coming back. The heaven will disappear and the earth will be destroyed. We shouldn't be caught off guard when He comes back for us. He has given us plenty of time to repent, turn back from old ways and live a new life in him.  Just like the 5 wise virgins in the Parable of the Ten virgins, we should have our extra oil ready. As I understand, This extra oil represent our lives totally committed to Christ. We are to be a new creation - crucified , buried and resurrected with Him. The new life has a counselor, the Holy Spirit to lead us to a more godly life and which will allow the fruit of the spirit to appear. The verse says 'make every effort to be found spotless' which means that we should grow more and more into His image while we are on this earth. We cannot be perfect as He is, but we become transformed by our renewed spirit. The Lord's coming is not late but we should understand that His patience is only to lead many more to Salvation. We have a purpose in this and should share the gospel to many others so that they too may have the faith that saves them. I consider the last verse as a warning that many might use scriptures to give a different meaning to what the Lord has commanded and I need to be careful of it. 

Prayer:

Abba Father, Thank you for your promising verses that the righteous will be saved and the ungodly destroyed. All the trials and difficulties we face will pass away and we will be with you when you come back for us. Help me to have the burden to pray for the salvation of many others and lead them to you. I sincerely seek your blessings to have the courage to do this mission. Help me to hold fast to my faith and wait in eagerness for you and let nothing in this world bother me or take my eyes off you Lord. I want to make you proud of me when you come back to me and seek your guidance to lead me to your will in my life.
In Jesus' precious name I pray
AMEN  

2 Peter 3:8- 9 The Lord's Perfect Timing

Passage:

2 Peter 3:8-9 New International Version (NIV)

8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Truths:

1.    For the Lord, one day is like 1000 years and vice versa

2.    The lord is not slow as some people interpret slowness

3.    He is patient and doesn't want anyone to perish and want everyone to come to repentance.

Application:

 Here in these verses Peter provides an answer to the scoffers who mock of the second coming and the delay in it happening. The Lord is just on time, He will bring all His promises to reality. We mere humans cannot comprehend His thinking, plans and timing. A day is like thousand years to Him and thousand years a single day, then how can we say if He is late or not? What right do we have to mock Him asking “If your promises where true, why haven’t they happened yet?” We need to simply and clearly understand that out Lord is a merciful God and He is allowing maximum people to repent and to come to Him. He doesn't want them to Perish.

                  I need to trust in the Lord’s timing whether in His second coming or an event in my life I am waiting for. We do not need to set a deadline for the prayers we pray but present our requests to God and submit it according to His will.

Prayer:

Oh Father, How beautifully you teach in these verses that you have a perfect timing and it is not easy for humans to understand this. I trust you Lord and surrender myself to you and wait patiently for your will on my life and your second coming. I will never let anything make me doubt this and will seek you at all time. You are the Lord of my life and I offer myself totally to you. Help me to fight my doubts and cling on to your promises at all times.

In Jesus precious name I pray

Amen

2 Peter 3:5-7 THE WORD WHICH CREATED, WILL ALSO DESTROY, THE WORLD

Passage:

2 Peter 3:5-7New International Version (NIV)

5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. 6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the Day of Judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

Truths:

1. Scoffers forget that Heaven was created by God's word and earth was formed out of water.

2.  The same water was used to destroy the world at Noah's time when the world was full of sinners.

3. By the same word, the current heavens and earth are reserved for fire - judgment & destruction of ungodly.

Application:

In the last days we will come across many scoffers who will mock the promise of the second coming of the Lord. They have chosen to forget that the earth was created by God’s word. The earth was created out of water. God used the same water to destroy the evil world at the time of Noah and the current world is in the direction towards the judgment day when the ungodly will be destroyed.

                I need to be alert not to fall into the tactics of these scoffers and remind myself of the promises of the Lord. God is a faithful God and will not go against his promises. He promised his second coming and this will happen. We do not need to worry of the time as God has his own perfect time. But while we wait our motive must be stand strong on these promises and also to spread this to many others who have lost hope.

 

Prayer:

Abba Father, Thank you for the Hope that you have provided us about your return. We, believers have a stronghold event to look forward to with faith. In this hopeless world, where people are running around to fulfill their evil desires, Let us be able to stand out and have complete confidence in your promise. Let us also be able to pass this good news to many others.

 

2 PETER 3:3-4 TAKE GUARD AGAINST THE SCOFFERS OF THE END TIME

Passage :

2 Peter 3:3-4New International Version (NIV)
³ Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. ⁴ They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”

Truths:

1. In the last days scoffers will surely come.
2. They will make fun of the Lord's coming and follow their own desires
3. They mock that Jesus had died 2000 years ago and nothing happened while their ancestors lived and nothing has happened ever since the creation of the world.

Application:

As the end days near we need to be warned of the scoffers who do not believe in the Lord's Second coming. These scoffers are not strong on the promises in the word. Instead they create doubt among the people. They look at the present situation and judge the future. They give no value to God's words spoken through the prophets and disciples.

       I need to be aware of the scoffers and stand against them. I can be able to stand strong only by holding strong on the promises of the Lord through His word.

Prayer:

Father Lord, Enable me to stand strong against these scoffers with the promises you have given through the word. Help the beauty of your return never to fade away in my life. Bless me to help others who have lost their way due to these scoffers and restore them back into your promises. Thank you father for the assurance you have provided your believers and we will hide these promises into the depths of our heart.

 

2 Peter 3:1-2 Reminder of the Predictions and Commands

 

Passage : 2 Peter 3:1-2

Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. ² I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.

 

Truths :

1. Both the letters of Peter were meant to serve as reminders.

2. He wants to stir up our sincere mind to remember the predictions of the holy prophets and commandments of the Lord given through the apostles.

 

Application:

Peter emphasizes how important it is to remember the words spoken by the Prophets because they were actually speaking God's words and also the commands the apostles gave since they had been with Jesus and was taught these commands. Many a times in our lives we are just so busy with our lives that the words in the bible may seem just like stories. In fact this is the warning that Peter gives us that nothing in the bible is a fable or crafted story but are only the words of God. In the Old Testament God speaks through his prophets to the people and in the new testament the apostles mentions the commandments. We should hold on to these and keep reminding us of the coming back of the Lord Jesus Christ so that it becomes a reality to us and we can look forward to it.

 

Prayer:

Abba Father, Enable me to remind myself of the reality of your coming back through the words of the prophets and the apostles. Help me to stand strong on these and to wait for you with the assurance of my salvation. I thank you for this marvelous hope of which I am also a part. Help me to make others also understand these promises. In Jesus mighty name I pray , Amen.

 

 

 

WATCH THE SONG : STANDING ON THE PROMISES OF GOD

http://youtu.be/lofNq0U2xk0

 

 

2 PETER 2:20-22 BETTER NOT TO KNOW OF RIGHTEOUSNESS THAN TO KNOW AND THEN TURN FROM IT

Passage:

2 PETER 2:20-22

20 If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. 21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. 22 Of them the proverbs are true: "A dog returns to its vomit," and, "A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud."

Truths:

SINS TO CONFESS : IN THE NEW LIFE WITH CHRIST, WE NEED TO DIE TO OURSELF AND KEEP AWAY FROM OUR OLD EVILSELF

1. If we have been saved by accepting Christ as our saviour, we should not continue in our old sinful ways.

2. After knowing the truth, many are again entangled in their wicked ways.

3. This situation makes it worse off for them than they were at in the beginning.

4. It would have been better if they did not come to know about righteousness than to know about it and then turn back from it.

5. Peter reminds of the proverbs - A dog return to vomit and washed sow goes back to the mud and enjoys it.

Application:

   Here Holy Spirit teaches me that once we accept Jesus as saviour we need to die to self. We have died along with him which means old self is dead , we have been buried with him ie. our sins are buried along with us, and we have resurrected with him which means I have a new life with him. Christ now lives in me.

Galatians 2: 20

20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

     The new life is a life of faith. Faith takes it stand from the revelation in the scriptures and our Faith stands strong in the son of God. At the time of being saved we are given the Holy Spirit as a guide and counselor and He guides us when we come across situations which question our faith. When we go against this conviction, we are taking a u-turn from the path of righteousness. If we don't repent and return to the right path, we are on the way to be destroyed. We also have to be warned of other believers who backslide and off teachers who do not preach of this self-denial.

Prayer:

Abba Father, You have given me an opportunity to be saved and you live in me. Enable me to listen to the Holy Spirit when I comes across any situation. Bless me to never forget the beauty of this new life with you and never be lead back to my old life. I want to live a life with you as my saviour as long as I live or until you come back. Thank you Lord. Enable me to spread this good news to many others also so that they too enjoy the beauty of this relationship with you.

In Jesus mighty name I pray

AMEN

2 Peter 2:15-19 FALSE TEACHERS ARE LIKE SPRINGS WITHOUT WATER

Passage :

2 Peter 2: 15-19

15 They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness. 16 But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey--a beast without speech--who spoke with a man's voice and restrained the prophet's madness. 17 These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. 18 For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity--for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.

Truths:

1. False Prophets are like Balaam , who knew God and his commands, yet his love for money over powered him.

2. God used a donkey to stop Balaam's wicked ways.

3.The False Preachers may look like springs and a comfort but they do not have a source of water. Doom awaits them.

4 They lead astray, with their lustful talks, the new believers who have just  been saved and was escaping from those who live in error.

5. They teach about freedom to the believers and lead them into sinful desires.

6. The Teachers who speak of this freedom are themselves slaves to their own selfish and sinful desires.

Application : 

 Whenever I am exposed to a preaching or teaching, I have to be careful to understand the characteristic of the words spoken. I have to make sure that I am not being misled. I cannot do this on my own but can do it only by comparing it with the Word and allowing the Holy Spirit to interpret to me.The preachers may speak about current blessings and happiness but in the long run we might be misled from the right track. The believers are easily misled only because they are not rooted in the word. We need to meditate on the word and understand what God speaks to us. Here in the example the donkey was used to open Balaam's eyes. In this way, when we are being misled, God gives us opportunities to turn back but if we overlook this and again be misled then we too are going into doom along with the preachers who misled us.

Prayer:

Abba Father, Thank you Lord for speaking to me through the scriptures and making me understand that there are a lot of teachings which can lead us to the wrong path. I seek your guidance to judge the correctness of what I hear and go back to your word in case of doubts. Help me to meditate on the word regularly and be deeply rooted in it. I pray for all the believers around me and especially for the new believers to be guarded of these kind of wrong teachings. Thank you Lord for your mercies.

In Jesus' precious name I pray

Amen

2 Peter 2:13-14 False teachers and their wicked ways

Passage:

2 Peter 2:13-14

¹³ They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you.^{[a] 14} With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed—an accursed brood!

Truths:

1. The false teachers will be paid back for all the harm they have done.

2. They have immoral desires and never stop sinning.

3. They are quick at seducing the ones who are not stable in their faith.

4. They are greedy and are considered accursed.

Application:

     I need to recognize these false teachers by being strong in my foundation of faith. And faith is based on the evidence in the word. In short we have to be rooted in the word to realize who is a true and false prophet. In this way we will not be swayed into their immoral activities and be destroyed along with them. Instead we choose to stand strong in faith.

Prayer:

Father Lord, enable us to understand the true and false prophets. Help us to be strong in the word and hence understand easily who comes in your name and who doesn't. I pray for my fellow believers also to be guarded against these preachers. Enable the spirit in us to convict us if we are showing any signs of these false prophets so that we can reconcile with you again and be lead back on track.

In Jesus mighty name I pray, AMEN.

 

2 PETER 2:10-12 THE FALSE TEACHERS WILL PERISH

Passage: 

2 Peter 2:10-12New International Version (NIV)

¹⁰ This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh^[a] and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings; ¹¹ yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not heap abuse on such beings when bringing judgment on them from^[b] the Lord. ¹² But these people blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like unreasoning animals, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like animals they too will perish.

Truths:

God will judge the false teachers, who follow the corrupt desires of the flesh. They do not acknowledge the authority of the Lord and despise all authorities. These false teachers were not afraid of anything and abused the celestial beings. The angels even though of higher authority to humans never abused the false teachers for the sins they commit since they have reverential fear for the Lord and they know that God alone has the right to judge. These false teachers are talking ill about matters they themselves don’t understand. They are compared to animals that just go by their instincts and do not have any moral standards. They are born to be caught and destroyed. Just like these animals the False Teachers will also perish.

Sins to Confess: Never Talk ill about others. Leave them to be judged by the Lord.

Application:

Here Holy Spirit continues to warn about the destruction that the false prophets are in store for. God cannot tolerate the truth of the word being twisted and taught to fulfil the desires of the flesh. This is pure blasphemy and will lead many others also to death. Further I am able to understand that even the angels never judged the false teachers, which shows how judging others is so displeasing to God. We do not have the right to judge anyone. There is only one judge and that is the Lord. The Lord knows each person very well. It’s not up to us to talk ill about anything. Further let us also not encourage or be distracted by people who teach the word falsely and guard ourselves from such teachings. 

Prayer:

Abba Father, Help us to interpret your word rightly and recognize the false prophets so that we can guard ourselves from bringing doom into our lives. I pray for all my fellow believers to have this capacity. If we see any person going in the wrong track, help us to lead to them to the right way through your word and help us not judge them while we do this.

In Jesus Name I pray, AMEN

 

2 PETER 2:1-3 False Teachings and Prophecies

Passage:

2 Peter 2:1-3New International Version (NIV)

2 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. ² Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. ³ In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

 

Truths:

1. There were false prophets and teachers among the people.

2. They will Secretly introduce destructive heresies

3. They will deny the Sovereignty of the Lord

4. They will bring upon themselves swift destruction.

5. Many will follow these false prophets and distort the truth.

6. In their greed they will exploit you with Fabricated stories

7. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them and their destruction is for sure.

 

Application:

 Here the Holy Spirit warns me of many teachers and prophets who come in the name of Lord Jesus Christ but are really not. They make Fabricated stories which might be appealing to many but it is not right as per the word of God. Many people will follow them and these prophets are on their path to destruction. The only way to distinguish between the right Teaching and the wrong one is to be well equipped with God's word. The False teachers are mainly characterized  by greed and is mostly preaching this way for their own welfare.

 

New Living Translation
I know that false teachers, like vicious wolves, will come in among you after I leave, not sparing the flock. Acts 20:29

 

 

 

 

Prayer:

Abba Father, I am a new believer and I am taking in the word in a  more active manner now. Thank you Lord for all the opportunities that you are providing for this. I know that understanding the truth in the word will help me discern between a true and false prophets. Help me never to go astray into those teaching and be lead away form you. Let me be under your Holy Spirit's guidance to be guided in the right way.

 

 

 

  

2 PETER 1:19-21 THE WORD - A LIGHT SHINING IN THE DARKNESS

Passage:

2 PETER 1:19-21

19 We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

 

 

Truths:

Peters wants to leave the readers with a solid foundation when he dies and this is nothing other than the 'Word of God'. The apostolic witness is one leg of it and the prophetic message the other leg. Both these parts are vital. Peter says that the prophetic message is completely reliable because he had witnessed it in the coming of the messiah, his sufferings and his glory.  And hence the prophecies about His second coming is also true. Peter compares ‘The Word’ to a light shining in the darkness. This reminds us of the verse 

Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

This word should be our guiding light until the morning star, which is Jesus ,appears on his second coming.  The prophecies in the bible were not an interpretation of details by the prophets, rather it is the inspired word of God and the prophets were guided by the Holy Spirit. So even if the Bible is written by Human authors it was really from God.

2 Timothy 3:16

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.

 

Application:

 

 1. Live a life in the light of the word - Spend more time on studying and meditating on the word.

 2.Always pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit before doing the meditation so that I can interpret the word in the right way.

3.  Help spread the word by sharing verses and explaining in applying situations and hence distribute the life giving bread - THE WORD.

 

Prayer:

 

Abba Father, You have never left us in darkness, you have provided a light - THE WORD - in this dark and evil word to guide us our every path. Further you have provided a counselor to explain the verses to us. Help us to submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit and interpret the word correctly. Bless me and my fellow believer to be guided by this light until you come back for us. Help us to share the word with many more and add more people to your kingdom.

In Jesus' name I pray

Amen.

 

 

Listen to this beautiful song : THY WORD IS A LAMP UNTO MY FEET
http://youtu.be/_Ycs23FQDRI