2 Peter: Conclusion (Part 7)

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.
2 Peter 3:14-16

So what does Peter say about "scripture twisters"?

1. We can conclude from Part 4 of this series that there will indeed be false teachers in churches. Paul also warns people of this many times like in Acts 20:30 (Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.) False teachers will distort the bible and lead maybe Christians astray.
2. 2 Peter 3:1-4 (Part 6) says that false teacher will deny Jesus' second coming.
3. Peter acknowledges that some of Paul’s writings are “difficult to understand” (verse 16). This seems to be the starting point for distorting the bible, hard passages. After false teachers have distorted Paul's letters, the move into the rest of the scripture thus creating a whole new religion. Since the Scriptures agree, then one who sets aside the teaching of one author must, to be consistent, set aside other texts as well.
4. Anyone who distorts the scripture is unstable and ignorant.
5. We find the Scriptures to be invalid when our cultural values differ from what they teach.
6. 2 Peter 1:20-21 (Part 4) says prophets did not add there own twist to what God told them to write, they wrote exactly what God inspired them to write. Nothing more. In the same way, we cannot add to the scripture. I try to make it quite clear when I'm add my interpretation to a bible verse says because it is my interpretation.
7. We twist the Scriptures when we selectively deny biblical teachings or commands. Sometimes this is a bold, outright denial of the truth of God’s Word. Satan did this in relation to God’s warning that if Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit they would die (Genesis 3) The false teachers of Peter’s day did this in relation to the second coming of Christ. (2 Peter 3:3-4 (Part 6)) Many of the teachings and commands of the Bible are set aside by default—we simply are ignorant of them because we have not read or studied God’s Word. We will be held accountable for knowing and doing what God has commanded in His Word.

17 Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men 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.
2 Peter 3:17-18

Previous Part
First Part

Sources:
http://bible.org/seriespage/scripture-twisters-2-peter-314-18

Photo Credit:
http://narrowgatejournal.wordpress.com/2009/12/17/scripture-twisting-20-ways-the-cults-misread-the-bible/

Daily Reminder #10

Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.
Hebrews 3:3-4

2 Peter: Everything Goes On (Part 6)

1 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.
3 First of 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 fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation."
5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed 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 ungodly men.
2 Peter 3:1-7

This reminds me of evolutionist. "they deliberately forget...the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water" The bible predicts so many things, and one of them is that people will indeed deliberately forget about God. And the bible also says that there will be a "destruction of ungodly men."
And what about the phrase "the present is the key to the past"? Well it's not. The bible is the key to the past. And the bible says that present is not like the past.

The evolutionists tell us that since we observe mutations (accidental changes in our genes) occurring today, these must have occurred ever since the beginning of life. Thus they must be one of the tools used in the process of evolution. The mutations commonly cause disease. But the Bible tells us that there was a time when there was no sin, and, therefore, there was not animal death, human death, disease, or mistakes!

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.
2 Peter 3:8

This is one of the most misquoted verse of all time. This verse is used to prove evolution. By saying just 'a day is like a thousand years' you could easily make the a point that creation could have taken 7,000 years, but the after that, it says 'a thousand years are like a day' so the statement cancels itself out.

9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
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.
2 Peter 3:9-10

It's very important to understand that God is not lazy, but patient. "not wanting anyone to perish" And also, God's definition of slow and our definition of slow are entirely different. God is lot limited by time, since he is infinite.

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.
2 Peter 3:11-13

We can be negative (as I tend to be) and say that day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. Or we can be positive and say that God is keeping his promise. We ought to be looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.

Previous Part
Next Part
First Part

Sources:
http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/cm/v8/n2/flood

Photo Credit:
http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/cm/v8/n2/flood
http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/overheads/pages/oh20030131_159.asp

2 Peter: Wallowing in the Mud (Part 5)

4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment;
5 if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others;
6 if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;
7 and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men
8 (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)--
9 if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment.
2 Peter 2:4-9

This is a clear theme of scripture, God does not tolerate sin and unrepentant soul. God punishes those who rebel against him, but he rescues those who look to him.
Are the fallen angels (verse 4) in jail waiting for their punishment, or are they in a different kind of prison? These fallen angels may be demons (Eph. 6:12) and have been banished from heaven like Satan (Isaiah 14:12-18; Luke 10:18; Ezekiel 28:13-19) where they now dwells in the earth, or are they in legitimate prison cell?
But that's not the point of this passage. The point is that God will punish the ungodly, and you don't want to be ungodly when he unleashes his final punishment (the end of the world).

10 This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings;
11 yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord.
12 But these men blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like brute beasts, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like beasts they too will perish.
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.
2 Peter 2:10-13

*“Pleasure” can, of course, be a neutral or even positive thing; God has himself created many things to give his people pleasure. But the Greek word here for “pleasure,” hedone, is the word from which we derive “hedonist,” one who lives for only pleasure. The Greeks numbered this kind of pleasure among their four “deadly sins,” sometimes contrasting it with reason*
Taken From: http://www.gracepointdevotions.org/2010/10/04/2-peter-2-commentary/

14 With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed--an accursed brood!
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.
2 Peter 2:14-17

Balaam (Number 22-24) was greedy and followed money instead of God.  Balaam also taught immorality (Nu 31:16; Rev 2:14). So the false teachers have left the biblical way and have gone into Balaam’s errors, greed and impurity.

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.
2 Peter 2:18-19

They promise freedom, perhaps from any law or restraint of the flesh. Yet, Peter says, the very ones who speak of freedom are “slaves of depravity–for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.” This is a perfect example of what Jesus has said: “Everyone who sins is a slave to sin” (John 8:34). So though the false teachers talk of religion and freedom, they do not know the Son; for as Jesus said, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36).

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.
2 Peter 2:20-21

Verse 20 mentions the possibility of reverting to the old ways after having “escaped the corruptions of the world” through knowing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  Is it possible, then, for Christians to lose their salvation? Many would answer affirmatively on the basis of this and similar texts (For example: Hebrews 6:4-6 and Hebrew 10:26).  But this verse asserts only that false teachers who have for a time escaped from worldly corruption through knowing Christ and then turn away from the light of the Christian faith are worse off than they were before knowing Christ.

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."
2 Peter 2:22

The easiest thing to do is lay in you mud, especially when you've just been cleaned. The hardest thing is to be strong and let your shiny new look remain.

As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.
Proverbs 26:11

Previous Part
Next Part
First Part

Photo Credit:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/pig-dung-spread-around-drugs-188139

Sources:
http://www.gracepointdevotions.org/2010/10/04/2-peter-2-commentary/

http://www.gotquestions.org/Lucifer-Satan.html

2 Peter: Myths (Part 4)

We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain. And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, 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. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
2 Peter 1:16-21

Every Christian's faith is based on writing. Not myths or cleverly invented stories, but eyewitness's who wrote down what they saw and heard about Jesus. We must believe that they where telling the truth, and not making up stories for the fun of it. Peter goes further to say that this is confirmed by another voice---the voice of the prophets of the Old Testament. These apostles and prophets did not write of their private opinions or their own inspirations, but God-given inspirations. And with these, they predicted things that would happened in 100s of years really accurately If that is not confirmation of the truth of this thing, what could be?

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.
Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.
In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
2 Peter 2:1-3

If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, "Let us follow other gods" (gods you have not known) "and let us worship them," you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he preached rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery; he has tried to turn you from the way the LORD your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil from among you.
Deuteronomy 13:1-5

There are always false prophets, like Buddha. Buddha received "enlightenment" and created a new religion. There always have, and always will be false prophets.

Previous Part
Next Part
First Part

Sources:

http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=2Pe&c=1&v=1&t=NIV

Psalm 8: What is Man?

O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.

Psalm 8:1

*One of the dominant messages of the Scriptures is that the Lord God is sovereign over his creation. The creation reflects his glory because it is his handiwork. It is perfectly under his control. No "big bang" theory could produce such a magnificent piece of clockwork as our universe. The more universes and galaxies the scientists discover only emphasizes the glory of the Lord God.

An increasing number of scientists are preferring to the intelligent "design" of biological systems, inferring that a creator–God is at work over against an evolutionary process. There is a Master designer behind the immense universe. The intelligent design is becoming increasingly evident to the skilled scientist.
The glory of God is magnified in his creation. The exalted position of man is the capstone of the entire universe.
Wonder of wonders is the fact the Lord God can hold the Milky Way in one hand and take infinite interest in me.*
*Taken From: http://www.abideinchrist.com/messages/psa8v1.html

From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.

Psalm 8:2

*This psalm is a solemn meditation on, and admiration of, the glory and greatness of God, of which we are all concerned to think highly and honourably. It begins and ends with the same acknowledgment of the transcendent excellency of God’s name. It is proposed for proof that God’s name is excellent in all the earth, and then it is repeated as proved in the last verse. For the proof of God’s glory the psalmist gives instances of his goodness to man; for God’s goodness is his glory. God is to be glorified,

1. (v. 1) For making known himself and his great name to us.
2. (v. 2) For making use of the weakest of the children of men, by them to serve his own purposes
3. (v. 3, 4) For making even the heavenly bodies useful to man.
4. (v. 5-8) For making him to have dominion over the creatures in this lower world, and thereby placing him but little lower then the angels

This psalm is, in the New Testament, applied to Christ and the work of our redemption which he wrought out; the honor given by the children of men to him and the honor put upon the children of men by him, both in his humiliation, when he was made a little lower then the angels, and in his exaltation, when he was crowned with glory and honor.*

*Taken from http://www.blueletterbible.org/commentaries/comm_view.cfm?AuthorID=4&contentID=1131&commInfo=5&topic=Psalms

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.

Psalm 8:3-5

God made so many things for us to use and enjoy. God even sent Jesus to suffer through trails of life. I spent 2 hours making this list of stuff that Jesus went through along with places in the bible that talk about how he suffered through things that we go through every day.

• Betrayed (Mathew 26:14-16)
• Friends didn't trust in him (Mark 14:66-71; Mark 16:14)
• Made fun of (Luke 22:63-65)
• Plotted against (Mathew 26:3-4)
• Tempted (Mathew 4:1-11)
• Rejected (Luke 4:20-30; Luke 23:20)
• Doubted (Luke 8:23-25; John 11:1-16; Mathew 14:28-31; Mathew 16:1)
• Ignored (Luke 10:38-42)
• Not Been Thanked (Luke 17:11-16)
• Forsaken (John 6:60-66; Luke 22:39-46)
• Not Wanted (Luke 23:20)
•  Friend/Family Died (Matthew 27:5; John 11:1-33; Matthew 14:1-12) (Judas, his disciple; Lazarus, his friend; John, his cousin)
• Cried/Been Sad (John 11:35; Mark 14:34)
• Disappointed (Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 14:32-41)

Jesus went through all of that and more, but he didn't sin. He never thought an ugly thought, or have a sinful rage. He was never ashamed. He never fought with his siblings, and he had at least six of them (Matthew 13:55-56; Mark 6:3). "what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?" Man did nothing to be honored or respected or ever noticed by God

You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.

Psalm 8:6-8

And you’d think we’d thank God for all of this and be really grateful. God has given us everything we need and then some. In fact, God loves us so much that angels wish they could be like us.

It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.

1 Peter 1:12

When a lot of angels rebelled against God, they were not given the chance be saved from their sin. Angels want God to care about them like God cares about us. You’re lucky to be human because God took the time to care about you. Angels serve God all of their life (unless they’re Satan’s Angels) and they never get to have a relationship with God the same way we do. They want that so bad.

When was the last time you thanked God for giving you the chance to be a Christian? Or food? Or the computer/phone you’re using to look at this?

Those angels that are watching over you right now (Psalm 91:9-12) are wishing that they could be you, because living with the sin that you live with is worth getting to know God the way that only you can.

O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Psalm 8:9

Sources:

http://www.abideinchrist.com/messages/psa8v1.html

http://www.blueletterbible.org/commentaries/comm_view.cfm?AuthorID=4&contentID=1131&commInfo=5&topic=Psalms

http://jasonwaller.wordpress.com/2012/08/20/angels-want-what-we-have/

Are Children Born with Sin?

For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
Psalm 51:1-6

If sin is passed down from mother to child (I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me), then how could Jesus be sinless if his mother Mary was not sinless? Well, Jesus is not just human. The bible teaches that he is 100% human and 100% God. (Hebrew 2:14, Mathew 4:7, 1 Timothy 2:5)
I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me

Sinful- Adjective characterized by, guilty of, or full of sin; wicked:

Sin-  transgression of God's known will or any principle or law regarded as embodying this

Adjective- any member of a class of words that modify nouns and pronouns, primarily by describing a particular quality of the word they are modifying

David is describing a quality, sin, not that he committed sin even before he was born, but that he was able to sin. That he was NOT innocent (free from moral wrong; without sin; pure) and pure (free from anything of a different, inferior, or contaminating kind)

Even from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb they are wayward and speak lies. Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears, that will not heed the tune of the charmer, however skillful the enchanter may be. Break the teeth in their mouths, O God; tear out, O LORD, the fangs of the lions! Let them vanish like water that flows away; when they draw the bow, let their arrows be blunted. Like a slug melting away as it moves along, like a stillborn child, may they not see the sun.
Psalm 58:3-8

This one is saying that there are bad people and even from birth, they are bad.

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned--for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come. But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 5:12-21

Death and sin came as a result of one man. This Romans passage is is one of my favorite proofs that children are born with sin.

Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.
Genesis 8:21

This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Roman 3:22-24

When they sin against you--for there is no one who does not sin--and you become angry with them and give them over to the enemy, who takes them captive to his own land, far away or near;
1 Kings 8:46

Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him.
Proverbs 22:15

Sources
Dictionary.com
http://www.openbible.info/topics/being_born_in_sin

Photo Credit:
http://www.whattoexpect.com/first-year/baby-growth-and-behavior.aspx

2012...

I like to give each year a theme song, and this year, I'm going to share 2012's theme song.

The Older I Get (Acoustic)

by Skillet

The walls between you and I always pushing us apart never left but scars fight after fight. The space between our calm and rage started growing short, and disappearing slowly day after day.

I was sitting there waiting in my room for you. You were waiting for me to. And it makes me wonder...

The older I get, will I get over it? It’s been way to long for the times we missed. It didn’t know it would hurt like this, but I think the older I get maybe I’ll get over it. It’s been way to long for the times we missed. I can’t believe it still hurts like this.

The time between those cutting words built up our defenses it never made no sense, it just made me hurt. Do you believe time heals all wounds? It started getting better, but it’s easy not to fight when I’m not with you.

I was sitting there waiting in my room for you. You were waiting for me to. And it makes me wonder...

The older I get, will I get over it? It’s been way to long for the times we missed. It didn’t know it would hurt like this, but I think the older I get maybe I’ll get over it. It’s been way to long for the times we missed. I can’t believe it still hurts like this.

What was I waiting for? I should have taken less and given you more. I should have weathered the storm. I need to say so bad, what where you waiting for? This could have been the best we’ve ever had.

The older I get, will I get over it? It’s been way to long for the times we missed. It didn’t know it would hurt like this, but I think the older I get maybe I’ll get over it. It’s been way to long for the times we missed. I can’t believe it still hurts like this.

Hurt like this. I’m just getting older. I’m not getting over you, I’m trying to. I wish it didn’t hurt like this. I spent way to long for the times we missed. I can’t believe it still hurts like this.

For a while I was sure it would be "Get back up" by Toby Mac, but it changed to "The older I get" by Skillet. This song describes 2012. And here is another song that's on the "soundtrack" of 2012

Would it Matter

by Skillet

Have a great 2013!