"THESE PEOPLE"

“These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them.” 2 Peter 2:17

“These people” mentioned in 2 Peter 2:17 are false prophets. False prophets who have come into the early church and mislead, manipulate, and teach false doctrine. We still have them today. Charlatans and snake oil salesmen. Spiritual illusionists and religious magicians who feed on the weakness of believers and seeker alike, convincing them of things that sounds biblical and emotionally seductive. But, they are all the same with regards to their end goals, greed, avarice, power, fame and self-consumption. Often they are cultic leaders with huge personas or humble facades. These people, men and women are pretending to be part of the Body of Christ or above it. They tend to lord over their followers by promising blessings, staging miracles and using every form of deception imaginable. False prophets will do anything for gain. But, there is no substance to them; they are an oasis that doesn’t exist, a mirage that tricks the minds of the thirsty. They are all thunder, lightning, theatrics, and high clouds that provide no rain. There is a punishment for them that defy description, so the absence of light will be there destination.
God loves His sheep and protects them. Be warned. Be careful. Don’t be fooled. Check everything out through sources you can truly trust. Trust His Word above any preacher or teacher. Make sure you are not being led astray, or haven’t been in the past and won’t be in the future. Please be careful.

"OUGHT TO"

“Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives.” 2 Peter 3:11

As Peter comes to the end of his second letter to believers everywhere, he talks about the end of times. This teaching is both exciting and overwhelming. Life as we know it someday will end. Not only for us as individuals, but for the whole of creation. In principle then, if we are indeed finite in the physical body, he poses a question, “How then should we live?” Since worldly stuff is extremely temporal, how should we conduct ourselves and where should we spend our time and energy? Peter suggests what we ought to do. Or, as I have heard said by people reflecting on their errors, “the woulda, coulda, shouldas.” What could I have done or should I have done, if I had it all to do over again? We all have done this. How about a more positive tact to begin with, instead of remorse? What ought we do? We ought to live holy and Godly lives. That should be our plan and focus. No arguing with that, right? Easy to say, hard to do. Holy and Godly. Not perfect, but conscientious, obedient, and focused on Christ.

"HOLDING FAST"

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." ; Hebrews 10:23 NAS

Hang on everybody! The going is for sure going to be rough sometimes. What exactly is the “confession of our hope”? After all, that is what this verse says to hang onto. I believe it is our faith. Our faith that we are redeemed and that no matter what God has got us. The key here must be one of two things. The key is either that He who promises is faithful, or that we should not waiver. I am going with the latter. You see, life is made up of "flexibles and givens". It is given that we should hold fast. Good advice. We know we need to hang on, no question about it. We also understand what we hold on to. We hang on to the fact of our redemption. We confessed, He saved, and that is secure. Most confidently He is faithful. God changes not. He fails not. He is rock solid. The only “flexible” that is not a “given” in this whole verse is the “without wavering” part. There is the point of trouble for us. We waver. Life gives us what we get. God is who He is. Faith is what it is. God is faithful. So… how much do we waver? It is our choice, our decision. We can waver a lot or a little, depending on our mood and attitude. Indeed to be more unwavering about the fact that He is unwavering. That helps me hang on.

"OF PIGS AND DOGS"

"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

Graphic words. Repulsive pictures. Serious illustrations. Peter is speaking of the fate of False Prophets, but the principle of Proverbs applies to us all. Our human tendency is to repeat sin. We forget and conveniently do not remember who we are in Christ. I have a conscience about my propensity for depravity. I can be mean, deceptive, inappropriate, and rebellious. Get over yourself, so can you??? We have an old sin nature. We are still weak and stumble, and sometimes fall. Be we all sin, and fall short of the glory of God. It sure makes me more self-conscious when I think of my sin as vomit and me returning to it. Dogs do this as an innate behavior. People do it by choice. Pigs wallow as a part of who they are by design. We wallow because we like it in spite of who we are in Christ. I think this is hard to swallow. No pun intended!!!

FALSE PROPHETS

2 Peter 2

I have always been a proponent of study Bibles. The notes and commentaries in them can help immensely with understanding scripture better. I also encourage listening to radio programs such as J. Vernon McGee, John MacArthur, Greg Laurie, etc., etc., any of the mainstream Bible teachers. Additionally, getting books, CD’s, videos and resources from Bible Bookstores like Lifeway, The Bible House, and Family Christian is a good idea. Being mentored and attending Bible Studies promotes spiritual growth, also. Saying that, I would suggest that you resource more than one commentary too, like on Bible Gateway or StudyLight. This is not a comprehensive list, just a place to start expanding your learning horizon.

So, why is this devotion titled, “False Prophets”? Am I going to list modern day false prophets right here? No, I am not. One of my Study Bibles is the David Jeremiah Study Bible. It has a wonderful chart that lists many attributes of False Prophets from 2 Peter, Chapter 2. I think it would be valuable to share them with you.

"MY TRUST"

“Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” 1 Corinthians 4:2

In order to fully and best understand most of the Bible it should be read in context. This verse for example was quoted in a book about financial stewardship that was given to me recently, entitled “Faithful with Much.” Of course the first hurdle for me was to wrap my mind around the concept that I had much to start with. After I put myself in context with the world and many Americans, I then wanted to make sure the author was applying the verse correctly. After all it is convicting to think that I should be faithful with all that has been entrusted to me; all my resources of time, talent, and treasure. Well, I read the first few verses of 1 Corinthians 4 and it seemed like it was basically talking about being entrusted with the mysteries of Christ. Then, it led to Paul explaining about motives and how we aren’t innocent. O.K. How is that about money? Then, it goes on to say that believers should not compare Paul and Apollos, and how they are partners and are suffering together. Then, Paul shifts to talking about how the apostles are living poor and without, while many Corinthians have more than plenty and are rich. Then, it talks about arrogance and not trying to guilt trip, but to appeal as a spiritual father to the Corinthians that have power not only to talk, but to act because Timothy was on his way. Paul says he himself will come to them too, Lord willing. So, they will have to account for their actions. Then it hit me. Be faithful with whatever you have been given. Everybody has something.

"SINCERE LOVE"

“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers and sisters, love one another deeply, from the heart.” 2 Peter 1:22

We jest about the catchphrase, “Love you mean it!” Yet there is a subtle underlying truth to the humor behind the jesting. Do we really mean it when we say “love you”? I think we know we should be sincere and sometimes we act overly sincere in order to make up for our lack of empathy, sympathy or true feelings of love. I know in marriage love is a commitment and not just a word. Love is a verb and not just a feeling. I think the key is being honest before God. Like today for example, I have mixed feelings. I love people, but I am disappointed in our actions, or more so words, including myself. Our issue is most often with ourselves and not others. That is the truth, which is a good start.
Be honest.
Go to God.
Purify your heart by confession.
Forgive others.
Forgive yourself.
Accept His forgiveness.
Now, sincere love is easier. I am feeling it myself just now. It is deeper, not just surface out of obligation, but deeper because it is coming from my recently purified heart. I am humbled by how easy this attitude adjustment has been. And you?

"He Knows What I Need"

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” 2 Peter 1:3

We always seem to need something. More often than not, we also feel that if we had that something we would be doing so much better. Oh, the life of a consumer can be so disappointing. If indeed He has the power to give me everything I need for life, why am I regularly dissatisfied? I base my sense of satisfaction on things other than what He gives. He gives us what we need for a life of godliness through knowing Him. Not much sizzle, bling, or excitement in that by the world’s standards, but it really is what I most need. If I would focus more or most on what He gives me through His goodness and knowledge of Him, I would be more satisfied within me and stop trying to be so satisfied from the outside/in, and work on being satisfied from the inside/out. This makes sense to me. Whenever I focus on doing good and glorifying Him, my expectations adjust amazingly. When I allow what He gives to bless me, I remember that He knows best (even better than me) and that I am totally satisfied when I consider Him and His divine power, and His generosity, and His goodness. All these deeper things are so much more fulfilling than the temporal, shallow, and self-serving things I seek satisfaction from.

"SAME PRECIOUS FAITH"

"Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours." 2 Peter 1:1

This is the opening verse of Peter’s second letter to dispersed Christians everywhere who share a common faith that is equally precious. My faith is the same faith as you. What God gave me at salvation is the same as He gave you. Our experience may be different; you may walk in your faith stronger than me. You may not be as mature in your faith as I am, but, it is the same precious faith. Equally precious. This is why the billionaire brother and the starving brother are equally as precious, because their faith is the same. We do so much comparing in this life between the “have” and the “have not’s”, the “unknowing” and the “know it all’s”, the “compassionate” and the “dis-compassionate”, the “free” and the “repressed” and the “good and the “bad”. We forget our common ground. The ground is indeed level at the foot of the cross. The faith of every believer that saves them is equal. The addicted and the non-addicted have the same faith; same Jesus, same promises, same cross, same communion, and same power. Our creator created us equal, in terms of our access to Him. Spiritual elitism is a byproduct of too much worldly comparison. One faith, one hope, one baptism, one Savior….think about it.

GRACE AND PEACE

“Peace to all of you who are in Christ.” 1 Peter 5:14b

These are Peter’s final words in his first letter. He will write again in
2 Peter. I wonder if at the end of this letter he knew he would write again. It probably makes no difference. We know he cares deeply and is very concerned about the church that is dispersed, or far away. News and contacts traveled slowly in those days. So these words could be your last. Do you find it hard to find the right words to sign off or to start a letter? For Peter, he starts and ends basically with the same words: Grace and Peace. It is 40 years since his sermon at Pentecost and he by now knows what is most important. The only true peace we have comes from His grace. Nothing else matters as much.

"HOLY KISSES"

“Greet one another with a kiss of love.” 1 Peter 5:14a

I don’t know if all young Christian guys like this verse as much as I did when I was about 17, but I have to say when I found out that Christians were to kiss each other as a form of hello I was pretty jazzed. Needless to say or I must confess, that I once used this verse as a weak line on a date to explain why it could be specifically God’s will that we fulfill the directive of scripture before the date went any further. Come on now, work with me here! Surely this was what Peter meant. He was encouraging me to at least offer a Biblical perspective on the subject. Not too long after that a Pastor preached on this section of scripture at Summer Camp and I got a deeper message about love and holiness. It cramped my style a bit, but I didn’t misuse the verse again. I still can read into this text and caution us all to be careful how we interpret His Word. Makes me laugh today that I was so brash, forward, and self-indulged in my thinking. But, I was sweet, and when the girl said, “just one” I left it at that for the evening.

GOD HAS A PLAN

"In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps." Proverbs 16:9

“Open your heart and invite God into every circumstance because when God enters the scene, miracles happen.”

With all the happenings going on in my life the past week I have been clinging to the fact that God is in charge.

“WORLDWIDE BROTHERS AND SISTERS”

"Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers and sisters throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings." 1 Peter 5:9

I love this verse. Of course, we are talking about resisting the enemy, avoiding the devil by being strong and standing firm in the faith. And we should. Peter encourages us by sharing that we are not alone. We are not just Christians at Grace Harbor or affiliated with Transformation Ministries, or American Christians. We are part of a worldwide Body of Christ. Billions of believers. We don't stand alone. We stand together as one worldwide church of all those who know Jesus Christ as Savior.

"ABOUT YOUR ENEMY"

"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8

I for one do not want to be the devil's dinner. He nips at me, chews on me, picks at my wounds and would like to devour me completely if I would let him. But, I don't have to. I can choose to avoid him stalking me and treating me like his prey. How? Just like the verse says, “By being self-controlled and alert”. This is great advice for protecting yourself against the enemy. First of all, take responsibility for the access you give the devil because you are out of control. Good grief set up some simple boundaries. Control where you go, what you look at, what you think, what you listen to, what you read, what you allow yourself to mess with. You know, play with fire and you will get burned. If I don't want to be eaten by the devil, I probably should stay out of his kitchen, his refrigerator, his restaurant and his supermarket. If I don't go where trouble or sin is I am far less likely to find it. Have a decent defense right? Protect yourself. Stay away from him and his favorite places to mess with people. Stay away from people who get tempted a lot. The other advice is great, too. Be alert. Not only should we not wander into his path, we should also watch out for his attack. He will not only pick you off for a snack if you stray into his territory, he will also come looking for you, especially if you are new in the faith, or growing in the faith, or serving in the faith. He does not give warning. Oh, the Lord will warn you. He is warning you now. Stay away from the enemy and look out for his attacks. The enemy doesn't play fair. He is a liar and a cheat. He seduces addicts, manipulates and destroys. His sole goal is to undo the work of the Lord in each of our lives. He hates us and will dismember us before eating us alive. He will divide us and turn us on each other. Know your enemy but don't play his game. Be alert, keep your eyes open and keep your eyes on the Lord. Whenever there is trouble or discord or conflict, watch out because the enemy is near, just waiting to pounce. God has our back; we should look out for ourselves and each other.

HIGH ANXIETY

"Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7

Wow. Just wow. I need to read this verse daily, sometimes many times daily. Especially because I am prone to some physical and emotional anxiety and really have to make a concerted effort to remind myself that He can help me so much with my issues. “Cast” it says. Throw it and let go as you do. Take it away from you and give it to Him. Most if not all that I am anxious about is stuff He died for. You know, my sin, the sin of others, my lack of control, and the control of others. ALL your anxiety it says…the big stuff, the small stuff, the important stuff, and the stupid stuff. Don't hang on to any of it. Give it all up. I know, I know, some of it works for me, too. How can I have a pity party with no theme? How can I get even, with no evidence? How can I justify what I eat without stress? How can I prove that I have been wronged, if I forgive? The list goes on. Cast all of my anxiety on HIM it says. What? I want to share my anxiety with those around me. You know, for empathy or sympathy or fun? The Word also says, 'Be anxious for nothing". In truth, sometimes I must admit that it really is "nothing" that I am anxious about. Oh, maybe the mountain I am making out of the molehill. Or the federal case I am making out of the misdemeanor. Right? Of course. If I let go of it I can't use it to my advantage, can I?

“PRIDE OR HUMILITY?”

"All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." 1 Peter 5:5b

We all know that we should choose humility over pride, but the actual implementation of the practice is another thing, altogether. Not easy to do. I think we never actually relinquish the pride part and therefore the humility part comes across pretty phony. When you clothe yourself with humility it means that you cover yourself, that you put something over yourself and change your appearance. Our nakedness as it were refers to our sin. Humility means something when you realize that it isn't natural for us. We come into this world naked and proud. As much as we love babies and feel as they are precious and wonderful, in all honesty they are demanding, selfish, helpless and proud. We are not born in innocence, all humble and meek. We come out kicking and screaming and demand to be fed and cleaned and catered to in every way. Some folks never get over that. Admit you are sinful by nature and humility will come easier.

The Days Are Coming

"The days are coming," declares the Lord, when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteousness." Jeremiah 23:5-6

It has always amazed me how the Bible, the Old and New Testaments, form one continuous work, despite the fact it was written over thousands of years in different languages on different continents and by several authors. No other book can boast of such legitimacy and, if you take the time to study the historical, factual and spiritual aspects of this book, I believe it is impossible to deny that the Bible is the Divinely inspired Word of God.

"GRUMBLING ABOUT GRUMBLING"

“Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.” 1 Peter 4:9

Funny devotion title, huh? I think so, made me chuckle as I wrote it. How can I possibly address this without complaining about complainers? Okay, even though it is almost impossible, sorry, am I already grumbling?

"Taking Hold"

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." Philippians 3:12b

I have been a believer in the catchy little phrase that says…"Let go and let God.” I am sure almost all of us struggle with control issues. We spend a fair amount of time, energy, and emotions either trying to get control or give up control.

"Above All, Love"

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8

Peter knows what it means to be loved, even when we sin. What a horrible sinner he must have felt like when he ran away after Jesus was arrested. How sick of heart he must have been when he faithlessly, sinfully, with cowardice denied knowing Jesus three times. Oh, how forgiven he must have felt when the Lord especially made sure he knew the Lord had resurrected. Oh, how covered Peter’s sins were by the merciful, gracious, and forgiving love of Jesus. Oh the deep, deep, love of Jesus that covers our sin. But, here in this verse we are not only talking about His love for me and you, or our love for Him. We should love on another the same way. Face it, we find it harder to love sinners, especially those who mess up repeatedly. When you love someone with His love, you have to set aside your other feelings and judgments. Deep love looks beyond the surface and sees others like God sees them. Deep love allows His grace to cover our sinful attitudes that too easily we forget…”Were it not for the grace of God, what would I be.” Love indeed covers over not only our sin, but the sin of others. His love is deeper than sin.

ENOUGH

“For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do--living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry.” 1 Peter 4:3

When we as followers of Christ experience the transforming power of salvation, we too often get stuck in the very early stages of discipleship and maturation. I know far too many believers who act more like unbelievers and far too many unbelievers who act more like believers. Our weakness and immorality is what fosters the rampant impression of hypocrisy that so often cripples our witness and credibility. I know we are not perfectly any means, but do we have to be so outwardly flawed? I know we are all “works in progress”, but far too many of us are “a real piece of work” more than we are making progress.