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Proverbs 10:1-10
1 The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son makes a
glad father, But a foolish son is
the grief of his mother.
2 Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, But
righteousness delivers from death.
3 The LORD will not allow the righteous soul to
famish, But He casts away the desire of the wicked.
4 He who has a slack hand becomes poor, But the
hand of the diligent makes rich.
5 He who gathers in summer is a wise son; He who sleeps in
harvest is a son who causes
shame.
6 Blessings are on the head of the righteous, But violence covers the mouth
of the wicked.
7 The memory of the righteous is blessed, But the name of the
wicked will rot.
8 The wise in heart will receive commands, But
a prating fool will fall.
9 He who walks with integrity walks securely,
But he who perverts his ways will become known.
10 He who winks with the eye causes trouble, But
a prating fool will fall.
Father God, open the eyes of our hearts so that we can walk
in your ways. In Jesus name we pray, Amen!
Book of II Peter 1:12-21
NKJV
Last week we studied growing in grace; this lesson is
about being grounded in our faith. If we don’t grow in our faith it is
impossible to be grounded in it. Without deep roots in the Word of God we will
wander and possibly forfeit our salvation. We will never lose our Salvation,
but it is possible to forfeit it.
12 For this
reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you
know and are established in the present truth.
For this reason I will not be
negligent to remind you always of these things; Peter, in
this phrase is reminding his audience and us not to let our guard down
pertaining to the Gospel; Cross of Christ. You see in Peter’s time and also
present time, we as humans wander in our faith in some fashion. It could be due
to false teachers, preachers, ministers, priests, friends, family, etc. We are
just the same as the Israelite’s, because there are things that happen in our
life that will boost or cause us to drift in our faith. The Israelites would
drift in their faith in God and start murmuring and complaining and then all of
a sudden water would flow from a rock or quail would drop out of the sky. Then
they were all about giving God praise and worship. These events would remind
the Israelites who was in charge, and they would repent, but would eventually
drift back to questioning and complaining, therefore always needing reminders
to keep their faith in God. You see we don’t know the time span between the
miracles the Israelites experienced, all we know is they wandered in the
wilderness for 40 years and drifted away from God from time to time.
Peter
is experiencing the same thing, and it also holds true for today. If we don’t
keep the Word of God in front of us daily, we drift away. It is our human
nature to do this and therefore we need to be constantly reminded in some
manner to keep our faith in the Cross.
Let
me refer back to an athlete or coach, outstanding coaches constantly review the
basics of the sport with their teams, and good athletes can execute the
fundamentals consistently well, but not without constant practice. The same
holds true for Christians, they need constant reminders of the fundamentals of
our faith and of how we came to believe in the first place. Don't allow
yourself to be bored or impatient with messages on the basics of the Christian
life. Instead, take the attitude of an athlete who continues to practice and
refine the basics.
This
message of reminders is throughout the NT to beware of false doctrine that man
devises, so as to remain faithful. Colossians
2:6-8 As you therefore have received
Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the
faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. 8 Beware lest
anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the
tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not
according to Christ. Hebrews 13:8-9 Jesus
Christ is the same yesterday,
today, and forever. 9 Do not be carried about with various and strange
doctrines. For it is good that
the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those
who have been occupied with them.
Though you know and are established in
the present truth; Peter is telling us that we know the message
of the Cross that brought us to our knees at the foot of the Cross, so hang
onto that truth that set us free and never forget it. John 8:32 And you shall know the
truth, and the truth shall make you free." 1
Corinthians 2:2 For I determined not to know anything among you except
Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Colossians 2:6-7
As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and
built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught,
abounding in it with thanksgiving. That truth is Jesus Christ and all
that He taught us. We are to abide in His Word to live, live eternally. Ezekiel 20:19 I am
the LORD your God: Walk in My statutes, keep My judgments, and do them;
13 Yes, I
think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you,
Yes, I think it is right, as long as I
am in this tent; What Peter is referring to here is his physical life; his
earthly existence. Peter knows at some point in time he will trade in his earthly
form for a glorified body.
To stir you up by reminding you; Peter along with the other Apostles of his day were commissioned to
constantly remind others of weaker faith to remain faithful, because it is
through faith we are saved not some religion. They wanted to keep the saved
rooted in Jesus Christ.
14 knowing
that shortly I must put off my
tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me.
Since
Peter used the word, “shortly”, he may be referring to a message he receive via
the Holy Spirit that his life was to end soon, in a fashion according to Jesus
prediction given to him, that is recorded in John, but we really don’t know. John 21:18 Most assuredly, I say to
you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished;
but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird
you and carry you where you do
not wish."
Peter
was martyred by those that thought he was spreading false doctrine. It is hard
for humans to believe in the spiritual realm. Our sin nature, that comes from
the devil encourages us to believe in man fabricated doctrine.
15 Moreover
I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things
after my decease.
Peter
was so grounded in the Gospel that he reassures his listeners that through his
writings, the Gospels, and the Book of Acts, they will have a constant reminder
of the truth after his death.
16 For we
did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.
For we did not follow cunningly
devised fables; In this verse Peter is telling us that he didn’t listen
to false teachers or teachers of trickery. Did you catch the word, “we”? Do you
know who he is referring to? Based on the last phrase of this verse it would be
the other Apostles. Peter and the other Apostles were teaching the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth according to God.
When we made known to you the power
and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; Peters messages that was delivered
were all based on first hand observance because he was at Jesus side and was
taught by the Master.
But were eyewitnesses of His majesty; Simply
stating that Peter was with Jesus, taught by Jesus, was a witness to Jesus
death and resurrection, and saw Jesus ascension to Heaven. Peter was also
present on the mountain to witness the transfiguration. Matthew 17:1-8 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and
John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and He was
transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became
as white as the light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them,
talking with Him. 4 Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord,
it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles:
one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." 5 While he
was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a
voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am
well pleased. Hear Him!" 6 And when
the disciples heard it, they
fell on their faces and were greatly afraid.
7 But Jesus came and touched them and
said, "Arise, and do not be afraid." 8 When they
had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
Peter
was rooted deeply in Jesus Christ and no one was going to pull him away from
the truth. This is how we need to be as Christians, and the only way this will
happen is if we read and study God’s Word and believe all that is in the Bible to live by, and not pick
and choose verses from the Bible to live by. When a person picks and chooses,
they do this so they can continue to live in sin. They are only Christians
based on mind knowledge and not heart knowledge. You will know them by their
speech and actions. Matthew
13:23 But he
who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and
produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."
17 For He
received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from
the Excellent Glory: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased."
For He received from God the Father
honor and glory; He meaning Jesus, received praise, honor, and glory from
God the Father on the mountain.
When such a voice came to Him from the
Excellent Glory; Meaning God’s voice of Excellence and Glory.
"This is My beloved Son, in whom
I am well pleased."; God spoke these words two times, once when
Jesus was baptized and the other time on the mountain. They are repeated in the
Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Matthew 3:17, Matthew 17:5; Mark
1:11, Mark 9:7; Luke 3:22, Luke
9:35 If
you look these verses up you will find that in all three accounts, of on the
mountain, it is added, Hear Him!
Hear him meaning God’s Word, the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the
truth. God is the final authority, not man! Abide in Jesus and all that He
said.
18 And we
heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy
mountain.
And we heard this voice which came
from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain; Peter uses
the term, “we” which includes Jesus, James, and John Jesus brother that were
taken up on the mountain where Jesus conversed with Moses and Elijah. While
this conversation transpired, a cloud overshadowed them and the voice of God
came forth from the cloud. Matthew
17:1-8; Mark 9:2-8;
Luke 9:28-36
Peter
is using this life experience that he had while he was with Jesus to assure his
listeners that he wasn’t make things up pertaining to what he was teaching; he
didn’t get his knowledge from false teachers, it wasn’t second hand
information, but from his walk with the Son of God.
19 And so we
have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that
shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your
hearts;
And so we have the prophetic word
confirmed; Verses
16-20 are strong
statements on the inspiration of Scripture. Peter affirms that the Old
Testament prophets wrote God's messages. He puts himself and the other apostles
by using the word “we”, in the same category because they also proclaim God's
truth. The Bible is not a collection of fables or human ideas about God. It is
God's very words given through
people to people. Peter
emphasized his authority as an eyewitness as well as the God inspired authority
of Scripture to prepare the way for his harsh words against the false teachers.
If these wicked men were contradicting the apostles and the Bible, their
message could not be from God, and that is why we need to know what the Bible
says so that we can follow Jesus in word and deed.
So
how do we verify what someone tells us? We need to look up verses to validate
what is being proclaimed, which can be done on our own; or ask people to show
you the verses for validation; get other people that are Bible wise and have
them show you the verses of truth; ask people other than those that go to your
church. The main point is that you get Bible verses and then read more than
just one verse. Read several verses before and after the verse to make sure it is
talking about what you want to validate. Sometimes you may have to read the
chapter before and after. If you have a good study Bible it will have parallel
verses you can look up also that are listed by the verses you have obtained.
There is also Bible software that has search capabilities.
Which you do well to heed as a light
that shines in a dark place; What Peter is telling us here is that we live
in a dark place, Jesus is the Light of the World, and we will receive eternal
life if we will pick up our Bibles and Hear
Him and believe all
of God’s Word.
Until the day dawns and the morning
star rises in your hearts; Christ
is a "Morning Star," and when he returns, he will shine in his full
glory. Until that day we have Scripture and the Holy Spirit to illuminate it
for us and guide us as we seek the truth. Luke 1:78;
Ephesians 5:14; Revelation 2:28; Revelation
22:16
20 knowing
this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,
21 for
prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy
Spirit.
Peter
ends this Chapter with a statement that the Holy Bible is the inspired word of
God through prophets and faithful men of God. The men of the Bible always
started out or ended their God given message to the people with; thus saith the
Lord GOD; says the LORD
of hosts; or thus says the LORD. Modern day people say, I think this would be a
good thing or let’s do this.
"The
prophets and Apostles were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from
God" means that Scripture did not come from the creative work of the
prophets' own invention or interpretation. God inspired the writers, so their
message is authentic and reliable. God used the talents, education, and
cultural background of each writer (they were not mindless robots); and God
cooperated with the writers in such a way to ensure that the message he
intended was faithfully communicated in the very words they wrote.
Many
and most people try to claim that the Bible has no relevance today. They make
claims it was for ancient times, but people are still the same as they were
2,000, 4,000, or 6,000 years ago. There is still murder, promiscuity, adultery,
lying, stealing, cheating, deception, using Gods name in vain, praying to
persons, places, and things (idolatry) other than Jesus, gossip, vulgar
language, haughtiness, pride, persecution, justifying murder through abortion, homosexuality,
etc., etc., etc. You can read about each of these throughout the Bible, so I
ask you what is the difference and why doesn’t it pertain to current times?
Colossians
1:16
For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth,
visible
and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.
All things were created through Him and for
Him.
Romans
3:23 for
all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans
6:23
For the wages of sin is death,
but the gift of God is eternal
life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, Most
assuredly, I say to you,
unless
one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
The
Lighthouse Full Gospel Church
Sinners
Prayer; Pray this, and if you believe it with your heart, Jesus will save you!
“Lord Jesus I know I am a
sinner. I confess my sins to you; I am
sorry for my sins; I repent (Meaning, desiring to turn from a sinful
lifestyle.) of all my sins, and I am asking for your forgiveness. I believe that only you can forgive sin. I commit my life to you and ask you to come
into my heart, direct, and take charge of my life. I believe that you died to set me free from
my sinful lifestyle and you rose from the dead to give me eternal life, and
right now you are seated at the Right Hand of God Almighty. I believe you are
the Son of God; the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life, and my
Savior.” I believe this and have faith
you will make a new person out of me, by sending the Holy Spirit to dwell in my
heart and lead me in a new life. In Jesus name I pray Amen.”
(John 3:16,17; Romans
3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9-13; Ephesians
2:8-10; 1 John 5:11-14; 1:6-10)
(Sin: Rom. 1:22-32; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph.
5:3-7)
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