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Thoughts Archived > Spared or Tossed?


18 Sep 2011

 

                                

 

September 18, 2011

  Spared or Tossed?  

2 Peter 2

 

 

2 Peter 

But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you.  They will cleverly teach their destructive heresies about God and even turn against their Master who brought them.  Theirs will be a swift and terrible end.  Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality.  And because of them, Christ and his true way will be slandered.  In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money.  But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction is on the way.

For God did not spare even the angels when they sinned; he threw them into hell, in gloomy caves and darkness until the judgment day.  And God did not spare the ancient world - except for Noah and his family of seven.  Noah warned the world of God's righteous judgment.  Then God destroyed the whole world of ungodly people with a vast flood.  Later, he turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into heaps of ashes and swept them off the face of the earth.  He made them an example of what will happen to ungodly people.  But at the same time, God rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a good man who was sick of all the immorality and wickedness around him.  Yes, he was a righteous man who was distressed by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day. 

So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while punishing the wicked right up until the day of judgment.  He is especially hard on  those who follow their own evil, lustful desires and who despise authority.  These people are proud and arrogant, daring even to scoff at the glorious ones without so much as trembling.  But the angels, even though they are far greater in power and strength than these false teachers, never speak out disrespectfully against the glorious ones.

These false teachers are like unthinking animals, creatures of instinct, who are born to be caught and killed.  They laugh at the terrifying powers they know so little about, and they will be destroyed along with them.  Their destruction is their reward for the harm they have done.  They love to indulge in evil pleasures in broad daylight.  They are a disgrace and a stain among you.  They revel in deceitfulness while they feast with you.  They commit adultery with their eyes, and their lust is never satisfied.  They make a game of luring unstable people into sin.  They train themselves to be greedy; they are doomed and cursed.  They have wandered off the right road and followed the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved to earn money by doing wrong.  But Balaam was stopped from his mad course when his donkey rebuked him with a human voice.

These people are as useless as dried up springs of water or as clouds blown away by the wind - promising much and delivering nothing.  They are doomed to blackest darkness.  They brag about themselves with empty, foolish boasting.  With lustful desire as their bait, they lure back into sin those who have just escaped from such wicked living.  They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves to sin and corruption.  For you are a slave to whatever controls you.  And when people escape from the wicked ways of the world by learning about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up with sin and become its slave again, they are worse off than before.  It would be better if they had never known the right way to live than to know it and then reject the holy commandments that were given to them.  They make these proverbs come true:  "A dog returns to its vomit," and "A washed pig returns to the mud."   

 

JesJeJeJJjEJJJ     JJThe LORD is king!  Let the nations tremble!  T*** 

 

Thoughts.....

 

Good morning everyone!  I hope you are enjoying the weather where you are.  It's delightful here and I hope for a temperate clime for a change.  Autumn is a great season to get things done.  Not too hot and not too cold.  Great day for reading a book under a tree.  May you enjoy this season as our days move closer in celebration of the anniversary of the birth of our Lord.  Let's get started. 

Peter is a little fired up here.  It seems he has 'competition' and they are not giving 'the whole truth and nothing but the truth'.  There is a disparity between God's people and their belief system vs Satan's people and theirs.  I'll try to break all this down a bit. 

In the first paragraph....gee....it reads like some churches I've heard of.  Peter is attempting to warn everyone about the statements of false prophets and false teachers.  God is all about respect and love.  When falsehoods are stated, and attempts to issue mandates based on falsehoods are given, folks don't get the truth of who God really is and all he stands for.  They are led astray like a lamb to a slaughter.  Those who speak it and those who follow it will be condemned.  Their death will not be eternal....of God.

In paragraph 2, we learn no one is immune to God's wrath.  But that he offered immunity to those who were righteous, God loving, and respectful.        

In paragraph 3, we learn that God gives equal opportunity.  Heaven or hell.  Rescue or punishment.  You get to decide how you want the end to be played out. 

Paragraph 4, Peter is admonishing further about those who are not of God, although they seem to be saying they are. All the while they lure others to their wrong understanding.  "But Balaam was stopped from his mad course when his donkey rebuked him with a human voice."  That's astounding......was he on drugs, alcohol, delusional, sober, does it matter?  He stopped.  A greater question remains, did he then listen to truth, get healed, go forth in the truth of God's grace, love, and mercy, sharing the truth of God to others?  Perhaps you need to read more of the scriptures to get the answer to this perplexing question. 

Warning....warning!  More of the same warnings, only perhaps stronger.  This paragraph and the others show that we have options.  We can go to heaven or hell essentially by the choices we make.  It's also about leadership.  What is said and how it is said.  As someone who preaches the Word of God in season and out, it is important that I always give you what it says, attempting to make it more clear.  I do not report untruths, nor do I confuse the Word....at least I pray I do not!  Does this mean I am redundant?  Yes, I hope it does.  Because then the Word is reinforced in your hearts and minds in a way that allows you to better understand God's intent and the Word may come to light in your heart. 

Peter also warns us not to fall by the wayside.  Not to jump the ship, so to speak.  We must be diligent at all times in all ways to the glory of our Lord.  We can't waffle.  You are either for God or against God.  If you are against God, you are for Satan.  No fence riders here.  He warns us that it is better to not have known God, than to have known him, sinned, and walked away. 

If you are being mandated to do something by a person in leadership and it is not of God, based on Scripture, walk on.  But make sure you find the scripture that proves that what they are doing is wrong, rather than just react to some negative trigger in your own life and walk away.  It is real easy to find excuses to not hear the Word of God, have fellowship, follow the Way, the Truth, and the Light.  But once heard, it should be like an illuminating light on your soul to give you a new life, a new way of living, a new way of giving. 

So be careful who you listen to.  Align what you hear with the Word....the Bible.  Be careful of what you say.  You are accountable to God.  And you could bring others down with you.....literally.  Travel in circles and surround yourself with those who build God up, not tear him down.  Make today the day you return in your heart to Jesus or ask him to come into your heart for the first time.  Ask him to baptise you with Holy Spirit, so that he can teach you the truth and you can be set free....be forgiven of your sins, healed from sins against you, and be given the opportunity to receive eternal life!            

 

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Let Us Pray

 

Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.  Please forgive me of my sins.  Please help me to forgive those who have sinned against me.  I know this doesn't absolve them, they have to ask for that, but I will feel better having gotten off the load of pain that their sins against me caused.....including illness.....and suffering.  Surround me please with those who are Christians in the true sense of the word.  That what I know and what else I learn will be reinforced in my heart and mind. That I may share it with others more easily, because I live it, because you live in me.  Embody me.  Envelope me in an embrace.  Uplift me, that I may lift you to new heights of glory, Lord.  Help me to show the world who reigns in my life, so that I may be an example for the Way, the Truth, and the Light.  Thank you, Lord, for living for me, dying for me, loving me still.  Give me, please, your knowledge and wisdom, please, please, please.  And please may I have the strength, as I am called, to rebuke in your name, as necessary, to keep my Christian brothers and sisters in line, as you have directed us to do in your Holy Word.  Oh, and Lord, let me not give those who are Christians reason to rebuke me.  Lead me, guide me, direct me, that my path may be one to give you glory, Lord.  Thank you.  I love you.  Amen.     

         

 

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More love.... 

  Benediction...Blessing

 

Let us hear from Paul as he prays:  

When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.  I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.  And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him.  May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love.  And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it.  Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Now glory be to God!  By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.  May he be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages.  Amen.  Ephesians 3:14-21 NLT         

 

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Scroll down to read Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving...'The Unforced Rhythms of Grace'.

 

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Definition of a Christian:  Anyone who believes in God, Jesus and Holy Spirit, and accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior.  Regardless of church name or religious affiliation. 

It is not how we worship, but that we worship....the Trinity!   

 

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If you feel that the Church of the Holy Spirit has inspired or helped you, we'd like you to prayerfully consider tithing regularly to us or gifting us, so that we can further the work and carry out the will of the Father as proclaimed in Matthew 28:19-20 NLT

 to

 "Go and make disciples out of all the nations

baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.  And be sure of this:

I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

 

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  Our Current Cause

 

It is time to reach into the community and the world around you to see wherein lies the greatest need.  As you choose to focus on these areas, do so with a servant's heart.  Whether the need is for children, adults, or animals, or any cause in between that will help those in need, ask God how you can best serve his needs, what path you must take, and how long you should persevere.  Sometimes we are to be in the lives of others merely as stepping stones.  Sometimes we are to touch those lives forever.  Whatever journey you are called to take, whatever team you will be a member, know this:  God is with you always...even til the end of time.  He loves you, is grateful for you, and will help you along life's way, especially if you are helping others along theirs, persevering with a servant's heart. 

Please accept my sincerest thanks....and God's....and may God richly bless you!   

 

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    One last thing....

 

 Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving

'The Unforced Rhythms of Grace'

 

"Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer:  "Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.  You've concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people.  Yes, Father, that's the way you like to work."

Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly.  "The Father has given me all these things to do and say.  This is a unique Father - Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge.  No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does.  But I'm not keeping it to myself; I'm ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen."

"Are you tired?  Worn out?  Burned out on religion?  Come to me.  Get away with me and you'll recover your life.  I'll show you how to take a real rest.  Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it.  Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.  I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn how to live freely and lightly.

 

  Matthew 11:  25-30

  The Message

 

And the people said,

"Amen."

 

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I now write most prayers in the position of ' I ' (first person) because most people are sitting at their computer alone, not in groups, and it allows those reading and praying to personalize the prayer as coming from them going to God.  Variations may appear on holidays when families may wish to use the prayer provided. 

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  Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189.  All rights reserved.

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Bible Authors and Minister