12/13/13

From Ben Fronczek... Electing A Savior

Electing A Savior

Electing A Savior

Isaiah 53:1-12

“Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. ³He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised,and we held him in low esteem.

⁴Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. ⁵But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. ⁶We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

⁷He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.”

OPENING:

How many of you have noticed that there’s a Presidential election coming up? ☺

I know, you’d have to be a hermit living in a cave in the mountains with no phone or mail to escape the advertising. America has a decision to make in a few weeks and it seems to be coming down to a choice between two men, each of which I think will lead the country in a different direction. These men have raised millions of dollars to be used so that they can try to out-campaign the other candidate.

Many today think it would be a disaster to invest all that money and effort into a candidate who is perceived as someone who is: Un-attractive, un-popular Un-presidential, and generally liked but then unliked by a majority.

Personally I don’t think the American people would even elect Jesus as their president; as our commander and chief. Why?

Because in Isaiah 53:2b-3 he tells us:

“He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.”

Now, there are those who believe that this passage is implying that Jesus was not physically attractive or as handsome as Obama or Romney. And that may have been the case. Or Isaiah may have been alluding to the fact that most of the people of Jesus’ time simply viewed Him as undesirable.

Jesus probably would never be elected President of the USA or leader of any other country. He just wouldn’t be popular enough. He wasn’t overly popular in the days of His ministry in Judea, and He wouldn’t be popular enough now.

But it wasn’t ALWAYS true. After Jesus fed the 5000 with 5 small barley loaves and 2 fish, He turned some heads…

John 6:15 tell us:

“Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.”

And when Jesus entered Jerusalem for the last time before His crucifixion… the crowds had the same idea: Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread palm branches they had cut in the fields.

Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,

“Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest!” Mark 11:8-10

These people saw Jesus as a perfect earthly leader (at least for a while). He was a man of power, authority and decisiveness. He could feed thousands with just a small amount of food. He could heal the sick with the touch of His hand, and raise the dead with the command of His voice.

From this perspective He could lead their nation and help Israel overthrow the hated Roman Empire and make Israel a nation to be reckoned with.

But just few days after that “Palm Sunday” event… probably some of these same people and just about everybody else in Jerusalem seem to turn on Jesus, and the crowds cried out

“Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”

Why the change? Why were those who were so excited about Him just days earlier now calling for His death?

Well, part it was because Jesus didn’t give people what they wanted. He did not tickle their ears with false promises like some of our politicians today. Instead, Jesus insisted on telling people things that they NEEDED to hear; even things that they DIDN’T want to hear.

And what was that message? It was the same message then as it is today: We don’t need a politician to fix our most important problem, we need a savior! Why, because just like He let them know, we are all sinners. Our sin is the problem!

Isaiah 53 lets us know that’s why He came, he wrote:

· He was pierced for OUR TRANSGRESSIONS · Crushed for OUR INIQUITIES

· He came to bear OUR SINS · He was punished to bring us peace.

Isaiah 53:6 sums it up by saying

“We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

Like Sheep, he wrote… we’ve all gone astray. We have chosen to go OUR own way – not God’s way. And because we chose to seek our own path rather than His, God says our hearts are filled with iniquity. The root word in Hebrew for iniquity here is “twisted, Warped, distorted, or perverted”. Because we’ve chosen our own way so long, God says we’ve developed a “twisted, warped, distorted, or perverted” character (that is compared to what it should be, and compared to His). And because we are warped, we don’t think and act the way we ought. Simply put, we are all sinners.

Solomon’s wrote

“There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins.” Ecclesiastes 7:20

We all know that this is a unfortunate truth, we are all twisted, warped or perverted in some way, and it’s not a very popular subject to talk about. You know what presidential candidate I liked who ran for office years ago? Ross Perot. I liked him because he had the guts to tell it like it is. He pointed at the problems and said, ‘Here they are and they have to be fixed, but it’s going to cost everyone of us.’ People did not like to hear that. People don’t want to hear what it’s going to cost them to fix their problems, especially from a political candidate. And so Mr. Perot was not elected. And likewise, Jesus did not gain a popular vote in His final days.

After that triumphal entry where people cried, “Hosanna,” He entered the Temple area and started flipping tables over and accused the Jews of being a bunch of thieves, turning a place of worship into a den of robbers (Matthew 21:12-13)

Each day after that, the religious leaders got angrier and angrier at Jesus the more He spoke; especially when He accused them of being a bunch of show-off hypocrites. He goes on to call them snakes and a brood of vipers and condemns their evil practices. (Matthew. 23)

People who call the kettle black and speak the truth about things people don’t want to hear don’t go too far in the political realm. At this point rather than elect Jesus to be their Savior, many wanted to kill Him. He let all of us know that we all have a problem. We are ALL unholy sinners and we will not be welcomed into the presence of God in heaven after we die.

Now, some folks just don’t want to hear that. They have a problem accepting the idea that they’ve got a problem, that they are broken, and they need help from someone else.

Some people simply think that they’re ok, that they are “pretty nice people”. That’s why, when people are asked if they think they are going to heaven, most will reply: “Well sure, I’m not that bad. I never killed anyone.” They don’t see themselves as ungodly because of the things that they have or haven’t done. They view themselves by their own standards not God’s. They don’t want to hear that God is ready to throw them into Hell and lock the door. Like the Pharisees and other religious leaders in Jerusalem when they hear the truth they get upset when Christians tell them that they are doomed and need a Savior. In their anger many choose not to elect Jesus as the Lord of their lives. What Jesus represents is not really attractive to them in that way. He may interesting… but He is not their source of hope for salvation.

You see those religious leaders of old had a big problem. They were too proud to realize that they were in trouble and needed help; and only the kind of help that Jesus could provide. They were too proud to hear and act on that truth, and wanted to be patronized, not criticized. And we likewise put our self in a dangerous position when we do the same; when we are too proud to hear the truth, when we refuse to act on those truths, and when all we want is to be patronized and not criticized. That’s why Jesus’ preaching didn’t appeal to the Pharisees and the Sadducees and the self-righteous of His day. He exposed them for what they were. He revealed the sinful foundation of their thinking. And they hated Him for it. But Jesus did appeal to some…to those who realized they had a problem. The prostitutes and the tax collectors and the sinners… they KNEW THEY weren’t good enough, nor righteous enough to make it to heaven. They desperately needed the answers Jesus supplied. So, when Jesus came and offered them forgiveness of sins and a new life they chose to follow Him. They elected Him Savior.

Jesus told these self righteous ones,

“I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.” Matthew 21:28-31

You see, they DIDN’T CARE if He was physically attractive or well dressed.
They didn’t care if anybody else liked Him. They had a problem… and Jesus could fix it.

If my car breaks down and I need to take it in to be fixed I don’t care how good looking my mechanic is. I don’t care how attractive his body shop is. I don’t care how clean his restroom is. All I care is: ‘Can he fix my car?’

If I am diagnosed with a disease and I have to go the hospital I don’t care how attractive my doctor is. I don’t care how fancy the room is decorated. All I care is: ‘Can they help me. Can they fix me?’

Things haven’t changed much from those days of old when the people then sneered at what Jesus had to say and what He represents. Some people are still too proud. In all reality, none of us will ever be good enough to make to heaven on our own. We need a Savior. We need Jesus. And until people realize they have a problem… they’re not going to look for His help, nor will they seek Him out. People who elect Jesus as their Savior do so because they humble enough to ·KNOW that they’ve got a problem.

·They KNOW they can never be good enough to be good enough!

·They KNOW they can never be nice enough to work off their sins!

·They know that we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

God knows it too. That’s why He sent his one and only son into the world to pay the price for our sin if we so choose to accept Him.

But the sad reality is, some will never accept God’s gift for whatever reason.

Jesus made a very chilling comment once and I have to admit the reality of what He said here both scares & sadden me.

In Matthew 7:13-14 Jesus advised,

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

I would like to encourage you today to make sure you are on the right road, on the right path. Don’t be too proud and turn a deaf ear on wholesome criticism; it may be for your own good. If you haven’t already, don’t let your pride get in the way of seeking Jesus’ help. Elect Jesus as you Savior. He loves us and has our best interest in mind. He is a leader like no others, He leads by example.

Based on a sermon by Jeff Strite

To read more Sermons click on the following link: http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?page_id=566

From Jim McGuiggan... OF BIRDS AND HUMANS

OF BIRDS AND HUMANS

About one thousand years before Jesus came, some poor soul was in awful trouble and poured out his heart to God (Psalm 55). "You must listen to me, please," he said, "because I’ve no one else to turn to and my enemies have me at their mercy—I’m all tangled up in their snare." He sees himself as a frightened and imprisoned bird beating its wings against its prison-bars, instinctively wanting someone to open the door. And if that were to happen it would rise into the air and head for the wide-open spaces. Of himself he says, "Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror overwhelms me. And I say, ‘Oh that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest’."

It isn’t hard to imagine what floods through the high strung bird, frantic with fear and knowing without understanding that this isn’t life—it isn’t hard to imagine the surge that goes through it when it finds its way to the sky and freedom no longer barred. All the power in its tiny body exerted skyward; the little heart beating like a boiler house at some logging factory—free! Freedom! Enemies below, the skyward spiral, the joy, the delicious joy of relief, and the realisation of what it was made for—freedom, in the bright blue sky! All that’s worth having remains; nothing lost that makes life worth living. The psalmist imagines all this and turns to the God that can give it to him.

Nineteen hundred years after the birth of the Christ, in America, where the great Depression had really taken hold, when tens of millions were jobless, hungry, homeless and despairing, Albert Brumley read Psalm 55 and wrote the hymn, "I’ll Fly Away". He knew that for those who trusted in God, the crushing circumstances of life weren’t the whole story and that one day prison bars would be shattered and the believer would fly home; home to freedom and to the wide-open spaces.

Yes, yes, but what does that hope have to do with the present almost intolerable burdens? Well, for one thing, it says that the burden doesn’t have the last word and that can’t be bad news. I can only imagine how it must be for those who do not believe, especially if their lives are a prolonged purgatory. To live in chronic misery from birth to death, with no one to help and then to die in squalid poverty—end of story? Now that would be inexpressible horror. Never freedom! Never hope of freedom! Only kidding ourselves when we say that maybe something will change; knowing full well there’s not the ghost of a chance?

There are those who think that genuine believers are escapists, that they’re people who don’t want to face life with steady eyes. This is untrue. Real believers are precisely those that take troubled existence and life most seriously. And it’s because they take the whole of it seriously—the lives of others as well as their own— that they turn to God and say,

"You will not leave us alone in this and you are surely offering better to all our fellow humans."

Then comes Jesus and says, "I am come that you might have life to the full and I am the resurrection and the life."

Here, tell me this: has God made a commitment to every human born on this planet? Every human in every age? If he has, then tell me this: how does that commitment show itself to multiplied millions whose lives from birth to death are stories of prolonged crucifixions? Who look heavenward in despair and have never heard a word of the gospel of God in Jesus Christ?

Think noble things of God!

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Mark Copeland... Holding Up Under Hard Times ( 2 Thessalonians 1:3-7)

"THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS"

Holding Up Under Hard Times (1:3-7)

INTRODUCTION

1. As Paul began his second epistle to the Thessalonians, he expressed
thanksgiving...
a. Thanksgiving which he felt compelled to offer - 2Th 1:3a
b. Thanksgiving which was fitting - 2Th 1:3b

2. He was thankful regarding their faith and love...
a. Their faith was growing exceedingly - 2Th 1:3c
b. Their love toward each other was abounding - 2Th 1:3d

3. Indeed, he was even boastful regarding their faith and patience...
a. Boasting of them among the churches of God - 2Th 1:4a
b. Boasting of their faith and patience in the midst of persecution
- 2Th 1:4b

4. The perseverance of the Thessalonians is certainly worthy of note...
a. They were a congregation that was born in tribulation - cf. Ac 17:
1-9
b. Persecution evidently continued, yet they endured - 2Th 1:4

[What can we learn from the Thessalonians about "Holding Up Under Hard
Times"? First of all, they serve as a reminder that...]

I. HARD TIMES HAPPEN

A. THIS MAY SURPRISE SOME...
1. Contrary to the promulgators of the gospel of health and
wealth, who would have us believe that becoming a Christian is
the key to success in life
2. Many suffer disappointment because of the trials they face as
new Christians

B. THE BIBLE WARNS OF HARD TIMES...
1. Jesus warned His apostles - Jn 15:19-20; 16:33
2. The apostles warned the disciples - Ac 14:22; 1Th 3:4; 2 Ti 3:12

C. WE CAN EXPECT HARD TIMES...
1. We are not spared the affects of sin and evil in this world
a. We still live in a world with sickness and death
b. We may often suffer the consequences of choices made by
others
2. We can anticipate persecution because we are Christians
a. Our families, friends, and foes may ostracize or even
physically persecute us
b. We have an adversary who seeks to devour us - cf. 1Pe 5:8-9

[Be thankful if you seem to be spared trials and tribulations, but be
prepared for difficulties in life that will inevitably come. From the
example of the Thessalonians we learn that...]

II. FAITH, LOVE, AND PATIENCE IS NEEDED

A. FAITH THAT GROWS EXCEEDINGLY...
1. Faith that is:
a. A strong conviction in things unseen - He 11:1
b. Created by the Word of God - Ro 10:17
c. Constantly growing - 2Th 1:3
2. This is the kind of faith that sustains one in persecution
a. Remember the faith of Job! - Job 19:25-27
b. Recall the faith of Habakkuk! - Hab 3:17-19

B. LOVE THAT ABOUNDS TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER...
1. Love that is:
a. Taught by God Himself - cf. 1Th 4:9
1) Through the example of the Father's love - 1Jn 4:9-11
2) Through the example of the Son's love - 1Jn 3:16
b. Increasing more and more - cf. 2Th 1:3; 1Th 4:10; 3:12
2. This is the kind of love that sustains one in hard times
a. Even as it comforted Paul in his tribulation - 1Th 3:6-7
b. So we can endure persecution when we are surrounded by
brotherly love!

C. PATIENCE THAT HOLDS UP UNDER TRIAL...
1. Patience that is:
a. Based upon the hope that we have - Ro 8:25
b. Developed by reading the Scriptures - Ro 15:4
b. Needed if we are to receive the promise - He 10:36
c. Strengthened the more we look unto Jesus - He 12:1-3
2. This is the kind of patience that makes us even stronger!
a. It makes us complete, lacking nothing - Jm 1:3-4
b. Giving us experience, which can strengthen our hope even
more - Ro 5:3-4

[As long as our faith is growing, our love for one another is abounding,
and our patience remains firm, we will be "Holding Up Under Hard
Times". We can also take heart in knowing that...]

III. RECOMPENSE IS COMING

A. GOD'S JUDGMENT WILL BE RIGHTEOUS...
1. For God's people who have endured tribulation with faith and
patience
a. Which is evidence of God's righteous judgment to come - 2 Th 1:4-5
b. Having been made worthy of the kingdom through their
suffering - 2Th 1:5
1) Though we must never forget that it is God who qualifies
us for the kingdom - cf. Col 1:12
2) He is the one Who perfects, establishes, strengthens, and
settles us - 1Pe 5:10
2. For those who have caused tribulation for His people - 2Th 1:6

B. GOD WILL REPAY THOSE WHO TROUBLE HIS PEOPLE...
1. Tribulation will come upon them, a righteous recompense - 2 Th 1:6; cf. Ro 2:4-11
2. Paul will describe the nature of this tribulation more fully in
2Th 1:8-9

C. GOD WILL GIVE HIS TROUBLED PEOPLE REST...
1. Also a righteous recompense - 2Th 1:6-7
2. The same rest enjoyed by Paul, Silas, Timothy ("rest with us")!
- 2Th 1:7
3. This rest to be given when the Lord is revealed from heaven
with His mighty angels - cf. 1Th 4:16-17

CONCLUSION

1. We will consider what more Paul has to say about that great day in
our next study - cf. 2Th 1:7-10

2. What we have seen so far should help us to endure trials and
tribulations...
a. Don't be surprise by hard times, God's Word has told us they will
come
b. Look to God and His Word for the faith, love, and patience needed
to sustain us
c. Anticipate the coming of the Lord, who will bring us rest even as
He brings judgment upon those who trouble us!

Is your faith growing exceedingly? Is your love abounding? Are you
patiently enduring what trials come upon you, looking for the rest to
come when Jesus returns?

Let the Thessalonians be an encouragement to us in "Holding Up Under
Hard Times"!

From Gary... My Prism

Pilate said: "... what is truth?" Given the circumstances of this statement, it sounds a bit "off hand"; that is, treating a deep subject as a trivial or an inconsequential matter. But what if it was not? Suppose Pilate had considered "Truth" and decided on his own parameters of the concept? This could be true; Pilate might well have been a man of introspection and contemplation. Men of importance were placed in positions of importance by an Emperor who wanted to STAY Emperor. The thing about Pilate was- he didn't recognize ABSOLUTE TRUTH when it was right in front of him. This error was a product of his thinking, undoubtedly influenced greatly by the power and majesty of ancient Rome. In Pilate's mind, it is easy to see how Rome's greatness would preclude any genuine wisdom outside of that originating from that great city on the Tiber. Yet, truth there was- and truth that had a wisdom embedded within it that was of a calibre that put the glory of Rome to shame. Yes, it was his "thinking" that blinded Pilate and the question that comes to mind this cold morning is... What do I think about- and why? As a starting point, please consider the following passage from the book of Philippians...

Philippians, Chapter 4

8 Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue, and if there is any praise, think about these things. 9 The things which you learned, received, heard, and saw in me: do these things, and the God of peace will be with you. 10 But I rejoice in the Lord greatly, that now at length you have revived your thought for me; in which you did indeed take thought, but you lacked opportunity. 11 Not that I speak in respect to lack, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content in it. 12 I know how to be humbled, and I know also how to abound. In everything and in all things I have learned the secret both to be filled and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in need. 13 I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.

Paul was a subject of Rome; he was part of a conquered people. But he was free because of his thinking. Not free by his own efforts, but rather free because he considered, correctly recognized and OBEYED the WILL OF GOD as revealed through Jesus. He intellectually considered the things that were profitable for correct living (verse 8) and practically acted upon those truths (verse 9). So, his thinking led to a God-controlled life. No obstacle was so great that it could not be overcome, no concept so lofty that the Almighty did not have the perfect answer. Nothing in Heaven or Earth can overcome the will of God in the lives of those dedicated to serve HIM!!! And so we come to the graphic above; for it is not just a bottle, it is a prism. For me, it represents the word of God, through which I perceive all things. And when I do this, I am able to perceive both truth in concept and in daily living. And it is truly beautiful!!! Too bad Pilate couldn't get it!!! Do you???

12/12/13

From Ben Fronczek... Are You Ready

Are You Ready

2 Peter 3

- By Ben Fronczek

Over the past few months I have been bringing lessons from letters written by the Apostle Peter. I have to admit, I like Peter. He wasn’t the kind of guy one would imagine being a religious or holy man. When we are first introduced to Peter (called Simon), he was a fisherman. Many fishermen of that time were gruff, unkempt, vile, shabbily dressed, and often used vulgar language. He would be what we call a man’s man today. These guys were full of vigor and had hot tempers. Perhaps that’s why his friends and fellow fisherman, James and his brother John were called the Sons of Thunder (Mark 3:17). Their’s was a rough life since fishing was a very messy and physically demanding job. They must have been somewhat fearless too because some of the storms that came quickly upon the Sea of Galilee were fierce and furious. They often caught the fishermen by surprise and could easily capsize the 20 to 30 foot boats they used.

One day when Jesus showed up on the scene and said, “Follow Me.” We read that Peter and his brother Andrew, simply dropped everything and left their fishing business behind to follow Jesus. In Gospel accounts we read that Peter was outspoken, impulsive, and was still humble enough and realized that he did not even deserve to be in Jesus’ presence. At one point he told Jesus,

“Go away from me Lord for I am a sinful man.” (Luke 5:8)

Being a rugged individual Himself, Jesus and Peter seem get along great. Peter along with James and John became what we now call His inner circle and they seemed a little closer than the other apostles. Peter saw almost all the miracles that Jesus performed including Him walking on water when he had an opportunity to do the same (Matthew 14:25-33). He saw the glory of Jesus on the Mt. of transfiguration where Jesus began to glow as bright as the sun (Matt. 17:1-9). He got to listen to all those amazing teachings of Jesus first hand. He saw the death, and then three days later witness Jesus’ empty tomb, and witnessed the resurrected Christ. He heard Jesus final command, to go into all nations and make more disciples, and then baptize them and teach them to obey everything that He commanded (Matt 28:18-20). And then Peter was there to witness Jesus rising through the clouds back to heaven which was followed by the angels promising that one day again He would return the same way that he departed. (Acts 1:9-11)

Serving as the spokesman of the first believers on the day of Pentecost Peter was the first to stand up and preach the good news about Jesus to the Jews telling them about who Jesus was, and why they needed to put their faith in Him as their Lord and Savior. And in the latter part of Acts 2 he encouraged the people to repent and turn away from their sinful ways and be baptized so that their sins would be forgiven. And then we read that 3000 respond to his message and were baptized that very day. (Acts 2:37-41).

Later we also read that Peter would also be the first one to bring the good news about Jesus to the Gentiles when he goes to the home of a Roman Centurion, named Cornelius (in Acts 10). They likewise baptized his entire household opening up the way of salvation for not just the Jews but for everyone else.

Peter willingly suffered persecution, imprisonment, beatings, and even rejoiced at the fact that he was worthy to suffer disgrace for the Lord‘s sake (Acts 5:17 & 40-41). After that we do not read too much about Peter other than the fact that he served as an elder in the early Church.

As most of you know Peter was totally dedicated to Jesus even though he had a moment of weakness and denied even knowing Jesus three times the night He was arrested. There are traditional stories that state that before Peter himself was crucified upside down because he did not feel worthy of being crucified like Jesus, he had to watch his wife be crucified. Trying to encourage her he was heard crying out to her, “Remember our Lord, remember our Lord.”

From an arrogant, cocky, man of thunder, he became a humble, willing, obedient servant of the Lord, even to death. He rejoiced in that day of his death, knowing that he would be reunited with his beloved Savior. The lowly fisherman became a mighty fisher of men – and one that changed and shaped the world forever and is still proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ through his writings.

I was surprised to read that many scholars believe that Peter is actually the author behind the Gospel of Mark. They believe that John Mark was simply the scribe recording Peter’s words. And then we have the letters we just studied, I & II Peter.

As we studied these letters we read messages of hope:

- Peter says that God has given us everything we need for a life of godliness through our knowledge of him (Jesus). And He has also given us his great and precious promises so that through them we may participate in His own divine nature and escape the corruption in the world cause by evil desires. (1 Pet. 1:3-4)

- He also lets us know that we have been given a new birth into a living hope and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade- kept for you in heaven

- He said that we are precious to God, we are a chosen people a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to Him (1 Pet. 2:2-5 & 9)

- He said that we should cast our anxiety on God because He cares for us. (1 Pet. 5:7)

- He said that even if you suffer Christ will restore you and make you strong (5:10)

We also saw that he gave us wise instruction:

- That we should prepare our mind for action, be clear minded, be self controlled so we can pray. He wrote, be obedient children and do not conform to the evil desires we had before we were Christians. Rather, to the best of our ability we should be Holy because our heavenly Father is holy (1 Pet. 1:13-16). And we should do our best to love one another. In doing so we actually become a mechanism or a vehicle of God’s grace to others.

- We should do our best to get rid of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.

- He said that we should seek to grow up in our salvation and like new born babes crave pure spiritual milk. And to our faith add goodness and to goodness add knowledge, and to knowledge add self control.. perseverance… godliness… brotherly kindness and love

- Peter said that we should live our lives as strangers here in this world in reverent fear. And that…

- We should live for God and do good, and humbly submit to those who are over us, and offer hospitality without grumbling

- He said that we should do our best to make sure our calling and election is sure.

But then he also gave us many warnings, such as:

- We need to be careful, alert and self controlled because the our enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. He said we need to resist him and stand firm in our faith. (1 Pet.5:8-9)

- He also warns us of the fact that there will be false teachers even from within the church that we have to be careful of. These individuals are dangerous and can deceive weaker members and cause much harm to the church. (2 Pet. 2)

And finally as we close this series we come to one scary final warning and a recommendation in 2 Peter 3. To begin with, Peter reminds his readers exactly why he wrote these letter.

Read 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. ²I 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.”

He wrote these things down as reminders, to stimulate (Greek: Wake up, stir up, or arouse) us to wholesome (or Pure) thinking. Our generation like theirs has become very lacked in thinking about or acting on spiritual matters. Other things apparently have slipped in and have become more important to many of us. Peter wanted to shake up his readers a bit for their own good. He wanted to remind them of what was written about and spoke about in the past by those OT prophets and what Jesus said.

And just like people mock and scoff at our Christian beliefs today, many doubted then, especially the warning that Jesus will come again. And when the day of the Lord arrives a cataclysm will come as well.

Read 3:3-9

“Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. ⁴They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” ⁵But 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. ⁶By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. ⁷By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgmentand destruction of the ungodly. ⁸But 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. ⁹The 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.”

Just like people of old who mocked and probably laughed at Noah and his family, people today sneer at the suggestion that such a disaster or judgment shall befall our planet today. Peter writes here that God does not look at time like we look at time. He doesn’t have a watch or calendar, rather He is patient not wanting anyone to perish and is waiting for everyone to come to repentance (that is everyone who will).

And then he goes on to talk about the event: Read 3:10

“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 done in it will be laid bare.”

Peter lets us know that this event will come unannounced, like a thief. When is going to happen? We don’t know. Peter doesn’t know, but it’s going to happen.

He said,

“The heavens will disappear with a roar and the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.”

Exactly what this means, I don’t know for sure. I don’t think anyone knows. Is it possible for something like this to happen? Based on scientific evidence our planet could be fried and burnt to a crisp in a moment’s notice. There are powers at work in the universe that few barely understand. Like: – The effect black hole moving close to our solar system. – A gamma ray burst or another devastating blast of cosmic radiation. – The effect of something called dark energy, or the questionable effect of the earth passing thru the galactic plane which will happen at the end of this year. This is what the Mayans warned us about that something major is about to happen. And there may more dangers that we don’t even know about..

To Peter, it really it doesn’t matter how, or even when. What matters to him is are you going to be ready.

Read 3:11-15

“Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives ¹²as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.^[a] That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. ¹³But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth,where righteousness dwells.

¹⁴So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. ¹⁵Bear 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.”

At this point, I believe here at the end his final letter Peter is pouring our his heart out to his readers. It is the last message we receive from him. It doesn’t matter how or when this event is going to take place, he is more concerned about his readers being ready and living like, and being the kind of people we ought to be. And if you are living the way you should and are standing right with God you shouldn’t fear that day, rather you can look forward to it. Why, because we are looking forward to a new reality, a new and better existence for faithful men and women, in a new heavenly existence described as a new heaven and earth promised by God Himself. In that realm somehow we will be changed into spiritual beings, glorious beings like Jesus Himself. (1 Cor. 15)

The question is, are we ready? Better yet, are you ready?

Peter says that the Lord is patiently waiting for you to come to Him in faith. This promise does not cost us more than our faith and devotion. Jesus paid the price and died on the cross for every sin that we have and ever will commit. He’s the one who was willing suffer in your place for those sins as a gift to you because He loves you. All we need to do is accept that gift in faith. He wants you to confess that faith to others and do your best to turn away from doing evil things. And if you allow yourself to be baptized He said that He would remove those sins from just like a surgeon cuts away a cancer. He lets us know that if you do this you will be like a new born babe in God’s eyes. (Acts 2:37-38, 22:16; Colossians 2:9-13 & Romans 6:3-11)

Challenge:

Get ready and prepare because none of us know when that great day will come. For that matter we don’t know how long we are going to live. Peter pleads with us to get ready!

For more lessons click on the following link: http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?page_id=566

From Jim McGuiggan... More Fireworks in the Fog

More Fireworks in the Fog

I recently read a piece that reflected on an article that talked about suffering. The article reviewed (actually, it wasn't reviewed), we were told, claimed that the answer to human suffering was found in the book of Job. (It’d take a brave or wild man or woman to make a claim like that.) We weren’t told who wrote the article and more importantly we weren’t told what the writer of the article had said. This means we weren’t told how the writer of the original article related the book of Job to "suffering answered". We were only told how astonished the reviewer was and how harmful the piece was; which the reviewer assured us was an expression of pride and arrogance that we should ignore and regard as "man’s wisdom".

The reviewer didn't tell us why the article astonished him, why it was harmful and created havoc; we weren’t told how the astonished one knew it was merely "man’s wisdom" or why we should ignore such a piece of writing. Ignore what, for pity’s sake? The reviewer treated us to fireworks in the fog while professing to give us light. The reviewer asked us to accept his word that some article of some kind saying something or other was arrogance and harmful man's wisdom. The reviewer accused our unknown author of arrogance and sets himself up as the judge of his work without even allowing us the opportunity to give it a hearing. Hmmm.

I wouldn’t suppose that any of us would want to rely on "man’s wisdom" as over against God’s; but that’s precisely the problem, isn’t it? We often don’t know the difference between what is God’s wisdom and man’s wisdom. To warn against man’s wisdom is wise and it’s also pious—it shows our own wisdom and humility, don’t you see. But to warn without telling others what we’re warning against is worse than no warning at all. Why is this teaching "man’s wisdom" rather than that teaching? How can we tell? Who can tell us? We hear the same kind of talk when people warn us against "Liberalism" and "heresy". Some years ago a prominent figure, in an open forum, was raging away against "Liberals" and a questioner asked him what he meant by the word. He said, "Those that don’t agree with what we’ve always believed."

The old piece of advice goes this way: if you want to get rid of a troublesome dog, get it to eat soap and when it foams at the mouth yell "mad dog," shoot it immediately and make sure no one has a close look at the corpse. Then there’s the story of "Live Forever" Jones who was convicted of a criminal charge. Someone asked him why he hadn’t made any points in his defence and he said, "I was afraid if I made points they’d hang me on them."

Here’s a piece of wisdom: see if what you read makes any points. If it doesn’t—no matter how pious sounding it is—dismiss it as fatuous and a waste of your time.

It isn’t hard for me to understand why some non-believers can’t put up with our pious bleating. Sometimes we’re just too sweet to be wholesome.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Mark Copeland... Introduction To The Epistle ( 2 Thessalonians 1:1-2)

               "THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS"

                  Introduction To The Epistle (1:1-2)

INTRODUCTION

1. In our study of First Thessalonians, we found it to be an epistle...
   a. Written shortly after the establishment of the church in
      Thessalonica
   b. Providing personal reflections (1Th 1-3) and apostolic
      instructions (1Th 4-5)
   c. With the theme of "Holiness In View Of The Coming Of Christ"
   d. Mentioning the coming of Christ in each of the five chapters

2. Not longer afterward Paul wrote Second Thessalonians, an epistle...
   a. Containing three short chapters
   b. In which the coming of Christ is again an important theme
   c. Encouraging Christians in time of persecution
   d. Cautioning them against false conceptions of the Lord's return

3. As we continue to wait for the coming of the Lord...
   a. There may be times when we are persecuted
   b. There are certainly many different views of the coming of the Lord

[Therefore this epistle is certainly relevant to our time.  Thus we
begin a series of lessons based on Second Thessalonians, starting with
an "Introduction To The Epistle"...]

I. THE AUTHOR (1:1a)

   A. PAUL...
      1. Confirmed by a reference to his own signature at the end - 2 Th 3:17
      2. Early sources in church history that attribute this letter to
         Paul include:  Clement of Alexandria (200 A.D.), Tertullian
         (200 A.D.), and Irenaeus (200 A.D.)

   B. JOINED BY SILVANUS AND TIMOTHY...
      1. Silvanus, also known as Silas
         a. Who together with Paul established the church in
            Thessalonica - Ac 17:1-4
         b. Who joined Paul in the salutation of the first letter - 1 Th 1:1
      2. Timothy, also known as Timotheus
         a. Paul's son in the faith - cf. 1Ti 1:2
         b. Who also joined Paul in the salutation of the first letter
            - 1Th 1:1
         c. And served as Paul's emissary to Thessalonica - 1Th 3:1-2,6

[Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy were naturally concerned about the welfare
of the church in Thessalonica.  Let's now review some things about...]

II. THE RECIPIENTS OF THE EPISTLE (1:1b)

   A. THE CITY OF THESSALONICA...
      1. It was the capital and largest city of the Roman province of
         Macedonia
      2. Located on the Egnatian Way, a major road from Rome to the
         eastern provinces
      3. The city served as a center of trade and commerce
      -- Today, it is known as Thessaloniki (formerly Salonica)

   B. THE CHURCH OF THE THESSALONIANS...
      1. Its establishment is recorded in Ac 17:1-9
         a. On his second journey, Paul and his companions had just left
            Philippi
         b. Traveling through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they arrived at
            Thessalonica
         c. Paul went to the synagogue on the Sabbath as an opportunity
            for evangelism
         d. For three weeks he reasoned with the Jews, converting some
            and a number of prominent Gentiles
         e. Unbelieving Jews soon caused a disturbance, forcing Paul to
            leave
      2. Despite such ominous beginnings, a strong church was
         established
         a. It quickly gained a good reputation - 1Th 1:8
         b. It was mostly Gentiles - 1Th 1:9
         c. Members included Jason (Ac 17:9), Aristarchus and Secundus
            (Ac 20:4)
      3. From the first letter we learn...
         a. Persecution of the church had continued, giving Paul grave
            concern - 1Th 3:1-5
         b. Yet they had remained strong, giving Paul great comfort
            - 1Th 3:6-8

[Encouraged by what Timothy had reported, Paul wrote the first epistle.
But it was not long after that Paul found it necessary to write
again...]

III. THE PLACE AND DATE OF WRITING

   A. THE PLACE...
      1. In our study of First Thessalonians, we suggested Corinth as
         the place from which it was written
         a. Paul had only been gone a short time - 1Th 2:17-18
         b. He had sent Timothy from Athens, who had returned - 1 Th 3:1-6
         c. Yet Paul did not stay long in Athens - Ac 17:16-18:1
         d. And Timothy came back from Macedonia after Paul arrived in
            Corinth - Ac 18:5
         -- Thus the first letter was likely written soon after Paul's
            arrival in Corinth
      2. The second letter appears to been written just a few months,
         perhaps a year later
         a. Paul stayed in Corinth eighteen months - Ac 18:11
         b. If Paul wrote the first letter at the beginning of his stay,
            he could have easily written the second letter toward the
            end of his stay
         -- Thus the second letter was likely also written from Corinth

   B. THE DATE...
      1. Paul arrived in Corinth sometime around 50-52 A.D.
      2. Writing the second epistle toward the end of his stay, the date
         would be 53 A.D.

[Now let's consider...]

IV. THE PURPOSE AND CONTENT OF THE EPISTLE

   A. THE PURPOSE...
      1. From the letter itself, it appears that the church at
         Thessalonica remained strong in the Lord despite persecution
         - cf. 2Th 1:3-4
      2. But it is apparent from this letter that misunderstanding about
         the Lord's coming was present in the church
         a. Some of the members were being troubled by false reports
            - cf. 2Th 2:1-2
         b. Others had stopped working, perhaps assuming that the Lord's
            imminent return meant one did not need to work anymore
            - cf. 2Th 3:11-12
      3. Paul appears to have a threefold purpose in writing this
         epistle:
         a. To encourage them in their steadfastness under persecution
         b. To correct their misunderstanding about the imminence of the
            Lord's return
         c. To instruct the congregation on what disciplinary action to
            take toward those who refused to work

   B. THE CONTENT...
      1. Encouragement in persecutions - 2Th 1:1-12
         a. Salutation, and thanksgiving for their spiritual growth
            - 1:1-4
         b. Encouragement in trials in view of the coming of Christ
            - 1:5-10
         c. His prayer for them - 1:11-12
      2. Enlightenment about the coming of the Lord - 2Th 2:1-17
         a. The apostasy must come first - 2:1-12
         b. Steadfastness encouraged - 2:13-17
      3. Exhortation to Christian living - 2Th 3:1-18
         a. A request for prayer, and a prayer for them - 3:1-5
         b. A charge to discipline the disorderly - 3:6-15
         c. Concluding remarks - 3:16-18

CONCLUSION

1. With an emphasis on remaining steadfast, an appropriate theme for
   this epistle would be:

         "Steadfastness While Waiting For The Coming Of Christ"

2. In keeping with such a theme, I offer the following passage as the
   key verses of the epistle:

   "Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you
   were taught, whether by word or our epistle.  Now may our Lord Jesus
   Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us
   everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts
   and establish you in every good word and work." - 2Th 2:15-17

As we proceed through this epistle, it will be my prayer that our study
will lead to steadfastness in our service to God as we wait for the
coming of Jesus, that we might truly be recipients of His grace and
peace (2Th 1:2)!