Difficult Things Explained

Difficult Things Explained

2 Peter 3: ¹⁴ And so, my friends, as you wait for that Day, do your best to be pure and faultless in God's sight and to be at peace with him. ¹⁵ Look on our Lord's patience as the opportunity he is giving you to be saved, just as our dear friend Paul wrote to you, using the wisdom that God gave him. ¹⁶ This is what he says in all his letters when he writes on the subject. There are some difficult things in his letters which ignorant and unstable people explain falsely, as they do with other passages of the Scriptures. So they bring on their own destruction.

 

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Sitting in class I was absolutely perplexed. We hit a point where the professor was explaining, at light speed, the derivation of the heat equation. Many symbols were written that I did not understand. I went to his teachers aid to translate.

 

• I had missed some foundational information that I needed to help me understand this difficult thing.
• I needed help just understanding the basics, let alone the more difficult things.
• There was no way I could explain this difficult thing without some help.

 

Peter continued his explanation of the Day of the LORD. He knew it was a difficult topic to discuss, so he refers to Paul, who wrote many letters on the subject. He then gave a warning that some people who may not have grasped foundational truths, were trying to explain difficult things without “revealed” knowledge.

 

My Observations:

• Scripture was “GOD-breathed” and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.
• GOD chose to reveal  truths that, to this day, confound the wisest people.
• The HOLY SPIRIT is willing to guide anyone who seeks understanding of GOD.

 

Talking about the imminent destruction of the world is difficult. I mean, during the last days, there will be groups of people who truly believe humans have the power to stop something GOD said HE would do. Trying to explain that JESUS will return some day to those who do not believe HE would destroy HIS own creation is hard, if not impossible. BUT GOD made a way.

 

JESUS sent the HOLY SPIRIT to those who seek HIM. The HOLY SPIRIT works at the pace of the reader, helping explain difficult things so the reader will be comforted. Patience is highlighted versus focusing in on the Day JESUS will return. I am glad GOD gave me a chance to accept HIS SON as my Savior.

 

Challenge

• What difficult thing is the writer pointing out?
• Have you ever run into something difficult that needed explaining?
• Will you ask GOD to reveal the difficult things so HE will strengthen you faith in HIM today?

Imperfect Perfection

Imperfect Perfection

Acts 3: ¹⁷ “Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. ¹⁸ But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. ¹⁹ Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, ²⁰ and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, ²¹ whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. 

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“Say you are sorry” the angry neighbor said to me and a sibling. The two choices that popped into my mind were to laugh at the statement, or to just say it and get it over with. I decided to do both. “I’m sorry, ha, ha, ha.” I said.. She knew I did not mean it. “I’m telling your parents.”

• There were times when I was forced to say, “I’m sorry” but I did not mean it.
• There were times when I was told to say “I’m sorry” but nothing was at stake for saying it.
• There were times when I was disciplined into saying “I’m sorry” but it only made me resentful.

Peter explains that the crowd was misled by the church leaders for killing JESUS. Now that JESUS is alive they should apologize for what they did. But this apology needs to be permanent, otherwise it will not be heard.

• JESUS wants me to admit I need a savior from being a sinner.
• JESUS wants me to believe HE is the only way to salvation.
• JESUS wants me to confess my sins so HE will be faithful and just to forgive me and cleanse me of all unrighteousness, past, present and future.

Following JESUS does not mean I will never sin. I will do something “out of ignorance” or blatantly out of selfishness. BUT GOD saw all of my sins and “blotted them out” of HIS record. JESUS will be sent once again, but this time HE will come to bring back only those who believe in HIM. I am glad I do not have to be perfect because HE made me perfect in HIS eyes.

• Do you feel like you are making mistakes over and over?
• Does you have a sense of purpose that is not exclusionary or hateful?
• Will you surrender your strong will and believe that JESUS is the only being who can love you just as you are?

“No” Practice

Luke 9: ²³ Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. ²⁴ For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. ²⁵ For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? ²⁶ For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels. ²⁷ But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God.”

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“Do you want some weed?” was the strange question of a person offering the drug to me. “No” I said in an “Are you kidding?” way. “Can you be my lookout as I pick up something” one thug said to me as he was shoplifting. “No” I said as I eased away from the beating. “You want to go out, get drunk and hang with a bunch of loose women?” a buddy asked me. “What time?” I answered.

• There were many times when I said “yes” when I should have said no.
• There were many times when the day was filled with “my” desires.
• There were many times when I had no time for anything else but “me.”

JESUS gives a harder lesson to the crowd. “Deny yourself and follow ME.” This message truly conflicts with the “way of life.” JESUS wanted the crowd to not pay attention to their desires as much and pay attention to HIS desires.

• GOD wants me to seek HIS face daily.
• GOD wants me to pray to HIM daily.
• GOD wants me to make my decisions based on serving HIM daily.

When I want to sin, GOD wants me to practice saying “No.” As with any practice, I will fail and fall into the sin I was trying to avoid. GOD says to me “It’s okay. I forgive you. Try again tomorrow and the next day and the next.” HE knows my short comings and still watches over me, giving me practice to strengthen my faith.

Practice also includes not being ashamed of JESUS. Bold speech about HIM is one thing but HE also wants me to boldly admit my sins and speak on the more shameful sides of me and to do it in HIS name. It takes practice to deny the pride of looking perfect. Only GOD is perfect.

• Are you trying to pretend everything is well with you when you meet with church goers?
• Is your life a mess for real but you are wearing a mask?
• Can you deny your pride and admit the more ugly side of you and tell people you are saved through CHRIST in spite of your actions?

Underestimated

Luke 4: ²⁰ Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. ²¹ And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” ²² So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”

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“Where is he?” I said to myself with a touch of anxiousness. I was given the task of picking up a very wealthy man who was supposed to meet me in the lobby of the hotel, ready to go to the meeting. The only other person in the lobby was a guy in overalls.

After several minutes, another wealthy businessman came to the lobby and recognized me. “Let me introduce you” he said. He walked me over to the guy in the overalls. This was the person I was supposed to pick up.

• There were times when I underestimated people based on looks.
• There were times when I underestimated people based on their circumstances.
• There were times when I underestimated people based on their finances, desires or overt sin.

People in the synagogue said “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” as if to say “How can HE claim to be the Messiah written by the prophet Isaiah?” Many people assumed that GOD’s SON would pop out of thin air and slay those who “they” hated. BUT GOD had other plans.

• GOD wants me to know HE is not limited by my limited thinking.
• GOD wants me to know HE is all knowing, all seeing, all powerful and is everywhere.
• GOD wants me to know HE cares in spite of my misconceptions of HIM.

When GOD cursed the heavens and the earth, HE set in motion something that HE could not take back. Difficulty with relationships, painful birth and hard labor was HIS decree to all humans through Adam and Eve that still stands to this day.

HIS painful declaration was because HIS SON had to voluntarily die to fulfil an oath that only a sinless human could redeem mankind. JESUS was the sacrifice that I should not underestimate.

• Do you underestimate GOD’s power in your life?
• Do you think your sin is more powerful than GOD’s redemption?
• Can you stop thinking you are in control of your life and allow GOD to fill you with enough faith to overflow grace towards all you encounter?