“You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”

--- End of Scripture verses---

We have had enough inspired warnings to know “beforehand” that people are going to pervert and distort the Scriptures, and we must be on our “guard” against their untruthful teaching. Religious “error” is rife in the world today and Peter was not afraid to call it what it is. It matters what we believe, what we teach, and how we worship, and in fact, these have eternal implications. One doctrine or one church is not just as good as another, and all deviations from the Gospel do not stand up to the test of truth (1 John 4:1).

If we are not very careful and fail to lay a firm scriptural foundation, we can easily get “carried away” by false teaching that appeals to our pride or pleasure. The only effective defense against falling from our “own steadfastness” is, in a word: KNOWLEDGE! If we are slack or stagnant in our Bible study we will not “grow in the…knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (verse 18), and we will be swept away in a flood of religious error and consumed. The “untaught” (verse 16) are the most likely to be “carried away by the error of unprincipled men.” God’s people are destroyed when knowledge is lacking (Hosea 4:6). 

When we grow our knowledge of God’s word the Lord increases the “grace” (favor, goodness) that He bestows on us. We will be blessed a thousand times over for the great effort we put into a lifelong pursuit of diligent Bible study. If eternal salvation wasn’t enough motivation to keep us committed to the enduring word of God (and it should be), all the spiritual blessings we reap should be more than ample reason to keep us active, attentive and ardently devoted. “Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.” (1 Peter 2:1-3)

To Christ “be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity.” Christ deserves all the glory of deity because He was God manifested in the flesh. Jesus said that all should “honor the Son even as they honor the Father” (John 5:23), and the Apostle Peter took that imperative very seriously (1 Peter 1:3; 2 Peter 1:1). The Creator of the Universe descended to this earth, humbly took on the form of a human being, lived perfectly, died painfully, arose triumphantly and ascended royally to save us from our sins, reign over us as King and provide us a home in heaven. How could we not desire to live our lives to glorify Him?!

Lord willing we will have a short introduction to the epistle of First John for tomorrow.

Have a glorious day!

-Louie Taylor

“Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction..”

--- End of Scripture verses---

Since we patiently await the Lord’s return and eagerly anticipate our heavenly abode, we are to be “spotless and blameless” (verse 14) in our short-term earthly pilgrimage. Peter said previously that we have been redeemed, “with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:19). In light of the Lord’s selfless sacrifice and impending reappearance, we should live our lives after His godly example. We are to be “diligent” in our pursuit of peace and righteous living. The way we treat others and the manner in which we conduct our lives have a direct effect on how we will be judged.

In verse 15 Peter may have indicated the many references that the Apostle Paul made to the Lord’s Return in his letters, or he may have had passages like Romans 2:4 and Romans 9:22-23 in mind which specifically refer to “the patience of our Lord as salvation.” God’s longsuffering extends time and opportunities for more people to hear the Gospel’s call and turn from sins that earn the Lord’s hostility. Every minute of our life is an undeserved gift and precious opportunity to create a closer walk with God. Conversely, every minute spent apart from the Lord and His saving grace is precious time wasted that cannot be recaptured. 

Peter and Paul were not bitter rivals but “beloved brothers,” and they did not teach different doctrines as some religious groups teach today. They were completely on the same page in teaching the inspired “doctrine of Christ” (2 John 1:9), and earnestly contending for the one-and-only faith, once for all times handed down to the saints (Jude 1:3). False teachers were distorting Paul’s teaching just as they were Peter’s and “also the rest of the Scriptures” (verse 16). When you misinterpret God’s word, take it out of context or pervert it in any way, you do so to your “own destruction”. Ignorance of God’s word will not be a good excuse on the Day of Judgment. The ignorant and “untaught” are just as guilty as the “unstable” and blatantly ungodly. 

Do not build your spiritual foundation on the things in Scripture that are “hard to understand,” or you may very well be building a house of cards. Rather, let the clear and simple truths of God’s word be your bedrock, and develop your understanding of the more difficult and challenging passages through prism of the unequivocal, simple, black and white truth. Many Bible students make the mistake of going to highly figurative and exhilarating books like Revelation to build the framework of their understanding of God’s word, and then force the bulk of the Bible’s teaching into their preconceived and twisted frame of reference. This backward and perverted approach to Bible interpretation will only produce a deformed and fruitless faith. 

But why has God allow “some things” that are “hard to understand” into the Holy Scriptures. Wouldn’t it have been better for Him to have made everything crystal clear and easy-peasy? Friend, God wants you to be a serious student of His precious word! He didn’t give us all milk to drink because that would be spiritually unhealthy for us. He gave us some solid food as well to help develop and strengthen our spiritual muscles (Hebrews 5:14)! The Holy Spirit has inspired the books of the Bible in such a way that the basics of salvation can be easily understood, but also that a stronger and more meaningful faith can be acquired by sinking your teeth deeper into the word. Don’t be a surface-skimmer but a deep-diver! 

Please read 2 Peter 3:17-18 for tomorrow.

Have a great day!

“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.”

--- End of Scripture verses---

When the Lord Jesus returns He will do so just “like a thief” (verse 10). No, He will not come to rob us or steal what belongs to us, but to judge us and reclaim that which is His own. A thief gives no prior notice to his targets when he intends to break in and do his dirty work. In the same way, Jesus will return without prior notice, at a time when it is least expected, to execute righteous judgment upon the earth. The only good defense against a thief is to be prepared at all times, and that only way to avoid the “intense heat” of Final Judgment is to always be ready for the Lord’s Coming (Matthew 24:43; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; Revelation 16:15). 

When Jesus comes back, it will not be to set up an earthly kingdom, but to burn up “the earth and its works,” along with all “the elements” that this physical plane consists of. Variations exist in the manuscripts from which this text can be translated. Some of the ancient copies read that the earth will be “burned up,” and others allow for the idea of the earth being “discovered” or “revealed”. The ESV translators chose to present Peter’s words in verse 10 as “the earth will be exposed” in favor of the “earthly kingdom” viewpoint. But it is obvious from the context that, when “the heavens” are “destroyed by burning, and the elements” are melted by intense heat (verse 12), the earth will not be crystallized but incinerated!

According to the promises of God, “we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells” (verse 13). Peter borrowed this statement from Isaiah 65:17 where the prophet foretold of the restoration of the Jews and the rebuilding of Israel, so even from its original context this language is figurative in nature. That Jesus is not going to establish a future, physical kingdom on a refurbished, material earth is evident for various reasons. Christ’s kingdom is spiritual not physical (Luke 17:21; Romans 14:17). Christ established His kingdom when He died, arose and ascended to His throne in heaven (Daniel 7:13-14; Acts 2:30-36). Christ’s kingdom is His church (Matthew 16:18-19; Colossians 1:13; Revelation 1:6, 9). Heaven is the eternal dwelling place of God’s faithful followers (John 14:1-3; 2 Corinthians 5:1; 1 Peter 1:4). The “new heavens and new earth” represent the everlasting habitation that God has prepared for His elect.

Peter does not tell us about the obliteration of the present, physical universe to prompt us to speculate about what exactly will take place and the precise timing of that spectacular grand finale. He does so to motivate us to godly and righteous living in preparation for our Judge’s return and the gathering of His people home. “What sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness” (verse 11)! God’s grace, goodness and justice call us to be holy as He is holy (l Peter 1:16). And even though God, through His patience, has delayed His Final Judgment until this point in time, our desire should be for the “hastening” of “the coming of the day of God.” We should keep the prospect of the Lord’s Return ever present in our thoughts as a constant reminder of what kind of people God expects us to be!

Please read 2 Peter 3:14-16 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

“But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”

--- End of Scripture verses---

Jesus had promised that He would return for His disciples and receive them unto Himself (John 14:1-3). The angels who were present at the Lord’s ascension had assured His Apostles that He would descend in the same manner in which they had watched Him ascend into heaven (Acts 1:11). The Apostles of Christ taught under inspiration the Lord’s imminent return, and they did so with all earnestness and conviction (Hebrews 10:25; 1 Peter 4:7). None of the inspired writers of the Bible predicted the timing of Christ’s Second Coming, but we are strongly encouraged by God’s word to always be ready for that day, and to live our lives as if it could happen at any moment because we “do not know the day” our “Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:42) . “The Judge is standing right at the door” (James 5:9), and He will walk through it at the exact moment that best suits His purposes.

In all truthfulness, it has been a very long time since the first promise of the Lord’s Second Appearing, and it is understandable why some people have become skeptical. But please “do not let this one fact escape your notice” (verse 8): our eternal Creator is not bound by the time constraints of His finite creation. The one Psalm accredited to Moses reads, “For a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it passes by, or as a watch in the night” (Psalm 90:4). With God there is little difference between a 24 hour day and the span of a millennium because Yahweh dwells in the realm of eternity. The end is coming at the time of the Lord’s choosing. It will be God’s perfect timing that will put an end to time and usher us into timeless infinity. That time always has been and always will be “at hand”.

Friend, it is the love of God that keeps the earth spinning on its axis. God doesn’t want to see anyone languish in Hell for eternity, “but is patient” granting time “for all to come to repentance” (verse 9). The Lord “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). But please do not consider the Lord’s slowness as untruthfulness or negligence, or mistake His patience as tolerance of our evil ways. Just like in the days of Noah, His long-suffering and forbearance with the sinfulness and wickedness of mankind will reach its end, and He will judge, condemn and destroy the world. And this time it will be permanently and completely with fire and not temporarily and limitedly with water (verses 6-7). Please honestly evaluate your current spiritual condition and position with God. Make your life right with the Lord before He returns because His coming will be sudden.

Please read 2 Peter 3:10-13 for tomorrow.

Come Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:20)

“Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.’ For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.”

--- End of Scripture verses---

We are living in “the last days” just as Peter and the recipients of his letters were nearly 2000 years ago (Hebrews 1:1-2). And, just like in the days of the Apostles, there were cynics and skeptics scorning the prospect of the Lord Jesus returning to judge the world. Even at such an early date so shortly removed from the Lord’s Ascension, people were essentially saying that if Jesus was truly going to return He would have done so by now.

The false teachers spewed their cynicism as they went about planting the seeds of doubt within the hearts of Christ’s disciples. They followed in the footsteps of their spiritual father, Satan, as they carried on the work of the father of lies (John 8:44). Just as the old serpent told Adam and Eve that they would not die as God had told them they would for eating the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:4), so the heretics taught that God was lying to them about the Final Judgment. Notice also that the driving force behind their contempt for the truth was their own, fleshly “lusts” (verse 3). At the heart of rebellion against God and His restraining yet liberating truth is the desire to cast off all authority and moral restriction, and do just as the wicked heart pleases (Jeremiah 17:9).

Friend, please do not let it escape your notice that when God makes a “promise” (verse 4), His word is a certified guarantee. The fact that the Lord “long ago” spoke the heavens and the earth into existence from nothing is divine testimony that He will reduce them to nothing by the same “word of God” (verse 5). God promised that He would punish the wickedness of mankind by destroying the earth with the water from which He formed it, and He did just that (Genesis 6:5-7, 11-12, 17). The Lord promised that He would spare righteous Noah and his family and repopulate the earth, and He made good on His word (Genesis 6:13-14; 9:1-2). Our Great Provider vowed to send a Savior into the world to redeem mankind from the slavery and destruction of sin (Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 42:1-7), and He mercifully fulfilled His promise. Our faithful Lord has also promised to judge the world and punish the unbelieving and disobedient with an all-consuming fire (verse 7) through the very same righteous instrument of His salvation (Acts 17:31). Mark His word. It will be done.

Jesus is coming soon. Morning or night or noon. Many will meet their doom. Trumpets will sound.

Just make certain that you are not numbered among the “ungodly men” who doubt, mock and scoff.

God has made provision through obedience to His Son for you to escape the “destruction” of “the day of judgement”.

Please read 2 Peter 3:8-9 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

“This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles.”

--- End of Scripture verses---

Peter assured his readers that he was not bringing them any new revelations or novel ideas as he conveyed to them the words of truth. Like the first letter that he had previously written them, this one was also for the purpose of “stirring up” their minds “by way of reminder” (verse 1). One of his main purposes for writing this epistle was to discredit the false teachers who were deceiving them with “destructive heresies” (2 Peter 2:1). They didn’t need anything new to make them complete because they, like us, had been given “everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us” (2 Peter 1:2).

Friends, there will be no new messages emanating from the mind of God (2 Peter 1:12). Our “beloved brother,” the Apostle Paul (verse 15) had previously written that anyone teaching a different gospel than what the Lord’s true ambassadors had originally delivered would be accursed of God (Galatians 1:8-9), just like the “accursed children” (2 Peter 2:14) who had been troubling the Lord’s people already in the middle of the first century. Any time someone comes to you personally or into your assembly bringing anything but the pure, original doctrine of Jesus Christ, He does not have God’s endorsement (2 John 1:9). Reject his heresy and stick with the basics of “the simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3).

The Apostles of Jesus are “your apostles” (verse 2). Jesus hand-selected them, personally trained them and empowered them by the Holy Spirit to teach His words and guide them “into all the truth” for your spiritual benefit (John 16:12-15). The Apostles were not in it for their own personal enrichment. Everything they did was to help and save and edify us in the faith of the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:13-15; 11:28; Philippians 2:17). Take their devotion and teaching very personally. God had you in mind when He sent His Son into the world to be a sacrifice for sin, and when He sent His ambassadors into the world to teach “the way of truth” (2 Peter 2:2).

All that we can and must put our trust in, and everything that we are going to be judged by are “the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles” (verse 2). In short, this comprises all the books of the Old and New Testaments. Friends, the Bible is all that you need to teach you how to be everything that God wants you to be and how to be pleasing in His sight (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The Old Testament is still relevant today because it encourages us and instills hope within us (Romans 15:4), and teaches us about God’s characteristics and what He expects of His people, even though we are not bound by its various laws and ordinances (Galatians 3:10-14; Hebrews 8:13). And we are bound by every commandment that Jesus spoke and authorized His holy Apostles and prophets to speak and write in the pages if the New Testament (Matthew 28:19-20; Hebrews 1:1-2).

Accept nothing but the authorized original. When in doubt, return to the legitimate source of all truth!

Please read 2 Peter 3:3-7 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed Lord’s Day!

- Louie Taylor

“For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. It has happened to them according to the true proverb, ‘A dog returns to its own vomit,’ and, ‘A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.’”

--- End of Scripture verses---

There are people out there who have “barely escaped from the ones who live in error” (verse 19). Some of our brethren in Christ are exposed to pressures that most of us are not plagued by, and many babes in Christ have established little separation between themselves and the world from which they recently emerged, and that makes them especially spiritually vulnerable. These are prime targets for purveyors of false preaching to prey upon. Once they have “escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge or the Lord and Savior” (verse 20), they are especially susceptible to be “entangled” in those old spiritual snares they are still accustomed to.

The word translated “defilements” is the Greek word “miasma” which signifies “pollution” or “foulness”. Our English word “miasma” means “a highly unpleasant or unhealthy smell, vapor or atmosphere.” When someone hears the Gospel, is pierced to the heart by the guilt of their transgressions and obeys God’s commands for salvation, the Lord lifts him up out of the muck and mire of sin and cleanses and purifies him. But friend, the Apostle Peter makes it clear that we can be sucked back into the foulness and contamination of sinfulness and separation from God, and be just as lost as we were before coming to Christ.

In fact, Peter paints an even uglier picture than merely being lost again. He says that “the last state” becomes “worse…than the first” for the one who finds the pearl of great price (Matthew 13:45-46), and tastes “of the heavenly gift” (Hebrews 6:4), and “the powers of the age to come” (Hebrews 6:5), and then casts heaven’s best aside for the foulness and cheapness and vileness of the world. It is better to not know “the way of righteousness” at all (verse 21) than to learn of the excellence and pricelessness of Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:8), and then to trample the Savior of the world underfoot (Hebrews 10:29). That not only produces a deeper darkness and hopelessness and a greater hardness of heart for life on earth, but also requires a painful answer on Judgment Day for all the wasted opportunities and broken vows that had previously been made to the Lord.

If all this wasn’t a vivid enough depiction of the horrid nature of abandoning the Lord and forfeiting salvation, the apostle uses two disgusting illustrations to really drive his point home in verse 22. When a sanctified child of God returns to the filth and sludge of the world, it is like a dog throwing up its food and then eating it again (Proverbs 26:11). Friends, that’s just gross, gross, gross! It is like a washed pig rolling around in its own filth and excrement! In case you haven’t gotten the thrust of the Holy Spirit’s message yet, sin is a huge, vile, disgusting, ugly thing to God! Allow the Lord to cleanse you with the holy word that has been “handed on to” you and never, ever, ever go back to the sewage of the world!

Please read 2 Peter 3:1-2 for tomorrow.

May the Lord bless and keep you!

“These are springs without water and mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved. For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved.”

--- End of Scripture verses---

False teachers are like “springs without water and mists driven by a storm” (verse 17): they promise what they cannot deliver. To people who live in arid climates where drinking water is often scarce, these figures of speech would be very emotionally impactful. Imagine hiking through the woods at the end of a hot summer day with an empty canteen, a parched throat and an exhausted body. All of a sudden you see a column of trees outlining the fringe of a creek in the distance, and you sprint expectantly over to it only to discover that all the water has long since dried up. Can you feel the sense of disappointment, dejection and dread creep over you because of your hopeless predicament? False teachers and the error that they propagate are like that. They promise spiritual refreshment but only produce dehydration and desiccation. Like the sinful angels who have been committed “to pits of darkness” (verse 4), these are destined for the eternal torment of the “black darkness” of Hell.

This is a stern warning for us to not be fooled by fancy facades and first impressions. A spring looks inviting until you find it is all dried up, and a misty rain looks promising until it is “driven” away by a strong wind. A fancy suit, a winning smile and a booming voice have been known to mask more than a few “ravenous wolves” (Acts 20:29-30). These are the kind of men (or women) that appeal to our “fleshly desires” and “sensuality” (verse 18) by “promising” us “freedom” from the moral restraints that God has placed upon us in His word for our own safety and sanctification. They may try to convince you that God is more interested in your happiness than your holiness, and that you should be true to yourself rather than your commitments. When a preacher speaks persuasive words that appeal to your fleshly desires, he is promising you the freedom to pursue the course that makes you feel good, but slavery will always be the end result.

“By what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved” (verse 19). Friend, the sins that you refuse to fight against and turn away from will ultimately overpower and enslave you. This is true for the horrible addictions that can ravage our bodies, deteriorate our minds and ruin our relationships, but all sin is, by nature, enslaving (Romans 6:16-23). Once we have transgressed God’s law, the only way we can be freed from sin’s grip and bondage is to obey from the heart that form of doctrine that God has committed to us through His word. Then we are conveyed to the benevolent slavery that only a loving God can offer. We are only presented with two choices. We can choose to be servants of sin or servants of righteousness. Servants of God or servants of Satan. That choice is entered into through belief in Christ, repentance of sin, and submission to the command to be baptized for forgiveness and salvation (Romans 6:1-7).

Please read 2 Peter 2:20-22 for tomorrow.

Have a wonderful day!

“Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties, whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord. But these, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, reviling where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed, suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you, having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children; forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; but he received a rebuke for his own transgression, for a mute donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet..”

--- End of Scripture verses---

Peter turns up the heat considerably on the false teachers that wreak havoc on the church of Christ with an all-out scathing rebuke of their character and practices in today’s verses. These “creatures of instinct” are driven by lust and animal impulse, and there is no point in trying to reason with such debased beasts (verse 12). “Self-willed” people (verse 10), who perceive no greater authority than the man in the mirror, become so headstrong and “unreasoning” that all you can do is confront them directly and forcefully, and expose them for who they are. Peter didn’t reveal the details of their heretical teachings and he really didn’t need to. One fallacy is usually just as bad as another, and there will always be some old or new deviation from the truth that will threaten the Lord’s church. We must equip ourselves with knowledge and logical argumentation and be ever-ready to “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints” (Jude 1:3). But, a shameless, unreasonable, factious man must be summarily exposed, discredited and dismissed (Titus 3:10-11).

The apostle exposes the motivations for why these vile predators do what they do in verse 14: the desire for sexual gratification and the love of money. This should come as no surprise to any of us as most of the scandals in the world of religion, business and sports today boil down to the same two lusts of the flesh. People who have “eyes full of adultery” and “a heart trained in greed” are “accursed children” who will never be satisfied with any or all of their carnal conquests. If they are honest, any pornography addict or workaholic will tell you that their addictive pursuits only leave them miserable and yearning for more of what can never possibly provide fulfilment for their souls. The nature of sin is that we will always suffer “wrong as the wages of doing wrong” (verse 13). We sometimes deceive ourselves into thinking that we can do wrong and harmful things with impunity, but sin is a self-destructive activity that will chip away at us bit by bit and eventually leave us broken.

There is every reason to believe that Peter is writing about people who had obeyed the Gospel with good and honest hearts, but then forsook “the right way” having been led “astray” by their own lust and greed (verse 15). He sets the prophet Balaam up as an archetype of the kind people who would use religion for their own, personal enrichment. Balak, the king of Moab, requested that Balaam place a curse upon Israel because he feared them greatly and wanted them defeated and their advancement thwarted (Numbers 22:1-6). Balaam rightly refused to curse God’s people because they were under His protection (Numbers 22:7-14), but Balak knew that every man has his price. Balaak promised the prophet great honor and wealth if he would only do his bidding (Numbers 22:17-21). The Lord allowed Balaam to go and talk with the king, but he was told to only bless Israel and not curse them. On his journey to Moab God threatened Balaam and empowered his “mute donkey” to talk reason to him and “restrain the madness of the prophet” (verse 16) because He knew that greed was in his heart (Numbers 22:22-41).

While Balaam refused to curse Israel and only prophesy God’s revelation to the Moabite king (Numbers 23-24), he still looked for and found an “angle” to side-step God’s will and entice Israel into cursing themselves. Balaam advised king Balak to use his women to seduce God’s people and draw them into the idolatrous practices of the Moabite people, thereby inducing divine wrath upon them (Numbers 25:1-8; 31:16). As a result, 24,000 Israelites were struck dead with a plague (Numbers 25:9), and Balaam was ultimately slain for his wicked heart and deeds (Joshua 13:22). Please heed the warning friends. Lust and greed can sink their teeth into us so deeply that, even though God should speak to us and chastise us directly, we will speed right through the stop sign and rush headlong into our own peril and destruction!

Please read 2 Peter 2:17-19 for tomorrow.

Have a fantastic day!

-Louie Taylor

“For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment: and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter; and if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds), then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority.”

--- End of Scripture verses---

God’s “judgment…is not idle” against false teachers, and their “destruction is not asleep” (verse 3). The same God who judged and condemned gross immorality “long ago” will most assuredly convict those who corrupt His perfect word and despise His righteous authority in the latter days. Peter cited three examples of God’s intolerance of abject wickedness and His austere treatment of it, two of which are clearly portrayed in the book of Genesis.

God did not tolerate the “angels when they sinned” but hurled them into hell (“Tartarus”) where they await His Final Judgment (verse 4). There has been much speculation made as to when, why and how this happened, but the Bible does not specify the details. It is obvious that angels have a free will and some elected to sin against the Lord in some way. Jude, the Lord’s brother, tells us they “did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode” (Jude 1:6). Many Bible students tie this statement in with what is said in Genesis 6:2, but that kind of speculation is inconclusive at best.

“God did not spare the ancient world…when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly” (verse 5), and He reduced “the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah…to ashes” because of their ungodliness (verse 6). In Noah’s day “the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and…every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). Peter doesn’t specify the hideous nature of the sinfulness of Lot’s contemporaries, but Jude makes it clear that it involved homosexuality: “Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire” (Jude 1:7).

God destroyed “the ancient world” with “a flood” and Sodom and Gomorrah with “fire and brimstone” (Genesis 19:24), and the destruction of “the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire” (2 Peter 37), “in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10). God did not ignore the world’s sinfulness in the past and He is not turning a blind eye to it now. He is withholding final destruction because He desires all to repent (2 Peter 3:9), but sooner or later the world’s wickedness reach its fullness and be ripe for obliteration.

But please do not miss the words of hope and good news that are saturated within this passage of doom and despair. “The Lord knows how to” and most certainly will “rescue the godly from temptation” and the punishment that awaits the “unrighteous” who “despise” is holy “authority” (verses 9-10). God “preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness,” and “He rescued righteous Lot,” and He will deliver you too if you have righteous, obedient faith as they did. These men were obviously not perfect but they committed and entrusted their lives to the Lord. We should also be preaching righteousness to the lost as Noah did, and have our souls “tormented” by the “lawless deeds” of the corrupted culture in which we live. We simply cannot allow ourselves to be desensitized to sinfulness and blend in with the sinful world around us! God did not tolerate unrighteousness in the past and He will not tolerate it from us either!

Please read 2 Peter 2:10-16 for tomorrow.

Have a great day!

- Louie Taylor

“But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.”

--- End of Scripture verses---

Since “false prophets…arose among the people” of Israel under God’s prior covenant, it should come as no surprise that “false teachers” also walk among the Lord’s people during this final dispensation of time (verse 1). God’s covenant has changed, but human nature has not. As long as this world continues to be populated with human beings, there will be predators looking to exploit people for personal gain; and, unfortunately, God-fearing people are sometimes an easy target. Most of us are kind-hearted souls who try to think the best of all people and give them the benefit of the doubt, and we look for ways to help people in any way that we can. 

It is very important for God’s people to be as “innocent as doves” but also as “shrewd as serpents” (Matthew 10:16). We cannot afford to be foolish enough to tolerate people who “introduce destructive heresies” within our lives or assemblies. “Heresies” are departures from the truth that cause strife and divisions among brothers and sisters in Christ, and cause great harm in the body of Christ. Notice that the preferred method of introducing false doctrine is “secretly”. These wolves might do this by smooth-talking one unsuspecting sheep at a time outside the watchful eyes of the shepherds of the flock. 

The type of predators that Peter refers to as “false teachers” are motivated by “greed” (verse 3), and they appeal to human “sensuality,” therefore I hesitate to place this label on everyone who teaches something false. It seems obvious that motive matters with these “brute beasts” (verse 12 – KJV) who bring “destructive heresies” and, subsequently, reap “swift destruction upon themselves.” But, make no mistake about it; anyone who teaches or embraces false doctrine can cause just as much damage, and will be just as lost and suffer the same fate of eternal destruction as these “creatures of instinct” no matter how sincere they are.

“In their greed they will exploit you with false words” (verse 3). There are a slew of false teachers who make a financial killing off of deceiving the masses by doing nothing more than telling them soothing words that they want to hear (2 Timothy 4:3-4). It is not hard to part a fool from his money when you promise him the moral freedom to do whatever is required to make him “happy,” and dispense the soft soap in such a way that is smooth and exciting. If someone is making tens of millions of dollars from teaching about Jesus, chances are they are not teaching the truth. In fact, they are actually “denying the Master who bought them” by perverting His message, devaluing His blood and fleecing His lost sheep. 

“Their judgment…is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.” It may appear that the Lord has turned a blind eye to these false teachers and their exploitation, but He has not. God has been reserving eternal condemnation from “long ago,” and their destruction will be “swift” and abrupt and inescapable. Friend, please make certain that you are not swept away by their deception because you will surely share in their punishment. 

Please read 2 Peter 2:4-10 for tomorrow. 

Have a great day!

-Louie Taylor

“For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, ‘This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased’ — and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

--- End of Scripture verses---

Some people had been mocking the suggestion that Jesus was really going to return to judge the world and reclaim His own, as the claim is still mocked and ridiculed today (2 Peter 3:3-4). Peter’s eye-witness of the glorified Lord on the Mount of Transfiguration was all the evidence he needed to confidently proclaim that Christ will unquestionably return in glory at the end of the age. Peter had also personally witnessed the Lord’s omnipotent “power" as He healed the sick, lame and afflicted, and raised the dead, so He knew that His future “coming” was as good as done (verse 16).

Peter, James and John “did not follow cleverly devised tales when” they testified of Jesus’ power and glory (Matthew 17:1-8). Most of the religions of the ancient East were loaded with myths and fables, but the testimony of Jesus Christ was the factual, verifiable, historical account of a real-life man who was much more than merely a man. Peter’s evidence of the reality of Jesus’ present “power” and future “coming” was threefold: 1) He had seen the glorified Lord on the “holy mountain”. 2) He had not been alone in his witness and testimony as is affirmed by his use of the word “we”. 3) He had heard the voice of “the Majestic Glory” from heaven testify that Jesus was the “beloved Son” of God (verse 17). BTW—can there be any doubt that Jesus was God manifested in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16)?!

When we read the words of the Apostles and the other inspired writers of the New Testament we must “pay” very close “attention” (verse 19), because we are actually reading the revealed truth, commandments and will of God (1 Corinthians 2:12-13; 14:36-37; 1 Thessalonians 1:5). We can completely trust all Old Testament revelation as well because “no prophecy of Scripture…was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God” (verses 20-21). Jesus himself testified to the trustworthiness of the entirety of the Old Testament Scriptures when He said in Luke 24:44, “all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and Psalms must be fulfilled.” The Bible outshines all other works of literature because it stands alone as THE recorded and preserved message from The God of all Creation.

When the Lord Jesus does return as the Apostles and prophets have testified, it will be like “the morning star” arising in the hearts of all the obedient believers (verse 19). It will be the dawning of the day that ends all days, and we will dwell in the glorious light of the Son for all eternity. But, for the disbelieving and disobedient, Jesus will come like “a thief in the night” and overtake them with the unspeakable punishment of eternal loss and destruction (2 Peter 3:10). The only question that truly matters, friend, is will you be ready for that day? The only thing standing between you and an eternity in heaven is your belief in Jesus, and your obedience to His every biblical command (Matthew 28:18-20). One more vital question before we close for the day: What are you waiting for?!

Please read 2 Peter 2:1-3 for tomorrow.

Have a great day!

-Louie Taylor

“Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you. I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder, knowing that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind.”

--- End of Scripture verses---

If Peter’s brethren proved themselves to be short-sighted and forgetful, the Apostle did all that was in his power to make certain it was not because of his negligence. He was “always…ready to remind” them of “the truth” about Jesus Christ that they had been “established in” (verse 12). He was not saying that they didn’t know the truth or that they had already forgotten it because it was “present with” them. But there were false teachers peddling a perverted gospel (2 Peter 2:1), and he wanted to make certain that they could readily recognize a counterfeit from the genuine article, even long after he was dead and gone (verse 15). 

How many times have you laid your song book aside and opened your Bible in preparation for a good sermon, only to hear the minister preach on a subject you’ve heard dozens of times before? If that happens frequently then you are a truly blessed disciple and your preacher takes his job very seriously. He is only following the example of an inspired apostle of Jesus Christ by stirring “you up by way of reminder” (verse 13). He is endeavoring to reignite the flames of your faith by carrying you back to your spiritual roots and the story of your spiritual heritage, and remind you of the reasons you obeyed the Gospel in the first place. 

Peter had reminded his brethren in his first letter that they were only “strangers and pilgrims” (1 Peter 2:11) upon the earth, and now he informs them that “the laying aside of his” own earthly tent was imminent (verse 14). This may have been a reference to what Jesus told him in John 21:18-19 or some other revelation that the Lord had given him, but either way, Peter was keenly aware that his earthly body was only a temporary dwelling place for his spirit. The best he could do with the remainder of his earthly pilgrimage was spend it teaching and reteaching people what they needed to do to gain their entrance into the everlasting kingdom of the Lord in heaven (verse 11). 

Please read 2 Peter 1:16-21 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed Lord’s Day!

-Louie Taylor

“For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.”

--- End of Scripture verses---

Peter encouraged us to apply all diligence in adding moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love to our faith (verses 6-7). The reason we must diligently pursue the supplementation of our faith is because these things are not friendly suggestions but absolute imperatives. These qualities must be acquired and “increasing” if we desire to be useful and fruitful “in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (verse 8).

In verse 9 Peter illustrates in three figures what it is like for Christians to fail to pursue a path of spiritual growth. Disciples who lack these qualities are either “blind” or “short-sighted,” and they are forgetful about their former purification. I am a “short-sighted” person who can see things well when they are right in front of my face, but far away objects look fuzzy without my glasses. Applied in the spiritual realm, the short-sighted might be the kind of people who can only focus on the here and now, or only the things that are going on right around them. They easily lose sight of their spiritual commitment of the past, and have trouble maintaining a clear focus on the future consequences of their thoughts, words and actions. They get all caught up in the activity or thrill or stress of the moment and lose sight of what God consistently expects of them.

“Blind” people are those who are not perceptive of the spiritual realities which cannot be seen with the naked eye (2 Corinthians 4:4). It is possible for a person’s mind to be enlightened by the word and get a good taste of the future glories of heaven, and then go blind to the light of the truth (Hebrews 6:4-6). Whether it is blindness or short-sightedness, in either case, when person puts the Lord on in baptism and then drifts away by refusing to pursue a course of continuous spiritual improvement, he has “forgotten his purification” and the commitment he made to the Lord, and he becomes “useless” and “unfruitful”. Lord willing, we will see in tomorrow’s reading that we all can be forgetful hearers, therefore God knows that we all need frequent reminders (verses 12-13).

“Therefore,” since we can go blind, loose sight, atrophy spiritually, become useless, become unfruitful, and “stumble,” we must “be all the more diligent” (verse 10) to make our “calling and election sure” (KJV). Friends, do these verses not make it perfectly clear that the way we live our lives has a bearing on our eternal salvation? We must frequently examine our lives under the microscope of the word by which we were called (2 Thessalonians 2:14) to “make certain” that we are living in accordance with God’s calling. If we are not, there are only two possibilities: we either make the necessary corrections and live, or we continue on our course of destruction and perish.

As long as we “practice these things,” as long as we continue to build upon the framework of our faith, we “will never stumble.” If we do stumble and fall spiritually, we can either stay down or we can choose to get back up. Keep pushing, keep studying, keep praying. God only wants you to succeed and not fail. He has “abundantly supplied” to you “the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (verse 11). If you obey the truth and are making the effort, He will give you the victory.

Please read 2 Peter 1:12-15 for tomorrow.

Have a wonderful day!

-Louie Taylor

9-22-17 – 2 Peter 1:5-7

“Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.”

--- End of Scripture verses---

“For this very reason”—because “God has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises” and allows us to “become partakers in His divine nature” (verse 4), we must continually be “applying all diligence” to the righteous supplementation of our faith. While God provides the plan and the power, there are things that we must be doing to foster growth in our faith, and this will be true for the entirety of our lives in Christ. We must continually strive for moral perfection even though we will never arrive at it while living on earth.

Having come to the Lord in obedient “faith” we are to use that as the foundation for the further building and strengthening of the makeup of our new life in Christ. To our faith we are to “supply moral excellence”. God has “called us by His own glory and excellence” (verse 3) thru the gospel (2 Thessalonians 2:14) so that we might share and grow in the moral goodness and virtuous perfection of our Father. To our moral excellence we are to supply a working, practical “knowledge” of God’s word. Knowledge of the truth is essential to conversion and afterward its furtherance continues to be vital for our spiritual growth, so we must study the Bible like our lives depend on it! But we can see from this list that the mere accumulation knowledge takes a backseat to faith and moral excellence. “Knowledge makes arrogant” if it is not supported by conviction and virtue (1 Corinthians 8:1).

The foundation of faith, virtue and knowledge will help us to control our sinful desires and impulses. “Self-control” (verse 6) is greatly lacking in the people of the world today and has been for the greatest part of human existence, but it can and must be exhibited by people wearing the name of Jesus the King. Armed with self-control we will have a greater ability to persevere through trials and temptations with our righteousness intact. “Perseverance” is that quality of character that will help us see our journey of faith through to its happy ending. To our perseverance we must supply “godliness” which is the disposition of heart that reverences God absolutely and endeavors to place Him and His will at the forefront of every thought and decision.

If we reverence God the way that we are supposed to then we will learn to love our brethren who have been created in His image. “Brotherly kindness” is the love and affection that brothers and sisters have for one another. The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 12:10-11 to “be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.” Crowing this list of spiritual virtues is “the characteristic word of Christianity”—“Love”. Love is the expression of God’s attitude toward all humanity in sacrificing the life of His Son for their sins, and it is the care and concern we are to show to other people, even when they are not particularly lovable, but because their lives and souls are valuable.

How could we not adore a divinely inspired list that begins with “faith” and ends with “love”?!

Please read 2 Peter 1:8-11 for tomorrow.

Have a lovely day!

-Louie Taylor

“Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.”

--- End of Scripture verses---

Peter introduced himself to his readers simultaneously as their leader and their peer. As an inspired “apostle of Jesus Christ” he had the Lord’s authority to issue commands, and as “a bond-servant” who possessed “a faith of the same kind” as theirs, he could appeal to them as a fellow servant and brother in Christ (verse 1). Peter issued some stern warnings and rebukes in this letter and he had the delegated power to be heard and heeded, but he had also shared in the same trials and spiritual struggles of all humanity and required “like, precious faith” to overcome and reign victorious.

There is a very old adage that says “knowledge is power”. This phrase is never truer than when we acquire “the knowledge of God” from His word (verse 2). God has imbued His inspired word with the power to transform lives for the better and save souls for eternity. God’s “grace and peace” are “multiplied” to us when we learn, love and obey the written word that He has perfectly preserved for us. God’s “divine power has granted to us EVERYTHING pertaining to life and godliness” (verse 3) and packed it powerfully within the pages of our Bibles (the reliable versions anyway). Through the Bible God tells us everything we need to know to be saved and acquire eternal “life,” and everything we need to know to stay saved by living righteous lives of “godliness”.

Friends, it is impossible to overemphasize the value and importance of learning God’s will for you. You will find the word “knowledge” repeated five times in the first eight verses of Peter’s second general epistle. We simply cannot trust our own feelings or hearts when it comes to matters of salvation and eternity (Jeremiah 17:9), and we cannot afford to take another man’s word for what is true and right in God’s sight (1 John 4:1). It is obvious that false teachers challenged the authority of Peter and the other Apostles, and claimed to have a special knowledge that the Lord’s true, chosen ambassadors did not possess. The Holy Spirit makes it clear that we can only trust the words of the Lord Jesus that have been revealed, recorded and preserved through the writing of His inspired prophets and Apostles (1 Corinthians 14:37; Ephesians 3:4-5; 2 Peter 1:19-21).

We can only learn of God’s “precious and magnificent promises” (verse 4) from the Bible, and it is only through believing and obeying that we can realize the fulfillment of those promises. Those promises include, but are not limited to, the grace, peace, salvation and home in heaven that God extends through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus. God’s word teaches us how to “become partakers of the divine nature” by escaping “the corruption that is in the world by lust.” The lusts of our “flesh” corrupt and condemn us spiritually (Romans 6:20-23; 2 Peter 2:10; 1 John 2:15-17), so we must repent of our sins and have them washed away by Christ’s blood in the waters of baptism (Acts 2:38; 22:16), and arise to walk as God’s new, spiritual creations (Romans 6:4). The more we resist our lusts the more we become like our Holy Father in heaven, and ultimately we will share in His glorious nature for eternity if we remain faithful until death (1 John 3:2).

Please read 2 Peter 1:5-11 for tomorrow.

May we all glorify God with our lives this blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

Second Peter is a different kind of letter than First Peter, presented in a different writing style, and many people have concluded that it was written by a different person. The differences in style, wording and subject matter can be explained reasonably, however, without insisting that Peter was not the author of one of the two New Testament letters that bear his name. Peter just had a different focus, chose more illustrative wording, and had a greater sense of urgency in getting his message across to his readers as he neared the end of his life (2 Peter 1:14). He may also have used a different “scribe” or “amanuensis” than Silvanus (1 Peter 5:12) in his second letter which could account for some differences.

In his first letter Peter emphasized the hope to be brought about at Christ’s return to his brethren who were experiencing external persecution for their faith. In Second Peter he warns about the dangers of “false prophets” that would arise from “among” them (2 Peter 2:1). He still stresses the importance of the Lord’s Second Coming but more to explain why He had delayed His return that many thought should have occurred more immediately (2 Peter 3:8-9). It is actually the Lord’s mercy and longsuffering that has prevented Him from returning and destroying the world, so we must strive to live in faithful tolerance of persecution that comes from without, but strive mightily against false doctrine that threatens to contaminate the community of faith from within.

The second general epistle ascribed to the Apostle Peter has been the subject of more suspicion and speculation possibly than any other New Testament book. Scholars are divided as to the date of its writing and the intended recipients, and there is even evidence to suggest that it may have actually been written before First Peter for an entirely different target audience. Laying all the uncertainties aside that really have no bearing on the value and importance of the Holy Spirit’s inspiration, I see no reason to doubt that “Simon Peter” was the legitimate author of this work. He distinguishes himself by this name in 2 Peter 1:1, and identifies himself as being “an eyewitness of” the Lord’s “majesty” having been one of the blessed few to accompany Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration (2 Peter 1:16-18).

I am really looking forward to studying this important piece of inspired literature with you!

Please read 2 Peter 1:1-4 for tomorrow.

Hope your day is blessed one!

-Louie Taylor