Last week I had to go to my dentist for gum surgery. Knowing that I would be hard pressed to eat anything for awhile afterward, I bought myself some Ensure for my muscles, and Benevia to keep up my strenght and to give me energy. Knowing that I neede something on mys tomach so I could take my vitamins as I always do. Talk about blessings, even small ones help a lot. Yesterday I recieved a sample of Mio liquid water enhancer through the mail. "It is just what the doctor ordered," sort a speak. I wanted to thank the good people at Kraft for remembering me.
The Second Epistle of
Peter
First Peter deals with problems from the outside; Second Peter deals with problems from the inside. Peter writes to warn the believers about the false teachers who are peddling damaging doctrine. He begins by urging them to keep close watch on their personal lives. The Christian life demands dilligence in pursuing moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perserverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and selfless love. By contrast, the false teachers are sensual, arrogant, greedy, and covetous. They scoff at the thought of future judgement and live their lives as if the present would be the pattern for the future. Peter reminds them that although God may be longsuffering in sending judgement, ultimately it will come. In view of that fact, believers should live lives of godliness, blamelessness, and steadfastness.
The statement of authorship in 1:1 is very clear: "Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ." To distinguish this epistle from the first by Peter it was given the Greek title Petrou B, the "Second of Peter."
Seventh Day
Grow in grace.... of our Lord.
2 Peter 3:18
I'm not a patient gardener. I begin to fidget when winter temperatures warm above freezing. I mark pages in gardening catalogs months before it's time to order seeds. And it doesn't get any better once the plantings sprout.
Several times each day I check to see if buds have set n, if aphids are active, or if plants need more water. I'm not a patient gardener.
So, you might wonder, why would I plant a Century Plant (Agave americana)? A Century Plant grows v-e-r-y-s-l-o-w-l-y-. Evenutally this succulent will form large, pointed leaves, but Century Plants bloom only once enery thirty or forty years! Given my current age and life expectancy, it's a good possibility that I will see my first plant flower! I'm not sure why I planted this unique species, but it serves as an object lesson for the apostle Peter's second letter--specifically, chapter 3. Peter reminds us that Jesus will return one day to judge the world. Will it be today? tomorrow? thirty or forty years from now, when my Century Plant is in full bloom? Only God, our Father, knows.
What should impatient people do as we wait for Christ's second coming? Verse 18 tells us: " Grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. "How do we grow in grace? God has already given a full measure of His grace to us through Jesus. We have all we need! Perhaps growing in grace means appreciating God's grace in a deeper and deeper way. We can understand His grace by meditating on it, thinking thankfully about it. As we contemplate the abundance of grace God has shown to us, we gratefully share that saving grace with others. And we wait for His coming in expectant hope.
Prayer suggestion. To move fully appreciate God's grace (His undeserved love to us in Christ) make an acrostic. Print the word Grace vertically along the left side of a paper. Use each letter in the words or phrase to explain what God's grace personally means to you. Praise Him for His love!
The Second Epistle of
Peter
First Peter deals with problems from the outside; Second Peter deals with problems from the inside. Peter writes to warn the believers about the false teachers who are peddling damaging doctrine. He begins by urging them to keep close watch on their personal lives. The Christian life demands dilligence in pursuing moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perserverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and selfless love. By contrast, the false teachers are sensual, arrogant, greedy, and covetous. They scoff at the thought of future judgement and live their lives as if the present would be the pattern for the future. Peter reminds them that although God may be longsuffering in sending judgement, ultimately it will come. In view of that fact, believers should live lives of godliness, blamelessness, and steadfastness.
The statement of authorship in 1:1 is very clear: "Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ." To distinguish this epistle from the first by Peter it was given the Greek title Petrou B, the "Second of Peter."
Seventh Day
Grow in grace.... of our Lord.
2 Peter 3:18
I'm not a patient gardener. I begin to fidget when winter temperatures warm above freezing. I mark pages in gardening catalogs months before it's time to order seeds. And it doesn't get any better once the plantings sprout.
Several times each day I check to see if buds have set n, if aphids are active, or if plants need more water. I'm not a patient gardener.
So, you might wonder, why would I plant a Century Plant (Agave americana)? A Century Plant grows v-e-r-y-s-l-o-w-l-y-. Evenutally this succulent will form large, pointed leaves, but Century Plants bloom only once enery thirty or forty years! Given my current age and life expectancy, it's a good possibility that I will see my first plant flower! I'm not sure why I planted this unique species, but it serves as an object lesson for the apostle Peter's second letter--specifically, chapter 3. Peter reminds us that Jesus will return one day to judge the world. Will it be today? tomorrow? thirty or forty years from now, when my Century Plant is in full bloom? Only God, our Father, knows.
What should impatient people do as we wait for Christ's second coming? Verse 18 tells us: " Grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. "How do we grow in grace? God has already given a full measure of His grace to us through Jesus. We have all we need! Perhaps growing in grace means appreciating God's grace in a deeper and deeper way. We can understand His grace by meditating on it, thinking thankfully about it. As we contemplate the abundance of grace God has shown to us, we gratefully share that saving grace with others. And we wait for His coming in expectant hope.
Prayer suggestion. To move fully appreciate God's grace (His undeserved love to us in Christ) make an acrostic. Print the word Grace vertically along the left side of a paper. Use each letter in the words or phrase to explain what God's grace personally means to you. Praise Him for His love!
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