Category Archives: 2 Peter

That’s the Truth

Posted on January 17, 2016 | Leave a comment

2 Peter 1:12 So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. 13 I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, 14 because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15 And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.

Thoughts:
I had to stop and remind myself to pay attention to what comes after verse 12 because that verse is such an important thought for me.  I believe it with all my heart. I can be devout, I can be faithful…but…I am only “established in the truth [I] now have.   I am still a learner.

There are so many controversies that rage in the world of faith; devout people blowing up abortion clinics, devout muslims killing themselves and others in the name of holiness. Devout Christians with polar opposite views on the very same subject. Christians, like me, wanting so much to do the right thing and have the right position on any topic.  In the name of God, the temptation becomes picking a side to follow…rather than picking a Savior to follow.

That’s the Truth I need to be reminded of.

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Read ‘n Ponder

Posted on August 26, 2015 | Leave a comment

2 Peter 1:2-8
2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

My Thoughts:
One repeated word in the passage caught my attention…Knowledge.  I want everything needed for a Godly life.  I want to know about God but even more importantly I want to know God.

Definition: knowl·edge, noun 1. facts, information, and skills acquired by a person through experience or education

I found this quote by James Ray that made sense to me…”Knowledge comes from acquiring information—Knowing comes from ownership.”

Rereading the passage with particular attention to that one word I noticed that knowledge is not the end product of this passage.   It’s just a step in the process of finally getting to the real goal, love.  That’s key.  It’s not about learning enough facts to be smart about God.  That’s knowledge.  It’s all about figuring out how those facts  get worked into me so I can understand what real love is like.  That’s productive and effective knowing. That’s ownership.

That is why I read ‘n ponder.

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The Big Picture

Posted on August 3, 2015 | Leave a comment

2 Peter 1:5-7 “ NIV
…For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.” 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

My Thoughts:

There is something satisfying about reading Peter’s orderly list of what is needed in my life of faith. It made me think of a jigsaw puzzle; one piece locking into another, each separate but together creating an “all together” whole.  It’s a new puzzle and all the pieces are guaranteed to be there, laid out and waiting to be used.  It’s a personal puzzle, only you can complete it.

The way to begin is to find the pieces that you recognize to form a workable frame.  There may be a few gaps but don’t worry, it will still work.  You just start looking for pieces that match and build on what you started with.  Sometimes it doesn’t come easy though.  It may take a bit of time and hunting to find just one match.  It’s really easy to get sidetracked by that and walk away for a time.  At other times with almost no effort just the right piece turns up and it’s a perfect fit.  Eventually you begin to see the image of what’s to come and that gives you some inspiration.  Speed isn’t required to complete the puzzle but perseverance is essential if you want to complete The Big Picture.

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