Walking after the flesh

2Pe 2:9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
2Pe 2:10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.

Those who WALK - those who LIVE after the flesh. These are the people who are NOT living for their spiritual life, the life that Jesus lived for. Jesus did NOT live for the flesh. Jesus preached the coming of the kingdom of heaven- His gift of salvation to mankind. Jesus taught WE are to live for the kingdom of heaven just as He lived. We are NOT to live to our flesh even though we are prone to do so, even though the natural man has to fight against what is natural to him. We are to CHOOSE our Savior over all.

Those who choose the flesh will live to their lusts that are unclean- filthy with sin. They will despise any control over themselves thinking they have to answer to NO ONE, not even the common laws of the land. They presume much, they are guided only by themselves, they are NOT afraid to speak evil of glory, of goodness, of honor, of praise, of worship. They WILL speak evil of all that is Godly and they fear NO retribution.

There are many, many people who do this, so very, very many. It's a tragedy, it's heartbreaking, it's appalling. So very many people are living only to the flesh without any thought at all of things Godly, of things spiritual.

2Pe 2:11 Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.

Angels- GREATER IN POWER.
Angels-GREATER IN MIGHT.

Angels don't bring railing accusations why?
God knows all that we do, every last action we commit, every last thought we think, God KNOWS.

2Pe 2:12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;

These evil ones only deserve to be taken and kill, yet they are allowed to live and they speak EVIL of things they can't even understand. The evil will UTTERLY perish in their OWN CORRUPTION! The evil are NOT kill without reason. Their own corruption will kill them. Those who CHOOSE self over GOD will die because they are choosing flesh over spirit.

2Pe 2:13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;

They think it pleasing to riot.
They are filled with their own deception even as they feast with us!

2Pe 2:14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:

They are filled with betrayal.
They cannot stop sinning!
They trick those who are weak.
They are overflowing with covetousness, selfishness in all they do!

2Pe 2:15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness

They are LOST!
They have gone astray!
They follow EVIL ways.
They LOVE the results of their unrighteousness!

Balaam-

Balaam (Hebrew: בִּלְעָם, Standard Bilʻam Tiberian Bilʻām) is a diviner in the Torah, his story occurring towards the end of the Book of Numbers. The etymology of his name is uncertain, and discussed below. Every ancient reference to Balaam considers him a non-Israelite, a prophet, and the son of Beor, though Beor is not so clearly identified. Though other sources describe the apparently positive blessings he delivers upon the Israelites, he is reviled as a "wicked man" [1] in the major story concerning him. Balaam attempted to curse God's people. He failed all three tries, each time producing blessings, not curses (Numbers 22-24). Balaam's error and the source of his wickedness came not from the curses he never delivered on, but from sabotaging the Israelites as they entered the Promised Land. According to Numbers 31:16 and St. John (Revelation 2:14), Balaam returned to King Balak and informed the king on how to get the Israelites to curse themselves by enticing them with prostitutes and unclean food sacrificed to idols. The Israelites fell into transgression due to these traps and YHVH sent a deadly plague to them as a result (Numbers 31:16).

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Following after the way of Balaam- WHO LOVE UNRIGHTEOUSNESS!

More on this tomorrow…. all by the grace of God.

The Lord delivers the godly out of temptations

2Pe 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment--

Angels that sinned.
Angels cast into the grave.
Angels delivered into chains of darkness- the darkness of the grave.
Angels reserved in that grave of darkness until they are judged.

Angels.

Angels - beings created before mankind.
Mankind in fact was created a little LOWER than the angels.

Psa 8:4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
Psa 8:5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

Heb 2:6 But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?
Heb 2:7 Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands

Heb 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

Angels, made higher than man.
Angels who have no ties to flesh even if they can appear in what seems like flesh.
Angels who also were created with the power of choice.

1/3 of the angels decided to no longer love their maker and as a result they were cast from heaven.
Some of the angels sinned horrifically and these angels were bound to the darkness of the grave until- judgment.

God is NOT sparing the angels that sin against Him, why in the world would we even imagine that He would spare us who sin against Him?

2Pe 2:5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly

God created a wonderful world and man sinned, yet God did NOT destroy man because of their rebellion. God gave mankind a chance and mankind took that chance and threw it away letting evil grow and grow unchecked until it filled the earth and only EIGHT people were saved, Noah a lone preacher of righteousness in a world of sin. God did NOT spare mankind then and He will NOT spare it again.

2Pe 2:6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
2Pe 2:7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:
2Pe 2:8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)

And mankind being allowed to live and not being destroyed completely multiplied and again sin reigned and there was a city so exceedingly sinfilled that God had to destroy it- Sodom and Gomorrah. Only LOT and his two daughters were spared, his wife perishing because her heart was back in the city of sin. Lot- righteous- lived among the evil ones and day after day he was tortured mentally, emotionally by their evil. God did NOT spare that city. Yet we believe that we will ALL be spared.

2Pe 2:9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished

This IS truth!

The LORD delivers the GODLY OUT of TEMPTATIONS.
The LORD reserves the UNJUST UNTO THE DAY O JUDGEMENTS to be punished.

The unjust humans and the unjust angels are all being reserved to receive their punishments.

We have HOPE in our SAVIOR.
We have HOPE knowing that the LORD DELIVERS the GODLY OUT of TEMPTATIONS!

Please Lord, deliver US! Please Lord, please!

The false among us

2Pe 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
2Pe 2:2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
2Pe 2:3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

There are FALSE prophets.

To every truth there is a lie.
To every teller of truth there is a liar.
To every genuine prophet there is a false prophet.

False prophets telling false prophecies.

These false prophets and false teachers are everywhere and they're spreading their untruths- their DAMNABLE heresies! They are denying the LORD that brought the news of salvation to them! They are bringing destruction upon themselves and all who follow them.

MANY will follow their PERNICIOUS ways.

Definitions of pernicious-

1. causing insidious harm or ruin; ruinous; injurious; hurtful: pernicious teachings; a pernicious lie.
2.
deadly; fatal: a pernicious disease.
3.
Obsolete . evil; wicked.

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Evil- wicked ways- many are going to follow these false prophets, these false teachers. What these people think they are hearing is truth but it will only be lies! People feeding lies to others lies that will cost them their eternal life. Will the fooled people be held accountable? Yes. Because we have a way to the truth! The truth is available to all who seek it! Those who let themselves be deceived will not be as guilty as the deceivers but the punishment for all sin is death. That lake of fire where all sinners will burn -will burn hotter and longer for some more than others. We are guilty of letting ourselves be deceived by others, we MUST seek the truth! We have to find the truth! We must listen to God's true prophets! We must listen to true prophecies!

No one wants to be deceived, yet Satan's deceivers lie so subtly many will be deceived, all but the VERY ELECT.

I pray to our LOVING MERCIFUL GOD that we are among those who are the ELECT!

Please LORD don't let us be among the deceived. Let us listen to your prophets, your TRUE prophets.

In Your amazing LOVE!

Amen.

Take heed...

2Pe 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
2Pe 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
2Pe 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

I know we touched on this yesterday, but I feel compelled to touch on it a bit more.

Prophecy.

Definition- pertaining to a foreteller . Foretelling. It's telling something in advance of it's occurring. God allows people to foretell the future for a reason. The Holy Spirit guides human beings by giving them visions, night visions, and so forth.

Prophets - 'inspired man'

Men inspired by God.

2Pe 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost

Moved by the Holy Ghost.

The need for prophecy? A revealing of the future gives us PROOF that the revealer has power. Right? Any prophet of God would NOT take credit for the prophesying, they would give GOD all the glory. God is the REVEALER, not the person being used by the Lord, the person inspired by God through the Holy Spirit.

We have a MORE sure word of PROPHECY.
Where WE do WELL if WE take HEED!
Prophecy is like a LIGHT shining in the darkness!
Prophecy is like a light in the NIGHT shining until the day dawns!
Prophecy is like a light shining in the night until JESUS arises in our HEARTS!

So is prophecy important?

We are told we do well when we listen to prophecy.
We are told we will have light in the darkness. Meaning if we don't have this light we are LEFT in the dark! If we are left in the dark then we are lost! This is how important prophecy is to our LORD, to US!
We NEED light to shine in the darkness around us!
We NEED JESUS to arise in our hearts!

This is through prophecy, through the sure word of God. We HAVE to trust in our Lord, we have to believe in HIM, we have to study HIS word and we HAVE to STUDY - to TAKE HEED to PROPHECY! This is real! This isn't something for people long ago, this applies to US right now. In fact we can know even with more surety that God's prophecies are true, they've all come to pass as He has said they would, and those that have yet to come to pass WILL come to pass without a doubt!

We've studied prophecy in the past and we will study it in the future all by the GRACE of God!

Let us TAKE HEED!

Let us get out of the DARKNESS!

Let the DAY STAR ARISE IN OUR HEARTS!

Please Lord, please!

Through Your love!

We have NOT followed cunningly devised fables

2Pe 1:13 Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;
2Pe 1:14 Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.

We can only teach and encourage others while we are alive. Too many believe that they can converse with the dead, not realizing that every dead person they are conversing with is in fact a part of Satan's army of evil spirits. People don't want to hear that, in fact they'll outright dismiss the very thought. The ones they've conversed with have been sweet, kind spirits of loved ones who knew things only they could know and none other. People tend to forget our deepest secrets are known to those in the spirit realm- to God, to angels- good and evil. At our every turn there are those paying attention to our lives ready at any moment to deceive us. If a visitation from a dead loved one can convince us that we don't really die but just move on then the mission of Satan has been accomplished.

Peter would have ALL understand the messages he is giving them, so much so he wants to stir the people up so they'll remember all that he's telling them. He knows his own end is near and he wants all those that look to him - to receive God's word through him as through all the disciples- and he wants them to REMEMBER.

2Pe 1:15 Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.

He want them to remember! He wants us to remember! We are being told to REMEMBER the truths being given, and what truths they are. They don't talk of a stagnant life spent cowering and hidden from life, but rather a life of growth into the being that God would have us be in our SAVIOR. It's a constant growth, a constant adding to our faith. It's a realization that we will have many obstacles thrown at us. It's a knowing that we ourselves can put obstacles in our way by ceasing to GROW in Christ.

2Pe 1:16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

NO cunningly devised fables. Even in Peter's time, even during the time immediately following our Savior's ministry and death, and rising, there were those who loved to say that everything was just a fable, cunningly devised, but nevertheless just a fable told to make fools of those who believe in them.

Today this very same accusation is ringing loud and clean in our world. People claiming loudly and with great conviction that what we believe is truly nothing more than a fable, a great fable that men have used to dupe people throughout the ages to make fools of them.

The truth, the REAL truth is that there are NO cunningly devised fables here, NONE, not ONE. The truth is just too hard for people to believe because it calls for a life spent living towards selflessness and not selfishness. People love living for themselves and possibly the immediate extensions of themselves more than they love the idea of living for strangers, for their enemies whom they are suppose to love.

Peter and other apostles WITNESSED the truth of our SAVIOR'S majesty!

2Pe 1:17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
2Pe 1:18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.

They were there! They heard firsthand! And they have no reason to lie, none. What did they gain by telling the truth? They gained torture and death. They were NOT set up in earthly mansions and given a life of ease and pleasure. They were abused constantly. If it were all lies what were they lying for? Glory? They receive precious LITTLE glory and honor here on earth. Movies and books like to portray them as being revered in great numbers but the truth is they were hunted, wanted men whose audiences weren't huge crowds of adoring fans. They had nothing to gain upon earth for their endeavors, nothing. Not a single Apostle went on to live a life of luxury. Today we are NOT promised a life of ease here, we are NOT promised luxuries and adoration from others. We are told when we decide to make Christ our Lord and Savior that the life we'll lead will be a very hard one and we too can face all the same obstacles that the Apostles faced- a life of ridicule and abuse.

2Pe 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
2Pe 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
2Pe 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

We must take heed to PROPHECY- because PROPHECY is a light shining in darkness, a guiding light that will lead us right to the end when our SAVIOR returns.

We can't make up what we want out of prophecy. We can't take those prophecies and put meanings where we want them to be so that we are creating stories that are far from the truth. GOD gave those prophecies to mankind, God spoke through those men through the Holy Ghost. These weren't tall tales told to people, but truths - future happenstances. These truths were given to them and to us so that we would take heed- so that we would pay attention and know what would come to pass. Throughout the years SO incredibly many prophecies have come to pass there is no way to doubt the truth, none and yet people do.

We are given admonitions and it is up to us to heed those warnings. We make the choices to listen or to close our ears. We make the choice to see or to remain blind. We are not forced to the truth because a forcing of the truth takes away the truth altogether.

Is anyone who is forced to LOVE someone truly in love with that person? No. Of course there are a lot of tales about those who are forced to love someone falling in love with them over time, but that is fairy tale stuff in a lot of those cases. Forced love is NOT love. In fact it sounds impossible to force love doesn't it? You have to ask how can you be forced to love someone? You can be tortured until you admit to love. You say that's a false love only brought about by coercion and just words mouthed without any truth to them. I agree. Forcing LOVE by loves very nature is impossible. And truth is God's love and none of us is forced to the truth, just as forcing love is ultimately impossible, so is forcing a belief in the truth of God.

The truth exists and is there for our acceptance or rejection, we choose, no one else chooses for us.

By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior may we accept the truth of God, His love in all thing, always!

Amen.

If you do these things you will never fall

2Pe 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
2Pe 1:11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
2Pe 1:12 Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.

A constant reminder.
Don't we all need constant reminders?
We live in a world that would love to take away any reminders of salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
The reminders that we live in a fierce battle between good and evil.
Satan would have us living with blinders on, thick, tight blinders that seem all but impossible to remove. He doesn't want us to realize that we are actually, truly, really, honestly FIGHTING for our eternal life.
He comes up with so very many tricks to fool us. He'll say we're trying to work out our own salvation when in truth only Christ can save us, but doesn't God's word say this to us…

Php 2:12 ... work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

We are REALLY told this… really and truly!

Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Php 2:14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
Php 2:15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
Php 2:16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

Work out our OWN salvation with FEAR and TREMBLING.
For it is GOD which worketh IN US both to will and to do of HIS good pleasure.

God work IN US.
We have to CHOOSE to do ALL things WITHOUT murmurings and disputings.

Just as we HAVE to choose to ADD to our faith and not simply stop at believing, but make that belief a reality.

We have to do ALL things without murmurings and disputings because then we will be BLAMELESS and HARMLESS-the SONS of GOD- without rebuke, in the MIDST of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom we will SHINE as LIGHTS in the world.

HOLDING forth the WORD of LIFE that we may rejoice in the DAY of CHRIST. That we have NOT run in VAIN, neither labored in VAIN.

2Pe 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
2Pe 1:11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
2Pe 1:12 Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.


IF YE DO THESE THINGS YE SHALL NEVER FALL.

Do what things?

These things--

2Pe 1:5 '…add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge
2Pe 1:6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
2Pe 1:7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
2Pe 1:8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. '

We are NOT to be idle! We are NOT to stop at faith! We are NOT to live disregarding God's instructions, God's will. Yet so many do, so many could careless about God or His will. So many get discouraged because Satan is fighting against their walk with Christ. Satan is pulling out all stops to get us to turn from God, and barring that to turn us down a path lined with a false god.

The truth in God is NOT a path that is wide and easy, but narrow and HARD to traverse, hard to even find it!

Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

FEW there be that find it!

You'd think it'd be easy to find because we are given so much incredible information leading us to the path of Salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. But it's not easy to find, because only FEW will find it. Why will only a few find it? Because only a few will be willing to walk that narrow way in a world where walking the broad way is the norm. So many things will keep people from finding that narrow way. And Satan will be behind every single one of those ways. There is a REAL battle we are in, a daily, hourly, minutely battle and yet because this war is fought on a spiritual plane, affecting our physical plane we don't often recognize the war but attribute all of the trials and tribulations huge and tiny to just being life.

Calling Satan out, pointing at His dealings isn't something he wants done, he'd much rather we ignore his presence. As long as we ignore him then he can go on his merry way attacking us right and left, tripping us up and hiding the hand being held out to help us up. He wants us down in the filth of sin wallowing in it never seeking to reach for the ONE who can clean us of the filth he is trying to drown us in.

By the grace and mercy of our God may we have our eyes wide open to all the attacks Satan sets up for us, and when we see these attacks may we seek shelter in our Savior! May we don all the armor, all the protection that our SAVIOR offers to us through His amazing LOVE.

Help us LORD.
Save us LORD JESUS!

In Your love, in YOUR righteousness now and forever and ever!

Amen.

He that lacketh these things is blind

2Pe 1:5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
2Pe 1:6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
2Pe 1:7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
2Pe 1:8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2Pe 1:9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

Blind.
Unable to see and in this case- unable to see afar off.

Where are we supposed to be able to see afar off, how far?

Heb 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them AFAR off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
Heb 11:14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
Heb 11:15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
Heb 11:16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

The promise for the future that is AFAR off is HEAVEN. These men of God KNEW they would NOT inherit that promise anytime soon but rather AFAR off.

We have to look AFAR off to that future if our HOPE is in Christ. Is it any wonder we are considered blind if we are caught up in sinning? Sinning holds us to the here and now, trapping us, binding us to the father of lies who claims ownership of the earth. When we stop growing in Christ, we become stagnant in sin. To grow we have this list of things we are to ADD to our Faith- our FIRST believing. The things we have to add are:
Virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, charity.

When we find ourselves all caught up in sin we have to realize we are NOT adding these things to our faith life.

If we are to have hope in the far off country we are seeking, our heavenly home, then we need to live in Christ. By HIS grace and mercy may WE ever keep growing in these additions to our faith.

Satan doesn't want us growing in Christ. Satan is going to try and keep us from adding anything to our faith at all. Satan will bring up obstacle after obstacle. Every step we make towards adding these things to our faith we will be attacked viciously by Satan. I mean VICIOUSLY! The attacks are geared towards bringing up our cherished sins, our favorite sins, the sins that we have to fight to give up, the sins we have to resist unto blood.

2Pe 1:8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2Pe 1:9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

By His GRACE, His LOVE, His MERCY!