Spiritual Sabotage (2 Peter 2:1-3)
We are in a spiritual war. Satan and his army are bent on causing destruction and chaos in an effort to prevent the lost from being saved and the saved from growing in sanctification. Just like in physical war, one of the tactics that Satan loves to use is sabotage. He deploys secret agents who pose as allies but who are in reality enemies of the gospel. By means of deceit and manipulation the corrupt the truth, spread lies, and bring reproach on the name of Christ. The ensuing confusion turns people away from receiving the gospel and discourages Christians from growing in grace.
Peter was a veteran of the spiritual war who had faced off against false prophets many times. He saw the betrayal of Judas Iscariot, he argued against the elders and priests, and he had dealt with the Judaizers in the church. He knew that there have always been and there always be false prophets, agents of Satan who corrupt and deceive.
In 2 Peter 2, Peter goes to great lengths to warn believers about the danger of spiritual sabotage at the hands of false teachers. If we are not on our guard, we can unwittingly be influenced by heretical teachings that will hinder our growth and bring spiritual harm. We must arm ourselves with the truth and vigilantly guard against false doctrine and those who spread it.
Peter was a veteran of the spiritual war who had faced off against false prophets many times. He saw the betrayal of Judas Iscariot, he argued against the elders and priests, and he had dealt with the Judaizers in the church. He knew that there have always been and there always be false prophets, agents of Satan who corrupt and deceive.
In 2 Peter 2, Peter goes to great lengths to warn believers about the danger of spiritual sabotage at the hands of false teachers. If we are not on our guard, we can unwittingly be influenced by heretical teachings that will hinder our growth and bring spiritual harm. We must arm ourselves with the truth and vigilantly guard against false doctrine and those who spread it.
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- Nov 1, 2023Spiritual Sabotage (2 Peter 2:1-3)
Spiritual Sabotage (2 Peter 2:1-3)We are in a spiritual war. Satan and his army are bent on causing destruction and chaos in an effort to prevent the lost from being saved and the saved from growing in sanctification. Just like in physical war, one of the tactics that Satan loves to use is sabotage. He deploys secret agents who pose as allies but who are in reality enemies of the gospel. By means of deceit and manipulation the corrupt the truth, spread lies, and bring reproach on the name of Christ. The ensuing confusion turns people away from receiving the gospel and discourages Christians from growing in grace.
Peter was a veteran of the spiritual war who had faced off against false prophets many times. He saw the betrayal of Judas Iscariot, he argued against the elders and priests, and he had dealt with the Judaizers in the church. He knew that there have always been and there always be false prophets, agents of Satan who corrupt and deceive.
In 2 Peter 2, Peter goes to great lengths to warn believers about the danger of spiritual sabotage at the hands of false teachers. If we are not on our guard, we can unwittingly be influenced by heretical teachings that will hinder our growth and bring spiritual harm. We must arm ourselves with the truth and vigilantly guard against false doctrine and those who spread it. - Oct 29, 2023Gospel Parenting (Hebrews 12:1-13)
Gospel Parenting (Hebrews 12:1-13)
- Oct 29, 2023Giving By Grace (2 Corinthians 9:6)
Giving By Grace (2 Corinthians 9:6)The Bible has a lot to say about money. Much of our life revolves around money, whether it is earning, saving, spending, or investing. It makes sense then that there are more references to money in the Bible than almost any other topic. It also explains why people can be so defensive whenever money comes up for discussion.The Biblical perspective on money is recognizing that everything we have comes from God, including our finances and possessions. God has entrusted them all to us and expects us to be good stewards of what He has given us. We are to do with our money what He has told us in the Bible to do with it. Among other things, that means giving some of our money in tithes and offerings to the Lord.2 Corinthians 9:6 gives us this principle about giving generously: “He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” God never promises us earthly wealth, but He does promise that if we give generously, He will see to it that we always have what we need and often have more than we need. God’s grace will work in our lives, enabling us to continue to honor Him with our generosity.This truth applies to all kinds of generosity, including our mission giving. God will sustain us by His grace if we give bountifully to the work of missions. His
provision may not always be obvious, but He will make sure that we always have "all sufficiency in all things." - Oct 25, 2023Growing in Grace, A More Sure Word (2 Peter 1:16-12)
Growing in Grace, A More Sure Word (2 Peter 1:16-12)In 2 Peter 1:16-21, Peter testifies to the believers concerning the reliability of the gospel message
and of all the scripture. We cannot rely on personal experience for spiritual growth. We must
replace experience driven, emotionally based views of Christian growth with reliance on the truth of
God’s Word - Oct 22, 2023Gentle Parenting Debunked (Hebrews 12:6-7)
Gentle Parenting Debunked (Hebrews 12:6-7)
- Oct 22, 2023The Church’s Role in Missions: The Church Supports the Missionaries (Philippians 4:19)
The Church’s Role in Missions: The Church Supports the Missionaries (Philippians 4:19)Missions is the mission of the church. God has commanded the church to “teach all nations.” We cannot be everywhere at once, so God calls some to leave where they are and go somewhere else to fulfill the great commission. We call these people “missionaries.”The church supplies the missionaries. As we reach the lost and make disciples, God calls some of them to this special ministry. The church sends the missionaries. The Lord works through the local church to confirm His call, and missionaries are sent out of the local church.Once the church supplies and sends the missionary, it plays the vital role of supporting the missionary. The missionary needs help from God’s people if they are going to accomplish God’s work. They need material support in the form of finances and physical resources. They need spiritual support in the form of regular, fervent prayer for their ministry and encouragement through communication and responsiveness.We should give sacrificially to support missionaries. We should give of our money, even if it means making do with less, trusting that God will provide. We should give of our time and energy to lift missionaries up in prayer, stay in contact with them, and take opportunities to respond to their needs. And for those who support missionaries, God has given a special promise: “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)
- Oct 18, 2023The Blessings of Growth (2 Peter 1:10-15)
The Blessings of Growth (2 Peter 1:10-15)You can tell as you read his writings that Peter had the heart of a pastor. Jesus had commanded Peter, “Feed my sheep.” He instructed Peter, “and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” In this last letter that Peter wrote, he knew that his time to die was coming soon and he wanted to remind the believers to keep growing in grace and knowledge by diligently adding to their faith Christ-like character.
In 2 Peter 1:10-15, Peter mentions three blessings that continual spiritual growth brings. When we are growing in grace, we can have full assurance of our salvation. We can look forward to a wonderful entrance into heaven, without regrets. We are protected against spiritual amnesia by a continual remembrance of the truth. - Oct 15, 2023The Harshness of Gentle Parenting (Ephesians 6:4)
The Harshness of Gentle Parenting (Ephesians 6:4)
- Oct 15, 2023The Church Sends The Missionaries (Acts 13)
The Church Sends The Missionaries (Acts 13)It is common in our modern era for missionaries to use mission boards to help them get to their field of service. It is an application of the Biblical pattern of many churches working together to fund and support Christian workers who are going out to plant new churches in faraway places.When used properly, mission boards can be a great blessing by collecting and distributing the funds for the missionary and providing much-needed advice and practical assistance. But mission boards can be misused, and one of the primary ways a board can go wrong is when that board becomes the sending agency instead of the local church.God has chosen to use the local church in this age to be the organization that distributes the gospel around the world. Souls are evangelized, edified, and equipped for service through the ministry of the local church. And it is the local church that has the privilege of confirming God’s call on a person's life and sending them out to accomplish God’s specific will for their life.The church cannot rely on outside groups to do their job. They cannot delegate their responsibility to a para-church organization. The church must supply and then send the workforce for worldwide evangelization.
- Oct 8, 2023Children Obey Your Parents (Ephesians 6:1-3)
Children Obey Your Parents (Ephesians 6:1-3)
- Oct 8, 2023The Church Supplies the Missionaries (Acts 13)
The Church Supplies the Missionaries (Acts 13)Where do missionaries come from? They certainly do not grow on trees. Nor should they come from Bible Colleges or Christian Schools. God’s plan is for missionaries to be cultivated through the ministry of the local church.We find this pattern clearly demonstrated in the New Testament. In Acts 13, Paul and Barnabas were ministering in a local church when God moved through that assembly to direct them to go out and plant churches from city to city. In Acts 15, Silas was chosen to travel with Paul because of his good testimony among the brethren. In Acts 16, Timothy was recommended to the ministry of missions by the believers in Lystra and Iconium. In each of these instances, local bodies of believers played an instrumental role in supplying Missionary’s.The purpose of the local church is to evangelize the lost and edify the believer, so that the work of the ministry can continue on. Part of that work is taking the gospel to foreign and remote regions. While it is not God’s will that every believer be a foreign missionary, it is certainly God’s will that some be. It is the responsibility of the church, then, to train and encourage believers to be willing to go wherever God would have them go to share the gospel with whoever needs it.We cannot rely on parachurch organizations to supply the workforce to accomplish world evangelization. It is the duty of the local church to supply missionaries.
- Oct 4, 2023The Fundamentals of Growth (2 Peter 1:3-4)
The Fundamentals of Growth (2 Peter 1:3-4)Pastor Peter had a burden to see believers grow and become mature. His second epistle was written specifically to encourage Christians to grow in grace and in the knowledge of God, while warning them that there were those who would corrupt their faith and hinder their growth.
Before Peter begins to discuss the specifics of spiritual growth, he lays some very important theological groundwork in 2 Peter 1:3-4. Such an important topic requires one crucial, foundational understanding. Spiritual growth cannot be accomplished with God’s help. The kind of “spirituality” that is achieved independent of God is, by definition, self-righteousness. This is the kind of religion that Jesus warned against, when He said, “For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:20)
God has called all Christians to reject self-righteousness and to let God work in us to make us what He wants us to be. We can grow in grace, but we must grow God’s way to else God will not get the glory that He should get from our lives. - Oct 1, 2023The Mission of The Church, A Biblical Philosophy of Missions (Acts 1:8)
The Mission of The Church, A Biblical Philosophy of Missions (Acts 1:8)The Mission of The Church, a Biblical Philosophy of Missions.
- Sep 17, 2023I Don’t Know and I Don’t Care (Malachi 1:1-2)
I Don’t Know and I Don’t Care (Malachi 1:1-2)
- Sep 17, 2023A Father’s Faith (Mark 9:14-29)
A Father’s Faith (Mark 9:14-29)Nothing feels quite so awful as seeing your child suffer and knowing there is nothing you can do to stop it. If you have ever been in a situation like hat, then you understand the utter helplessness that one feels in that situation. Suppose, then, that you took your child to an expert who was supposed to be a specialist in fixing your child’s problem, but even they could not solve the issue. Your disappointment would be doubled, and you would be on the verge of despair. If you can imagine such a scenario, then you can begin to imagine how the father we meet in Mark 9 must have felt. His son was possessed by a devil and there was nothing he could do for him. He brought his son to Jesus’ disciples to be cured, and there was nothing they could do for him. He was on the verge of despair when Jesus arrived. When he asked Jesus to heal his son, Jesus responded by saying, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” That was not the answer the man was looking for, and in desperation, he cried, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” Jesus did help that man’s unbelief. He healed the son, and that man’s faith grew that day because he learned that faith is not just believing that God can do whatever you need, but He is the only one who can do whatever you need, and He will meet your needs when you have Faith in Him.
