Wholesome Thinking About The End Times
Dear Saints,
As a man [woman] thinketh in his heart, so is he. What occupies your thinking and mind in these end times?
As we continue our study of 2 Peter, apostle Peter would now conclude his letter to his suffering pilgrim friends. His primary concern and encouragement are to renew their minds to wholesome thinking on the last days powered by the word of God.
Let's listen to Peter speak the word of God:
"This is my second letter to you, dear friends, and in both of them I have tried to stimulate your wholesome thinking and refresh your memory. 2 I want you to remember what the holy prophets said long ago and what our Lord and Savior commanded through your apostles.
3 Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. 4 They will say, "What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created."
5 They [scoffers] deliberately forget that God made the heavens long ago by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water. 6 Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood. 7 And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed."
8 But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. 9 The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. 2 Peter 3:1-9
The "last days" or "end times" is a major theme in the Bible, and Jesus said so much about it. Please read and study Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21:7-36. Jesus said about the last days, "See to it that no one misleads you." Peter, in this chapter 3, is echoing Jesus. The last days started when Jesus first came to earth and will end when He returns again to earth.
Who would deceive/mislead you? The false prophets/teachers and the "scoffers/mockers." We studied the false teachers in 2 Peter 2.
Who are the "Scoffers/Mockers?" "Mockers (also called "scoffers" in Scripture) defy and renounce truth and good things, not only to their own detriment and destruction but that of others. They are provokers of others to wrong, strife, and evil."
"Someone who laughs and speaks about a person or idea in a way that shows that they think that person or idea is stupid or silly." - Cambridge Dictionary.
What do they scoff? That Jesus is not coming back as He promised. If He is not coming back, then He is a liar.
Dealing with Scoffers: Stay away from them and don't listen to them. "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night." Psalm 1:1-6.
Are you listening to scoffers and mockers? Are we laughing with them on social media, TV shows, movies, politicians, school teachers/professors? We are in a day full of mockers. What are you watching in the form of entertainment?
Friend, Jesus is coming soon. He has not come yet for one reason. "No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent." 2 Peter 3:
If Jesus had returned 47 years ago, I wouldn't have heard the gospel and been saved in 1976. What about you, seven years ago, two years ago?
Now you see why we must tell everyone about the saving grace of Christ. God desires to save your family member, friends, coworkers, the impossible boss, politician, and even people in Hollywood and prison/pride parade.
Everyone? Yes. Will you tell them about Jesus Christ? Jesus lived a perfect life, crucified/died on the cross for our sins, was buried, rose again, ascended to heaven, and coming back soon for His followers, not churchgoers.
Lord, please keep us away from the evil ones and scoffers. Help me meditate daily on your words with obedience and tell others about your love and grace for repentance. Amen.
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