Category: 2 Peter

  • Read the Good Book

    stack of old books

    Books, books, books. If you have been reading  Gleanings for any length of time, you will know that I have a passion for books. In particular, I have a weakness for good conservative evangelical books, particularly old ones. 

    I have rescued many from destruction and appreciate their scholarly insights. Finding sufficient bookshelf space around our home has always been a challenge.

    Since my retinal detachment and repair, I have been reading most of my books on my devices, where I can adjust the font size as needed. Still, I have gathered a growing collection of Large-print books.

    Having said all of that, I must also warn you there can be a real danger to books as well. Many cults add the works of their leaders as required reading, equal to or elevated above the Bible as truth. These books often detail “THE” way to salvation. 

    Be wary of these books. The Bible needs to be the foundation. Even with my passionate weakness for good theology books, the Bible always comes first.

    The Bible is the source of all information needed for salvation. The information alone is not sufficient; the Holy Spirit must work in us to convict us, but no additions to what is claimed in Scripture are required,

    Be very cautious of any church whose traditions or writings are equal to or elevated above Scripture. That should be a huge warning light to any believer.

    The Bible contains all the principles needed to be our guide to living life. 

    Other books may help clarify and offer great insights, but once again, we need to use Scripture as our foundation. Again, the Holy Spirit can be a great guide, but if it is the Holy Spirit (and not something else) speaking, He will never guide us in a direction contrary to the Word.

    Be wary of any church whose rules and regulations for living place themselves above Scripture. This, too, is a danger sign.

    The Scriptures are our operating manual for life. They are not in error and do not need a “best before” date. They are timeless, as God Himself is timeless.

    All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV

    For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:21 NIV

    What does it mean to be God-breathed? It means they contain the very life breath of God. God breathed life into Adam in the garden (see Genesis 2:7). The Bible is not only “inspired”; it is “exhaled” by the very lips of God Himself. No other book can honestly make that claim.

    Good and godly people can and have written good and godly books. I think of people like Matthew Henry, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, G. Campbell Morgan, Adam Clark, some of the Puritans, and even many of today’s authors, as well as many more.

    They have much to teach us, but their writings are not the very living breath of God. I love their writings dearly but always return to Scripture as the foundation.

    Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1 NIV

    Until next time, may the living Word of God be your source.

    Kevin

    Some more reading

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    Your identity in Christ

    Why good doctrine still matters

    Blooming in the desert

  • Old Porky

    God is not a porcupine

    Porcupine in a tree

    The big old porcupine waddled from the road’s edge down into the  ditch. I was surprised because the only porcupines I ever see on or near the road are dead ones or the ones you are about to run over. I do not recall seeing one that had crossed the road.

    Immediately, all the corny jokes ran through my mind. “Why did the porcupine cross the road?” I will not bother to share them with you; you have undoubtedly heard them all as chicken, gopher, or turtle jokes.

    Porcupines (Old Porky) are fascinating creatures and are relatively common throughout much of North America. Some of my reading tells me they have an average of 30,000 quills. I do not know who counted them, but there is a lot of potential for sticking to things.

    Porcupines are herbaceous, but they sometimes get in trouble around people because they do like a little salt in their diet. That means they are apt to chew on anything that has had sweat on it. Saddles, axe handles, blankets, and the like have fallen prey to Old Porky’s taste for salty things.

    You do not often see them in water, but porcupines are great swimmers. All those hollow quills give them extra buoyancy, so a little pond or stream is no barrier to a porcupine with an eye for the vegetation on the other bank.

    Old Porky is a slow-moving creature that is near-sighted. That makes them easy to approach. You simply have to ensure you are not within reach of their tail. One swat of that tail can leave you with a hand full or leg full of nasty barbs. 

    Contrary to popular legend, they do not shoot their quills, but their tails can move surprisingly quickly. Many dogs or cats have learned the hard way that porcupines might be slow, but they prefer to avoid being bothered.

    Some people think porcupines are stupid because they are slow and nearsighted. Not so. They have excellent memories, and I have been told they can be trained to do tricks.

    I think that people often view God as being like Old Porky. They assume He is near-sighted and cannot see their sin or that He is not very bright and accepts all the lies and rationalizations they use to justify their sin.

    People also seem to think that God is slow in coming, just like Old Porky moves slowly. Or they seem to believe that He is never coming back because He’s lying out there dead alongside the road somewhere.

    Don’t you believe it.

    God is not blind. God is not dumb. God is not dead. Jesus is coming back. He is simply awaiting the perfect moment.

    This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles,  knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.  They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.”  For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God,  and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 

    The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.  But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

    Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness,  waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells 2 Peter 3:1-13 ESV

    Until next time, we can rejoice that He is alive, sees all and He is coming back for us.

    Kevin

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