For some reason Monday keeps falling on Tuesday! :)
Good morning ladies!
Well, this weekend we celebrate one of the most meaningful events of our Christian faith. The death and resurrection of Jesus. I can't help but feel sad that I did not spend more time, this season, focusing on the awesome and unfathomable sacrifice made on my behalf. But as I look to this weekend I am struck by something. Hope. And I should not be sad. Easter is not simply a one day celebration, ladies! We are living in the reality of Jesus' resurrection. Jesus is alive and is, one day, coming back!! Praise God! :)
It is this same hope that I find in 2 Peter 3. Peter implores us to live our lives as if Jesus' return is imminent. The day of God's judgment is "near" and we can look to it with great hope because of Easter! Praise God!
2 Peter 3 (NIV) in part:
3 Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” 5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. 6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.
11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
The Message-in part:
3-4 First off, you need to know that in the last days, mockers are going to have a heyday. Reducing everything to the level of their puny feelings, they'll mock, "So what's happened to the promise of his Coming? Our ancestors are dead and buried, and everything's going on just as it has from the first day of creation. Nothing's changed."
5-7 They conveniently forget that long ago all the galaxies and this very planet were brought into existence out of watery chaos by God's word. Then God's word brought the chaos back in a flood that destroyed the world. The current galaxies and earth are fuel for the final fire. God is poised, ready to speak his word again, ready to give the signal for the judgment and destruction of the desecrating skeptics.
8-9 Don't overlook the obvious here, friends. With God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day. God isn't late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn't want anyone lost. He's giving everyone space and time to change.
11-13 Since everything here today might well be gone tomorrow, do you see how essential it is to live a holy life? Daily expect the Day of God, eager for its arrival. The galaxies will burn up and the elements melt down that day—but we'll hardly notice. We'll be looking the other way, ready for the promised new heavens and the promised new earth, all landscaped with righteousness.
14-16 So, my dear friends, since this is what you have to look forward to, do your very best to be found living at your best, in purity and peace. Interpret our Master's patient restraint for what it is: salvation.
Praise God!!
I can look forward to the day of God's judgment with hope because of Easter morning! And I have a Savior who is poised and ready to return but is holding back; "restraining himself" for us. I don't know about any of you, but some days I find myself getting impatient longing for Christ's return. What an awesome reminder verse 15 gives us that we should: "Interpret our Master's patient restraint for what it is: salvation."
So my prayer for us today is this: That as we celebrate Easter Sunday this weekend, we would remember that we are living in the reality of Christ's resurrection everyday!! And that as we long for his return we would remain focused on doing his work; knowing that He is "holding back" for a reason. And that reason is the salvation of those lost people around us. Praise God!!
Loving you all and praying for us all today!
Sandy
Well, this weekend we celebrate one of the most meaningful events of our Christian faith. The death and resurrection of Jesus. I can't help but feel sad that I did not spend more time, this season, focusing on the awesome and unfathomable sacrifice made on my behalf. But as I look to this weekend I am struck by something. Hope. And I should not be sad. Easter is not simply a one day celebration, ladies! We are living in the reality of Jesus' resurrection. Jesus is alive and is, one day, coming back!! Praise God! :)
It is this same hope that I find in 2 Peter 3. Peter implores us to live our lives as if Jesus' return is imminent. The day of God's judgment is "near" and we can look to it with great hope because of Easter! Praise God!
2 Peter 3 (NIV) in part:
3 Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” 5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. 6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.
11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
The Message-in part:
3-4 First off, you need to know that in the last days, mockers are going to have a heyday. Reducing everything to the level of their puny feelings, they'll mock, "So what's happened to the promise of his Coming? Our ancestors are dead and buried, and everything's going on just as it has from the first day of creation. Nothing's changed."
5-7 They conveniently forget that long ago all the galaxies and this very planet were brought into existence out of watery chaos by God's word. Then God's word brought the chaos back in a flood that destroyed the world. The current galaxies and earth are fuel for the final fire. God is poised, ready to speak his word again, ready to give the signal for the judgment and destruction of the desecrating skeptics.
8-9 Don't overlook the obvious here, friends. With God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day. God isn't late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn't want anyone lost. He's giving everyone space and time to change.
11-13 Since everything here today might well be gone tomorrow, do you see how essential it is to live a holy life? Daily expect the Day of God, eager for its arrival. The galaxies will burn up and the elements melt down that day—but we'll hardly notice. We'll be looking the other way, ready for the promised new heavens and the promised new earth, all landscaped with righteousness.
14-16 So, my dear friends, since this is what you have to look forward to, do your very best to be found living at your best, in purity and peace. Interpret our Master's patient restraint for what it is: salvation.
Praise God!!
I can look forward to the day of God's judgment with hope because of Easter morning! And I have a Savior who is poised and ready to return but is holding back; "restraining himself" for us. I don't know about any of you, but some days I find myself getting impatient longing for Christ's return. What an awesome reminder verse 15 gives us that we should: "Interpret our Master's patient restraint for what it is: salvation."
So my prayer for us today is this: That as we celebrate Easter Sunday this weekend, we would remember that we are living in the reality of Christ's resurrection everyday!! And that as we long for his return we would remain focused on doing his work; knowing that He is "holding back" for a reason. And that reason is the salvation of those lost people around us. Praise God!!
Loving you all and praying for us all today!
Sandy
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