… whoever is not against you is for you.
Summary: Satan is a masterful liar. He continues to confuse us about the truth to this very day.
Continue reading “Luke 9:50 – Satan’s Secret”2 Peter 2:18c — The Wilderness Group
… they [false teachers] entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error.
Summary: Peter shows us where the false teachers ply their trade. Between those who live in error and those who live in Truth is a wilderness where the false teacher finds his victims.
Continue reading “2 Peter 2:18c — The Wilderness Group”2 Peter 1:21a — Amen!
For prophecy never had its origin in the human will …
Summary: Prophecy is like a knife. In the right hands, it cuts away distractions and helps us focus on God. In the wrong hands, it cuts us.
Continue reading “2 Peter 1:21a — Amen!”2 Peter 1:20 — God Knows
Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things.
Summary: Stay clear of people who claim to know how to “interpret” the times or even God’s Word.
Continue reading “2 Peter 1:20 — God Knows”2 Peter 1:16a — In Search of Truth
For we did not follow cleverly devised stories …
Summary: Satan has been around for a long time and is the originator of the “cleverly devised” story.
Continue reading “2 Peter 1:16a — In Search of Truth”2 Peter 1:9a — Don’t Blink
But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind…
Summary: The truth about God is not hard to find. He has given us an entire book about himself. Ignoring the truth is not only possible, it is our natural instinct.
Continue reading “2 Peter 1:9a — Don’t Blink”1 Peter 2:22 (b) — An Awkward Dinner
…and no deceit was found in his mouth.
Peter’s description of Jesus is grounded in personal knowledge as well as scripture. Peter knows Jesus well. Today’s passage shows us an aspect of Jesus that is easy to contrast with our world today.
What do you think of when you hear the word, “deceit?” Do you, like me, immediately think, “lies?” If yes, we would both be partially right. But a “lie” does not cover the entire concept of the word.
Continue reading “1 Peter 2:22 (b) — An Awkward Dinner”1 Peter 2: 2 (a) — In Search of Truth
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk…
In looking over Peter’s letter, I get the impression that he is giving us a “Cliff Notes” version of the entire New Testament in a few words. I marvel at the consistency of God’s Word. Whether we look through the lens of Luke, Paul, James, or Peter, the message is consistent.
I’ve helped to raise a couple of amazing young men from when they were very tiny babies, but that doesn’t mean that I am an expert on babies. I do know, however, that there are different kinds of babies. The kind of baby that Peter is talking about is “newborn.”
Continue reading “1 Peter 2: 2 (a) — In Search of Truth”Salt & Pepper – James 1: 18
He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
By now we have seen that James is a salt and pepper kind of guy. His writing is not bland or detailed. He is a man with a mission and he wants to fulfill that mission with as few words as possible. This sentence in James 1: 18 is a perfect example. Let’s unpack it a bit and look at all the treasures James has placed here.
Continue reading “Salt & Pepper – James 1: 18”Antidote – John 14: 16-17
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth.
Back in the beginning, way back in Genesis 3, we are told the story of What Went Wrong. In verse 5 we hear the Serpent telling Eve that if she ate the Forbidden Fruit, “… you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” What the Serpent didn’t tell Eve was that she would not be able to tell the difference. It is a small detail, but very important.
Jesus calls the Serpent, “…a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44) The purpose of a lie is to deceive. Not being all-knowing like God, we are easily deceived. We see the lies, we just can’t tell the difference between what is true and what is not true.
For us to be able to know the difference between truth and lies requires that we look to God. Proverbs reminds us:
Continue reading “Antidote – John 14: 16-17”