Seeing beyond sight

"The Transfiguration" Artist unknown

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 2 Peter 1-3 Psalm 35

TO CHEW ON: "For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: 'This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.'" 2 Peter 1:16,17.


Do you think first-person accounts of people seeing visions of heaven and Jesus are believable? Or hoax? Or maybe you view them as sacrilege? In the last few years many such modern stories have surfaced. Several—Heaven is for Real and Miracles from Heaven—have even been made into movies.

I wonder if Peter's account of Jesus' transfiguration, which he refers to here (and is told in full in Luke 9:28-36) met with the same mixed response. There was no doubt in Peter's mind, though, as to the reality of what he had seen and heard. He used this vision as grounds for his authority (2 Peter 1:18-21). Indeed, most if not all of the prophetic writings in the Bible derive from God's communicating with people in ways we would call extrasensory or supernatural.

Most of us humans, though, live in a state of limited reception, especially to the spiritual realm. So when someone claims to have a vision, even Christians, especially us 21st century ones, influenced by the prove-it-in-the-lab-or-I-won't-believe-it mentality of humanistic naturalism, are skeptical.

I know there is room for caution when we hear stories of people experiencing the supernatural. Still, I hope that I am not so cautious as to disqualify myself from hearing from God in any way He should want to speak to me.

In this regard, let me leave you with some quotes from a book by author Mike Mason. The e-book Adventures in Heaven is the story Mason tells of his friend who claimed to have many supernatural and heavenly experiences. Mike himself saw Jesus only once. Here is some of his account:

"No sooner had he said these words than I found myself looking at Jesus! He was right there in front of me, larger than life. … The first thing that struck me was His joy. He was positively beaming like ten thousand suns. … And that face—how full of character! … And what is revealed in the face of Jesus is all love, all beauty, all wisdom, all goodness…." Kindle Location 3399.

This is how that vision affected him:

"Seeing Jesus, it turned out, far from leaving me with my head stuck in the clouds, was absolutely the best thing that could have happened. I didn't tell anyone else my experience. I didn't have to. I'd been filled with the joy and the love of God, and so all my contacts with people over the next few days took on a wholly different quality" - Kindle Location 3433.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, I'm glad that You are not bound by the limitations I feel within my human tent. Help me to perceive You in whatever way You choose to reveal Yourself to me. Amen.
 
PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 35

The Bible Project VIDEO: 2 Peter (Read Scripture Series)




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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

God's view of TIME

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 2 Peter 3:1-18

TO CHEW ON: "But, beloved, do not forget this one thing that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." 2 Peter 3:8

The Advent season is one in which we are exquisitely aware of time. Our seasonal customs of gift-giving and celebrating with food and drink have us counting shopping days till Christmas. Advent calendars deliver anticipated treats to children every morning. Our agenda books are full of commitments to attend banquets, concerts, and gatherings.

Even when we slow down to ponder the meaning of the season, the issue of time is still there in the yearning voices of the prophets. They saw the coming of Messiah and salvation but from a distance. They didn't know when it would happen.

Our reading today reminds us about how our concept of time differs from God's. A thousand years is one day? One day is a thousand years? But it makes sense when you're the God of forever past and present, to express one day in such incomprehensible-to-us units. It brings to mind other mentions of time in the Bible and we ask, what aspects of time matter enough to God to include in His Word? Here are some:

Our time on earth is brief:

"Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths. And my age is as nothing before You. Certainly every man at his best state is but a vapour. Selah" - Psalm 39:5.

There is a fullness of time—God's appointed time when everything is ready. This was true about the coming of Messiah—Jesus:

"But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law" - Ephesians 1:10.

This is also true of the end-of-earth aspect of filled-up time that Peter talks about in our reading:

"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise etc.…" 2 Peter 3:10.

There is a right use of time.

"See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time…" - Ephesians 5:15,16 (emphasis added).

There is an acceptable time, favourable for seeking God.

"For He says: 'In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.' Behold, now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation" - 2 Corinthians 6:2 (emphasis added).

However, we readily presume that time and opportunity will continue.

" 'Come,' one says, 'I will bring wine, and we will fill ourselves with intoxicating drink. Tomorrow will be as today and much more abundant' " - Isaiah 56:12.

Procrastination is our temptation.

"Now as he (Paul) reasoned about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, 'Go away for now; when I have a convenient time, I will call for you.' " Acts 24:25.

But James warns us about how little time we have:

"…whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour that appears for a little time and then vanishes away." - James 4:14 (emphasis added).

What about us? Are we living on God's time wavelength? Are we conscious of life's brevity? Are we watching for signs of the fullness of time? Are we taking advantage of the acceptable time we're living in? Or do we put off for tomorrow those decisions and actions we know we should attend to today? Let's put ourselves into God's time-frame, adjusting our lives to His thoughts about time in whatever way they apply to us.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to view my time on earth realistically. Give me wisdom for how to use well the time I have today. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Live (and die) with abundance

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 2 Peter 1:1-21

TO CHEW ON: "… for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1:11

The Bible is full of promises of abundance:

[Abundance: 1) a plentiful or overflowing supply; great number or quantity. 2) Fullness. 3) Wealth, affluence - Funk & Wagnalls Standard College Dictionary.]

• Jesus came to give us abundant life - John 10:10.

• God gives us abundant grace - 2 Corinthians 9:8.

• God works in and through us with abundant power - Ephesians 3:20.

• He will supply our needs from His riches - Philippians 4:19.

• We have an abundant entrance into His kingdom - 2 Peter 1:11—our focus verse.

But notice, in our verse, the little hinge words "for so." They tell us that this abundant entrance has some conditions. This promise follows Peter's instructions to his readers of what they are to do—and do with some energy, "giving all diligence" - 2 Peter 1:5.

They are to add these qualities or attitudes to their lives:

faith
virtue (value, moral excellence and goodness)
knowledge
self-control
perseverance
godliness
brotherly kindness
love

"… if these things are yours and abound" (notice another relative of abundance here), Peter promises his readers will be fruitful, far-sighted (not "short-sighted"), "making their call and election sure" (we might say their lifestyle ties the bow on the fact that God has chosen / elected them for salvation), and walking sure-footed (they will "never stumble") into their eternal home ("the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.")

I love how Peter challenges his readers—of long ago and us today—to not just live as close to the line of the old life as possible, but to live for abundance, giving themselves with energy to pleasing God so they not only live well but also die well. Such teaching is never out of date.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for Your promise of abundance in many categories. Help me to diligently add faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love to my life so that I too will have an abundant entrance into my eternal home. Amen.

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The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. - Used with permission.

Your life house

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 2 Peter 1:1-21

TO CHEW ON: "...add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness love." 2 Peter 1:5-7

If we think of our life as a house, faith would be its foundation  and the things listed in 2 Peter 1:5-7 would be the building materials to make the upper structure. The studs and rafters; the roof, walls, windows and doors; the plumbing and wiring; the gyprock, flooring, paint and trim of my life house and yours should be constructed of:

Knowledge (gnosis): knowledge signifies in general intelligence, understanding, also:

1. the general knowledge of Christian religion
2. the deeper more perfect and enlarged knowledge of this religion.
3. the knowledge of things lawful and unlawful for Christians
4. moral wisdom, such as is seen in right living

Self-control (egkrateia): mastery; self-control (the virtue of one who masters his desires and passions, especially sensual appetites) 
 
Perseverance (hupomone) - remaining behind, a patient enduring also:

1. steadfastness, constancy, endurance
   
   1. in the NT this is the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings
   2. patientence, and steadfastness
2. a patient, steadfast waiting 
3. a patient enduring, sustaining, perseverance

Godliness (eusebeia) pious, devout

1. reverence, respect
2. piety towards God, godliness

Brotherly kindness (philadelphia): the love of brothers

1. love of brothers or sisters, brotherly love
2. in the NT the love which Christians cherish for each other as brethren

Love (agape)

1. brotherly love, affection, good will, love, benevolence
2. love feasts

Because of our various life situations, personalities, histories and circumstances, how we use these materials in our lives will differ. Only you know where you need to shore up your house with more perseverance, improve the wiring with self-control, soften the decor with brotherly kindness, or freshen the air with love.

To what purpose do we build our lives out of these things? Peter tells us in verse 8: To be fruitful: "For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:8).

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for the Bible which leaves no aspect of life untouched. Help me to translate this knowledge into action. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Dissolved

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 2 Peter 3:1-18

TO CHEW ON: "Therefore since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness." 2 Peter 3:11

To the nine people that boarded a charter flight from Vancouver to Kelowna, Thursday October 27th, 2011, started out as an ordinary day. But halfway through their trip captain Luc Fortin knew something was not ordinary about that flight.*

Passenger Carolyn Cross remembers his announcement. Though his words downplayed the gravity of their situation: ("...there is a small leak on the left side of the engine... he's sorry but it shouldn't take that long to get back,") the way his hands shook told her this was serious. "I knew we were going to die," she said. Her response was to take out her iPhone and write goodbye letters to her kids. She managed to hit "send" seconds before the plane crashed onto a highway 900 meters from the runway. Captain Fortin died that day. Others were badly injured.

This scenario is a dramatic illustration of how suddenly life can change. It is also a reminder that we will all someday come to our moment of "all these things" being "dissolved."

Peter talks about that time for planet earth as it melts under God's judgment. Such a scenario may seem far off  and vague incentive for us to change our ways. But when we translate it into a warning of how unexpected yet imminent is the dissolution of one's personal world, it feels like reason to pay attention.

Let's follow Peter's admonition to spend the time we have left getting ready for that inevitable dissolve: "And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight" - 2 Peter 3:14 NLT


PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to live with the reality of life's end in mind. Amen.

MORE: Only 22 more sleeps till Christmas! (if the Lord wills)

Advent Calendar - December 3

Christmas Fact: 

Advent wreaths are a church and family tradition. Made out of greenery these round wreaths sit flat or hang horizontally.

The wreath holds four candles and another sits in the center. Tomorrow in churches around the world, people will be lighting that first candle on the wreath (signifying Expectation or Hope) because tomorrow is the first Sunday of Advent.

Open December 3

Find out more about Advent wreaths, their beginnings, their significance and their uses, here.

* Read entire article: "Passenger on doomed flight sent goodbye message to her kids."

False!

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 2 Peter 2:1-22

TO CHEW ON: "For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption." 2 Peter 2:18-19

In this diatribe against destructive doctrines Peter gives his readers some ways to identify false teachers. As we face the array of teachers and teachings available through the radio, TV, books and the internet we do well to be alert to these things in what we see, hear, and read.


Characteristics of false teachers and teachings that Peter names:

1. They can be "among us" - 2 Peter 2:1.
2. They are secretive.
3. Their destructive heresies deny Jesus in some way.
4. They are covetous - 2 Peter 2:3,14.
5. They are presumptuous and self-willed - 2 Peter 2:9.
6. They are disrespectful.
7. They mock what they don't understand - 2 Peter 2:12.
8. They celebrate their new beliefs - 2 Peter 2:13.
9. They are adulterous - 2 Peter 2:14.
10. They seek to entice others.
11. Their teachings promise a lot but deliver little - 2 Peter 2:17.
12. Their teachings and lifestyles are sensual - 2 Peter 2:18.
13. They promise liberty but are themselves slaves of sin - 2 Peter 2:19.

A sidebar article in my Bible poses six questions we can ask when we encounter spiritual teachings:

"Here is a test to determine if any revelation is true or false. Does it reinforce God's word and: 1] lead me to Christ and fill me with love for His church; 2] align itself with the clear and complete teachings of the Bible; 3] strengthen my faith and give me an honorable purpose in life; 4] turn me from wrongdoing, promoting righteousness and purity in my life; 5] find wide acceptance and affirmation by notable men and women of God; and 6] build up the body of Christ equipping believers for the work of ministry?" James W. Ryle - "False Prophets," New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1776,7.

Faithfulness to God's word is the gold standard of teaching. Let's get to know it so we will not be deceived.


PRAYER: Dear God, help me to have a mind and heart that absorb and retain the truths of the Bible. Amen

MORE: Only 23 more sleeps till Christmas

Advent Calendar - December 2

Christmas Fact:
Advent calendars are thought to have been invented in Germany around the turn of the twentieth century. Many are double layers of cardboard with perforated windows which open onto the day’s surprise, perhaps a picture, trinket or piece of candy. In Germany, homemade Advent calendars were sometimes made in the shape of cardboard houses.

Writer Ann Voskamp's son Caleb and his siblings make a beautiful Advent wreath out of wood which also functions as a calender. The Cradle to Cross wreath can be used at Easter time too. Check out the Cradle to Cross Wreath here.

Whatever form they take, Advent calendars are a playful way to count the days between December 1st and 25th.


Open December 2

Your life house

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 2 Peter 1:1-21

TO CHEW ON: "...add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness love." 2 Peter 1:5-7

If we think of our life as a house, faith would be its foundation (yesterday's devo) and the things listed in 1 Peter 5-7 would be the building materials to make the upper structure. The studs and rafters; the roof, walls, windows and doors; the plumbing and wiring; the gyprock, flooring, paint and trim of my life house and yours should be constructed of:

Knowledge (gnosis): knowledge signifies in general intelligence, understanding, also:

1. the general knowledge of Christian religion
2. the deeper more perfect and enlarged knowledge of this religion, such as belongs to the more advanced
3. esp. of things lawful and unlawful for Christians
4. moral wisdom, such as is seen in right living

Self-control (egkrateia): mastery; self-control (the virtue of one who masters his desires and passions, esp. his sensual appetites) 
 
Perseverance (hupomone) - remaining behind, a patient enduring also:

1. steadfastness, constancy, endurance
   
   1. in the NT the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings
   2. patiently, and steadfastly
2. a patient, steadfast waiting for
3. a patient enduring, sustaining, perseverance

Godliness (eusebeia) pious, devout

1. reverence, respect
2. piety towards God, godliness

Brotherly kindness (philadelphia): the love of brothers

1. love of brothers or sisters, brotherly love
2. in the NT the love which Christians cherish for each other as brethren

Love (agape)

1. brotherly love, affection, good will, love, benevolence
2. love feasts

Because of our various life situations, personalities, histories and circumstances, how we use these materials in our lives will differ. Only you know where you need to shore up your house with more perseverance, improve the wiring with self-control, soften the decor with brotherly kindness, or freshen the air with love.

To what purpose do we build our lives out of these things? Peter tells us in verse 8: To be fruitful: "For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:8).

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for the Bible which leaves no aspect of life untouched. Help me to translate this knowledge into action. Amen.

MORE: "The Builder" by Michael Omartian

Michael and Stormie Omartian put out a great record in 1980 called "The Builder." I couldn't find the title song in audio, but here are the lyrics of this song that talks about God being the builder of our lives. "The Builder"

In another song from that album they carry on the building theme. It's an appeal to an unsaved friend to join them in their newly constructed "home."

"The Only Thing Missing Is You"




(I wore out that album, by the way. I still play it sometimes — even though it's in that retro form known as a record. Michael O is so musically interesting!)

Do your 8-12-year-olds have daily devotions? Point them to Bible Drive-Thru.