What about false prophets.....

 2 Peter 2:1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.

 2 Peter 2:2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.

2 Peter 2:3 By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.

There were false prophets in the OT. They were prophets who told falsehoods in the name of the Lord. They were not sent by God, nor did He commanded them to speak, nor did God speak to them. They prophesied falsehoods, false visions, and the deceptive things that came out of their own mind. ( See Jeremiah 14:4 ) 

And, there will be false prophets in the NT days, in Peter's day, and in our day as well. Peter calls them "false teachers" Here's what they do, and here's what happens to them, and what will happen to them. Here are 7 things said about them, just from the first 3 verses of Chapter two. 

They secretly bring in destructive heresies.

They even deny the Lord who bought them.

They bring upon themselves swift destruction.

They have many followers. 

They cause the truth to be blasphemed

They by covetousness exploit with deceptive words.

They have judgement and destruction coming upon them. 

What is a destructive heresy? They are Teachings held by a factional religious party which deny some aspect of established doctrine. NT writers give no toleration to heresies in the church.

And, in the case of 2nd Peter, they were denying the fact of the coming again of Jesus Christ, and the judgement of God that was also coming upon the world one day. 

Thus, this 2nd letter by Peter deals with explaining many things about the 2nd coming of Christ, and exposes in great detail, many other truths and characteristics of these false prophets and false teachers. 

Peter and two of the other apostles had been eyewitnesse's of the power and coming of Jesus Christ, when they were on the Mountain, known as the Mt of Transfiguration. They also heard God the Father's voice from the excellent glory, when He spoke of His Majesty. See 2nd Peter 1:17

And, we were also told by Peter, that "You do well to take heed as a light that shines in a dark place" In other words, it's to our benefit to pay attention to the Word of God, and those things that have to do with prophecy, that is the Bible's teaching about future things.

So, in simple application, rather then rejecting the teaching of future events as taught in the Bible, we ought to pay attention to them. Because, they are from God, and not from men. They have their origin in God, through men. Not from men, purporting to talk for God as the false prophets actually did, but from God as He guided and guarded these Old and New Testament writers, bearing them along, ensuring that they said, was indeed the very Word of God. 

More will be said about all this in the remaining chapters of this short three chapter letter, or epistle as it's called. 

But, for now, just to know that false teachers exist, and that they are destructive, and to understand some of the ways in which you can identify them, is good and helpful for any christian 

May the Lord keep you and protect You. May He build You up in Christ, and may He make you to abound in the knowledge of God, multiplying His grace and His peace in your life. 

May the Lord remind you of the things you know, and may even be established in, and in that reminding, may you be stirred up in your walk with Jesus Christ. 

And, may You look forward to the coming of the Lord, and live your life in the meantime being set apart to God, and walking in the fear of the Lord. 

Gleanings from 2nd Peter 1.......a simple recap.

Name change, and new purpose in life, with specific calling of the Lord.

God gives faith to apostles and to people, it's the same faith.

More grace and peace is found in knowing the Lord.

All that is needed for life and Godliness has been given to us.

We have escaped the corruption in the world through lust.

Saved, then adding to our faith.

Growth brings usefulness, and fruitfulness

Lack of growth brings shortsightedness, and forgetfulness of God's forgiveness.

Diligence to make calling and election sure, means something in the future also.

Peter used his time left, to care for others through the Word.

Peter understood the value or reminding christians of the truth.

The truth brought to memory can stir up the believer.

Peter and the others made known the power and the coming of Jesus.

They told about seeing Him on the Mt of transfiguration.

Peter called him, "His Majesty"

They heard the voice of God, affirming the Lord Jesus Christ.

They had the prophetic word confirmed. ( that is, they saw what the OT said would happen
regarding Christ, and His glory, His second coming. They saw Him as He will be in the future..

We do well to take heed to the Word of God....to the prophetic word, and to the word itself

The Word is "a light that shines in a dark place"

We do well to take heed until, ( Jesus comes again ) i.e the day dawns, morning star rises.

In your hearts, i.e in your life, when you see Jesus.

And, also, in your own hearts and lives, take heed to the Word of God, until God brings light as it were into your own lives, and Jesus is revealed to you in your heart etc, etc.

Know that prophecy did not come from man's will, but, holy men of God were moved by the Holy Spirit. ( Still that way today. God's Holy Spirit moves upon peoples hearts and lives to bring about His will for their lives, and through their lives )

Pastor Bob Grenier

Taking Heed to the prophetic Word of God

About Bible Prophecy......

 2 Peter 1:16 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.

 2 Peter 1:17 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 1:18 And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

2 Peter 1:19 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;

 2 Peter 1:20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,

2 Peter 1:21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

Just a few comments.........

Peter was explaining the fact that what they preached concerning the coming of the Lord. This truth is not a cunningly devised fable, but, Peter and the others had been eyewitnesses His majesty. By the way, what a wonderful name of Jesus. "His Majesty". 

So, what you have here from Peter, is what we call today, "An eyewitness account" of these events. They saw Jesus personally.

Also, God the Father gave Jesus glory and honor, and spoke to Peter and 2 other apostles on the Mt of Transfiguration, and spoke of His being pleased with Jesus Christ. Peter heard this voice. Not only seeing Jesus in His glorified state, but hearing the voice of God. They saw and they heard. 

Some possible meanings the prophetic word confirmed"  #1 the things that had been prophesied in the Old Testament, were now confirmed in Peter's hearing, and seeing. Or, #2 he could mean, the "prophetic word confirmed" is greater then even what we heard and saw, it's a surer foundation, ( then even our eyewitness, and hearing account ) I think it's #2 

And, Peter goes on to say about the Word of God......You are doing well, if you pay attention to it. The Word of God is likened unto a light, or a lamp that would be shining in dark or squalid place. Keep letting it shine, until the day dawns, and the morning star arises in your heart. Be patient, let the Word of God into your life, and let it do in your life what God intends it to do. It will happen. The Lord will give you understanding in and about Himself, and Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit of God. He will reveal Himself to you through His Word. 

Finally, he explains about the Word of God, that it did not come from men, in the sense that it found it's origins in man, or from their own personal explanations about it, but rather these men, ( Biblical Writers ) were born along, or carried along by the Holy Spirit of God .....They then spoke and or wrote down what the Holy Spirit had given to them. Thus these men gave us the Word of God. 

We must remember, to appreciate what was just said, that Peters comments just prior were about the importance of the Word of God in the lives of his readers. And, that he was going to do everything he could to ensure that they would have the Word of God to nourish their lives with. 

In all of the above verses, here's a final closing thought. I thank God for His Word, and it's ability to bring light and life to darkness and death. And, I thank God that I, we, can pay attention to what He is saying. It's a good thing for us to be paying attention to God of course. And the blessing is, that God can speak into our lives, into our hearts, and guide us when we are in darkness. 

Pastor Bob Grenier

Stirred up by being reminded of the truth ....

Reminding and being awake......

2 Pet 1:12 For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth.

2 Pet 1:13 Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you,

2 Pet 1:14knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me.

2 Pet 1:15 Moreover I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease.

In the above verses, Peter explains his intention to remind the readers of what they already knew, and were actually established in. 

He also believed it was the right thing for him to continue to stir them up by way of reminding them. He went on to talk about his own coming death, and his determination to make sure they would always have a reminder of the truth. 

The fact is, as stated here, is that there is tremendous value in simply being reminded of what we already know. And, as a faithful Pastor, Peter was going to remind his readers, and continue to remind them. 

Peter had also been told by the Lord that he was going to die soon. He called it shortly, and used the metaphor of a tent for his body. The Bible does speak of our physical bodies as being temporary, like a tent would be to someone, you don't normally live in a tent, but rather in a permanent home. These bodies are like tents for our souls, and we have an eternal body waiting for us in heaven. 

Peter was also going to be faithful in his ministry right to the end. He says 2 Pet 1:15 Moreover I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease.

This means, that he was dedicating himself to making sure that the flock of God would always have a reminder of the truth of Jesus Christ, even after his death. 

After being saved, Peter entered the ministry of Jesus Christ, and taught and preached the Word of God. That is what he gave himself to. And, even while alive, he was thinking of the future, and of the importance of the Word of God for those who would be living after his death. 

All of that makes a real statement about the importance of the Word of God. But, the thing that is mentioned a couple of times, is this issue of being reminded and then being stirred up through that reminder. 

What happens to us, is that we can grow settled if you will, and need to be stirred up, or awakened to the truth. So, hearing the Word of God can have that effect upon our lives, of waking us up from from sleep. The word stir was also used to speak of arousing the mind, and rendering service to Jesus Christ. 

May we have the same mind as Peter did regarding the Word of God, and not grow weary of it, but benefit from giving ourselves to it, and receiving it with an open and humble heart. 

In Jesus name, amen...

Pastor Bob Grenier. 

The call to Christian Growth, and it's benefits

The call to Christian Growth, and it's benefits

The call to, and benefits of growing in Christ.

 2 Peter 1:5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,

 2 Peter 1:5to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness,

 2 Peter 1:5to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.

 2 Peter 1:5For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 2 Peter 1:5For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

Because we are saved, Peter encourages his readers to give all diligence in adding their faith. And then Peter lists, seven things to be added to our faith. Or, seven fruits of Godly character. 

The phrase giving all diligence, means, "to supply generously" The idea here is, that as we develop one quality, we will naturally exercise another quality. 

Virtue means moral excellence. And, the idea here, is that this is what we ought to be like, this is what we should be doing in our lives. 

Knowledge, means knowledge that is growing, and a practical knowledge or discernment. It refers to the ability within life to handle life in a successful manner. 

Temperance or self-control. Being a person in control of themselves. This is a very needed quality in our lives. 

Patience is having that ability to handle the hard and difficult circumstances of life patiently.  It's being able to handle the pressures and problems of life, and not give up. 

Godliness is a big word with a simple meaning. It means, god-likeness. It's when we do the things that are right and we make the right decisions according to the will and Word of God. 

Brotherly kindness, or loving one another. A genuine, and sincere love for one another. 

Love, is the kind of love that is willing to, and does sacrifice for others. 

So, that's what we are called to, and the benefits of adding to our faith are listed, as well as the consequences of not having these things added to our faith. 

Benefits......2 Peter 1:5For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Consequences......2 Peter 1:5For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

If we are growing, we will be fruitful and knowledgeable about the Lord. If we are not adding these things to our faith, we will not have hope as to where we are going, and we will forget where we have come from, and what God has done in forgiving our sins. 

In other words the growing christian can see heaven if you will, they know where they are going and are mindful of it, and it's never far from their minds that they are new creatures who have been forgiven by God. 

Thank You Father for Your grace, mercy and peace. 

Pastor Bob Grenier. 

What is the christian life. 3 examples are given to us here.

An example of the christian life.....

2nd Peter 1:1 Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ.

In this verse, we see what the Christian life looks like, when it's as it ought to be. In other words, what you see in Peter, is what God would have in our lives as well. So, here are 3 things to consider. 

First of all, a change has taken place. You have been born again. Peter, used both his old name and his new name in introducing himself in this letter. 

He had been called Simon, but, Jesus changed his name to Peter. That change of names, brings to my mind the truth of being born again. It certainly happened to Peter. And, it's happened to you if you have been saved, you have also been born again. You are a new creature in Jesus Christ.  See John 3:3, and  2nd Cor 5:17, and Titus 3:5

Secondly, you have been called to servanthood. Notice how Peter identifies himself. "A bondservant" Or more literally, a slave. It's when a person gives himself up to another's will, and becomes a servant of Christ, used by Christ in extending and advancing His cause among men. 

It's when a Christian is devoted to Christ, to the disregard of his or her own interests. It's to be an attendant to Jesus Christ. Waiting on Him, and serving Him. This is our reasonable and logical worship, to serve the Lord. 

See Rom 12:1-2

Finally, each Christian has a specific role to play in that service of Jesus Christ. In Peter's case, he had been called to be an apostle. Or a messenger of Jesus Christ, and was used to help lay the foundation of the church. 

He also was a pastor teacher, and an evangelist. 

Each Christian has at least one gift from God, to be used in service for Him.

And, it's through the use of that gift, or gifts, that we accomplish the will of God for our lives in serving Jesus Christ.  See Rom 12:3-8, 1st Cor 12, and Eph 4:1-16

The joy of new life, and of service for Christ. What could a man give in exchange for his soul. Thus, to be saved, is not only a work of God, and a gift from God, but, it's the greatest blessing a person can have in their life. 

And, it's truly more blessed to give then it is to receive. That's what Jesus said. See Acts 20:35. May God bless you in your new life, and in your service to Christ. And if by some chance you have become dormant in serving Him, then may I encourage you to stir up the gift of God in you, and let God get you back into service. 

Thank You Father, for Your grace, mercy and peace. May they all increase in our lives, through knowing You. 

Pastor Bob Grenier. 

What God has given you, and what God wants to give to you.

2Pet 1:1 Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:

2Pet 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,

2Pet 1:3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 

2Pet 1:4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

There are at least four things mentioned here. 

The first thing God has given us, ( and this is true for every person who has put their faith in Jesus Christ ) is, "to those who have obtained like precious faith"

We are told in the Bible that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. ( Rom 10:17 ) And, we are told that the faith we have "is not of ourselves, it is the gift of God" Eph 2:9 And, ( as God had dealt to each one a measure of faith ) Rom 12:2

The point is this. You do have faith, and it has come from God. It's called "like precious faith" just like the apostle Peter had, and as does every other christian believer. 

Faith is assurance, it is belief, it is the conviction of the truth. Specifically, it's the conviction that Jesus Christ is the savior, and that it's through our trust in Him that we obtain eternal salvation. 

Secondly, and this has to do with what God will give you and wants to give you. He wants grace and peace to be multiplied in your life of faith in Jesus Christ. That is, God wants grace and peace to increase in your life. And the way they are increased is through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. These blessings come from the Father and from Jesus, and the grow as we know the Father and Jesus more, and more. ( These blessings are a by-product if you will of growing in our relationship with God ) 

Thirdly, we have been given all things that pertain unto life and godliness, and again ( it's through the knowledge of Him )

Fourthly, we have been given exceedingly great and precious promises that have made us partakers of the divine nature, and have caused us to escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. New birth and new life, a life of freedom from the old life. 

There is so much to say as we get going through and into this 2nd letter by Peter. But these four things listed above are alot to think about, and to digest, and to meditate on this day. I pray that you might be blessed as you consider what Your God has given you, and what Your God wants to give you. Some things are our's now, but by knowing Him, we find ourselves receiving more of His grace and peace into our lives. 

May God bless you and cause His face to shine upon you and give you peace. 

Pastor Bob Grenier.

Hope is such a blessing.

Hope is such a blessing.

Hope is a real blessing.

1st Peter 5:1The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed:

Hope is an eternal reality for those in Christ. Peter mentions it over, and over again. 

Here's a quick list of the times in this letter, where Peter speaks 16 different times of the hope we have in Christ. ( and I think I may have missed a few other times he speaks of hope ) 

Chapter 1:4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 17, 20, 21, 

Chapter 3:15

Chapter 4:5, 7, 13

Chapter 5:1, 4 and 11. 

But, back to 1st Peter 5:1 The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed:

You notice in this verse, that he mentions he is a partaker of the glory that will be revealed.

What does this mean? It means that Peter and all others in Christ will share in the glory of Jesus Christ when He is revealed to us personally, that is, visibly. When Jesus returns for His church, we will meet Him in the air, we will behold His face, we will see Him face to face, we will know Him as we are known, and we will be given new and glorified bodies. 

And, we will be presented to the Father as the bride of Jesus. We will see the Father, the Holy Spirit, and of course Jesus as mentioned, and we will see all the saints who have ever lived, we will behold the angels in heaven, and the glorious throne of God, etc, etc. 

Revelation tells us that there will be no more sin, sorrow, tears, death, devil and evil in heaven. Only the glory of God. 

The glory of God is the visible manifestation of all that God is within Himself. That is, all that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are, in terms of their nature and so on, are the glory of God. 

All the holiness, purity, truth, light, salvation, mercy, grace, peace, etc, etc, all of those things make up the glory of God. 

And, we will share in them forever, and forever. This is our hope. It's a living hope, and it's the helmet of our salvation. It is by the way what we put on during battle, that hope is part of our spiritual armor against the enemy. 

One last thing about hope. Here's what Paul said in Rom 8.18

Ro 8:18* For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Paul is saying that while we do suffer down here in this life, in this present time, when we get to heaven, the current sufferings will not  be worthy to compare with the glory that will be revealed in us. 

In other words, if you were to put suffering and glory on one of those old fashioned scales......the glory side of the scale would sink to the bottom, because it's so much more then the suffering part. 

Thank You Father for the hope we have in Christ. 

Next Week, we break into 2nd Peter .....

Pastor Bob Grenier

Faithful people, exhortation, and the true grace of God.

1st Peter 5:12 By Silvanus, our faithful brother as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand.

1st Peter 5:13 She who is in Babylon, elect together with you, greets you; and so does Mark my son.

1st Peter 5:14 Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to you all who are in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Silvanus, or Silas, helped Peter to write his letter. Peter dictated the letter, and Silvanus wrote it down for him, and also apparently delivered the letter to the readers. 

Peter says that Silvanus was "our faithful brother" He belonged to the entire body of Christ, and was known by others as a dependable, trustworthy, reliable, the kind of person you could trust. What a blessing he was to Peter, and to others. You could trust him, he would do what he said he would do. 

This letter was an exhortation, or an encouragement. An exhortation, is a call or a request, an expression of desire, a beseeching of another person. 

So, when you read the letter, the things in it, are the things that God is calling you to believe, and to do. 

It is also a letter that explains the true grace of God. God's grace is true, and there are often attempts to distort it, and twist it around. But, this letter says it the way the Lord intended it to be said. Grace is never an excuse for sin, but rather an answer to sin, and a loving and powerful way for lives to change and bring glory to God, and to show and share His love. 

A final thought here about Mark. He is an example of someone who had at one time failed in his duty, but, was now being used by God. So, his life says to anyone who has also failed, that it's entirely possible to be placed back into useful and effective service for Christ. 

Love and peace are mentioned here at the end. Only God's love can truly bring peace. Man can try all he wants to to make peace and find it etc, etc. but, only the Lord can make peace for man, and then make peace between men. 

Amen........

Pastor Bob Grenier. 

What happens after you suffer a while?

Peter answers that question in the verse below. 

1Pet 5:10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

Peter is actually praying in this verse, but, tells us a little about God, and what God has called us to, and what God will do in our lives.

First of all, God is the God of all grace. He is not just the God of grace, but the God of all grace. All grace is from God, and all grace would also include all the grace that God could give, and all the grace that one could need. 

Secondly, God has called us in Christ to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus This speaks to the fact that our salvation, includes not just the forgiveness of sins, and the giving of a new life, but of the giving to us eternal glory. We will share forever in the glory of God. 

After we have suffered awhile, which speaks to the fact that there is at some point an end to suffering, and the context deals with this life. But, the point that Peter is making has to do with the work that God does in our hearts during the time of suffering. A number of specifics are mentioned. 

Perfect, establish, strengthen and settle you. 

Perfect is translated to mean, to complete, or mend, equip, arrange and adjust, to fit, to frame, and to prepare. 

Establish, to make stable, place firmly, set fast, make firm, to render constant, confirm, one's mind. 

Strengthen, is to make strong, and is used of one's soul. 

Settle, meaning to found, ground, lay the foundation, make stable, and to establish. 

So, these are the blessings that come into our lives through the times of suffering as we walk with the Lord, and allow Him to work in us, that which is well pleasing in His sight. 

I pray that this devotional today, is of help and comfort to you, in that it gives you some ability to see down the road abit, and realize that God is at work, and will work to bring these blessings into your life. 

Pastor Bob Grenier

What to do with the devil, and how to do it.

1st Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

1st Peter 5:9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

Peter moves from the call to humility and the reception of grace from God, to how we posture our lives in light of the devil who is seeking whom he may devour. 

First of all, he says to be sober, be vigilant. Or be self controlled and alert. When we are out of control, it's easy to get tripped up, and do things that one later regrets, and or at the same time becomes less strong against spiritual darkness, and is an easy target for the devil's attacks and temptations. Being alert is a companion strength to self control. Paying attention is needful. Both of these are the basis of how we are to deal with the devil. 

Peter then explains that we have an adversary, the devil, who is our enemy, also called the slanderer, is always actively seeking an opportunity for a vicious attack against us. And, this is why we need to be sober and alert. In other words we need to be on our guard as it were. 

What satan wants to do is to devour the Christian, that is to destroy the work of God in his or her life. He wants to stop any progress towards spiritual growth and maturity. He is a fruit devourer. 

Here's what else to do....it's a short sentence concept and action to take. "Resist him, steadfast in the faith"

 We are to stand immovable against him, by being rock solid in our faith. In other words the best defense against satan, is a consistent walk with the Lord. Be steadfast in the faith, in your faith. Be firm, solid, hard, rigid. Walk with the Lord, that's how you stand against the enemy. 

Finally, Peter brings in what his readers knew, or were coming to know, and that is, the same kinds of sufferings were going on in the lives of other christians in other parts of the world. 

In life, it often helps to know that other people go through the same things. And, so often when we are suffering, we forget that others are also. We tend to think that no one knows the kind of trouble I'm going through. But, when you do meet someone who has a similar trial and challenge, or is also suffering in some painful way much as you are, there is a comfort and encouragement found there. Thus, Peter says, "your not the only one" etc.

So, while it's true the devil and his angels are tricky and deceitful, it's no secret as to how we are to deal with him. To sum it up then........

1. Be sober, or self controlled.

2. Be alert, and aware.

3. Resist the devil by being stedfast in your faith. 

4. Remember, other christians are also going through it. 

Well Lord, once again, Your Word is so simple and yet true. Thank You for it. In Jesus name Amen...

Grace, and exaltation in God's timing.......

1Peter 5:5b “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”

1Peter 5:6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,

God is who He is, and can do what He does, and does do what He wants to do. He is holy, loving, gracious, just, right in all His ways, full of mercy, and His compassions do not fail. 

God also resists the proud...But as we see above, He gives grace to the humble. So, He does the one and the other also. 

In light of the resistance and giving of God, Peter calls us to "humble ourselves under His mighty hand, that He may exalt us in due time"

Our call and blessing is to humble ourselves under His mighty hand. His promise is also connected with His timing. He will exalt you, and He will do it in His own timing, or in due time. ( If not in this life, certainly in the hereafter )

Jesus said the same things.......

Mt 23:12* “And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. 

Humble, or humility, means to abase, bring low. to level, reduce to a plain, to assign to a lower rank or place. To be ranked below others who are honoured or rewarded. And, of course our call to humble ourselves, is to humble ourselves under His "mighty" hand. Or His strong and powerful hand. ( by the way, it's the same hand that hold us. We are in His hands, 

Due time, means, always,, a fixed or definite period of time. The time when things are brought to crisis, and the right time. So, if you are humbling yourself under His mighty hand, rest your hope fully on His promise to you. He will exalt you, in the right time. Exalt by the way, means, to lift up on high, to raise to the very summit of something. To raise to dignity, honor and happiness. That's what the Lord will do for the humble person. 

Thank You Father. In Jesus name, amen....