In the New Testament letters, Peter, one of "The Originals", writes 2 letters. He wrote these in the "koine" Greek language, the common language of the day. This came about when Alexander the Great had conquered "the world" and wanted one common language for everyone......
Saint Peter at the time of writing these 2 letters was in Rome. In fact, he was expecting to die soon. Nero, the Roman Emperor of the period, was having Christians killed off...anyone who gave their hearts and lives to Christ Jesus.
And Peter did die...on a cross...approximately 35 years after the evening he had watched Jesus Himself was taken away to be executed on a cross.
Like many of the Pauline letters, Peter is writing and warning the Believers of the numerous false teachers that were trying to infiltrate the Early Church.
Peter also writes in his letters the foundation of our Christian beliefs.
Peter was wanting to encourage and strengthen those who had given their hearts to the faith...and this particular period of history wasn't easy. If you made the decision to give your heart and life to Christ Jesus at this time....you pretty much signed your "Death Sentence".
Nero, the Roman Emperor, was evil and "nuts", and found enjoyment making a "spectacle" of Christians...by having them slaughtered...some in very gorish fashion.
Never forget, the ease of receiving the Gospel today...came at a great price. History bears this out, and thousands of lives were lost...to bring us the Message: "He is Alive!"
{Note: Remembering our fallen brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus is kind of like to me remembering those who gave their lives defending The Alamo in Texas in 1836. From that heroic stand came the battle cry:"Remember the Alamo".
Perhaps we as Christians should have a battle cry: "Remember the Early Church".}
The central theme in Peter's letters is to erase any doubt: "Jesus is coming back...for us!" Peter should know...he heard it from the very lips of Christ Jesus when He was here among us.
The letters written by Peter doesn't really indicate who exactly he was writing to...yet one thing Peter wants to make clear: When we make that decision to yield our lives over to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ....we now have...everything we will ever need.
Because of the work of Christ, we now have the God of all the universe...living in our hearts. We are now able to operate in gifts and talents that come directly from....God Himself...made specifically and individually...for each one of us.
Oh yea, and those who think "Jesus is a joke"...their day is coming as well...we call it "Judgment Day".
A Gleaning from 2 Peter 1:3-4
"Everything we have...is already inside of us...we now have all the "right tools" to please our very God! We no longer have to wish we had other talents...we no longer have to wish we were someone else....and we don't need to be comparing ourselves with others as we might have in the past.
Rather, look at life in a new way: God Himself has been given...to us!...made possible by the power of our Lord and King, Christ Jesus. He actually lives...inside of us...and when we nurture this friendship with God...taking the time to get to know Him in a personal and unique way, then He will supply us with the gifts and talents we need...specifically designed for each one of us. This is a key to our ability to "rest", not getting all wrapped in fear, anger, or torment...like we did in our old lifestyle. This thought alone can bring great security to our very souls...and the ability to have joy in our daily lives...regardless of the circumstances that are presented before us.
Along with all of this, God brings with Him when He enters our very hearts...some very powerful and precious Promises. All these powerful and precious Promises...is His idea...and He has creatively designed these promises...to fit perfectly into our individual lives.
So I would encourage each of you to accept these gifts He has brought with Him, and begin to apply them to your daily lives. They will make you proud!...proud of knowing Him! He has good plans for you...embrace them!
As far as all the corruption and moral decay you see all around you....don't let all this stuff influence you in any way. Those who choose to refuse the gifts God has for them...trust me...their day is coming.
As for you...you have a new nature...a new way of looking at life...and it has "Divine Inspiration"...it doesn't get...any better than this!"
Saint Peter at the time of writing these 2 letters was in Rome. In fact, he was expecting to die soon. Nero, the Roman Emperor of the period, was having Christians killed off...anyone who gave their hearts and lives to Christ Jesus.
And Peter did die...on a cross...approximately 35 years after the evening he had watched Jesus Himself was taken away to be executed on a cross.
Like many of the Pauline letters, Peter is writing and warning the Believers of the numerous false teachers that were trying to infiltrate the Early Church.
Peter also writes in his letters the foundation of our Christian beliefs.
Peter was wanting to encourage and strengthen those who had given their hearts to the faith...and this particular period of history wasn't easy. If you made the decision to give your heart and life to Christ Jesus at this time....you pretty much signed your "Death Sentence".
Nero, the Roman Emperor, was evil and "nuts", and found enjoyment making a "spectacle" of Christians...by having them slaughtered...some in very gorish fashion.
{Note: Remembering our fallen brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus is kind of like to me remembering those who gave their lives defending The Alamo in Texas in 1836. From that heroic stand came the battle cry:"Remember the Alamo".
Perhaps we as Christians should have a battle cry: "Remember the Early Church".}
The central theme in Peter's letters is to erase any doubt: "Jesus is coming back...for us!" Peter should know...he heard it from the very lips of Christ Jesus when He was here among us.
The letters written by Peter doesn't really indicate who exactly he was writing to...yet one thing Peter wants to make clear: When we make that decision to yield our lives over to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ....we now have...everything we will ever need.
Because of the work of Christ, we now have the God of all the universe...living in our hearts. We are now able to operate in gifts and talents that come directly from....God Himself...made specifically and individually...for each one of us.
Oh yea, and those who think "Jesus is a joke"...their day is coming as well...we call it "Judgment Day".
A Gleaning from 2 Peter 1:3-4
"Everything we have...is already inside of us...we now have all the "right tools" to please our very God! We no longer have to wish we had other talents...we no longer have to wish we were someone else....and we don't need to be comparing ourselves with others as we might have in the past.
Along with all of this, God brings with Him when He enters our very hearts...some very powerful and precious Promises. All these powerful and precious Promises...is His idea...and He has creatively designed these promises...to fit perfectly into our individual lives.
As far as all the corruption and moral decay you see all around you....don't let all this stuff influence you in any way. Those who choose to refuse the gifts God has for them...trust me...their day is coming.
As for you...you have a new nature...a new way of looking at life...and it has "Divine Inspiration"...it doesn't get...any better than this!"
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