Post by Cindy on May 23, 2018 10:22:30 GMT -5
According to Peter, we can actually cause the day of the Lord to happen sooner rather then later! “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.” (2 Peter 3:12) Reading this, I wanted to know two things: could I find this backed up by other scriptures, and exactly how can we cause it to happen sooner? As I studied, I realized that it was backed up by other scriptures, and I found that very encouraging. What I looked at were some stories from the Old Testament.
First, there was the time that God led the Jew's out of Egypt. His plan was to give them the promised land and see them settled in it. However, out of fear and mistrust, they rebelled against Him and refused to take it away from the inhabitants as He commanded them to do. Their reaction didn't cause God to change His plan about giving them the promised land, but it did change when they got it. Instead of getting it right away, because of their reaction, they didn't receive it for another 40 years. Not until that rebellious generation died and then their children obeyed Him and received the land.
Another one is the story of Jonah. God's plan was to destroy the wicked city, and He graciously sent Jonah to warn them. However, because the King and all the people truly repented, God spared the city at that time. The city wasn't destroyed until several generations later when it became thoroughly wicked again.
In both of these stories and many others, we see the same principal at work. God has made us His partners in accomplishing His Will. That's why we pray and our prayers are answered. Another obvious story we clearly see this in is Daniel when he discovered in God's Word, that God had planned to end their captivity in Babylon after 70 years. (Daniel 9:2) Instead of packing his bags and waiting for those last few years to be over, Daniel prayed they'd end and the people could return to their beloved Jerusalem. He looked forward to that day and urged God to make it happen as He had said He would. Daniel let others know what he'd discovered, and spoke of it frequently. He urged others to get ready mentally, and spiritually, so that it would happen as planned. He urged them to live righteously, to obey the Lord and to pray that the end would come soon. Because of that, their captivity did end just as the Lord had said it would.
This is exactly what we are called to do concerning the Day of God. We are to buckle down, spend time in His Word with Him daily so we are aware of His Will for us and can obey Him. We're to work hard at applying His Word to our lives so we'll be ready when He comes for us and so we won't be ashamed. (1 John 2:28) Besides getting ourselves ready, we're also to be doing two other things which will cause it to happen sooner: We're to pray for it to happen, just like Daniel did, like the Lord tells us to do. Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come” in Matt. 6:10, and in Rev 22:20 Jesus says, “Surely I come quickly. Amen.” Our part is to speed this forward by praying, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” We're all familiar with Paul's prayer of “Maranatha” or "O Lord, Come!" in 1 Cor 16:22. Finally we're told again to pray this in Rev 22:17 when it says, “The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!”” The Spirit is the Holy Spirit, and He dwells within all of us who are truly saved. The bride is all who are truly saved. Therefore we're being told to pray in agreement with God's Spirit that His Kingdom would come soon, that His Will would be done on earth as it is in Heaven, and that Jesus would come soon to put this all in motion and take us to be with Him.
The rest of Revelation 22:17 tells us the other thing we're to be doing as we pray: “The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.” (Revelation 22:17) This is a call to salvation, which we've been told over and over to extend to all we know, to tell them the gospel and to disciple those who are saved. Romans 11:25 tells us that Jesus won't come for us until the last Gentile has been saved. When that happens, Jesus will come to take us to be with Him, and God will once more turn His attention to the Jew's. Therefore we are to pray for all who have been chosen and called to be saved now. We're to pray that the last ones to be saved will be saved now, and we're to work sharing the gospel with those we know because for all we know, that last person could be our neighbor or the mailman!
Lastly, we are to look forward to the day of God, think about it, make it part of us. “But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.” (2 Peter 3:13) We're to be encouraged by knowing that this will happen. While the destruction of the heavens and earth are cause for fear to unbelievers, for us it will be an awesome experience to watch while the Lord makes us a brand new heaven and Earth which will be our final Home for all eternity. We're to reflect on what our life's will be like when we're living there with Jesus, in the Homes He has built for us. We're to study His Word to see what His Word (not near death experiences!) says about it, and make it part of us, something we long for and wait for expectantly for, knowing it will happen. God wants us to do this because He wants it to encourage us as well as prod us onward toward holiness in our lives and toward telling others how they can have a wonderful future like ours to look forward to. “So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.” (2 Peter 3:14)
Peter also gives us a stern warning: “Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” (2 Peter 3:17–18) Notice that the way not to be carried away by error is to grow in grace and to grow in knowledge of our Lord. We do that as we study His Word with Him daily, and apply it to our lives. This is how God changes us, grows us up in our faith, and how He strengthens us to meet each day's challenges. When we disobey Him and don't spend time in His Word daily, we're hurting ourselves as well as causing our Lord to be ashamed of us. We can't expect our prayers to be answered if we're not obeying Him. (John 9:31; 1 John 3:21–22) Again, think of Daniel. He made it a point to be in God's Word and pray daily and to obey His word by applying it to His life. That's exactly what our job is today if we want to speed His coming!
First, there was the time that God led the Jew's out of Egypt. His plan was to give them the promised land and see them settled in it. However, out of fear and mistrust, they rebelled against Him and refused to take it away from the inhabitants as He commanded them to do. Their reaction didn't cause God to change His plan about giving them the promised land, but it did change when they got it. Instead of getting it right away, because of their reaction, they didn't receive it for another 40 years. Not until that rebellious generation died and then their children obeyed Him and received the land.
Another one is the story of Jonah. God's plan was to destroy the wicked city, and He graciously sent Jonah to warn them. However, because the King and all the people truly repented, God spared the city at that time. The city wasn't destroyed until several generations later when it became thoroughly wicked again.
In both of these stories and many others, we see the same principal at work. God has made us His partners in accomplishing His Will. That's why we pray and our prayers are answered. Another obvious story we clearly see this in is Daniel when he discovered in God's Word, that God had planned to end their captivity in Babylon after 70 years. (Daniel 9:2) Instead of packing his bags and waiting for those last few years to be over, Daniel prayed they'd end and the people could return to their beloved Jerusalem. He looked forward to that day and urged God to make it happen as He had said He would. Daniel let others know what he'd discovered, and spoke of it frequently. He urged others to get ready mentally, and spiritually, so that it would happen as planned. He urged them to live righteously, to obey the Lord and to pray that the end would come soon. Because of that, their captivity did end just as the Lord had said it would.
This is exactly what we are called to do concerning the Day of God. We are to buckle down, spend time in His Word with Him daily so we are aware of His Will for us and can obey Him. We're to work hard at applying His Word to our lives so we'll be ready when He comes for us and so we won't be ashamed. (1 John 2:28) Besides getting ourselves ready, we're also to be doing two other things which will cause it to happen sooner: We're to pray for it to happen, just like Daniel did, like the Lord tells us to do. Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come” in Matt. 6:10, and in Rev 22:20 Jesus says, “Surely I come quickly. Amen.” Our part is to speed this forward by praying, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” We're all familiar with Paul's prayer of “Maranatha” or "O Lord, Come!" in 1 Cor 16:22. Finally we're told again to pray this in Rev 22:17 when it says, “The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!”” The Spirit is the Holy Spirit, and He dwells within all of us who are truly saved. The bride is all who are truly saved. Therefore we're being told to pray in agreement with God's Spirit that His Kingdom would come soon, that His Will would be done on earth as it is in Heaven, and that Jesus would come soon to put this all in motion and take us to be with Him.
The rest of Revelation 22:17 tells us the other thing we're to be doing as we pray: “The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.” (Revelation 22:17) This is a call to salvation, which we've been told over and over to extend to all we know, to tell them the gospel and to disciple those who are saved. Romans 11:25 tells us that Jesus won't come for us until the last Gentile has been saved. When that happens, Jesus will come to take us to be with Him, and God will once more turn His attention to the Jew's. Therefore we are to pray for all who have been chosen and called to be saved now. We're to pray that the last ones to be saved will be saved now, and we're to work sharing the gospel with those we know because for all we know, that last person could be our neighbor or the mailman!
Lastly, we are to look forward to the day of God, think about it, make it part of us. “But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.” (2 Peter 3:13) We're to be encouraged by knowing that this will happen. While the destruction of the heavens and earth are cause for fear to unbelievers, for us it will be an awesome experience to watch while the Lord makes us a brand new heaven and Earth which will be our final Home for all eternity. We're to reflect on what our life's will be like when we're living there with Jesus, in the Homes He has built for us. We're to study His Word to see what His Word (not near death experiences!) says about it, and make it part of us, something we long for and wait for expectantly for, knowing it will happen. God wants us to do this because He wants it to encourage us as well as prod us onward toward holiness in our lives and toward telling others how they can have a wonderful future like ours to look forward to. “So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.” (2 Peter 3:14)
Peter also gives us a stern warning: “Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” (2 Peter 3:17–18) Notice that the way not to be carried away by error is to grow in grace and to grow in knowledge of our Lord. We do that as we study His Word with Him daily, and apply it to our lives. This is how God changes us, grows us up in our faith, and how He strengthens us to meet each day's challenges. When we disobey Him and don't spend time in His Word daily, we're hurting ourselves as well as causing our Lord to be ashamed of us. We can't expect our prayers to be answered if we're not obeying Him. (John 9:31; 1 John 3:21–22) Again, think of Daniel. He made it a point to be in God's Word and pray daily and to obey His word by applying it to His life. That's exactly what our job is today if we want to speed His coming!