Author Archive for: meiling

Hi GAMErs,

Today we begin our look at the book of Amos, written in approximately 762 B.C. Today we start with Amos 1:1-15.  Let’s go!

Amos 1:1 (NIV) 
1  The words of Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa–

On verse 1a:   Who was Amos?  In addition to being a prophet, Amos was a shepherd, but no ordinary shepherd.  The word Amos uses for “shepherd” in verse 1 is not the common Hebrew word for shepherd but a rare word that suggests that Amos was more a breeder of sheep.  In other words, Amos was a businessman who probably owned large herds of sheep and had many shepherds working for him.  Later on we will learn that Amos also planted and harvested sycamore trees.  A man of standing in his community of Tekoa (about 10 miles south of Jerusalem), Amos was a ranch owner, a farmer and a prophet.  

What can we learn from this?  Don’t type cast yourself by your profession or job.  No matter what your profession or job is, God wants to use you in His kingdom.  You can be a businessman and God can use you to speak prophetically in a person’s life.  God calls people from all walks of life to serve Him and to represent Him.     

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Peter 3:10-18.  Let’s go!

2 Peter 3:10-14 (NIV) 
10  But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.
11  Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives……

On verses 10-14:  In these verses Peter is talking about “the day of the Lord” (v1)?  The “day of the Lord” is a term found in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.  It refers to the end times, or more specifically as we see in the New Testament, the time when Jesus will return to earth, physically raise Christians who have died back to life, gather His people, establish His kingdom and issue His final judgment on those who have rejected Him. 

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Peter 3:1-9.  Let’s go!

2 Peter 3:1 (NIV) 
1  Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking.

On verse 1:  As an ongoing theme in 2 Peter, we see that successful Christian living is not just about constantly learning new things; it’s just as much about reminding ourselves of the truths of God’s Word that we often forget or take for granted.  How well you recall the promises of God’s Word will determine how well you live and deal with life’s challenges.

2 Peter 3:2 (NIV) 
2  I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Peter 2:10-22.  Let’s go!

2 Peter 2:10-12 (NIV) 
10  This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings; 
11  yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord. 
12  But these men blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like brute beasts, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like beasts they too will perish.
 
On verses 10-12:  In addition to the characteristics of false teachers that we looked at in verse 1-9, the false teachers of Peter’s day had three other harmful tendencies.  First, the false teachers had a tendency to “despise authority” (v10).  They would show no respect for the spiritual authorities that God had placed over them.  “Bold and arrogant”, these false teachers had no qualms about speaking disrespectfully and slanderously about the spiritual authorities around them, including angels. 

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Peter 2:1-9.  Let’s go!

2 Peter 2:1-3 (NIV) 
1  But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them–bringing swift destruction on themselves.
2  Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.
3  In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

On verses 1-3:  False teaching has been around as long as the garden of Eden when the serpent Satan duped Adam and Eve into believing something that was contradictory to what God said (Genesis 3:4).  Just as there were false prophets among the real prophets in the Old Testament (v1a), just as there were false teachers among the early church (v1b), so there are false teachers today.  How do you know if you have encountered a false teacher?  Here we see some defining traits of false teachers: