Author: cackywalker@yahoo.com

I am warning you ahead of time, dear friends. Be on guard so that you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

All glory to Him , both now and forever! Amen. (vv. 1-18, NLT

This is my second letter to you, dear friends, and in both of them I have tried to simulate your wholesome thinking and refresh your memory. I want you remember what the holy prophets said long ago and what our Lord and Savior commanded through your apostles.

Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.

They deliberately forget that God made the heavens by the word of His command, and He brought the earth from out of the water and surrounded it with water. Then He used water to destroy the ancient world with a might flood. And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. The are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed.

But you must not forget the one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about His promise, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. (vv. 1-10, NLT)

And remember, our Lord’s patience give people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him – speaking of these things in all his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in destruction. (vv. 15-16, NLT)

But there are also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them, In this way, they will bring on sudden destruction on themselves. Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of these teachers, the way of the truth will be slandered. In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned the long ago, and their destruction will not be delayed. (vv. 1-3, NLT)

These people are proud and arrogant, daring even to scoff at supernatural beings, without so much as trembling. Bu the angels, who are far greater in power and strength, do not dare to bring them from tLord a charge of blasphemy against those supernatural beings. (vv 10b-11, NLT)

These people are as useless as dried-up springs or as a mist blown away by the wind. They are doomed to blackest darkness. They brag about themselves with empty, foolish boasting. With an appeal to twisted sexual desires, they lure back into sin those who have barely escaped from a lifestyle of deception. They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you. And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before. It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life. They prove the truth of this proverb: “A dog returns to its vomit.” And another says, “A washed pig returns to the mud.” (vv 17-22, NLT)

Therefore, I will always remind you about these things – even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth you have been taught. And it is only right that I should keep on reminding you as long as I live. For our Lord Jesus Christ has shown me that I must soon leave this early life, so I will work hard to make sure you always remember these things after I am gone.

For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw His majestic splendor with our own eyes when He received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to Him, “This is My dearly beloved Son, who brings Me great joy.” We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain.

Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place – until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts. Above all, you must realize that no prophesy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, for from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God. (vv 12-21, NLT)

By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know Him, the one who called us to Himself by means of His marvelous glory and excellence. And because of His glory and excellence, He has given us great and precious promises . These are the promises that enable you to share His divine nature and escape the world’s corruption.

In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence and, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.

The. more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.

So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (vv. 3-11, NLT)

Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad – for these trials makes you partners with Christ in His suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing His glory when it is revealed to all the world.

So be happy, when you are insulted for bing a Christian, for then the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you. If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs. But it s no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by His name! For the tine has come for judgment, and it must begin with God’s household. And if judgment begins with us, what a terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God’s Good News? And also,

“If the righteous are barely saved, what will happen to godless sinners?”

So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for He will never fail you. (vv. 12-19, NLT)

The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for lover covers a multitude of sins. Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal and a place to stay.

God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as thought God Himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy God supplies. THen everything you do wil bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to Him forever and ever! Amen. (vv. 7-11, NLT)

Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks you about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep you conscience clear. Then if peopl speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong.

Christ suffered for our sins once and for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but He was raised to life in the Spirit.

So He went and preached to the spirits in prison – those who disobeyed God long ago when god waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood. And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept this authority. (vv 13-22, NLT)

Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God called you to do, and he will bless you for it. For the Scriptures say,

“If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and His ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns His face against those to who evil.” (vv. 8-12, NLT)

For the Lord’s sake, respect all human authority – whether the king as head of state, or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right.

It is Got’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you. For you are free, yet you are God’s slavs, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. Respect everyone, and love your Christian brothers and sisters. Fear God, and respect the king.
(vv. 13-17, NLT)