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2 Peter 2:7 – Righteous Lot?

Posted on May 12, 2009 by admin

2 Peter 2:7

and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men

Truth to Learn

Living like the people of this world will corrupt your behavior.

Behind the Words

The word translated “distressed” is kataponeō, made up of kata, an intensifier, and poneō, meaning “to labor.” It means “he was worn down or vexed” by the people of Sodom.

Meaning Explained

Given Peter’s subject matter, the question that we have before us is, “Was Lot saved, spiritually, or just physically?” After Lot departed from his uncle Abraham, he chose to pitch his tent toward (or near) Sodom. Later we find that he had moved into town and had become one of the magistrates of the wicked city. When the townspeople learned that strangers (the two angels who came to destroy the city) had come to stay with Lot, they surrounded his house and demanded that the strangers come out so they could perform sexual acts with them. Lot refused. Instead, he offered his own virgin daughter to the men of the town if they would leave his guests alone. You can read about all of this in the book of Genesis, chapters 13, 18, and 19.

Lot’s association with the people of Sodom had worn him down and had influenced his reasoning in a negative way; otherwise, he would never have offered his own daughter to satisfy their lust. And, when the angels warned Lot to flee for his life, he didn’t want to leave Sodom. They had to literally drag Lot, his wife, and his two daughters out of town.

So, I ask again, “Was Lot saved spiritually?” Before we answer the question, though, let’s see what God said about Lot’s uncle Abraham. In Genesis 15:6 we read,

And he (Abraham) believed in Jehovah. And He (Jehovah) counted it to him (Abraham) for righteousness.”

God declared Abraham to be righteous because he believed. That’s the Old Testament way of saying that he was saved. Notice that it was Abraham’s arguing with God regarding a few “righteous” people (that God surely would not destroy the righteous with the wicked) which prompted the angels to remove Lot, the righteous one, from the city before it was destroyed. In addition to that, Peter refers to Lot as “righteous Lot.” So, to answer the question, “Yes, Lot was saved!” And Peter’s point is that even though God judged the people of Sodom, just as he will judge false teachers, he protected and saved Lot because he was righteous.

Was Lot living like a righteous person? Certainly not, or he would not have offered his daughter to satisfy their sinful lusts. Lot did not lose his righteousness (his salvation) just because he was living in sin, just as we do not lose our salvation today even if we are living a sinful, selfish lifestyle. Did Lot have peace? Not at all! Was Lot being obedient? Certainly not! Was Lot’s behavior pleasing to God? Absolutely not! Was Lot still saved? Through Peter’s pen, God says that he was!

Application

How about you? Does your behavior distinguish you as a Christian, different from those around you? Or, have you allowed the world around you to corrupt your behavior and dull your conscience? If so, you are not pleasing God, and you will have to stand before Him some day and give account of your actions!

In God’s service, for His glory,

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2 Peter 2:6 – Lulled Into Sin

Posted on May 11, 2009 by admin

2 Peter 2:6

if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;

Truth to Learn

It’s easy to ignore sin when everyone around is doing it.

Behind the Words

The word translated “condemned” is katakrinō, which is made up of kata, meaning “against” and krinō, meaning “to judge.” Hence, it means “to judge against.”

“Burning them to ashes” is from the Greek word trephroō, which is derived from the noun trephra, meaning “ashes.” Hence, trephroō means “to turn into ashes.”

Meaning Explained

Remember what Peter has been talking about? He has been talking about the false prophets of the past and the false teachers of his time and ours. Through their smooth words they deliver a message that is designed to line their own pockets rather than to edify the body of Christ. Though they seem to be doing so with impunity, Peter said in verse 3 that their long standing judgment is definitely not idle and their punishment is definitely not sleeping. It is coming and they will not escape.

By way of example, Peter then talked about the angels who sinned and are now incarcerated in Tartarus as well as the wicked people of Noah’s time who perished in the flood. Today he gives a third example, that of Sodom and Gomorrah. The Greek text reads,

And having incinerated Sodom and Gomorrah, he condemned them with a catastrophe, making an example of them to those intending to live ungodly.

You can read the account of the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19. There you will see that the people of Sodom had become so wicked in their sexual lusts that they had abandoned all semblance of civility, seeking to violate even strangers that wandered into their town. Spiritually, this is no different than the false teachers whom Peter has been talking about. The people of Sodom were content with their lifestyle. They saw nothing wrong with it. They even accused Lot of being a self-righteous prude because he confronted them concerning their sinful practices..

And, reading the account of Sodom and Gomorrah carefully you will see how even righteous Lot (that’s what Peter calls him in the next verse) had become calloused and even tainted by their wicked ways. Though Lot acted to protect the visitors, he was willing to sacrifice his own daughter to the lusts of the townspeople. Even his perspective had become distorted; his spiritual sensitivity had been obliterated.

Even though it appears that the townspeople were about to prevail, God’s judgment first blinded them and then destroyed them because they refused to hear the message of “repent and be saved.” They would not listen to sound teaching.

Application

Where are you today? Content with how easy it is to be a Christian? Have you been lulled to sleep by good sounding, easy to digest messages from the pulpit? Or are you committed to doing what is right in God’s eyes no matter what everyone around you is doing?

It’s time to wake up!

In God’s service, for His glory,

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2 Peter 2:5 – Pre-Flood Stubbornness

Posted on May 10, 2009 by admin

2 Peter 2:5

if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others;

Truth to Learn

The people of Noah’s day refused to listen to the truth and they paid the ultimate price for their sinfulness.

Behind the Words

The word translated “spare” is pheidomai, meaning “to treat with tenderness” or “to forbear.” In other words, God did not hold back His judgment.

“Flood” is translated from the Greek word kataklusmos, from which we get our English word cataclysm. This is a compound word made up of kata, an intensifier and kludzo which refers to the surging, washing effect of an ocean wave.

Meaning Explained

Peter now gives us a second example of those who have not escaped the judgment of God in spite of His longsuffering. God, Peter says, did not spare the old world, that is the world of people that existed before the flood. He did, however save Noah. The Greek text says,

And He did not treat the old world leniently but preserved Noah the eighth, a righteous preacher …

The expression, “Noah the eighth” is an idiom that was used by many of the Greek writers of that era. It means that Noah was one of eight people who were saved, Noah, his wife, and his three sons with their wives. No one outside his immediate family believed the message he preached.

Noah is an excellent example of a patient preacher of righteousness. For 120 years he labored, building the ark. And although we are not told specifically, he was probably ridiculed by all those around him. He labored obediently while they lived wantonly. He believed that God was going to bring a flood while they believed that things would simply continue on as they always had. Peter declared him to be a preacher of righteousness, which implies that he was not a silent builder. It appears he warned the people of his time that God was going to judge their sinfulness. But they, like the false teachers of Peter’s day and the false teachers today, did not believe that God was going to judge them.

Why does God let such people continue on in their sinful ways? It seems like the wicked continue to prosper and the righteous continue to suffer, doesn’t it? Peter will address this in the next chapter, but let’s take a quick peek there right now:

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)

God delays His judgment for two reasons. First, to give the unsaved every opportunity to hear the salvation message and, second, so they will have no excuse when they are finally judged.

Application

Our commission, like Noah’s, is not to brow beat people into believing. Our job is to proclaim the message both in word and in deed. We must proclaim the message and we must live the message, because He is risen and He is coming back soon!

It could even be today! Get the word out!

In God’s service, for His glory,

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2 Peter 2:4 – Held For Judgment

Posted on May 7, 2009 by admin

2 Peter 2:4

For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment;

Truth to Learn

False teachers, like the angels who sinned, will be judged!

Behind the Words

The word “if” indicates a conditional clause. In Greek there are three (some say four) classes of conditional clauses in Greek. This one is a first class condition. A first class conditional sentence assumes that the premise (protasis) is true for the sake of argument. For this reason, some have proposed that the “if” can be translated as “since.” Whereas this is not always true, , in this case it does give us a better sense of what the Greek is saying.

“Sent them to hell” is translated from the verb tartaroō. This is based on the noun Tartaros, the name of “the subterranean abyss of Greek mythology where the gods were punished.”

Meaning Explained

Peter told us in the previous verse that the judgment of false teachers and their destruction will come. He told the early Christians this because, like today, these false teachers seemed to be prospering in spite of their selfish tactics. He now goes on to give us several examples of judgment that have already been performed upon those who thought they were getting away with their rebellion. The first of these examples is in today’s verse, the angels that sinned.

We don’t know exactly what their sin was, although Jude 6 implies that these angels left their original dwelling place and went somewhere they were not supposed to go. Some believe that this is a reference to the angels having come down to earth to cohabitate with human women, but that is really only speculation. What we do know is that they exceeded the bounds that God had set for them and they were punished.

Peter tells us that the angels are incarcerated in Tartarus in chains of darkness (gloomy dungeons) awaiting their judgment. And, by combining this verse with the end of this sentence (in verse nine), we see that Peter is saying, “If God did not spare angels when they sinned … then the Lord knows how to … hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment.” His point is that judgment will certainly come to these spirit beings just as judgment will come to the false teachers who are selling snake oil to the people.

Since angels are each a separate creation, there can be no substitutionary payment for their sins. We, on the other hand, being procreated beings can, and do, have someone else who paid for our sins. That someone is the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who paid with His blood. The Bible tells us that if we do not accept this fact, then we too will be cast into Hell (Hades) to await the Great White Throne judgment where all unbelievers will be cast into the lake of fire for eternity.

Application

What future awaits you? The choice is yours: either the pain and suffering of Hades and the Lake of Fire, or as Peter talked about in the previous chapter:

a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

In God’s service, for His glory,

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2 Peter 2:3 – Snake Oil Preachers

Posted on May 6, 2009 by admin

2 Peter 2:3

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.

Truth to Learn

Not every message delivered from the pulpit comes from God.

Behind the Words

The word translated “greed” is the Greek word pleonexia, which means, “fraudulent practice driven by greed.”

The verb “will exploit you” comes from the Greek word emporeuomai, which means “to travel about as a merchant or trader.” The way it’s used here it means “to make merchandise of people.”

The next expression is, “stories they have made up.” This comes from the Greek words plastois logois. We have seen the word logos before, meaning “a word or a message.” The other word here is plastos, from which we get our English word “plastic.” This Greek word means “molded” or “purposely shaped.” Today we refer to this kind of language as “spin.”

Meaning Explained

We have been talking about false prophets of the past and false teachers of the present. Peter now tells us what is driving their actions and how they operate. His imagery is that of a snake oil salesman traveling about, taking advantage of uneducated people by way of well chosen but intentionally misleading words so as to make the message sound the way people want it to sound for the purpose of taking their money. These false teachers that Peter is talking about are presenting messages that will inspire and comfort people so that they will give to the ministry and meet the selfish desires of the false teachers.

Their deception is as old as sin itself, driven by the same selfishness that drove Satan to deceive Eve with molded words that may have sounded good but that lead to destruction. Peter tells us (literal translation of the second half of today’s verse):

their long standing judgment is definitely not idle and their destruction is definitely not dozing-off

In other words, the same judgment that has been given concerning this type of deception from of old will be applied to these false teachers of today without fail. They may think that they are getting away with something, but their destruction is sure.

These false teachers are occupying many of our church pulpits today, delivering homilies and sermons that bless the hearts of the hearers, while leading them straight to Hell. Their messages are soothing and even inspiring, but they are not the messages that God wants delivered. The messages are intended to please the people rather than to proclaim the message of sacrifice, commitment, and submission. These are the messages that church members are willing to pay for. How sad!

Application

The next time you hear your pastor preach a message that is straight from The Word, one that pricks your heart, causing you to once again submit yourself to the God of all creation, tell him thank you for taking the road less traveled and being God’s instrument of righteousness.

But, perhaps you go to church on Sunday to be soothed and comforted. If so, you may be buying snake oil!

In God’s service, for His glory,

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2 Peter 2:2 – Ungodly Witness

Posted on May 5, 2009 by admin

2 Peter 2:2

Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.

Truth to Learn

Professing Christians who live un-Christ-like lives bring the whole body of Christ into disrepute.

Behind the Words

All of the writings from which the New Testament was translated were written during the first century AD. Unfortunately, none of the original versions of these writings are still around. What we have are copies, or portions of copies, of copies, of copies, etc. As a result of this copying and re-copying over a period of time, words sometimes got changed, added, or deleted by the copiers. These variations in the text are referred to as “variant readings.” Today’s verse is one example of this. The most reliable of these copies uses the word aselgeia, here translated “shameful ways.” This Greek word refers to “debauchery, sexual excess, absence of restraint, or insatiable desire for pleasure.” Other copies of this letter instead use the word apōleaia, which refers to “the state after death where one realizes that he or she is lost and has no hope of salvation.” Translations that use this textual source often translate this word as “destructive ways.”

The word “disrepute” is translated from blasphēmeō, meaning “to slander someone’s reputation with harsh words.”

Meaning Explained

Even though we have disagreement regarding the precise word Peter used, as with virtually all textual disagreements in the New Testament, the difference between “destructive” and “shameful” does not affect our doctrinal view. But it does slightly alter what Peter is saying about these false teachers. Whether we refer to the heretical teaching of these false teachers as “leading people into an eternal state where salvation is no longer possible” or “leading people into a false religion which has no restraint from pleasures,” it’s evidence of a man made religious substitute for true Christianity.

It’s amazing to me how often “popular” churches are preaching a watered down gospel or misleading heresies. People seem to flock to them, probably because these churches are non-threatening to their sinful way of life, and comfortable. In some cases it’s because the church actually caters to their particular sinful practices without condemning them or proclaiming the truth about them.

It is difficult to convince someone involved with one of these churches that they are being led astray because they don’t want to see the truth. The fact of the matter is, however, that many unsaved people on the outside can see through the façade and know that something’s wrong with their religion. This type of religion in the name of Christianity has caused many others to turn away from God and even to categorically claim that all Christians are this way, which is precisely what Peter said would happen.

Application

One thing that I want all of us to see here is that, in a sense, we are all proclaimers of our beliefs in the way that we live our lives and behave in front of others. Are you proclaiming a message that is consistent with the truth of the Word? Or, are you proclaiming a false religion that merely professes Christianity without demonstrating it?

That’s something to think about!

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

2 Peter 2:1 – False Teachers

Posted on May 4, 2009 by admin

2 Peter 2:1

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.

Truth to Learn

Beware! There are false teachers in the church today.

Behind the Words

The word translated “destructive” is apōleias which is a compound word made up of apo, used as an intensifier and ollumi, meaning “to destroy.” Hence, it could be interpreted as “completely destructive” or “absolutely destructive.”

The word “heresies” is translated from the Greek word, hairesis. The verb form of which is haireō, meaning “to choose for oneself.” Hence, a heresy is not a God given truth, but a false truth chosen by the false teacher.

Meaning Explained

Having just proclaimed the importance of, and veracity of, the prophetic messages in scriptures Peter now gives us a warning that we need to heed, especially today! He tells us that in addition to the absolutely truthful and reliable prophets of the Old Testament, there were also those who were masquerading as prophets of God who, in fact, were not. Peter says that there will also be false teachers among us, who will not just deny the truth of the Word, but they will teach destructive heresies.

He tells us that the false teachers of today are proclaiming a message that they choose for themselves rather than proclaiming the truth that God intended. And these lies (or mis-truths) will cause absolute destruction, not only to those who believe their lies but to those proclaiming the lies themselves as well. These false teachers will even go so far as to deny their master; literally the text says “disavow the master who bought them,” ultimately bringing destruction on themselves.

There are two things we can learn from this verse. First, we should not be teaching God’s Word unless we are sure it is the Spirit of God who is teaching through us. We who teach are under stricter condemnation if we do not adhere strictly to the truth. James warns us:

My brothers, do not be many teachers, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. (James 3:1)

In other words, be careful, those of you who want to teach, because we will receive a greater punishment for false teaching and for leading others astray.

The other thing we all can learn from today’s verse is that we need to be careful who we believe. Don’t believe any teacher of the Bible simply because he or she claims to teach the truth. Rather, we need to make sure that they are teaching God’s Word and not their own interpretation of religion. The Apostle John said:

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1)

Application

Are you searching the Scriptures to see if the things taught in your church are truth? Are you searching the Scriptures to see if the things taught in these daily Bible verse studies are truth? I sure hope so!

In God’s service, for His glory,

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2 Peter 1:21 – Inspired Writing

Posted on May 3, 2009 by admin

2 Peter 1:21

For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Truth to Learn

The Bible is the “inspired” Word of God.

Behind the Words

The word translated “will” is translated from the word thelemati, a form of thelema, which refers to the “determined will” as opposed to “desirous will.”

“Carried along” is from a form of the Greek word pherō, meaning “to carry” or “to bring.”

Meaning Explained

This verse requires careful translation to get the true meaning. A literal translation is, “for prophecy was not at any time carried by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke, being carried by the Holy Spirit.”

In the previous verse Peter said, “… all prophetic scripture does not come into being by personal interpretation,” meaning that the prophets did not proclaim the messages with their own meaning or intent. Remember that we said the word “interpretation” did not apply to the one receiving the message but the one proclaiming the message? In today’s verse Peter explains what he meant by that.

Peter says, in today’s verse, that prophecy was not at any time carried by the will of man. Peter says that prophecy was not proclaimed based on what man determined. Instead, these holy men were carried along by the Holy Spirit. In other words, the prophets did not determine their message and then proclaim it. They were, rather, controlled by the Holy Spirit as they proclaimed their message.

In 2 Timothy 3:16, the Apostle Paul said it this way, “All scripture is inspired by God…” (NASB) or “All scripture is God-breathed…” (NIV). The word here translated “inspired” or “God-breathed” is theopneustos, a compound word made up of theos, which means “God” and a form of pneō which means “to breath” or “to blow.” So whether the prophet is “carried along by the Holy Spirit” or their message was “God-breathed,” the source and the content of the message are from God, while the prophet or author is simply the channel through which the message is conveyed.

The Bible is not just a collection of stories and predictions written by a bunch of different men over the span of several thousand years. It is the writing of men who were controlled by the Holy Spirit of God and it is, therefore, without error (in the original manuscripts) and perfectly accurate in its predictions of future events. And though not all of the prophecies in the Bible have come true (yet), not a single one that has come to pass has been wrong! That’s pretty amazing for a book that has been penned by so many human authors (under divine control) over such a long period of time. Only by the power of God could this be accomplished.

Application

The bottom line is that the Bible is truth. It is God’s truth, and contained within its pages is everything you and I need for salvation, godly living, and peace! Praise God!

We all need to read it more!

In God’s service, for His glory,

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2 Peter 1:20 – Spirit Inspired

Posted on April 30, 2009 by admin

2 Peter 1:20

Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation.

Truth to Learn

The truth of the Bible is communicated by the Holy Spirit.

Behind the Words

The words translated “prophet’s own interpretation” are idias epiluseos. The first of these, idias, means “pertaining to a private person and not to the public.” The second one, epiluseos, is built on the root word “epiluō.” This is made up of epi, meaning “over, on, or upon” and luō, meaning “release” or “let loose.” So, quite literally, it means “let loose upon” or “release upon.” In translating to English, this word has the basic meaning of “interpretation” or “exposition.” Hence, we see that idias epiluseos refers to “a person’s own private interpretation.”

Meaning Explained

Peter starts off today’s verse with, “Above all, you must understand.” Literally, the Greek text reads, “knowing this first” (that is, first in importance). He has been talking about the fact that we can more firmly believe prophecies about Christ’s second coming because He has already demonstrated the veracity of the prophecies concerning His first coming. First, though, before we get carried away and try to make other prophecies mean what we want them to mean, Peter gives us some instruction on how prophecies come about.

He uses a construction that would appear awkward to us today but, I believe, for a very good reason. He literally says,

all prophetic scripture does not come into being by personal interpretation.

He wants to make sure that we understand that he is talking about all of the holy writings of Scripture. With the English translation we have, there is an exclusionary phrase (no prophecy of Scripture), but with Peter’s original writing there is an inclusionary phrase (all prophetic scripture.) It is a subtle difference, but one that is important in that what he has to say applies to all scripture.

Where most people get off track on this verse is that they apply the “interpretation” to the reader but that’s not what the verse is talking about. It is talking about the one proclaiming the prophecy, not the one reading it. What Peter is saying is that those who have proclaimed the prophecies did not give them their own meaning. Rather, as he tells us in the following verse, they were carried along in their message by the Holy Spirit of God! The translation that we have here makes this clear, but it does so at the cost of literal translation since the word “prophet’s” does not appear in the Greek text.

And, not only were the writers of Scripture carried along by the Holy Spirit so that their writings are “inspired,” but the truths of the Scripture are now revealed to us by the Holy Spirit:

But the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as His anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true and no lie … (1 John 2:27)

Application

As you read your Bible today, ask God to open your eyes to the truth of His word. May the Holy Spirit teach you His truth as you yield to Him rather than the whims of man.

In God’s service, for His glory,

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2 Peter 1:19 – More Sure Foundation

Posted on April 29, 2009 by admin

2 Peter 1:19

And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.

Truth to Learn

God’s Word regarding Christ’s second coming, delivered by the prophets of old, is made more reliable by His first coming.

Behind the Words

The words “more sure” come from the Greek word bebaios, the root of which is basis, meaning “a firm footing or foundation,” hence our English word, basis. This is the same root as the word we saw back in verse 10 where Peter told us to “make our calling and election sure.” The word in today’s verse is expressed as a comparative. Therefore, it means “firmer footing,” or “more foundational,” or “more certain.”

Meaning Explained

This is another one of those verses that has stirred up considerable debate among scholars and theologians over the centuries. It primarily centers on the phrase “more sure word of the prophets.” The controversy comes in when we ask ourselves what Peter is making the comparison to. Is he making a comparison between the transfiguration and prophesy? Is he simply saying that the word of prophecy was very sure and could be relied on, or is Peter saying something else?

A literal translation of this passage reads, “and we have the prophetic word more firm.” It appears that what Peter is saying is, because of the coming of Jesus in his first advent, confirmed by his transfiguration, witnessed by only a few people, the words of prophecy concerning his second coming are made even more firm, more steadfast, and more believable. That is why Peter follows this phrase up with, “to which you do well to take heed.”

Peter has been talking about our need to be diligent in developing Christian character qualities, built on the firmness of our election and calling. He reminded us that we are not following fables, but the majesty of God in the flesh, which Peter and the two others had a glimpse of. The prophets have shed some light on both the first and second coming of the Messiah, and we need to take heed regarding those prophecies.

He compares these prophetic messages to a light that shines in the darkness. At night, when there is no light from the sun and very little from the moon, we use a flashlight to see where we’re going, but it’s not the same as daylight. That’s exactly what Peter is saying. Prophecy is only a partial illumination of things to come, and it does not make all things clear, yet it does give us a glimpse of what is to come. Peter is saying that we can believe what prophecy says regarding the second coming of our Lord because of His first coming. Having perfectly satisfied many of the predictions by His coming as the Lamb, He will satisfy all the rest by His coming as the King!

Application

Will you be ready when He returns, or will you be like those religious people who completely missed His first coming? They fought against Him and conspired to kill Him because they wanted religion their way (based on their traditions) instead of salvation God’s way (based on the Word of God).

Is your foundation the Word of God, or religious traditions?

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –