I know people, and you likely do too that love nothing more than to stir with a big stick. Perhaps that’s a West Virginia colloquialism, but I doubt it. Simply put it refers to those people in our lives who stir strife, knowingly or not, they do. But that same concept applied to the Christian walk of faith isn’t a bad thing at all; and although to the unsaved it may appear for a little while that we’re stirring strife too, we know that the peace of Jesus is anti-strife. So today I’m following Peter’s example of encouragement and suggesting that you might want to do a little stirring yourself today.
Surely you Remember!
2 Peter 3:1
This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:
Do you remember the first time you felt the urgency of the Lord’s return. I may not remember the first, but I remember the feeling. That sense that I needed to tell everyone I loved (and even those I didn’t) that they needed to get their act together before it was too late. The idea of anyone going to Hell was not something I wanted to be a part of and I knew that even though it was their choice to make a decision for salvation, it was my choice to tell them or not. Satan has to stick his two cents in and tell us that we’re “stirring with a big stick” and that we’ll certainly offend our friends and family and in so doing drive them further away. But the reality of that is Abraham said to the rich man in Hell in Luke 16:26 ~ And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
That’s too far. Tell them.
Surely they’ll Rebel
2 Peter 3:2-4
That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
For 2,000 plus hears we’ve been saying, Jesus is going to return. That’s plenty of time for Satan to insert doubt into the mind of this generation of people. It’s been too long… tell them anyway, because Hell’s too far.
Surely they’ll Reason
2 Peter 3:5-7
For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
Science has given them reasons to doubt by using the reason of man to explain the unexplainable. What they couldn’t explain they made up and called it fact. The fact is the earth was first destroyed by water, the second will be by fire. Even though they reason in their minds in err we are without a reason to tell them the truth.
Surely it is our Responsibility
2 Peter 3:8-12
But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
Peter asks “what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness?”
Regardless of the time, the truth still stands. Jesus is coming back. Truth is on our side, time is not. Stir somebody for Jesus today!
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