The Glory of the Lord is Risen Upon You…

Beloved… these past two years of worldly unrest and turmoil have made one thing abundantly clear to me. Deceit is rampant. Truth, as it says in Isaiah 59 has fallen in the streets.  Judgement has been turned backward, justice stands afar off and he that departs from iniquity makes himself a prey.  

What is the answer?  What are we to do in the midst of it all?  How do we not fall for the lies?  2 Peter has the answer.  

but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.—2 Peter 3:18

Abide!  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Set your mind on things above and not on the things of the earth. Pursue spiritually maturity by sinking your roots deep into His word. Our faith is built on the truth of God’s word...quoting John MacArthur here...”on the objective, historical, revealed, rational truth from God and is intended to be understood and believed.” The deeper the knowledge, the more grace and peace are multiplied in the believer’s heart. 

Spurgeon says this about 2 Peter 3:18:

There cannot be any grace except as we know Christ. And there can be no growth in grace except as we grow in our knowledge of Christ.

This world needs Jesus. It needs what you have. Go to the One who has the words of eternal life. 

I waited patiently for the LORD;

And He inclined to me,

And heard my cry.

He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,

Out of the miry clay,

And set my feet upon a rock,

And established my steps.

He has put a new song in my mouth—

Praise to our God;

Many will see it and fear,

And will trust in the LORD.—Psalm 40:1-3

Arise, shine;

For your light has come!

And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.

For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,

And deep darkness the people;

But the LORD will arise over you,

And His glory will be seen upon you.—Isaiah 60:1-2

For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake. For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.—2 Corinthians 4:6

Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.—Philippians 2:14-16

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.—1 Corinthians 13:4-8