Three Warnings From God

Nov. 14, 2008

Three Warnings From God

Kathleen Maples

In both epistles of Peter, he is writing to saints of God who are scattered throughout the region of Asia, and the middle east, and who are enduring persecution. Theirs was a relatively new faith, often met with skeptical sneers, and arrest and even murderous hate. Peter warns the people in this epistle of religious imposters that would come among the people. They will have positions of prominence in some cases. He distinguishes between false prophets, and false teachers. A false prophet is a pretender, or imposter. A false teacher is very similar, except that false doctrine is taught. Where one pretends to have a word from the Lord, the other twists and changes the truth of God into a lie. They will subtlely introduce destructive heresy-leading people to loss and ruin, spiritually and in some cases, physically and financially. They contradict and reject the Lord's Word, refusing His redemption, but not in an obvious way to most. They will inflict upon themselves impending destruction by their error and will lead many into the same error. 2Pe 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2Pe 2:2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

This is a serious warning Peter is bringing to the people here. Too often we read the Bible casually without taking time to stop and meditate and think carefully on what we have read. Let us pray the Lord will deliver us of such a bad habit. Peter warned these people will behave and minister in such a way that others will follow their error, and this way is a dangerous, destructive way that will lead straight to hell. There is a spirit of covetousness driving these false representatives, and they have these scripted little sermonettes which sound pretty and nice, and do not offend, and lead straight to your wallet. Before they ever were, judgment was set against this kind of behavior and God will not be mocked. What is sown will be reaped. Just because they have not yet been judged, they and others think God is okay with what they are doing, but He is nothing like them and He will not change His just laws, nor allow injustice to be unpunished. They sell their cotton candy sickly sweet preaching tapes to unsuspecting people for way too much money, making merchandise out of them, as the Scripture warns and it's like feeding poison to those who don't discern. When you see ministers getting up and preaching prosperity and peace, with no mention of the cross, or the blood, no mention of this leadership and infilling of the Holy Ghost that leads us to the cross where our self life is crucified with Christ and He reigns in us, there is a problem. Jesus did not come to bring peace on the earthHe lived the example we must follow. He lived a self-less life poured out for the sake of others and there was much tribulation and suffering involved. Because of these covetous and selfish ministries, which talk religious but have no power, no fruit of the Spirit, the world looks on in amusement, recognizing the fake, and they

mock and laugh and speak evil of the Gospel and the Lord. They provoke others to blaspheme, to defame the name of the Lord and His Holy Word. Christianity is reviled, and those who stand for truth are demonized as extremists and identified as haters and intolerant. This is the spirit that rages even now and it is getting worse. It is going to get much worse. I saw on the news this morning, a humanist group has bought a controversial ad with a young woman dressed as Santa with her hands up in the air and a smile on her face. Above her, in big green letters "Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness' sake" It is a holiday themed ad, and has been purchased by the American Humanist Association to be placed on the side of BUSES in Washington, DC. Public buses. The anti christ spirit is alive and raging so we need to be drawing nigh to Him, fortifying ourselves and seeking His wisdom and truth so we aren't swept away in the flood of deception. The righteous dwell among these, and see what is happening, and are vexed by the deceit, by the total misrepresentation of God. It grieves their heart to see people led astray by the selfish desires of their own heart which these false teachers and prophets are only too happy to cater to. There is an interesting Scripture here I want to pause and examine and depend on the Holy Spirit to open our understanding. 2Pe 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

God was not lenient with the angels that sinned. They erred, they missed the mark. They fell from their first habitation-heaven as angels of God. They followed an 'angel of light' into rebellion against God and the Scripture says there was war in heaven. That also tells me, by example, that if I were to follow an 'angel' of light, someone who represented something other than the True Light, which is Jesus Christ (Joh_14:6) then I will end up fighting against God, and the truth. I would end up lost, too in spiritual darkness. The only way free from this kind of darkness is divine intervention. Pattern set for all who follow this path of deception. Those who teach His Word to others really need to consider and to take heed to this Scripture-including myself. I am not a preacher, but those of us who even write about HIM and share it with others is included here, too. Any messenger of the Word is included. Whether you bear witness of the Word to your friends and co-workers, or family, or preach or write about the Lord, we must know these things and be so very careful. That word angel is angelos, and it means a messenger, pastor, or angel sent from God as an ambassador or bearer of tidings. I am always aware as I study the Word and write down what the Holy Spirit shows me, (He shines that Light that helps me understand) that I am totally NOT smart enough to think all this up on my own, and amazed that the Lord would let me speak His Word and I pray HE not let me get it wrong. What an awe-inspiring responsibility and privilege. It's intimidating when I stop and think about it. Consider this awesome God, in whom is no changing, no darkness, and so much power His very WORD creates life, creates the world and then holds it in place would teach Me and allow me to write about what He shows me? I want those in my family who are coming after me to have a record of what He teaches me. To see how matchless, how incomparable this awesome God I want to serve with all my heart is!

These angels have been cast down to hell, the Word says. The word for hell is G5020 tartaroo. It means these angels are incarcerated, locked up in the deepest abyss of hell or Hades. They have been imprisoned, with chains of darkness. I can't fathom in my mind that kind of blackness. When you apply this to human beings, recall the Lord Jesus Christ warned the people to walk in the Light while they had the Light lest darkness overtake them for those who walk in darkness don't know or realize where they are going. (Joh_12:35) If we err from truth, which is light or revelation of truth, the only thing left is to wander off into darkness. This is the same darkness (spiritual death and blindness) the lost are bound in until they come to Christ and surrender their heart and life and repent of their sins. What an awful thing. To be lost and not even know it. It takes the work of the Holy Spirit shining that light into their darkness so they can see; so they can understand they are lost. The chains of darkness-is this a literal place of darkness in a place called hell so thick it can be felt or is He just telling us this darkness is so strong it binds? Exo_10:21 refers to the plague of darkness over Egypt sent by God and Scripture says it was a darkness that may be felt. The word used for darkness in Exodus is different. (H2822) It means a darkness that brings with it destruction, and death and sorrow. Jesus also warned them in Luk_11:35 to take heed or be very careful that the light (or understanding) they had was not of darkness. The light He is talking about here is (G5457 phos), it means a natural fire or light. That speaks to me of something dependent on the natural. Make sure your understanding of truth is not rooted in human effort, and human wisdom (which always tends to examine everything with a self-centered focus) for both will lead you astray. Then in the next verse, Jesus says this: Luk 11:36 If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.

This word for light is (G5460 photeinos) and it means transparent, bright, full of lustrous light. It's a pure light, so if the second light is pure, reason says the natural light mentioned in Luk_11:35 was not pure. There are no dark corners or hidden places, the whole being is well lit, full of light. If you are walking in a place that though lit, has dark areas, dark hidden places, it's hard to tell what might be lurking hidden in those places. The Scripture says in HIM there is no darkness at all. No darkness will be allowed in heaven, so let us pray the light of the Glorious Gospel shines brightly in and all through us, lighting up any hidden areas of darkness and exposing them so they can be removed. This kind of light will shine, illuminate everything so it can be seen and understood. (G5461 photizo) This is what the Holy Spirit does. Those who are seeking understanding of the Lord, of the Word, He has to come and shine this photizo light for us to understand. This is also the kind of light He shines in darkness so the lost can see their condition and come out of darkness. 2Co 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

This God who said "Let there be light" when there was nothing but a dark, empty void, has lit up our heart-our minds with understanding that the glory of God is

seen in the face of Jesus Christ. Hallelujah! It requires the working of God-we can't free ourselves from this darkness, and neither can the angels that sinned. You don't know how awful that darkness is until you have seen pure light. God help us never to wander off back into darkness. But if we don't accept and embrace the Light, the understanding that He gives us, that is exactly what will happen. These false prophets and teachers are described this way: 2Pe 2:17 These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.

This is the result when men love darkness rather than light. God won't force Truth on people. If they want to remain willfully ignorant, He won't force His Word on them. He sends it to them and gives them an opportunity to accept or reject what He says. The choice is entirely ours. I thought about this because it is a disturbing verse. These are wells-a source or supply but they have no living water. They are like clouds-no substance, not anchored, but easily carried by the storm. They are unstable. Their understanding is not truth, their mind is held in custody by darkness-blindness to real Truth. What an awful condition. My God-when you see people railing against righteousness, demanding their rights to unnatural lifestyles, remember their understanding is guarded by darkness. You look up the word 'reserved' G5083 tereo, and that is what it means. To be guarded, held in custody, kept. It will help us when we understand these things not to rail on them when they rail on us. We won't return evil for evil when they speak evil of us, we should pray for them. We once were in that kind of darkness, bound, unable to understand truth, unable to save ourselves, hopelessly lost until HOPE shined the light that we could be free into our minds, and we joyfully surrendered in repentance, and embraced His sacrifice for our sins. Doesn't understanding this make you want to stop what you are doing and start praying for your lost loved ones? Oh, God help us be more concerned, for others, and not ourselves. The Scriptures says these angels were delivered-given over to this kind of darkness that binds, and cast down to hell. Again, the word "reserved" is the same one mentioned earlier. They are guarded, held in custody awaiting their day in God's court where they will be judged and condemned. They are without hope of recovery. Here, the word for hell is Tartaroo. (G5020) The Greeks called it Tartarus, it is thought to be a place in the middle of the earth, where the wicked dead suffer punishment for their evil. It is comparable to the Gehenna of the Jews. A place of fiery torment. The word hell is used in the Bible in many places, but in the Hebrew and Greek, it is not always the same word with the same meaning. In the Old Testament, it is sheol, and it usually means 'the grave, or place of the dead.' In Luk_16:23, Scripture says in hell he (the rich man) lifted up his eyes, being in torments" Luk_16:24 he says "I am tormented in this flame." The Greek word Hades is used in Luk_16:23. It means a place or condition of departed souls. He is now existing under constant torment and torture. The word is basanos. It means as one has gone as far down as you can go, in torment. He is tortured with pain and vexed with misery. Think about that-this is what happened after he died. He didn't just go to sleep and stop existing, as a being without a soul. Where he was when he opened his eyes after death depended on what he did when he was alive. He lived for himself, giving no thought to God or others. The

Scripture warns us if we live for ourselves we are dead to God, regardless of good deeds, or good morals. (1Ti_5:6) This Scripture says while we live in our pleasure ( to please self) we are dead. The only way you can be dead and alive at the same time is if you are spiritually dead, but physically alive, or dead to yourself and the desires of the flesh, but alive to the Spirit of God. There are some important things Peter wants those he is writing to in the church to remember: God was not lenient with angels when they sinned, neither did He spare the old pre-flood world, saving Noah and his family alone, and neither did He spare Sodom and Gomorrah These are witnesses to a wicked world of what happens when you rebel against the law of a Holy and Just God. He has set these up as legal precedents, if you will. When a lawyer goes to the law library to study how cases have been decided by a judge in the past, he finds decisions that have been made and how judgment was carried out. Well, here we have the legal precedents for three sets of people: The rebellious who knew the truth and erred from it, those who refused to listen to the preacher of righteousness, Noah for the 120 years it took to build the ark, and those who refused the warning in the last days by the man Lot. Judgment was set, and destruction was the end result. What a sobering thought. God help us not be in either of these three categories. The Lord knows how to rescue the godly, reverent souls out of adversity. That word 'temptations' in 2Pe_2:9 means someone who is tested by evil and it is the same word for the same kind of fiery trial Jesus went through in Gethsemane. It's a trial by fire to prove us, test us, to see if we remain faithful. The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations. This says He is watching carefully how we react in circumstances, He knows just how much we can take and He stays close, and knows exactly when the time is right to pull us out of the fire. It's in the fire that impurities bubble to the surface so they can be swept away. It purifies us if we trust Him to bring us through and don't run from this. We, as God's children live in a world much darker than the days of Lot. All around us we see things that vex our righteous souls from day to day. But we must be aware that He is close, He is watching over us, and knows everything and has it under control. Nothing touches us without His permission, so if something bad is touching us then He has a purpose and we must learn to trust that. He sees things in our hearts unlike Him that we do not and sometimes, He has to allow things to move against us to provoke that impurity to the surface so we can see it, agree with Him it has to go, repent and be cleansed. What a wonderfully reassuring thought!! He sees things in us that are unlike Him and He doesn't despair as we tend to do, when we see ourselves, knowing we are falling short of His holiness, but He just deals with us, and puts us in situations to teach us what is in our hearts, and then He's there to lift us up and clean us up when we let Him. What a loving Father. The devil would have us despair over our weakness and temptations, but God doesn't want us to be discouraged, He wants us to keep looking to Him in childlike faith, depending on Him to make it like HE said it is to be. Only He can do this. 2Pe 2:10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, self willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.

2Pe 2:13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;

But then there are those who spend their lives determined to please and unable to deny the demand and desire of their human nature-that Adam nature that is so opposite from the nature of God. They are driven to try in vain to satisfy that which can never be satisfied within. Only when the Creator sends forth His Holy Spirit to dwell in a human being is that empty void within satisfied. This human nature will rise up with a vengeance, in total arrogance and disdain for God if allowed to rule. There will be a violent hatred for all that God is because this nature knows it has been judged and marked for destruction, just like Satan and it will work hard to preserve itself as long as it can. It will work with Satan against the believer. It rules the lives of so many-that is what self-willed means. They do what self wants, when self wants and how self wants. They despise all authority except their own, and they are presumptuous, (Presuming to know more and better than the Creator) according to Scripture. In the Greek that word presumptuous means audacious and bold. I looked up that word 'audacious' and it means they are unrestrained by conventional wisdom or propriety, and are not intimidated or fearful. They are arrogant and determined to please self at whatever cost. They are not afraid to blaspheme or rail against whatever is worthy of glory and honor and praise and worship. That word 'dignities' is G1391 doxah. It's where we get the word 'doxology' from. Doxology is any word or song that glorifies God, with honor and praise and worship. So, too with a life lived for the glory and honor of God-i.e. Jesus Christ. These are not afraid to blaspheme that which is righteous and true. This is why you see the name and life of Jesus mocked and scorned by so many in the media and in irreverent movies and TV shows. But the true messenger of God, including angels, and pastors, but in this case, angels of God, who are bigger and greater in power and strength, do not bring accusation against them before the Lord. Did you hear that? Carefully consider this statement. They do not behave as the accuser of the brethren and go running to God (or anyone else) and make accusations and rant and rave about such conduct. When we see this on display-do not rail against them or accuse them publicly-but wisely understand their end and pray. Teach against the sin of living for self, but do not rail on the sinner. In all humility, recognize they have an awful payday coming, which they cannot see in their blindness, and understand they are in bondage and darkness, chained by their sin, bound to their master, the god of this world. What a pitiful condition. These self willed folks are considered as irrational, unreasonable animals, marked with the nature of the beast, which was made to be captured and destroyed. These blaspheme and vilify the things they don't understand and will in their depravity utterly perish. The natural man receives not the things of God. If you do not have His Spirit living in you, you cannot understand His Word. All the dictionaries, and men's commentaries in the world, though they will give you pieces of information of this puzzle, cannot put the pieces in their correct place so you can see the picture and understand who God is and what His truth means to our lives. We must have the Holy Spirit. This doesn't just apply to the ungodly wicked in the world, but also the religious, who are set in their ways as the

Pharisees were, and trusted their life to the Scriptures, but don't pray and go into the presence of the Lord or seek His face. It's not the hearer that is right but the one who hears and obeys. These are they who chase after the sensual, and feed their own desires, are self indulgent, in luxury, and ease, and debauchery, in the age when Light is available, and Truth can be known, preferring the darkness of their own desires. What an awful place to be. They are defiled, flawed, a disgrace to what God meant us to be, they are happy in their self-deceptions, yet they will without fear, openly indulging in their deceitful ways while they feast with you. Now either that means they are attending the House of God, with you, or they claim to be right, and ready to go, or are satisfied they are in right standing, regardless of how they live. Have you ever met someone who says they read their Bible, and they are okay, because they 'got saved' when they were kids, yet live like for themselves now? It's hard to reason with someone who is determined in their own mind they are fine and don't need your help. 2Pe 2:13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;

These are they who chase after the sensual, and feed their own desires, are self indulgent, in luxury, and ease, and debauchery, in the age when Light is available, and Truth can be known, preferring the darkness of their own desires. What an awful place to be. They are defiled, flawed, a disgrace to what God meant us to be, they are happy in their self-deceptions, yet they will without fear, openly indulging in their deceitful ways while they feast with you. I'm not too sure what that last part means. I wonder if that means they are attending the House of God, with you, or they claim to be right, and ready to go, or are satisfied they are in right standing, regardless of how they live. Have you ever met someone who says they read their Bible, and they are okay, because they 'got saved' when they were kids, yet live like for themselves now? It's hard to reason with someone who is determined in their own mind they are fine and don't need your help. No darkness is so great as the religious darkness. But God has given us warnings through out the His Word to show us the end of living in such a manner. I read a news story a few weeks ago, about this precious lady who was in her early 50's, and had lived on Galveston Island for several years and was happy there. She was well educated, had a great job, was a good neighbor, had a beautiful garden, and was well liked in the community. She rode out Hurricane Rita in 2005, and was convinced she could ride out Hurricane Ike this past summer as well. Everyone was warned along the Gulf Coast the storm was coming and it was a monster storm. The storm surge arrived hours before the hurricane itself. She made a last phone call to a friend, and she said she had really messed up this time. The water was rising, and she was seeing heavy objects floating by her house, and she knew by now she had made the wrong choice. Her body was found 10 days later several miles away. Now, I am not comparing this lady with the type of people the Scripture is talking about, but I am saying, that the same way people were warned of this storm's imminent arrival and warned to evacuate, to flee this storm, yet many thought they could handle it, and stayed and died. God has warned us to flee to His Son, for forgiveness and cleansing of sin, to escape the

wrath to come and many people are handling the warnings of God the same way. God has given us warnings of what will happen, and some people have convinced themselves they are okay, in spite of what the Word of the Lord declares. The Bible is not the only evidence that Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. Archaeological evidence was found in 1975 and again in 1995 that confirms the existence and fiery destruction of the 5 cities of the plain; two of which were Sodom and Gomorrah. Evidence has been found of the flood, and Noah's ark, by archaeologists. The Word warns judgment is coming on all the ungodly but many are willfully ignorant. They know but they don't believe. They have forsaken the right way and gone into error, just like Balaam did, who was filled with a spirit of covetousness. These are like wells full of poison, not water. They are flimsy, carried about by the wind and the storm, without clear direction. They are ever shrouded in darkness. What a frightening thought. Even worse, they tempt and lure others into the same error and judgment. One look at the Grand Canyon and you know deep inside you are looking at a monument to the global flood God sent in Noah's day. Does not nature itself teach you and testify to the glory and power of God? People remain willingly ignorant and would rather try to explain it with their scientific men's wisdom. We have been warned and there is only one place of safety, in the Lord Jesus Christ.