A Faith as Precious as Peter's and That of the Early Church

August 28, 2011
2 Peter 1:1-2 “Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.”

(you) “have received a faith as precious as ours”

            Lord, it is a precious comfort to know that the same faith that turned the whole world upside down in Peter’s day is still available to us today.  I look at the apostles and the martyrs of the early church: who they became, what they were able to accomplish, and how they ultimately suffered and some gave their very lives for the spread of the Gospel and somehow figure that they had a different, stronger, and more faith than we do here in the States right now.  In truth, You gave Christians this country nearly 300 years ago so they could proselytize within its borders as well as send out missionaries into our neighboring countries of Canada and Mexico and into all the world.  Only we were given religious freedom unlike any other nation of all time.

            Of late, we have been failing miserable at that task and our freedoms are in grave danger of being taken away.  I see major persecution coming to the true church in the United States of America.  I know that the church always grows monumentally when in persecution.  Lord, why can’t it grow when it is not as well?  I believe: Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.”  I believe it is the “knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord” part that is lacking.  Your Gospel has been diluted, compromised, and distorted by the very “church” you entrusted it to.  There is a grave lack of true knowledge of You, God, and also of You, Jesus.  Yes, You are seen as loving, but not as just and holy too.  You are perceived as more of a kindly old Grandfather up in the sky who loves to spoil and dote on his children; and of course we ALL are Your children.

That is not what I have been reading, nor is that what Your Holy Spirit has taught me!  Will we suffer exile or even death as a result of holding forth the Word of Truth to this wicked and perverse generation?  Will it take that for Your children to awake and obey what You have commanded?  I pray with all my heart that it will not!  I pray that pure revival will come to Your church and soon so that Your grace and peace will be ours in abundance.
To God be the glory!
AMEN!