How do you reconcile these two Scriptures?

How do you reconcile these two Scriptures?

Luke 12:51-53(NKJV)

Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. 

For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. 

Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

2 Peter 3:8-9(NKJV)

But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

I personally think that Christianity today puts way too much emphasis on the second Scripture and almost totally disregards the first.  One of the phrases that you hear to describe Jesus is "Prince of Peace".  That seems odd to me when Jesus himself as reported in more than one Gospel says point blank; "Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. "

So which is it?  Or is it both?

I think it is both.  Jesus came to make people choose.  From that standpoint Jesus is very divisive.  You have to choose.  No more riding the fences.  You are either for Him or against Him. 

On the other hand He wants to see as many repent and come to Him as possible so He is patient.  Notice however that He doesn't lower the standards while waiting for as many as possible to be saved.  They still have to come to Jesus through repentance.

The problem I have with much of Christianity today is that instead of telling the story of the Gospel and letting people choose, modern Christianity does way too much to blur the lines and make all religions the same so that people don't have to choose.  In other words they continually water down the Gospel to make it more palatable in my opinion. 

So how is Jesus the Prince of Peace?  In my view He is the Prince of Peace from the standpoint that all who embrace Jesus will experience the "peace that surpasses all understanding".  Have you experienced that yet?  If not why not have a chat with Jesus about it.  "Dear Jesus…." 

Do you believe the Holy Spirit reveals things to you?

Luke 2:25-26(NKJV)

And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 

And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 

Have you ever experienced the Holy Spirit communicating with you directly, revealing things to you?  I have many times and it is incredibly cool.  If you haven't experienced it yet, keep studying God's Word, doing all you can to draw yourself closer to Him.  The more you seek Him the more that will be revealed to you by the Holy Spirit.

That is a promise from God!

I am once again struck by Jesus explicit instructions on how to conduct ministry!

I am once again struck by the difference between the way Jesus explicitly told His disciples to conduct ministry and the way it is done today in much of the Christian world.

Luke 10:1-16(NKJV)

After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. 

Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. 

Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. 

Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road. 

But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 

And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you. 

And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house. 

Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. 

And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 

But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 

‘The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.’ 

But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city.

“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 

But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. 

And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades. 

He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.”

Here is what I get out of this.  In much of Christianity today I see churches doing everything they can to "make the message of Christ more palatable" for the people of today.  I believe they spend way too much time watering down the message and trying to talk people into believing.  Now let's look at what Jesus told His disciples to do.

I will paraphrase here.  Jesus said spread the word.  Those who accept the word, give them My peace.  Those who reject the word, withhold My peace.

Notice that Jesus didn't say give them My peace no matter what they do?  Nope He didn't say that.  He said NEXT!  Spread the word.  Don't lose any sleep over those who reject it.  Move on and SPREAD THE WORD!!!

God respects their free will to reject Him and I think we should too!

Anyway that is my take on it!

"All the earth shall be devoured"

Is this a bit of prophecy about the "new Heaven and new earth" that John speaks of in Revelation?  Seems like it could be to me.  

Zephaniah 3:8-11(NKJV)

    “Therefore wait for Me,” says the Lord,      “Until the day I rise up for plunder;     My determination is to gather the nations     To My assembly of kingdoms,     To pour on them My indignation,     All My fierce anger;     All the earth shall be devoured     With the fire of My jealousy.

    “For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language,      That they all may call on the name of the Lord,     To serve Him with one accord.

    From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia     My worshipers,     The daughter of My dispersed ones,     Shall bring My offering.

    In that day you shall not be shamed for any of your deeds     In which you transgress against Me;     For then I will take away from your midst     Those who rejoice in your pride,     And you shall no longer be haughty     In My holy mountain.

Can you imagine?

Sadly, yes I can.  This is the story of Jesus casting demons out of the guy in to the pigs.  All the people come out to see Jesus and what do they do?

Luke 8:34-37(NKJV)

When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. 

Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. 

They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed. 

Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. And He got into the boat and returned.

They had Jesus right there in their midst and the people ask Him to take a hike, to leave.  I look at that and think how crazy is this?  Jesus heals a guy that nobody else could heal and instead of being grateful and asking Jesus to stay they want him to leave. 

Sadly it happens all the time even today.  Think of all the people who have heard of Jesus and even witnessed His miracles in their own lives or in the lives of people they know and yet instead of embracing Jesus they reject Him.

Sad.  Really sad. 

Are words necessary or is a change of heart all that is needed?

I may have written about this recently, not sure.  Anyway it is something that I have been pondering for a while.  Here is the question.  Are words necessary or is a change of heart good enough? 

Here is what I mean by that.  I think it is accepted dogma in the Christian faith that you have to specifically ask Jesus into your life.  Believe in your heart and confess with your mouth and all of that.  And right along with that I have always believed that we have to request that our sins be forgiven. 

Well here is the funny thing.  I have found several places where it seems to me that Jesus is saying "actions speak louder than words, close enough".  That the exact method isn't that important.  It's almost like the whole have to say it thing is more of a "Pharisee" requirement.  Read this passage and then I'll explain what I mean.

Luke 7:36-48(NKJV)

Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. 

And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, 

and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. 

Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”

And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” So he said, “Teacher, say it.”

“There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 

And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?”

Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” 

Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. 

You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. 

You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. 

Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

So in this example the woman never asks for forgiveness.  Yet through her actions she shows where her heart is and as we know, with Jesus, it is a heart issue more than anything else.  He tells her that her sins are forgiven. 

Now don't get me wrong.  I'm not saying that you don't have to believe Jesus was the Son of God.  I believe you absolutely do.  I'm just not sure that you have to do it in the exact way with the secret handshake if you know what I mean.     

I know that there is Scripture that specifically says you have to believe in your heart and say with your mouth.  Unfortunately I can't find where Jesus Himself says that.  I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with saying it.  I'm just saying that based on what I have read from Jesus Himself it may not be absolutely necessary.  It's more of a heart issue with Jesus.

Oh well, something that bears further study.

God made us to be achievers!

It has always been my belief that God did not make us so be people who settle for.  God made us to be achievers.  Just ran across a Scripture that confirms that belief.

Zephaniah 1:12(NKJV)

    “And it shall come to pass at that time      That I will search Jerusalem with lamps,     And punish the men     Who are settled in complacency,     Who say in their heart,     ‘The Lord will not do good,     Nor will He do evil.’