"2 Peter 1:13 Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; 14 Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath showed me. 15 Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance." If we read these three verses as a letter to get the information, it is very simple. But if we study the same verses as scripture, there are more to it. For information, apostle Peter says that the Lord Jesus Christ revealed to him that the end of his life is at hand, that it will be very soon. And so, he wanted to stir them up to be alert in spiritual matters, so that they may remember them even after he departs. Now, let us study these verses as scripture. We all have soul and body. Godly people have the holy Spirit also. The soul is the real person that is us. Our physical flesh body is given to us for our souls to live on earth. Since it is mortal, it will be temporary; and so, it is called as tabernacle. At the death of the body, the Soul will depart the flesh body, the tabernacle, and then it will have the Spirit as the body. Since apostle Peter was in the presence of the Lord, he reveals to him that his time in the world is nearing to the end. And so, Peter wants the people to remembrance a few things. What are these things? We have studied them in the last lesson, they are from verses 4- 7 &12. They are God's promises to partake the divine nature, to escape eternal death. ["4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. ... 12 Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth."] So, apostle Peter wants the people to remember them always. I have explained it in detail in the last session, and so let me give the link to the last lesson, if you like to refresh your memory. "Previous lesson."

"16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty." That is, the apostles were not telling cunning stories, but told only the eyewitness of the glory of the lord Jesus Christ. But false preachers will preach stories. So, if your preacher tells stories of any kind to move your mind, or to kindle emotion, they are false preachers. Even in the times of the apostles, false preachers were cunningly devised fables and preached enticing stories. "2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." So, what they have told us as prophesy, is happening now. Now a days, people desire to listen to false stories and gather false preachers for themselves. They reward the false preachers well, and so they fill the churches. "17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount." Apostle Peter, John and James saw the manifestation of Jesus, and heard the voice of God, and they were telling the majesty of the glory as eyewitness, but they are not telling stories. Such manifestations may not happen now; still it is not reason to make fake stories. But now preachers hype themselves saying that they went to heaven, talked to God the Father, and so many such made up fables and our ignorant people believe such nonsense and give them money generously for such fake entertainments. But the interesting part is the word of prophesy that is in the next verse.

"19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:" This verse has four parts. 1) "We have also a more sure word of prophecy", which is for the future, which will definitely happen. 2) You will do well, if you "take heed", that is, if you pay attention and be careful. 3) At present it is night, and so, you are in "a dark place"; but you have a light, which is a lantern or a candle, which God gives to godly people. Raise up the lantern light, that is put it on a lampstand, shine the light where you are. Keep on shining the light, until the day dawn; and the day will be dawn. 4) When it is dawn, the day star will arise in your heart; and so, the day will begin with you. First, it says a sure word of prophesy; what is it? The apostles saw it, as a spectacular display on the mount; but now a days, it may not be an open display; but the day star will rise inside you, that is in your heart, which is your soul. It will happen only to the chosen people of God, but not to everybody. If you are the person, you will know it in your Spirit, because it happens in you. If you have never felt it, it did not happen so far. It may happen in the future, or it may never happen; and it depends upon your thirst. "Isaiah 60:1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. 2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee." Please study it as a prophesy, but not as history. If so, it will apply to us. So, even now the darkness covers people of the earth, which refers to the people in churches. So, realize this. If the Lord lights in you, you must rise and shine. If you do not catch the light, be calm and quiet; do not ridicule those who get excited as crazy people; if you do, you will be the loser; and the Lord will never shine upon you. "Matthew 4:16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. 17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." We think that verse 16 refers it to the man Jesus. But it does not, since if the man was the light, it was quenched when he was crucified. Please look at the next verse. It says that he preached the gospel of the kingdom, beginning with the preaching of repentance. So, the gospel with the commands of Jesus Christ is the light, however, it is the candle light that shines in the darkness. Jesus Christ says that he will be with those who will preach his commands as the gospel to observe them, and he will be with them until the end of the world. It is in Matthew 28:18-20. Acts 3:26 and Luke 1:77-79 also explains them. ["Acts 3:26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. Luke 1:77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, 78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, 79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."] So, if that light shines upon you, it is up to you to rise up and respond to the light. If you do, then the day star will rise upon you in time.

Now a days, prophetic ministries are all doing very well, and so, people have an incentive to start a prophetic ministry, since it is profitable. What all they have to do is, search for blessing verses from the old testament, by Google or concordance, and give them one by one to new testament people as personal prophesy to them. Christians will accept them with no problem; even though nothing will come to pass, because they are used to this. People just look for an instant thrill, but not for truth. So, the fake prophetic ministry will flourish; they have nothing to lose but to gain money and fame. "20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation." God knew what these people will exactly do, and how much foolish Christians will be. So, God cautions them, not to fall a victim to these con artists. If Christians do not love the truth, being foolish, they not only lose money, but also will lose everlasting life. "21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." The word of God is written by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost for the purpose of God and godliness, but it is not for the advertisements of the false preachers and of the devil. "Luke 1:70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:" Holy Ghost uses holy prophets to bring forth his message to his people, but unholy people twist them to deceive anybody.

Even in the old testament, false prophets were too many; say, for one true prophet, there were 250 false prophets. But now a days, for one true prophet, there may be at least one thousand false prophets and false teachers. This figure is just an assumption but not a poll. "2 Peter 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." Jesus Christ says in "Matthew 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?" he tells us to know them by their fruits. But now the situation is so bad, since the congregation is also filled with false Christians; they do not care for the truth; and so, one hand washes the other. The verse also says that they even deny the Lord; but they may say quickly that they do not deny the lord. Jesus Christ asks to such fellows in "Luke 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" Lord means master, and the servant must do what the master tells them to do. Jesus tells them that as long as they are not doing what Jesus Christ tells them to do, they are denying the Lord. "2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of." Pernicious ways are that cause harm; injurious; hurtful: and pernicious implies irreparable harm done through evil as pornography has a pernicious effect on society. Not only they do filth with themselves, but they will also attack those who will not do filth, in the same way as the leftist do. Yet they say that they are servants of God. But in truth, they are servants of Satan. "2 Corinthians 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works." That is, God will destroy them as they deceive others. Verse 3 says, "through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not." They are covetous preachers; but they put up a show as the servants of Jesus. "Thou shalt not covet;" is one of the commandments that Jesus Christ, and the apostles have reinforced it. "2:14 says, they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:" The word of God calls these covetous preachers as cursed. "Romans 16:18 says they serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly;. Jude 1:11 pronounce Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core." Then the verse says that "their judgment lingereth not." So, their punishment will be definite. Please do not join them. God says that they will make merchandise of you with feigned words. So, if any preacher is for money in any form or shape, they are not only not from God, but they are also cursed of God; their damnation will not linger. Any ministry that is run with the power of money, and if they solicit for money for doing the ministry of God, that ministry is not from God. You may think that I am crazy, it is fine. Please find it from the bible, if the Lord Jesus Christ, or any of his apostles or disciples, have told to do the ministry of God by the support of money. You will not find it. Doing ministry of God by the power of money, is of the world and of the devil, but not of God. Either, if you are doing such ministry, or if you give money to such ministry, stop it and repent to God, since it is sin. It is trying to replace the power of God with money. It is modern day deceptive sin. Do not try to buy the favor of God with your money. ["In Acts 8:18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, 19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. 20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. 21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. 22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee."] In Acts 8, when Simon tries to give money to Peter for the power of God, Peter said in verse 20, "Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money." But now a days, preachers ask money to impart the favor of God. Do not give them money; instead, humble yourself, obey, and ask God.

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