SCRIP-BITS

2 Peter 3:9.      The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
 
Oh Friends, it’s that time again; Daylight Savings Time has ended. We’ve gotten back the hour we lost in March. I had to look that up, because I thought it was in June we switched over. Hn! Didn’t realize we’ve been on it so long now. And who knows if it really makes any positive difference to our lives, but the powers that be, the money men, seem to think so. To me, it only means that my old, but dear to my heart watch is now carrying the correct time. (smile) That’s because two or three years ago, the cap from the stem broke off, so I couldn’t adjust the time, and a watchmaker in his wisdom told me it wasn’t worth fixing since it would cost more than the watch was worth. So I just left it that way and mentally adjusted the time difference during Daylight Saving Time. And it’s been working pretty well. Consequently the two or three other watches I have sit and languish for long periods of time, because they’re (a) too fanciful for my taste, and (b) this one I’m wearing looks just as good in the fields as in the wedding party, and (c) I’ve grown accustomed to it. In any case I don’t use it that much to tell time since I can’t see it properly without my glasses, (smile) and there is usually a big clock in most places I go. And talking about time helps us to smoothly segue into our Bit: ‘The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.’ Ah Friends, Peter is here referring to Jesus’ Second Coming, and is encouraging us to basically keep on living in hope because our God isn’t slack or unreliable, as many of us are, regarding our promises. If the Lord makes an unconditional promise, as He has, re Jesus coming again, then He WILL fulfill it. The reason that Peter puts forth here, for it taking as long as it has, is that our ever-LOVING heavenly Father doesn’t want anyone to perish in the fire next time, cause He sincerely wishes for ALL His creation to come to salvation and thus escape the incendiary conflagration that’s going to end this age on earth. And why is Peter telling us this? ‘That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers (mockers), walking after (according to) their own lusts, And saying, where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep (died), all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of (forget), that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against (until) the day of judgement and perdition (destruction) of ungodly men.’ (2 Pet.3:2-7) Now hear the scholars with a more concise explanation than I can give. ‘Peter further warns that in the last days of the church age, scoffers will ridicule the promise of Christ’s second coming. He further states that arguments based on supposedly unchanging processes since creation fail to recall the severity of the flood of water upon the earth. Just as God once destroyed the world by water, so it is now reserved unto fire until the day of judgement. See the description of fiery judgements in Revelation 17-19.’ Peter then goes on to inform us in the verse before our Bit: ‘But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.’ (2 Pet/3:8) That means time to the Lord is almost immaterial; a thousand years to Him is like one day to us. The psalmist says it thus: ‘For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.’ (Ps.90:40) He makes it even shorter, like a night watch, about three or four hours. Now my beautiful Scrip-Bit Friends, let’s look at a scripture that tells us a whole lot about God’s promises and His timing concerning them. It’s from Habakkuk, talking about the just shall live by his faith, where the Lord summarily instructs him: ‘Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables (on tablets), that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.’ (Hab.2:2-3) Here’s how the scholars explain that: ‘Write the vision…upon tables refers to the common practice of writing public notices with such large characters on the clay tablets that someone running by could easily read them. If the notice was a warning it would also cause the reader to run quickly to prepare for what was coming. An appointed time indicates a specific future fulfillment of Habakkuk’s prophecy of the fall of Babylon. See Daniel 5:30-31.’ Yes mih people, though God’s promises may take a while to be fulfilled, they WILL come to pass. It took many centuries before God’s promise to make Abraham the father of many nations came true. It also took several centuries after Isaiah prophesied about the first coming of Jesus before it happened. So the two thousand years since Jesus left earth is only like two days in God’s time. But be assured my brethren, it WILL happen, when God judges the time to be right. So in the meanwhile, please let’s live by faith, and patiently wait for it to happen nuh. Much LOVE!…the Son will definitely come again…but as to when…only the Father knows….so be ever ready…