Dear BPCWA worshipper, Today, we continue with the second set of 4 thematic messages from our church camp.

5. Time for growth (2 Pet 3:8-9). In eternity, our attitude to time will change, because we will never run out of time. But now, our time on earth is finite. Time that has passed will never return, but yet we are always wasting it. Knowing that this world is reserved for destruction must change our perspective of time because we are bound by time. God is not bound by time, so we must see things from His perspective of eternity. Christ’s 1^st coming was to save, but at His 2^nd coming, it is to judge the world, and the day of salvation is over. That is the end of time for the world and the end of time for us as individuals. If we do not believe what God has prophesied, our witness will be affected. Others may hate Christ because of how we have presented Christ to them by our lives. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise” (2 Pet 3:9). We procrastinate for many reasons, but God is always on time, on His time. His return will take place but He does not give us the exact date of His return so that we always live with the urgency of His return. While we are suffering and in trouble, we want Christ to return. But once that is over, we have no desire for His return. Ultimately, our manner of life is the true revelation of how we treat the time that the Lord has given to us on this earth. Christ has not yet returned because He “is longsuffering to us-ward” (2 Pet 3:9). Christ has left us behind after salvation not to make us fit for heaven. He has left us here to fulfill His task of studying His word and living it and being a holy witness to everyone at home, in our workplace, and at church. There is still much work for us to do – but are you doing it? Don’t procrastinate.

6. Focus of growth (2 Pet 3:10-12).  We must grow now, day by day, on earth despite problems and difficulties, for the rest of our lives. Why do we want to grow? Because the coming of the Lord is imminent, as “a thief in the night” (2 Pet 3:10). When the Lord comes, our time of witness is over and gone for good. Now, every day, maintain your spiritual schedules – pray, read, organise your day, and plan to do something for the Lord. If you do not plan, you will lose your focus. When Christ returns, “the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” Everything that we do on this earth will be gone and useless. Our skills of today will not be useful then. Our works will be gone. Everything on this earth is rubbish because only rubbish is burnt up. But Satan pours a lot of perfume on rubbish to make it seem attractive although they are the weeds, thorns, and thistles that choke our spiritual growth. Knowing that, “what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness” (2 Pet 3:11). We can present a good external, but what comes out of our mouths betray what we really are inside. The location of growth must be holy inside, not just on the outside. The content of our conversation must change to things that reflect heaven. The location of that growth must be our soul, our being from within. When we study the Bible rightly, then our thoughts, counsel, and our whole conversation will change. The signs of His coming are already fulfilled. The signs must prepare us so that our focus and our eyes won’t shift away from Him. We must keep our focus on Him every day.

7. Home of growth (2 Pet 3:13-14). When we are away, we have a longing for home. We must take our focus away from this earth and focus on something that we’ve never seen by faith.  With anticipation, we must “look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Pet 3:13).  God has given us a new home which will replace our current, an eventual world that has never been touched by sin. Everything around us in our new home will be characterised by pure and complete righteousness. Believers will enjoy such a home. Conversely, now in this sin-filled world that we live in, Christians should be miserable and long for that righteous home. There must be an inner anticipation to be in that home. When we have that anticipation of going home, everything around us loses its attraction and appeal. With this longing for home, we must be heavenly minded in how we live our life now, so that we “may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.” (2 Pet 3:14) We must be truly saved and have peace with God. When we are saved, we will love God’s things, attending Bible studies, speaking of Him, and being with God’s people. If we stumble and fall, we will genuinely repent of any sin and not want to fall into it again. Being blameless means that we don’t hide our sin or live in hypocrisy. That is self-delusion, but God will not be deceived. Deep in our conscience, we know when we have or have not done wrong. To live at home is to anticipate and live a life characterised by righteousness without hiding anything.

8. Food for Growth (2 Pet 3:15-16). The only food that helps us grow spiritually is the Word of God. This is the most powerful weapon and the weapon that Satan will use the most to keep us away from. We must hold on to the Bible, and the only gospel that saves. Many who are called Christians have diminished the name of Christ and the Word of God. In these last days, many men will promote doctrines that demote God and promote man, like saying that the Bible has mistakes. More than ever before in such an environment of falling away, we need the Bible. The Apostle Paul knew the Word of God better than us all, but yet he considered the continuing pursuit to know His Saviour the greatest excellency that he pursued his whole life. What about us? We often only want to tickle our tastebuds, often despising the same food, and only want to know the facts of the Bible instead of desiring Christ. The Bible must help us to understand ourselves. It must impact and transform our lives and lead us to maturity. As we grow, we see more from the same book of the Bible than we did several years ago.

Our response to the Bible will reveal a lot about us. Those who undermine and diminish the Word of God are wolves in sheep’s clothing. The Bible exposes those who are on God’s side from those who are not on God’s side. If we weep when those who attack the Bible leave the church, we are effectively saying that they are right, and God is wrong. Instead, we must rebuke them because they are attacking God and His word. How we handle the word of God will expose who we really are. Spiritual growth is not just about facts, but about knowing and obeying the Bible that transforms our lives.

Yours in our Lord’s service,
Pastor