MAKE EVERY EFFORT

“Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them to stimulate you to wholesome thinking (to wake you up from your complacency).” (2 Peter 3:1) Peter is talking about the judgments of the past in order to remind us that they are going to happen again. He also said, “You would do well to pay attention to the words of the prophets, they are as a light shining in a dark place.” (2 Peter 1:19)

“First of all you must understand in the last days, which we are in, scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.” (2 Peter 3:3) If we continue to act in a worldly way, putting our treasures, hopes and cravings in this world, we are going to end up BEING SCOFFERS. We are going to basically say, “We don’t believe He is coming soon, we don’t really have the fear of Yahveh on us that is sobering us up, to be alert, vigilant and watchful and we’ll sound just like the scoffers Peter wrote about who said, “Where is this coming He promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation. But they deliberately forget that long ago by Yahveh’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. BY water also the world at that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.” (2 Peter 3:4-7)

We don’t want to be scoffers, we don’t want to think that we have time left. Remember, “the end of all things is near, be sober minded, self controlled that you might pray” (1 Peter 4:7) and wail over what is coming. We are not to deliberately forget. We deliberately forget for one reason, we do not like the discomfort of living on the brink of destruction. We do not like the discomfort of denying our flesh. Scoffers will live and make merry saying, “Who knows when Yahshua and all these judgments are coming.”

Our redemption will draw near through Yahveh’s judgments on unrighteousness and we are the blessed generation to see that judgments have already started like birth pangs. We are blessed in that they keep us sober, but now our accountability before Yahveh is very great. “But the day of Yahveh will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.” (2 Peter 3:10) Fire is going to destroy this nation.

“Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of Yahveh and speed its coming” looking forward to what Yahveh is going to be doing. (2Peter 3:11-12) It is going to be the beginning of a home of righteousness, welcoming the holy, righteous, redeemed elect that are cleansed in the blood of Yahshua. The day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire and the elements will melt in the heat, but in keeping with Yahveh’s promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth; the home of righteousness. (See 2 Peter 12-13) This is the badge of a real believer; it is nothing else. Real faith filled, redeemed believers of the Most High live with this hope, living righteously before Yahveh and leading others to do the same.

So then, dear friends since you are looking forward to this, make every effort; every one of your efforts has to be in the direction of being found spotless, blameless and at peace with Yahveh. Our efforts are not to go to the world, our efforts are not to go to ourselves, our efforts ARE to go toward being spotless and blameless so that we are at peace with Yahveh.

Make every effort, in whatever you do, in word and deed. Make every effort to speak; do it for the glory of Yahveh, do it for the advancement of His kingdom, for the salvation of other souls, do it so that when He comes He will say, “Well done good and faithful servant.”

If you are confessing Him with your lips while your life is fulfilling its cravings for the world and the things of the world, you will reap destruction. Every effort, every inclination of our hearts has to be in the direction of holiness; blamelessness. Yahveh destroyed Noah’s generation because every inclination of their heart was evil. Yahshua says, “When you know what to do and don’t do it, it is sin” (James 4:17)and how we self justify our sinful nature. Make Every Effort, Every Effort, EVERY EFFORT, in word and deed to the glory of Yahveh. This eradicates the flesh.

Yahshua said, “STRIVE to enter that narrow gate” so that you will make every effort to do so and to stay on the path of righteousness for His name’s sake. We need to be an effortful people that are making our efforts in agreement with Yahshua Who said, ”If you and I are not in agreement, you can not walk with Me.” He is making >i>every effort to beseech people to be reconciled to His Father Yahveh, the Holy One of Israel, the Creator of heaven and earth. By the unction of the Ruach HaKodesh, the Spirit Who lives in us, we are to make every effort to please the Father, to find out what pleases Yahveh and do it!

“Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?” Who is going to harm you if you make every effort to be pure and spotless and blameless. “But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened. But in your hearts set apart Messiah as Master of your life. Always be prepared (to make effort) to give an answer to everyone who asked you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” (1 Peter 3:13-15)

“Therefore, since Messiah suffered in His body, arm yourselves with the same attitude, because He who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather he lives for the will of Yahveh.” (1 Peter 4:1)

Make every effort to live for the will of Yahveh and in doing so you will crucify, impale and demolish your flesh and all its desires. Let us make every effort to be found pleasing in His sight.