Shalom Saints,

I love Peter! He has shown wisdom from heaven when he had the forethought to write down his knowledge and experiences which are making investments in my life, nearly 2000 years later. There is so much Arthur is sharing from his study of the second letter of Peter! Arthur is sowing into our lives to perfect our faith and prepare us for our ministry of reconciliation.

Arthur starts with a “pep rally” type motivation for us. Listen as he tells us not to be afraid of prosperity and resources! We need resources to be able to do Kingdom work. Even Peter says that when we follow Yehovah’s instructions, we will never fall.

The focus of this teaching is on charity or love. Charity is one of the character strengths that we must possess in order to live a successful life in faith. Arthur distinguishes the various definitions of love and explains how biblical love differs from worldly love.

One of the defining moments of this teaching was when Arthur elaborated on how we can be incarcerated in our minds even though our bodies are free to move about on this earth. It was a wakeup call to assess ourselves and come in line with the freedom Yeshua offers to us.

Sharon’s Reflections on the Teaching

Arthur talked about what is in you will surely come forth out of your mouth. I have been dead wrong many times, even when I believed I was not only right, but righteously right! I remember during my college days someone asked me about God. I boldly told them there was a God that created the universe, but He really wasn’t interested in what people did on earth. I remember feeling quite smug about my intellectual answer! I smile now at seeing how ignorant and arrogant I was.

I also remember being in discussions with lady friends as we were counseling each other on what qualities to look for in a man that might be good marriage material. First was good health, we didn’t want to end up being a nursemaid. Second, he had to be working and able to independently take care of himself; we did not want to end up taking care of him financially. He also had to have facial and physical features pleasant enough to look at. If faith made the list, it would have been at the very bottom. What we thought were “important qualities” were merely superficial standards. We had better be looking for someone that keeps Torah and has faith in Yeshua, FIRST!

The only way to prevent being unaware of your ignorance and arrogance is to search the scriptures for truth and then apply the truth to your life.

Buzz on the Teaching

After the teaching, on the drive home, Floyd and I discussed the incarcerated issue. When we arrived home, we looked up information on his Dad, Floyd II. Floyd II had entered the prison system at 19 or 20 years of age for use and possession of drugs. Throughout my husband’s childhood and adulthood, he only spent a few months with his dad. Floyd II had become so institutionalized that he found it impossible to live on the “outside”. The last time, Floyd II was released from prison, at 78 years of age, he was only out 2-3 weeks before he went to a store and intentionally stole an item so he would be put back in prison. He defined his life by the routine of the prison. He was too fearful of the “outside” and the personal and family responsibilities associated with that freedom. Floyd II died in 2008.

My deceased Uncle was a rabble-rouser in life. When he was in his sixties, he married a woman nearly 20 years his junior and then named two of their boys after outlaws from the late 1800’s that robbed banks, stagecoaches, and trains. Those two boys spent years in and out of prison. One of the brothers is out now and according to Facebook, he has become religious. As long as he doesn’t embrace the true freedom of Yeshua and the Torah, he will be free in the world, but in religious bondage.

Even though we are not in a physical prison, we need to reflect on the doctrines and patterns of life that hold us back from reaching our full potential in the Kingdom. We need accountability buddies that will be honest with us. A buddy who will call us out when we let words of darkness come out of our mouths, even the funny and so called cute sayings. We need that buddy to give us attitude checks, so that we keep pressing through the tests of our faith and not stop to feel sorry for ourselves, feel defeated, and end up becoming spiritually barren. We truly are more than conquerors. Be that Buddy Saint that helps your Sisters and Brothers by sharing the truth with love.

Until next time… Blessings to You and Yours,

Sharon