Thoughts from 2 Peter - Day 10

 ...you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 2Peter 1:19

      Even with all these arguments to convince people to believe the Bible is the truth that we have been discussing such as multiple eyewitnesses saying and experiencing the same things and testifying to its' veracity by dying for it, prophecies written thousands of years before being fulfilled exactly by Jesus, archaeological proofs that these things really happened, testimony of outside sources and more - the intellect has to be superseded by a spiritual awakening where the Holy Spirit comes in and like the "day dawning and morning star arising in our hearts" illuminates and convinces us of the truth. John says about this 

" Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.  Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us."

    There is an Asian guy, currently on social media, who claims to be the smartest person in the world. His documented IQ is 279. The cool thing is he is a believer and therefore is using his status of being smarter than everyone to convince people to become believers, too. In other words, "If I'm the smartest person in the world and I say it's true, to not believe is dumb." Although I appreciate his heart, the problem is, in the end, the things of God are spiritually discerned. Peter experienced this once when Jesus quizzed the disciples on who they thought He was. Peter declared, "You are the Messiah". Jesus doesn't commend him for assessing the data and using his mental prowess coming up with the right answer but just the opposite. In effect Jesus tells him that his brain didn't come up with the right answer but it was revealed to him by the Spirit and that confession by faith through the leading of the Spirit is what the Church or bride of Christ is going to be founded on. That is going to be the key into the kingdom. That is going to be the cornerstone of the Church.

      Have you felt the Holy Spirit tugging on your heart saying, "Jesus is the Truth. Follow Him. Surrender your life to Him"? If you have, you have the assurance in your heart that it is true. If you haven't you will always wonder if it is true or not, and when you stand before Him someday, which we all will, you will realize it was true, but then, sadly, it will be too late. Receive Him today!