2 Timothy 4:1-5
I’m very slow when it comes to deep thinking; most who know
me will not argue with that assessment.
But today a light came on in my mind as I read 2 Timothy 4:1-2, “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus,
who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom;
preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and
exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” Do you recall my sharing about how my
friend Carroll said that we all have “preacher filters,” and a voice in your
head says, “That’s what preachers get paid to say” and so you ignore the
message. My pastor Ray Still
believes there is an eraser as you exit the building that removes all that was
given to us in the way of instruction to live life on Planet earth.
But our enemy is one smooth dude, and I believe he uses this
tool on everyone who reads the Bible, and it goes something like this; that
does not apply to you, that’s for those in ministry, not _____________ and you
fill in the blank with your calling, it may be homemaker, or doctor,
etcetera. So the question must be
ask; “Have you, have I been charged in the presence of God and Christ
Jesus?”
It is a very important question, for we are experiencing
the prophecy of 2 Timothy 4:3-4, “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound
teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers
to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and
wander off into myths.” Have
you read the paper or watched the T.V. of late, this is a small sample of what
they are saying: “Political comedian Bill Maher says religion is a
"neurological disorder." MSNBC's Keith Olbermann called prolifers
"Christian jihadists." CBS News Anchor Katie Couric claims Christian
values are "repugnant,” Christian America is under attack. The enemy is
using Hollywood and the mainstream media.” Those statements are not coming from church spokesmen, but
from Political Columnist and author S.E. Cupp who is also a professed
atheist. When God has a message to
send, He has used a king who went crazy and ate grass, so why not an
atheist. Could it be that we who
have been charged to be ready in season and out of season, or you might say in
our homes, and while shopping, or working, or as we go, to exhort, reprove, and
rebuke, with patience and love, have you said it is not my job.
Few of us are called to be pastors, but all who are in
Christ are called to be ministers.
One of many examples is Aquila and Priscilla, God had this to say about
them in Romans 16:3-4, “Greet Prisca and Aquila, my
fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life, to whom not
only I gave thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well.” You may be saying only two examples,
then keep reading and you will find Epaenetus, Mary, who has worked hard for
you, also Andronicus and Junia, who Paul calls his kinsmen and fellow
prisoners, and the list keeps going through verse 16.
In a nutshell, we the Church are ignorant of or have refused
to obey the charge given to us by Christ Jesus and God the Father, and we are
reaping what we have sown. It makes
one wonder, why will we who have Christ living in us not be light in this
present darkness?
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice
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