Habakkuk 2

Then the Lord replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay."

Wednesday, May 17, 2023

They Turn From the Truth

2 Timothy 4:1-2 ESV

 

“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.”

 

What this teaches us here is not confined to just men or just to those who are official preachers and teachers and pastors. We are all commanded of God to speak the truth in love, one to the other, so that we are not led astray by false teachers in their cunning, craftiness, and deceitful scheming. And we are all to encourage one another in our walks of faith to maturity in Christ, and we are all to exhort one another so we are not led astray by the deceitfulness of sin.

 

And we are all to use our spiritual gifts to encourage the body of Christ and to serve in the areas of ministry where God has assigned to us. And we are all to address one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. And we are all to let the word of Christ dwell in us, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom. And we are all to provoke one another to love (the love of God) and good works (which God prepared for us to walk in). And we who are spiritual are all to help someone caught in sin to come out of sin.

 

And we are all to preach, for to preach is to proclaim the word of God, and we are all to be doing that. And we are all to be sharing the truth of the gospel with others as part of our everyday lives. For we are to proclaim the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light, and we are to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth, and we should all make disciples of Christ of the people of the earth, turning them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they can receive forgiveness of sins and be included in the family of God.

 

[Matt 5:13-16; Matt 28:18-20; Jn 4:31-38; Jn 13:13-17; Jn 14:12; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:14-18; Acts 26:18; Rom 10:14-15; Rom 12:1-8; Rom 15:14; 1 Co 12:1-31; 1 Co 14:1-5; Eph 4:1-16; Eph 5:17-27; Php 2:1-8; Col 3:16; Heb 3:13; Heb 10:23-25; 1 Pet 2:9,21; 1 Jn 2:6] 

 

2 Timothy 4:3-5 ESV

 

“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. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

 

Since we are all to proclaim the truth of the gospel, and we are all to speak the truth and to refute the lies, and we are all to help one another to grow to maturity in our walks of faith in our Lord Jesus, and we are all to exhort one another so we are not led astray by sin’s deceitfulness and by false teachers and false gospels, then we all need to be spiritually alert to the times in which we are living, which is what is being described for us here. And then we need to speak to these issues to lead people away from the lies.

 

Therefore, we must know that the Scriptures teach against us being followers of man and of man-made religion, and we are chided in the Scriptures against saying we follow this person or that person, which could be translated over to chiding us against being followers of church denominations, saying “I am a Baptist,” or “I am Methodist,” or “I am Church of God,” etc. For it is Jesus Christ and his Word which we are to follow, not men, many of whom now are teaching lies and not the truth.

 

Also know that Jesus spoke strongly against turning his house into a marketplace, yet that is what appears to be what is being done by the majority of gatherings of what are called “churches” here in America today. And we read in the Scriptures where we are not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers, and yet that is what is happening within these market-driven “churches” (businesses) in America today. And we are being told that we are to come out from the midst of them so that we do not share in the harlot’s sins and in her punishment.

 

But then we must accept the fact that if we speak the truth and not the lies, and if we confront and expose the lies for what they are, we are going to be opposed, even by pastors, and by others who profess faith in Christ, and even by family members. And we will be hated and persecuted for righteousness’ sake. But we must endure suffering for the sake of the truth of the gospel and for the sake of Christ Jesus, our Lord, and for the sake of the salvation of human lives from sin and from hell.

 

[1 Corinthians 1:10-17; John 2:13-17; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Revelation 18:1-5; Matthew 7:15-23; Matthew 24:11-14; John 10:1-15; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15; Philippians 3:2; 2 Peter 2:1-22; 1 Timothy 1:3-7; 1 Timothy 6:3-10; 2 Timothy 3:1-9; 1 John 4:1-6; Jude 1:1-25]

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkX53Gwipl8

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Hear my Voice

 

An Original Work / July 9, 2012

Based off Psalm 27

 

The Lord is my great salvation.

He’s the stronghold of my life.

When my enemies attack me,

My heart will not fear at all.

Though a war break out against me,

Confident in Christ I’ll be.

Of the Lord, I ask that I may

Live with Him eternally.

 

Hear my voice, Lord, when I call you.

Merciful to me You’ll be.

Though my relatives forsake me,

My Lord God will receive me.

Teach me Your way, O my Jesus.

Lead me in Your righteousness.

I will sacrifice to my Lord.

I will sing with joyfulness.

 

I am confident that I will

See the goodness of the Lord.

All the richness of His blessings,

My Lord has for me in store.

He asks me to be of courage;

To be strong and to take heart,

Patiently as I wait for Him,

And from Him to ne’er depart.

 

https://vimeo.com/119813963

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