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The Water of the Word |
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2nd Timothy
Here we have a hint of the hope of the pre-tribulation rapture of the believers in Jesus Christ. I am a pre-tribulation believer but not to the point that I accuse those that do not see it my way of being false teachers or deceived. He mentions His appearance and His kingdom. This may indicate two separate events. Of course we could read it as referring both comments as the same event. It's kind of exciting to study and try to figure out some things that are not for certain as long as it doesn't endanger our eternal salvation which disagreeing on the timing of the Lord's coming does not. I realize that some, not all post tribulation believers think that we are trying to escape trouble and live a life of Riley so to speak but that is simply not the case. I grew up around holiness people who were pre-tribulation and they were poor. They had tribulation and were willing to endure all for their faith. They had boldness to stand for their faith. They were not trying to live the good life and not suffer for the gospel's sake. They fully acknowledged that a time may come when they would suffer persecution for the sake of the gospel and taught that way. They were not trying to escape anything but believed that the scriptures promise an escape from the reign of the antichrist just before the great tribulation that the book of Revelation, Matthew 24, and a few other scriptures speak of. It is also called the time of Jacob's trouble. Jesus will come for those alive at His coming and those that have died in Christ. We call it the rapture or resurrection. There are other verses but one is the words of Jesus Himself:
Jesus is coming to judge the quick and the dead. The quickened are those that are alive at His coming and did not die a natural death. The dead are those that are died at some point before the coming of Christ the second time. Their bodies died before the rapture of the believers in Jesus Christ. There are some that believe the quick refers to believers and the dead refer those that are not saved. The reason that I often use the word believers instead of church is because the word church compasses anyone that claims Christianity and not all of them believe in being "born again" or changed by God's Holy Spirit.
Obedience is an important part of serving the Lord. There is a verse that says the Holy Spirit is given to those that obey Him in Acts 5:32.
Preaching is not supposed to be, little sermonettes that make us feel good. They are not supposed to be motivational speeches. Preaching is to reprove, rebuke, correct and instruct us in the word of God. We must be careful though not to go the opposite extreme and add to the gospel any doctrines and commandments of men.
People that turn from the truth and want to excuse their sin will go to listen to those that do not preach sound doctrine. This time is now. When we begin to tell jokes, say just what we think people want to hear, appeal to the senses, work up the crowds, and avoid controversial subjects, we are not teaching the word of God. For every comforting scripture in the bible, there are many more verses of warning. Both must be taught and kept in our hearts. There is a move in the world today to forsake sound doctrine for the sake of unity. This is not the unity Jesus taught. We are to come out of the world or the thinking of the world and be separate. We are to come out of any Babylon type of religion that compromises the truth. There are also those that tell us not to worry about teaching bible prophecy, yet God went to the trouble to have Daniel and the apostle John write it, so He must have meant for us not only to study prophecy but to understand it.
Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny may enter into this category but I believe that there are more to this scripture than that. I believe evolution is a fable although it is taught as a science. Myths such as stories of saints performing miracles after they die, legends of great men with no documented proof, fiction, epics and imaginations of writers and story tellers that put people's faith in anyone or anything rather than God. could be what is referred to here. I am even leery of modern day emphasis on angels. I believe in angels but not the way it is being presented in these days. The bible warns of worshipping angels also.
A true angel of God will never accept our worship. A true saint of God including Mary would never accept our worship. All true believers in Jesus are saints automatically when they are "born again" by God's spirit but we are never to be worshipped to considered higher or lower than another brother or sister in the faith.
Notice that the true fellow believer even if they are in heaven like the above scripture indicates, will not accept worship.
All through the new testament we are exhorted to watch and pray at all times. We can't do this enough.
When we love the appearing of the Lord it is a good sign that we are where we ought to be in the Lord. If we fear His coming, we are lacking. Won't is be wonderful for Jesus to look us in the eye and say, "Well done thy good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of the Lord."
It is possible to start out right and then turn away. If it were not possible to be lost, there would never be so many warnings to us to continue steadfast in prayer.
One thing about straying away is that at any moment we can turn back and repent. Here we see Paul recommends Mark when previously he was the cause of the disagreement that split his ministry with Barnabus. It seems as if Mark was in Paul's favor again.
When someone fights against what we speak or teach, it is very hard to overcome and not react in anger. First of all we should pray to make sure they are not right about their accusations for we could possibly be the ones in the wrong. If we are innocent of wrong doing, then we have to just leave it in the Lord's hands. Jesus never once gave us any authority to harm any person who opposes us.
This should be our attitude that others sins against us will not be laid to their charge. Remember Steven.
Here is our example to follow. Oh, how many times throughout church history have we forgotten the example of Steven. We must pray for those that even persecute us. I know it would not be easy.
Paul was faithful until the end of his earthly life when he was beheaded in Rome for his faith and for teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. He was determined to bring the gospel to the Gentile nations so that they too can hear the gospel, believe and be saved. DC |
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