Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 2 Timothy 4:2
June 14, 2022
“The Best of Times. The Worst of Times.” The often quoted words of Charles Dickens could very well describe the apostle Paul’s final words to Timothy. Waves of apostasy have been washing up on the shores of the last days for over 2000 years. We are now experiencing a civilizational storm of increasing hostility to the Christian faith. Our churches are up to their ears in societal instability. How should we then live? Take the Bible seriously. Along with our reproving and rebuking the onslaught of evil around us and the battle with sin within us, we must come alongside those who need help. The church you attend should be a kind and truth-rich place. You have a right to expect a church that is taking God seriously to explain and apply Bible truth. If you don’t have a church like this near you, then compensate with ramped up involvement in Bible study, and give a helping hand to your brothers and sisters in Christ.
And about that matter of politics and the church. If Christians are renewing and filling their minds with the whole counsel of God (Genesis to Revelation), this ought to show up when they vote. That’s not the only way evil is overcome with good, but it counts for something. We need preaching and teaching. Preaching is the activity of proclaiming God’s Word. Teaching is the activity of instruction, utilizing the interpretation, organization, and application of Scripture to lives in order that change may take place. A final note. Don’t let your Bible gather dust. H
A time to read: Recommended, The Church in Babylon by Erwin W. Lutzer.