2 Timothy 4:1-5
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
This passage is very powerful, especially as Paul sees the future so clearly. Yet I wonder about the message for me, as I am clearly not a teacher/preacher. The best I can do is to teach by example, but even there I often fall short. Maybe the message for me today is to remember that I am one of those knowing the truth, knowing Christ, and able to share what I know and believe with others. That is always possible, when we look and listen for the opportunities God puts in our path.
Heavenly Father, help me see opportunities to share my faith. Help me to see opportunities to share your love. Send me, God. Amen
Becky, transforming
2 Timothy 4:1-5 We seem to have lost sight of how to blend correction and rebuking with encouragement and careful instruction. While this is a great skill to have in ministry, all could benefit from cultivating this combination in ideal proportions. As for sound doctrine, please don’t get me started. Scripture is the standard by which all Christian ministry should be evaluated. Everything else must be relegated to the church of itching ears.
Prayer - Lord, Jesus, our Teacher and Corrector, may we continually learn from Your example to share our faith with integrity, sincerity, encouragement, humility and above all, love. Amen
TAA
Two Timothy 4: one – five 5: but you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the good news, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you. I often wonder if I am doing what God wants me to do. Is it enough? I look around my Church and my community to see where my talents can be of help. Sometimes I wonder if he wants more from me or he wants me to step out of my comfort zone to do more. I am stepping out of my comfort zone Sunday when I preach at Hillside. That is an awesome responsibility. I’m glad I only do…
2 Timothy 4: 1-5 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do t…