Do you remember the classic TV game show “To Tell The Truth”? Maybe you have seen the remake of it. I would sit and watch it with my granddad. Trying to guess which of the three contestants, all claiming to be the real person…, was that real person. Sometimes I would guess the right person but most of the time I was wrong. Even back then it was not really new. In Jeremiah 28, you could say, “Would the real prophet of God, please stand up?”
In 2 Timothy 4:3-4 AMP, we see that people want to hear that it is okay to do that as long as it makes you feel good about yourself.
For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine and accurate instruction [that challenges them with God’s truth]; but wanting to have their ears tickled [with something pleasing], they will accumulate for themselves [many] teachers [one after another, chosen] to satisfy their own desires and to support the errors they hold, and will turn their ears away from the truth and will wander off into myths and man-made fictions [and will accept the unacceptable].
We see it in kids team sports, everyone gets the same trophy for participating because they don’t want to make the kids feel bad for not being on the winning team. Adults throwing temper fits because they don’t agree with what is going on. You can’t say this ot that because you might hurt someone. What happened in the past is offensive so get rid of the statues, don’t mention it in the textbooks, even change streets/parks/schools names because that person was offensive to someone and we can’t have that.
As we see in the time of Jeremiah as well as today when people give into the do your own thing and don’t hurt anyone when you do it, society begins to fall apart.
Let’s back up to the first two verses of 2 Timothy 4, once again from the Amplified Version.
I solemnly 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 [as an official messenger]; be ready when the time is right and even when it is not [keep your sense of urgency, whether the opportunity seems favorable or unfavorable, whether convenient or inconvenient, whether welcome or unwelcome]; correct [those who err in doctrine or behavior], warn [those who sin], exhort and encourage [those who are growing toward spiritual maturity], with inexhaustible patience and [faithful] teaching.
We are official messengers on Jesus. This is the message of the cross and God’s love. It needs to be told no matter what is going on or if someone thinks it is offensive. It is to be used to correct behavior, or doctrine, warn those who are living in sin to come to Jesus, exhort and encourage other believers to continue to grow and mature in Christ; all through faithful teaching of God’s Word. Not picking and choosing a verse here and there that sound all “Everything is going to be all right.” We need to teach the hard parts too.
This is one of the hard parts, we are to have inexhaustible patience (screeeeech). Yes, the “P” word. It is not just any type of patience but an inexhaustible patience. So that means the person that we all have in our lives which wears our patience thin no matter what we are to have patience with them. The only way we can have that kind of patience is to be in the Bible and prayer daily. We can’t do our own strength we need God’s help to bring the Truth to a world that has already rejected it over 2000 years ago.
Bonnie Sue Writes 