Last Lessons #29 – READY

“Be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.  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.”  2 Timothy 4:2-4

How should you and I respond to the false teaching in our church, to the indoctrination in woke ideology of our children in schools, to the lies constantly propagated in the media, to the loss of our freedoms, and to the harm to victims of abortion, crime, unemployment, and persecution?  I know I do not know how to respond to all the alarming things that we face today.  I know that as a Christian I can fight back against these things, but I cannot fight with violence - not that an old lady like me could hurt anybody anyway!  But I do have a weapon – WORDS.  I can fight with words. But the words I use must be true and to the point.  I read a lot, listen to a lot of people speak, and watch a lot of the news, but I have learned that I cannot always trust what I read, hear, or see on TV.  I really don’t know if all the words I receive are true.  But I can trust the words in the Bible.  The written Word of God is trustworthy.  The Bible tells me the truth and makes it clear.  It educates me in how to fight with words of reproof, rebuke, and exhortation.  And to do so with patience and good teaching.  

I have tried to educate myself in truth by studying the Bible for many years but the more I study the more I realize how little I know.  That’s why I keep on studying.  For sure, the more I learn from the Bible, the more I will be ready to speak to the critical issues today.  

We Christians are in a battle today like we have never been before, and we must be ready to fight with words.  That’s why I am literally pleading with you to immerse yourself in Bible knowledge.  Here are some suggestions:

• Pray that God will show you what he wants you to do
• Go to a doctrinally sound church where you get Bible expositional teaching.
• If possible, teach the Bible in a Sunday School class.
• Read and study the Bible privately every day.
• Participate in family devotions.
• Read good Bible commentaries.
• Get in a group Bible study where you are encouraged and held accountable to study.

There are a number of good Bible studies available, but the best one is the Rafiki Bible Study (RBS).  It is intended for small group in-person study with questions for discussion and printed notes.  You can get more information about the RBS from Rafiki’s website https://www.rafikibiblestudy.org/

My point this week is that if you do not know your Bible you will not be ready to fight the serious problems we face today with words that reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.

You are not helpless.  You can fight with words.  Use your words to speak personally to others outside your own family.  Write your words to congressmen on the issues that are most concerning to you.  Use social media (if you like that stuff!) to inform your friends of the truth that you believe.  Write letters or emails or texts to fight for the truth because you know it.  You know it because you know what the Bible says!

I promise that I will fight with the words God gives me for as long as I can.  Will you join me?

Last Lessons #28 – PERSECUTION

I used to memorize scripture in my younger days. I’m not so good at it now, but I am glad that there are those verses that come back to me when I need them. For example:

“Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” 2 Timothy 3:12

It seems that today when Christians are pro-life, pro-family, pro-truth, even pro-GOD we are persecuted. The present-day persecution started full-swing when left wing non-Christians cancelled right wing Christians for speaking against the sins of our country. The next steps in persecution have been ridicule and firing of employees who do not agree with the policies of the party in control. We can be sure that next there will fines and/or imprisonment for speaking out and protesting against unjust and harmful laws made by leaders.

Yes, persecution will come to all those who are not quiet and obey, but especially to Christians. Jesus said, “Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me they will also persecute you.” John 15:20

But there is another passage in Scripture that I’m glad I memorized many years ago:

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:11-12

The reason that the prophets were persecuted was because they spoke out. They spoke for God about what was right and what was wrong in the culture of the times. They were not afraid to speak because they had the authority of God behind them. Some of them suffered imprisonment or were killed because they dared to speak the truth (Matthew 23:29-31). No one is persecuted for just being quiet. But Christians who are brave enough and strong enough to speak out to our culture today about what God says is right and what is wrong, will be persecuted. It will happen. The question for me is, “Am I willing to suffer for Christ?” Not suffer for what I think but suffer for what God says in his Word. Going back to our verse, when we are persecuted on Christ’s account, we can rejoice and be glad because our reward will be great in heaven. Personally, I am not too excited about being persecuted or waiting until heaven to be rewarded! However, I am convinced that if enough Christians speak out today about the truth of God’s laws and are willing to be persecuted for it that some of the evil laws of this land could be changed.

Finally, the Bible tells us as Christians how we are to respond to persecution. “When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure.” 1 Corinthians 4:12

I pray that I will be up to the challenge. How about you?

Last Lessons #27 – UNITY

 “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity.” Psalm 133:1

Everybody is talking about unity, or the lack thereof, today. The Bible also speaks about unity and when there cannot be unity. In order to have unity, the parties must have common goals. They must want the same things and work together to accomplish the same ends. This is true in marriage, in church, in business, in organizations, and in countries. Right now, the United States does not have unity. Some are calling it the “Un-united States”. The reason that the United States is divided is because our two political parties have such different goals for this country. Republicans want to keep America a free-market republic and Democrats want to make America a socialistic democracy. This divide is quite apparent so we are concerned that America may destroy itself. The Bible says,

“If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.” Mark 3:24

Kingdoms (or countries) may not stand because of divisions, but the Christian Church will stand because it is unified. Simon Peter stated that Jesus was “the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus said that on that statement he would build his church. Jesus said, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18. Nothing will be able to destroy the church. The reason the church will stand is because it is united with Christ. It is one whole. Christ is the Head and Christians are the body. We do not have to save the church. Christ will do that. Besides that, individual Christians can have unity with each other because we have the same goals – to glorify God in this life and to enjoy living with him forever.

But right now, we are living in this life and faced with dis-unity in our country. What do we do about that? Informed and thinking Christians do not have the same goals as those who are in power in our country at this time. How should we respond? I have learned from Scripture that as a believer in Christ I should not try to have unity with unbelievers.

“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God.” 2 Corinthians 6:14-16

That does not mean that I cannot cooperate on some things with unbelievers. I just cannot be “yoked”, or united with them. I cannot unite with them if they want abortion and I don’t. If they want same-sex marriage and I don’t. If they want to legalize drugs and I don’t. If they want to limit free speech and I don’t. If they want to hate their enemies and I don’t. However, I can cooperate with unbelievers on wearing masks if that’s what they want. And I will pay the taxes they demand even if I am not happy about it.

My goal should be to help unbelievers become believers so that I can be united with them. That’s why I pray every day that God will be gracious to the President and Vice-President and give them the faith to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. I know those two say they are Christians, but their actions speak louder than their words! Surely we as Christians can unite to pray for our leaders that God will save them before it is too late for them and for our country.

Last Lessons #26 – FEAR NOT

 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”John 14:27

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

It seems that we are all afraid of something, or many things, today. We fear that we might get the virus, we fear that we might lose our job, we fear that we might not have enough money to send our kids to college, we fear that we might lose our freedoms, and we fear death.

It’s interesting that the command most often given in the Bible is not “love others” but “fear not.” God knows how prone we are to be afraid. Fear makes us anxious, worried, troubled and sometimes paralyzes us. That is the reason God tells us again and again to “fear not”, “be not afraid”, “be not anxious”. I have learned and continue to learn that when I am afraid, I need to see what the Scriptures says about my fear. For instance:

• When I fear I might be cancelled for speaking up for what is right, I need to check out Mark 13:11.
• When I fear I won’t have enough money to pay my bills or buy what I need, I should read Matthew 6:25-33.
• When I fear death I need to read again Psalm 23:4 and John 8:51.

I also need to remember that God has never promised me that I will not get a virus or some other illness. But he has promised to give me wisdom to do what I can do about it. I don’t have to be paralyzed by fear. I can go to a doctor, take medicine, wear a mask, or whatever keeps me as healthy as possible. Then trust that I am in God’s hands.

If I speak out (as I should!) about what is right and what is wrong, then I can prepare myself by having my facts straight and knowing what I stand for. I can pray for courage and then trust God with the results.

If I am worried about not having enough money for my necessities, then I look for ways to make money by working and saving the money I have. I don’t just sit and expect God to provide for me through the government.

If I am afraid of death, I need to prepare for it, because it will surely come. I know the Lord will come for me soon (I’m 91 years old) and I have been putting my affairs in order

and praying that God will prepare me to die to his glory. I am not afraid of death because I know I will never see death (John 8:51) and I will be with my Lord, but I admit that I am afraid of the process of dying. I just hope it won’t be from this stupid virus!

In 1957 and 1958, my husband Bob and I lived in London where we had the amazing opportunity to go to Westminster Chapel on Sundays and hear Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preach. I will never forget it. But earlier than that, in 1951 during a time of terrible political fear and unrest in England, like we face today in America, Lloyd-Jones preached a series of sermons on John 14:1-12. It later became a book called LET NOT YOUR HEART BE TROUBLED. I recommend it to you during these days when fear is so prevalent. I have read it more than once and have given it to my children and many others.

“Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

John 14:27