“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?
Yes I will fight with you. I continue to be amazed at the opportunities God gives to me. Thanks Rosemary for continuing to encourage me.
ReplyDeleteYes. I think we truly are in a battle today like never before. Thank you for spurring others on to read and know His Word! Beth
ReplyDeleteJoining you with the right words using texts, calls, emails, letters, in person visits, etc.
ReplyDeleteYes, Rosemary! I am fighting with you and your blog friends, too. I am currently teaching the Bible to the staff of a Pregnancy Support Center. They thought that being pro-life and handing out diapers and clothing to mothers was enough. I raised the concern that while diapers and clothing are helpful to bring clients into the center, what they need most is Christ. And that we need to be equipped to teach them about Him. We need to know His word. Thank you for your words today that encouraged me much regarding a (so far) discouraging endeavor.
ReplyDeleteDo not be discouraged. You are making a statement by handing out diapers and clothing. Thank you for that. Maybe you can invite some of the women you help to start a Bible study. If you think the RBS is too hard for them, you might order my book called LIVING THE WORDS OF JESUS from Rafiki and going through one of the topics at a time with them. This has proved successful,
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