Today Was one of those days when I questioned certain aspects of my ministry. I was preparing my sermon for Sunday, and God asks the people about a fast they inquired of Him. “Who do you do this for?” Well, I do a bi-weekly video, few watch it. I do an almost daily blog, a few read it, and I do an almost daily verse of the day and meme-page, and, you guessed it, few look at it. I asked myself “Who do you do this for? If it was for you, surely, you’d be trying to go after more followers. Surely you should just give it up? You’ve had a good run, right?” The thing is, though, the few who follow me are not people in my direct sphere of influence. There are Christians I encourage in other parts of the US, and, indeed, the other parts of the world. That should be enough to keep me going, right?
That’s an ego, thing, though. Do I preach for followers and likes? I would be lying if I said the fleshly part of me would like to see more. Really, though, I have to tell someone about Jesus. That’s it. Whether in a blog post, or a picture, or a video, I have to tell someone. I say, facetiously, if you stapled my lips shut, the Gospel would leak out of my ears, and yet, that is what it truly is about. I have got to tell somebody. I have to tell me, daily, about how good God is, about who I have been, and how, though I may not be happy with who I am now, I can see how far Christ has brought me. So even if that person is me, I’ve got good news to tell, that I am set free, that Jesus died and rose again for sinners and to raise the dead, and that anyone who comes to Him can have the freedom I do!
2 Timothy 3:1-4:8
But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.
You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Chapter 4
I 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; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3For 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. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
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