Yesterday was a good day. I got up early, and a brother in Christ, his nephew and I drove two hours to hear some preaching. The day began with some of my students preaching the Gospel and how to share it boldly (two were my youth kids, and one I had the pleasure of teaching one week each semester for the last two years), and we heard some great teaching from evangelists on how to share our faith simply, caringly, and boldly. When it was time to go home, my friend, his nephew and I had a great conversation on what it means to have true peace in Christ. The day ended with a surprise, this young man, who seems shy and reserved, praying boldly with us at church, gathered with other men in the church, and shocking us all in the process. It was a good day! I say all of this because many of us are constantly lamenting the woes of the next generation, like Elijah in the cave (1 Kings 17-19 is a good read!). Yet, the Lord always has a remnant; from generation to generation, there are always those who will not bend knee to the gods of this world. We need to be of good cheer, Christ has overcome! We need to share with them, and teach them, and train them to boldly share the reason for their hope. We need to train them, guide them, and lead them, and they, in their turn will raise up the next generation. Our hope is in Christ. He died for our sins, He rose from the grave, and there is nothing that can hinder Him. That is where our hope lies! Let us lead the way to that great hope! 2 Timothy 3 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.
