January 10, 2002
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-having a from of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. II Timothy 3:1-5 (NIV)
I believe we are living in the last days. I look around me and I see our churches full of people who meet the descriptions given above, and sadly, many of them are the leaders of the churches. The part of this verse that has been ringing in my ears for weeks and even months now, is the part of having a form of godliness but denying its power. How many of us have been taught a powerless belief? How many of us have been robbed of the knowledge of the power through Jesus Christ? Outward godliness is nothing. We must learn to experience that transforming power of Jesus Christ. I want to challenge each of you to examine the teachings of those whom you learn under. Look at this passage; do the teachers exhibit an outward form of godliness only? Do you exhibit an outward form of godliness only?
Let us look at what this passage says to avoid. We are to avoid those that love themselves, love money, that are boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loves of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure instead of lovers of God. Now, since we know that this passage is geared to those who are believers, this is a very strong warning to be on the lookout for people such as this. Examine yourself and those in the leadership positions around you. Do you love yourself more than you love others? Who is first priority in your life? Measure this against Jesus and how he lived his life. What are your priorities? What is your attitude? How do you act towards your parents? Do you harbor unforgiveness in your heart? Please, examine this list and ask the Lord to examine your heart. We must be pure and holy and live in true righteousness through the cleansing of the Holy Spirit. We must learn to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. Use the measuring rod God has given you to make sure and those whom you learn under are under the leadership of the only true God.
Father, help us as we truly learn to examine what we are being taught, who we are following and how we are living our lives. In Jesus name, show us what it truly means to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. Father, living in these last days can be very treacherous business if we don’t know your word and how you would have us to live. In Jesus name, put a hunger within each of us to dig into your word, to learn, to grow in wisdom, and to put on the very nature of Jesus. Father, in Jesus name led us as we learn what it means to experience the power spoken of in this passage, amen.
All rights reserved: Amy Seelbach
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