We are living in the last days of Earth’s history. The “future” will be very short. I think no more than a lifespan. Of course Jesus can stretch out the time, or shorten it. We are no longer living by time, but by events.
The churches have wandered so far from righteousness that few people are left to bring the world back from the precipice. Like the world before the flood, there just isn’t enough righteousness to stem the tide of wickedness. In the few short years ahead the world will become far more religious, but far from righteousness. For those who are not spending hours a day in study of God’s word, they will be deceived. The “religion” of the world will look perfectly righteous.
The churches of today, all of them, have fallen away from the righteousness of Christ. It is all about money, power and numbers. The original gatherings of Christians had nothing to do with “membership” but relationship with Jesus. Jesus didn’t say, where hundreds are gathered together, but where “two or three” are gathered together. The concept of “gathering” had nothing to do with how many, but with sincerity of heart. “Gathering” had nothing to do with church. “Gathering” had to do with those who were willing to change their lives and give up the world? Now you see why it was just “two or three”.
The churches of today have departed “from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons”. Yes they have. The demons do not care how many times you sing about Jesus. They do not care how many times you pray to Jesus. They do not care how many times you use the name of Jesus. They only care if you live in obedience to Jesus. After all, Lucifer will come as Jesus. So all these churches that are using the name of Jesus are actually bowing down to Lucifer. He loves it!
1 Timothy 4:1 to 1 Timothy 4:16
Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, . . .
People love the “deceitful spirits and teachings of demons”. Those teachings give them what they want. What do they want? Sin! They want the world and Heaven too. The churches are filled with “deceitful spirits and teachings of demons”.
When Lucifer comes as Jesus, the churches will accept him with open arms, just as the Jews welcomed Barabbas into their arms while crucifying Jesus. Barabbas represented everything the church wanted: separation from Rome, power, authority, willingness to fight for the nation. Jesus was a wimp. He was just wandering around the country listening and being kind to poor retches. Not the kind of “man” the church wanted to follow.
. . . through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, . . .
Walk into any church and listen to the “insincerity of liars”. It doesn’t matter if they are quoting a text from the Bible or mentioning the name of Jesus. The intent is to get you to believe in the man or institution instead of Jesus. Truly, their “consciences are seared”.
. . . who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
There are religions that forbid marriage to their priests. Totally against the Bible. God created man to marry a woman and populate the earth. Then of course, there are those individuals who require you to abstain from all foods that are not organic, vegan and sanctioned by the god of climate change. Their consciences are truly seared with selfishness, pride, ego and religious nonsense.
For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, . . .
If one doesn’t know how to swim and jumps into the deep end of the pool, he is liable to drown. If you don’t know how to swim, the deep end can be dangerous. Most people are jumping into the deep end of the Bible without learning how to swim first.
Paul knew his Old Testament. There was no “New” Testament for Paul to read from. He read and studied his Old Testament and knew Israel was allowed to eat anything that had been approved by God. There were certain conditions for health reasons. However, by the time of Christ, the church had so perverted the teachings of God that rituals surrounding food became more important than the food. Paul was attacking those church rules, rituals, ceremonies and traditions and not the Old Testament rules given by God.
. . . for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.
The church of Christ’s day thought that their rituals, rites and ceremonies made the food holy. No, it was the Word of God and prayer. Being thankful. If you bought meat from the market, that had been offered to idols, and you prayed over it, it was fine to eat. But the church was afraid it might have been offered to idols and therefore, had to be cleansed by ritualistic services, etc. Such nonsense.
If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed.
And what did Timothy follow? The Old Testament! That is why Paul chose him. “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.” 2 Timothy 1:5. And where did they get that “sincere faith”? Of course, Old Testament. There was no New Testament for them to read.
Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; . . .
How true! Silly myths. Silly people running around saying you can’t eat peanut butter, or margarine or food that isn’t organic or food that is Genetically Modified, etc. I don’t think God has a problem keeping you safe from all of the above since God is able to keep you safe if you “pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison”. Mark 16:18.
. . . for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
Yes, “bodily training is of some value”. Whether that bodily training is self-control in your appetite, thinking, sexual life, or physical life, it has “some value”. But godliness, righteousness and living the perfect, sinless and Commandment keeping life “holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come”. But again, churches and religions are trying to make foods, rites, rituals, ceremonies and bodily training more important than character development.
I understand about “bodily training”. I was paralyzed from the neck down for some time. Bodily training has been very important in my life. But I try never to let it become more important than my character training. It wasn’t the “bodily training” that saved me, it was the word of God that told me to get up and walk. God does the healing.
The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance.
The churches need to believe this.
For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
That is correct. Our hope is not set on food, drink or clothes. Our hope is “set on the living God”. When we get our focus off of our churches, our pastors, our denominations, our religions and plant our focus squarely on Jesus and His teaching, then everything else will fall into place.
Command and teach these things?
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our churches, religions and denominations actually commanded and taught these things.
Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.
Just because someone is middle-aged with a lot of degrees and letters after their name doesn’t make them worthy of our ears. Those who live as an “example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” are worthy of our ears. Since I didn’t have a Paul to guide me and teach me, I’m still working on those last examples.
Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.
That is an interesting statement, “devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching”.
Public reading of Scripture. This does not include man-made philosophy, theology or arguing about Scripture. Just read it! That is what this ministry is attempting to do. Just put out Scripture in a way people can understand.
To exhortation. As we read Scripture, we are to exhort, urge, persuade, appeal and to encourage people to live in obedience to Scripture. We are not to exhort them to come to church. We must make every effort to bring them to Jesus. Jesus is in His Word.
To teaching. As people are drawn to Scripture and Jesus, they need teaching, schooling and training in order to live the perfect, sinless and Commandment keeping life.
Each of us is responsible for those three things in our lives. Look around you and see whom you can begin the process of bringing to Jesus. As you pray for help, Jesus will send His Spirit to help you. That is what He did for me so that now I am putting out His Scripture publicly through many avenues.
Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you.
We all of gifts. Each one of us has been endowed with gifts from the Spirit of God. These gifts vary from one person to another, but they all come from God to fulfill His plan. All you have to do is take inventory of yourself and ask, “What can I do to draw people to Jesus?” The Spirit of God will point you in the right direction.
Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress.
Practice. I wonder how much practice we put into our Christianity each day? If you were practicing for a part in a play, you would spend hours rehearsing and rehearsing your part. How about an instrument? How much time do you spend on it? Practice makes perfect. You are an instrument of the Lord and have a part to act in His play. How good are you?
Immerse yourself. I grew up a few miles from the beach. We went there often. I notice there were those who stood back and watched the water. They were not interested in touching it. Then, there were those who stuck their toe in the water, but that was about it. They would walk along the water line letting the water lap upon their feet. Then there were those who immersed themselves in the water. They loved the water and were very active in swimming, surfing, diving and just immersing themselves in the water. How is your immersion?
All may see your progress. People walking along the water line can claim to be great swimmers. People on the beach can claim to be great swimmers. But only those immersed in the water and are swimming, actually let people see their progress and joy in the water. Which one are you?
Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.
Keeping watch on our thoughts, actions and what we see and hear is an interesting concept. Most just go by their feelings and what they want or what the church tells them. Probably that is why few will be saved. They just aren’t keeping a close watch on what God requires for their salvation. How sad.
Let us look to Jesus and change any and everything in our lives that does not adhere to the teaching and life of Jesus.