The Pilgrim Path---Second Timothy 3: 1 – 5 (3—29—23)

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…

“…THERE WILL COME TIMES OF DIFFICULTY”

It should not shock us that the world is very worldly. We have had some sustained periods of calm, but the last 40 years or so---have been an ever-exploding era of unbridled self-absorption and self-expression. The Apostle Paul told Timothy not to allow unholy people to direct his life (verse 5). All manner of folk make claims about walking with Jesus---but their lives have little to substantiate their talk. Your walk talks---and your talk---talks. But your walk ---talks “louder” than your talk---talks! In these dark and difficult days---days of death---the Followers of Jesus are to “show” people how the disciples of Christ behave. As Chuck Colson used to say, “we show the world the difference---concerning the way we behave about: money / cancer / marriage / death / sex /---We show the world the difference as Followers of Jesus.”

With the Holy Spirit’s power, we pray and press on. We use the means of grace every day. We deny ourselves and take up our cross---and follow Jesus---The One who loved us and gave HIMSELF for us. Pull out Hebrews chapter eleven (11). We are marching in a long line of faithful souls---King Jesus will favor US and get US home! Tears will come---triumph is ahead!

From Samuel Rutherford: I hope ye are not ignorant, that if peace was left to you in Christ’s testament, so the other half of the testament was a legacy of Christ’s suffering (John 16: 33).

From Theophilus Gale: Do not let your thoughts and affections run so deep into the world as to become one with it! O what a tyrannic sovereignty has the world over those that love it! It takes away all sense of divine concerns. When a man’s thoughts, inclinations, affections, studies, and cares pay tribute to the flesh, what is he but a slave to the flesh? God must be our supreme object of satisfaction above all lower goods, the object of our strongest passions…

Grace & Peace in Jesus, The Only Redeemer of broken and wretched souls, Pastor Jason