Thoughts From 2Timothy 2 - Part 3

 Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. 2Tim.2:14

        I listened to a YouTube discussion between Allie Beth Stuckey and David French yesterday. It was entitled Allie Beth Stuckey (ABS) vs. David French (DF). Now first off, should two Christians discussing different views on contemporary issues use the word "vs."? It implies a battle or a WWF fight. It at least implies a quarrel which Paul is warning about. I will say it was very civil and they handled it like Christians should.

       As Paul talks about quarreling about words, I would say 4 come to mind - empathy, kindness, Trump, and Christian. You might argue pronouns as a fifth, but I will include that in kindness. First, empathy. ABS recently wrote a book called Toxic Empathy and DF referenced it in 2 articles in the Washington Post naming ABS as one of the problems among Christians. He argued that in a world where empathy is needed, ABS and others are labeling it as bad. ABS obviously took offense and said she wasn't saying empathy was bad and they argued over what empathy meant for quite a while. In the end, I think it would have been wiser for ABS to name her book something else because most of my Southern Baptist Church associates won't read the book and think that someone they respect is saying empathy is toxic so stop empathizing.

         Second, they argued about kindness. DF states he refuses to use the preferred pronouns of transgender people he works with (I'm sure he runs into a whole lot more than ABS). Rather he calls them by name. He did use a preferred pronoun in a piece he wrote and got called out, but he says that he didn't mean to. DF said that to call a trans to a female "he" isn't kindness but intentionally hurting them and creating a wall of offense. He will just always use their new name. ABS argued that truth is kindness and gave an example of a trans to a male named Jake where people that loved her refused to call her Jake but her original name and eventually through the reading of scripture, she was convicted and returned to female. DF argued, and I think fairly deftly, that the reading of scripture convicted her, not the refusing to acknowledge her name and pronouns.

       Third, they argued about Trump, how could DF tell people to vote for Harris over Trump when she advocates public funding for sexual conversion therapy even for minors and wants to pass a law legalizing abortion in all states. ABS argued that no matter how many flaws and how sinful Trump is, he is a friend to pro-life, conservative values and judges, families and non-woke ideology and is much better for America than Harris. It basically came down to priorities where DF valued the Ukraine war and NATO and the lack of constraint on Trump as more harmful to America. I personally agreed with DF on everything up until this one. I think his priorities are wrong here.

       Lastly, DF endorsed Tallarico, who is running as a Democrat for office in Texas and said that he was more "Christian" than most on the right because he exhibited more kindness, civility - basically more fruit of the Spirit than other candidates. ABS said that he may be acting more like a "Christian" but he is only acting. The fruit of the Spirit is from other spirit. How can a person who is pro-abortion, pro-gay, and says God is bi-sexual be saved? DF said that he wasn't willing to judge someone's soul. I had to agree with ABS on this one, too, that the antichrist is probably going to be the most winsome person ever. I think DF is so disliked, actually by both sides, that he can't help but wish people would be civil to him, and therefore elevates civility above everything.

      Anyway, Paul says arguing about words has no value and reading the comments I have to agree. I don't know if anyone changed their opinions but rather, if they hated DF going in, they hated him more now or despised him so much that they couldn't even listen to him and had to shut it off. Some were mad that ABS even gave him a platform. I didn't read a whole lot of pro DF comments because they probably don't subscribe to ABS and would be afraid or at least reticent to comment on her feed because it wouldn't end well. Paul instructs Timothy, as a pastor, try to avoid these things. Make the main thing, the gospel, the main thing. My comment on Paul's YouTube channel - I agree 100%.

Thoughts From 2Timothy 2 - Part 2

  Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. 7 Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. 2Timothy 2:5-10

       "God's word is not chained." What a great thought. All over the world, Christians are tortured, imprisoned, beaten, and killed for their faith, yet the gospel can't be stopped. Paul was imprisoned thinking that this would stop the damage he was doing to the fragile balance between Roman occupation and the Jews, and yet he is preaching to palace guards and writing letters to churches (and us) that would set the church on fire, even 2000 years later. If he hadn't been imprisoned, would he have had time to write these epistles?

      Is the gospel "chained" in your life. There was an attorney at our church who once said that he separated his faith from work; he didn't want to mix up the two. At work he was an attorney and everywhere else he was a Christian. The word WAS chained in his practice. Think of it this way - Let's say you pull into the parking lot at work and take off your wedding ring and leave it in the car. Why? Because you say I don't want to mix up my personal life with my work life. (Wow, this sounds a lot like Severance) 

So when you sit at your desk you have no pictures of your spouse or family, you don't text them or receive calls, you might even have some flirting relationships with co-workers because you aren't married at work. How do you think your spouse would feel about that? That's crazy, our relationships continue even at work! That's the problem with what this attorney was saying. His Christianity was a religion not a relationship. I take Christ into work and wherever I go because like my spouse, I'm married to Christ. Can that cause some problems? Absolutely, but my relationship with Him comes above everything else and if I suffer, then I suffer.

      Is God's word chained in your life or are you proclaiming it everywhere you go? Remember, this Word alone gives salvation and eternal glory. Don't hide it. That would be selfish.

Thoughts From 2Timothy 2 - Part 1

 You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. 3 Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. 2Tim.2:1-4

        A.W.Tozer wrote a famous essay called This World; A Playground or a Battlefield. Jim Wood, a pastor living nearby, once gave a sermon which could have been entitled Are you a Fisher of Men or a Water Skier? Both had the same point which verses 1-4 above reiterate. Are you treating the Kingdom of Earth as your home or the Kingdom of Heaven as home? If this is home then yes, build bigger houses, amass wealth, and live for pleasure because as the beer commercial goes - "You only go around once in life so reach for all the gusto you can." (I bet my grandkids have never heard the word "gusto")

 To try and get non-Christians to live a selfless, altruistic, philanthropic, and delayed gratification lifestyle is foolhardy and non-sensical. As Big Tent Revival used to say, "If you don't know Jesus, live it up because this is the closest you're ever going to get to Heaven. And if you do know Jesus, be encouraged because this is the closest you're ever going to get to Hell."

       If you got drafted into the military and sent to Iran to fight the Hezbollah, while you are over there, would you invest in property and contact a builder to build you a home? Of course not. You are an alien there, you are only on a brief tour there, and why would you want to build a house in barren desert land that is probably going to get destroyed anyway? The same is true of Earth. We as believers are short timers here, only visiting the planet and our home in heaven is a secure mansion compared to this, in comparison, dump down here. Yet as believers we get sucked into the draw of the world we live in and seek to amass treasures, standing, and a future down here when there is no future down here. This is something that we need to continually guard our minds, our children's minds, our grandchildren's minds against and it takes work to have the correct mindset because it doesn't come naturally.

      If our goal in life is to please Jesus, our commanding officer in this passage, then this mindset is what pleases Him. The writer of Hebrews agrees;

 "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.  People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them." 

     Have we been called to be fishers of men but instead we are using our boat to water ski and indulge ourselves? Sure, there's a place for both. Paul says in 1 timothy 6 that he has given us all things for our enjoyment, but yet if we don't consider seeking to save the lost enjoyable also, then the Holy Spirit has to work on our hearts. Lord, help me to see through Your eyes which can see through the smoke into the glorious Kingdom of Heaven waiting for us!

Thoughts From 2Timothy 1 - Part 4

 What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.15 You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes.16 May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. 17 On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me. 18 May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus. 2Timothy 1:13-18

        If you have ever disassociated yourself from someone who got in trouble, you might as well rename yourself Phygelus or Hermogenes. Not very catchy names but then again maybe you deserve a name like that. Here are the reasons that you might have disassociated yourself from them. First, you are appalled by their behavior and think that "Had I known that about them, I never would have been their friend in the first place." This reason implies moral superiority and a lack of grace. You consider yourself as morally superior in that you think, "I would never do that!" News flash - you are capable of that, we all are. Tim Keller would say that we all have the seeds of that behavior, they just weren't watered yet. It shows a lack of grace in that we were moral reprobates, yet Jesus came and associated with us. How can we not do the same?

        The second reason one might abandon someone who got in trouble is to do so, that is associating with them might drag your reputation down. This is not Kingdom of God or Holy Spirit thinking. Do you want to be popular on Earth for 70 years or popular in Heaven for all eternity. Drag my name through the mud all you want because the only one's approval I care about is the King of Kings.

         Onesiphorus went above and beyond because not only did he not abandon Paul, but he actively pursued him. We might drive to the local drug rehabilitation center or jail to show someone we support them, but would we get on a plane and cross the sea to see them and encourage them? Paul prays for Onesiphorus' family that they might be shown mercy at judgement. Since it's worthless to pray for mercy for someone once they are dead, unless you are a Mormon or Catholic, I have to believe that some members of his household have not yet been saved and Paul is praying that God would "make them an offer they can't refuse" like He did to Paul on the road to Damascus. "God, please throw some extra conviction on them, please!"

             Does this trigger any thoughts of people that you may have abandoned and need to go encourage and re-friend? Go do it!

Thoughts From 2Timothy 1 - Part 3

  He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11 And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day. 2Tim.1:9-12

        What a great passage! So much to ponder. First, that before God created man, "before the beginning of time", He knew we would sin and that He would have to send His Son to die and redeem us and He still did it. If there was another way, I'm sure the only wise God would have come up with it, but there wasn't. For people to say, "why do Christians claim there is just one way to God?", and get angry about it, is such an insult to God! Why is there even one way??

      Second, once we're saved, we are expected to live a Holy life. Sophie Cunningham, the white poster girl for the WNBA, recently was baptized, and I saw on Twitter today, she is working on stopping cussing. I would say there's probably a lot more she needs to work on, but it shows that the "seed" of the gospel has indeed implanted and started blooming. I'm guarded but yet excited.

 Also, as an editorial comment, as a Christian, I know all of Donald Trump's flaws and sins. I'm not blind or in denial like Franklin Graham - who I still respect for all his work with Samaritan's purse. But these public displays of faith that we are seeing day after day don't happen if Democrats and political correctness are in power, which due to Trump's egregious behavior will stop in 2.5 years.

      Third, God offers His Son, grace, purpose, immortality, assurance of salvation, death of death and the fear of death, and Paul proclaims it and everyone rejoices, right? No, he suffers for it. There is only one explanation why and that is that the world is deluded by and controlled by God's adversary, Satan. That is the only logical reason why immortality isn't embraced by everyone. It makes no earthly sense. But just like Noah who preached of salvation through an ark and was mocked, we need not be ashamed. We've heard God's voice and by faith know it's true and are just saddened that so few will be saved.

      Watched House of David on Prime Video and am once again reminded of Samuel's word from God that David would be the next king. If he truly believed that, in every battle including Goliath David was invincible. Paul likewise says,

"I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day."  Paul was immortal and so am I! What is there ever to be afraid of?

Thoughts From 2Timothy 1 - Part 2

  For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 8 So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. 2Tim.1:6-8

         In Amazon Prime's second season of Story of David, David is captured, with his men in Endor by the witch of Endor. It's interesting that the artistic license for this show isn't met with the online outrage that The Chosen is met with. And that a secular company would fund this show and the Chosen would have to be crowd funded. I guess "there's just something about that name." Anyway, back to David - the witch is going one by one down the line of prisoners telling things about them revealed to her by dark powers and telling them their future when finally, she gets to David and shrieks because of the power that is in him from the anointing of God placed on him by Samuel. We have a similar situation going on here with Timothy. Paul has laid hands on him and the Spirit of God rests on him with power to lead a fledgling congregation of first-generation believers even though he was probably only in his 20's.

     If you were say 25 years old and in charge of leading a church with babies to 90-year-olds, you would probably be overwhelmed and intimidated by the task and people older than you, more powerful and wealthy and influential than you. I believe this is what is going on here. Paul is reminding him not to be timid or ashamed. First of all, he knows the truth better than anyone having been taught by Paul and raised in a Godly home, so preach it with authority. Second, he has the power in him by his commissioning that those who stand against him will be dealt with by the Lord. He has to see past the earthly hierarchy of power and with the eyes of faith see the Kingdom of God power hierarchy.

      The danger of realizing the power you have inside of you is that you can start being prideful and unloving. Paul is warning him to remain humble and loving but it won't come easily. He needs to be disciplined in this.

      I grew up in a Christian home, went to Church all my life, went to a Christian college and came through these years with more Biblical knowledge than most of my peers. People recognized it and asked me to lead Bible studies and teach Sunday School classes and I was terrified. God was pushing me out of my comfort zone. When I succeeded at them, I got more and more confidence which turned into pride and I was totally unfit to be the leader that I kept being pushed into. Paul is recognizing that danger in Timothy and encouraging him yet warning him about the dangers.

     God has given you a gift. The body needs it. Don't be too scared to use it and when you succeed, don't get cocky.

     

Thoughts From 2Timothy 1 - Part 1

 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,2 To Timothy, my dear son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.3 I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 4 Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. 2Timothy 1:1-5

      The word life jumped out at me in these 5 verses and as we read on, we will see it more. There is life in Christ. Whether we use the word life to be the absence of death, or in a sense to mean a quality of life as used in the phrase, "He's living the life" - both are true of being born again.

     Even the term born again, implies a new life event where the old you is gone and the new you has begun. Paul realizes that he was once dead as an enemy of God in sin, just like Adam and Eve on the day they ate from the tree experienced death as promised by God, in the same way Paul's spirit was dead, and he could not commune with God. But God woke him up on the way to Damascus and said basically for Paul to stop doing what he was doing and start serving Him. Paul repented of his sins, believed in Christ and was brought to life in a spiritual sense. If we are created in the image of God to be triune, we have a body a soul and a spirit. The Spirit is the part that is not alive at birth and until we are saved or born again, we are 2D creatures meant to live in a 3D world. Do you ever picture unbelievers that way? It's like they are walking around in a TV screen, and you have jumped out of the TV completely, and it is totally done by faith. An alive faith. Lois and Eunice passed it on to Timothy. Don't ever be ashamed of "brainwashing" your kids with Christianity. Do you want your kids dead or alive? Do you want them 2D or 3D? Do you want them living in a TV or outside a TV?

      The second definition of life is a quality of existence. My Dad would often say, "Now that's really living" after eating Mom's Rhubarb pie or something he really enjoyed. We aren't meant to survive in life but to thrive. In a sense, we are meant to live in brilliant color while the rest of the world is living in black and white.

 Christ brings joy to life while sin leads to death and sorrow. Christ brings freedom while the devil brings bondage.

      Are you truly alive? Have you stepped out of the TV into 3D? Is your life in technicolor or black and white? Faith is alive. Trust Christ!

Thoughts From 3John - Part 4

  I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us. 10 So when I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, spreading malicious nonsense about us. Not satisfied with that, he even refuses to welcome other believers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.11 Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God. 12 Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone—and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true.13 I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. 14 I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.15 Peace to you. The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name. 3John 9-15

         Ring, ring

         Dude:" Hello"

          Diotrephes (D): "Dude, Come over now I gotta' show you something."

       Knock on door. D opens door

         Dude: "What's so important?"

         D: "Look, my name is in the Bible! I'm in there with David, Abraham, Moses, Daniel, etc"

        Dude: But look, it says you want to be first, It says you wouldn't welcome the disciple who Jesus loved and you are spreading malicious nonsense about him. It says that you are kicking people out of the church who are siding with John. D, I don't think this is as exciting as you think it is. I'm thinking Demetrius is looking better than you in this chapter."

        D: "Yah, I kicked that guy out. He was starting to get a big head and name-dropping people like John and others."

       Dude: "I think he is implying that you are evil and haven't seen God like you think you have. And it sounds like John is coming soon to set you right."

       D: "How can he say I'm evil when I'm in the Bible. Dude, 2000 years from now people will be seeing my name. I'm immortal."

      Dude: "I guess so, but i still think I'd rather be immortal like Demetrius."

   Have you been in a church with people like Diotrephes? I have and it's sad to say I've got some of him inside me. Francis Chan struggled with this love of being first so much that he quit his church and took his family to be missionaries to an obscure part of the world. He recently gave a message on the blessing of being unknown and just faithfully serving God in that capacity. That's what I want - at least that's what I want to want.

     I was once visiting my home church where I grew up in Brookfield Wisconsin, having moved away and coming back for a visit, and one of the elders confessed in the service that he was wrong when he opposed a pastor who was candidating for the job and God has set him straight and now he is in favor of the candidate coming. It all seemed very humble but as an outsider looking in I was thinking, how can one man have enough power to stop a candidate and now approve him? I remembered this guy from our premarital classes, and he had a "taking over" air about him. These are the dangers that churches have to deal with, and I've seen it in every church I've ever been in and, sad to say, I've been part of the problem in the past, God forgive me.

      Fight for anonymity. God knows who you are!

Thoughts From 3John - part 3

Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers to you. 6 They have told the church about your love. Please send them on their way in a manner that honors God. 7 It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. 8 We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth. 3John 5-8

          John has a strong sense of black and white in his writings that often seems harsh in our Western thinking. He's big on darkness vs. light, children of God vs. children of the Devil, Spirit of God vs. Spirit of the antichrist, saved vs. condemned, among us vs. not one of us, and in this passage brothers and sisters vs. pagans. The Webster's definition of pagan is "one not holding to the religious beliefs of the recognized religion", which is interesting considering that in actuality the burgeoning Christian faith would probably fit better under the definition of pagan. It's like in a group of 100 people, only one would be a follower of Christ and that follower would consider the 99, pagans. What gall! - unless there is only one "recognized religion" and that is what John would call "the truth."

           This is why James would say in Chapter 4 of his epistle,

 "You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. "

If we think that we can somehow be popular, loved, endorsed, financially supported by a system that is opposed to God, we are sorely mistaken or else our beliefs have become so watered down that we have lost the difference between us and the world and Satan is glad to keep us stuck in his web.

        When you received Christ, did you realize that it would pit you in an us versus them reality. How do we battle? With love only, no other weapon than that. When they persecute, we love back. When they hate, exclude, mock we love back. But recognize we are on the side of truth no matter how in the minority you might feel and don't back down.

Thoughts From 3John - Part 2

 It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. 3John 3,4

        There are 4 progressive responses to the Truth, and I believe all must be necessary for salvation. The first is knowing the Truth. Romans 1 says that the truth has gone out to the whole world through revelation of God in nature and Romans 2 says it has gone out to all mankind in a moral awareness. In other words, all mankind knows that we aren't a cosmic accident and there must be a cause behind our existence and you can either acknowledge that it's God or make up some other non-sensical cause. Then Romans 2 says we know there is a right and wrong and we violate it and we can either acknowledge we don't measure up or deny responsibility and evilness. This is the first part of knowing the truth but knowing the remedy must come through specific revelation from messengers of the gospel, that Christ came to take on our moral guilt and introduce us to the creator. We follow the Great Commission so people might know the Truth.

       The 2nd part is acknowledging that this is the truth. However, even the Devil acknowledges this to be true so that doesn't save you.

       Third is humbly receiving the Truth. I know the truth, I acknowledge this is the truth and I humbly admit I'm a sinner in need of forgiveness through Christ's sacrificial death for my sins. I said there are 4 responses necessary when in actuality, it's 3 that save you but the 4th flows from a genuine 3rd response. 4th is walking in the truth - the walk or footsteps of faith as described in Romans 4. As John would say in his first epistle, if we say that we have received Christ in salvation but don't walk in love or obedience, we really didn't get saved because we aren't transformed by the Holy Spirit living inside us.

      I have no greater joy to see my children and their children building marriages, homes, families with Christ at the center.

This is the highlight of my life, and with 11 grandchildren, it's vital that my wife and I

continue to help them walk in the Truth which is lifelong process.

Thoughts From 3John - Part 1

 The elder, To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.2 Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. 3John 1,2

         This is my favorite verse having to do with philosophy of Christian medical care. It recognizes the three important parts of the person that me, as a doctor, needs to address. First, good health. My eldest son, a doctor, is more in tune with this than I ever was. Our teaching had nothing to do with diet and nutrition and minimal training in preventative medicine. We were more focused on identifying diseases early so they could be treated. All of this is important to keep the body, the carrier of the eternal soul, alive and well and on this planet as long as possible. This unfortunately is where care stops with most physicians.

        The next part is the "all goes well" part. To me, this is the emotional well-being aspect or what we would call the psyche. Most doctors would rather not deal with this because frankly, who has time to listen to family, relational, work, marital, money problems, when patients are sandwiched tightly into time slots 15 minutes apart. Besides, you can't bill for that and there are doctors called Psychiatrists that chose to do this for a living. But as a Christian doctor who is supposed to care and love and show kindness, this is an essential part. Not only that, but so much of emotional distress triggers the problems with the body, that to adequately treat physical illness, psychological issues need also to be addressed.

      A good Doctor addresses parts 1 and 2 but a great doctor deals with the last one also and that is the spirit of mankind. To paraphrase Jesus (which is never wise), "What shall it profit a person if they live to be a healthy, happy 100 year-old yet lose their own soul. In other words, if I care for a person and they eventually die without knowing Jesus, they are going to Hell according to God's word. Therefore, I'm not really caring for someone if I don't care for their eternal soul that lies dormant inside of them. I must, at some point lead the conversation toward Christ. Frankly, it's much easier to do if you allow time to explore part 2, their emotional well-being because that often leads to areas that are in disarray because of a life of sin. Also, studies show that Christians live longer due to lack of sinful, detrimental habits to the health of the body, and also a renewed psyche filled with hope, peace, and joy.

       Can non-Christians be good doctors? Absolutely. Can non-Christians be great doctors? No.

Thoughts From 2John - Part 3

  I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.13 The children of your sister, who is chosen by God, send their greetings. 2John 12,13

        2John has a real family feel to it. You have elder, Father, Son, lady, children, one another all speaking to relationship, family, respect, subordination, roles, care and love. To think that one can become a Christian and not get involved in a body is a mistake. God saved us to be part of a body. John says that his joy isn't complete without face-to-face interaction with fellow believers.

       This is especially needed in this day where communication is often done with texting. Texting is far below talking on the phone which is far below face timing which is far below in person talking. I recently had an episode where I was in a text communication, and it was totally misunderstood. When it was read back, the person read it in a angry, "snarky" (their words) tone where it was anything but that in intent. If I had read it, it would have sounded completely different and I was once again reminded of John's words that he had much to write but he would rather communicate it in person, which is always wise.

     I've got to say, the worst thing about being in a church is the people, but this is also the best thing about being in a church. God uses the worst to refine us - how could we really learn love, long suffering, mercy, grace, compassion, gentleness, selflessness except for difficult people? God uses the best to bless us - our joy is completed. So many people leave the church saying, "I was hurt." Of course you were. There's people in the church. Did you love back? Did you show mercy back? You're like a marine who deserts saying, "They were shooting at me." You're like a boxer that leaves the ring saying, "That guy looked like he wanted to punch me." What do you expect. Get back in there and fight for the prize set before you.

Thoughts From 2John - Part 2

 And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. 6 And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.7 I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. 9 Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them. 11 Anyone who welcomes them shares in their wicked work.  2John 5-11

         This is the passage that is traditionally used to discourage Christians from inviting travelling cult evangelists into your house to discuss their faulty views while trying to win them over from the lies of Satan that deny the deity of Christ. But is this what this really means in light of the preceding verses that deal with loving people? I suppose it could mean that because you could certainly talk to them on the porch as I have done, but if we are truly concerned about their souls, we shouldn't do like this possum family.

   I think the main thrust of this passage is don't do anything to help them succeed. When you donate money to a charity, is any of that going to further an anti-Christian agenda? If you own a building, are you renting out space to someone who is working against the gospel of Christ? When you spend money at a business, are the owners supporting ministers of a false religion? You don't want to do anything that would further their agenda. We must be informed givers and with AI search engines, that information is at our fingertips. For example, did you know that Marriot Hotels and Crumbl cookies were started by Mormons? You have to believe that a small portion of what you spend there will go to the LDS church. It makes you think. (But I do love me a Crumbl cookie)

Thoughts From 2John - Part 1

 The elder,

To the lady chosen by God and to her children, whom I love in the truth—and not I only, but also all who know the truth— 2 because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever:3 Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love.4 It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. 

        Any idea what the theme was in this quarter of the book? John uses the word "truth" in his writings 43 times. This is relevant to today because people aren't really interested in "the" truth, they are interested in "their" truth which is ironic because their truth may be totally incorrect but it doesn't really matter to them. Plus, their truth may change over time which means one of them wasn't true. "Truth" is defined as that which is in accord with reality.

     One of John's most notable accounts of "truth" is found in Jesus' discourse with Pilate which is only found in his gospel, not the other three. It relates to today because Jesus was explaining who He was and the kingdom of God and explaining the truth and Pilate wasn't interested because his truth was that he had to keep peace even if it meant killing an innocent man. I suppose his truth was true, but Jesus is THE truth, so the question is which truth are you going to follow? What God asks us to do is submit our truth to His. What would that look like in Pilate's case? The truth was that he would lose his job, status, favor with the king, maybe even his life if he didn't keep peace which in this case was sentencing an innocent man to die. To put his truth in submission to Jesus' would have been to admit that what Jesus said was true and to follow Him no matter what the cost because his job and life is nothing compared to the wonder of following Christ.

           That's what happened with Saul/Paul who was advancing in power with the Pharisees by persecuting Christians until he met the truth on the way to Damascus, left his truth and followed the truth and proclaimed that whatever he was then was rubbish compared to the glory of knowing Christ.

       This is what John is talking about as he starts his letter to this body of believers. He is beyond excited that this group of believers have put their truth in subjection to THE Truth who has now given them a new truth which is in line with what is really true. Make sense? In my life, I was introduced to the truth at a very early age but in my college years, when I was on my own, I had to decide is this really the truth or have I been brainwashed. I knew like Trump, Joe Rogan, Jordan Peterson that this way of living led to a good life and wholesome world. But is that enough? Do you really want to be a Christian because it works even if it is not true and Jesus wasn't God and didn't rise from the dead? That's what Karl Marx called the opiate of the masses - let them believe a lie because it makes them endure suffering without complaining. No, I, like Tom Cruise in A Few Good Men wanted to know the truth and after investigating I was convinced that Jesus is The Way, The Truth, and The Life and no one comes to God except through Him.

       That's the truth and I'm following it (Him).