Skip to main content

Hold On!

            In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (II Timothy 3:12-17)

          Yes, tough times happen in the lives of those who wish to live a godly life in Christ Jesus. They get persecuted. Tough times also take happen in the lives of those who do evil and pretend to be someone they aren’t. They go from bad to worse. So, what’s the solution? Hold on. Continue. Fasten your seat belt.

          Specifically, hold on to what you’ve learned from people you trust. Hold on to Scripture. This is an especially important bit of advice in a time in which it seems that people call themselves Christians for any of a number of reasons that have nothing to do with following Christ. Some suggest we should pitch 99% of the Bible into the fire, keeping only those parts that make them feel good. It doesn’t matter to them what Moses, Peter, Paul, John, or even Jesus taught, outside of a few cherry-picked maxims that they’ve twisted. One of the big bits of twisting that has infiltrated much of our society is the idea that Emperor Constantine dreamed up Christianity as we know it today. Another favorite was the one I heard from a girl in college – that King James inserted all of the warnings about witches. It doesn’t matter that much of the Bible as we know it today has been traced back and checked against documents that predate the King James version. 

          One of the bits of advice given by investment counselors is that you buy stocks for the long-term. You don’t buy and sell based on every tiny breeze in the sails of the market. The same is true of your faith. It matters greatly what you believe – but in another sense, it doesn’t matter what you believe. If you change your beliefs based on every tiny breeze in the sails of your life, you’re going to have a storm-tossed life and no real hope for the future. If you hold onto Scripture, you’ll have a storm-tossed life, perhaps, but a strong hope for the future.

         

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"Especially to those who belong to the family of believers."

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Gal 6:10)   “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.   By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)           Joshua grinned when he saw Rex standing by the door, studying something on the ground. "Hey, man! Are we ready to do this thing?"          Rex looked up. "Josh, I can't do it. We're still best buds, but I can't stand your fiancée."           I've met "Rex" many times. I've been Rex. Joshua (Jesus) loves the Church. He's not a fool. He knows the Church is far from perfect, but she is His chosen bride. The Rexes of this world, who think themselves His friend, turn away from her. "You don't need the Church to...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ssssssubmmissssssionnn

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ . (Ephesians 5:21)             "Ssssssubmmisssssssionnn." Can't you just hear the serpent hissing this most horrible of words? If you listen to the serpent or the world, submission means groveling, allowing yourself to be abused, denying yourself your own humanity. Nothing could be worse than submission, could it?             Submission has never been a problem for me, as long as things are going the way I want them to. The rest of the time? Well, let's just say that while I don't know how to fight physically, I don't know how to not fight mentally. One of the fights I've been having with myself for years is about submission.             My first breakthrough took place on a trip to a bookstore. As I walked into the store, my thoughts were very clear. 1) I was goi...
Post a Comment
Read more

Shark Fins, Triple Dog Dares, Heroes, Villains and Sidekicks

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)            There's a scene in Jaws in which someone sees a shark fin and starts a panic. As   all the swimmers scramble to shore, boats surround the fin, which falls over to reveal two kids. With several guns pointed at them, one of the kids points at the other. The message is clear: it was his idea. In Christmas Story, there's a scene in which one kid "triple dog dares" another to do something stupid. Since it's a triple dog dare, well, what choice does the boy have? There doesn't seem to be any end to the trouble that peer pressure can cause. ...
Post a Comment
Read more