Opinions and Strongholds

2 Corinthians 10
For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.
2 Corinthians 10:18


LET IT GLOW

Who doesn't like praise and compliments? I certainly do. When was the last time I was complimented on a meal or dish which I really worked hard to make? I don't remember, actually. I do remember the last time I was complimented on an outfit I was wearing. How about a job well done? Can't recall.  What about  you?
Any thanks lately? It puts an "umph" into our step, a smile on our face, and a warm feeling inside, doesn't it?
Of course, everyone has an opinion and often expresses it, whether in the form of a  praise or criticism. That's why "they're a dime a dozen," as the cliche goes.
However, Paul tells us whose commendation is the most important-the Lord's.

In Experiencing God Day-By-Day, Blackaby says:

Whose opinion matters most to you? It is common for all of us to seek approval for our actions.
We value opinions of our friends, colleagues, employers. The esteem of others can claim such importance that it becomes our way to measure our worth as a person.
The affirmation "Well done!" that Jesus received from the Father became Paul's goal as well. After his conversioon, Paul understood that God's evaluation of his actions was what mattered, not his own opinion of himself.
The commendation that matters most is the one that comes from God.


LET IT GROW

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; (Verses 3-5)

John Gill tells us that we are to use our spiritual weapons in this war-Scripture of truth, sword of the Spirit, Word of God, the whole armor of God (Eph. 6).

David Guzik says," The spiritual weapons Paul used were the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes of the gospel, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, sword of the spirit. The weapons were mighty in God for pulling down strongholds! When we fight with truth, righteousness, evangelism, faith, salvation, the Word of God, and prayer, no principality or power can stand against us."

Matthew Henry states, "Ignorance, prejudices, beloved lusts are Satan's strong holds in the souls of some; vain imaginations, carnal reasonings, and high thoughts, or proud conceits, in others. These strong holds are pulled down by the gospel as the means, throught the grace and power of God."

Shepherd's Notes states: A stronghold  is a fortress. The military had a practice of building strongholds. "Paul described the fortification of the soul by reasonable arguments to render it impregnable under attack of adverse fortune," says Colin Kruse.

Okay, I know that I'm in a spiritual battle, so I need those weapons that are spiritual. What are some practical ways to overcome these strongholds? I found the answer in the following book.

"When Godly People Do Ungodly Things"  by Beth Moore:
The very nature of a stronghold is that something is exalted in our minds contrary to the knowledge of God.
Breaking free from these mentally obsessive strongholds always requires bringing those previously exalted imaginations into the captivity of Christ's authority. We have divine power to demolish strongholds.

Our weaknesses and areas of ignorance are huge vulnerabilities to seduction, which can quickly lead to sins committed inadvertently. We know that Satan's seduction is purposeful, scheming, and utterly intended for evil. It is well planned and timed; nothing about it is accidental or conincidental.

A concise profile of a seduce-proofed Christian:
1. He is happy in his faith.
    1 Thessalonians 5:16, "Rejoice always!" (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
2. She abstains from evil.
    1 Thessalonians 5:22, "Stay away from every form of evil" (HCSB).
3. He is unceasing in prayer.
    1 Thessalonians 5:17, "Pray without ceasing."
4. She is thankful and gives thanks.
    1 Thessalonians 5:18, "Give thanks in everything" (HCSB).
5. He doesn't quench the Spirit.
    1 Thessalonians 5:19, "Don't stifle the Spirit" (HCSB).
6. She does not despise instruction, exhortation, or warning.
    1 Thessalonians 5:20,"Don't despise prophecies" (HCSB).
7. He tests and proves all things until he recognizes what is good.
    1 Thessalonians 5:21, "Test all things. Hold on to what is good" (HCSB).
8. She allows God Himself to sanctify her through and through.
    1 Thessalonians 5:23, "May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through."
9. His whole spirit, soul, and body are kept blameless.
    1 Thessalonians 5:23, "May your spirit, soul, and body be kept sound and blameless" (HCSB).
10. She knows that the One who called her is faithful and He will do it.
      1 Thessalonians 5:24, "He who call you is faithful, who also will do it" (HCSB).
11. He knows he needs prayer.
       1 Thessalonians 5:25, "Brothers, pray for us also" (HCSB).

Examine your own life. Can you see where the enemy is laying groundwork to defeat you? Maybe it is a relationship, a business deal, an addiction, or something that consumes you.
The mind is the biggest battlefield we have on which our spiritual battles are fought. The serpent could get to us with wholehearted, sincere, and pure devotion to Christ by seducing and corrupting our minds.
 (2 Cor. 11:2-3) Let God sanctify us through and through-all the way to the inner court of our minds.
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." Mark 12:30

It looks like I need to rememorize 1 Thess.5:16-25 and Eph. 6:10-18.
(Sorry this was so long, but I felt it was needful.)


LET IT GO

Strive to please the Lord.

Keep my spirit, soul, and body blameless.

Stay pure in my thoughts.

My Cup Overflows

2 Corinthians 9
But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.
2 Corinthians 9:6-8


LET IT GLOW

Don't we like those free gifts? One came to me yesterday in the mail, after I researched this chapter, getting it ready to post. What a surprise it was, a refund on prescriptions bought years ago. One hundred dollars! The company had overcharged and was forced to refund its customers. (It wasn't free to the company, who had to fork out the money.) My husband asked what I was going to do with it. I replied,"buy more medicine next week."
I think God was using this for an illustration for us concerning this chapter about giving. I had decided to give something to a family in need and God blessed my gift before it got out of the house. I had purposed it in my heart to give. Wait a minute. Why not give the money, too? The family could certainly need it more than I, since their house burned last week. Okay Lord. my cup overflows. I have clothes on back, a warm house to live in, food on my table, and Jesus in my heart. What more do I need?

How about you? When was the last time you gave someone a free gift, expecting nothing in return?
(Note: I'm only telling this to show how our Lord keeps His Word, not to toot my own horn.)

Verse 15 tells us,"Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift."
NLT says it this way, "Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!"
NAS says,"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!"
Beck Version tells us,"Thanks be to God for His gift that is more than we can tell."

This "gift" which Paul is talking about, is in reference to the gift of God's Son, Jesus Christ. He is given to us out of love, an indescribable gift. He is our salvation, dying in our place as payment for our sins.
Romans 6:23b states,"but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Ephensians 2:8-9 explains,"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."
We can't work for this gift, earn it, or deserve it by birth right. It is a free gift for us to reach out and receive by faith, believing in Jesus. It can't get any better than that, can it? Certainly it is incomprehensible that someone would die for me, a sinner. Thank you Jesus!


LET IT GROW

Looking at our key verses, we see the "sow-reap" principle. An example of this is when the farmer sows seed for his crops. If he sows just a little seed, he will only get a small harvest; if he sows much seed, he will get a large harvest. So it is with us. We will get a return on what we have sown.

What do we reap when we give?
David Guzik answers, "Blessings that are both material and spiritual. Materially, we can trust that God will provide for the giving heart. (Philippians 4:19) Spiritually, we can trust that God will reward the giving heart both now and in eternity. (Matthew 19:29)"

Guzik went on to say,"Every Christian should be a giver. Not grudgingly (reluctantly, regretfully given with plenty of complaining) or of necessity (made to give or minipulated). A cheerful giver (cheerful in the Greek is the word hilaros, is root for our English word hilarious) God wants us to give happily, because that's how God Himself gives! Jesus taught even the smallest gift, if given with the right heart, would not go unrewarded (Matt. 1:42)."

Does that put a different perspective on it?

In the devotional book, Experiencing God Day-By-Day, Blackaby said:

"If God finds in you a generous heart that willingly and freely gives what it has to others, then God responds toward you in like manner. Let us choose to sow generously in everything we do in our Christian lives. The harvest we reap will be Christlikeness."
Concerning verse 8, Blackaby said, "When you relate to God you always deal with abundance, for God does nothing in half measures! This is true regarding His grace. He is not miserly when it comes to providing grace to His servants. When you seek to perform a good work that God has asked you to do, you will always find an ample supply of God's grace to sustain you."


LET IT GO

Thank You Lord for Your free gift to me and others.

Use me to share Your love today.

Show me the needs of others and help me meet those needs, materially or spiritually.

For Richer or For Poorer

2 Corinthians 8
For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.   2 Corinthians 8:9


Background:

Liberty Bible Commentary says:

Chapters 8 and 9 of this epistle concern the offering for the poor saints at Jerusalem. It took 8 years to accomplish; involved thousands of miles of travel; at least 10 collectors involved; nearly cost Paul his life and did cost him much of his freedom. An earthquake and crop failures contributed to their needs at Jerusalem church.
Paul had a definite plan of missionary giving becoming a primary part of every church Paul established.(1Cor.16:1). There was careful, businesslike handling of all the finances. Each was to vote their own financial representative (verse 23).
Paul never calls the offering "money" because he never seems to think of it as such. Instead, he calls it "grace,"  "generosity," " blessing," or " partnership." He speaks of the "grace of giving" as one of the highest Christian virtues.


LET IT GLOW

Did your marriage vows include "for richer or for poorer?"  Ours did. Of course, that was 38 years agoand the preacher already had the vows written. Nowadays, they write their own vows and say whatever. Jesus was both rich and poor. How as that?


How was Jesus rich? He was equal with God in power and glory, rich in all the glory and blessedness of the upper world.

How was Jesus poor? He became man for us, and poor. He was born in poor circumstances, lived a poor life, and died in poverty.

How does that effect us? Jesus became poor for our sakes, so through His poverty we might be rich.

Rich is what? So we can be rich in love and favor with God, rich in blessings and promises of the new covenant, rich in hopes of eternal life, being heirs of the kingdom.

This is a good reason why we should be charitable to the poor out of what we have, because we ourselves live upon the charity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
[Resource: Matthew Henry's Commentary]

"Why would Jesus need to become poor for our sakes? It fulfilled the heart, will, and plan of God, making salvation possible," said David Guzik.

My, I'm so grateful that Jesus became poor so I can be rich in Him.


LET IT GROW

Verse 21 says, "Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men."

John Gill tells us, "Maintain a good reputation, good opinions, credit among people and the Lord Jesus Christ."

Those who handle money in the church should have those qualities. They should be trustworthy and above reproach, and accountable,  in my opinion.

I think Paul would challenge us to be honest in all things, in the sight of Jesus and people.


LET IT GO

I want to be spiritually rich.

Share my riches, spiritually and materially.

Always be honest.

Promises, Promises

2 Corinthians 7
Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.   2 Corinthians 7:1


LET IT GLOW

"I promise you I will...."
Have we heard that line or spoken it ourselves just to turn around and break the promise we made? Maybe I didn't use the word "promise," but I said I would do something and then not do it. Guilty. What happened to the days of "one's word"  being worth a hand shake or signing on the dotted line? It's gone, I'm afraid. We don't take our words, promises,  serious enough. That's why there are 20 pages to sign when one takes out a loan at the bank. They cover all bases, don't they? And so it should be for their protection.
Promises, promises. What things do I say I will do, and don't do it? What things do I say I won't do, but do it? Something to consider.
Matthew 5:37 tells us,"But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay; for whatasoever is more than these cometh of evil."

A promise, according to Webster's Dictionary, is one's pledge to another that one will or will not do something.; give one's word to.

I'm here to tell you that there is one who keeps his promises-our Heavenly Father, God. If He says it, we can "take it to the bank" so to speak. Look at the first verse again. I had to ask, "What promises is Paul talking about?"

Here's what The New John Gill Exposition of the Entire Bible says they are:

• That God will walk in His temple (us) (2 Cor. 6:16).
• He will dwell in His churches.
• He will be their God, and they His people.
• He will receive them (2 Cor. 6:17).
• He will be their Father, and they His sons and daughters (2 Cor. 6:18).
• He will give them a new heaven and new earth.
• Christ will come back to receive His believers.
• They had communion with God.
• They were received, protected, and preserved by Him.
• They had promises and blessings of grace, absolute and unconditional.

It sounds like a good beginning of a list. There are hundreds of promises in the Bible. What He made to the people in the Old and New Testament times, applies to us, brothers and sisters.

Will you share with us one of your favorites?
Mine is found in Hebrews 13:5, which quotes parts of Gen.28: and Joshua 1:5, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."


LET IT GROW

Verse 10 in the NLT states,"For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There's no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death."

Blackaby says in the devotional book, Experiencing God Day-By-Day:

There is a difference between worldly sorrow and  godly sorrow, though both are deeply felt. You can feel genuine sorrow over something you have done. Your mind can become consumed with your failure and offense against God and others. Judas had this kind of sorrow. He betrayed the Son of God for thirty pieces of silver, the standard price of a slave. Yet his sorrow did not lead him to repent and to seek restoration with his fellow disciples, but rather to a lonely field where, in his anguish, he took his own life (Matt. 27:3-5). Judas carried his sorrow to his grave.
How different Peter's sorrow was! Peter, too, failed Jesus on the night of His crucifixion. Peter also went out and wept bitterly (Luke 22:62). Yet Peter returned to Jesus and reaffirmed his love for Him (John 21:15-17). Peter was not only remorseful; he was also repentant. Peter's life changed. There is no record of Peter ever denying his Lord again, even when he was persecuted and threatened with death. Peter repented, turned his life around, and never committed that sin again.

Which reaction will (we) I have?
God wants the godly kind of sorrow which leads us away from sin and to repentance. God sees my heart and knows if I am sincerely sorry for my sins.


LET IT GO

Keep my promises.

Repent with godly sorrow and turn away from that sin.

Who is Walking Among Us?

2 Corinthians 6
And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living god; as God hath said, "I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate," saith the Lord, "And touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters?" saith the Lord Almighty.
2Corinthians 6:16-18


LET IT GLOW

Paul had a lot to say in this chapter. It's almost a mental over-load. Paul endured more than his share in order that the gospel was preached. It helped me as I read what Jerry Falwell had to say about the arrangements of phrases:

Liberty Bible Commentary:
There are 27 categories divided into 3 groups of 9 each. Here they are:
I.  Trials (verses 4-5)
     affliction (troubles), necessities (hardships), distresses (difficulties); stripes,  imprisonments, tumults;
     labors, watchings, fastings;

     NLT says,"We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. We have been
     beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhausion, endured sleepless nights, and gone
     without food."

 II. Divine Provisions  (verses 6-7)
       purity (freedom from immorality), knowledge (insights to cope with difficult situations), long suffering,
       kindness, Holy Ghost, love unfeigned, the word of truth, the power of God, armor of righteousness;

       NLT says,"We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the
       Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love. We faithfully preach the truth. God's power is working in
       us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense."

III. Victory Over Circumstances (verses 8-10)
        honor and dishonor, evil report and good report, deceivers, and yet true, unknown, yet well known,
        dying, live, chastened, not killed, sorrowful, rejoicing, poor, making many rich, having nothing,
        possessing all things.

       NLT says, "We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us.
       We are honost, but they call us impostors. We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live
       close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. Our hearts
       ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing,   
       yet we  have everything."

Falwell said,"Paul had learned to abound and be abased, he had learned to have much, and nothing. For he had learned, on a practical level, the lesson of our Lord in Luke 12:15 "...a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth."

I think it's all about endurance. Paul endured so much.
Endurance means a remaining  under. (from Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words)
"Endurance refers to constant strength under difficuly. In modern terms it could be described as coping successfully with life," states Shepherd's Notes.

Oh, to have only a smiggen of Paul's endurance. It is too easy to run away from our problems, ignore them, or to just give up or give in.
 Psalm 18:2 tells me the Lord is my rock, fortress, delieverer, God, strength, in whom I will trust, my buckler, horn of salvation, and high tower.
Sounds like He is what I need.


LET IT GROW

Who is walking among us? Maybe the question is "With whom are we walking?" There was a time when I walked on a track with two Christian girlfriends. We would share events of our day, our feelings, problems, and concern for each other. Beneath the surface were our values.

Paul gives us instructions in verse 14a, KJV, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers."
Williams version says it this way, "Stop forming intimate and inconsistent relations with unbelievers," while the NLT states it this way,"Don't team up with those who are unbelievers."

It sounds like to me, that Paul wants believers to marry, have business associates, and friends that are also believers. Life is hard enough when those people in our life are Christians, much less the added pressures, differences, and focus when they are unbelievers.

In verse 16c, Paul is quoting Exodus 29:45 and Leviticus 29:11 when he says,"as God hath said,' I will dwell in them,and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.' "

Liberty Bible Commentary says "in" is best rendered "among."

I want God to walk among me and my associates. How about you?


LET IT GO

Have endurance and faith in God, Who is Sovereign.

Be particular with whom I am walking through life.

Old Versus New

2 Corinthians 5
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.   2 Corinthians 5:17


LET IT GLOW

Happy New Year!

I like new things, don't you? What kind of new things do you like? I like to open a new jar of peanut butter, break the seal, and stick my spoon into the smooth, never used peanut butter. (You thought I was going to say finger, didn't ya?) I like the smell of a new car, which has only been experienced a few times, but I remember it. I like to be the first one to open new packages of items, then be the first one to use it, whatever "it" is. I especially like putting on a new outfit to wear. I makes me feel good. How about you?

Well, this is a new week of a new year. It's always good to reflect on last year-events, decisions, changes, actions, words, activities, exercise program or the lack, diet, etc. Are there things I would like to have done differently? Of course. But they can't be changed, only forgiven. Now is the time to think about new things, especially the heart and attitudes.
What's Paul talking about in our key verse, old and new things?

Matthew Henry's Commentary states:

If any man be a Christian indeed, he must be a new creature. This ought to be the care of all who profess the Christian faith, that they be new creatures; not only that they have a new name, and wear a new livery, (a uniform, especially of a servant) but that they have a new heart and new nature. And so great is the change the grace of God makes in the soul, that, as it follows, old things are passed away-old thoughts, old principles, and old practices, are passed away; and all these things must become new. The new man acts from new principles, by new rules, with new ends, and in new company.

All right then, I see that I need to let old thoughts, such as hurt feelings and words, unforgiveness, anger, stay in the past, under the blood of Jesus. "What's in the past stays in the past," someone once said. Don't carry them into the new year with me. Be motivated by love.

Next, I need some new practices, such as daily Bible reading and prayer time, praise and worship of God, my Savior. (every day, not just when it is convenient)

Get some new rules and principles to live by, which  come from the Word of God. When I find them, I'm supposed to memorize and apply them, not leave them behind in The Good Book. Remember them throughout the day.

New company means watching who I run with, not gossipers, cursers, worldly ones, but make Christian friends my company. "Evil communications corrupt good manners," says 1 Cor. 15:33.

New ends? Maybe that means I should keep my focus on my new residence-heaven, where my Savior resides, and not getting too comfortable here on earth. I tend to forget that I'm on a journey and I'm not home yet.

John Gill tells us to have " new affections, desires, delights, joys. We have new eyes to see with, new ears to hear with, new feet to walk, and new hands to work and act with."
Colossians 3:2 states, "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth."

So with new eyes I can see the spiritual needs of people; with new ears, I can hear their cry for help when it isn't spoken; with new feet, I walk where Jesus leads; with new hands, I do the work and action for Jesus, not myself.

Blackaby in Experiencing God Day-By-Day says:

Jesus has a wonderful way of restoring us when we fail Him! He does not humiliate us. He does not criticize us. He does not ask us to make a resolution to try harder. Rather, He takes us aside and asks us to reaffirm our love for Him.
As you begin a new year, you may be painfully aware that you have failed your Lord in many ways. Perhaps you were not faithful, disobeyed His Word to you, denied Him by the way you lived. Jesus does not need your resolutions, your recommitments, or your promises to try hareder this year. Jesus asks for your love. If you truly love Him, your service for Him in the new year will be of the quality that He desires.

Wow! This makes a full  backpack  for our walk of life, huh? I need some help carrying mine, tho. I have failed a lot.

Lord, help me to be sensitive to Your Spirit's leading this year. Change my heart and thoughts into ones that honor You. Keep me loving You, obeying Your Word, and loving others. Please forgive me for these sins. Bless my friends as they strive to live for You.
In Jesus name I pray. Amen


LET IT GROW

Did you know you are an ambassador?
Verse 20 says,"Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God."

David Guzik says:

Ambassadors for Christ: Paul sees that he serves in a foreign land as the representative of a king. The King has a message, and Paul is delivering that message as though God were pleading through him.
An ambassador doesn't speak to please his audience, but the King who sent him. He doesn't speak on his own authority; his own opinions or demands mean little. He simply says what he has been commissioned to say. He is more than a messenger; he's a representative, and the honor and reputation of his country are in his hands.

As an ambassador of Christ, what was Paul's message to us? Verse 20 tells us-be reconciled to God.

Webster's Dictionary says reconcil means to restore to fellowship, bring into agreement.

I agree with God that I'm a sinner and in need of His forgiveness. Then I ask Him for that forgiveness in Jesus' name.

Like Paul, we are ambassadors for Christ. Our message is love and forgiveness of our Savior Jesus Christ, sent to proclaim to a lost and dying world.


LET IT GO

What do I need to apply or let go? Change old  attitudes, old words, old actions int new ones.

Speak for Jesus.

Do my best to live a life that represents Him and  that of a Christian.

How Does it Seem?

2 Timothy 3-Part 1
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  2 Timothy 3:1


LET IT GLOW

Here is what Swindoll's New Testament Insights on 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus has to say:

Paul wanted Timothy to know, ginosko, which is in the present tense. It can be literally translated, "You keep on knowing this!" In other words, " Be ever mindful of this as you carry out your duties!"
What is this? In the last days perilous times shall come. It refers to the time between the birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem and His return in Jerusalem to set up His kingdom. The last days are centuries long, and they will go from bad to worse.

Perilous is a word meaning " hard to bear, troublesome, dangerous, grievous; harsh, fierce, savage: of men."
(Thayer's Lexicon)

Was Paul trying to frighten or discourage Timothy? No, he was only telling Timothy what he could expect.
"In the last days, savage times will be upon us," someone said.

The same Greek word that is used to describe the two violent demoniacs of Gadara (Matt. 8:28). This suggests that the violence of the last times will be energized by demons (1 Tim. 4:1). (Wiersbe)

Perilous can also be described as "difficult." Classical Greek used the erm to describe wild animals or a raging sea. (Swindoll)

The word times had to do with epochs, rather than clock or calendar time. Such savage, dangerous eras or epochs will increase in frequency and severity as the return of Christ approaches (verse 13). (MacArthur)

Anyway, it is going to be bad times in which to live, isn't it? Am I ready?

LET IT GROW

Since I have been a pastor's wife for 31 years, experience has taught me that "not all things, and people, are as they appear." So, not everyone in the congregation of a church is what he or she appears to be. Therefore, we must always be alert and lead by the Holy Spirit for discernment. We must be aware of the dangers and prepared to meet them, right?


What reasons did Paul give for such "savage times?"  I will answer this question by using eighteen adjectives and descriptive phrases characterizing human depravity, spoken of by Charles Swindoll in his book, which is mentioned above. However, instead of discussing all 18 today, I will divide them up. (He uses the NAS.)
 

1. Lovers of self. All of us are selfish to a degree, but this describes a deeper level of self-love. Self-lovers see everything in the world only as it affects them. Every event is viewed to bolster their own sense of superiority, significance, or safety. They seek the comfort and promotion of self above all else.
2. Lovers of money. Materialists seek wealth and possessions as a means of power, control, security, personal worth, and even love. Not that there's anything wrong with wealth, but the love of it is what we must avoid. Money-lovers are driven by greed.
3. Boastful. The Greek term describes a con artist, a vagabond who moves from town to town, making big promises, raking in money, and then disappearing overnight. The seek their own glory while providing nothing of worth to those around them.
4. Arrogant. This compound Greek word combines hyper, "over" and phaino. "appear" or "seem," to express the idea of being exalted over others. It was both possitive and negative in the Greeks' use.
5. Revilers. Our English word blasphemer comes from the Greek word blasphemos. To blaspheme is to curse, slander, or treat someone with contempt. It disrespects another.
6. Disobedient to parents. This is the first of fieve terms with the negative prefix a-, which is "dis-" or "un-". The root word is peitho, "to be convinced, be persuaded." These people who have rejected their parents' house rules, reject their counsel as well. With unresolved parent issues, they will have authority issues extending into all aspects of their lives.

All right, friend, are you still with me? We have two more lists to go, so keep walking with me through this chapter and don't go leave me here alone, please. I already have people going through my mind as I read the description by Swindoll. Now I need to ask myself if any of these apply to me personally.


LET IT GO


Be prepared for the difficult, savage times ahead. Trust Jesus and follow His Word.

Don't love myself and money to the extreme.

Don't boast and arrogant, but be humble.

Treat others with love.

Respect my parents, even though they have gone home. Teach my family to be respectful.