Advice for the Christian

Advice

“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:  
Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and  encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.  
For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  
They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.  
But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.” 
                                         2 Timothy 4:1-5
I believe the words of Paul here in second Timothy couldn’t be more appropriate to day.
We here in North America live in a wide open society. It is in many ways the wild west when it comes to what passes for Christian teaching.
People have slipped away from the truth. They are believing myths and out right lies. They are being deceived.
Over the years I have heard extraordinary claims. Ranging from peoples who claim amalgam teeth filling have been changed to gold in a church service. To preachers claiming we are living in a Christian society.
There have been doom sayer claiming Christ is coming soon. They at least are right.
    Jesus has said he will return. So he is coming. Weather or not that will be in my lifetime or another century or more from now he will come. I am convinced of that.
What we must however remember that it is not important when Christ comes. It is not important if a million miracles take place this year or if people can speak in tongs of angels and of men, or if we can prophesy. It is what we are doing for Christ that is important.
We must stay close to the word of God and not be led astray by myths.
Paul when he wrote this letter knew he was coming to the end of his life.
He was a man who had studied the scriptures long before he became a Christian. And at the beginning of his life had been a very real enemy of the Gospel of Christ. Yet God took this man and changed him around to the point he could say.
“For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure.  
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  
Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” 
2 Timothy 4:6-8
Keep the faith, study to show yourself approved. Stand up to those who claim to be Christians and are not. Correct those who are falling away or are being led astray. Don’t judge the world or any one in it.
But rather Go and tell as many as will listen to you the about the salvation Christ offers us. This is the duty of the Christian.
Are you doing it?
Think about it.