Video Talk

2 Timothy 2:22-26 ESV

“So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.”

Youthful passions are not just youthful, for they are any sinful passions like lying, cheating, stealing, sexual immorality, adultery, slander, gossip, drunkenness, wild parties, etc. We are to flee them all, and the Scriptures have several places where they list them for us, as well as they have lists of the things that we ought to do in place of the sins. For instance, we are to pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace. And this is the essence of the gospel message, dying to sin and living to God and to his righteousness.

Put Offs and Put Ons: [Matt 5:27-30; Matt 7:21-23; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; 1 Co 6:9-10; Gal 5:16-24; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 3:5-11; 1 Thes 4:1-8; 1 Tim 4:7; Titus 2:11-14; Heb 12:1-17; 1 Pet 1:14; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10]

And then we are not to get engaged in foolish and ignorant controversies and arguments which don’t matter for eternity and which only stir up strife and hatred. Like for example, we should not fight and argue over when Jesus is going to return. Only God knows for sure, and Jesus is going to return when he does, so it saves no one from hell to debate this subject. The main thing we need to stress is that we are ready when he does return so that we don’t hear Jesus say, “Depart from me you workers of lawlessness.”

Now I have been writing on the internet for 18 years, full time for nearly 17 years, mostly just sharing what the Lord is teaching me through his word each day, in addition to sharing songs and poems. And so I have had responders who have tried to bate me into getting into foolish and ignorant controversies, and I can’t say that I never did, but over the years, via experience, I have learned to spot these and to not enter into these types of discussions. And I may be still learning.

The important thing here to remember is that truly the only subjects worth debating, in my opinion, are those which will impact our eternal security one way or another. And we have to guard against getting into nit picky foolish arguments which involve name calling and false accusations, and the like. We must be kind, but it is kind to speak the truth in love. Lies are never kind! And if people call us names to try to bate us, unless the Lord leads us to defend ourselves, sometimes it is just better to let it go.

Praise the “I AM!”

An Original Work / February 24, 2012

Jesus, my Savior, full of compassion,
Glorious in power, mighty in strength;
Gracious Redeemer, mighty deliv’rer,
My heart adores Him. Praise to His name!
Perfect salvation my Lord provided
When He died for my sins on a tree;
Crucified my sins; conquered in vict’ry,
When He arose, so I could be free!

I am so thankful for His forgiveness;
Grateful that He chose to pardon me,
Giving me new life full in His Spirit,
So I can serve Him; His servant be!
Walking in daily fellowship with Him,
Obeying Him whate’er He commands;
Forsaking my sins, living in freedom,
I will endure with Him to the end!

He gives me peace and calm reassurance
In times of sorrow, or in distress.
His grace is sure, and oh, how sufficient
To meet me in my need for sweet rest.
Oh, how I love You, Jesus, my Savior.
My heart longs for You where’er I am.
Your word is precious; speaks to my spirit;
Brings comfort, healing. Praise the “I AM!”