2 Timothy

I just sat down to read 2 Timothy for tonight. Boy Oh Boy is it intense. One might think that I would have learned my lesson after reading 1 Timothy in one sitting. But, Nope. There is just so much in these books.

Here are two things that completely rocked me.

1. Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs - he wants to please his commanding officer. Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes by the rules. -- 2 Timothy 2: 3-5

My immediate thought is that people really don't read the Bible. If they did, they would read things like this and go, "Oh. So if i party hardcore all week long but go to church every Sunday... that's still not good enough? I'm suppose to live like a soldier would and obey rules? Really?"

2. 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. -- 2 Timothy 4:2-4

My jaw dropped and I thought, "This is us now." Arguments are made left and right about all sorts of things, for the sole reason that anyone can make anything look the way they would like it to. Just make a sound argument and, "Ta Da" You've got yourself a new theology. woop woop! That's why it's so important that we read EVERY day in order to stay sound and solid in the Living Word of Christ Jesus.