SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 5/5/2025 9:22 AM
My Worship Time Focus: PT-3 “Opposers of the Truth”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: 2 Timothy
3:8-9
Message of the verses: “8 Just as Jannes
and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of
depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith. 9 But they will not make
further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, just as Jannes’s and
Jambres’s folly was also.”
In today’s SD I begin with a quotation from John
MacArthur’s commentary: “The apostle admonished members of the church in
Corinth, ‘Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves!
Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless
indeed you fail the test [Adokimos]?’ (2 Cor. 13:5; cf. vv. 6-7). Paul used the word in his previous letter to
that church, expressing fear that ‘possibly, after I have preached to others, I
myself should be disqualified [Adokimos]’ (1 Cor. 9:27). He was not, of course, speaking of being
disqualified from salvation, as were the men who were rejected as regards the
faith, but of being disqualified as a usable instrument, a vessel of honor, of
the Lord in ministry.
“Paul assured Timothy that, despite the great turmoil and
damage they cause the church, such men will not make further progress. In other words, they can seriously harm the
church and can prevent many unsaved from becoming saved; but they cannot rob
His redeemed people of salvation. Jesus
Himself assures us that ‘the gates of Hades shall not overpower’ His church
(Matt. 16:18), and that ‘all that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the
one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out’ (John 6:37). Until the Lord returns, ‘false Christs and
false prophets will arise, and will show signs and wonders, in order, if
possible to lead the elect astray’ (Mark 13:22). But they will not make further progress in
their evil schemes.”
I have to say at this point that this section of these
two verses is very long, but that does not make any difference to me as I
believe all who read from this section can learn things that will bring glory
to the Lord.
“Many times throughout history, the church has seen so
fiercely persecuted that believers have feared not only for their own lives but
for the very existence of the church.
But God has a boundary that proscribes the work of Satan, not only in
the church but in the world. He is on a divine tether that he can neither break
nor lengthen.” I really like that last
statement as it shows that God has planned the events of this world in eternity
past, and that there is nothing on earth that can change what His plans are for
this world. I realize that many times
that as one looks at what is going on in our world today that they could wonder
if God really is in charge, but fear not the Lord is always in control, and one
of the great things for us as believers is to realize that our prayers can be a
part of what the Lord is going to accomplish, so keep faithful and continue to
pray. I have mentioned that sometimes
that we who are living in this world as believers see the bottom of a tapestry.
We look at all of the seemingly scrambled threads from the bottom and have no
idea of what is on the other side, but on the other side it can be seen
something beautiful, something that the Lord has created and one day we as
believers will be able to see the other side and then again will realize that
the Lord was and is surely in control of our lives. We each have our own tapestry and one day we
will get to see the other side, and realize that the Lord has been making
something wonderful out of our lives.
Perhaps I will be able to finish this section as it looks
like MacArthur has some very interesting things he has written in the remaining
part of this section.
Spiritual Meaning for my Life Today: I trust the
Lord that when I get to look at the other side of the tapestry that then I will
realize all that the Lord has done in my life in order to bring glory to His
name.
My Steps of Faith for Today: I am
thankful to the Lord for answering a prayer request of mine that was to me like
an emergency and I wondered when He would answer it but He did and I am praising
the Lord for the answer to mine and my wife’s prayer request. (See Psalm 28).
5/5/2025 10:00 AM
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