We the People of Johnson County Missouri, Wednesday, July 12, 2023 Some Thoughts on Our World...

Hi Folks!

Happy Wednesday!!

I was thinking today about what one of our upcoming speakers for We the People of Johnson County Missouri said, when I last heard her speak a few weeks ago. Counteract USA came to the Cowboy Church, and one of the things that stuck in my mind from the presentation was the verse Alli quoted: 2 Timothy 2:24 - 26.

In the passage, Paul the older apostle, is advising younger Timothy of what it takes to be a useful servant of God. He says,

24)“And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach - not resentful.

25) Those who oppose him, he must gently instruct in the Hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of Truth,

26) and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil who has taken them captive to do his will.”

WOW!!! There is SO much in those few verses!!!!

The first thing that struck me is, “Don’t quarrel!” Um…ruh roh. Sometimes when I hear of evil going on in the world, I want SO MUCH to quarrel with those folks. Talk them down; overcome them with arguments! I want to tell them how they’re wrong, how they’re following evil and doing evil, and unfortunately kind of yell my words at them. After all, if I talk louder, they’ll hear me better, right? Not.

Good grief. That is SO not what God asks of me. I need to teach. First off, that means I must know the Words of God to be able to teach them. I must be IN and aware of the Presence of God before I open my mouth. I must be SO AWARE of the Spirit of God inside me that I let His love and kindness come THROUGH me. That’s a challenge. A GOOD challenge. One I WANT.

Yeah, I fail some. I succeed some. And every day, I ask God to be more REAL through me, so people see HIS Light. It’s a fun discipline with results that give me a lot of Joy and satisfaction in this life.

Verse 25 also says I must NOT be resentful if they continue in their same path. Hm. Only God can do that through me. My tendency sometimes is to judge and resent the fact they are so “dumb”! Ooof! Bad choice.

I can do better. With God’s Spirit living through me, I can choose again and do what verse 26 says, “…gently instruct (them) in the Hope that GOD will grant them repentance, leading them to a KNOWLEDGE of Truth.” The same way He granted ME repentance and led ME to the Knowledge of Truth.

I’d like for someone I’m gently instructing to right then and there say, “That’s RIGHT! GOD is the answer I’m looking for!” Then repent and ask Jesus to save him/her. THEN. THERE. IMMEDIATELY.

HOWEVER…it’s GOD Who leads them to repentance. And Truth. I’m His tool. I get to work with God to move His Plan forward. That is a BIG privilege.

Verse 26 gives me a lot of hope!!! “…and that they will come to their senses and escape from the TRAP of the devil who has taken them captive to do his will.” Yeah, that’s what he’s done.

Remember hearing about the Stockholm Syndrome? According to britannica.com, “Stockholm syndrome is named for a bank robbery in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1973. Four people were held hostage by the robbers for six days; when they were rescued, the hostages attempted to protect the perpetrators, with whom they had an amicable relationship.”

Interesting, no? Here’s the reality - there is a God-sized vacuum inside every human God makes. If we don’t fill it with God, satan slithers in and fills it for us. People may get so accustomed to his presence they side with him and try to protect him against our own best interest.

God instructs us in Exodus 20:3 - 5 about how to fill that vacuum.

3) “You shall have no other gods before Me.

4) You shall not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything above - or anything in the earth beneath - or in the waters below.

5) You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the 3rd and 4th generation of those who hate Me,”

Okay, that’s pretty severe. God makes no bones about being a jealous God. Why? Because He made that God-sized vacuum in us, and He KNOWS what happens when we fill it with anything other than Him. It turns into an addiction and becomes disastrous. It doesn’t fulfill our need for Joy and Peace, instead it fills us with a tinny facsimile of “satisfaction” that screams for more. And more. And MORE.

His jealousy PROTECTS us. Wow.

I’ll be honest, I don’t know if God still visits His wrath on the 3rd and 4th generations, because this group of verses is found in the Old Testament. The New Testament shows us the new covenant we can have with God, that as soon as one repents of worshiping idols and turns to God, the blood of Jesus redeems him/her immediately into God’s family.

Idols these days often are more subtle, because they’re non-religious. Today we turn away from God for different reasons like people-pleasing, self-aggrandization, success in the world’s eyes, money, being Right(!) etc. The same still holds true…only God fills the God-sized vacuum with Joy and Peace.

Here’s the GREAT news!!! Verse 6 says, “…but showing LOVE to thousands who love Me and keep My commandments.”

Which brings us back to 2 Timothy 2:26 - “…and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil who has taken them captive to do his will.”

God changes hearts; my job is to let His Light shine through me, so people are drawn to HIM. God grants repentance; my job is to gently instruct and be kind to the person.

I’m looking forward to our next We the People. Do people a favor and invite them. Good stuff is coming.