Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  2024  Day 138

May 17;       I Timothy 4:6;        194/260;        ‘Instruct the Brethren’

1 Timothy 4:6 If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.

This chapter begins by telling us that as we go into the end times, some believers will walk away from the Word and embrace deception.  Recently a minister has come out and declared that he does not believe in hell.  Another said that he believed everyone is going to go to heaven.  Still another minister simply walked away from the Word of God stating that he no longer believed what he was taught.  Paul is telling Timothy in this verse that he will be a good minister of Jesus Christ if he stays committed to the sound doctrine he has been taught and always followed.  If we know the truth, we cannot be deceived by false doctrines inspired by the devil.  I am reminded that those whose job it is to recognize counterfeit money are taught what real money is, so that when they are given counterfeit currency they will recognize it.  Verse 1 speaks of deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons. As the rapture of the church approaches and the seven year period following the rapture called the tribulation, satan is working, doing all he can to deceive everyone he can.  Our greatest defense against this is to know the Word, believe the Word, be a doer of the Word and refuse anything that contradicts the Word.  God’s Word in this verse is called ‘the words of faith and ‘the good doctrine.’  The Lord Jesus, when we believed the Word, changed our lives in every way.  It saddens me that a few will believe a lie and will no longer be a vessel the Lord can use for His work.  Know and hold ‘tightly’ to the Word and all will be well.