Verse of the Day 5/1

Through the Bible - 2 Kings 4-5, Luke 23:26=43

 

Good morning,

During the past century "secularism" has been having a greater and greater impact on our society.  It is at a point today where religion, especially Christianity, is felt by many to be something that is to be kept separate, from daily life.  In a sense, we are encouraged, or should I say something stronger, to keep our faith to ourselves.  Secularism gives the assertion that public life is to be lived without any reference to God or religion.  Our faith should not transcend, overlap into our everyday life.

 

Ox Guinness defines secularization as " the process by which religious ideas, institutions and interpretations have lost their social significance."

 

Ravi Zacharias writes, "this is not a mild mannered drawing of lines, but, more accurately, a hostile takeover..... The success of secularization in keeping religious convictions out of the public arena is touted in vengeful terms.  Science has vanquished theology.  Reason has embarrassed faith."

 

Today's verse comes from 2 Timothy 2 where Paul is instructing young Timothy of how to deal with this opposition.

2 Tim 2:24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, 25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, 26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.   NKJV
or from the Message

2 Tim 2:24-God's servant must not be argumentative, but a gentle listener and a teacher who keeps cool, working firmly but patiently with those who refuse to obey. You never know how or when God might sober them up with a change of heart and a turning to the truth, enabling them to escape the Devil's trap, where they are caught and held captive, forced to run his errands.

 

Look at verse 26, can you see where our society has been "taken captive" by secularism, even in the church.  The way to overcome this is to teach, from the Bible and in our lives, not but knock down drap out battles but in humility, correcting and "teaching the truth in love".

The Bible continues to be the most villified book on the planet but is also the book that leads to "the way the truth and the life".

 

Instead of being captured by the deception of secularism, we should be captivated by the Word of God.

 

Instead of posting the passage from 2 Timothy , I'll post a few lines from Psalm 119.

 

If you have time, read the 2 Timothy passage on your own.

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
More tools available at: http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

Ps 119:129-136

 

Every word you give me is a miracle word —
how could I help but obey?
Break open your words, let the light shine out,
let ordinary people see the meaning.
Mouth open and panting,
I wanted your commands more than anything.
Turn my way, look kindly on me,
as you always do to those who personally love you.
Steady my steps with your Word of promise
so nothing malign gets the better of me.
Rescue me from the grip of bad men and women
so I can live life your way.
Smile on me, your servant;
teach me the right way to live.
I cry rivers of tears
because nobody's living by your book!

 

from THE MESSAGE