Good morning,
We never give up teaching
When God decided to tell us who he was, he chose words to draw a picture in our minds and hearts that would give us a true picture of who he is. It is his perfect words that help us to understand how God thinks about what we do and say that he wrote into his written word, the Bible. When he wanted to show us how those words were lived out, he sent us godly men and women, and his only begotten Son Jesus, who were the models for his truth. That whole process was guided by his Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth. It’s The Word and his Word that tell us the story of freedom and peace that God wants to give each of us born into history and eternity. Alas, what we forget about is that there are all kinds of interpreters who do their best to give us a different meaning for what the Lord has sent for us to read. Paul tells us that, Satan, the god of this evil world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe, so they are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News that is shining upon them. They don't understand the message we preach about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.(2Cor.4:4) The words are the same for all those who read a genuine copy of what God said, but if their hearts and minds refuse to accept them as truth they will come up with some other idea and continue on in their blindness.
This process is constantly being challenged by the lying spirits that have flooded our world with the same words with very different meanings. We, as God’s kids, are constantly tempted to speak words that are based on our own thoughts or the thoughts that have been planted by God’s enemies. These false words will be accepted by the world around us since they match the ‘real truth’ about how life and its rules work for them. These words of ‘truth’ don’t lead to freedom. Instead these words lead to fear and self centered thinking that is designed to make the God of the Bible look like a liar, and the enemy of world in touch with people’s “real needs. Those of us who speak and teach others the words that God has given us need to be constantly on the alert for clues that will define whether or not we are teaching them God’s way. Again Paul tells us, We reject all shameful and underhanded methods. We do not try to trick anyone, and we do not distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know that.(v.2) Another important clue to our teaching and how we feel after we have taught is, We don't go around preaching about ourselves; we preach Christ Jesus, the Lord. All we say about ourselves is that we are your servants because of what Jesus has done for us(v.5). Are our words spoken freely and confidently as directed by God’s Holy Spirit, or is our approach marked by self focus and a desire to control those who hear what we say? May the Lord guide us by his Spirit into the joy of sharing eternal truth that will keep bearing fruit in time and eternity.
2 Corinthians 4:1 And so, since God in his mercy has given us this wonderful ministry, we never give up.
Roy Wisner
