September 22 – 23, 2022
Scripture: 2 Timothy 3-4 Finish Well 2 Timothy 4:18 18The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 2 Timothy 4:6–10 6For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. 7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. 9Do your best to come to me quickly, 10for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. If we can presume something, that Demas here is the same Demas in Colossians 4:14, and Philemon 24, than it appears a fellow coworker in Christ has dropped out of ministry. We don’t get too much in the text. But perhaps this is a part of the encouragement that Paul is offering Timothy. We all face discouragement, and the pressures of the world are many. The final portions of this letter are a fair warning that it won’t be easy for Timothy as the temptations are many, but don’t fall away. Keep preaching. Keep spending time in the Word of God. It is the source of all that he needs to effectively care for the church, build up the believers, correct the wrongs and guide the church forward. Please consider for your own life how you might finish strong and run the race well. Demas had the best of friends, who wrote scripture even! Yet he appears to have fallen away because of a love for the world. Be cautious in your own life. Run the race, join Paul in the fight. Don’t give up!
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AuthorJordan Ickes, Minister of Etna Green Church of Christ. Archives
December 2022
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