Hello friends and readers,
I’m grateful to be alive and well, free to speak, and free to share ideas and the written word with you. God bless America.
I appreciate my subscribers very much! A special welcome to new subscribers, and an extra thank you to paid subscribers.
Lippo Memmi, St. Paul, c. 1330, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, open access.
In my last message, I wrote about some of the connections I had noticed between Paul’s letter to Timothy and what I’ve observed about the life and death of Charlie Kirk.
Since then, I’ve found more nuggets in the two letters I wanted to share with you. These are not just related to Charlie, but to the state of the world, and how believers are to navigate strong cultural currents without crashing, sinking, or drifting downstream in their faith.
Paul sprinkles through his letters many cautions, things to watch out for and avoid. These include:
· False doctrines, myths, and endless genealogies
· Empty speculations and fruitless discussions
· Pride, conceit, and hypocrisy
· Idleness, gossip, and neglect of elders in need
· Drunkenness, love of money, and disrespect toward leaders
· Lawlessness, laziness, impurity, and cowardice
· Slander, deceit, and fake, powerless religion
I’m sure that’s not an exhaustive list, but it covers most categories of sin, and the traps and temptations rampant in the first century, that are still rampant now.
These are behaviors and characteristics Paul (and Charlie) boldly urged people to avoid, and to choose instead, drawing again from 1 and 2 Timothy:
· Faith, love, and purity of heart
· Sound teaching and a clean conscience
· Prayerfulness, tranquility, and godliness
· Self-control, gentleness, and generosity
· Respect for authority, hospitality, and devotion to family
· Sharing the gospel, teaching patiently, and working diligently
· Courage, righteousness, and perseverance
· Thankfulness, boldness, and loyalty to Christ and his servants
Again, I could surely find more, but that’s enough to get us thinking, and perhaps asking ourselves some questions.
How is my life structured and ordered? Do I guard my heart from corrupting talk, language, and imagery? Am I prepared to walk honorably and courageously as an ambassador for Christ, even if it leads to my death, as it did for Charlie?
Am I direct, honest, and kind in my dealings with all people? Do I seek to encourage others in the faith and lead lost souls to salvation?
Do I use my gifts, talents, and strengths for the benefit of God’s people and toward his kingdom purposes?
Am I thankful every day for the glorious grace and promises of God? Do I pray unceasingly to know God’s will and walk in it?
Hey, people, in case you’re getting frustrated with me, I can tell you--I’m frustrated with me, because I don’t score very high consistently in many of these areas.
But, I am keenly aware that because I know them, I am accountable to aspire to them.
This is what so many of us admire about Charlie Kirk. He was not without faults. But he took the word of God seriously and modeled the consistent striving to please God in his words and actions.
From where I sit, he seemed to be a trustworthy example for all of us, young and old. In life, and now, in his death.
Here is Paul’s final charge:
I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and because of his appearing and his kingdom: Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching. For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear what they want to hear. They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths. But as for you, exercise self-control in everything, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. (2 Timothy 4:1-5).
God, in your mercy, help us. Amen.