Anglican Daily Fountain 4 November 2023 (Devotional Today)

TOPIC: THE PERILS OF THE LAST DAYS

TEXT: 1 Timothy4:1-16(KJV)
4:1. Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
4:2. Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
4:3. Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
4:4. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:

4:5. For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
4:6. If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.
4:7. But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.
4:8. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

4:9. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.
4:10. For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.
4:11. These things command and teach.
4:12. Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

4:13. Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.
4:14. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
4:15. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.
4:16. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

Anglican Daily Fountain 4th November 2023 STUDY:

The Bible is not silent about what would be the activities of the last days. The passage today reveals the admonition to Timothy on the happenings of the end of the age. The Bible talks about departure from the faith, hypocrisy, lovers of self, loss of natural affection, denial of godliness and the likes (1Tim. 4:1-3 cf. 2Tim. 3:1-7) as the characteristics of the last days.

People will become traitors, heady, lovers of pleasure, high-minded and increasingly ignorant of the truth. These are what we see in our days. Our Lord Jesus Christ says wars and rumours of wars, nations rising up against nations, famines, pestilences, earthquake and betrayal, are part of what would usher in the end of the age(Matt. 24:3-7).

Beloved, there is no doubt that we are closer to the end than when the Bible was written. The various vices mentioned in our passage and even worse things are already happening in our immediate and remote environments. We are expected to be on guard against all the wiles of the devil. As Christians, we are not insulated from these evils except we take our stand in accordance with the word of the Lord. The world is gradually passing away but only those who love the Lord will stand for ever(1John 2:15).

PRAYER: Father, give me grace to be on guard against the tricks of the devil, in Jesus name. Amen.

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