Guard your Heart

2 Timothy 4
1In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. 6For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. 7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and 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. 11Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. 12I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 13When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments. 14Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. 15You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message. 16At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. 17But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth. 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. 19Greet Priscilla[a] and Aquila and the household of Onesiphorus. 20Erastus stayed in Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick in Miletus. 21Do your best to get here before winter. Eubulus greets you, and so do Pudens, Linus, Claudia and all the brothers.
22The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.
Notes from Nobody:
I strongly urge you to be consumed by the Word of God, I had someone tell me that once you are in leadership at some church there is no, and he means no way you can take a break for any reason. You and your wife can be arguing, or even split up he told us that you have no excuse to not perform your duties. Unless you was one of his select few or knew where he buried the body then it was okay for you to not attend church and even not have your duties covered? In verse 5 Paul tells Timothy to discharge all his duties. I looked up discharge and it means: to relieve of obligation, responsibility. Also in verse 14 Paul speaks of someone that has spoken out against him, and the word of God. Says to guard your heart against him. This is a good message for today and for me. I have had my heart crushed by a man at church that made all kinds of claims and wanted everyone to think he was a man of God. Who am I to judge that, but I can tell you that this man damaged me and my wife and our relationship with God and the Church we use to attend and spoke out against us regularly behind our backs to others causing them to take sides against us. Guard your heart! Beware of devils in sheep’s clothing!