Original Entry:
December 13, 2011
McMinnville, OR
If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be
an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared
to do any good work. 2 Timothy 2:21
A few weeks ago I
shot my first buck with a muzzle loader.
He was a 17 inch four point Blacktail with eye guards. I name all the
Animal I take and this buck was given the title “Mounty” because I had to wait
until he got off a doe before I took him.
Poor Mounty! At least
he died happy!
I usually hang
venison for 7-10 days in 34-38 degrees in order to let the meat cure. The buck was curing wonderfully until the
weather shifted and I noticed a slight order coming from the buck. Upon inspection I discovered an area I missed
in cleaning that was beginning to rot the meat!
Fortunately I found it in time to save all of the meat.
Gangrene is one of
the worst stenches known to man. The
stench of rotting flesh will be remembered from the two times I experienced it.
In 2 Timothy 2:17 Paul mentions two
men. Hymenaeous and Philetus, who’s
doctrine was beginning to “spread like
gangrene” in the area. From a mirror
reading of verses 14-16 it appears
that their “worldly and empty chatter”
(16) revolved around the doctrines of Christ. Paul affirms this in verse 15, “Be diligent to present yourself
approved by God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling
accurately the word of truth (NASB).”
A man must know the
word of God. A man must know the word of
God better than anyone in his house hold.
There is a stench of
gangrene surfacing in the American Church.
It is the stench of cowards. It is the gutless stench of universalism
that says love wins over the cross and a man doesn’t need Jesus because in the
end his love wins and everyone will eventually make it to heaven with or
without Jesus anyway.
Universalism is a
reminder that a man must recognize the sweet aroma of the “word of truth” (15) in order to sniff out the stench of deception. Verse
21 tells us that the man of truth will be an instrument for noble purposes,
be made holy (set apart by God), will be useful to the Master, lastly, prepared
to do any good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
Those who poison the
Church in order to please men will receive none of these.
