Pastor’s Notes – Get Away From Me!
“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.”
– 2 Timothy 4:2 –
We pray everyday that God will build his church here at River Westlake Baptist Church. We know that God works through people, and God has inspired us to print cards with info on this new church on one side and Bible verses about salvation on the other side.
We’ve been putting these cards out in the Rocky River and Westlake areas en masse, and, praise God, there has been some response, with people contacting us for more information on the start date for services. Maybe you are reading this right now because you got a card on your door.
However, while putting these cards on the doorsteps, we sometimes encounter people wearing masks, by themselves, outdoors. We attempt to hand them a card and try to talk to them about the church and what God’s plan for salvation is. In return for our concern about their eternity, we are very often greeted with “GET AWAY FROM ME!” or “GET BACK!” Or “STOP TALKING TO ME!” or “#%*@!%#&$@^*&$!# (unleashing a barrage of hate and cursing)!”
The mask has given people who already have anger against God (the God they say that they don’t believe in) more boldness and aggressiveness, to be as mean and ugly to caring strangers as possible. The Bible warns us that this would be the case in the end times.
2 Timothy 4:1-5 (KJV) tells us very clearly that these times of anger and hatred of the Word of God would come…
“I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.”
We know this anger is only going to get worse, but God implores us to soldier on, be long-suffering, and continue to spread His word. It is a privilege to do so. Praise God!.