Is It Time? Series

IS IT TIME?

WITH NO DELAY, PLEASE STAND TO YOUR FEET, OPEN YOUR BIBLES TO 1 TIMOTHY. WE’RE GOING TO READ DOWN THE VERSES BEGINNING IN VERSE 1 AND SO FORTH. PLACE CLOSE ATTENTION BECAUSE ALTHOUGH THEY DO NOT GO INTO PROFOUND STUDYING, WE ARE GOING TO BRING UP GOOD

POINTS, YET, SIMPLE AND UNDERSTANDABLE:

1 TIMOTHY 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.

- SOME EXAMPLES OF DEPARTED PEOPLE ARE WALTER MERCADO AND “JESSICA”, A LOCAL DEMONIC SPIRIT CONSULTANT, WHICH WERE PREVIOUSLY BELIEVERS OF THE WORD OF GOD. THEY BOTH DEAL WITH MAGIC, HOROSCOPES, AND WITCHCRAFT. IN RELATION TO HOROSCOPES: A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKE TO READ HOROSCOPES BECAUSE THEY NEVER TELL

YOU BAD THINGS. “YOU WILL RUN INTO SOME PROBLEMS TODAY, BUT FEAR NOT BECAUSE YOUR WISDOM WILL HELP YOU THROUGH IT AND YOU WILL WIN A MILLION DOLLARS!” OR HOW ABOUT: “YOU ARE HAVING SOME LOVE PROBLEMS, BUT WORRY NOT BECAUSE SAINT GOOD LOOKING WILL GIVE YOU

THE LUCK TO GET PRINCE CHARMING.” IF YOU WANT TO GET PRINCE CHARMING OR A CINDERELLA, YOU NEED TO SEEK PRINCE JESUS FIRST AND EVERYTHING ELSE WILL COME AT HAND!

2 - SPEAKING LIES OF HYPOCRISY: HAVING THEIR CONSCIENCE INJURED WITH HOT IRON.

- AN EXAMPLE OF THIS VERSE IS: IN ONE OCCASION, I WAS LEADING A WORSHIP SERVICE AND THIS MAN CAME UP TO THE ALTAR AND LITERALLY TOOK THE MICROPHONE FROM MY HAND. THEN, HE TOLD ME, “YES, I AM GOING TO SING AND NO, I WILL NOT MAKE IT SHORT!” TO TOP IT OFF HE

TOLD ME THOSE WORDS WITH AN ATTITUDE AND NOBODY TALKS TO ME WITH AN ATTITUDE! ALL I DID WAS SAY A PRAYER. I BET YOU WOULDN’T HAVE SAID A PRAYER. MY PRAYER WAS: “OUR FATHER WHICH ARE IN HEAVEN, HOLLOWED BE THY NAME, THY KINGDOM COME AND TAKE HIM WITH YOU BECAUSE IF YOU DON’T TAKE HIM NOW, I’M GOING TO SEND HIM TO YOU, LORD!” I KISSED MY FIST AND SAID, “AMEN.” HE CRITICIZED A LADY THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY SUNG, CRITICIZED THE PIANO PLAYER, AND TO TOP IT OFF, THIS MAN SANG HORRIBLE! HE SANG IN THE KEY OF “SOL”. IN OTHER

WORDS, HE SANG “SOLO”. HE SANG SO BAD THAT AS A MATTER OF FACT, HE SANG WORSE THAN ME! AS SOON AS HE LEFT THE ALTAR, I QUICKLY GRABBED THE MICROPHONE AND WE STARTED TO SING “HUYE”. THAT’S A SONG THAT REBUKES ALL DEMONS FROM THE TEMPLE, AND INSTEAD OF HIM LEAVING, HE STARTED TO RAISE UP HIS HANDS AND DID

THE WHOLE “WHO STOL’ MY HONDA STUFF” RIGHT THERE AND THEN. THIS MAN SHOWED NO FEAR OF GOD.

3 - FORBIDDING TO MARRY, AND COMMANDING TO ABSTAIN FROM MEATS, WHICH GOD HAS CREATED TO BE RECEIVED WITH

THANKSGIVING OF THEM WHICH BELIEVE AND KNOW THE TRUTH. v. 4 FOR EVERY CREATURE OF GOD IS GOOD, AND NOTHING IS TO BE REFUSED IF IT IS RECEIVED WITH THANKSGIVING: v. 5 FOR IT IS SANCTIFIED BY THE WORD OF

GOD AND PRAYER.

NOW, LET’S COMMENT A BIT ON VERSE 3:

- SEE, PEOPLE SAY NOW A DAYS, “IF YOU ARE NOT SURE IF YOU LOVE HER, GET TOGETHER WITH HER AND LIVE TOGETHER? THEN, IF IT WORKS OUT, GET MARRIED, IF NOT, WELL, AT LEAST YOU STILL GOT YOUR HEALTH.” BALOGNY! IN JESUS, ONLY HE WILL LET YOU KNOW WHO THE RIGHT ONE IS THROUGH PRAYER, NOT THROUGH “MISS LOLA” THE PALM

READER. “BUT WE JUST LIVE TOGETHER. WE DON’T DO ANYTHING.” ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER AND THE FRUIT OF THAT IS FORNICATION. PRE - MARITAL SEX IS A SIN! YES, I DID SAY THE WORD “SEX” IN THE CHURCH. IT’S

TIME TO PREACH THE WORD OF GOD THE WAY IT IS AND NOT BEAT AROUND THE BUSH! SEX WAS MEANT TO BE BETWEEN A COUPLE THAT IS MARRIED AND FOR IT TO BE HOLY BEFORE GOD’S EYES AND NOT TO BE TAKEN LIKE A CHEAP THING AT A MOTEL 6.

NOW, FOR THE REST OF THE VERSES, LET’S ANALYZE IT THIS WAY:

- ANOTHER THING IS THAT DOCTORS NOW COME OUT OF

NOWHERE LIKE DR. RED DUKE, SAYING, “THIS IS DR. RED DUKE LETTING YOU KNOW THAT IF YOU EAT TOO MUCH RED MEAT, YOU WILL END UP GETTING FAT AND THAT TOO MUCH PORK WILL GET YOUR CHOLESTEROL HIGH. FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT THE SCIENCE CENTER IN HOUSTON, I’M DR. RED DUKE.” I JUST STAND THERE LIKE, “DUHHH!” OF COURSE YOU CAN GET SICK BY EATING TOO MUCH OF EVERYTHING. WELL, ALMOST EVERYTHING. PASTOR JOHN HAGEE OF CORNERSTONE CHURCH IN SAN ANTONIO, SAYS THAT HE CAN EAT ALL THE BLUE BELL ICE CREAM HE WANTS.