Abandoned, 2 Timothy 1:15

Abandoned

2 Timothy 1:15 You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes.

(much of the following paragraph is my thoughts, not straight from the Bible)

Following Christ can be a lonely road to walk sometimes. The reason Paul was in prison, house arrest, was that he challenged his accusers and dared to appeal his case to the emperor. This didn't sit well with many of his fellow believers and leaders of the churches he had started. They distanced themselves from him to avoid any flack. They didn't want to ruffle any feathers so as to get rounded up if Paul's excursion failed. So, they deserted him leaving him to stand alone except for a few faithful friends like Timothy.

K and A, if you choose to stand for Christ and his Word, if you choose to live out the Bible in your life, if you choose to be different from the world... other Christians will abandon you. Oh, they may, may be kind to your face, but they will not walk with you. This is especially true if you take a conservative stance following what the Bible specifically says.They will scoff at your way of living to other maybe even straight to your face. Here are some areas where they will abandon you

• Honoring Sunday as a holy day established by God
• Dressing with propriety and modesty
• Fleeing the patterns of this world
• in th e way you dress
• in the style of music
• in the phrases and words they use
• swearing
• course talk
• abbreviated swear words
• minced oaths
• the latest slang
• Not consuming alcohol, any form: beer, wine, whiskey, rum, vodka, and cooking with it as well. Stay away from things that look like it like non-alcoholic beer etc...
• Refraining from listening to and knowing secular music
• Not coerced into dancing and other worldly pleasures
• Limiting the amount of movies or TV programs, Most are ungodly and promote ways contrary to  Scripture. Others will think you are odd when you do not know what they are talking about.
• Keep from gambling or betting on sports, visiting the casino, buying raffles, playing bingo, certainly they don't understand where you are coming from and they will distance themselves from you
• Not supporting places that promote wrong behavior: dance clubs, sports bars, bar and grills - but they serve good food there, I don't have to drink
• Homosexuality and gender alterations, allowing your child to decide
• Abortion, but how about rape and incest, the mother, so you should decide who lives and who dies. Do as much as you can for both, leave the rest up to God.
• Sexual promiscuity, living with boyfriend, keeping pure before a sexual encounter
• And soon to come to the church - vaping and taking drugs - opioids, marijuana. (its already here in many places)
• To many more to name...

Are all of these examples that Paul didn't do or preach against? Of course not, not specifically that is. So, how does one determine what they should be involved with and what they shouldn't? Stick closely to the heart of God, look back on your heritage and that of the church, and most of all, if the world seeks its pleasures there, flee it. If the world finds satisfaction there, question its worth, if a habit is listed as an addiction and sickness, take note for they just gave you an excuse. The major stance to take stand against is when the act is directly against what the Bible has said. Do not change the truth of the Word because someone says it was a cultural issue. It is still true today and most likely the truth can be expanded to the evil practices of today - in fact, that's what most of my examples are.

Daughters, I say all that to say this... do what is right even when it appears you are standing alone. You'd be surprised how many others are following the narrow way, Elijah was! (1 Kings 19:15, & 18). And remember, you are never really alone. Christ is walking with you. Pleasing him is much more important than pleasing others. In fact he say if we deny him before others he will deny us before the Father. So, let the world and even the church abandon you, even is past close friends do, for Christ will be there for you. He will never leave you nor forsake you!

~Dad