2 Peter 1:15 And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.

Peter and Paul both were informed by the Holy Spirit that their martyrdom was close, and they responded similarly. Paul had already written the many letters that form half of the New Testament, so he just wrote to Timothy, his dearest son in the faith. Peter had only written one letter that remains at this point, and he did that with the help of Silvanus, who corrected his Greek very beautifully. Here, he had no such help, and the Greek is frankly of poor quality, exposing his Galilean fisherman roots, but he didn’t let such embarrassment hold him back. His overriding concern was that his spiritual children continue in pure faith, just as it was for Paul. Today we have the New Testament fully available, so there isn’t as much urgency in that area, but there are still a lot of heresies and bad actors running around, so we should do all we can to confirm a strong Biblical foundation in those we lead. Just yesterday I watched an interview by Nick Freitas of a woman who had an almost unbelievable experience with a heretical pastor who actively worked to “deconstruct” the faith of believers. I find it fascinating that Nick, who is technically a politician at this point, is so active in ministry in various ways. I’m a big admirer! Since there are such people as that pastor, we do need to be careful that God’s truth is firmly planted in those to whom we minister. We don’t have to write books, but in this Information Age there are all sorts of ways to communicate. The point is that truth needs to be communicated to be applied, and we aren’t going to be around forever to keep reminding people, so we should seek to leave a lasting legacy of faith.

I’ve been publishing this blog since October of 2015, and I now have over 1000 people who receive it daily – whether or not they read it! At 76, I am much more aware of my own time limitations than I was when I was younger, naturally enough, but I have great assurance of the power of the Holy Spirit to seal the truth in the hearts of believers. I’ve made a start on my own autobiography, as a record of God’s grace, but I have let myself be distracted. I still have areas of self-discipline in which I need to grow! As my father recognized 60 years ago, I have a gift for words, and I need to exercise that more faithfully so that more people may receive God’s truth for their blessing. At the same time, I must remain careful that I don’t go spouting off on my own, because that benefits no one. God’s Word is true, but anything that is just mine is worthless.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for Your incredible faithfulness, even when I am less than faithful. Help me follow through with each thing You show me to do, so that what remains may be Your works, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!