"Sponge or Stone?"
2 Timothy 4 (NASB)
1 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires,4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.5 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;8 in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.9 Make every effort to come to me soon;10 for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.11 Only Luke is with me. Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service.12 But Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus.13 When you come bring the cloak which I left at Troas with Carpus, and the books, especially the parchments.14 Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds.15 Be on guard against him yourself, for he vigorously opposed our teaching.16 At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them.17 But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was rescued out of the lions mouth.18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.19 Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus.20 Erastus remained at Corinth, but Trophimus I left sick at Miletus.21 Make every effort to come before winter. Eubulus greets you, also Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brethren.22 The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.
Revelation 2 (NASB)
1 To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:2 I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false;3 and you have perseverance and have endured for My names sake, and have not grown weary.4 But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.5 Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place--unless you repent.6 Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.8 And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write:9 I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write:13 I know where you dwell, where Satans throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality.15 So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.16 Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth.17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.18 And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write:19 I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first.20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.21 I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality.22 Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds.23 And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.24 But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them--I place no other burden on you.25 Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come.26 He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, TO HIM I WILL GIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE NATIONS;27 AND HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON, AS THE VESSELS OF THE POTTER ARE BROKEN TO PIECES, as I also have received authority from My Father;28 and I will give him the morning star.29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
1 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires,4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.5 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;8 in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.9 Make every effort to come to me soon;10 for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.11 Only Luke is with me. Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service.12 But Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus.13 When you come bring the cloak which I left at Troas with Carpus, and the books, especially the parchments.14 Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds.15 Be on guard against him yourself, for he vigorously opposed our teaching.16 At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them.17 But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was rescued out of the lions mouth.18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.19 Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus.20 Erastus remained at Corinth, but Trophimus I left sick at Miletus.21 Make every effort to come before winter. Eubulus greets you, also Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brethren.22 The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.
Revelation 2 (NASB)
1 To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:2 I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false;3 and you have perseverance and have endured for My names sake, and have not grown weary.4 But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.5 Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place--unless you repent.6 Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.8 And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write:9 I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write:13 I know where you dwell, where Satans throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality.15 So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.16 Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth.17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.18 And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write:19 I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first.20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.21 I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality.22 Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds.23 And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.24 But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them--I place no other burden on you.25 Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come.26 He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, TO HIM I WILL GIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE NATIONS;27 AND HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON, AS THE VESSELS OF THE POTTER ARE BROKEN TO PIECES, as I also have received authority from My Father;28 and I will give him the morning star.29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.