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“I didn’t avoid telling you the whole plan of God” (Acts 20:27, GWT).
More than a hundred years ago, William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, said, “The chief dangers which confront the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, Heaven without hell.” That’s as true now as it was then.
Paul exhorted the leaders of the Ephesian church to declare, “The whole plan of God.(Acts 20:27 GWT).
He said: “Look after yourselves and everyone the Holy Spirit has placed in your care. Be like shepherds to God’s church. It is the flock he bought with the blood of his own Son. I know that after I am gone, others will come like fierce wolves to attack you. Some of your own people will tell lies to win over the Lord’s followers. Be on your guard! Remember how…I kept warning you with tears in my eyes” (Acts 20:28-31 CEV).
On the eve of Paul’s execution, he passed the baton to his successor, Timothy, with these words: “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine…they will turn their ears away from the truth, and turn aside to myths…keep your head in all situations…duties of your ministry” (2 Timothy 4:2-5, NIV).
By Alfred Nyamekye
