2 Timothy 4:2-4 (King James Version)
King James Version (KJV)

Public Domain
[A Public Domain Bible] [KJV at Zondervan] [Zondervan]

2Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.

3For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

4And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables

Hey, NL, thanks for bringing this up...
There's some more good stuff in 2 Timothy...
here are some more versus (plus NL's) from the NIV...

2 Timothy 1
7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
8 So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, ... But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God,
9 who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,

14 Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

2 Timothy 2
3 Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

12 if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us;
13 if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.
14 Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen.

16 Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.
17 Their teaching will spread like gangrene...
19 Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness."

23 Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.
24 And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.
25 Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth,
26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

2 Timothy 3
1But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.
2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,
4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—
5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.
6 They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires,
7 always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.
8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth—men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected.
9 But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.

12In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,
13 while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 4
2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.
3For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

Whoa, Gimster, I needed to read the whole book. I really needed 16, 23 & 24. I find myself getting dragged or jumping willingly into a battle between good and evil and just as it says, wind up arguing like crazy and all arguing does is keep my focus away from the lover of my soul.

I think I said it in one of my other posts, the Truth doesn't need me to defend it. Sunday my pastor said that love is authority on its own. That we should try to find common ground with the enemy but don't hang out with them and become bedfellows with them, but to show them by example a better way.

The words do have an admonishing affect on the spirit... to me, chapter 3, verses 1-7, stuck out, 7 being slapping me in the face. I love to learn and sometimes I supercede truth with interest.

Sometimes I feel misunderstood. I guess that's my fault, but, gimster, I'm really a nice person. Most people like me a lot.

I've studied so much and read so many books and so much literature. I've even read ancient manuscripts in my search for truth. I've studied the ancient religion of Mithra where the participants castrated themselves during the ceremony so they would be neither male or female.

So many of the ancient religions, the mystery religions incorporated sex into their ceremonies. It just breaks my heart when I see what is happening in the world today.

I've studied the New Age movement, psychic healing, Wicca, Druidism, Native American beliefs, just about every kind of ism there is...I'm still reading the Kuran and it is disturbing.

I've studied Masonic Lodge and its relation to Mormonism and so many links between the ancient religions and the emergence in later years of goddess worship and the worship of angels, then I read the Bible and see what happened to other cultures that practiced these forms of idolatry and it breaks my heart because I DO love people and am concerned deeply about my fellow man.

I could just say f***9 it all and stop caring about others and what will happen to our world and its people, but I care deeply.

I think you're misunderstood, sometimes, too. I can remember days in my past (and some still, yet) when I felt misunderstood when I tried sharing. I was a die-hard bible thumper, at that time in my life. It seemed to turn people away from me, instead of drawing them in, tho. I think I was coming across judgemental and condemning, instead of tolerant and loving. I knew what was right for me (at the time) and had to get my listeners on the same page as me. I think I got that from my mom.
I'm not like that anymore. While I do want to be heard, I don't want to come across with a lack of civility and gentleness. I'm not saying - I can't say with all honesty - that I don't still hit pockets of "I know it all." Something in me wells up and off I go.

I had a co-worker, once, who was so on fire for the Lord... you almost couldn't stand the love she radiated. She was a living testament to Jesus, she was what He was all about... one of those people who, when around her, all you could think about was wanting what she had! She knew and practiced the TRUE secret. Her husband was dying (and finally did) of nonHodgkin's Lymphoma. But, ya know what? I never once saw her any other way but sweet, caring, kind, loving, and all the other good adjectives and descriptive adverbs. She had us all listening, too, when we had our "stand in the hall and talk about everything" sessions. Three or four of us were always talking extensively about our faiths. She and one other were Pentecostal, I was Assembly, and the youngest of us (our little sister) was Baptist.

As sensitive as people's feelings are in this age of spiritual diversity, we as Christians can't radically question or criticize others' belief systems. People can be quick to label us as judgmental and hateful bigots. Our thoughts should be pure, true, and loving. Our actions should follow suit. Speaking about our faith is elemental to our faith, but so is how we act in our faith. Opposition is tough, but so is the thought that we might be the one and only reason that someone doesn't listen and ends up with an eternal separation from God.

I'll tell you what, tho... I know you are a nice person! I hear it coming through. It's just that you're a leg or two ahead of some of us on what you know and understand. Not making yourself hard pressed to prove what you know as right is probably what comes hard for you. I'm saying this with a loving heart... if you coat it in honey, you'll catch more flies.
I beg you to never, never, never loose the fire you have for the Lord, girl.
If I hear that you have, I'm coming after you.

Thank you, Gimster. I really appreciate that. I'll try to tone it down. Its hard for me sometimes. I think sometimes I should have been an evangelist, but then, my life hasn't exactly been above reproach.

I've always ran from Bible thumpers. I guess there is a fine line between knowing the truth and loving others so much you just want them to know it too, and listening and caring without seeming to accept what you know in your heart God doesn't condone or accept.

How can you be loyal to God and true to the truth, without offending others. Jesus himself said the gospel would be a stumbling block for many. That very hatred of the truth sent him to the cross but ultimately paid our debt for sin.

I don't want to hurt anyone. Life is so short and happiness can be fleeting. When I read some of the posts and see the things my friends are afraid of, I hope so much they never have to experience any of the things they fear and that's why I care so much.

Anyway, thanks again for listening and your advice is very good. I work with someone like the lady you mentioned. She and I had a good talk last night. She is black from Nigeria and what a blessing she is!!