Aaron Hufty

Not Ashamed

Re: Verse reading–2 Timothy 1:6-14; 2:1-15 (day two)
But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me. vs. 12

Imprisoned and alone, Paul’s words to Timothy show the fervor of his commitment to Christ. How often when discussing faith have your heard the words ‘it’s a private matter’? Yes, each person has to account for themselves and is responsible to the Lord, but we are not to be ashamed to give account of our faith in Christ Jesus. Paul’s imprisonment only emboldened his resolve to share the Good News and to encourage others to do the same. We are not in prison or in bondage, let us therefore share boldly with others.

Godliness and Gain

Re: Verse reading–1 Timothy 6:3-19 (day two)
…who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. vs. 5

It’s a despicable thought, isn’t it? That someone would seek to profit from being Godly. But how far are we from this? Have you ever heard someone use their religious affiliation to gain some kind of upper hand? It is not uncommon, particularly in politics, for someone to use their connection to the church to somehow relate to the “faith” community. I’ve been a part of interviews where people describe themselves as “good” Christians, but other than their statement there is no evidence of God’s work in their life.

Godliness should be our unspoken calling card, our life’s purpose and how we comport ourselves in everything. If we have to “sell” our godliness, then perhaps we aren’t understanding our calling. Our pursuit of a Godly life should be a pursuit of righteousness, faith, love, gentleness (vs. 11). We should live a life that radiates these characteristics of Christ and dedicate ourselves to his service.

Put Your Head Down

Re: Verse reading–1 Timothy 4 (day two)
“Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.” (vs. 16)

My father has a way of cutting to the chase when offering advice. I would go to him overwhelmed by the amount of things going happening at once, the demands placed on me by others, or if I just felt like I was sinking. In those times he would say “just put your head down and get after it.” He never would allow me to find a way out, or quit. He knew life was tough and more often than not, unfair, but that didn’t excuse me from participating. ‘Put your head down’, was a way to remind me to focus, not to look around and worry about what others were doing or thinking. Looking at that phrase now, I would an additional instruction. Pray.

Life is tough, and often unfair. There are those seeking to derail us from our course and purpose, but we were not called to the sidelines. Get yourself ready for the task, pray for the strength to endure and then get after it. God bless you.

Qualified

Re: Verse reading–1 Timothy 3:1-13 (day two)
Above reproach, good reputation, worthy of respect, sincere, tested, trustworthy…Paul states from the beginning that a desire to lead the church is a noble task. It is one that not all of us will be called to do. Don’t you wish we used similar criteria for how we choose our civic leaders? No where in this passage does Paul say anything about their ideology, except to say they must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith. That doesn’t read “believes exactly like I do” or “subscribes to the party to which I always support”. Paul has faith that if we appoint men of sound faith, they will be guided by the spirit and use the mind that God has given them to discern the best path forward. Is this the litmus test you use in selecting your leaders? Should it be?

Instruction Matters

Re: Verse reading – 1 Timothy 1:1-19 (day two)
They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm. (vs. 7) You know these kind of people. The kind who have a vehement conviction about something, but when pressed to articulate why they have nothing to ground their argument. We are to be a passionate people, who can share, defend, argue with love all of the attributes of our faith. Instruction matters. Your spiritual development matters. If you are not already, find a Sunday School class that will challenge you and cause you to grow. Enroll in Christianity Explored to deepen your understanding of Mark’s gospel. Join a Circle of Six where you can find a greater appreciation for God’s Word. Paul’s words to Timothy regarding his instruction continue…I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight. (vs. 18)

Fitness?

Re: Verse reading–Ephesians 5:21-33, 6:1-9 (day two)
“After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church-for we are members of his body.” (vs. 29-30) We don’t take care of ourselves as we should. This isn’t a new profound thought, but a pretty obvious observation. There is a large industry for fitness that many have bought into, but for the most part we tend to be overweight and out of shape. Do you find any correlation to the family here? Paul asserts that no one hates their own body, but our lifestyles would certainly put that to the test. And if we aren’t willing to spend time taking care of ourselves why would we invest time on others? This can be remedied both by physical conditioning and spiritual discipline. Take care of God’s Temple (your body) and take care of each other.

With a Song

Re: Verse reading–Ephesians 4:17-5:20 (day two)
“Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything” v 5:19-20a.

It may not be hard for you to believe, but this has been one of my favorite passages of scripture for many years. I remember finding it when I was in college and thinking, YES! Permission to live life as a Broadway Musical! What I love even better about these words is that it isn’t speaking to professional musicians, it is speaking to everyone. Think of how you feel when a favorite song is played, or what is like when you hear the introduction to your favorite hymn. It is exhilarating, isn’t it? It literally lifts your spirit. Imagine if we greeted one another with that same spirit. If our discourse was flavored with the kind of joy that we feel when listening to great music think how pleasant it would be.

This is why we sing to start our services. We sing to bring people in, to become connected with each other. Don’t stop there. Sing in Sunday School, remember when we used to do that? Sing at home! Sing in the car, a few rounds of Row, row, row your boat work on our 2 year-old without fail. Try it, be earnest about it, this scripture won’t disappoint you.

Perparer or Server?

Re: Verse reading–Ephesians 4:1-16 (day two)
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith..vs. 11-13a

We all have a role to play in the kingdom. It’s not a new concept, but it is always reaffirming to see it written in scripture. In this letter to the Ephesians, Paul has drawn a line in the sand for believers. We are either those who prepare or those who serve. Some of us have the role to preach and teach. Then there are those who are called to the community to live among the world and serve them. They serve by living their lives with spirit-filled integrity. They conduct their business with the kind of honesty that Christ demands. They raise families to love the Lord and to honor Jesus in all they do. The servers live in such a way that others demand to know how and why.

Serve well today.

A Great Mystery

Re: Verse reading–Ephesians 3 (day two)
“In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.” (vs. 4-5)

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

I love mysteries. There is something very rewarding about piecing together clues to try and figure it out. Good writers and directors know there are people like me, and they are constantly trying to give false clues to throw you off the scent. God’s love for humanity is a mystery. There is no way we could comprehend the vastness of plan. Therefore, he gives us parts to the whole so we can catch a glimpse of the bigger picture. As the pastor said in his Time for Teaching this weekend, “some people say if they will just see a miracle, they’ll believe…that’s just not true”. It wasn’t true in Jesus’ time, and it’s not true now. God has revealed all of himself that we need to understand and believe. Look at the clues, and come to the right conclusion. He is the only way.

Temple Building

Re: Verse reading – Ephesians 2:11-22 (day two)
“In him the whole building in joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which god lives by his Spirit” (vs. 21-22).
This is an incredible metaphor that creates a marvelous picture of how we all fit together in the unity of faith. Imagine this as a real structure, Jesus is the chief cornerstone (vs. 20) and those who have joined in this legacy of faith have helped to construct this temple in which God will reside. Each of us, with our unique gifts and backgrounds are knit together to create the Church. Unity doesn’t always mean SAME, it means together. God knows what he is doing, we don’t look the same, talk the same way, prefer the same things, but we all have the same God who uses that uniqueness to create his beautiful Temple.