Indestructible

Re: Verse reading–2 Timothy 4:1-8; 16-18 (day three)
“The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom.”
Paul at last knew: He was already living the eternal kind of life. He was already beyond ultimate harm. Hostile forces would still attempt to cut short his freedom, his influence, his very life, but those forces posed no threat to him. Even though he would eventually (tradition tells us) undergo beheading, he knew what Jesus promised: “Whoever obeys my word will never see death.”  So Paul knew that he would not know any darkness or isolation or fear or abandonment, not even for one second, at the moment of execution. He knew. And we can know, too. The promise of Jesus is plain: For all who count on him, the eternal, indestructible kind of life begins now.

Validate This!

Re: Verse reading–2 Timothy 4:1-8; 16-18 (day two)
“For 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.” vs. 3

I’m not sure Paul had Facebook in mind when he was writing to Timothy, but I’m fairly certain this scripture manifests itself daily on my newsfeed. Angry, confused, and frightened people all seeking some sort of validation for how they feel or what they believe. Without fail I see posts from satirical or even bogus news sites. People glom onto these reports with venom. They find a kernel that justifies their position and they never stop to consider if what they are reading and, worse, disseminating, is true.

When our source of validation is anywhere but the Word of God we will be like these people. Stay strong.

Enthusiam required

Re: Verse reading–2 Timothy 1:6-14; 2:1-15 (day six)
“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God which is in you.”—2 Timothy 1:6.
“Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years.  We grow old by deserting our ideals.  Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.”–Samuel Ullmer.
I am surprised that this is said to a young man.  Shouldn’t be.  Young and old face the same temptation, do the right thing but without enthusiasm or passion.  Paul’s picture is of a fire that is allowed to gradually die.  Starts out strong.  Then it flickers.  Finally goes out completely.  Because no one looked after it.  Same with believers who do not fan themselves/their gifts into hot, enthusiastic flame.  “ZEAL for thy house will consume me” says the Bible about Jesus.   How can we not be like him?
“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”–Ralph Waldo Emerson.  So true. So true.

Farming Lessons

Re: Verse reading–2 Timothy 1:6-14; 2:1-15 (day five) 

6 The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops.

Paul uses the image of a farmer as a picture/example to teach Timothy (and us) lessons about the Christian Life.  What is it about the farmer that helps us better understand that Christian Life?  Hard Work?  Yes!  Certainly effort and energy are required.  But consider Paul is also illustrating a blueprint for growth and strength in the relationship between God and each believer.

Jerry Bridges writes, “Farming is a joint venture between the farmer and God.  The farmer cannot do what God must do (sunshine, germination, rain), and God will not do what the farmer should do (plow, fertilize).  We can say just as accurately that the pursuit of holiness is a joint venture between God and the Christian.  No one can attain any degree of holiness without God working in his life, but just as surely no one will attain it without effort on His own part”.

 

 

Higher Perspective

Re: Verse reading–2 Timothy 1:6-14; 2:1-15 (day four)
I am writing this today at 6500 ft. altitude. It gives you a very good perspective of the landscape. In our Re:Verse passage this week, Paul is sharing a higher perspective of life to Timothy. The believer views life differently than others. We have a spirit of power and love and discipline. There is also suffering to endure. We are involved in the affairs of God instead of the affairs world. Diligence is a valued quality. Paul admonishes Timothy to not only live life in the reality of God’s Word, but to teach others to do the same. A life well invested in the Word of God is a life well lived.

Depraved

Re: Verse reading–2 Timothy 1:6-14; 2:1-15 (day three)
“He 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.”  John Ortberg writes:
Somebody once asked Dallas Willard if he believed in total depravity.
“I believe in sufficient depravity,” he responded immediately.
What’s that?
“I believe that every human being is sufficiently depraved that when we get to heaven, no one will be able to say, ‘I merited this.’”
Depravity is the denial of our finiteness.  We claim to be self-validating, unaccountable to anyone.  We say, “I am who I am”—a crude counterfeit of the great I AM.  Ask yourself: Would you want to be at the mercy of a god like you?  Be honest.  Then get to know Christ.  You’ll see the God you’re really at the mercy of.

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.

Neither poverty or riches

Re: Verse reading–1 Timothy 6:3-19 (day seven) 
“Some people, eager for money, have wandered away from faith.”—v 10.

Vitally important subject today,  serious blind spot in this present generation.  Followers of Christ must value godliness OVER gain,  must see the temptation inherent in the attempt to use godliness AS A MEANS of gain. (see v 5)  As we prepare for worship this morning, please reflect on these thoughts.  “Keep deception and lies far from me, give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is my portion, lest I be full and deny Thee. . .lest I be in want and steal and profane thy name.”—Proverbs 30:8.  “God may allow His servant to succeed when He has disciplined him to the point that he no longer needs it to be happy.  The man who is elated by success and cast down by failure is still a carnal man.”–A. W. Tozer.

See you in worship in a few hours.  You are loved!