Tag: God

Thanks for Scripture

Re: Verse reading–2 Timothy 4:1-8, 16-18 (day four)
Today is Thanksgiving…the day when every Christian is particularly thankful for the blessings from God. Gratefulness is a daily experience though…the fourth Thursday in November is no different than any other day of the year for giving thanks to God.  (That is, unless you count the massive amounts of food that accompany this day’s thanks!)  Thanksgiving Day is a reminder of God’s working in the history of America to provide a bountiful harvest for the early settlers.  We use it today to remind us of the myriad of gifts bestowed upon us by our creator God.  In our passage this week, Paul reminds us of the importance of God’s Word in our lives.  Paul says there will come a day when people will not accept the truth of God’s Word and will seek false teachers.  (Are we there yet?)  In many countries the freedom to even read God’s Word is non-existent.  As you are thanking God today for your blessings, make sure His Word is on your list of blessings!

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”.

 

 

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.

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!

Zero-sum game

Re: Verse reading–1 Timothy 6:3-19 (day five)
“For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.”–v 7.

A popular phrase. Describes a limited resource situation.  “More for me will mean less for you.”  And vice versa.  At the end of the game, gains and losses always equal zero.  Life is like that.  Over time, all that we have accumulated will be surrendered back.  Early gains will exactly equal later losses.  Old Joke. . . rich man dies.  Q-“How much did he leave?”  A-“All”.  The only exception to this rule is the soul.  A relationship with God, deeds done in service to Him, these go with us out of this present age into the next.  These are the “treasures” that Jesus encouraged us to send ahead.–Matthew 6:19.   “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?”—Mark 8:36.  It doesn’t!  Apart from Christ and a walk of faith, life is a zero-sum game.

Prone

Re: Verse reading–1 Timothy 6:3-19 (day five) 

11 But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.

Do you get tired of constantly being reminded or repeatedly urged and encouraged about things you already believe or understand?  Most of the time my response is a dismissing “I Know, I Know!!”  Paul reminds Timothy of “trustworthy sayings”.  He urges remembering doctrinal truths.  Over and over, he calls for Timothy to teach these same things to believers in Ephesus.  Why?  Paul knows the human heart.  He knows that the human heart is wired to pursue.  It’s just often we pursue the wrong things.  Sometimes we pursue the right things but for wrong reasons.  So, maybe if we frequently made (sang) honest confessions and earnest pleas, the Spirit would give our hearts needed “course corrections”.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it                                                                                                    Prone to leave the God I love
Here’s my heart, Lord, take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above

 

 

 

In Pursuit

Re: Verse reading–1 Timothy 6:3-19 (day four)  It is not enough to just avoid the temptations of life…we have to fill our lives with good to keep the void in our character from backfilling.  Verse 11 says, “But flee from these things you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.”  Pursue…it is a relentless pursuit that doesn’t give up, a determined, unrelenting vocation.  Our goal is to overtake and conquer these character qualities.  Paul is encouraging Timothy to spend his life focused on the truth of a right relationship with God.  Time spent in pursuit of riches is misguided and lost time.  We are chasing after a mirage.  Focus on God…do good, be rich in good works, and be generous and ready to share.  These qualities form a foundation that is stable and strong…you will find true life…not a drifting ghost of deception from the father of lies.