Seeing things Paul saw….
Read 2 Timothy 4:1-8
“I give you this charge …. (v1)”
Some Thoughts…
When Paul gave his charge to Timothy to “preach the word”, the aging apostle had three things in his mind’s eye that prompted him to give this solemn challenge as if he was standing in the very courtroom of the Most High.
1) In light and view of the coming judgment (v1) – do your best to convince and persuade people to turn to God. The end will come with a shout from on High! The Kingdom of God that is only seen in bits and pieces now will explode on the scene. Jesus is coming again! He is not returning as a meek lamb, but He will return in power with blazing eyes and an army ready to wage war against anything or anyone who attempts to stand against Him (see Rev. 19:11-16). So preach the word, my dear sons and daughters in Christ! Preach as if the lives of those who will listen depend on it (because they do).
2) In light and view of this present darkness (v3-5) – We live in an evil and corrupt age where people have an “itching ear epidemic” and refuse to learn truth (much less just hear it). So they seek out people to tell them what they want to learn to ease their consciences and give them excuses for their sin. In that light, tell the truth, take the unpopular route – never compromise. It will get worse before it gets better. So while everyone else around you loses their minds, you keep yours (see v5).
3) In light and view of the end of Paul’s earthly ministry (v6-8) – Paul can see the end and he views his life as an offering poured out before God, a race run as well as he could, and a war fought the right way, but now his reward is becoming clearer and closer every day. Paul fought like a warrior, finished like a determined athlete, and was faithful like a good steward. So, pick up the torch, dear Timothy, don’t stop now for the war continues the race is not over. It is just time to pass the baton. Run Timothy run! Fight Timothy, with all your might …be faithful with the treasure God has entrusted to you… it’s your turn now!
Timothy is gone now too, along with a myriad of women and men who have run well. Then valiant soldiers of the Cross now stand at the finish line. They cheer us on… Keep preaching the “foolish” Gospel of Christ, stay prepared, and keep your head when everyone else around you seems to be going mad with modern thought trends and practices. Don’t be afraid to say the truth, correct when correction is merited, even if you have to get in a person’s face and flat out rebuke them… but never for the pleasure of getting “one-up” on someone… always encourage folks to know Jesus… to Love Jesus, to live from the perspective of HIS good-news-ways and not like this bad-news world we live in. And when you get frustrated with the work… look to the finish line… remember there is a prize awaiting you as well (see v8)…So RUN till you are out of breath and feel the Spirit fill you up again, FIGHT the good fight until your hands ache with the pain of the battle and see God heel you… Never give up fellow servant of the Most High… it is all worth it!
A Prayer…
Father, never let me lose sight of these things, help me to see people in need of Your Truth. Give me your perspective that helps me see You at work in another life, and let me be the one to stand in the gap, to say what no one else will say, make me an instrument of grace in an unforgiving and graceless world. And when Your plan for me seems too much for me to take, never let me lose sight of YOU! Never let me give up…Amen.
Sometimes I forget the gravity of my calling…
Read 2 Timothy 4:1-2
“… I give you this charge: Preach the Word …”
Some Thoughts…
Paul calls Timothy into the cosmic court, and as the aging, near glory apostle takes his stand before Almighty God and His all-powerful Son, with a the final day of existence as we know it and life eternal in the Kingdom in view, Paul gives Timothy (and every minister called of God) this charge:
Proclaim God’s word! Expound His truth… Preach the whole council of God!
Let it be known that in the final days of this battle-scarred old preacher that he has no regrets … Paul stood in complete confidence of God’s call on his life. He had no doubt that through it all he had been faithful to God’s plan, so much so that he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that God’s plan is to reach people with the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ was central to all of life here on earth. This aging apostle had seen the power of God’s Word spoken by imperfect men change the hearts of hardened men and women over and over again. He had no doubt that God is in the business of transformation and that, for whatever reason, He chooses to use the speaking of His mighty, unchanging Word to bring about the change. Whether it was proclaimed in the midst of a large crowd, spoken in a conversation over an evening meal, or sung in songs of praise; God’s Word has power; power to change lives! (See Ch 3:16-17; interesting note – these verses are immediately preceded by Paul’s charge to proclaim.)
So, what does this charge have for us living 2000 years after it was made? We are to be ready and even welcoming to the late-night call of one needing encouragement. We must find the energy to correct a false idea and patient enough to make that correction over and over again. Bold enough to rebuke a brother or sister trapped in haughty habits and sinful snares that they have just come to accept as proof of “who they are” (“that’s just the way I am” is a lie from the father of lies).
Always ready to teach by word or action in moments of high impact or low energy; prepared, intentional in delivery, passionate in empathy, patient in continual instruction and humble enough to depend on God for everything. You see our proclamation of the Truth is an all-the-time thing, not just a couple of hours a week when we stand to lead other believers in worship. It is more than just a “visitation time” when we go to present the gospel to a lost soul. It is 24-7-365.
This is not an option in discovering our calling; it is the foundation of all who are called to minister. For there are souls at stake; lives hang in the balance of our faithfulness to this charge. For if we refuse to speak the truth in the middle of someone’s error, we allow that person to continue on their journey AWAY from God. If we are slow to encourage that tired soul being overwhelmed by the waves of sorrow, we leave them with no hope and no lifeline back to God. There is no greater calling in life than to be a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but with greatness comes even greater responsibility.
A Prayer…
Father, make me diligent to study and know your Word and make me faithful to proclaim it to a world that, at times, doesn’t seem to care or “get it” and at other times seems hungry for more and more of You. And when I feel like I have nothing else to give, show me your power in my weakness (2 Cor. 12: 10). And touch another soul through me… in spite of me. Amen
Jesus let them strugle….
Read Mark 6:30-52
I’m a little jolted by a couple of verses this morning… “But he answered; YOU give them something to eat.” (v37) and “He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because of the wind…He was about to pass by them,…” (v48) Jesus allowed his close friends, his beloved followers to struggle… He even raised the tension level by telling them “YOU do it.” He was willing to leave them staining at the oars and just meet them on the other side of the lake just like he has told them. He even was willing (for a time) to leave them in their hard-hearted state (see v52) by leaving the miracle of the loaves and fishes unexplained. And even after WALKING into the boat in the middle of the water with a storm pressing down, He seems to leave them to their feeling of amazement without much of an explanation that HE WAS (and is) GOD!!!! HE is the provider and sustainer! He is the ONLY ONE worth putting our complete trust in for our lives (both now and for eternity)… He just let them struggle, he gave them room to figure it all out… room to fail, and room to discover the majesty of who He was and is… So, I guess I can be thankful today for my struggle to know Jesus and to fight against the winds of this world… One day he will come and stop the winds from blowing, but until then I’ll do my best with what he has given me, even if all I have is just a couple of fish and a few loaves when there are thousands of mouths to be fed.
“Jesus is the answer” – cliché but true!
Read John14:1-6
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me…” (v1)
Some Thoughts…
The answer for the troubled heart is Jesus… That statement is so simplistic that it sounds trite and insensitive to the hungry hearts living in a culture that bring new stresses every day filling us with confusion and freezing our ability to make the right choices. In a world of physical and spiritual starvation, abuse, neglect, misunderstandings, calamity and injustice, it just seems too simple of a solution to say that “Jesus is the answer.”
But, when you begin to unpack its meaning lights go on, bells ring and hearts are set free! Jesus is saying, “Don’t allow your heart to be tripped up and trapped by the concerns of this world, they are all temporary. I am going to build you a room in my Father’s house. It will be an eternal place where life will finally make sense and pain will no longer be present. Then I will come back to take you there… for you see, I am the only way to get there! Truly, I am life. Find me and find life, trust me, I’ve been through more than you will ever experience…And I’ve seen the other side. It’s worth the fight; it’s worth the trials. Trust in me! I’ll get you to your true home! Just keep walking, keep seeking, and keep believing in me!”
A Prayer…
Father, thank you for making the way to full and real life… NO… Thank you for BEING THE WAY…. Lord Jesus, You are my way, my truth and my life! I trust you, I believe. Give me eternal vision so that my time-bound eyes can see the unseen. And implant in me eternal hope so that my flesh-and-bone heart will be glad and at peace in the face of trials and difficulties. Amen.
Seeds of Salvation…
Read Romans 5:1-2
“Therefore since we have been justified through faith we have …”
Some Thoughts…
When God saved me; at the very moment I believed in His Son, he placed on my life seeds of salvation that He intends to blossom into the fruits of justification.
1) We have Peace with God! The moment I entered into this faith relationship, God removed the hostility that was between us; he refused to see my sin and he enabled me the ability to stop my rebellion and rest in Him. The “Shalom” of God; a real sense of completeness began to grow. No longer did I lack what I needed to live. My past was truly behind me and my future looks strong!
2) We have gained access! And now, because I’m no longer an enemy of God, I am escorted right into His throne room. Not just made a part-time visitor, but presented to Him as a new member of His court with confidence to stand before Him all the time.
3) We have hope! My future is set. I have unwavering confidence that God will carry out His promises, so I rejoice all the time with confidence that God will sustain me no matter what may come my way! Even if my lot in this life seems less than desirable, I know I have a home in the heavens that can never be taken from me.
A Prayer…
Father, help me to never forget your past forgiveness that gave me present peace, and keep my focus on my present access to be directly connected to you at all times. Then Lord, when my knees begin to tremble, give me more confidence to trust your promises that will be fulfilled one day in the future. Thank you God for salvation! Amen.
Living by faith means trusting what and WHO I can’t see….
Read Hebrews 11:23-29
“Moses kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the One who is invisible.” (v27b – NLT)
“for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible” (v27b NKJ)
Some Thoughts…
Faith is all about focus. The word used here in v6 for “looked” – (for he looked to his reward). This is a word having to do with intense focus – “fixing one’s eyes on something”. It was often used of artist who would concentrate on an object as he reproduced it in a painting or sculpture (Bruce). It also had to do with a deliberate, determined choice. As Westcott says, “it is looking away from one object to another.” – We fix our eyes on the ultimate, not the immediate, on the eternal reward rather than on temporal gain.” (Raymond Brown, p 217- Hebrews commentary)
I find it so easy to get distracted. I lose my passion, my will, and determination for the cause of Christ Jesus in a heart-beat when I take a look at the masses of people living their lives seeking everything but God. When I look in the eyes of some people I feel defeated and useless in my attempts to be salt and light and to point them to a better way (The only way – Jesus)… And I give up.
But, I must not! I must keep my gaze on Jesus (who I can’t see), and not people (who I can see). I must live for His purposes not mine or anyone else’s. To believe in the God of the Bible (The invisible God) I must have resolved focus, and never let the temporary overpower the eternal in me. Life in the Spirit is the life of the “inner-man”, and that is where I must live! There must be no room in my thinking that would cause me to say, “I can’t or “I quit” or “I….”. I cannot focus on me, and there is no room in my thought that would cause me to think, “They will never believe” or “those people always will be like that”. I cannot focus on the faithless. I must focus on the ONE who is faithful.
I must look to the invisible God; I must cling to His Word, His Spirit, His Son … and always say, “with God all things are possible!” I must see people the way God does and look to the invisible Spiritual aching in their lives. And together we will cross over to the Promised Land!
A Prayer…
Father, I believe! Enable me to maintain my focus and perspective on You, not on my circumstances, or the failings of others, or my own glaring mistakes. Let me walk by faith not by sight. Amen.
hand to the plow, playing by HIS rules, fighting like a soldier
Read 2 Timothy 2:1-7
“You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” (v 1)
Some Thoughts…
Paul gives the young (timid) minister a charge to give himself completely to the task that God had called him to; that of administering the Gospel in proclamation and in delegation for future generations. And the seasoned apostle encases this charge within 3 metaphors that young Timothy is to reflect on for divine understanding in leadership and in ministry. These metaphors will guide any follower of Christ to fruitfulness in life. Here are the metaphors:
1) The Focused Soldiers (dedicated)
Ø Endure hardship (it is inevitable) but don’t give up or return to earthly (civilian) ambitions of life, security, or the American dream that pursues happiness as its chief goal. You belong to something and SOMEONE much bigger than yourself. Stick it out just like a battle-weary soldier, for the battle belongs to the Lord; don’t give up!!!
2) The Faithful Athlete (obedient)
Ø Be faithful to follow all of God’s rules that govern the race of life, don’t take short-cuts, or try to fake it through the work-out. The race will bear the fruits of your faithfulness (true character always overflows in public). So choose the “good sportsmanship” of respect and honor and let your heart be seen in how hard you “play the game”… And be a team player; know what your gift is and be a cheer leader when it time to watch from the bench.
3) The Frantically Toilsome Farmer (faithful labor)
Ø At the beginning of the season there is great risk; you are dependent on the right weather conditions and the quality of the ground. There are no guarantees of a great crop, just a calling to take a risk and plant. You must also know that to do it right takes all of your strength and energy, but where there is a great risk there is also a great reward! The harvest of spirit-filled holiness and spirit-led salvation of souls. Work the Land with care and sweat-drops of love. Then wait with confidence in God to share in the harvest.
“There will be no victory for the soldier unless he gives himself to his soldiering, no wreath for the athlete unless he keeps the rules, and no harvest for the farmer unless he toils at his farming.” (John Stott)
A Prayer…
Father, just as Paul promises Timothy in verse 7, I choose to believe that you will give me insight into these truths. I plead for your Spirit to teach me, I beg that you would take my unregenerate, unwilling and stubborn soul and recreate it. Make it moldable and malleable in your hand. Teach me how to be a tool in your hand to bring about a great harvest. Help me know how to entrust your precious truth with faithful men and women. Make me a faithful minister of Your Gospel just like a soldier focused on the battle. Amen.
when God is silent He still speaks….
Read Hebrews 4:14-5:10 (& 2:16-18)
“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence…” 4:16a
Some Thoughts…
As I meditate on the priesthood of Jesus, I find comfort. I find a place to rest my questions of God’s apparent silence in my prayers. I find in this passage one of the main things that makes Jesus’ exaltation so great … His suffering. Chapter 5:7-8 gives an overview of His earthly walk and unwavering obedience. His suffering was the proof of the pudding: “He learned obedience from what he suffered.” He prayed in the garden with tears and sweat that fell like of blood streaming down His face, but was met with only silence … so He submitted and found the strength to endure God’s purpose for all humanity and history. He saw the brokenness, pain and death of a corrupt and fallen world. He did what He could to feed some, heal some, even raise some from the dead, yet He realized that we “would always have the poor with us” – so even in His ability to do something, he knew the world would continue in its lost-ness; so, he submitted and stayed on the course of obedience.
Therefore, I know this to be true, it is not the answers to my prayers that give me confidence, it is the audience; a God who welcomes me into His Holy presence and a Savior who empathizes and intercedes with patience for me. So, I will hold firmly to the faith I profess (v1).
A Prayer…
Father, today your will be done not mine, Your Kingdom come … I submit to you. Amen.
repentance: turning from… and turning to…
Read Hosea 14:1-9 & Matthew 23:37
“Who is wise? He will realize these things. Who is discerning? He will understand them. The ways of the Lord are right, the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.” (v9)
Some Thoughts…
God’s word shouts to us today… “Remember my dealings with my children of old. Be wise, not foolish! Choose love and relationship over rebellion and self-sufficiency! I love you, my child, understand that to be true for all time!” As Kidner puts it: “for the word of God goes on speaking; it never slips safely into the past.” (p 126)
In this final chapter, God turns again to His ever wayward bride and pleads in love for her to turn back to return to His love (v 1-4). He promises blessings and real life, (v5-7) and reassures her that He is the only real source of life (v8). That is the same message for me today. If I am to live in Christ, I must “return” constantly to Him…and how do I return? The first four verses give me guidance:
First, I respond to His plea (v2). I turn and offer the sacrifice of praise, I fill my mouth with His words, and I look for opportunities to praise His name in the presence of everyone or no one. It doesn’t matter except that my life be an offering at all times in response to His love for me (see also Hebrews 13:15 and Psalms 51:14-17).
Second: I remove my fleshly clutches (v3). I stop trusting in earthly power (like Israel did Assyria). I stop looking for security in things I can control (like Israel did with their gods). And I stop trusting in the strength of my own hands. For my life to be successful and happy (like Israel did with their idols), I turn completely to the God I can’t see and walk with Him daily – moment by moment. Then I feel Him giving me life; I hear him call me Son (v8). And I am reassured that His ways are right and do not fall. (See also John14:15 and Galatians 5:25)
A Prayer…
Father, I return to You with open empty hands. I offer the only thing I have…myself. I’m yours Lord…completely. I praise you for your ways are right. You are the only way to live. Keep me walking in step with your Spirit today. Amen.
A Valentine of shorts from our Heavenly Father….
Read Hosea 11:1-11
“How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel?” (v 8a)
Some Thoughts…
Scripture is God revealing Himself to anyone who will seek Him. And in these verses I find the heart of a grieving Father who loves his children deeply. As I read this chapter, I can almost hear God sigh. I can imagine his trembling hands and his cheeks wet with grief…”I was there when you took your first steps…like a farmer with his prized heifer, I made life the best possible for your comfort and well being. Yet you don’t even remember. (v 1-4) I taught you how to walk and you do not even realize it (v 3). The more blessing and extravagance I poured out on you, the more you chased after the gifts and not the Gift-Giver…”
Can you hear the heart of the Father? He seems to be saying, “It is time for severe punishment. There are consequences for loving lesser lovers and living life on your own (see v 5-7). But, oh how it hurts me to see the pain and loss you must endure. I can’t bare the thought of loosing you, my child (see v8-9), but I will allow you your freedom…
But, I am coming after you… Like a lion caring for his cubs. And after you’ve loved the life of the prodigal and you are down to your last dime, you will hear in the distance the strong voice of your Father’s cry and come trembling back to me…for you are my child, and I refuse to let you go.” (see v9-11)
A Prayer…
Father, I love you too. May my life never again be a point of anguish for You, I recognize Your loving kindness, I see it daily…and I will (with Your help) walk with You in it. Amen.