FAN INTO FLAMES

 

FAN INTO FLAMES

II Tim. 1:6 This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. NLT

First of all, do you know what your spiritual giftedness is? What do you do well that enables you to effectively communicate with others the Gospel message? Every believer is equipped with a spiritual gift. The Lord enables every believer so that they can serve Him and share with others the faith. It is important that you know what your gift is. If you don’t know, ask the Lord and others what it is. There is no excuse for not knowing. It is our responsibility to use our gift(s) and if we don’t know what they are, how can we use them?

We are to fan into flame our gifts. We are to develop our gifts so that we are most effective in our witness and service that we can be. In order to develop our gifts, we must first be in training. We must discover ways to be the best we can be for Christ. We must strive to improve upon our gifts.

The Lord doesn’t make us the best we can be the moment He redeems us. He molds and shapes us into better servants as we grow in Him. He gives us opportunities to hone our skills. It is our responsibility to fan into flame our gifts. We must keep the flame burning brightly by feeding our souls and using our gifts.

Failing to use our gifts for the Lord will cause us to wither away and die as far as usefulness in the Kingdom of God is concerned. God saves us for usefulness, not uselessness. We must always heed the warnings of Scripture about the fate of those who are useless servants of the Lord. The Lord holds us accountable for what we do and what we don’t do with our gifts.

RUN FROM EVIL

 

RUN FROM EVIL

I Tim. 6:11-12 But you, Timothy, belong to God; so run from all these evil things, and follow what is right and good. Pursue a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for what we believe. Hold tightly to the eternal life that God has given you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses. NLT

The first and most important thing for you to know today is that you belong to God. If there is any shred of doubt in your mind about this, don’t mess around and waste another moment of your life. Make sure that you know that you are a child of God. Base your knowledge on God’s Word and not your feelings. If you acknowledge your sins before Christ, believe in your heart that He can save you, ask Him to forgive you, and claim His forgiveness for your soul, you belong to God. If you let feelings drive you, you will never be settled in your soul about your salvation.

A child of God runs from all that is evil. He doesn’t mess around. He doesn’t stand around or walk in the midst of it; he runs from it. He understands the affect evil can have on his soul and has nothing to do with it. Instead, he pursues a godly life. He endeavors to live by faith in Christ. He endeavors to let the love of God flow through him. He never gives up and always seeks to be gentle in spirit.

A child of God understands how powerful the draw of evil is. It can overpower us and pull us in no matter how good our intentions are. He recognizes when he is beginning to slip, to give in, and takes action to stop his downward spiral as soon as he can.

A child of God is not a bystander. He fights for what he believes in. He stands strong and fights well because he is well-prepared to fight. He knows that the Gospel is true and well worth fighting for. He is not afraid to readily share with others that he is a child of the King.

A child of God holds on tightly to his eternal life. He is not swayed by the allurements of this life. He stays focused on that which is eternal and lives in readiness daily for his entrance into it. He understands the temporary pleasures of sin are death to his soul. When he is surrounded by evil or plagued by evil thoughts, he regroups and focuses on Christ and His Word.

MONEY AND FAITH

 

MONEY AND FAITH

I Tim. 6:10 For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. NLT

Most of us are very familiar with this verse of Scripture. We have heard many sermons that have reminded us of its truthfulness. We notice the effect money has on people and often cringe at how it has wreaked havoc in their lives. We look at ourselves and if we are honest, we have to admit that it has more power over us than we care to admit.

What always strikes me about the power of money over us is that it can cause some people to get so wrapped up in it that they have wandered from the faith in their pursuit of it. There is just something about money and the things it can do that draws us away from God. We develop a passion for money, and it consumes us to the point where we lose grip on our passion for God. God gets replaced in our lives and we find ourselves suffering from spiritual starvation.

We get caught up into money’s grip and discover that there are many sorrows associated with it. The more we have, the more we want. The more we want the more debt we are willing to incur that we might get it. The more debt we have, the harder we discover it is to get out of it. On and on the cycle goes.

Wise and satisfied is the soul who seeks to find his satisfaction in the Lord and not what He provides. Wise is he who knows that his relationship with the Lord is all that really matters in life. Wise is he who is able to live in peace and be content in God.

Thank the Lord for what you may have, but don’t let what you have be more important to you than Him. Let the Lord have control of all you have and the desires of your heart and you will not be held captive by the things of the world.

CONTENTMENT

 

CONTENTMENT

I Tim. 6:6-7 Yet true religion with contentment is great wealth. After all, we didn't bring anything with us into the world and we certainly cannot carry anything with us when we die. NLT

There is perhaps no greater quest in life than soul contentment. The world is a very restless place. What drives the world is the quest for something that will make one happy. Commerce depends on the discontentment of the soul. The promise is made that if we do this, buy this, read this, watch this, etc. we will at last be happy and content. It is an endless pursuit that never delivers what is promised. There is absolutely nothing in this world that can provide contentment for the soul.

Some strive to be content with who they are, but that too proves to be a futile quest. Beyond the appearances we portray is the real self. And if a soul does not have Christ within, there is an emptiness that is never satisfied and an awareness of just how bad we really are.

When Christ dwells in the soul, there is a true sense of peace and contentment within. We discover that Christ is all we want or need. It does not matter what we have or don't have of the world's offerings. We discover that knowing we have eternal life and will spend it with Him satisfies the soul. We discover that only Christ delivers on what He promises. Only Christ gives us the sense that all is well between us and God. A truly content soul can deal with whatever life may bring. It knows it doesn't need the world's cure for the soul's cravings, because Christ satisfies and makes the soul complete.

The richest people on earth are those who live in Christ, whose souls are filled with His righteousness and holiness. They are the ones who will see God in all His glory someday face-to-face. They are the ones who have discovered a peace that can never be found in the world.

How about you? Have you found contentment for your soul?

ACCUSING AN ELDER

 

ACCUSING AN ELDER

I Tim. 5:19-20 Do not listen to complaints against an elder unless there are two or three witnesses to accuse him. Anyone who sins should be rebuked in front of the whole church so that others will have a proper fear of God. NLT

When will we ever get it right? We are so quick to judge on hearsay. We believe what we hear without checking things out for ourselves. We presume guilt without knowing the heart. We listen to complaints instead of focusing on the positives. We don’t verify what we think is true by the witness of several people. Ministries and reputations have been ruined because of the failure to do things God’s way.

When was the last time a church leader was brought before the church body and rebuked because of sin? It is not done very often and if it is done, it’s not done well. Most of the time discipline is meted out by boards. The goal of all church discipline should be restoration of he who sins to a right relationship with God. It should be done in such a way that the church body will look upon their own souls and be humbled before God. It should never be done to humiliate a leader of the church or to make others feel spiritually superior because they did not do what the accused is accused of.

The goal for all of our relationships in the church should be to be holy before God. We need to strive to keep our souls and fellowships right before God. We should never let sin go, whether it is public or private sin. God is holy and commands us to be a holy people before Him. If it is not our constant goal, then we will never know what it is to be blessed by the Lord with the abundant life He came to give.

However, a word of caution is in order here. Anyone who would accuse another of sin worthy of public chastisement must first examine his own heart and deal with his own sin. It is never okay to ignore one’s own sin and point out someone else’s. We are all guilty of sin before God.

Church leaders who are guilty of sin should be held accountable to the Lord and the church body. But, be sure it is sin you are accusing him of and not personal preferences you may have. Public accountability should always be done humbly and prayerfully before God.

DIG DEEPER

 

DIG DEEPER

I Tim. 4:16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right, and God will save you and those who hear you. NLT

We don't seem to pay a lot of attention to this admonition of the Word. We are quick to speak and for the most part slow to think. We don't dig any deeper than we have to into the riches of God's truths. We gain a basic knowledge of Scripture and believe we have all the answers to life's questions. We are not afraid to express our opinions about God and His Word, regardless whether or not they are based on our study of the truth or not. We listen to what others say and accept it as truth without making an attempt to verify it through prayerful study. We become careless with our minds and thus careless with our living. We must dig deeper.

We are bombarded with so many different variations of truth that we find it hard to know what we believe, let alone live it. We are most gullible and are led astray whenever we let down our guard and fail to be students of God's Word. We must dig deeper.

It is impossible for us to stay true to what is right when we stay out of God's Word. We buy into the lie that there is no absolute truth. And when we question absolute truth, we have nothing to build a solid foundation on for lives. A total commitment to the Bible as absolute truth is the only way we can guard our souls from wrong thinking, teaching and living.

When we guard our minds and souls by taking God's Word seriously, we find the path of salvation that leads to holiness and are able to help others find it too. Pay attention to what you hear and read. A true child of God never stops being a student of the Word. He never stops learning from God. He never stops digging deeper.

How careful are you? Are you keeping a close watch on what you are learning and teaching? Are you still digging?

WATCH YOUR TEACHINGS

 

WATCH YOUR TEACHINGS

I Tim. 4:16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right, and God will save you and those who hear you. NLT

First of all, keep a close watch on yourself. It is easy to let down our guard spiritually. There are so many other things that are a part of our lives and if we are not careful, those things will dull our spiritual edge. We easily neglect our time in God’s Word and prayer. We easily find excuses for not being in church when we should be. We easily can justify ourselves and begin to slip away from God. Watch out! Hold yourself accountable for your spiritual disciplines. It is imperative for the health of your soul.

Keep a close watch over your teachings. Your opinions don’t matter. It is what God says that people need to hear. Be sure that what you pass on to others is the Word of God and not just what you or others think about it.

Stay true to what is right. There are many different ways to think about things, but only one right way. Align yourself up with God’s ways and you won’t go astray. It is when we neglect God’s ways that we lose our way.

God saves all who are in alignment with Him. When we live rightly before Him and correctly handle His Word, we will be saved and we won’t lead others astray. Let us keep a close watch over how we live and what we teach others.

DON'T NEGLECT YOUR GIFTS

 

DON’T NEGLECT YOUR GIFTS

I Tim. 4:14-15 Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecies spoken to you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you. Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. NLT

How one gets his spiritual gifts is not the issue here. The point is that we all have gifts given to us by the Spirit to be used for the glory of Christ in the world and we are to use them.

The first issue is identifying our gifts. It is not a matter of whether or not you have any, you do. Every believer in Christ is gifted to serve Christ in and through the church. What is it that you can offer to Christ? Gifts are as varied as there are people. We do things differently than one another and in varied degrees. God gives each of us gifts suited for our personalities, abilities, and character to handle them. Whatever He has entrusted to you to use to serve Him, you are in disobedience if you aren't using them. If you don't know what your giftedness is, consider what you can do well and find a way to do it to serve the Lord in and outside the church.

Spiritual gifts are those things that we offer to the Lord as an act of worship. All of our lives should be an act of worship. We live in homage to the Lord and should seek always to please Him. We don't live for ourselves, we live for the Lord.

Throw yourself into your tasks. Don't halfheartedly serve the Lord. Do what you do with enthusiasm and energy. If you love the Lord as you should, you will want to give Him your best efforts. You will want to serve Him so that everyone will see your enthusiasm and desire for the Lord.

This should be on the top of our list of things to do in life. We should always be striving to excel in our ability to serve the Lord. Mediocrity has no place in the life of a person who truly loves Christ.

SPIRITUAL FITNESS

 

SPIRITUAL FITNESS

I Tim. 4:7 Do not waste your time arguing over godless ideas and old wives tales. Spend your time and energy in training yourself for spiritual fitness. NLT

It’s a waste of time and good energy to argue over things that don’t help you grow in your walk with the Lord. We get caught up in the matters of the world and become passionate about them and regard the matters of the soul as less important. We tend to not put a lot of time or energy into keeping our souls fit. Is it any wonder that there are very few of us who are really mature in faith?

In order to be where we should be in our walk with the Lord, we must put a lot of effort into it. Growth does not happen without a deliberate effort on our part. We reap what we sow spiritually. When we fail to pursue the things of God, we fail to get them. We are unable to understand and apply God’s Word to life because we don’t consistently spend adequate time in it. We don’t ask the Lord to help us understand what He says and thus we don’t apply it well to life. We fail to consistently pray and therefore do not know how to pray effectively. We have a careless attitude about worship and participate in it only if it pleases us. We for the most part are lousy witnesses and servants.

Training requires commitment and sacrifice. It requires of us consistent and persistent effort. In order to be spiritually fit we must make it a priority in our lives. We must take seriously our need to train. We must consider everything else of lesser importance to us. Only those who are spiritually fit are able to live victoriously regardless of the circumstances of life. Only those who are spiritually fit can withstand Satan’s constant barrage of temptations to sin. Only the fit are able to correctly handle the truth.

If you truly love the Lord you will work hard to get spiritually fit and do all you can to stay there.

DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME

 

DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME

I Tim. 4:7 Do not waste your time arguing over godless ideas and old wives' tales. Spend your time and energy in training yourself for spiritual fitness. NLT

Spending time arguing over things seldom accomplishes anything good. Rarely does it result in mutual understanding and agreement. Usually it creates ill feelings and a critical spirit. Arguing sets people at odds with each other and destroys the quest for peace.

Instead of arguing, we need to spend our time and energy in training for spiritual fitness. What this means for us is that we focus our time and energy on growing our faith. We spend time studying God's Word to learn how to live godly lives. We seek to understand what we should and shouldn't be doing in our walk of faith. We study to learn more about God and His trustworthiness. No one will grow in faith without a consistent time alone with God in His Word.

Spiritual training involves developing a strong prayer life. We must learn how to stay in touch with God at all times, how to keep God involved in our daily routines. We need to learn how to stay God-conscious as we go about our daily business. Spiritual training involves putting into practice what we learn and sharing it with others. We will not retain much knowledge if we don't put it to the test and live it.

Spiritual training involves learning from others. No one knows it all and can benefit from the insight and understanding of others. We listen to what they say and observe how they live and when it is obvious they are following the Lord, we follow their example.

Spiritual training also involves learning how to get along with others. If we can’t get along with others, we will never be effective witnesses for Christ outside the church. We must learn to put into practice the principle of agreeing to disagree agreeably when we encounter issues that would divide or destroy fellowship.

Do not waste your time. Be smart and use your time wisely and constructively. Don't get into wasteful arguments. Spend your time and energy in training yourself to become spiritually fit. Only those who are spiritually fit are able to handle life well. Only the spiritually fit are assured of their going to heaven when they die.

WHY PEOPLE TURN AWAY

 

WHY PEOPLE TURN AWAY

I Tim. 4:1-2 Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from what we believe; they will follow lying spirits and teachings that come from demons. These teachers are hypocrites and liars. They pretend to be religious, but their consciences are dead. NLT

They are everywhere. They are leaders in the church. They are teachers in the classroom. They are influential people in the church and community. They are people who have turned away from the truth. It is easy to put on a front and convince people that you are for real. It is easy to even convince ourselves that we are okay when we are not grounded in the Word.

People turn away from the truth for varied reasons. One of the main reasons why I think people wander away is that they grow complacent and fail to maintain godly disciplines. They stop growing, become stagnant, and open themselves up to all kinds of wrong thinking. Most people don’t intentionally set out to be false teachers, but because they don’t intentionally pursue God and stay in His Word, they become false teachers.

Many stray from the truth because they believe the lie that what goes on in the darkness is better than what goes on in the light. They stay in the dark also because they know deep down inside their souls that if they came out of the darkness they would be found guilty of sin and held accountable for it.

We are very susceptible to following false teachers because we ourselves are not good students of the Word. We let others do our thinking for us. We don’t verify for ourselves that what we hear is true to God’s Word. We don’t like a way of life that involves changing so we gravitate to those who don’t proclaim its necessity. We want an easy road to heaven and love to listen to those who promise it. We like our comfortable living and want to hear how God makes us more comfortable. We want heaven’s blessings without it costing us anything. We like it when people tell us what we want to hear instead of what we need to hear.

Guard your soul. Be a diligent student of God’s Word. Think for yourself about what the Word teaches with an open heart before God. Ask Him to make it clear to you what He is saying. Be sure you sincerely want to know what God is saying. If God confirms what you hear in His Word, then fine. If not, listen to God and not man.

A TURNING AWAY

 

A TURNING AWAY

I Tim. 4:1-2 Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from what we believe; they will follow lying spirits and teachings that come from demons. These teachers are hypocrites and liars. They pretend to be religious, but their consciences are dead. NLT

Sobering, isn't it? Paul tells Timothy that in the last times, there will be some who will turn away from the truth of the Gospel message and follow after false teachings. Whether we are actually in the last days of life on earth as we know it or not, I don't know, but I believe we are. Regardless, there are those who turn away from the truth of the Gospel. There are church people everywhere who are walking away from the Church. There are those who are embracing false teachings as if they were the Gospel. There are those who listen to lies that come straight from hell.

Many of those who turn away from the Gospel are people who are in the Church. Many are church leaders who appear to be good people. They sound convincing in what they say. They live "good" lives. Many of them are in the pulpits and teachers in the classrooms. They have no problem with spewing their lies. Some are able to get a large following.

If there ever was a time for us to be discerning regarding the truth of the Gospel, it is now. We must carefully examine what we believe in light of what the Scriptures proclaim. We must study the Scriptures to make sure that what we think we understand it to say is what it actually says. We must not waver in our conviction that the Scriptures are from God. We must stay true to the Word of God at all times and expose false teachings when we encounter it.

It is so easy to believe what isn’t true. Just because someone says it is so doesn’t make it so. We must listen carefully to what God says before we believe. Open your Bible and study it for yourself. Just because someone is popular and successful does not mean they are correctly handling the Word. No one has perfect understanding on all things. No one lives so close to God that he becomes the absolute authoritative voice for the Church. Stay close to the heart of God, read the Word with an open heart, and let the Spirit of God guide you into all truth. And, what you can’t understand accept, it as truth because God said it and move on by faith. What you need to understand you will. God never leaves His children in the dark on things they need to know for their walk with Him.

There is a great turning away from the truth in the Church today. Satan has infiltrated the Church, and many false teachers have risen to prominent positions in her. They are wolves in sheep clothing. Stand guard over your mind and soul lest you, too, turn away from the truth.

CHURCH CONDUCT

 

CHURCH CONDUCT

I Tim. 3:14-15 I am writing these things to you now, even though I hope to be with you soon, so that if I can't come for a while, you will know how people must conduct themselves in the household of God. This is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and support of the truth. NLT

Paul had a real love for the Church. He longed for people to live righteously in the church. He wanted people to know that what was true for our individual lives also applied to our church life. We are obligated before God to conduct ourselves in the church in a manner that was pleasing and acceptable to God.

Sadly, we fall so far short of living up to the standards of God in the church like we should. When we get together with other Christians, we can favor some over others. We can be critical of the opinions of each other. We can let pride rear her ugly head and think of ourselves as better than others, or better than we really are. We can ignore those we have problems with. We can let self-righteousness isolate some in the church. We can gossip about others. The church ought to be a loving and caring community of believers, but so often it's something else entirely.

Paul reminds us that the church is not ours; it's God's. We dare not forget that Christ is the head of her, not us. The church is God's chosen body to uphold the truth of the Gospel. She is given the responsibility to support the Gospel message and by example live it out. When we don't practice in the church what we preach in the church, the world will ignore us, and rightly so.

AN ESTABLISHED LEADER

 

AN ESTABLISHED LEADER

I Tim. 3:6-7 An elder must not be a new Christian, because he might be proud of being chosen so soon, and the Devil will use that pride to make him fall. Also, people outside of the church must speak well of him so that he will not fall into the Devil’s trap and be disgraced. NLT

It is so tempting to put people into places of service before they are ready for it. In many, many churches, there is a shortage of good leadership. Many churches find it hard to find people who are willing or able to be a part of the leadership of the church, so what they often do is put people in place who are relatively new in the faith. Elders are elected who have not yet been tested in the fires of life. Many elders have not yet been developed in their Biblical thinking to the point where they can make Biblical decisions about matters that come up in the church. Many elders are still immature in their faith and are unable to humbly handle being in a position of leadership. Many stumble and fall because they just aren’t ready to be put into such a role.

It is important to always examine the life of a church leader. There must be evidence outside the church that elders are walking the walk. It should be evident that elders are real in their profession of faith. And, those outside the church are the ones who really know whether or not one’s faith is real. It is easy to be godly in a church setting where everyone is godly (or at least pretend to be).

When a church leader stumbles and falls because he was not ready to lead, the cause of Christ is damaged. It is fuel for the fire for those who are not believers. It gives many non-believers cause to judge believers as being hypocrites. It keeps many away from the church.

If you are in a church leadership position, you need to be on your knees daily. You need to be in the Word, learning and growing in Christ. You need to always strive to have a humble heart before God and man. You should hold yourself accountable before your church family for how you are walking with Christ, and your church family should hold you accountable for it. In fact, I believe it would be good if you were to ask your church family to hold you accountable for your prayer life, Bible study times and service to the Lord. It would also be good to withhold participation in passing judgment on others if you know in your heart things are not right between you and the Lord. Integrity and humility are key parts of being a church leader.

If are relatively new to the faith and are asked to assume a key leadership position in the church, I would encourage you to pray much about it and turn it down if you sense you are not qualified to do it yet.

If you are seeking people to serve in leadership in the church, please remember Paul’s warning and only pursue those who are established believers who are respected in and outside of the church.

To the best of our ability, we must stand guard over the souls in the church and not let Satan get a foothold, especially in the leadership of the church.

A QUALIFIED ELDER

 

A QUALIFIED ELDER

I Tim. 3:2 For an elder must be a man whose life cannot be spoken against. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exhibit self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home and must be able to teach. NLT

There are many reasons why the church selects people to lead them, and many of them have nothing to do with God’s standards for election. We select people on the basis of personality, power, position in life, family connections, etc. Most of the time spiritual maturity is not the main factor in why certain people are selected to serve in the church.

An elder is a leader in the church. He is one who shows in-depth spiritual qualities. His life is consistent with his profession of faith. He is one who is known for his godliness. He is not hypocritical but consistently applies Biblical truth to his living within the church and community in which he lives. An elder has high moral standards. He is loyal always to his wife and does not waver in his love and commitment to her. An elder displays spiritual fruit in his life. He is not hot-headed. He has control of his emotions and does not react before thinking. He is not foolish in the way he lives; He knows the value of time and uses it wisely. He takes an interest in others and is not reluctant to entertain them in his home. He is mature enough in faith that he is able to teach others.

An elder is a spiritual leader of the church. He has different titles in different churches: an elder, deacon, bishop, pastor, etc. What you call him isn’t nearly as important as his being qualified spiritually to fill his role.

The church that takes the spiritual maturity of her leaders seriously is a church that grows spiritually. There will be strong emphasis on Biblical teaching and making disciples. She is a church that holds her leaders accountable for godly living. She is a church blessed by God.

JESUS, OUR SAVIOR

 

JESUS, OUR SAVIOR

I Tim. 2:6 He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message that God gave to the world at the proper time. NLT

Jesus did not die for just a select few. He died for everyone who would believe in Him for the forgiveness of their sins. Salvation has no limitations or favorites. Anyone anywhere and at any time can be saved. We must never assume anything about anyone's soul. The power of Christ to save the worst sinner on earth is more than sufficient to save him.

We should pray for those who aren't saved. Pray that their hearts will be made tender, that they will have ears to hear the voice of God. Pray that the Lord will send messengers to them with the message. Pray with faith, believing in their salvation at the proper time for their souls. Pray without ceasing, knowing that the Lord is faithful and will do all He can to bring them to salvation. Pray knowing that the Lord is not willing that anyone would leave this life without salvation. Pray that we will have the same compassion of our Lord for lost souls, whether we know them personally or not.

How many lost souls are on your heart's prayer list? If you don't have a list, ask the Lord to lay some soul on your heart. No one will be saved without the work of the Spirit on their heart, and it is prayer that moves the Spirit to act.

And, whenever you can, put feet to your prayers and tell them about Jesus and His desire to save their soul. And, don’t just tell them, show them the love of Christ as much as you can.

Praying backed up by loving actions opens the door for talking. Someone you know needs you to be God’s voice to them. Ask the Lord to show you who he is.

JESUS, OUR HOPE

 

JESUS, OUR HOPE

I Tim. 2:5 For there is only one God and mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man Christ Jesus. NLT

There is only one who is worthy enough to approach God on his own merit. There is only one who can keep God's holy wrath in check. There is only one who can make us presentable and acceptable to God. He is Jesus. Without Jesus as our mediator, no one would escape God's wrath and judgment. No one would make it to heaven when they die. No one.

Our only hope before God is Jesus. We cannot by-pass the cross and make it to God. Jesus alone is our righteousness and holiness before God. If you are trying to make it to God any other way, you will die in your sins. You can never be good enough or do enough to make yourself acceptable to God. We are saved from God's wrath only through the shed blood of Christ on Calvary.

Only Jesus is qualified to be our mediator before God. He alone faced life's many temptations and yet never sinned in thought or deed. Only Jesus is good enough to make it to heaven on his own merit.

A mediator is one who stands between two parties who have a problem between them and tries to help them resolve their issues in a peaceful and acceptable way. God and man have a huge problem, it's called sin. God is holy and His holiness demands that sin be judged and cast away from Him. There is zero tolerance on God's part regarding sin. Man is sinful to the core. He is born that way. God and sinful man are enemies. Even though God loves man, He cannot accept man because of his sin.

Jesus came to be our Savior and mediator. His death on the cross made it possible for God to accept us as His own. Because of Jesus' sinless life He was able to take our sins upon himself and cast them into the depths of hell where they belong. He rose from the grave as our sinless sacrifice and went back to heaven with the power to forgive us when we confess our sins to Him. He stands between God and us and makes it possible for us to have peace with God. He alone is able to keep God's wrath from falling upon our souls and condemning us to hell. For God so loved us that He gave us His Son to die for our sins and be our mediator forever and ever.

“Thank you, Jesus, for what you have and are continuing to do for us to rid us of our sins and make us acceptable to God.”

JESUS, OUR MEDIATOR

 

JESUS, OUR MEDIATOR

I Tim. 2:5 For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man Christ Jesus. NLT

Jesus is our great High Priest. He set aside the role of the high priest under the law once and for all. He alone is able to stand before God on our behalf. He alone is able to make us fit to be in the presence of God. He did away with all of the law's demands for sacrificial offerings when He offered himself up on the cross for our sins. He is the perfect sacrifice who alone is qualified to take away our sins.

Anyone who would suggest that they can forgive sins is a false teacher. Christ is seated at the right hand of God in heaven as the only one who can forgive. It is by His shed blood that we are made right with God. He alone is able to make us righteous and holy before God.

We do not need anyone else to stand before God on our behalf. Anyone can come to God through Christ. Jesus is THE mediator between God and man. We can ask anything in Jesus' name and know that God hears us and answers our prayers. There is no power in any other name other than that of Jesus. He is the living Word of God, the Alpha and Omega of all creation. He is God and has no equal. He needs no help from anyone; He stands before God as our High Priest, ever making intercession for us. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords.

It is before Him that every knee shall bow, in heaven above and earth below. If you do not bow before Him now, you will on Judgment Day. You will bow voluntarily or by force, but you will bow. It is your choice. Is Jesus your Savior and Lord today?

EVERYONE NEEDS PRAYER

 

EVERYONE NEEDS PRAYER

I Tim. 2:1-2 I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. As you make your requests, plead for God's mercy upon them, and give thanks. Pray this way for kings and all others who are in authority, so that we can live in peace and quietness, in godliness and dignity. NLT

No one is beyond the reach of need for prayer. We should never buy into the notion that some people are too far gone to pray for. The Lord can change anyone, no matter how bad they may appear to be. No one will be saved apart from the work of Christ, and Christ works in response to our prayers.

When you do pray for others, pray for God's mercy. No one deserves to be spared God's wrath, but all who are in Christ are spared. Pray that others will share the mercy of God with you. Pray that they will respond to God's mercy and seek Him.

Give thanks to the Lord when you are praying. Thank Him for all that He has done for you and thank Him for His love for those whom you are praying. Thank Him in advance for what He is going to do in their lives. Thank Him for the privilege of being chosen to pray for them.

When you pray, remember those who are in authority over you. The more authority a person has, the more need he has for prayer. Pray for both your civic and spiritual leaders. Anyone can misuse his power and authority. Anyone can abuse their authority and take advantage of others whom they have power over. Pray that the Lord will keep them in line so they will not let their sinful natures lead them into a misuse of their power and authority. Pray that they will understand that they are accountable to God for how they exercise their power and authority.

Prayer works and when we pray for others, we are much more likely to live in peace and quietness. Our failure to pray opens the door up to all kinds of evil and we have no one to blame but ourselves when it happens. We can do something about the world around us; we can pray.

PRAY FOR ALL PEOPLE

 

PRAY FOR ALL PEOPLE

I Tim. 2:1 I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. As you make your requests, plead for God's mercy upon them, and give thanks. NLT

I am challenged by that word all. All means all all the time and I must confess that I don't always pray for all people. I do pray for people, but there are many people who do not make my prayer list. There are people who need prayers that I do not know about or feel led to pray for. There are people who are not close to me that I don't pray for. There are people who I am not led to pray for at all, but yet, Paul urges us, the Church, to pray for all people. So, how do we reconcile what we do with what we should be doing?

First of all, we should never exclude anyone from our willingness to pray for. No matter who it is, all people need prayer. We should not discriminate against anyone with our prayers. Whether they be people we like or not, we should be willing to pray for them. Whether we personally know them or not, we should be willing to pray for them. Whether they are people we agree with or not, we should be willing to pray for them. Anyone whom the Lord nudges you to pray for, you should pray for them. How then should we pray for them?

I like the way Paul prayed for the church. Read his prayers in Philippians, Colossians and Ephesians. It would be a wonderful way to pray for one another. Paul tells Timothy to plead for God's mercy on them. We should always want others to know the Lord and grow in Him. It takes a lot of mercy on God's part to help people. Pray that the Lord will be merciful and withhold the judgment that they deserve and reach out to them in grace and love. Pray that others will respond positively to God's love and mercy.

And, as you plead with God on the behalf of others, do it with a thankful heart. Be thankful for your own salvation and the work of the Spirit within you. Be thankful for the opportunities God gives you to play a part in the soul development of others.

Thank the Lord for those who respond to God and let Him have control of their lives. Thank the Lord always for His goodness and favor on man. Thank Him for His mercy and love for all. Thank Him for the opportunities He gives to us to partner with Him in the salvation of souls.

Your prayer for someone today may be the key that unlocks the door to their heart for Jesus to come in. Will you pray?

WHY JESUS CAME

 

WHY JESUS CAME

I Tim. 1: 15-16 This a true saying, and everyone should believe it: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--and I was the worst of them all. But that is why God had mercy on me, so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they too, can believe and receive eternal life. NLT

There was no other reason why Jesus came into the world; He came to save sinners, you and I. We must never take this lightly. Jesus loves us and came to save us from certain life in eternal hell. This marvelous truth should so captivate our thoughts that we are driven to our knees in gratitude and worship our wondrous Savior and Lord.

I don't know how you perceived yourself before you came to Christ. Paul saw himself as the worst of sinners. No matter how good of a person we thought we were, without Christ we were in the same boat as Paul. We were sinners undeserving of God's love and favor. Like Paul, we ought to be amazed at the fact that Jesus bothered with us. Our sins made us enemies of God and deserving of His wrath. You without Christ were the worst you have ever been. Whether you were the best or worst of sinners, you were still an enemy of God, undeserving of God's forgiveness and mercy.

Jesus saves us so that we can tell others this simple truth: "If God can save me, He can save you, too." We each have a story of redemption to tell. We ought to be telling it over and over again. No one is beyond God’s forgiveness. God is patient with the lost and anyone who is willing can be saved. Our lives are a living testimony of what God can do.

Praise God for His marvelous patience, mercy and love! I am redeemed! Shout it from the rooftop to all who will listen. Let your voice be heard. People everywhere must be told that Jesus can and does save everyone who comes to Him with a broken, repentant heart.

WHAT REALLY MATTERS

 

WHAT REALLY MATTERS?

I Tim. 1:4 Don't let people waste time in endless speculation over myths and spiritual pedigrees. For these things only cause arguments; they don't help people live a life of faith in God. NLT

How much time is wasted over arguing over things that really don't matter? Probably a lot. We sometimes get into some interesting "discussions" that end up doing nothing more than cause hard feelings that sometimes results in broken fellowship that is never quite restored. How sad!! We need to be careful about what issues we choose to get defensive over. As much as we would like to think otherwise, our opinions really don't matter all that much. What does matter are those things which help us and others to grow in faith.

We need to focus our attention on things that edify the soul and the source of those things is the Word of God. The Word of God should never be argued over. We can have different understandings on interpretations and applications, but they should NEVER be allowed to sever relationships in the body of Christ. We should agree to disagree agreeably on our different understandings and move on to how we can help each other grow in faith.

If we truly love each other as God loves us, we will work very hard to live peaceably with each other and work together for our common good and Christ's glory on earth. Loving each other ought to disarm those things which divide us. As long as Christ is the focus of our faith and we rally around the cross, we should accept one another as brothers and sisters in Him and help each other become a holy people, a people after God's own heart.

DON'T BE IDLE

 

DON’T BE IDLE

II Thess. 3:6 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command with the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ. Stay away from any Christian who lives in idleness and doesn't follow the tradition of hard work we gave you.

Sounds kind of harsh doesn't it? Paul is telling us to stay away from lazy Christians. Why? A couple of things come to my mind. One thing that hanging around with lazy people does for us is that it encourages us to become lazy as well. When we are lazy, it encourages those who follow us to become lazy also. There simply is no room in Christian living for laziness. Staying spiritually sharp and productive is hard work. Idleness causes us to neglect those things we must be doing in order to stay close to the Lord.

Another thing that idleness does is it hinders the work of the Gospel. We are mandated to go and tell, not sit and wait. We are to stand on the promises and not sit on the premises. We are to be aggressive witnesses, not idle worshipers. The world will not come to us wanting the Gospel message. We must go to them and try to create a thirst for it.

The way most of us engage ourselves in the life of the church tends to make us lazy. We pay others to lead us in worship. We like to sit back and let others lead. While it is necessary to have leaders, it easily allows us to do nothing. We enjoy and appreciate what others do, but as long as they are doing what they do, we get the idea we don't have to become engaged. We become spectators instead of worshipers and servants. Is it any wonder many of us have become soft and unable to be productive servants of the Lord?

Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, work for the night is coming in which no more work on earth will be done. Today is our day of opportunity to bring Christ to the world. Don't blow it because you are too lazy to seize it.

STAND FIRM

 

STAND FIRM

II Thess. 2:15 With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on everything we taught you both in person and by letter. NLT

Paul had been reminding the church that the Lord is coming back to right the wrong. Judgment is coming on the earth against those who reject God and His Word. It is going to happen, and Paul reminds them here to stand firm and hang on tight to the Lord and His ways. There are times in which it means we desperately hang on. Doubts, discouragements, defeats, disillusionments, and despair are all part of life. We must never stop hanging on, no matter what comes our way. Eternity is at stake.

We live in a very unstable and unsteady world. People are lost and are staggering around trying to find some semblance of meaning and purpose to their lives. People are grasping for whatever their depraved minds tell them will bring them a sense of pleasure and enjoyment in their desperate lives. People everywhere are without hope and are seeking whatever reason they can find to keep on living.

Stand firm on the solid foundation of God's Word. Trust in what God says. Live diligently by its precepts. It is the only truth there is in the world. Don't listen to the opinions of men or trust what they say. Listen to God and what He says.

Keep a strong grip on everything you have been taught from God. Don't let go of what you know is from God. He will never lead you astray. He will always tell you what you need to know. His only desire for you is that which is good for your soul. We live in a very perilous time and it is imperative that we cling tightly to the Lord.

Stay focused on Christ. It is when we lose our focus that we lose our grip, stumble and fall. Don’t let anything in life distract you. Eternal life with Christ awaits those who stand firm and don’t lose their grip.

A WORTHY LIFE

 

A WORTHY LIFE

II Thess. 1:11 And so we keep on praying for you, that our God will make you worthy of the life to which he called you. And we pray that God, by his power, will fulfill all your good intentions and faithful deeds. NLT

Are you worthy of eternal life? In order to be worthy of eternal life, we must be living holy lives. We must be striving to stay away from sinning against God. We must be living to the best of our ability by the Word of God. We must not cater to sin and those who live in it. We must be living always in a state of readiness for Christ's return.

Notice that it is God who makes us worthy. It is the work of God in us that makes us fit for heaven. The Holy Spirit is constantly molding and shaping us into a people after God's own heart. It is the Spirit who is constantly teaching us new things to apply to our lives to make us more holy. It is God's expectation of us to be holy and He is working to make it happen as long as we let Him. However, He will not make us into who we have no desire of being. We must love Him enough to want to be a holy people and we must trust in His work to make it happen.

It behooves us to pray and ask the Lord to do His work in us. Our greatest need is to be holy before God. Without holiness, we shall not see God. We must be open to the Lord having His way with us. Our sinful nature wants to resist the changes God needs to make in us. We must pray faithfully and sincerely that we will let the Lord have His way with us. We will then find that what we intend to do and what we do will line up with God's will and be pleasing and holy before Him.

A worthy life is a fully surrendered life to Christ. It is a life that is completely dedicated to become holy in conduct, conversation and contemplation. God’s will is that each of His children be found to be worthy of eternal life in Christ.

Are you living a worthy life in Christ?

REST AND JUDGMENT

 

REST AND JUDGMENT

II Thess. 1:7-8 And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don't know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. NLT

There is coming a certain rest for God's children. No matter how bad things may be for us here on earth, Jesus is coming to take us out of it all and put us in a place of eternal rest. Jesus is coming for us and when He comes, there will be no doubt about it.

Paul is referring here to God's final judgment on earth. There is coming a time when the Church will no longer be on earth to hold back evil. During those days there will be great persecution against those who choose to trust in God. There will be a massive rejection of God and an embracing of evil. Instead of following God, people will be following the Antichrist. This turning away will last for seven years and then God will bring to a close the reign of evil on earth.

He is coming with the hosts of heaven in flaming fire to bring judgment on those who have rejected Him and those who have chosen to not obey God's Word. Everyone makes choices daily as to whether or not they will let God be in their life. Everyone makes daily choices as to whether or not to live by God's rules or not. God has given everyone ample knowledge of right and wrong so that no one will have any leg to stand on when God's judgment falls on them.

To know God is to know His Word and obey it. You do not love God if you do not live by His Word. There is no wiggle room about this. The standard of God’s Word is the measuring stick for our holiness and without holiness, no one will enter heaven.

If you choose to ignore God and His Word, you can be assured that you will come under God's judgment. God will wait only so long for you to change your ways and let Him be your Savior and Lord. No matter when it may come for you, Judgment Day is coming. You will stand before God and give an account for the choices you make now. Don't mess with God because you will lose.

HOLINESS OF HEART

 

HOLINESS OF HEART

I Thess. 5:23-24 Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until that day when our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God, who calls you, is faithful; he will do this. NLT

Anyone who knows me at all knows that holiness is my passion. I cannot read God's Word without seeing God's holiness everywhere. He is holy and commands us to be holy. No one will be in heaven who is not holy in heart. In heaven there is perfect holiness.

It is my heart's desire that everyone reading this today will be made holy in every way. I long to see God's children live like they are holy. I long to hear things coming from their mouths that would not make me question their holiness. I long to see them treat others out of holy love. I long to see people in the church be a people who are truly after God's own heart.

Sadly, it is common amongst us to see those who are not blameless. We often let down our guards and fall into sin. It is not unusual for us to see church leaders make the news because they have failed to live up to their profession of godliness. Moral failure is everywhere. Actions and attitudes often betray our witness. We don't live blameless lives like we should. We will never be perfectly blameless on earth, but we certainly can come a whole lot closer to it than we normally do.

It is alarming to find out that pastors are forced to leave the ministry because of moral failure. It should concern us that polls tell us that over half of our pastors are addicted to pornography and view it in their offices. It should concern us when the divorce rate in the church parallels that of society. We have a real problem amongst us and it is not our being too holy for the world to relate to us.

Jesus is coming back for His church and we should be striving to be found blameless when He comes. How can we do that? By our own willpower and strength, we can't. The only way we will be found blameless before God when Jesus comes is for us to live daily, moment-by-moment in Christ. We must invest our time and energy into living holy lives. We must adequately feed our souls and spend time alone with Him consistently. We must live humbly and obediently before Him. We must always strive to let the Lord have His way in us and through us. God is faithful and will keep us blameless if we do our part and remain faithful to our pursuit of holiness in Him.

STAY AWAY FROM EVIL

 

STAY AWAY FROM EVIL

I Thess. 5:22 Keep away from every kind of evil. NLT

Let's be honest with ourselves today. We don't do the best of jobs with staying away from evil things. We know we can't avoid it entirely because we live in an evil world. But, how hard do we really try? Do we deliberately not go where we know there will be sinful activities? Do we not linger and watch what we know to be sinful? Do we avoid evil conversations (talk laced with bad language, sexual overtures, gossip, etc.)? Do we entertain ourselves with stuff that we know are not good for our souls?

We must take responsibility for protecting our souls and minds from evil if we want to stay pure in God's eyes. Our failure to do so boils down to the will. We can do it, if we want to do it. The next time you are in the presence of evil, pause to ask yourself if you would linger there if Jesus were physically standing beside you. And remember, although He may not be with you physically, He is there with you. He sees all and knows all, including your deepest thoughts and motives.

We will stumble and fall down, but we can control a lot of our stumbling and falling. All we have to do is say no to the evil we are confronted with in our lives. We can stay away from those things and places that would lead us into temptation. We are responsible for protecting our souls from evil. How well are you doing? You have no one to blame but yourself when you sin. And, God will blame no one but you when you sin.

PROPHECIES

 

PROPHECIES

I Thess. 5:20-21 Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. NLT

Prophecies are not limited to just the end times. They include anything God reveals about the future. Many predictions are made in the name of God about life. Unless they are clearly verified by God's Word, accept them with extreme caution. God only speaks from the context of His Word. He never says anything that contradicts or conflicts with His Word. Never. Therefore, be discerning about what you believe about the future. Test what you hear in light of God's Word. If His Word is in agreement, then you have reason to believe it is true. So many of us are way too quick to accept and believe what we hear simply because someone who is supposed to know what he is talking about says it. Examine everything you hear in light of what God has already said.

One of the sure ways of knowing that the Bible is true is the way history has unfolded in light of the prophecies of the prophets of old. We read often of what they said was going to happen and it did. The Bible is historically accurate on all it proclaims. It can be trusted to be accurate on all the prophecies not yet fulfilled.

Everything that God has proclaimed is both true and good. Do not let Satan confuse you about it. Don't doubt God's Word, no matter how convincing someone's words may be. All Scripture comes directly from the mind and heart of God. It is absolutely true in everything it says from beginning to end. Unless you stand on that truth, you will be led astray. It is very important that we understand this, especially in these days, because we live amongst so many smooth talkers and people who have personality plus. If we are not careful, we get caught up by the messenger instead of the message.

Prophecies are anything that speak of what God is going to do. Pay attention to them, but always put what man says about them to the test of God's Word. Be wary of anyone who adds to or takes away from what God has already said.

God never contradicts himself. If there seems to be a problem with what has been said, the problem is with man’s understanding, not with what God has said. God is absolutely trustworthy in everything He declares. If He said it happened, it happened. If He says something is going to happen, it will.

Hold on to that which is true and good. Let it guide your living.