In his letter to Timothy, the young pastor at Ephesus, Paul admonishes him to continue in all he has been taught. That many are going to fall away from the faith and pay attention to evil doctrines. There will be many false teachers that others will gravitate to and that he will need to point these things out to them and in doing so, even if they are not received well, Timothy will be a good servant.
He encourages Timothy to be continually nourished on the words of faith and the sound doctrine he has been following. In this purposeful discipline godliness is attained and it is profitable for this life and the one to come. It's not enough to hear the Word once or twice. We must continually feed ourselves on the principles of faith we have been taught.
Paul also admonishes Timothy not to neglect the spiritual gift that was imparted to him. That he is going to have to take pains with these things and be absorbed in them. To pay close attention to that which he is teaching and if he perseveres it will ensure the blessing not only for himself but the hearers also.
What does it mean to us to take pains? To be absorbed? It means we, like Timothy, are going to have to give ourselves wholly to it! To not neglect giving our attention daily to the Word and prayer and to be ever aware of the gifts the Lord has placed within us. It's going to take some effort on our part to stir up the gift within us. That's why it's called the sacrifice of praise. Our flesh doesn't always feel like doing godly things. But we do it by faith. We sometimes start out in the flesh and end up in the Spirit! It takes some perseverance to push through things that try to hold us back. But it is SO worth it! And like Paul said, it will not only benefit us, but all those around us. When we are so filled up with God it will effect our missions field...in our homes, in our neighborhood, in our families, on the job, and in our specific ministry roles.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
May 20, 2013 ~ 1 Corinthians 16 ~
This is the last part of the first letter Paul writes to the church of Corinth. He tells them that he hopes to come to them in person after he passes through Macedonia and stay with them for some time, but shall remain right now in Ephesus until Pentecost because Verse 9 says, "for a wide door for effective service has opened to me, and there are many adversaries."
What did Paul mean that he couldn't come yet because there were many adversaries? He was teaching them that opposition will come. When a door is opened to you, adversaries may come to interrupt your entrance and change the effect you can make on the other side of that door. The enemy is not going to let you have an effect without putting up a fight. When you come into some light about something, he will try to steal that seed from you.
Paul is warning us so that we can be aware. Because if we are aware of it, then we won't retreat or back down when we feel that pressure against us. You might feel on your body or in your mind the effects of the adversaries, but don't be overly impressed. Our spirit man need not be shaken. We are never to be moved by what we feel or see, but only by what we believe!!!
If we're going to have an effect, we're going to have an adversary. But we need to always remind ourselves of that from our seated position! He is a defeated adversary!!! And we are far above it! He's going to out up a fight. The Bible tells us had he known, he would have never crucified Christ. The Lord knows all the adversary's plans and the crucifixion that was meant to be Jesus' demise became redemption's launching pad! When the devil intends to cause demise in your life use it as a spring board and build right over it!!!
What did Paul mean that he couldn't come yet because there were many adversaries? He was teaching them that opposition will come. When a door is opened to you, adversaries may come to interrupt your entrance and change the effect you can make on the other side of that door. The enemy is not going to let you have an effect without putting up a fight. When you come into some light about something, he will try to steal that seed from you.
Paul is warning us so that we can be aware. Because if we are aware of it, then we won't retreat or back down when we feel that pressure against us. You might feel on your body or in your mind the effects of the adversaries, but don't be overly impressed. Our spirit man need not be shaken. We are never to be moved by what we feel or see, but only by what we believe!!!
If we're going to have an effect, we're going to have an adversary. But we need to always remind ourselves of that from our seated position! He is a defeated adversary!!! And we are far above it! He's going to out up a fight. The Bible tells us had he known, he would have never crucified Christ. The Lord knows all the adversary's plans and the crucifixion that was meant to be Jesus' demise became redemption's launching pad! When the devil intends to cause demise in your life use it as a spring board and build right over it!!!
Monday, May 13, 2013
May 13th ~ 1 Corinthians 11 ~
In this passage, the Apostle Paul admonishes the people of the church at Corinth to be imitators of him as he is of Christ. He praised them for holding to the traditions which he taught them but also gave them some much needed correction. Correction from the Lord is always intended to bring people into a place of greater blessing. Doing things God's way always pays off.
Most of this chapter Paul gives instruction on the act of taking communion. When the congregation would meet together, they were consuming the communion bread and wine as a snack because they were hungry. Verse 22 Paul says, "What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing?"
He proceeds to remind them about the Lord's supper and what Jesus said about it. That as often as they ate the bread and drank the cup, they would be proclaiming the Lord's death until He comes. By eating the bread and drinking the wine flippantly, they were acting in an unworthy manner and bringing judgement upon themselves. Verse 31 says, "For this reason many among you are weak and sick and a number sleep." In other words, many in their church were weak, sick and slept, which means they died prematurely. Paul was trying to help them to understand that we always need to walk by faith to please God. There is so much power available through the taking of Holy Communion and the body of Christ is missing out because they aren't rightly dividing the Word of God.
When we are partaking of communion, we are proclaiming the Lord's death until He comes again. How do we receive any of God's promises to us? We always have to BELIEVE and RECEIVE and we receive by confession. It's not enough to believe that Jesus died on the cross, we also have to receive it and make confession of it. That is FAITH and faith is our part. Then the power of God can transform us and that is HIS part. The very act of communion is a public proclamation of what Jesus did! That His body received ALL sickness and disease and we can be free of it.
Next time you partake of communion, either at church or in your home, do so with the understanding that you are indeed making a faith statement and that the power of God is present to meet any needs you have. Believe that power is working mightily in you, just like Jesus said it would and continue to confess until it is made manifest in your situation.
Most of this chapter Paul gives instruction on the act of taking communion. When the congregation would meet together, they were consuming the communion bread and wine as a snack because they were hungry. Verse 22 Paul says, "What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing?"
He proceeds to remind them about the Lord's supper and what Jesus said about it. That as often as they ate the bread and drank the cup, they would be proclaiming the Lord's death until He comes. By eating the bread and drinking the wine flippantly, they were acting in an unworthy manner and bringing judgement upon themselves. Verse 31 says, "For this reason many among you are weak and sick and a number sleep." In other words, many in their church were weak, sick and slept, which means they died prematurely. Paul was trying to help them to understand that we always need to walk by faith to please God. There is so much power available through the taking of Holy Communion and the body of Christ is missing out because they aren't rightly dividing the Word of God.
When we are partaking of communion, we are proclaiming the Lord's death until He comes again. How do we receive any of God's promises to us? We always have to BELIEVE and RECEIVE and we receive by confession. It's not enough to believe that Jesus died on the cross, we also have to receive it and make confession of it. That is FAITH and faith is our part. Then the power of God can transform us and that is HIS part. The very act of communion is a public proclamation of what Jesus did! That His body received ALL sickness and disease and we can be free of it.
Next time you partake of communion, either at church or in your home, do so with the understanding that you are indeed making a faith statement and that the power of God is present to meet any needs you have. Believe that power is working mightily in you, just like Jesus said it would and continue to confess until it is made manifest in your situation.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
March 12th ~ Ephesians 6 ~
There will most definitely be things in this life, that we will encounter, that will try to come against us. We are not of this world, but we do live in it. We always need to prepare for what's to come. Verse 10,11 of chapter 6 of Ephesians tells us to "Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of HIS might" and to "Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil." Wonder why it says the full armor? Because putting on only a portion of what God has instructed us to do will leave us vulnerable to the flaming missiles of the enemy!
The Lord explains in great details exactly what each piece of armor is, and where and how we use it. Then the Lord explains that once we put on the full armor of God and having done everything as He has instructed, then we can STAND FIRM! The battle is not ours, but we do need to stand. It takes courage and faith to stand in the midst of a battle whether one is required to fight or not. It's not the most comfortable place to be.
That's when verse 18 comes into effect. If we have done everything the way the Lord has instructed us. And we are wearing all the armor He has blessed us with. Then we only need to do what it says in verse 18... "With all prayer and petition, pray at all times, in the Spirit and with this in view, be on alert with all perseverance..." This literally means with "all kinds" of prayer. Therefore, praying with our understanding, as far as we know to do, then allowing the Holy Spirit to pray through us. And how can we possibly "pray at ALL times"? This means no matter where we are or what we are doing, we can have communion with the Holy Spirit. It does not even have to be audible. We can communicate with the Holy Spirit with our spirit man and have an attitude of prayer. Praying in other tongues not only gets things accomplished because the Holy Spirit is praying perfect prayers through us, but the Word tells us that we are "strengthening ourselves in our inner man"! That's how amazing our Father God is! His instructions are always filled with multi-purpose blessings. As we go about our day acknowledging that He is there, He can then help us to persevere!
The Lord explains in great details exactly what each piece of armor is, and where and how we use it. Then the Lord explains that once we put on the full armor of God and having done everything as He has instructed, then we can STAND FIRM! The battle is not ours, but we do need to stand. It takes courage and faith to stand in the midst of a battle whether one is required to fight or not. It's not the most comfortable place to be.
That's when verse 18 comes into effect. If we have done everything the way the Lord has instructed us. And we are wearing all the armor He has blessed us with. Then we only need to do what it says in verse 18... "With all prayer and petition, pray at all times, in the Spirit and with this in view, be on alert with all perseverance..." This literally means with "all kinds" of prayer. Therefore, praying with our understanding, as far as we know to do, then allowing the Holy Spirit to pray through us. And how can we possibly "pray at ALL times"? This means no matter where we are or what we are doing, we can have communion with the Holy Spirit. It does not even have to be audible. We can communicate with the Holy Spirit with our spirit man and have an attitude of prayer. Praying in other tongues not only gets things accomplished because the Holy Spirit is praying perfect prayers through us, but the Word tells us that we are "strengthening ourselves in our inner man"! That's how amazing our Father God is! His instructions are always filled with multi-purpose blessings. As we go about our day acknowledging that He is there, He can then help us to persevere!
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
February 26th ~ Romans 12
Verses 1,2 "I URGE you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your (reasonable) service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."
That word urge is in all capitals in my Bible's text. It must be something that Paul feels very strongly about. He is urging us to listen and follow an instruction that is going to be vital to our success in this life. We are urged not to be conformed to this world. What does that mean? It means don't allow the world around you to squeeze you into its mold. We are called to be set apart. To stand out. Not to blend in. The very way we believe and react to things in life is going to be VERY different from how the rest of the world does.
We are called to not be conformed, but to be transformed. How can we be transformed? By the renewing of our minds. Renew= renovation, to replace tradition with revelation. Renovate in the natural sense means to rip out what doesn't belong and to replace it with something new and fresh. When we are renovating a house completely, we rip everything down to the studs and start to rebuild with new, higher quality materials. We build on a solid foundation and create something beautiful that will last the test of time and life.
In other words, the only way we can be successful and have our faith work in our lives is to change the way we think. We have become new creatures and everything old has been done away with. Sometimes we try to still do things the old way we've always done them. We have a newly created heart and spirit and yet our minds are still the same. So we need to constantly look to the Word to see how our minds should be thinking about the situations we are facing. The old us, may have seen the problems of debt, sickness and broken relationships in our lives and faced them with wringing hands and worrying so much we couldn't sleep. The new creature in us is formed in the image of God Himself and therefore needs to think in line with HIS thinking! So now when faced with adverse circumstances we look to His strength and His Words which tell us who we are in Christ. That we are MORE than conquerors! That Christ lives in us and brings ALL His resources with Him. So anytime we have a problem, we can face it in the power of the crucified, risen, triumphant, Lord, Who lives within us!
That word urge is in all capitals in my Bible's text. It must be something that Paul feels very strongly about. He is urging us to listen and follow an instruction that is going to be vital to our success in this life. We are urged not to be conformed to this world. What does that mean? It means don't allow the world around you to squeeze you into its mold. We are called to be set apart. To stand out. Not to blend in. The very way we believe and react to things in life is going to be VERY different from how the rest of the world does.
We are called to not be conformed, but to be transformed. How can we be transformed? By the renewing of our minds. Renew= renovation, to replace tradition with revelation. Renovate in the natural sense means to rip out what doesn't belong and to replace it with something new and fresh. When we are renovating a house completely, we rip everything down to the studs and start to rebuild with new, higher quality materials. We build on a solid foundation and create something beautiful that will last the test of time and life.
In other words, the only way we can be successful and have our faith work in our lives is to change the way we think. We have become new creatures and everything old has been done away with. Sometimes we try to still do things the old way we've always done them. We have a newly created heart and spirit and yet our minds are still the same. So we need to constantly look to the Word to see how our minds should be thinking about the situations we are facing. The old us, may have seen the problems of debt, sickness and broken relationships in our lives and faced them with wringing hands and worrying so much we couldn't sleep. The new creature in us is formed in the image of God Himself and therefore needs to think in line with HIS thinking! So now when faced with adverse circumstances we look to His strength and His Words which tell us who we are in Christ. That we are MORE than conquerors! That Christ lives in us and brings ALL His resources with Him. So anytime we have a problem, we can face it in the power of the crucified, risen, triumphant, Lord, Who lives within us!
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
February 20th ~ Romans 8
Being that this chapter is one of my favorites in the entire Bible, it is difficult to pick just one thing to expound upon! As we read through this passage, don't leave here without a sense of how VERY BLESSED we are! We learn that we are not only delivered from the power of the flesh and all that wars against it, but we have been made sons and daughters by the Spirit! That the Spirit helps all our weaknesses, that God has set us up for VICTORY and that NOTHING can separate us from His GREAT LOVE!
That is GOOD NEWS, friends! Firstly, that the Spirit Himself has made His abode in us and there can be NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Those who are of the flesh cannot please God, but we are no longer of the flesh, because the Spirit of God now dwells in us! Verse 11 says that if the Spirit of Him Who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He Who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will ALSO give life to or quicken your mortal bodies through His Spirit Who dwells in YOU! Wow! If you are dealing with symptoms in your body, I encourage you to camp out on that verse until you are fully persuaded! The Spirit Who raised Jesus, Who had every disease known to man placed upon Him, Who took all of it with each lash of the whip, for you and me, then went to hell and battled for three days with the enemy and overcame him, then the Spirit caused healing power to flow through His body and raised Him after 3 days in the grave...yup, that same Spirit is making that same power available to us today!
Verse 26 says that it is the Spirit Who helps our weaknesses, for very often we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words! Have you ever prayed about something as much as you knew how, but just didn't know what else to say? When we switch over to that wonderful gift of praying in other tongues, that's when the Holy Spirit can hook up with our spirits and pray perfect prayers. How awesome is that? We have a helper Who wants our prayer life to be successful and intercedes for us!
Paul wraps up this passage with some of the most encouraging words...verse 31b "If God is for us, who can be against us?" And verses 34-39 speaks of many, many things we may have to endure during our time on earth, but through all these things we overwhelming conquer through Him Who loved us. No matter what you are facing in your life today, Christ has made you an overcomer. There is nothing you can't face with Jesus by your side. No matter who comes in and out of your life, or what comes your way, NOTHING can separate you from the LOVE of God!
That is GOOD NEWS, friends! Firstly, that the Spirit Himself has made His abode in us and there can be NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Those who are of the flesh cannot please God, but we are no longer of the flesh, because the Spirit of God now dwells in us! Verse 11 says that if the Spirit of Him Who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He Who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will ALSO give life to or quicken your mortal bodies through His Spirit Who dwells in YOU! Wow! If you are dealing with symptoms in your body, I encourage you to camp out on that verse until you are fully persuaded! The Spirit Who raised Jesus, Who had every disease known to man placed upon Him, Who took all of it with each lash of the whip, for you and me, then went to hell and battled for three days with the enemy and overcame him, then the Spirit caused healing power to flow through His body and raised Him after 3 days in the grave...yup, that same Spirit is making that same power available to us today!
Verse 26 says that it is the Spirit Who helps our weaknesses, for very often we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words! Have you ever prayed about something as much as you knew how, but just didn't know what else to say? When we switch over to that wonderful gift of praying in other tongues, that's when the Holy Spirit can hook up with our spirits and pray perfect prayers. How awesome is that? We have a helper Who wants our prayer life to be successful and intercedes for us!
Paul wraps up this passage with some of the most encouraging words...verse 31b "If God is for us, who can be against us?" And verses 34-39 speaks of many, many things we may have to endure during our time on earth, but through all these things we overwhelming conquer through Him Who loved us. No matter what you are facing in your life today, Christ has made you an overcomer. There is nothing you can't face with Jesus by your side. No matter who comes in and out of your life, or what comes your way, NOTHING can separate you from the LOVE of God!
Friday, February 15, 2013
February 14th ~ Romans 4
What an amazing passage of scripture is Romans chapter 4! So many great nuggets in this one. We learn that it was Abraham's act of believing God's promise (or we could say faith) which reckoned righteousness (or right-standing with God) unto himself. It was not according to any works, that he could then boast in himself. Our righteousness is based upon us believing that Jesus took our sin and shame, was punished with a death on the cross because of it and rose again victorious over it!
It is only by faith through grace that we, too, are justified (verse 16). When God changed Abram's name to Abraham, God was calling those things which be not as though they were! He was now referring to him as "father of many nations". Verse 17 says, "even God, Who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist." Abram did something with what God told him. He starting referring to himself as Abraham! This was his faith in action! Verse 18 says, "In hope against hope he believed, in order that he might become the father of many nations. Verse 19..."Without becoming weak in faith, he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was near a hundred years of age, and the deadness of Sarah's womb."
Wow! SO Abraham was human just like you and me! He contemplated his own body. What does that mean? It means he faced facts. You might have to face facts today yourself. You might have to face that debt head on or that negative medical report that shows some 'facts' about the current condition of your body. It also said that in doing so, he did not allow himself to become weak in faith! Verse 20 says, "YET, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in faith (what he was believing...God's promise to him), but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God. Verse 21, and being fully assured that what He had promised, He was able also to perform! Verse 22, Therefore it was also reckoned to him as righteousness."
We are made in the likeness and image of Almighty God! Therefore, we, too, are to call things into existence! Our main obstacle is the very same as Abraham's...being fully persuaded. What did Abraham do in the natural to become fully persuaded? Go back and read it again. 1. He contemplated or faced facts. 2. He gave respect to the promise of God. In other words we could say he went back to the Word that he heard and gave it first place. No matter how he "felt" about the circumstances he was facing, he CHOSE to only speak the Word. 3. He grew stronger in faith. We know that faith only comes by hearing and hearing the Word (Rom. 10:17) and by continually planting seeds (the Word) deep into our hearts. 4. He gave glory to God. This is how we water the seeds we have planted. We give thanks to God that the answer is on the way. That He is moving on our behalf. That He is our Strong Tower, our Deliverer, our Mighty God, All-powerful, Magnificent, our Healer, our Counselor, our Advocate, our High Priest, our Provider, EVERYTHING we need Him to be! When we give Him glory, it's not just to bless Him, but rather it increases our faith in His Never Ceasing Love and ability toward us! Then we will have those things which He promised to us, just like Abraham.
It is only by faith through grace that we, too, are justified (verse 16). When God changed Abram's name to Abraham, God was calling those things which be not as though they were! He was now referring to him as "father of many nations". Verse 17 says, "even God, Who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist." Abram did something with what God told him. He starting referring to himself as Abraham! This was his faith in action! Verse 18 says, "In hope against hope he believed, in order that he might become the father of many nations. Verse 19..."Without becoming weak in faith, he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was near a hundred years of age, and the deadness of Sarah's womb."
Wow! SO Abraham was human just like you and me! He contemplated his own body. What does that mean? It means he faced facts. You might have to face facts today yourself. You might have to face that debt head on or that negative medical report that shows some 'facts' about the current condition of your body. It also said that in doing so, he did not allow himself to become weak in faith! Verse 20 says, "YET, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in faith (what he was believing...God's promise to him), but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God. Verse 21, and being fully assured that what He had promised, He was able also to perform! Verse 22, Therefore it was also reckoned to him as righteousness."
We are made in the likeness and image of Almighty God! Therefore, we, too, are to call things into existence! Our main obstacle is the very same as Abraham's...being fully persuaded. What did Abraham do in the natural to become fully persuaded? Go back and read it again. 1. He contemplated or faced facts. 2. He gave respect to the promise of God. In other words we could say he went back to the Word that he heard and gave it first place. No matter how he "felt" about the circumstances he was facing, he CHOSE to only speak the Word. 3. He grew stronger in faith. We know that faith only comes by hearing and hearing the Word (Rom. 10:17) and by continually planting seeds (the Word) deep into our hearts. 4. He gave glory to God. This is how we water the seeds we have planted. We give thanks to God that the answer is on the way. That He is moving on our behalf. That He is our Strong Tower, our Deliverer, our Mighty God, All-powerful, Magnificent, our Healer, our Counselor, our Advocate, our High Priest, our Provider, EVERYTHING we need Him to be! When we give Him glory, it's not just to bless Him, but rather it increases our faith in His Never Ceasing Love and ability toward us! Then we will have those things which He promised to us, just like Abraham.
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