Salt & Light Blog

1 Timothy 6 The Road to Hell is Paved with Discontentment

11/7/2015

1 Timothy 6 [i]
Are you content? In today’s culture, contentment is sometimes looked down on and synonymous with laziness. The world tells us we shouldn’t be content. We should always want more and better. So what is contentment?
The words content and contentment come from the Greek words arkeo, which means “to be satisfied; to be strong,” and autarkeia, which means “to need no aid or support; sufficiency of the necessities of life.” This concept is a foreign one to Americans who are taught that success is in plenty, that more is better, and that if we sit back satisfied with what we have we are not living to our fullest potential. The American Dream is a dream of wealth and stuff to enjoy that wealth.
But 1 Timothy chapter 6 says if we have food and clothes, then should be content. It is discontent that often leads to numerous problems. People who are not satisfied with what they have are the people stirring up trouble in the church. Their haughtiness delights in dissension. Paul calls this kind of thinking and teaching depraved. Discord is not the teaching of Jesus Christ. His command is to love one another. We teach the gospel, our salvation through Jesus Christ. We teach the whole gospel, Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection and nothing more than the whole gospel.
Verses 3-6 read,
“If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, 4 he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions,5 and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain”
People who are not content see the faith as a road to prosperity. That is a road of grave danger. Verses 9-10 read,
“But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”
Paul warns Timothy not to give in to seeking wealth, worldly success and worldly treasures but instead to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness. (Verse 11). He compares this pursuit of godliness instead of wealth to a fight. It is an active battle to remain in pursuit of God’s Kingdom rather than our own desires. What are we fighting for? We are fighting for the gospel to remain pure. We are fighting for the faith of Jesus Christ. Paul puts it this way, in verses 12-14,
“Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, 14 to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,”
Putting faith in money means your faith is not in God. God is able to be trusted. Can you really trust money and possessions? They are temporary. You may be wealthy today and bankrupt tomorrow. Like other idols, money can only do what we make it do, and we are flawed. Stock Markets crash, Businesses fail. Identities get stolen. Banks get robbed. But God is faithful. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. Jesus Christ our God is Sovereign, Eternal, and Good.
Paul says it beautifully in verses 17-19,
“As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.”

[i] This is an encore of a devotional I wrote and published in Salt & Light: Daily Bible Reading to Encourage Love in Action

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1 Timothy 5 The Church is not Supposed to Blindly Give to Everyone who Asks

11/6/2015

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1 Timothy 5
The church is charged with caring for the widows and the needy among us. But the church is not some far off corporation. The church is not just the pastors or elders. We are corporate. We work together as one. And that means all of us pitch in, each of us does what we can. In 1 Timothy Chapter 5 Paul tells Timothy about how the church should care for widows. And what he says may surprise some people. He doesn’t say, ‘take care of every widow, provide her every need.’ He begins with a charge to respect one another and this is key to our unity, our care of each other, and our outreach. Verses 1-3 read,
“Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity.
3 Honor widows who are truly widows.”
What does it mean to be truly a widow? Why doesn’t he say, honor widows, full stop? It means that not every woman whose husband has passed away should be considered a widow or recieve the special privileges allotted them. A true widow is a woman who is alone in the world, without someone to care for her. Verses 4-7 define the true widow.
“But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God. 5 She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, 6 but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives.7 Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach.”
The true widow, the one the church is charged to help, has put all her hope in Christ and she really has no other choice. There is no one else she can put her hope in. She prays day and night. We are not supposed to help the self-indulgent widow, who uses the status to pamper herself. That is not what our beneficence in Christ is meant to do. And there is more that may surprise those of us who think we need to freely give to every church member who cries “need.” Most of us have families, and many of us have relatives in need. We have a responsibility to help them. If there is a widow in our family and we do not help her, we are worse than those who reject Christ. Because we know true love and deny it. Verses 8-10 read,
“But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
9 Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband,10 and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work.”
He says that if a widow has a family they should be taking care of her. And if she is young enough (under 60!), she should get remarried and take care of herself. Only the widow who is over 60 and has proved herself as a Christ Follower through the fruition of a godly life should be taken care of by the church as the church.
I believe this applies of any person of need in our local bodies. We are to meet each other’s needs. That is very clear in the Bible. 1 John 3:16-18 reads,
“By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”
But sometimes rather than the corporate church meeting the need it needs to be the individuals in the body. Sometimes we need to look at a person’s fruit and realize, we are not helping her by meeting her needs rather than letting Our great and mighty God meet them. And it shouldn’t be an ongoing endowment for a person who is capable or has family that can help them. There are several reasons for this.
It is the family’s responsibility and honor first to care for their own. This is one of God’s plans for the family and it pleases Him when children care for parents and vice-versa. (Verses 4-7)
Verses 11-15 say this,
“But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry 12 and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith. 13 Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not. 14 So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander. 15 For some have already strayed after Satan.
Idleness leads to sin, a sinful lifestyle and takes one away from faith in Jesus not toward Him. The widow, the person who gets everything handed to them and so has plenty of time on her hands, will walk away from dependence on God, will walk toward sin and away from Jesus. That is one reason it is nearly impossible for a rich man to get into Heaven. (Matthew 19:16-24). He depends on money, not God. When we depend on anything or anyone other than God, be it the government, church, science, or whatever, we will not grow faith or any other Spiritual fruit. The church is just not meant to support people who can support themselves. We are not meant to be God for each other. The church can use those funds for other needs, such as true widows, good works, and supporting people involved in full-time ministry Verses 16-18 say,
“If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it may care for those who are truly widows.
17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.”
We pay attention to the lives our brothers and sisters lead. If we support the self-indulgent widow, we do her a disfavor. We know as the body of believers we have to judge one another at times in order to help keep each other walking in Christ effectively and well. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12). But we also have to be very careful about just leveling charges against each other. Verses 17-25 read,
Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.” 19 Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 20 As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear. 21 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality. 22 Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure. 23 (No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.) 24 The sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later. 25 So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden.
It may seem like a good thing to give to some people. But when you give them more than what they truly require you take away their need to work, and your charity becomes a burden that can lead them down the path of destruction. Do not let people among you suffer with needs that you can meet. But be careful that their needs are legitimate. Be sure that your assistance will be a temporary aid meant help restore and not a permanent crutch that will lead to crippling the beneficiary.

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1 Timothy 4 the Gospel is so Simple, People find it Difficult to Believe

11/4/2015

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1 Timothy 4
There is a lot of wacky Christian-like, sorta Christian, and close to Christian teaching out there. People have such a hard time with the simplicity of the Gospel. They think there must be more to it, than “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9). They add lists of rules and rituals that have to be followed in order to earn God’s favor and salvation. It is our responsibility as Christians, as ambassadors for Christ to guard the Gospel, share the truth, and keep the liars out of the church. Verses 1-3 describe some of the twisted teaching people spread.
“Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, 3 who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.”
These people can easier believe lies from demons than the truth of Jesus because they cannot give up their guilt and choose punishment and condemnation over freedom in the truth. God doesn’t forbid marriage. It is a gift for us and brings joy. (Deuteronomy 24:5). It is a mirror of our relationship with Him, and teaches us about His love. (Ephesians 5:22-33). God doesn’t tell us not to eat the foods He created for us. This earth and everything on it, belong to God and was created by God, so it is good. (Psalm 24:1). Verses 4-5 read,
“For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.”
God doesn’t withhold His good gifts from us. (Psalm 84:11). He loves us. This relationship is a relationship of love, friendship, and sonship, not servitude, fear, and condemnation. (John 15:14-15, Galatians 4:7). Those people who follow laws in order to gain salvation, can’t please God. Romans 8:1-8 says,
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
In fact those who teach these lies lead people away from Salvation, away from God and straight to Hell. God does not take kindly to that. Matthew 18:5-7 reads,
“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
7 “Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!”
We must take responsibility, safeguard the Gospel, and teach it. Verses 6-10 say,
“If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.9 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. 10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.”
Paul puts it this way, taking care of your body, exercising, and strengthening is good. It will allow you to live well on earth. But learning the truth of Jesus Christ, developing spiritually and deepening in knowledge of Christ is better. Spiritual development allows us to live a good life on earth and in eternity. We have to remember, this life is not about this life, it is about eternity. It is about the Kingdom of Heaven. Our bodies just like everything else we can see on this earth, is short-term. But our faith is in Eternal God and the promise of eternal life with Him. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 says,
“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
It is popular to follow these quasi-Christian beliefs. They seem right to people. It is easier to believe the road is hard, the burden is heavy and salvation must be earned than it is to accept that Jesus is the only way to the Father and Salvation is a gift for the asking. (John 14:6, Ephesians 2:8). Preachers , teachers, all of us can be tempted to look like the world wants us to look and not feel the ridicule of the monikers ascribed to us as Christians. We are called conservative, evangelical, and even extreme if we stick to the truth of the Word of God. We are called fools. Timothy was the pastor of the church at Ephesus, he was young and it is likely that some of the older church goers disrespected him and thought he ought to follow some of the other teachers out there. Like Timothy there are things about each of us which the world disrespects and chooses to criticize us about. We can’t give in. We have to remember who we are in Christ and we have to remember the Spirit of God Himself is within us. We can stand up and proclaim and teach the truth. Verses 11-14 say,
“Command and teach these things. 12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.”
Do you think you do not have the responsibility that the pastor has? Do you think you cannot defend the Gospel? You can! You must! You have the ability. You were given at least one Spiritual gift in order to uphold and edify the church. (1 Corinthians 12:4-11). Verses 14-16 read,
“Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. 16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”
We ignore the naysayers. We stop the false teachers. We live bold godly lives using our gifts to edify the church and bring people to Jesus. We are commended to immerse ourselves in these things, to make our lives completely about Christ. Our continued maturity will be evident to everyone, the church, our friends, our family, the naysayers, and the lost. They will see the testimony of our lives and they will respect us enough to listen because they’ll see the fruit of the Spirit in us.
People will come to Christ because of the way you live your life or they will reject Him. People will grow closer to Him because of you or they will decide Christianity is a fallacy and faith does no good. Which testimony is your life giving about Jesus?

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1 Timothy 3 Our Goal as Christians is Maturity

11/2/2015

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But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. - Galatians 5:22-23

1 Timothy 3
Maturing or growing to be more like Jesus is an expected quality for every believer. As we mature, we should be serving in our local churches in addition to serving The Lord in our lives. Ephesians 4:11-16 says,
“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”
Serving The Lord in an “official” church capacity is a big responsibility which requires the maturity to live life in a godly manner (Looking and behaving like Jesus). Our lives are testimonies to the people around us, the lost, the less mature, and every person we come in contact with during each day. In 1 Timothy chapter 3 Paul gives us qualifications for some of the official church jobs, these are also goals for each of us which mark maturity. Verses 1-7 read,
“The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.”
Let’s break it down.
First it is a good thing and a noble task to want to be a pastor of a church. Noble means: having, showing, or coming from personal qualities that people admire (such as honesty, generosity, courage, and virtue)
: of, relating to, or belonging to the highest social class : of, relating to, or belonging to the nobility
He must be above reproach. People should not be able to criticize him for being dishonest or otherwise unprincipled.
He has to have only one wife, which includes not being an adulterer.
He must be sober-minded- Rational and sensible.
Self-controlled
Respectable- can people respect him? Is he worthy of deference?
Hospitable- Welcoming, friendly, and kind.
Able to teach- even if teaching is not his gift, it has to be an ability to explain the Gospel and the Bible to people.
Not a drunkard- The pastor can’t be getting drunk or high all the time. If he feels the need to get drunk, then he has not dealt with issues in his life.
Not violent but gentle
Not quarrelsome- He can’t feel the need to argue all the time. Asserting his own will and opinions with many people is a sign that his mind and confidence is weak (2 Timothy 3:1-9) and leads to the congregation’s deterioration. 2 Timothy 2:14 reads,
“Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers.”
Not a lover of money and able to manage his own household.
And not a recent convert- a new believer might meet these qualifications but in his newness having such an important role will cause him to be prideful and he will end up living a very ungodly selfish life.
Moreover he must be well thought of by outsiders- If those outside the church think unkindly about him, if he has earned a bad reputation, then how can he lead anyone to Christ? Where is the tangible love?
Verses 8-13 list qualifications for deacons, also an important job in the church the people who are responsible for carrying out the ministrations and good works of the church. (Acts 6:1-7). Verses 8-13 read,
“Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11 Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. 13 For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.”
Most of us are not pastors, church leaders, or deacons, but still people ought to be able to say these things about us. And we ought to be moving toward these traits regardless. Maturity, the ability to understand the profound Gospel truth and the ability to teach it are our goals. Hebrews 5:11-Hebrews 6:3 reads,
“About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits.”
We can’t just keep getting saved repeatedly. We have to move beyond the first steps of our journey and continue to deep knowledge (relationship) with God. Our maturity shows in our lives, our actions, and our attitudes. Maturity, resembling Christ is our goal. Verses 14-16 read,
“I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, 15 if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. 16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:
He was manifested in the flesh,
    vindicated by the Spirit,
        seen by angels,
proclaimed among the nations,
    believed on in the world,
        taken up in glory.”

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1 Timothy 2:8-15 Your Worship of the Lord Makes You Beautiful

11/1/2015

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1 Timothy 2:8-15
When you picture worship and fellowship with The Lord, what is the posture you imagine? Is it praying on your knees? Is it laying prostrate arms outstretched as you speak and listen to Him? Is it dancing and singing songs of praise to Him? Or perhaps like me it is standing with arms raised as I pray, sing, or praise. Whichever position and attitude you picture it is beautiful to God. It communicates submission, acquiescence, and veneration to Him.
In those times, we are not exalting ourselves. We are not concerned with how we look to the world, we are with God, blessing Him, and receiving what He has for us. And when people see it, they may think we look off-balance or silly, but they also see a testimony to the Love of Jesus. They see God’s relationship with us in its purest form. And they see the joy of being with Him. Verses 8-10 read,
“I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;9 likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, 10 but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.”
That worship posture, which by the way also includes church unity and peace, is expressed in the confidence of humility. We don’t have to “dress to impress” when we live lives of worship and faith. It is not a tiara, diamonds, make-up, or a little black dress that makes a woman more attractive, it is good works. It is not a low cut blouse and a push-up bra that invite people to want to know more about a woman and why she exudes that special something, it is her faith and tangible love of others. It is the same for a man, it is not the leather jacket, tuxedo, or perfectly coiffed hair that makes someone want to ask “what is it about him?” It is His faith and the exercising of it.
You are already beautiful! Really! You don’t need the fancy clothes, jewelry, or skin cream. You were created in the image of God. Could you get any more beautiful than that? Genesis 1:26-27 says,
“Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.”
Even the angels think you are beautiful! (Genesis 6:2). What do we care what men and women think, when the angels and God think we are beautiful? God, Himself considers you beautiful! Psalm 45:11 says,
“and the king will desire your beauty.
Since he is your lord, bow to him.”
God desires your beauty and it is best exhibited by your worship of Him. Would you rather a construction worker or a cougar desire you than The Lord God of Heaven and Earth? If you are beautiful to God, don’t you know how beautiful you are to men and women of God?
Men and women reveal their beauty differently. Men by their prayer and spiritual loving leadership and women by their humility and quiet grace. Paul continues his exhortations for women to live godly lives and so be beautiful attracting people to Jesus and pleasing The Lord. Verses 11-15 read,
“Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. 15 Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.”
He understands that women have more of a tendency toward the vanity of sexual splendor than men do. This is because men improperly exhibit their beauty through aggressive power and lust for women, making women want to please men sexually. Women then control men through sexual manipulation.
Most of the time when a woman has a child, it changes her point of view from herself to her child. That brings her closer to an ability to understand the love of her Father in Heaven.
Believer, you are beautiful to God! When you live a life of faith, love, and holiness you are exquisite in the sight of God and men. Your posture of worship is beautiful, it is the core of your relationship with God and a testimony to the world. Your submission to God makes you impeccably beautiful.

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Pray for Everyone, Including That Person You Hate.

10/31/2015

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1 Timothy 2:1-8
One day when I was out walking, I asked God to tell me who needed prayer so that I could pray and share Jesus them. God said, “All of these people need prayer, they all need me.” Every person you see is in need of something. No one, not a single person has it all together perfectly. The second chapter of 1 Timothy begins with an exhortation to action. Verses 1-3 read,
“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
You mean God wants us to pray for mean people, people who are better off than us, and people who don’t agree with us? Yes. Not only those people but the people who govern us. Regardless of party affiliation or if we like them or not, they need prayer and we are called to pray for them. They probably need much more prayer than many people. They lead stressful lives fraught with responsibility. Our prayers for them result in our ability to lead peaceful lives. You just can’t feel hostility toward someone you are earnestly praying for. Our prayers for others benefit them, but they also benefit us, and it pleases God! Jesus wants every person to be saved and understand the truth.
We are supposed to pray for everyone that includes our enemies. I’ve heard the cop out that we do not have to pray blessings for them. People can be very creative about praying for people who harm them. Such as, praying that they will pay for their evil, or that they will see how they have hurt us. But that is not what The Lord tells us to pray. In Matthew 5:43-45 Jesus says,
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
To be the sons of your Father, means we love and act the way God does. We share His nature and exercise His Spirit. God loves our enemies, and so then should we. We want for them what God wants for them and that means we want them to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. We want them to know Jesus. So that is what we pray for, we pray for their salvation. Verses 5-8 read,
“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
8 I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;”
So many people do not know that Jesus wants to have a relationship with them, that God wants to shower them with blessings. Maybe they don’t know because we are sour-faced around our enemies. Maybe we are enemies to our enemies. Someone has to tell them about Jesus. Someone has to tell them the truth. Someone has to love them the way Jesus wants us to love them. We may be the only people who can show them who Jesus is. We are the ones who can pray for them. We are the ones who can tell them. Romans 10:13-17 says,
“For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
Do you pray for everyone? Does everyone include the mayor, governor, and president? Does everyone include the man who punched you, the cop who gave you a ticket, and the waitress who was rude to you? I encourage you, if you haven’t prayed for them before, begin now. See how God will change your heart for them. See how He will take the chaos and anxiety out of your mind when the enmity you once felt for someone is replaced with genuine love and care. You will love because as you prayed for them The Lord replaced your thoughts, and feelings with His mind and perspective.

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The Law Does Not Save, Jesus Does

10/30/2015

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1 Timothy 1
Why do you care about the True Gospel? Do you care about it? Why should we? Because the Gospel of Jesus Christ brings people to salvation. But some people come into the church and teach some things that have nothing to do with the Gospel. They speak endlessly with intricate opinions that seem important, but are not. They cause arguments in the church rather than discipleship. They teach doctrine that is not Salvation through Jesus Christ only. They teach works rather than faith. Those people cannot be allowed to spread their deadly confusion in the church. Verses 1-7 say it this way,
“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,
2 To Timothy, my true child in the faith:
Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
3 As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, 4 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. 5 The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, 7 desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions”
We do not teach, evangelize, or do good works to gain a reputation for ourselves, we do these things because Jesus loves us enough to save us and we in turn love others the way He loves us. Our love for them wants them to be saved. But some people teach the law from a muddled perspective. They do not understand what the Law is and they teach it, as if it a list of rules and rituals that we are meant to tell others to follow. The Law is not for us, and it is not for us to make people follow.
Verses 8-11 read,
“Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 9 understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10 the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine,11 in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.”
Believers are already made just, the price for our sin has been paid by Jesus Christ. In Him, we have fulfilled the requirements of the Law. The Law is there for those who do not keep it and have not been made just by Jesus. You see no one can keep the Law. Romans 3:19-20 says,
“Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”
You see the purpose of the law is not to make people righteous, but to make us aware of sin. Paul says that these teachers and their excessive teachings and misunderstanding of the law are teaching unsound doctrines. They are illogical and erroneous. That is why those who teach them must speak in endless circles. If they tried to lay out their arguments in a straight line they and their student’s would find the faults. The contentions to the law are pointless. But the Gospel is not. Teachers of the law try to get people to behave in a certain manner and hope that they will get into heaven. These theories have people working to be good enough, hoping and trying to become good people.
The Gospel teaches that Jesus loves you and when you believe He is who He says He is, He will change you and make you like Him. He came to make bad people, righteous. He didn’t come to make people follow the law. He didn’t come for people who think they are following the law. Luke 5:27-32 reads,
“After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.” 28 And leaving everything, he rose and followed him.
29 And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. 30 And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” 31 And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
Before Paul met Jesus and was transformed by the truth, he followed the Law. He said, that he followed the law as well as any man could, he was blameless under the law. (Philippians 3:6). Yet, Paul was a sinner. He called himself the foremost of sinners. He did horrendous things to the Church as he persecuted them so fervently that he was infamous among the Christians for it. It was not the law that saved Paul and made him righteous. It was Jesus Christ. Verses 12-17 read,
“I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, 13 though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, 14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. 17 To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”
Paul was great at keeping the law, yet he was still the foremost of sinners. It took Jesus to save him. If we had to be good before Jesus could save us, what would be the bid deal of the Gospel? Jesus forgives sins and makes us righteous and in doing so His character is revealed. There would be no mercy if He only saved those who were really good people. Mercy is for those of us who deserve punishment. There would be no grace if He only forgave the sins of people who could somehow die for their own sins. Romans 5:20-21 says,
“Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
The law is powerless to save. The Gospel of Jesus Christ on the other hand is powerful! Look how the message puts Romans 5:20-21.
“All that passing laws against sin did was produce more lawbreakers. But sin didn’t, and doesn’t, have a chance in competition with the aggressive forgiveness we call grace. When it’s sin versus grace, grace wins hands down. All sin can do is threaten us with death, and that’s the end of it. Grace, because God is putting everything together again through the Messiah, invites us into life—a life that goes on and on and on, world without end.”
As believers, it is our job to guard the sanctity of the Gospel. We are entrusted with it. We cannot sit idly by and let people teach that we have to follow rules and rituals, and know a thousand facts about the ancients and the mysteries they represent. That has nothing to do with the Gospel that Jesus, the Son of God was born, lived perfectly, laid down his life, and rose from the dead in order to pay the price for our sins and reconcile us to God. If someone is teaching something else, then we have the responsibility to fight to get them to stop, if they refuse then they have to be forced out of the church in order to stop poisoning the vulnerable among us who will follow them to Hell by the blasphemy they teach. Verses 18-20 say,
“This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, 19 holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, 20 among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.”

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The Law Does Not Save, Jesus Does

Donna Campbell

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