1
TIMOTHY 1
1
Timothy 1:1 Christ
Jesus Who is our hope... (see also study of
Believer's Blessed Hope)
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I
Timothy 1:1
Paul often referred to himself as ‘an apostle by the will of God’ (I
Corinthians 1:1, II Corinthians 1:1, Ephesians 1:1, see note
Colossians 1:1).
In this case, however, he says, ‘It’s not just His will for me, it’s
His command that I am to be an apostle—one who is sent out, one who
shares truth.’
The things that we
have been commanded to do can sometimes become wearying when we find
ourselves in situations we weren’t anticipating—like prison. After
all, it was from a Roman prison cell that Paul wrote to Timothy. And
in this, I am reminded of another who found himself a prisoner...
‘Oh, Lord, I cannot
speak. I am but a child,’ Jeremiah protested when called to
minister.
‘Before you were
born, I knew you and ordained you to be a prophet,’ the Lord
replied. ‘I will put My words on your lips—and you shall go.’
So Jeremiah did. And
what happened? He eventually ended up in a dungeon.
‘OK, Lord,’ he said.
‘Yes, You commanded me. Yes, You anointed me. But people aren’t
responding. No one is getting saved.’
So Jeremiah decided
to quit prophesying, to quit sharing—until he realized that the Word
of God was like fire in his bones and that he could not keep quiet
(Jeremiah 20:9).
Maybe like Jeremiah,
or perhaps like Paul, you feel imprisoned and are tempted to throw
in the towel, to quit sharing the Gospel with people since none seem
to respond. But if you do, the Word of God will burn in your heart
as surely as it did in Jeremiah’s, and, like Paul, you will realize
you have no choice in the matter, for you are under the command of
God. (Courson,
J. A Day's Journey: 365 Daily Meditations from the Word October 13.
Santa Ana, CA: Calvary Chapel Publishing)
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1 Timothy
1:2
AMONG the safety rules mountain climbers must remember as they scale
rocky cliffs is this: Keep three points on the rock. In other words,
before you move a foot, make sure the other foot and both hands are
firmly positioned on solid rock. And if you are going to move a
hand, make sure your other hand and both feet are securely placed.
That's a good safety tip for our spiritual lives as well. To keep
from falling, we need to keep a grip on three rock-solid truths:
grace, mercy, and peace, the words the apostle Paul often used to
begin or conclude his letters.
The first message I heard Dr. M. R. DeHaan preach was part of a
series of lessons called "Three Sisters of Salvation," which were
about these three words. I made up my mind then that I would make
these three qualities part of my life.
We are given our salvation as a gift of God's grace. His wrath is
withheld from us because of His abundant mercy. And His peace
enables us to stand in quiet confidence when the howling gales of
adversity swirl around us. They will give us security during our
spiritual mountain climbing experience.
We can appropriate these gifts through prayer and obedience. In the
storms of temptation we will not fall if we always keep three points
on the Rock. —D C Egner (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted
by permission. All rights reserved)
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1 Timothy
1:3-15
COMPUTER ETHICS
"We know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully." -
Matthew 6:34
(see
note)
The Computer Ethics Institute has proposed 10 commandments for
computer users. The laws include:
. Thou shalt not use a computer
to harm other people.
. Thou shalt not snoop around in other people's computer files.
. Thou shalt not copy or use proprietary software for which you have
not paid.
. Thou shalt always use a computer in ways that ensure consideration
and respect for your fellow humans.
Many of us have had enough
contact with computers to see the need for such rules. We may also
realize, however, that merely publishing laws will not change human
nature. Even the Law of Moses, which these principles imitate,
was never able to change anyone's heart. No one can become
good by keeping the commandments.
The Law's highest purpose is to show us God's perfect standards and
our need for Christ. No one else has paid the price for our
forgiveness. No one else enables us to love "from a good conscience,
and from sincere faith" (1 Tim. 1:5).
Christ doesn't change us by teaching us to keep the Law (Gal.
3:1-5). He transforms us by giving us a new heart. And that will
affect even our use of computers. -- M R De Haan II
A changed life is the result of a changed heart. (Ibid)
*******
1 Timothy
1:5
When you set sail on the high seas, you need to know three important
facts: your location, your destination, and your course. By
referring to a map and using a compass, you can end up where you
want to go.
The hard part comes in determining where you are at any given
moment. Foul weather creates conditions that can sometimes confuse
sailors. I heard about someone who set out across Lake Michigan from
Milwaukee to Grand Haven. After sailing for 2 hours, trusting his
own sense of direction, he spotted a large city on the
horizon—Milwaukee! Somehow, thinking he was headed east, he had gone
in a huge circle.
How does a follower of Christ stay on course and avoid spiritual
shipwreck? By carefully reading and following the directions in
God's Word, depending on the Spirit's leading, and listening to the
wise counsel of Christian friends. —D. C. E.
To STAY ON COURSE, TRUST THE COMPASS OF GOD'S WORD. (Copyright.
Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)
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1 Timothy
1:12-17 This is
a faithful saying . . . that Christ Jesus came into the world to
save sinners
Thomas Bileny, an Englishman who died a martyr's death in 1531,
described his salvation experience:
"My soul was sick and I longed for peace, but nowhere could I find
it. . . . But at last I heard of Jesus Christ. It was then, when
first the New Testament was set forth by Erasmus, that the light
came. I bought the book, being drawn by the Latin rather than by the
Word of God, for at that time I knew not what `the Word of God'
meant. On my first reading I chanced upon these words, `This is a
faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus
came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.' This one
sentence through God's inward working did so light up my poor
bruised spirit that the very bones within me leaped for joy and
gladness. It was as if, after a long dark night, day had suddenly
broke."
When people recognize the awful reality of their sin before a holy
God, they may be overwhelmed by a sense of hopelessness and despair.
They cannot escape the fact that they are sinners, and they know
they cannot save themselves. But the hope Thomas Bileny found is
avail-able to all. Jesus died for sinners, and He can replace
hopelessness and despair with confidence and unbounded joy.
Pride makes it difficult to acknowledge the wickedness in our
hearts. But admitting our sin is the first step to salvation. Then
we must place our trust in Christ and accept His wonderful gift. —D
C Egner
We are dead in sin, but Jesus can make us dead to sin. (Copyright.
Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)
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1 Timothy
1:15
The Answers Can Wait
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. —1
Timothy 1:15
David Herwaldt, a thoughtful,
reflective pastor friend of mine, was slowly dying after 50 years of
faithful ministry. He often talked with me about the nature of God
and the eternity he would soon enter. We realized that we had only a
superficial grasp of these mysteries, but we were not distressed. We
knew that God had rescued us from our sin and guilt, and we rejoiced
in our salvation. We had all we needed to obey the Lord gladly, live
confidently, and serve Him gratefully.
When we are distressed by our inability to answer life's most vexing
questions, we must remember that Christ did not come to satisfy our
curiosity. Rather, He saw us as fallen and hurt, and He came to lift
and heal.
When Jesus read Isaiah 61:1-2 to the people in the synagogue (Luke
4:16-21), He presented Himself as the promised Messiah, whose
primary purpose for coming was spiritual. He came to deliver us from
the helplessness of our spiritual poverty, to release us from the
shackles of our guilt, to heal our sin-caused blindness, and to set
us free from sin's enslaving power.
Let us therefore trust Him and make obeying Him our highest goal.
This is the path to a grateful, joyous, and hope-filled life. The
answers can wait. —Herbert Vander Lugt
When trouble
seeks to rob your very breath,
When tragedy hits hard and steals your days,
Recall that Christ endured the sting of death;
He gives us hope, and merits all our praise. —Gustafson
Christ came not to satisfy our curiosity but to save our souls.
*******
1 Timothy 1:1-17
(Exposition by C H
Spurgeon)
1 Timothy 1:1
Christ is our hope; we have not a shadow of a hope apart from him. I
remember, when on the Continent, seeing on a cross the words “Spes
unica,” the unique, the only hope of man; and that is true of the
cross of Christ, and of Christ who suffered on it, he is our hope.
1 Timothy 1:2
Notice the apostle’s triple salutation, “Grace, mercy, and
peace.” Whenever Paul writes to a church, he wishes “grace and
peace”; but to a minister he wishes “grace, mercy, and peace.”
Ah! we want mercy more than the average of Christians; we have
greater responsibilities; and, consequently, might more readily fall
into greater sin, so to a minister Paul’s salutation is, “grace,
mercy, and peace.”
1 Timothy 1:3, 4
You see, the apostle, in his day, had to contend against those
who ran away from the simplicity of the gospel into all manner of
fables and inventions. Such, in our day, are the doctrine of
evolution, the doctrine of the universal fatherhood of God, the
doctrine of post-mortem salvation, the doctrine of the final
restitution of all men, and all sorts of fables and falsehoods which
men have invented.
1 Timothy 1:5-7
There were some who put the law into its wrong place. They made
it a way of salvation, which it never was meant to be, and never can
be. It is a way of conviction. It is an instrument of humbling. It
shows us the evil of sin; but it never takes sin away.
1 Timothy 1:8
In its own place it has its own uses, and these are most
important.
1 Timothy 1:9-13
Paul must have written this verse with many tears. What a wonder
of grace it was that he should be put into the sacred ministry, to
bear testimony for Christ, when he had been before a blasphemer!
1 Timothy 1:13
He almost thought that, if he had done all this wilfully, be
might not have been forgiven; but he felt that here God spied out
the only extenuating circumstance, namely, that he was mistaken: “I
did it ignorantly, in unbelief.”
1 Timothy 1:14, 15
He spoke from his heart, from deep experience. This indeed was
to him the glorious gospel of the blessed God, that had saved him,
the very chief of sinners. He could therefore with confidence
commend it to others as worthy of all acceptation.
1 Timothy 1:16
The case of Paul is not a singular one; it is the pattern one.
If there are any here who feel that they have sinned like Saul of
Tarsus, they may be forgiven like Paul the apostle. He is a pattern
to all who should thereafter believe in Christ to life everlasting.
Just as we often see things cut out in brown paper, and sold as
patterns, so is the apostle Paul the pattern convert. What God did
for him, he can do for thousands of others.
1 Timothy 1:17
Paul could not help this outburst of praise. He must put in a
doxology. When he remembered his own conversion and pardon, and his
being entrusted with the ministry of the gospel, be was obliged to
put down his pen, and lift up his voice in grateful thanksgiving to
God. So may it be with us, be with us, as we remember what great
things the Lord hath done for us!
*******
1 Timothy 1:12
(Oswald Chambers)
The Real Thanks of the Worker
1 Timothy 1:12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord . . .
Everything that God has
created is like an orchestra praising Him. “All Thy works shall
praise Thee.” In the ear of God everything He created makes
exquisite music, and man joined in the paean of praise until he
fell, then there came in the frantic discord of sin. The realisation
of Redemption brings man by way of the minor note of repentance back
into tune with praise again. The angels are only too glad to hear
that note, because it blends man into harmony again (see Luke
15:10).
Praising God is the ultimate
end and aim of all we go through. “Whoso offereth praise
glorifieth Me.” What does it matter whether you are well or ill!
whether you have money or none! It is all a matter of indifference,
but one thing is not a matter of indifference, and that is that we
are pleasing to the ears of God.
Paul had got back again by way
of repentance into tune with God (cf. 1 Timothy 1:13), and now he
has his base as a worker in thanksgiving to Christ Jesus; his whole
life has been brought into perfect relation to God.
The Realised Test of the
Worker
1 Timothy 1:12 who hath enabled me . . .
The test of the worker is that
he knows he has been enabled by the Lord Jesus, therefore he works
and learns to do it better all the time. The realisation that my
Lord has enabled me to be a worker keeps me strong enough never to
be weak. Conscious obtrusive weakness is natural unthankful
strength; it means I refuse to be made strong by Him. When I say I
am too weak it means I am too strong; and when ever I say “I
can’t” it means “I won’t.” When Jesus Christ enables me, I am
omnipotently strong all the time. Paul talks in paradoxes, “for
when I am weak, then am I strong.”
The Recognised Truth by the
Worker
1 Timothy 1:12 for that He counted me faithful . . .
To recognise that my Lord counts us faithful removes the last snare
of idealising natural pluck. If we have the idea that we must face
the difficulties with pluck, we have never recognised the truth that
He has counted us faithful; it is His work in me He is counting
worthy, not my work for Him. The truth is we have nothing to fear
and nothing to overcome because He is all in all and we are more
than conquerors through Him. The recognition of this truth is not
flattering to the worker’s sense of heroics, but it is amazingly
glorifying to the work of Christ. He counts us worthy because He has
done everything for us. It is a shameful thing for Christians to
talk about “getting the victory”; by this time the Victor ought to
have got us so completely that it is His victory all the time, not
ours. The overcoming referred to in the Book of the Revelation is
not the personal overcoming of difficulties but the overcoming of
the very life of God in us while we stand resolutely true to Him.
The Responsible Trust of the
Worker
1 Timothy 1:12 . . . putting me into the ministry.
The ministry is, the
“glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my
trust.” If I am going to be loyal to that trust, it will mean I
must never allow any impertinent sensitiveness to hinder my keeping
the trust. My trust is the glorious gospel for myself and through me
to others, and it is realised in two ways: in the perfect certainty
that God has redeemed the world, and in the imperative necessity of
working on that basis with everyone with whom I come in contact (cf.
see notes
Colossians 1:28;
1:29).
(Chambers,
Oswald: Approved Unto God: The Spiritual Life of the Christian
Worker. Discovery House. 1997)
*******
1 Timothy 1:12-17
God's Delight
A Scottish preacher spoke of
evangelism as a fellowship of reconciled, forgiven sinners who don't
simply preach but live out their faith. They also offer to others
the same reconciliation and forgiveness they have received from God.
The apostle Paul expressed the same conviction: "Christ Jesus came
into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief" (1Timothy
1:15). Once a blasphemer and persecutor of Christians, Paul believed
that God's mercy was shown to him, the worst of sinners, as an
example to other sinners who would later believe on Christ (1Timothy
1:16).
Whenever we testify that God has forgiven us and provided eternal
life through faith in Christ, we're declaring that God is a saving
God. Yet, when we observe destructive lifestyles among people, it's
easy to write them off. Instead, we should look at them as Christ
does. "When He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for
them" (Matthew 9:36).
Jesus said He came not to condemn the world but to save it (John
3:17). Rather than condemning people, we should say, "Who am I to
condemn others, when God has forgiven me so generously?" God
delights to use forgiven sinners to reach other sinners.—Joanie
Yoder (Copyright.
Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)
Love is giving
for the world's needs,
Love is sharing as the Lord leads,
Love is caring when the world cries,
Love is compassion with Christlike eyes. —Brandt
To love
sinners is to be like Jesus.
*******
1 Timothy 1:15
Good News
A Christian counselor was troubled by this line in her church's
statement of faith: "We deserve God's condemnation." She said she
often talks with clients who are so beaten down with
self-condemnation that they need to hear, "You deserve God's love."
I commend that therapist for her empathy, but I'm afraid her
thinking is subtly flawed. The good news of the gospel is not that
we deserve God's love. The good news is that God sees us in all our
sin and unworthiness, yet He loves us so much that He has provided
for our complete forgiveness and acceptance.
The apostle Paul said that he had persecuted believers "ignorantly
in unbelief" (1Timothy 1:13). Yet this was not an excuse. He
accepted responsibility for his unbelief, referring to himself as
"formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man." Although
he saw himself as the "chief" of sinners (1Ti 1:15), he wasn't shackled
by the guilt of past sins. His primary emphasis was on the Lord's
marvelous grace that freed him from a debilitating sense of
unworthiness.
It's true that "we deserve God's condemnation," but it's also true
that "Jesus came into the world to save sinners" (1Ti 1:15). That's good
news for all of us, no matter what we have done! —H V Lugt (Copyright.
Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)
No condemnation
now I dread,
I am my Lord's and He is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine. —Wesley
The one who receives Christ will never receive God's
condemnation.
*******
1 Timothy 1:15
"Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am
foremost of all."
Missionary Irene
Webster-Smith...returned to Japan after World War II to continue her
work. On one occasion, she met the wife of a Japanese military
leader who had been condemned to death for war crimes. This woman
was a Christian who was deeply burdened for her husband. She asked
Irene to visit him in prison. Irene did, and the man accepted
Christ. Soon a call came to Irene that other war crimes prisoners
wanted to visit with her. Eventually, fourteen of the twenty-five
convicted men put their faith in Christ. No matter how awful the
sin, we have a Savior whose love and grace can reach far beyond the
worst transgression (Ro 5:20-note).
*******
1 Timothy 1:15
(F B Meyer. Our Daily Homily)
Sinners, of whom I am chief.
If the elephant can go safely
over the swaying bridge, the horse and mule can; and the apostle
seems to glory that in the very beginning of the progress of the
Gospel through the world it had laid hold of and converted himself,
because if he had been saved, any one might be. As men have been
brought under conviction, in successive ages, it has been a profound
consolation to learn that the chief of sinners has been in heaven
for eighteen hundred years. In him first Jesus Christ showed forth
“all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter
believe.”
Without doubt Paul never
forgot the excess of his hatred and persecutions towards the infant
Church. But probably he alludes here also to the deepening
consciousness of unworthiness and sinfulness which accompanies all
progress towards the knowledge and love of God. This phase of
experience may be accounted for thus. The true saint of God, though
certain of forgiveness, reviews his past sins in the light of that
purity of which he is ever obtaining truer perceptions, and thus
recognizes shades of evil in them which a slighter knowledge of God
had failed to reveal. He also feels himself a greater sinner than
others, because he supposes that God cannot have treated another
with the same forbearance and mercy as have been extended to
himself; and the greater the love the more heinous the
transgression. And in addition, as subtler forms of temptation are
suggested to him, and to every one, he knows that there are kindred
susceptibilities within him, even though they are abhorred and
resisted. It is beneath the pressure of such thoughts that he
recognizes his uttermost indebtedness to the grace of God.
*******
1 Timothy 1:19
A Winning Combination
. . . having faith and a good conscience, which some having
rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck. —1Timothy
1:19
A new believer slipped into
his old ways by attending a party and getting drunk. When he arrived
home, his wife would not let him in. Instead, she called their
pastor, who found the man sleeping in his car.
The pastor took him to a motel to sleep off his drunkenness. He knew
him well and was confident that a strong rebuke would not be needed.
Instead, he asked God to convict the man and bring him to
repentance. In this case the pastor chose the right course. The
young man later said that he had learned a valuable lesson through
this experience and that the Lord had "taken all the fun out of
sin."
A "good conscience" will disturb us when we do something we know is
wrong. We keep it "good" by heeding it and turning away from sin.
Paul said the faith of Hymenaeus and Alexander "suffered shipwreck"
because they rejected the voice of their good conscience (1Timothy
1:19, 20). By doing so, they had deadened their conscience and then
apparently twisted the truth to justify their conduct.
True faith and a sensitive conscience will take all the fun out of
sinning and remove the desire to twist the truth to justify what is
wrong. Faith and a good conscience are a winning combination. Let's
keep them strong.—Herbert Vander Lugt (Copyright.
Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)
Our conscience
is a gift from God,
It is a guiding light;
And when aligned with faith and truth,
It tells us wrong from right. —Sper
Conscience is a safe guide when guided by God's Word.
*******
1
TIMOTHY 2
1 Timothy 2:1
(F B Meyer. Our Daily Homily)
That supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be
made for all men.
A life is revealed here of
which many of us know practically nothing. We do not feel the
absolute necessity of being much alone in the presence of God, not
so much for ourselves, as for others; and this sad neglect of
intercessory prayer, which we all deplore, really points to a lack
of the divine life, since if that were mightily within us we should
inevitably feel its throb and pulse in this direction. This comes
out clearly in the words that follow.
Intercession is necessary that
we may know the secrets of a quiet, peaceable, and godly life (1Timothy 2:2).
Such intercession for others
is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior (1Timothy
2:3). And the word translated good might be rendered beautiful.
It is consonant with the
Divine purpose, for God wishes to have all men saved (1Timothy
2:4). If, then, his Spirit is within us, we, too, shall long that
men should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. Our
hearts will be filled with a Divine tenderness of yearning which
will find vent in strong cryings and tears. It is only thus we can
live in harmony with the Divine purpose. One writes “When I think of
this, I feel I must pray. Oh, how near it brings to God to pray in
the Spirit, and leads me to see that no pressure of duty among men
can free us from the absolute need of much prayer.”
Such intercession is in
profound union with the mediation of our Lord (1 Timothy 2:5, 6). —
As the great High Priest, He ever liveth to intercede; and in our
little measure we, too, as members of a holy priesthood, must blend
our supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks with
his (1Peter 2:5).
*******
1 Timothy 2:1
Prayer Evangelism
I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions,
and giving of thanks be made for all men. --1 Timothy 2:1
Over the centuries since Jesus
died for our sins and rose victorious from the grave, many methods
have been used to spread the gospel. From Peter's first sermon, when
3,000 were saved, to great preaching campaigns of men like Charles
Spurgeon and Billy Sunday, to friendship evangelism, many ways of
influencing others to accept Jesus' free gift have been tried.
In a major city in the midwest, another method has been launched:
prayer evangelism. In the campaign to reach the populace of this
city, organizers have set out to pray for every individual. They
have divided the city into sections, and all cooperating churches
have been assigned the names of the people in those sections.
Of course, it will also take other kinds of contacts, such as
literature or face-to-face visits, but prayer is the major
component. In 1 Timothy, Paul explained that God "desires all men to
be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1Ti 2:4). And the
method suggested for beginning the work of evangelization is
"supplications, prayers, intercessions . . . for all men" (1Ti
2:1).
What about your neighborhood and mine? Let's begin right now to do
some prayer evangelism. --J D Brannon (Copyright.
Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)
For Whom Can I
Pray Today?
Talk to God about people before you talk to people about God.
*******
1 Timothy
2:1-2 Prayer
And Politics
[Pray] for all men, for kings and all who are in authority. . --1
Timothy 2:1-2
In 1787 a convention was called in the United States to revise the
Articles of Confederation. For weeks delegates reviewed ancient
history and analyzed modern governments, searching for insights. But
nothing suited the infant nation.
Finally, a distinguished gentleman named Benjamin Franklin rose and
said, "In this situation of this assembly, groping as it were in the
dark to find political truth and scarce able to distinguish it when
it is presented to us, how has it happened that we have not hitherto
once thought of humbly applying to the Father of Lights to
illuminate our understandings?" Mr. Franklin believed there was a
sovereign God who could provide guidance to those who sought it.
If ever there was a time to follow that prayerful example, it is
now. Paul said that governments are ordained of God (Ro 13:1), and
that we are to pray for those in authority over us (1Ti 2:1, 2).
This prayer principle also applies to the election of our leaders.
We must become informed and vote prayerfully for those who shape our
laws.
Because God has instructed us to do so, we can--indeed we
must--unashamedly and boldly mix prayer with our politics. --D J De
Haan
In God we
trust, let others trust their rulers,
We trust in God to save us from alarm;
Like broken reeds, the works of man will fail us,
Our God alone can keep us from all harm. --Smith
Whatever makes men good
Christians makes them good citizens. --Webster (Copyright.
Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)
*******
1 Timothy 2:2
Better Times Ahead
[Pray] for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a
quiet and peaceable life. —1 Timothy 2:2
Paul lived in the Roman Empire under the rule of the cruel and
ruthless Nero. Yet he saw the possibility of better times ahead. If
he hadn't, he wouldn't have exhorted the first-century Christians to
pray for "a quiet and peaceable life" (1Timothy 2:2).
If Paul were living today, I don't think he would be pleased when
Christians paint a totally dark picture of the future. Although some
governments do repress their citizens, think of what's happened.
Since the Berlin Wall came down, new winds of freedom have been
blowing in the world. And even though immorality and broken homes
are still a terrible blight, many people seem to be returning to the
values of marital fidelity.
I believe that the only real hope for the world is the return of
Jesus Christ. I don't know when the Lord will come, but while I wait
I'll continue witnessing for Him and praying for a great revival.
I'll be asking the Lord to lead the nations into paths of peace and
prosperity. I'll be doing what I can to help people who are
struggling in dire poverty. I'll vote for leaders who uphold moral
values.
We must not withdraw from the world but do what we can to make it a
better place to live. God is in control. We can't lose. Let's be
optimistic! —H V Lugt (Copyright.
Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)
Keep me ever
watching, Master,
That no fear my faith may shake;
Working, praying, hoping, longing,
Till the joyful morn shall break. —Dimmock
The future is as bright as the promises of God.
*******
1 Timothy 2:9
God Can Save Anyone!
Therefore I exhort . . . that supplications, prayers, intercessions,
and giving of thanks be made for all men. —1 Timothy 2:1
Today, as always, there is an
urgent need for us to pray for "all who are in authority" (1Timothy
2:2). But does the word all include the most wicked of leaders? Are
there ever people in positions of power and influence who are beyond
the help of prayer?
The answer to this question can be found by noting the word
therefore in verse 1, which calls our attention to the immediate
context. In 1Timothy 1:12-17, Paul admitted that he was once a
blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man (1Ti 1:13). He vigorously
affirmed that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Then
he added this significant phrase: "of whom I am chief" (1Ti
1:15).
Paul explained that he received God's mercy so that Christ would
display His limitless grace in him as a pattern for those who are
going to believe on Him in the future (1Ti 1:16). In effect, Paul was
saying, "If I, the worst of sinners, can be saved, anyone can." Paul
therefore exhorted us to pray for all in authority, because God our
Savior desires all to be saved and to embrace His truth (1Ti 2:4).
So let's not only pray that honorable leaders will act wisely, but
also that ungodly leaders will be saved. Yes, God can save anyone. —Joanie
Yoder (Copyright.
Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)
No leader is
beyond God's grace
When righteous people pray;
For when God's children intercede,
The Lord will have His way. —D. De Haan
To influence leaders for God, intercede with God for leaders.
*******
1 Timothy 2:11-15
(Elisabeth Elliot)
“It is in willing submission, rather than grudging capitulation, that the
woman in the church (whether married or single) and the wife in the home
find their fulfillment.”
*******
1 Timothy 2:11-15
(Vance Havner)
“A good woman is the best thing on earth. Women were last at the cross and
first at the open tomb. The church owes a debt to her faithful women which
she can never estimate, to say nothing of the debt we owe in our homes to
godly wives and mothers.”
*******
1
TIMOTHY 3
1 Timothy
3:14-15 I am
writing you these instructions so that... you will know how people
ought to conduct themselves in God's household.
Bible teacher Chuck Swindoll once described a neighborhood kids'
club that had a humorous, but wise, list of rules for its members.
The rules were beautiful in their simplicity: ""Nobody act big.
Nobody act small. Everybody act medium."" That's a list of rules
anyone can keep! (Today in the Word)
1 Timothy 3:16
(F B Meyer. Our Daily Homily)
Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness.
It is more than likely that
this is a fragment of one of the earliest hymns of the Church. In
her hymns, and maintenance of the ordinances, she thus becomes the
pillar and ground of the truth. The words “mystery of godliness” are
probably a general heading which is further unfolded and expanded in
the six following sentences, which may have been sung antiphonally:—
“God was manifest in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit. Seen of
angels, Preached unto the Gentiles. Believed on in the world,
Received up into glory.”
The Extremes of
Manifestation. — The Eternal Word was manifested in the flesh.
But it was not simply a physical manifestation; we cannot forget the
descent of the Holy Spirit at his baptism, or the authentication of
his words which the Spirit gave in signs and wonders, and convinced
hearts, and converted lives.
The Extremes of Created
Intelligence. — Angels worship Him; and Gentiles, sunk in
heathen darkness, hear the story of his wondrous love. Jesus is the
centre of all worlds: from heaven’s bright spaces they come to Him
on the one hand; from earth’s dark sins they come on the other. In
Him meet angels and men.
The Extremes of Space.
— Glory is above: “He was received up into glory.” The world is but
a speck, a mote in the beam of eternity. How great the space between
the two! But the feet of our Emmanuel have trodden its low pavement,
and He has now taken to Himself his former glory. Like Jacob’s
ladder, He links earth with the throne of God.
*******
1 TIMOTHY 4
*******
1 Timothy 4:4
Earthworms And Fruit
Every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused. —1Timothy 4:4
Have you ever wondered why God
made a particular creature, like mosquitos or snakes? I’ve often
wondered about earthworms. Why did God form such creepy crawlers?
Actually, worms have an indispensable function to fulfill. Amy
Stuart, in her book The Earth Moved: On The Remarkable Achievements
of Earthworms tells us that in an average acre of ground there are
countless earthworms continually breaking up the soil. Their silent
and invisible activity is absolutely essential—no worms, no
vegetation.
What, then, can we learn from earthworms? Not only in nature but
also in our lives there are invisible forces at work. There is the
silent and unseen work of prayer by those who are concerned about
our well-being. There is the work of our own spiritual discipline,
as we pray and meditate on God’s Word. And there is the vital work
of the Holy Spirit, breaking up the clogged soil of our souls and
producing in us the Christlike fruit of “love, joy, peace,
longsuffering . . .” (Galatians 5:22, 23).
In our lives and in our world, God has ordained unseen influences
that bear fruit. Whether it’s the lowly earthworm or the crown of
God’s creation—the human race—there is so much more at work than
meets the eye. —Vernon C Grounds (Copyright.
Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)
All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all. —Alexander
God’s unseen work in our hearts produces fruit in our lives.
*******
1 Timothy 4:4
(F B Meyer. Our
Daily Homily)
Every creature of God is good … if it be received with thanksgiving.
We must be very careful in applying these words. Intoxicating
liquor, for instance, is sometimes described as “a good creature of
God.” But surely that term is not legitimate. Whatever grounds there
may be for defending its use, can this text be alleged as one? For
there is a great deal of human manipulation in its preparation.
Before it reaches our lips, it is greatly altered by the process of
fermentation. It can hardly be called God’s good creature.
When we are quite sure that we
are dealing with one of God’s pure and unadulterated gifts, such as
human love, friendship, the beauties of nature, wholesome food,
fresh young spirits, the innocent mirth of the Christmas
home-gathering; we must distinguish between God’s gifts and our
abuse of them; between his creation and our distortion of it, There
are things in our lives which are not his creation or gift, and
which we must resolutely refuse and put away. There are others which
come to us clearly and absolutely from his hand.
Rejoice in every good thing
which the Lord gives. — Rejoice! Do not enjoy things as though
under the sword of Damocles, suspended by a thread.
Be careful to maintain the spirit of thanksgiving and prayer. — What
you can thank God for or use in his name and for his glory; what
lifts you from the gift to the Giver, or is capable of being prayed
over, with no shadow of misgiving, is innocent and healthy.
Watch only against the
intrusion of self. — Whatever you place between yourself and
God, or rest on apart from God, or make the aim and centre of your
life, is hurtful and must pass through the fire. The way to rid
yourself of its poison is to insist on making it a subject of
thanksgiving.
*******
1Timothy 4:7-8
(F B Meyer. Our Daily Walk)
SPIRITUAL GYMNASTICS -
"Exercise thyself unto godliness: for bodily exercise is profitable
for a little; but godliness is profitable for all things, having
promise of the life which now is, and of that which is to come."--
1Timothy 4:7-8
THE RELATION of the body to religion has always engaged the
attention of thoughtful religious men. Human opinion has oscillated
between two extremes. On the one hand, some have considered that the
body was the seat of sin, and have set themselves to degrade and
debase it with every indignity and torture. This conception has
influenced devoutly-intentioned people in the East, and also in
Western monasticism. But sin must be dealt with in the heart and
soul, where it has its inception and spring. It is easy to macerate
the body, whilst the pride of self-mortification is undetected. If
we deal with bad thought and evil suggestion, we shall not have so
much trouble with the body, which is only the dial-plate,
registering the workings within. The other extreme was represented
in the Greek religion. The temples that stand in ruins: the superb
works of art which have survived the wreck of centuries; its poetry
and literature, sustain and illustrate the supreme devotion of the
Greek mind to beauty. The Christian position differs from both. To
us the body is the temple, the instrument, the weapon of the soul.
The Holy Spirit quickens our mortal body by His indwelling, and in
the faces and lives of holy men and women we may trace the growing
results of the inward power and beauty of pure and undefiled
religion. It is good to care for the body, but only as we should
care for a complex and fine piece of machinery which is to serve us.
There are gifts in us, which we must not neglect, or it will go hard
with us when we meet our Master, who entrusted them to our
stewardship. Probably the trials and temptations of life are
intended to give us that inward training which shall bring our
spiritual muscles into play. In each of us there is much unused
force; many moral and spiritual faculties, which would never be
used, if it were not for the wrestling which we are compelled to
take up with principalities and powers, with difficulty and sorrow.
The Apostle bids us take heed to ourselves, and to live in the
atmosphere of uplifting thought and of self-denying ministry
(1Ti 4:13, 14, 15).
PRAYER - Mould us, O God, into forms of beauty and usefulness by the
wheel of Thy providence, and by the touch of Thy hand. Fulfil Thine
ideal, and conform us to the image of Thy Son. AMEN.
*******
1 Timothy 4:7
Keep The Goal In View
Bible scholar William Barclay tells
of his walks through the meadow with his bull terrier Rusty. Whenever
his dog came to a shallow creek, he jumped in and started removing
stones, one by one, dropping them haphazardly on the shore. This
pointless activity would go on for hours.
Barclay says that Rusty's strange behavior reminds him of some
self-proclaimed experts on the Bible. They expend enormous energy and
countless hours trying to interpret obscure passages, but all their
effort does nothing to edify themselves or others.
Through the years I have received long letters from people like that.
Some show me how to know exactly who the Antichrist will be. Others
claim to have found the key to certain Bible mysteries by studying the
meaning of names in the lists of genealogies.
Apparently there were some teachers in Ephesus who were trying to
impress the believers by weaving myths and fables into their
interpretation of the Bible. But what they taught did nothing to promote
godliness. It was therefore as pointless as Rusty's stone removal
project.
Paul said to Timothy, "Exercise yourself toward godliness." That's the
most important goal to keep in view as we study the Bible. —Herbert
Vander Lugt (Copyright.
Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)
Oh, grant us grace, Almighty Lord!
To read and mark Thy holy Word,
Its truths with meekness to receive,
And by its holy precepts live. —Boddome
Don't study the Bible to be able to quote it; study it to obey it.
*******
1 Timothy 4:7
Waiting For The
Weekend
Exercise yourself toward godliness. —1 Timothy 4:7
"Good morning! Only 1 more day until Friday!" Our local traffic
reporter counts down to the weekend for his morning radio audience.
Many in his audience are likely thinking all week about hitting the
bike trail, heading for the beach, or teeing off in the morning
mist.
Paul told Timothy that physical exercise does profit us "a little"
(1 Timothy 4:8). Regular exercise and recreation can help to restore
our perspective, to tone up our muscles, and to recharge our
batteries. But Paul said that "godliness is profitable for all
things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is
to come" (v.8).
The trouble is that many Christians today emphasize physical
exercise almost to the exclusion of spiritual exercise. Paul also
said, "Exercise yourself toward godliness" (v.7). Regular spiritual
exercise such as prayer, Bible study, walking in the Spirit, sharing
Christ with others, serving others, and living a pure and holy life
are "profitable" for both time and eternity.
Looking forward to the weekend is fine. And there's nothing wrong
with biking, swimming, golfing, or other forms of recreation. But
remember, the greatest profit comes from exercising "toward
godliness." —D C Egner (Copyright.
Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)
A healthy body, healthy mind,
Should be the Christian's goal;
But it is more important still
To exercise the soul. —Bosch
To keep spiritually fit, feed on God's Word and exercise your
faith.
*******
1 Timothy 4:7
Godly Exercise
Exercise yourself toward godliness. —1Timothy 4:7
Fitness advocate Jhannie Tolbert
says you don't need a treadmill or specialized equipment to get a
great physical workout at home. Tolbert uses a toolbox for stepping
exercises, lifts soup cans to work his shoulder muscles, and employs
other common household items in his daily training. He says you can
stay fit at home using a low-tech approach. Other trainers agree and
encourage people to use jump ropes, chairs, brooms, and even bags of
groceries in conditioning routines. They see exercise as a matter of
will, not wealth.
The same principle holds true with spiritual fitness. While Bible
dictionaries, commentaries, and other books are helpful, we can
begin spiritual training with nothing more than the Bible and the
guidance of the Holy Spirit. Paul urged his protégé Timothy:
"Exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a
little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise
of the life that now is and of that which is to come" (1Timothy
4:7, 8).
It requires no money to study a Bible passage or memorize a verse.
We don't need special equipment or materials to pray for a friend,
give thanks to God, or sing His praise. We just need to begin where
we are, with what we have, right now.
—David C. McCasland (Copyright.
Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)
Just as the body will grow strong
With exercise each day,
So too, we grow more like our Lord
By living life His way. —D. De Haan
Godly exercise is the key to godly character.
*******
1 Timothy 4:8
Charles Colson tells the story of his days as Special Counsel to
former President Richard Nixon. There were times when various labor
leaders would request a meeting with the Chief Executive. Prior to
the meeting, they would often state how they were going to tell the
President exactly how they felt about some of his economic policies.
But once inside the Oval Office those same leaders were so caught up
with the elegance of the place that they said very little. It’s
amazing what we do when we find ourselves in places of power and
authority. Every Christian should constantly live life with a sense
of dignity and reverence because Christians always live in the
presence of God. (Today in the Word)
*******
1 Timothy 4:12
Set an example
for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in
purity.
Last November, Dutch scientists created the largest digital
panoramic photo in the world. They began by programming a camera to
take 600 individual pictures of their city, Delft. Then they fed the
results into five PCs that worked over three days to stitch the
photos together into a seamless whole. The result was a single 2.5
billion-pixel panorama of the Delft skyline. Talk about “seeing the
big picture”! In today's reading, Paul wanted to give Timothy the
“big picture” of what the Christian life is all about. (Today
in the Word)
*******
1 Timothy 4:12
Be an example to the believers...in love, in spirit, in faith, hi
purity (Copyright.
Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)
Believers exert a positive influence on others by setting a good
example with the consistency of their lives. Will Houghton,
president of Moody Bible Institute during the 1940s, was such a
person.
Before Houghton became president of Moody, he pastored a church in
New York City. An agnostic living there was contemplating suicide,
but he decided that if he could find a minister who lived what he
professed, he would listen to him. Since Will Houghton was a
prominent figure in the city and a pastor, the man chose Houghton
for his case study. He hired a private detective to watch him. When
the investigator's report came back, it revealed that Houghton's
life was above reproach. The agnostic went to Houghton's church,
accepted Christ, and later sent his daughter to Moody Bible
Institute.
Nehemiah was another believer who dramatically affected the lives of
those around him. Even rich nobles and high officials listened
respectfully as he rebuked them. Why? Because of the quality of his
life. Whatever he asked of others, he was willing to do himself. And
because Nehemiah joined in the hard work and refrained from using
his position to accumulate wealth, the leaders couldn't help but
listen to what he said.
An exemplary life awakens spiritual and moral sensitivity in those
who observe us, and it gives power to our words of witness. —H V
Lugt
We can preach a better sermon with our lives than with our lips.
*******
1 Timothy 4:12-16
SARAH Winchester's husband acquired a fortune by manufacturing and
selling rifles. After he died of influenza in 1918, Sarah moved to
San Jose, California.
Lonely for her husband, Sarah consulted a medium to help her contact
him in the afterlife. The medium told her, "As long as you keep
building your home, you will never face death."
Sarah believed the advice, so she bought an unfinished
seventeen-room mansion and started to expand it. The project
continued until she died at age 85. The mansion has 150 rooms, 13
bathrooms, 2,000 doors, 47 fireplaces, and 10,000 windows. In
addition, Mrs. Winchester left behind enough materials so that
workers could have continued building for another eighty years.
Today that house stands as more than a tourist attraction. It is a
silent witness to perseverance of the wrong kind. Sarah
Winchester's perseverance was motivated by the fear of death. The
Christian's motivation is the love of God. "For the love of Christ
compels us, ... that those who live should live no longer for
themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again" (2Corinthians 5:14, 15). The only way to avoid the fear of death is to
live for the one who has overcome it.—V C Grounds (Copyright.
Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)
*******
1 Timothy 4:13
Read It Aloud
Give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. —1 Timothy
4:13
We are blessed with many wonderful translations of the Bible these
days, so it’s hard for us to realize that for more than 350 years
one version was used by much of the English-speaking world. Today
some people recoil at the King James’ “thees,” “thous,” and “verilys.”
Yet there is something beautiful about hearing it read aloud,
especially familiar passages like the 23rd Psalm.
In God’s Secretaries, author Adam Nicolson chronicles the King James
translators’ sensitivity to sound. He says that the 12 men sat
around the room listening to the text being read aloud. They felt
that what governed the acceptability of a particular verse was not
only accuracy to the original language, but a pleasant sound of the
words.
Paul understood the power of the spoken Word. To the young pastor
Timothy he instructed public Bible reading: “Till I come, give
attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine” (1Timothy 4:13).
The Word of God stirs the heart when it enters the believer’s ear.
So whatever version you’re reading in your quiet time, in family
devotions, or in a church service, remember the power of the spoken
Word. Look for opportunities to read it aloud. —Dennis Fisher (Copyright.
Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)
We need to take the time each day
To read God’s Word and pray,
And listen for what He might say
To guide us on our way. —Sper
God speaks through His Word—take time to listen.
*******
1 Timothy 4:13, 14, 16,
6:11 (Oswald
Chambers)
Keep Bright by Use: General Maxims
(a) If you lack education, first realise it; then cure it.
(b) Beware of knowing what you don’t practise
Cultivate Mental Habits
1 Timothy 4:13 Give attendance to reading)
If we wish to excel in secular things, we concentrate; why should we
be less careful in work for God? Don’t get dissipated; determine to
develop your intellect for one purpose only—to make yourself of more
use to God. Have a perfect machine ready for God to use. It is
impossible to read too much, but always keep before you why you
read. Remember that “the need to receive, recognise, and rely on
the Holy Spirit” is before all else.
Constantly Aim at the Highest
1 Timothy 4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the
doctrine
Remember that preaching is God’s ordained method of saving the world
(see 1Corinthians 1:21). Take time before God and find out the
highest ideal for an address. Never mind if you do not reach the
ideal, but work at it, and never say fail. By work and steady
application you will acquire the power to do with ease what at first
seemed so difficult. Avoid the temptation to be slovenly in your
mind and be deluded into calling it “depending on the Spirit.”
Don’t misapply Matthew 10:19, 20.
Carelessness in spiritual
matters is a crime.
Concentrate on Personal Resources
1 Timothy 4:14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee.
In immediate preparation don’t call in the aid of other minds;
rely on the Holy Spirit and on your own resources, and He will
select for you. Discipline your mind by reading and by building in
stuff in private, then all that you have assimilated will come back.
Keep yourself full to the brim in reading; but remember that the
first great Resource is the Holy Ghost Who lays at your disposal the
Word of God. The thing to prepare is not the sermon, but the
preacher.
Constrain Yourself to Be
Spiritually Minded
1 Timothy 6:11 Follow after righteousness
It is possible to have a saved
and sanctified experience and a stagnant mind. Learn how to make
your mind awake and fervid, and when once your mind is awake never
let it go to sleep. The brain does not need rest, it only needs
change of work. The intellect works with the greatest intensity when
it works continuously; the more you do, the more you can do. We must
work hard to keep in trim for God. Clean off the rust and keep
bright by use. (Chambers,
Oswald: Approved Unto God: The Spiritual Life of the Christian
Worker. Discovery House. 1997)
*******
1 Timothy 4:14-15
(F B Meyer. Our Daily Walk)
SERVICE FOR OTHERS - "Neglect not the gift that is in thee,
which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of
the presbytery. Be diligent in these things."-- 1Ti4:14, 15 (R.V.).
"Stir up the gift of God, which is in thee through the laying on of
my hands."--
2 Timothy 1:6
(see
note)
MOST YOUNG people are fond of athletics, and the Roman and Greek
youth were specially addicted to them. The Divine Spirit does not
under-value any of these means for keeping our physical health
vigorous. But if we pay such earnest attention to these things we
ought, all the more, to give attention to godliness, which
disciplines the soul for Eternal Life. We all know what it is to
discover and bring into play certain muscles of the body which we
had not previously used. Are we equally keen to discover the hidden
properties and resources of the soul and spirit?
Timothy was gifted in various ways, but specially for public
ministry; and in this Epistle and the next, the Apostle bids him
stir it up, i.e. stir into flame (marg.). The fire may be well
provided with coal, the heat and light may be present, but the poker
needs to be used to let in the air. We may have gifts, but we must
carefully practise the duties in which they can be used for the
benefit of others. It becomes us all to give ourselves to the duties
which lie immediately to our hands, not shirking or scamping them.
We must not give part of our thought and care to our appointed
tasks, but give our whole selves. What our hands find to do must be
done with our might. Just as men build arches of brick over slight
structures of wood, and when these are taken away the substantial
Matterial remains, so on the passing duties of an hour we are
building up habits and character which will live for ever. What we
do is comparatively unimportant, but how we do what we do is
all-important. We must always be on guard, always on the alert, for
we have in our hands the interests of others as well as our own
(1Ti 4:16).
The grace of God can so reveal itself in a young man or girl, that
he or she will become an example in speech, conduct, love, faith,
and purity (1Ti 4:12).
PRAYER - Prosper us, O God, we pray Thee, in all that we put our
hands unto. May our hearts be filled with Thy love, our lips with
gentle, helpful words, and our hands with kind, unselfish deeds. May
Thy Holy Spirit in all things direct and rule our hearts. AMEN.
*******
1 Timothy
4:15 A
LETTER FROM J. EDGAR HOOVER
Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them, that thy
profiting may appear to all. 1 Timothy 4:15
The chief of the Federal Bureau of Investigation has often stressed
the importance of family Bible reading. Some years ago in a letter
to the American Bible Society he said, "Inspiration has been the
keynote of America's phenomenal growth . . . and the backbone of its
greatness. . . . This inspiration has been from faith in God . . .
and in the belief that the Holy Bible is His inspired Word. Reading
the Scriptures within the family circle is more important today than
ever before. As a small boy I sat at my mother's knee while she read
the Word to me and explained its meanings with stories as we went
along. It served to make the bond of faith between us much stronger.
Then there were those wonderful nights when my father would gather
all the children around him and read aloud verses from the Bible.
This led to family discussions which were interesting, lively, and
informative. Those wonderful sessions left me with an imprint of
the power of faith and . . . prayer which has sustained me in trying
moments throughout my life."
Regrettably, family altars are fast disappearing from the American
scene. People are too busy. The family is seldom together long
enough to enjoy such sweet moments of fellowship — and the world is
much the poorer for it! The Word of God constantly admonishes us to
meditate upon its contents, for only as we absorb its teachings,
believe its promises, and hide its precepts in our hearts can we
prosper spiritually and live the "more abundant life."
Take a cue from the letter of J. Edgar Hoover; and if you have not
yet established a definite time for Bible study in your home, start
now — even if you can devote only five minutes a day to this
necessary task. Man cannot live by bread alone. He must find
sustenance for his spirit by appropriating the truths of God through
the avenue of prayer and careful meditation.
How
precious is the Book divine,
By inspiration given!
Bright as a lamp its precepts shine,
To guide our souls to Heaven.
— J. Fawcett
A Bible that is falling apart
usually belongs to a person who is not! (Copyright.
Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)
*******
1 TIMOTHY
5
1 Timothy 5:5
(F B Meyer. Our Daily Homily)
She that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God.
Art thou desolate indeed,
because the light of thine eyes has passed from view, leaving thee
im measurably lonely? Dear soul, do not look down into the grave
which has received the precious mortal frame, but up into the face
of God.
He lent thee thy beloved. From
the tune of the first knitting of soul with soul he was but a loan
for a specified time; and wouldst thou not rather have had him for
so short a time than not at all? Wouldst thou not have said, had God
asked thee, “I would rather have a year or a month of such love as
his than none? “Do not be angry because God has done as He always
intended.
Besides, that beloved one is
still thine. Thy love so entered into his heart that it could not be
eradicated, though ages should pass. Do not suppose that death is so
mighty a magician as to alter the very nature of those who pass for
a moment beneath his wand.
And God will care for thee.
Trust Him for society, that thou be not lonely; for the provision of
what is necessary to thy support; and for the protecting love which
thy shrinking nature calls for. Thy Maker will be thy husband.
Wouldst thou be comforted, continue in prayers and supplications for
others night and day. Cease to shut thyself up with thy sorrow, and
go out to minister comfort to those who sorrow as without hope. A
Hindoo story tells of a bereaved mother, who was advised to obtain a
handful of corn from a house where there was no trouble, and was so
occupied in seeking it, and in comforting the inmates of the various
homes she visited, that her own grief was assuaged.
*******
1 Timothy 5:17
Getting Rid Of The Pastor
Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor. —1
Timothy 5:17
A Christian leader told about
some church members who came to him for advice. They wanted to know
of a way to get rid of their pastor. Sensing that they were not
being fair, he gave them these suggestions:
Look your pastor straight in the eye while he is preaching and say
"Amen!" once in a while. He'll preach himself to death.
Pat him on the back and tell him his good points. He'll work himself
to death.
Rededicate your life to Christ and ask your minister for a job to
do. He'll die of heart failure.
Get the church to pray for him. Soon he'll become so effective that
a larger church will take him off your hands.
If your pastor faithfully preaches God's Word and tries to live an
exemplary life, do all you can to support and encourage him. Of
course, no pastor is perfect, and sometimes a loving rebuke may be
needed (1 Timothy 5:20). But a pastor carries a big responsibility
(Hebrews 13:17), and a faithful man of God is worthy of respect and
generous financial support (1Timothy 3:1; 5:17,18).
By the way, when did you last say to your pastor, "I'm grateful for
you and all you've done for me"? —Richard De Haan (Copyright.
Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)
A pastor leads best when his
people get behind him.
*******
1 Timothy
5:22
A writer who visited a coal mine noticed a perfectly white plant
growing by the side of the entrance. He was astonished that there,
where coal dust continually blew and settled, this little plant
would be so pure and white. As the author watched, a miner took some
black coal dust and threw it on the plant, but not a particle stuck.
Nothing could stain the plant's snowy whiteness.
Enoch lived in the days before the flood, a time when "the LORD saw
that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every
intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Genesis
6:5). Yet the Bible tells us that "Enoch walked with God three
hundred years" (Genesis 5:22).
It is our mission to be pure and unspotted from the ungodly
influences in the world. How is this possible? If the Lord can keep
a plant white as snow amid clouds of black dust, can He not by His
grace keep your heart pure in this world of sin? —M. R. De Haan (Copyright.
Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)
*******
1 Timothy 5:24-25
Nothing Hidden
Some men's sins are clearly evident . . . . Likewise, the good works
of some . . . and those that are otherwise cannot be hidden. —1Timothy 5:24, 25
A woman had been maligned and
misrepresented by an envious co-worker. She was frustrated be-cause
her attempts to confront her in private had only made matters worse.
So she decided to swallow her pride and let the matter go. She said,
"I'm glad the Lord knows the true situation." She expressed a
profound truth that both warns and comforts.
Paul pointed out that nothing can be concealed forever (1Timothy
5:24, 25). This serves as a solemn warning. For example, a news
report told about a highly respected person who was arrested for
crimes he had been secretly committing for years.
Yet the fact that nothing can be hidden can also be a great
consolation. I have known people who never held a position of honor,
nor were they recognized for their service. After they died,
however, I learned that in their own quiet way they had touched many
lives with their kind words and helpful deeds. Their good works
could not remain hidden.
We can hide nothing from God—that's a solemn warning! But it's also
a great comfort, for our heavenly Father knows about every
encouraging smile, every kind word, and every loving deed done in
Jesus' name. And someday He will reward us.—Herbert Vander Lugt (Copyright.
Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)
Be strong and to the will of God
be true,
For though your book of life be sealed,
God knows what lies ahead awaiting you,
He knows when it should be revealed. —Anon.
Neither vice nor virtue can remain a secret forever.
*******
1 TIMOTHY
6
1 Timothy 6:1
Respect
Let as many bondservants as are under the yoke count their own
masters worthy of all honor. —1Timothy 6:1
As a schoolteacher, my wife has noticed that behavior seems to be
deteriorating with each successive class of students. Many children
show little respect for older people.
First Timothy 6 reveals that disrespect is not unique to our
generation. Paul, who ministered to a culture built on slavery,
highlighted this concern. He wrote, "Those who have believing
masters, let them not despise them because they are brethren" (1Ti
6:2).
Paul knew that slaves, whose welfare depended on their master's
goodwill, were capable of being disrespectful.
We may say that people need to show themselves worthy of respect
before we can respect them. But respecting another person is much
more about who we are than about who the other person is.
Paul gave the main reason believers should excel in respect: "So
that the name of God and His doctrine may not be blasphemed" (1Ti
6:1).
Sadly, the worst cases of disrespect are sometimes found among those
who claim to follow Jesus. But when believers excel in all they do,
God's name is lifted up. All of us are to bring honor and glory to
the Lord's name.
Excelling in respect for others honors God. —Albert Lee (Copyright.
Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)
O help me, Lord, to show respect,
To always honor You;
And may I bring You highest praise
In everything I do. -Sper
One who would be truly respected must first respect others.
*******
1 Timothy 6:6–8
- Contentment
Matthew Henry well said, “The necessities of life are the bounds of
a true Christian’s desires. Truly, the secret of contentment is not
having much but wanting little. This is not to say we cannot have
more than food and clothing. It means that having more than these
presents a temptation (1 Tim. 6:9). May we, as God’s children,
refuse to let the world squeeze us into its mold, and refuse to
imitate it as it seeks everything to live with and nothing to live
for.
1 Timothy
6:6 - Godliness
with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the
world, and we can take nothing out of it.
According to a recent report, the wind carries elements such as dust
and pollutants farther than scientists ever thought possible. The
results of this are both good and bad. On the good side, it is
estimated that some thirteen million tons of windblown dust fall on
the Amazon region every year. Most of this dust comes from Africa’s
Sahara Desert, and it contains valuable nutrients. But the wind has
also carried pesticides such as DDT as far as Antarctica, and the
Arctic skies are often clouded by pollution.
The wind and its effects are
similar to money and its effects. Like the wind, money is by itself
morally neutral. But money is also such a powerful force that it
sweeps a lot of things along with it, and produces some good and bad
effects. People can use money to spread good around the world. But
it can also poison the lives of people who have it or want it.
(Today in the Word)
*******
1 Timothy
6:6 The Winning
Combination
Godliness with contentment is great gain. —1Timothy 6:6
I have often been encouraged by people without their realizing it. I
remember walking through the main lounge of a Christian retirement
community late one evening. The residents had gone to their rooms
for the night, except for one elderly woman. Unaware of my presence,
she patiently worked on a jigsaw puzzle and joyfully hummed to
herself. She seemed to be quite content.
I began to wonder, "How can people find true contentment, no matter
what their circumstances?" The apostle Paul addressed this issue in
1 Timothy 6. He warned against corrupt people who see godliness as a
means for financial profit (1Ti 6:5). A more subtle error among
Christians is the belief that godliness-plus-money is life's winning
combination. Paul corrected both errors by stating the real winning
combination: "Godliness with contentment is great gain" (1Ti
6:6). He
urged believers to be satisfied with food and clothing (1Ti 6:7, 8).
"The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil" (1Ti 6:10), but
loving and trusting God is the root of all contentment.
How about you? Are you experiencing the joy that comes when
godliness is combined with contentment? If so, you've got the
winning combination. —Joanie Yoder (Copyright.
Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)
O Lord, give me the grace to be
Content with what You give to me.
No, more than that, let me rejoice
In all You send, for it's Your choice! —Anon.
True contentment is not in having everything, but in being
satisfied with everything you have.
*******
1 Timothy
6:6 The Rich And
The Poor
Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, the God of
our salvation! --Psalm 68:19
My wife and I think of ourselves as neither rich nor poor. When we
consider people living in poverty, struggling just to get by, we can
feel guilty because of our comfortable lifestyle. But when we see
others who live in luxurious houses, drive expensive cars, and take
exotic vacations, our lifestyle seems unpretentious and humdrum.
Actually, how much we possess is not as important as our attitude
toward our possessions. Paul wrote that "godliness with contentment
is great gain" (1Ti 6:6). Regardless of our status, we should be
content, neither coveting more nor resenting those who have more
than we do.
Although we as Christians may enjoy God's blessings without feeling
guilty, we must also heed Paul's admonition not to be haughty but to
trust in God (1Ti 6:17). We must humbly acknowledge Him as the source of
all we have, and share willingly and generously with others
(1Ti 6:17, 18). Such generosity has eternal value (v.19). Since God
measures our giving by the degree of our sacrifice (Mk. 12:42, 43, 44),
many who have little to give in this life will be immensely rewarded
in the life to come.
Whether we are rich or poor, let's be sure to invest in eternity.
--H V Lugt (Copyright.
Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)
If we've been blessed with
riches,
We must be rich in deeds;
God wants us to be generous
In meeting others' needs. --Sper
Our value is determined not by what we have
but by what we do with what we have.
*******
1 Timothy
6:6
Over the past 15 years, a New Jersey businessman has anonymously
given away more than $600 million to universities, medical centers,
and other beneficiaries. When a legal complication forced him to
reveal his identity, he explained his generosity by saying,
"Nobody can wear two pairs of shoes at one time. I simply decided I
had enough money"
A friend of the donor described him as a man who doesn't own a house
or a car, flies economy class, wears a $15 watch, and "didn't want
his money to crush him."
Few people seem able to treat their resources as a servant instead
of a master. It seems so natural and sensible to grasp rather than
to give. Even as followers of Christ, we may mistakenly believe that
"godliness is a means of gain" (1Ti 6:5). But the apostle Paul
wrote, "Godliness with contentment is great gain.... And having food
and clothing, with these we shall be content" (1Ti 6:6, 7, 8). —D.
C. McCasland (Copyright.
Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)
MONEY IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT—A MASTER OR A SERVANT.
*******
1 Timothy
6:6 Be Content
Confusing our wants with our needs goes to the heart of coveting and
explains why we are so often driven by the desire for more and more.
We fail to see that life's greatest fulfillment is not found in
accumulating things but in knowing God.
The tenth commandment may seem like an add-on compared to such
big-ticket items as murder, stealing, lying, and adultery, but it is
foundational to all the other commandments and ensures peace and
contentment. It is the only command that zeroes in on a forbidden
attitude rather than an action. Yet it is a safeguard against the
temptation to break the other nine commandments.
David's covetous desire for another man's wife led to adultery,
stealing, and murder (2 Sam. 11). And a desire for more and more
pleasure, power, or possessions can destroy family relationships and
cause us to lie to others. And because covetousness is idolatry
(Col 3:5), it also keeps us from having and maintaining a right
relationship to God. Lord, help us to be content in You. --D J De
Haan
(Copyright.
Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)
When we would covet more and more
Of this world's gold, of earthly store,
Help us, O God, to look above
And draw upon Your matchless love. --DJD
Contentment is wanting what you have, not having everything you
want.
*******
1 Timothy 6:6
A Good Surrender
Surrender is not a very popular word. We use it in reference to the
humiliation that accompanies defeat. When a nation loses a war, it
may be forced to surrender unconditionally, and has no say in the
terms of defeat.
Yet there is a type of surrender that is dignified and appropriate.
Paul understood it in two aspects. First, it means surrendering our
desires and will to the heavenly Father. Jesus is our example, for
He did the Father's will in everything (Jn. 6:38).
The second aspect is our acceptance of God's supreme sovereignty.
This is marked by our realization that things do not always go our
way as God works out His will on earth. Our business goes through
good times and bad. Our health may suffer. Loved ones will hurt us,
or leave us, or even die. Our fondest dreams may never be realized.
In the spiritual sense, to surrender means that we trust God to do
what is best. It is, as Paul said, choosing to be content "in
whatever state I am" (Phil. 4:11, 12), and knowing by faith that God
will take care of our needs (Php 4:19). That kind of faith isn't easy.
But it's the only way to overcome dissatisfaction and anger about
uncontrollable circumstances.
Perhaps it's time to say "I surrender" to the Lord and to His
perfect will and plan. --D C Egner (Copyright.
Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)
Take my love--my God, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store;
Take myself--and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee. --Havergal
Surrender is victory when we yield to God.
*******
1 Timothy
6:6-10
LIFE in an affluent society can be frustrating, I thought, as I
walked through a local mall. On display for a special show was an
astounding array of recreational vehicles. Campers and mobile homes
bore signs, "Yours Today for Only $25,000." They were so inviting I
realized I was envying people who could afford one of these
beauties.
Our battle to be content doesn't involve just big-ticket items.
Imagine the struggle of a single mother who can barely make her rent
payments. How difficult it must be to not covet a car that is
rust-free or to not envy a woman who doesn't have to send her
children to school in hand-me-downs. How can someone who struggles
to stretch a paycheck across two weeks be content in a world of
wealth and affluence?
In 1 Timothy 6:5, Paul warns us to beware of people who think that
being godly will bring them riches. It is contentment plus godliness
that makes us truly rich, he says. But how do we become content? By
recognizing that we brought nothing into the world and that we will
carry nothing out—that everything we have is from God.
When waves of envy and covetousness are pulling us under, there is
one thought that can keep us from being swept away in the current:
Godliness—not gold—brings contentment. —J D Brannon (Copyright.
Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)
*******
1 Timothy
6:6-11 WHAT
WE DON'T NEED
Having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. - 1Timothy 5:16,
17, 18, 19, 20, 21
In the fifth century, a man named Arsenius determined to live a holy
life. So he abandoned the comforts of Egyptian society to follow an
austere lifestyle in the desert. Yet whenever he visited the great
city of Alexandria, he spent time wandering through its bazaars.
Asked why, he explained that his heart rejoiced at the sight of all
the things he didn't need.
Those of us who live in a society flooded with goods and gadgets
need to ponder the example of that desert dweller. A typical
supermarket in the United States in 1976 stocked 9,000 articles;
today it carries 30,000. How many of them are absolutely essential?
How many superfluous?
It's hard for us to say sincerely with the apostle Paul, "Having
food and clothing, with these we shall be content" (1Ti 6:8). In
our constant battle against seductive materialism of our culture,
let's follow the example of Arsenius. As we walk through the markets
and shopping malls, we too can rejoice at the sight of all the
things we don't need.
That's only the first step, however. The next step is to become much
more wise in our spending, more generous in our giving to others,
and more sacrificial with the resources God has given to us. - V C Grounds
Lord,
make me truly wise, I pray,
Contented with my lot;
Help me to shun all earthly things
That soon will be forgot.
- Henry G. Bosch
Contentment isn't getting what
we want but being satisfied with what we have. (Copyright.
Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)
*******
1 Timothy
6:6-19
SOME evening when you have a spare moment, get out your old
checkbook registers and read the entries. You will be startled to
learn how you spent your money. The entries will read like a family
history book, chronicling every major event—births, deaths, and
illnesses—and reflecting your tastes, habits, and interests.
They record vacations, travels, and other moves. They also tell much
about how expensively you dress or how extravagantly you eat. The
total spent in each category will pinpoint the things that make the
greatest demands on your income—either due to need or choice.
This checkbook checkup might also gauge our spiritual temperature.
Contributions given to the work of the Lord compared to expenditures
for unnecessary things offer some clues. When we give nothing to
church or to people in need but spend large sums on personal
gratification, it's time to examine our values.
A healthy checkbook checkup will show that we've been "rich in good
works, ready to give, willing to share" (1Timothy 6:18). —R W De
Haan (Copyright.
Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)
*******
1 Timothy 6:9
Happy Without
Those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and
into many foolish and harmful lusts. —1Timothy 6:9
The ancient Greek philosopher
Socrates (469-399 BC) believed that if you are truly wise you will
not be obsessed with possessions. Practicing to an extreme what he
preached, he even refused to wear shoes.
Socrates loved to visit the marketplace, though, and gaze with
admiration at the great abundance of wares on display. When a friend
asked why he was so allured, he replied, "I love to go there and
discover how many things I am perfectly happy without."
That type of attitude runs counter to the commercial messages that
continually bombard our eyes and ears. Advertisers spend millions to
tell us about all the latest products that we can't be happy
without.
The apostle Paul advised his spiritual son Timothy, "Godliness with
contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world,
and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and
clothing, with these we shall be content" (1Timothy 6:6, 7, 8). If we
become enamored with things, Paul warned, we may wander from the
faith and be pierced with the pangs of frustrated desire (1Ti 6:9, 10).
Let's ask ourselves, "What am I truly happy without?" The answer
will reveal much about our relationship with the Lord and our
contentment with Him. —Vernon C Grounds (Copyright.
Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)
Lord, help me not to set my heart
On things that pass away;
Make me content with what I have,
And give You thanks each day. —Sper
Contentment comes not from great wealth but from few wants.
*******
1 Timothy 6:10-11
- Flee!
I didn't see the movie The
Exorcist, but I do recall its impact on my community. It left a
lasting impression on many people about Satan's power. Even many
Christians began to live in fear, swayed by the vivid images of
evil. It seemed as if the devil was almost as powerful as God.
Is this perspective biblically sound? Of course not. God is the
Creator, and all others, including demons, are just created beings.
Only God is almighty.
It's easy to blame the devil when things go wrong. Although he does
propagate wickedness and sin, we must be careful not to conclude
that we are powerless against him. We are told in the Bible that the
Holy Spirit within us "is greater than he who is in the world" (1Jn 4:4).
The Bible also says we have a role to play in overcoming evil and
doing what is good. We are to "flee sexual immorality" (1Co 6:18,
19, 20), "flee from idolatry" (1Co 10:14), "flee" from the
love of money (1Ti 6:10, 11), and "flee also youthful lusts" (2Ti 2:22).
James said that our attitude toward the devil should be to "resist"
him (James 4:7). How do we do this? By submitting ourselves to God,
allowing Him to direct our lives. Then it will be the devil who will
flee from us.—Albert Lee (Copyright.
Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)
When Satan launches his attack,
We must take heart and pray;
If we submit ourselves to God,
He'll be our strength each day. —Sper
To defeat Satan, surrender to Christ.
*******
1 Timothy 6:12
Do The Hard Work!
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life. —1 Timothy
6:12
After living more than 80 years, I know that any claim that offers
an effortless way to develop a lean, well-conditioned body is a
hoax. So is any sermon title that promises an easy way to become
like Christ.
Author Brennan Manning tells of an alcoholic who asked his minister
to pray over him to be delivered from his drinking problem. He
thought this would be a quick and easy way to overcome his
addiction. Recognizing his motive in asking for prayer, the minister
replied, "I've got a better idea. Go to Alcoholics Anonymous." He
counseled the man to follow the program diligently and read his
Bible daily. "In other words," the minister concluded, "do the hard
work."
Do the hard work—that's what Paul was saying to Timothy when he told
him how he should order his life so he could teach believers how
they should live. Notice the action verbs: "Pursue righteousness,
godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight
of faith, lay hold on eternal life" (1Timothy 6:11, 12).
Just as there is no easy path to being delivered from alcoholism, so
too, there is no effort-free route to Christlikeness. If we really
want to become like Jesus, we must keep on doing the hard work.
—Herbert Vander Lugt (Copyright.
Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)
O to be like Thee, blessed
Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I'll forfeit all of earth's treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear —Chisholm
Conversion is the miracle of a moment;
becoming like Christ is the work of a lifetime.
*******
1 Timothy 6:15-16
Single Focus
Pam Sneddon was taking a class in photography. For one assignment,
she chose her 6-year-old daughter as her subject and asked her to
sit on a serene hillside. Close by was an apple tree in full bloom.
Pam just couldn't resist. She gave the tree a prominent place in the
picture.
Pam was surprised when her instructor pointed out a problem with the
photo. The apple tree distracted from her primary focus, the little
girl.
"See how it catches the eye," the instructor said. "It competes with
your subject. You need to choose one subject and leave the other
out."
This observation applies to more than good photography skills. As
disciples of Jesus Christ, we must center our attention only on Him.
Like amateur photographers, we are often attracted to the "apple
trees in full bloom." We pay more attention to our hobbies, friends,
family, or work.
Christ commands our attention because He is "the King of kings and
Lord of lords, who alone has immortality" (1Ti 6:15, 16). That may
mean relegating something we deem to be important to the
background--or cropping it out of the picture altogether.
Whatever distracts us from Jesus has to go. As the preeminent One,
He must be the single focus of our lives. --D C Egner (Copyright.
Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)
In Christ alone the earth shall
find its answer,
A refuge from its doubts, its fears, its strife;
This God-revealed-in-flesh, this precious Savior,
Forever is the Way, the Truth, the Life! --Calenberg
If Christ is the center of your life, you'll always be focused on
Him.
*******
1 Timothy 6:16
Our Eternal God
Late one afternoon I stood at the
stern of a ferry boat churning its way from New York City across the
Hudson River to New Jersey. As the towering structures of Manhattan
receded from sight, my mind suddenly recalled these words from a
poem: "These all shall perish stone on stone, but not Thy kingdom
nor Thy throne."
A few years later the devastating terrorist attack on the World
Trade Center left an ugly gap in that soaring skyline. Everything in
the world around us is subject to decline. Beautiful flowers wither
and die. Even California's towering sequoias, hardy survivors for
long centuries, are gradually being eaten away by the gnawing tooth
of time.
As for our bodies, we grow older daily and lose the vitality of our
younger years. God alone possesses immortality in Himself, which
means that He abides forever (1Timothy 6:16). The simple truth must
be faced that nothing is permanent-only God is everlasting.
Yet by faith in Jesus Christ, we can receive life that will never
end. He promised us, "I give them eternal life, and they shall never
perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. . . . and
no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand" (John
10:28, 29). —Vernon C Grounds (Copyright.
Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)
Immortal, invisible, God only
wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious-Thy great name we praise. -Smith
To give your life to Christ now is to keep it forever.
*******
1
Timothy 6:17 On
Loan
Command those who are rich . . . to trust . . . in the living God,
who gives us richly all things to enjoy. —1Timothy 6:17
I am surrounded every day by things that don't belong to me, yet I
call them mine. For instance, I refer to the computer I am using to
write this article as "my Mac." I talk about "my office," "my desk,"
and "my phone." But none of this equipment belongs to me. It's mine
to use, but not mine to keep. When RBC Ministries "gave" it to me,
we both knew what that meant: It was on loan.
This kind of situation is not unique to employer-employee
relationships. That's the way it is with all of us and all of the
things we call our own. When we speak of our family, our house, or
our car, we are speaking of people and things God has allowed us to
enjoy while here on earth, but they really belong to Him. Notice the
psalmist's praise to God, "The heavens are Yours, the earth also is
Yours" (Psalm 89:11).
Understanding who really holds the title to all we possess should
change our thinking. Just as I am aware that RBC lets me use its
equipment to help me do my work more efficiently, so also should we
be aware that everything we have is given to us to serve the Lord.
Our time, talents, and possessions are all on loan from God so that
we can do His work effectively. —Dave Branon (Copyright.
Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)
God's grace sustains the gift of
life,
Its labor and reward;
What we possess is not our own—
It all comes from the Lord. —D. De Haan
All we own is really on loan—from God.
*******
1 Timothy 6:18
People God Can Use
Be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share. —1 Timothy
6:18
Evangelist Franklin Graham wrote,
"If we want to become the type of people that God can use anytime,
anywhere, anyplace, we must offer ourselves, our homes, our
kitchens, and our living rooms as outposts for the kingdom of God."
People who practice these words are fulfilling Paul's challenge to
"be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share" (1Timothy
6:18).
Years ago, our family sensed that the Lord was placing this same
challenge before us. Believing that He desired greater access to our
lives, our possessions, and our time, we prayerfully said yes to
Him.
Soon we encountered a desperate drug addict and opened our home to
him. Several families joined us in helping others who needed to come
to Christ and come off drugs. Eventually we established a Christian
rehabilitation center—a ministry that continues today. To equip us
for this ministry, God used our own painful experiences. Our own
troubles helped us identify with others, and enabled us to guide
them to depend on Jesus for salvation and every daily need.
God also wants to use you, your possessions, and even your pain, to
equip you for a life that's rich in giving and sharing. Have you
said yes to Him? —Joanie Yoder (Copyright.
Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)
Give me a heart sympathetic and
tender,
Jesus, like Thine, Jesus, like Thine,
Touched by the needs that are surging around me,
And filled with compassion divine. —Anon.
Compassion is needed to heal the hurts of others.
*******
1 Timothy 6:18
Willing To Share
Be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share. —1Timothy
6:18
Followers of Jesus are to be
"rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share" (1Timothy
6:18). This was demonstrated in the aftermath of the tsunami
disaster in Southeast Asia. Christians quickly poured in money,
materials, and manpower to bring relief to the suffering. That help
has continued.
Believers show this generosity in their local communities as well.
When a family lost their home and all their belongings in a fire, a
flood of assistance-money, food, clothing, a temporary place to
live-came from fellow believers all over the area to get them
through the crisis.
When a husband walked out on his wife and three children after
depleting the family's savings account and running up huge bills,
the people of her church stepped in with the spiritual, emotional,
and financial support she needed. And some of the women of the
church faithfully encircled her with prayer and encouragement.
These believers are following the plan of God for the Christian
life. There are needs all around you that you can have a vital part
in meeting.
Are you "rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share"?
—David C. Egner (Copyright.
Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)
Love is giving for the world's
needs,
Love is sharing as the Spirit leads,
Love is caring when the world cries,
Love is compassion with Christlike eyes. -Brandt
If you really care, you'll want to share.
*******
1 Timothy 6:18
Overcoming Greed
Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give,
willing to share. —1Timothy 6:18
Greed — it has toppled highly
paid executives, brought down giant corporations, and cost thousands
of workers their jobs and retirement funds. One columnist has
written that unrestrained corporate greed is a greater threat than
terrorism.
Greed whispers in our ear that we would be happier if we had more
money, more things, and more power. It creates discontent and a
growing desire to do whatever it takes to gain position and
possessions. But the Bible commands us to trust in God, not in
“uncertain riches”(1Timothy 6:17).
Paul told Timothy that the way to overcome greed is to flee from it
and to “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience,
gentleness”(1Timothy 6:11). And those “who are rich in this present
age,” who have more than is needed, should “be rich in good works,
ready to give, willing to share”(1Ti 6:17, 18).
Contentment and generosity are the opposite of greed (vv.6-8). As we
learn to thank God for what we have and freely share it with others,
we stop trying to fill the spiritual vacuum in our heart with
things. And when we love Jesus more than money and possessions, we
find that He is the greatest treasure of our lives. We discover that
knowing Him is the source of genuine satisfaction.—David C.
McCasland (Copyright.
Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)
God’s riches fill up our supply,
Whatever we may need,
So we can then be generous
And not controlled by greed. —Sper
The best remedy for greed is generosity.
*******
1 Timothy
6:17 - THE
WRONG GOD
"Command those who are rich in this present age not...to trust in
uncertain riches." - 1Timothy 6:17
A missionary had been witnessing faithfully to a certain man who was
an idol worshiper. One day the man placed a small statue and a
silver coin on the table in front of the missionary. Then he took
two slips of paper and wrote something on each. On the note by the
idol he wrote the words "heathen god." On the sheet next to the
silver coin he wrote the words "Christian god."
From what that man had observed in the lives of some people from
so-called Christian nations, he had concluded that money was the
main object of their adoration and the source of their confidence.
Many people today choose to worship the god of money. They make it
the object of their trust, love, and service. But how foolish! Jesus
warned, "How hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the
kingdom of God!" (Mk. 10:24).
Who or what is the object of your worship? The psalmist advised,
"Put your 'trust' in the Lord" (Ps. 4:5). Moses commanded, "You
shall 'love' the Lord" (Dt. 6:5), and Joshua told his people, "As
for me and my house, we will 'serve' the Lord" (Josh. 24:15).
Be sure that your confidence is not in the wrong god. Place your
trust in Christ.- R W De Haan (Copyright.
Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)
Never let Gold become your
god!
*******
1 Timothy 6:17
(F B Meyer. Our Daily Homily)
Nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God.
The contrast here is very
beautiful. Men, for the most part, look to riches to supply them
with all they need richly to enjoy; but the apostle says that it is
beyond all comparison better to look away from dead coin to a living
Person, who takes pleasure in giving liberally without upbraiding.
Here is a rebuke. —
Suppose you had your cellars filled with gold coin, would you not
think yourself secure against all possible need and care? Almost
certainly you would. But you ought to be even more at rest, since
you have neither silver nor gold, and only your Heavenly Father’s
hand.
Here is a contrast. —
Riches are uncertain at the best. A man in these difficult days
finds it easier to gain money than to hold it. He who is rich today
may awake to-morrow to find that some sudden turn of the market has
made him poor. But God is not uncertain. He is the same yesterday,
today, and for ever. His covenants are certainties.
Here is an appeal. —
Trust in the living God with as much restfulness as others in their
lands and revenues, and be almost glad if God takes away from you
what you have clung to so tenaciously, that you may drop securely
into his everlasting arms. You smile at the story of the lady who
was told by the captain that he had done all he could for the
vessel, and they must now look to the Almighty; and who replied, “O
captain, has it come to that?” But you may be nearer akin to her
spirit than you suppose!
Here is an assured destiny.
— Those who trust in riches are pierced through with many sorrows,
and are caught in the maelstrom, which drowns souls in perdition;
they who trust in the Lord are as Mount Zion, which cannot be
removed.
*******
1 Timothy 6:21
"SHIPWRECK"
Some have strayed concerning the faith. - 1Timothy 6:21
In the early part of this century, an American ship was wrecked off
the Scilly Isles near the coast of England. The sea had been calm
and the weather clear, but the vessel was caught in a treacherous
current that slowly lured it off its course. Before the captain and
the crew realized what had happened, the ship had crashed into the
rocks.
In life too, powerful currents of compromise can catch the soul and
carry it to shipwreck. Spiritual drifting is usually a slow and
imperceptible process. We know it has occurred when we have lost the
strong resistance to evil and the passionate desire for truth that
we once knew.
The apostle Paul wanted to make sure this wouldn't happen to those
to whom Timothy ministered. He encouraged him to be faithful in
telling others what they needed to know so they wouldn't stray from
their devotion to Christ and cause their faith to be shipwrecked.
In our day, for every professing believer who is lost to the
Christian cause by a savage assault of evil, a hundred more slowly
drift away from God's truth, regular worship, and a life of faith.
We must give careful attention to what we know about Christ so that
we don't get caught in a drift. - HWR
Lord,
help us from Your blessed Word
All error to discern,
And by Your Spirit's truth and light
From satan's snares to turn.
- Henry G. Bosch
The compass of God's Word will
keep you from spiritual shipwreck. (Copyright.
Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)