Thoughts From 2Timothy 2 - Part 1

 You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. 3 Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. 2Tim.2:1-4

        A.W.Tozer wrote a famous essay called This World; A Playground or a Battlefield. Jim Wood, a pastor living nearby, once gave a sermon which could have been entitled Are you a Fisher of Men or a Water Skier? Both had the same point which verses 1-4 above reiterate. Are you treating the Kingdom of Earth as your home or the Kingdom of Heaven as home? If this is home then yes, build bigger houses, amass wealth, and live for pleasure because as the beer commercial goes - "You only go around once in life so reach for all the gusto you can." (I bet my grandkids have never heard the word "gusto")

 To try and get non-Christians to live a selfless, altruistic, philanthropic, and delayed gratification lifestyle is foolhardy and non-sensical. As Big Tent Revival used to say, "If you don't know Jesus, live it up because this is the closest you're ever going to get to Heaven. And if you do know Jesus, be encouraged because this is the closest you're ever going to get to Hell."

       If you got drafted into the military and sent to Iran to fight the Hezbollah, while you are over there, would you invest in property and contact a builder to build you a home? Of course not. You are an alien there, you are only on a brief tour there, and why would you want to build a house in barren desert land that is probably going to get destroyed anyway? The same is true of Earth. We as believers are short timers here, only visiting the planet and our home in heaven is a secure mansion compared to this, in comparison, dump down here. Yet as believers we get sucked into the draw of the world we live in and seek to amass treasures, standing, and a future down here when there is no future down here. This is something that we need to continually guard our minds, our children's minds, our grandchildren's minds against and it takes work to have the correct mindset because it doesn't come naturally.

      If our goal in life is to please Jesus, our commanding officer in this passage, then this mindset is what pleases Him. The writer of Hebrews agrees;

 "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.  People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them." 

     Have we been called to be fishers of men but instead we are using our boat to water ski and indulge ourselves? Sure, there's a place for both. Paul says in 1 timothy 6 that he has given us all things for our enjoyment, but yet if we don't consider seeking to save the lost enjoyable also, then the Holy Spirit has to work on our hearts. Lord, help me to see through Your eyes which can see through the smoke into the glorious Kingdom of Heaven waiting for us!

Thoughts From 2Timothy 1 - Part 4

 What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.15 You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes.16 May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. 17 On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me. 18 May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus. 2Timothy 1:13-18

        If you have ever disassociated yourself from someone who got in trouble, you might as well rename yourself Phygelus or Hermogenes. Not very catchy names but then again maybe you deserve a name like that. Here are the reasons that you might have disassociated yourself from them. First, you are appalled by their behavior and think that "Had I known that about them, I never would have been their friend in the first place." This reason implies moral superiority and a lack of grace. You consider yourself as morally superior in that you think, "I would never do that!" News flash - you are capable of that, we all are. Tim Keller would say that we all have the seeds of that behavior, they just weren't watered yet. It shows a lack of grace in that we were moral reprobates, yet Jesus came and associated with us. How can we not do the same?

        The second reason one might abandon someone who got in trouble is to do so, that is associating with them might drag your reputation down. This is not Kingdom of God or Holy Spirit thinking. Do you want to be popular on Earth for 70 years or popular in Heaven for all eternity. Drag my name through the mud all you want because the only one's approval I care about is the King of Kings.

         Onesiphorus went above and beyond because not only did he not abandon Paul, but he actively pursued him. We might drive to the local drug rehabilitation center or jail to show someone we support them, but would we get on a plane and cross the sea to see them and encourage them? Paul prays for Onesiphorus' family that they might be shown mercy at judgement. Since it's worthless to pray for mercy for someone once they are dead, unless you are a Mormon or Catholic, I have to believe that some members of his household have not yet been saved and Paul is praying that God would "make them an offer they can't refuse" like He did to Paul on the road to Damascus. "God, please throw some extra conviction on them, please!"

             Does this trigger any thoughts of people that you may have abandoned and need to go encourage and re-friend? Go do it!

Thoughts From 2Timothy 1 - Part 3

  He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11 And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day. 2Tim.1:9-12

        What a great passage! So much to ponder. First, that before God created man, "before the beginning of time", He knew we would sin and that He would have to send His Son to die and redeem us and He still did it. If there was another way, I'm sure the only wise God would have come up with it, but there wasn't. For people to say, "why do Christians claim there is just one way to God?", and get angry about it, is such an insult to God! Why is there even one way??

      Second, once we're saved, we are expected to live a Holy life. Sophie Cunningham, the white poster girl for the WNBA, recently was baptized, and I saw on Twitter today, she is working on stopping cussing. I would say there's probably a lot more she needs to work on, but it shows that the "seed" of the gospel has indeed implanted and started blooming. I'm guarded but yet excited.

 Also, as an editorial comment, as a Christian, I know all of Donald Trump's flaws and sins. I'm not blind or in denial like Franklin Graham - who I still respect for all his work with Samaritan's purse. But these public displays of faith that we are seeing day after day don't happen if Democrats and political correctness are in power, which due to Trump's egregious behavior will stop in 2.5 years.

      Third, God offers His Son, grace, purpose, immortality, assurance of salvation, death of death and the fear of death, and Paul proclaims it and everyone rejoices, right? No, he suffers for it. There is only one explanation why and that is that the world is deluded by and controlled by God's adversary, Satan. That is the only logical reason why immortality isn't embraced by everyone. It makes no earthly sense. But just like Noah who preached of salvation through an ark and was mocked, we need not be ashamed. We've heard God's voice and by faith know it's true and are just saddened that so few will be saved.

      Watched House of David on Prime Video and am once again reminded of Samuel's word from God that David would be the next king. If he truly believed that, in every battle including Goliath David was invincible. Paul likewise says,

"I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day."  Paul was immortal and so am I! What is there ever to be afraid of?

Thoughts From 2Timothy 1 - Part 2

  For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 8 So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. 2Tim.1:6-8

         In Amazon Prime's second season of Story of David, David is captured, with his men in Endor by the witch of Endor. It's interesting that the artistic license for this show isn't met with the online outrage that The Chosen is met with. And that a secular company would fund this show and the Chosen would have to be crowd funded. I guess "there's just something about that name." Anyway, back to David - the witch is going one by one down the line of prisoners telling things about them revealed to her by dark powers and telling them their future when finally, she gets to David and shrieks because of the power that is in him from the anointing of God placed on him by Samuel. We have a similar situation going on here with Timothy. Paul has laid hands on him and the Spirit of God rests on him with power to lead a fledgling congregation of first-generation believers even though he was probably only in his 20's.

     If you were say 25 years old and in charge of leading a church with babies to 90-year-olds, you would probably be overwhelmed and intimidated by the task and people older than you, more powerful and wealthy and influential than you. I believe this is what is going on here. Paul is reminding him not to be timid or ashamed. First of all, he knows the truth better than anyone having been taught by Paul and raised in a Godly home, so preach it with authority. Second, he has the power in him by his commissioning that those who stand against him will be dealt with by the Lord. He has to see past the earthly hierarchy of power and with the eyes of faith see the Kingdom of God power hierarchy.

      The danger of realizing the power you have inside of you is that you can start being prideful and unloving. Paul is warning him to remain humble and loving but it won't come easily. He needs to be disciplined in this.

      I grew up in a Christian home, went to Church all my life, went to a Christian college and came through these years with more Biblical knowledge than most of my peers. People recognized it and asked me to lead Bible studies and teach Sunday School classes and I was terrified. God was pushing me out of my comfort zone. When I succeeded at them, I got more and more confidence which turned into pride and I was totally unfit to be the leader that I kept being pushed into. Paul is recognizing that danger in Timothy and encouraging him yet warning him about the dangers.

     God has given you a gift. The body needs it. Don't be too scared to use it and when you succeed, don't get cocky.

     

Thoughts From 2Timothy 1 - Part 1

 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,2 To Timothy, my dear son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.3 I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 4 Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. 2Timothy 1:1-5

      The word life jumped out at me in these 5 verses and as we read on, we will see it more. There is life in Christ. Whether we use the word life to be the absence of death, or in a sense to mean a quality of life as used in the phrase, "He's living the life" - both are true of being born again.

      Even the term born again, implies a new life event where the old you is gone and the new you has begun. Paul realizes that he was once dead as an enemy of God in sin, just like Adam and Eve on the day they ate from the tree experienced death as promised by God, in the same way Paul's spirit was dead, and he could not commune with God. But God woke him up on the way to Damascus and said basically for Paul to stop doing what he was doing and start serving Him. Paul repented of his sins, believed in Christ and was brought to life in a spiritual sense. If we are created in the image of God to be triune, we have a body a soul and a spirit. The Spirit is the part that is not alive at birth and until we are saved or born again, we are 2D creatures meant to live in a 3D world. Do you ever picture unbelievers that way? It's like they are walking around in a TV screen, and you have jumped out of the TV completely, and it is totally done by faith. An alive faith. Lois and Eunice passed it on to Timothy. Don't ever be ashamed of "brainwashing" your kids with Christianity. Do you want your kids dead or alive? Do you want them 2D or 3D? Do you want them living in a TV or outside a TV?

      The second definition of life is a quality of existence. My Dad would often say, "Now that's really living" after eating Mom's Rhubarb pie or something he really enjoyed. We aren't meant to survive in life but to thrive. In a sense, we are meant to live in brilliant color while the rest of the world is living in black and white. Christ brings joy to life while sin leads to death and sorrow. Christ brings freedom while the devil brings bondage.

      Are you truly alive? Have you stepped out of the TV into 3D? Is your life in technicolor or black and white? Faith is alive. Trust Christ!

Thoughts From 3John - Part 4

  I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us. 10 So when I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, spreading malicious nonsense about us. Not satisfied with that, he even refuses to welcome other believers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.11 Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God. 12 Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone—and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true.13 I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. 14 I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.15 Peace to you. The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name. 3John 9-15

         Ring, ring

         Dude:" Hello"

          Diotrephes (D): "Dude, Come over now I gotta' show you something."

       Knock on door. D opens door

         Dude: "What's so important?"

         D: "Look, my name is in the Bible! I'm in there with David, Abraham, Moses, Daniel, etc"

        Dude: But look, it says you want to be first, It says you wouldn't welcome the disciple who Jesus loved and you are spreading malicious nonsense about him. It says that you are kicking people out of the church who are siding with John. D, I don't think this is as exciting as you think it is. I'm thinking Demetrius is looking better than you in this chapter."

        D: "Yah, I kicked that guy out. He was starting to get a big head and name-dropping people like John and others."

       Dude: "I think he is implying that you are evil and haven't seen God like you think you have. And it sounds like John is coming soon to set you right."

       D: "How can he say I'm evil when I'm in the Bible. Dude, 2000 years from now people will be seeing my name. I'm immortal."

      Dude: "I guess so, but i still think I'd rather be immortal like Demetrius."

   Have you been in a church with people like Diotrephes? I have and it's sad to say I've got some of him inside me. Francis Chan struggled with this love of being first so much that he quit his church and took his family to be missionaries to an obscure part of the world. He recently gave a message on the blessing of being unknown and just faithfully serving God in that capacity. That's what I want - at least that's what I want to want.

     I was once visiting my home church where I grew up in Brookfield Wisconsin, having moved away and coming back for a visit, and one of the elders confessed in the service that he was wrong when he opposed a pastor who was candidating for the job and God has set him straight and now he is in favor of the candidate coming. It all seemed very humble but as an outsider looking in I was thinking, how can one man have enough power to stop a candidate and now approve him? I remembered this guy from our premarital classes, and he had a "taking over" air about him. These are the dangers that churches have to deal with, and I've seen it in every church I've ever been in.

      Fight for anonymity. God knows who you are!

Thoughts From 3John - part 3

Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers to you. 6 They have told the church about your love. Please send them on their way in a manner that honors God. 7 It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. 8 We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth. 3John 5-8

          John has a strong sense of black and white in his writings that often seems harsh in our Western thinking. He's big on darkness vs. light, children of God vs. children of the Devil, Spirit of God vs. Spirit of the antichrist, saved vs. condemned, among us vs. not one of us, and in this passage brothers and sisters vs. pagans. The Webster's definition of pagan is "one not holding to the religious beliefs of the recognized religion", which is interesting considering that in actuality the burgeoning Christian faith would probably fit better under the definition of pagan. It's like in a group of 100 people, only one would be a follower of Christ and that follower would consider the 99, pagans. What gall! - unless there is only one "recognized religion" and that is what John would call "the truth."

           This is why James would say in Chapter 4 of his epistle,

 "You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. "

If we think that we can somehow be popular, loved, endorsed, financially supported by a system that is opposed to God, we are sorely mistaken or else our beliefs have become so watered down that we have lost the difference between us and the world and Satan is glad to keep us stuck in his web.

        When you received Christ, did you realize that it would pit you in an us versus them reality. How do we battle? With love only, no other weapon than that. When they persecute, we love back. When they hate, exclude, mock we love back. But recognize we are on the side of truth no matter how in the minority you might feel and don't back down.