I know it's been a while .... :)

It’s been wild and crazy here.  I have been keeping caught up with the reading, but have not had the time to sit and write devotionals.  :)

Today, though, let’s briefly look at I Timothy 6:11:

But as for you, O man of God, flee these things.  Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. (ESV)

Who is the “man of God?”  Paul is speaking to his protege Timothy.  Matthew Henry says this passage refers to Ministers (with a capital “M”).  John Wesley, in his commentary of the Bible, states this also applies to “a man devoted to God.”  For our purposes, we are assuming this applies to any who are “devoted to God”...including you and me!

Now, let’s briefly look at the “things” the “man of God” is to “flee?”  Look at verses 3 through 10 and see that it includes doctrine not based on the teachings of Jesus, conceit, unhealthy craving for controversy and quarrels about words, envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, constant friction among people, and the love of money. 

What should be pursued (“to seek eagerly”) in place of these things? 

righteousness - the condition acceptable to God; integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking, feeling, and acting

godliness - reverence, respect, piety toward God

faith - conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God; the conviction that God exists and is the creator and ruler of all things, the provider and bestower of eternal salvation through Christ;  a strong and welcome conviction or belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through whom we obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom of God

love - affection, good will, love, benevolence, brotherly love

steadfastness - constancy, endurance, the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings, a patient enduring, sustaining, perseverance

gentleness -  mildness, meekness

So - how do we pursue all of these things in our everyday lives?  (Comments, as always, are warmly welcomed!)

(Definitions are from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible)

Weapons of our Warfare - 2 Corinthians 10:3-4

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.”  (NASB)

Let’s do a short word study.  Here are some excerpts from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance (for the NASB):

Walk: to make one’s way, progress; behave; conduct ourselves 

Flesh:  of natural or physical origin, generation, or relationship; the animal nature with cravings which incite to sin; the physical nature of man as subject to suffering; denotes mere human nature, the earthly nature of man apart from divine influence, and therefore prone to sin and opposed to God

War: to make a military expedition, to lead soldiers to war or to battle, (spoken of a commander); to do military duty, to be on active service, be a soldier; to fight

According:  through out; according to;

Weapons:  any tool or implement for preparing a thing; arms used in warfare; an instrument;

Warfare:  an expedition, campaign, military service, fight; metaphorically, the difficulties that oppose [Paul] in the discharge of apostolic duties

Divinely:  spoken of the only and true God;  refers to the things of God; His counsels, interests, things due to Him; whatever can in any respect be likened unto God, or resemble Him in any way; 

Powerful: able, powerful, mighty, strong

Destruction:  demolition, destroying, tearing down

Fortresses: castle, stronghold, fortress, fastness; anything on which one relies; of the arguments and reasonings by which a disputant endeavors to fortify his opinion and defend it against his opponent

We are human beings in a spiritual battle, and we have spiritual weapons for fighting this battle - divinely powerful weapons - that are capable of destroying strongholds and addictions (“anything on which one relies”).  So why do we live as if we are in captivity?????  

What weapons do we have available to us in this war?  Let’s make a list in the comments section:

Freedom in Surrender - I Corinthians 9

Paul begins chapter 9 by saying “Am I not free?”  He then gives a discourse on the rights available to him based on his station in life.  He is a free man (not a slave of another man) and an apostle (it could easily be inferred that he is also referring to his status as a Jew and also as a Rabbinical Scholar...).  

After reminding the Corinthians of who he is and what rights are available to him, Paul says that he has not claimed these rights, but he and Barnabas (his ministry partner at the time) “endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ” (v.12).  He then says in verses 19 and 22-23:

“For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them...I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.  I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.” 

Paul recognizes the rights he has, but he freely and willingly sets them aside, enduring MUCH hardship and suffering, for the sake of sharing the gospel with the lost.  He gave up his reputation and comfortable lifestyle, and traded it for beatings, imprisonment, shipwrecks, and scorn and derision from his former peers.  All of this he willingly faced, so that he might be an instrument in spreading the gospel to the Gentiles.  All of this for people he didn’t even KNOW.  

Talk about stepping outside of one’s comfort zone!  Are we willing to step that far out for the sake of the lost?  Or are we going to turn our faces and ignore the fact that people all around us are dying and going to Hell?

All that Paul gave up in order to share the gospel with others he could give up willingly because he realized that there is more than what we see and experience right now.  He surrendered his rights to walk in the freedom of abiding in Christ, because following God’s will, being a part of His Kingdom, leading “the life the Lord has assigned” (7:17), brings a freedom unimaginable unless you’ve experienced it.

Seek Him, sisters!  Seek His assignment for your life, seek His calling, and walk confidently in Him as you fulfill the purpose He has for you.  There is no greater freedom than surrendering to His perfect will!

Transitioning from Acts to Romans

For those who may be new to our group, we are reading through the New Testament.  Today is day 41, and today we begin the book of Romans.

In concluding Acts yesterday, two main ideas have stuck with me.  First, the idea that Acts describes for us the development of the Early Church and in that description we find a model of what the Church should be.  Keep in mind, we who are born again believers are the Church.  So, consider what elements of the Early Church are essential to a healthy and thriving Church in today’s society.  How are we measuring up?

In answering this question, I looked back at Acts 2:42-47.  Take a moment to look that up and re-read it....  

This passage tells us the Church devotes herself to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, attending “temple” together, breaking bread, praying, selling their possessions and belongings and giving the proceeds “to all, as any had need.”  Also, having “glad and generous hearts,” “favor with all the people” and praising God.  The result?  “And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”  

Conclusion?  When the Church functions in a healthy way, the lost are drawn to the Savior.

Are we striving to function within the Church body in a healthy way?

The second idea that struck me while reading through Acts is this:  following Jesus in no way implies or guarantees we will be physically or emotionally comfortable in this world.  Many of the disciples were martyred.  The last several chapters of the book focus on Paul, and look at what he went through!  Could we honestly say these things happened to him because he was not walking in God’s will?  No, we could not!  

As we leave Acts, and begin to focus on Romans (and the other Epistles), it’s important to keep a few things in mind:

❑ Martin Luther describes Romans as “truly the most important piece in the New Testament. It is purest Gospel. ”  

❑ Romans is the first of the Epistles, which are letters written to churches or individuals.  (Incidentally, Jude is the last of the Epistles.)  

❑ Chronologically, Romans is the sixth of Paul’s Epistles.  

❑ Romans is the longest of Paul’s Epistles.  

❑ Paul wrote to the Romans while he was on his third visit to Corinth.  Paul had not yet gone to Rome, so he was writing to people he had not yet met.  

❑ Theologians generally agree that Paul wrote to the Romans so that they would understand how a sinner is received as righteous by a righteous God, and how, then, one redeemed should live daily to the glory of God.

According to the ESV Introductions to the Books of the Bible:

Romans is the longest and most systematically reasoned of Paul's letters. Paul announces its theme in 1:16-17: the gospel is God's power for salvation, because it shows us that the righteousness of God is through faith for all who believe. Paul explains the need for justification through faith because of sin (1:16–4:25). He then spells out the results of justification by faith in terms of both present experience and future hope (5:1–8:39). In the next three chapters, he expresses his sorrow that many of his fellow Israelites have not embraced the gospel, and he wrestles with the theological implications of this (chs. 9–11). He concludes by describing how the gospel should affect one's everyday life (chs. 12–16). Paul wrote his letter to Rome in about a.d. 57.

As we read through Romans, I pray God would draw us closer to Himself, and make us more like Him!

Works Cited:

English Standard Version. Introductions to the Books of the Bible. Blue Letter Bible. 5 Feb 2006. 29 Sep 2010.
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Vorrede auff die Epistel S. Paul: an die Romer" in D. Martin Luther: Die gantze Heilige Schrifft Deudsch 1545 aufs new zurericht, ed. Hans Volz and Heinz Blanke. Munich: Roger & Bernhard. 1972, vol. 2, pp. 2254-2268.

John 13, 14, 15 - Love

Observe what this passage tells us about love:

1. “Love one another” is a commandment (not a suggestion)
2. We are to love one another as Christ has loved us
3. People will know we are His disciples by our love for one another
4. If we love Jesus we will keep His commandments
5. The one who loves Jesus will be loved by the Father and Jesus will: 
• love him/her and 
• manifest Himself to him/her and
• Jesus and the Father will come to him/her and make Their home with him/her
6. Jesus did as the Father commanded so the world would know that He loves the Father
7. Jesus loves us as the Father has loved Him
8. We are to keep His commandments and abide in His love as Jesus has kept the Father’s commandments and abided in His love
9. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends

Which of these has the most impact on you, and why?