Purity in Faith

Saturday, February 11, 2017, 8:00 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Search Me, O God.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Titus 2 (NASB).

Older Men (vv. 1-2)

But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine. Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance.

Although all of these instructions are designated for specific people groups, in this particular case for older men, specifically concerning the spiritual qualities or characteristic traits they should possess, many of these instructions in this chapter of Titus can be applied to anyone of us.

To be temperate means to be self-controlled and even-tempered. This means we are not easily angered, we don’t live by our emotions, we are not moody, and we resist the devil, run away from sin when tempted, and we rely on God to be our strength and to counsel us in the way we should go. To be dignified means to be honorable, respectable and serious-minded. To be sensible means to be realistic, to make good judgments, and to exercise caution, care, discernment and wisdom in varied circumstances. To be sound in anything means to be healthy, unblemished and firm, so to be sound in faith means we don’t waver in opinion, we don’t go with the flow, and we stand on the Word of Truth even in the face of great opposition. To be sound in love means to be faithful, committed, loyal, trustworthy and steadfast.

Older and Younger Women (vv. 3-5)

Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.

To be reverent means “suitable to a sacred character” (biblehub.com). Sacred means “holy,” which means to be set apart (unlike, different) from this world because we are being conformed into the image of Christ. Our character is our personality, temperament, or disposition. So, to be reverent is to behave appropriately in accordance with a holy disposition, such as in demonstrating honor, respect, love, devotion and fidelity to God/Jesus.

It is also shown in what we don’t do, such as we are not to be people who make a practice of gossiping about others, especially not in a malicious way intended to do them harm. We should not be addicted to alcohol or any substances that might cause us to lose self-control, as well as we should not be addicted to any kind of sin, for Jesus Christ set us free! And, we should be teachers (in words and in lifestyle) of what is good (wholesome, beneficial, pure, righteous, holy, godly, and in the best interest of others).

The things that we, as older women, are to teach the younger women should also be what we have practiced and/or are practicing, depending on what is applicable, i.e. many older women may no longer have husbands or young children at home, although we should love our adult children and our grandchildren, too. This kind of love is a friendship and affectionate love of a wife toward her husband, or of a mother toward her children. She should be dedicated to meeting their needs and to showing them affection, nurturing and kindness. And, the wife is to be in subjection to her husband, i.e. under him in rank and in authority, yielding to his God-given position over her, especially with regards to where there are differences of opinion, but never yielding to anything sinful, i.e. to anything against God’s will.

The counsel here is that married women should be workers at home. For some people, like single moms, this is not possible, for they provide the sole financial support for their families. Yet, many married women do enter the workforce when financially they could stay at home if they set their priorities in the right order. So, what’s the big deal? Why was this counsel given in the first place? I find the order of these instructions particularly interesting in that the instruction to be workers at home follows directly after the instruction to be pure. I believe purity, thus, plays a huge part in the need for more married women to be workers at home, and to make this a priority.

Why? Because, according to many studies and their statistics, the workplace is or was the number one place for married people to engage in infidelity, although I think social media plays a close second, and is climbing. In the workplace men and women work closely together 40+ hours per week in settings where they share common interests, team work, projects, and even travel together. So, the danger is real, and thus there is much wisdom in this instruction for women to be workers at home, if it is financially feasible.

Young Men (vv. 6-8)

Likewise urge the young men to be sensible; in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.

Again, these characteristic traits could apply to any of us. We should all be sensible. And, we should show ourselves to be examples of good deeds. In other words, by our words and by our actions we should set an example for others to follow with regard to doing good deeds to others. We should be sensitive to others’ needs and to the voice of the Holy Spirit prompting us to speak a word of encouragement to someone, or to take someone some food, or to help pay for someone to get false teeth, or to pay for a broken appliance to be repaired or replaced, or to offer words of counsel, hope and healing to the despondent, depressed, and those troubled in spirit, etc.

We should all be pure in heart and in doctrine. What we believe, live, and what we teach others should not be mixed with humanistic philosophy, with the values of this sinful world, with idolatry, and with other religions. And, we should all be people who practice the principles of purity in everything we do, think, speak and are. There should be no room in our lives for impure thoughts and behaviors or for being entertained by the self-serving, self-gratifying and/or greedy, sensual, and sexual indulgences of others. And, we should all live lives above reproach, i.e. our “interactions with others, are to be of such moral quality that they do not bring shame or in any way disgrace the body of Christ or the name of Jesus” (gotquestions.org).

Bondslaves (vv. 9-10)

Urge bondslaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect.

If we are in the servitude of another, whether voluntarily or under compulsion, or whether paid or volunteer, we should behave honorably toward the person or the people we serve, as though we are serving our Lord Jesus. We should never pay back evil with evil, but always with good. We should never take the law into our own hands thinking they “owe” us something and so we just take (steal) it. If we put on our time sheet that we worked 8 hours, we should give our employer 8 hours of work, i.e. we should not cheat our employer or lie on our paperwork. If we cheat, steal and lie we will be disobeying our Lord and we will be giving a bad name to Christianity and to the gospel of our salvation. So, we should always behave truthfully, honorably and with full integrity in all that we do and say. This way we will honor our Lord and will bring respect to our faith in God.

The Grace of God (vv. 11-15)

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.

These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

Everything we have talked about in this writing thus far really all boils down to our understanding of God’s grace. Many people today are teaching a false grace gospel which leads people to believe that God’s grace merely forgives sin, gives us an escape from hell, and promises us heaven when we die. They teach people that God requires nothing of them – no repentance, no obedience and no submission to Christ and to his cross. There is no death to sin and thus no resurrection to new life in Christ Jesus, because to live we must first die with Christ to sin so we can live with Christ to righteousness.

Jesus didn’t die just to give us heaven when we die. He died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. His grace, as well, is not a get-out-of-jail-free card or a free-ride into heaven while we still live life how we want. Many people today are cheapening God’s grace, and are leaving their adherents with the understanding that they don’t have to turn from their sins and they don’t have to obey Christ and his commandments. But, they are missing the whole point of the grace of God which is to deliver us from SLAVERY to sin so that we can become bondservants of Christ.

It is not true grace if it leaves you still floundering in your sins, feeling hopeless to ever be free from your addictions. Jesus died to set us free, so I pray you will search your hearts today, and you will allow Jesus to search you, too, which is what I am doing, and you will let him show you any wicked way in you, as I am doing, so that we might turn from what is against God, and so we might turn to follow our Lord Jesus in obedience in all respects.

Search Me, O God / An Original Work / July 12, 2012

Based off Psalm 139

O Lord, You search and know me.

You know all that I do.

O Lord, You discern my ways.

I put my trust in You.

Where can I go from Your Spirit?

Where can I flee from Your presence?

Where’er I am, You are with me,

Guiding me in love.

O Lord, You search and know me.

You know all that I do.

O Lord, You discern my ways.

I put my trust in You.

O Lord, You made and formed me

In my own mother’s womb.

Your hands beautif’ly made me.

I give my praise to You.

My frame was not hidden from You

When I was made in the dark place.

All the days ordained for me

Were written in Your book.

O Lord, You made and formed me

In my own mother’s womb.

Your hands beautif’ly made me.

I give my praise to You.

O Lord, how precious to me

Are Your thoughts, O my God.

When I wake in the morning,

You are still here with me.

Search me, O God, and know my heart;

Test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offense.

Lead me in Your truth.

O Lord, how precious to me

Are Your thoughts, O my God.

When I wake in the morning,

You are still here with me.

https://vimeo.com/125488883

Contract Workers

Friday, February 10, 2017, 10:07 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “My Sheep.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Titus 1 (NASB).

Bondservants of Christ (vv. 1-4)

Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago, but at the proper time manifested, even His word, in the proclamation with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior,

To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

A bondservant is a slave. He or she is “someone who belongs to another; a bond-slave, without any ownership rights of their own. Ironically, 1401 /doúlos (‘bond-slave’) is used with the highest dignity in the NT – namely, of believers who willingly live under Christ's authority as His devoted followers” (biblehub.com). Yet, this is not to apply just to the apostles, but to all believers in Jesus Christ. We read in Romans 6:22: “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.” When Jesus died for our sins he bought us back for God (redeemed us) so we are no longer our own. He died that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for himself. Now we are his bond-slaves and he is our Lord (owner-master).

As well, we are all called of God to specific areas of ministry. We are all given spiritual gifts to be used to minister to the body of Christ for their uplifting, strengthening, encouragement, instruction, and exhortation. And, we have all been assigned specific roles within the body of Christ for the mutual benefit of one another in order that we might all reach maturity in our faith in Christ. So, each one of us has a responsibility to our brothers and sisters in Christ to help them or to urge them to walk in the Spirit and no longer according to the flesh, i.e. to walk in holiness, righteousness and godliness, all in the power and working of the Spirit of God within them. And, every one of us is necessary to the proper working of the body of Christ, too. So, don’t think you don’t matter. We, also, should not write off others within the body simply because they don’t fit within our preconceived ideas of how God might choose to use each one of us (See: 1 Co. 12).

Above Reproach (vv. 5-9)

For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you, namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion. For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.

Following the same line of thinking as expressed in the first section of this writing, although what is described for us here is a list of spiritual qualifications for the selection of elders within the church, many of these spiritual qualities are also required or strongly encouraged in all followers of Christ. For example, everyone who professes the name of Jesus should live a life above reproach, i.e. “their interactions with others, are to be of such moral quality that they do not bring shame or in any way disgrace the body of Christ or the name of Jesus” (gotquestions.org). We should all live in singleness of mind and faithfulness to our Lord, and if married, also to our spouses. None of us should be alcoholics, quick-tempered, or addicted to any kind of sinful behavior. And, we should all be those who practice hospitality, who are lovers of what is good, and who are sensible, just, devout and self-controlled, holding fast to our faith and to the Word of Truth.

Empty Talkers (vv. 10-16)

For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain. One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” This testimony is true. For this reason reprove them severely so that they may be sound in the faith, not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth. To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.

Not everyone who says he is a follower of Christ or a teacher of The Word is truly born of the Spirit and a bondservant of Jesus Christ. Many are they who are more like temporary employees, mere contract workers, who are being paid to do a job, but they are not permanent workers, i.e. they don’t have a genuine commitment to the Lord Jesus or to the people they supposedly serve. So, they easily desert the Lord and those they proclaim to serve, whether they do so physically and/or whether they do so spiritually.

They have no qualms about twisting the Word of Truth to their own advantage in order to manipulate and take advantage of others, which they do for their own personal gain, whether it be financial gain or merely for the thirst of power alone. So, instead of telling people what they NEED to hear, they tell them what they WANT to hear in order to please the people (their customer base) so that the people will want to come back to their meetings, i.e. to their churches, i.e. to their places of business (their corporations).

So, I believe God has a plan to rebuke such as these via divine judgment in order that the saints of God may be delivered out of their hands, and also that many of them may turn to the Lord and be sound in the faith, ceasing to trick, manipulate and lead the people of God away to what is false. He loves those who are misguided, and so he rebukes them in order that they might come to their senses and turn (or return) to him and to the truth. I believe God has a plan to silence them, to expose their evil deeds, and to remove them from their positions of rule and authority over the people. They must go, but God and his Word must remain. God will judge these false shepherds of the people so that he will be his people’s only shepherd (See: Rev. 2-3; 14:6-7; Ez. 34; 1 Co. 11:32; Heb. 10:30; 1 Pet. 4:17; Jude 1).  

Yet, I believe there needs to be a warning or a caution here to those who are following after these “empty talkers” who manipulate and deceive naïve minds. If you claim to believe in Jesus Christ, and you call him “Lord,” then you have a responsibility before God to test everything you hear against the Word of Truth and to not buy into everything which sounds good on the surface. And, this goes beyond just testing preachers and their sermons to see whether or not they are teaching what is in accord with scripture.

We should, as well, be testing what we hear from politicians, especially those claiming to be Christians, and what we hear from the news media, too, for not everything that looks real is real. Much is faked, manipulated and made to deceive naïve minds. We need to pray and ask God to show us what is true and what is false, so we don’t end up following lies and perhaps even denying what is truth. We need to run away from “strangers” and follow Jesus Christ and his Word. We do this by being willing to forsake our human traditions and those things taught by mere men, which have been passed down from generation to generation, so that we can hear the voice of the Lord clearly and let him open our eyes and hearts to what is truth.

My Sheep / An Original Work / June 24, 2012

Based off John 10:1-18 NIV

My sheep hear me. They know me.

They listen to my voice and obey.

I call them and lead them.

They know my voice, so they follow me.

They will never follow strangers.

They will run away from them.

The voice of a stranger they know not;

They do not follow him.

So, I tell you the truth that

I am the gate, so you enter in.

Whoever does enter

Will find forgiveness and will be saved.

Nonetheless whoever enters

Not by the gate; other way,

He is the thief and a robber.

Listen not, the sheep to him.

Oh, I am the Good Shepherd,

Who laid his own life down for the sheep.

I know them. They know me.

They will live with me eternally.

The thief only comes to steal and

Kill and to destroy the church.

I have come to give you life that

You may have it to the full…

They know my voice, so they follow me.

https://vimeo.com/114938263

Godly Wisdom

Thursday, February 9, 2017, 8:55 p.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Teach Them.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read 2 Timothy 3:1-4:5 (NASB).

Difficult Times (3:1-9)

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith. But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, just as Jannes’s and Jambres’s folly was also.

There are generally three types of people in this world – the ones who truly believe in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of their lives, the ones who make no profession of faith in Jesus Christ at all, and those who make a profession of faith in Christ, but don’t really know him at all, because they have not truly been born from above of the Spirit of God.

The latter claims to know Christ, and they may even be preachers or teachers of the Word, but by their lives, character and conversations they deny him. Their faith is human faith and it is in outward form only, but the Holy Spirit is not living within them, and there has been no transformation of heart and mind of the Spirit of God away from living in sin to living to God and to his righteousness. Much of their behavior, in fact, fits more with the description in the passage above than with any biblical description of what a Christian or a godly leader should look like in character, words and in action.

The Bible says that we, as the body of Christ, should avoid having fellowship with those who profess Christ but who knowingly and willfully live in direct opposition to him and to his teachings, and who are unwilling to repent of their sins. I believe one of the reasons for this is so that they do not bring us down with them, i.e. so they don’t infect the whole body with their poison.

Training in Righteousness (3:10-17)

Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me! Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

So, we need to exercise godly wisdom in choosing the people we mostly spend our time with. We should not make as close friends those who are hot tempered, who are liars, who are gossipers, who are porn addicts, who tell off-color jokes, who are pleasure-driven and who are worldly, etc., even if they claim to be, or especially if they claim to be fellow believers in Jesus Christ. Yet, this does not mean we write these people off as hopeless, because we don’t know what God yet intends to do in their hearts and lives.

The Bible teaches us to love one another, and even to love our enemies, and to pray for them, and to do good to them, and to want what is best for them. So, we should pray for these people, and we should show Christ-like love to them, but we need to not make these the people we regularly fellowship with or spend time with, because evil is a very strong influence, and we might be overtaken by them and fall back into sin.

Instead, we should have close fellowship with other believers who are walking the talk instead of just talking the walk. We need to be around people who are godly influences on our lives, who encourage us in our walks of faith in Christ, who share with us regularly about their own spiritual walks, and who work toward building us up in our faith and in leading us in the right direction, instead of leading us astray from our purity to Christ.

For, we live in a time where the saints of God (his church) are under attack for living what they believe and what the Bible teaches, so we need one another to help strengthen us in our faith so that we can persevere, and continue, and have the courage to stand strong even in the face of great opposition. But, if we are in a situation where we don’t have much in the way of this kind of fellowship, we should not let that discourage us, for we always have our Lord. He will never leave us or forsake us, and he will give us all the strength and courage we need to keep on keeping on in his name.

Wanting Ears Tickled (4:1-5)

I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

One of the reasons that the saints of God are under such severe attack is because so much of the church has gone the way of the world and is teaching what people want to hear, not what they need to hear. They have turned the church into big business, and so they are marketing it to the world just like they would any other human-based business (corporation). “Worship” services are oftentimes nothing more than just cleaned up versions of entertainment for the world, i.e. cleverly orchestrated stage productions intended to attract the world to the “church.” Bible studies are being replaced by books written by modern-day authors who may or may not be handling the Word of God accurately, and the gospel message is diluted to make it more acceptable and appealing to the world of sin.

So, serious followers of Christ are being ostracized, rejected, pushed aside, persecuted, abandoned, and falsely accused, because the modern church movement has no place for them in their marketing schemes. They don’t want anyone who might offend the people of the world with the truth. And, so they find ways to make serious Christians look bad, or they invite them to “go someplace else” where they will be a “better fit.” Then, the leaders are free to give the people what their itching ears want to hear, unhindered.

Yet, we need to not let this unsettle us or to get us to compromise our faith and convictions in order to be accepted. If we have to stand alone, then we have to stand alone, but we are never alone. God is on our side, if we are on his side, and he will never abandon us, but will give us all we need to endure persecution and to keep holding on to the truths of scripture, even if we lose friends, or even if our family members reject or abandon us, or even if the modern worldly church wants nothing to do with us. We need to remain faithful to God and to his Word and to the ministry to which we have been called and for which God has prepared us and equipped us. Amen!

Teach Them / An Original Work / May 24, 2012

Based off various scriptures

Open up the blinded eyes of

Those who walk in sin’s darkness.

Turn them to the light of Christ

And to His righteousness.

Turn them from the pow’r of Satan.

Turn them to the peace of Christ,

So they may receive forgiveness

And eternal life.

Teach them to put off their old selves

And their former way of life,

And to put on their new self,

Reborn to be like Christ;

To not copy worldly customs;

Be transformed in life and mind;

Obey freely His word in them,

Pleasing unto God.

Teach them how to love their neighbors

Truly as they love themselves;

Be a witness; share the gospel;

Satan’s lies dispel;

Comfort all who mourn in sadness;

Share Christ’s love and joy today.

Do this through your life and witness

For your Lord always.

https://vimeo.com/125485489

Good Reminders

Wednesday, February 8, 2017, 9:54 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Blessed are You.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read 2 Timothy 2:11-26 (NIV).

If We (vv. 11-13)

Here is a trustworthy saying:

If we died with him,

    we will also live with him;

if we endure,

    we will also reign with him.

If we disown him,

    he will also disown us;

if we are faithless,

    he remains faithful,

    for he cannot disown himself.

Here is the essence of the gospel of our salvation. When Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, it was not merely so we could escape the punishment of hell, and so we could have the promise of heaven when we die. He died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; and that he might redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works (1 Pet. 2:24; Tit. 2:14). He didn’t die merely to save us, but to transform us; not merely to give us the hope of eternal life when we leave this earth, but to give us abundant and spiritually fruitful lives while we still walk the face of this earth.

So, when we believe in him, we die with him to sin, and we are resurrected with him to new lives in Christ Jesus, our Lord, now born from above of the Spirit of God. And, the promise of eternal life is for those who are believing in him, which means we are not saved based on past belief, for true faith is continuous and it endures to the end. It endures because it is a gift from God and it is based, not in humans, but in God, i.e. it is God’s divine persuasion of his will for our lives. In other words, true faith is persuaded (convinced) as to God’s will for our lives, not just intellectually, but in heart, mind and will. It is a spiritual transformation of heart and mind of the Spirit of God away from living for sin and self to walking in Christ’s righteousness.

This does not mean we will now live in sinless perfection (See: 1 Jn. 2:1), but what it does mean is that we no longer conduct our lives on a daily basis (in lifestyle) according to our sinful flesh, but according to the Spirit. Jesus Christ will not reject us every time we commit a sin against him, but if we say we have fellowship with God, and yet we walk (conduct our lives) in darkness (sin, wickedness), the Bible says we are liars, and it says, too, that we will die in our sins, i.e. that we don’t have the hope of eternal life with God (See: Ro. 8:1-14; Lu. 9:23-25; 1 Jn. 1:6). Yet, if by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh, we will live with Christ for eternity.

Good Reminders (vv. 14-19)

Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some. Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”

We should not pick fights with others nor should we incite quarrels, especially about things that are of no or little consequence. As well, we must guard our hearts against being easily goaded (or tricked) into arguments which have no value or which would be destructive to ourselves or to our listeners. Yet, this is not to say that we just nod our heads in agreement with everything said or that we don’t challenge what is false or confront what is sinful, or that we don’t involve ourselves in hopefully fruitful discussions on topics which could benefit those who would listen.

Also, we should avoid godless chatter. So, what is “godless chatter”? It is gossip and/or babble (speaking nonsense). Gossip involves saying what is unkind, unnecessary, and/or untruthful about others, often with the intention of destroying another’s reputation, i.e. it can be spiteful. Godless chatter is also worldly and empty (meaningless, purposeless) talk. Worldly chatter involves all conversation which is devoted to the things, values and philosophies of this sinful world, and its pursuits. And, godless chatter is also talk which is disrespectful and irreverent to God, unholy, sacrilegious, and/or impure. Christians should not engage themselves in this kind of talk.

I think that whenever I have read this passage before, about being a workman (or woman) approved of God who is not ashamed, and who correctly handles the word of truth, I thought of it mainly in terms of how we present the Word of God to others, but I believe that is only one half of it. How we handle the Word of God, as far as understanding it correctly, and thus sharing it with others in accord with its appropriate context, and making an honest application of its truths, is essential. And, yet, if we do not put these truths into practice in our own lives, then we are not honorable workmen (and women) who are accurately handling the Word of Truth, because to correctly handle it is not just to spout its truths to others, but it is to do what it says, i.e. it is to live its truths in our daily lives. If we confess the name of the Lord Jesus, we must turn from (repent of) wickedness.

Cleanse Ourselves (vv. 20-21 NASB)

Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.

The feeling seems to be here that this is speaking of the visible church in the world, i.e. it speaks of the physical gatherings of the church, which may include the people of this world who are not believers in Christ, which also comprises those who make a profession of Christ only, but who have never been born from above of the Spirit of God. We are to cleanse our lives of what is dishonorable, i.e. unbelief, hypocritical belief, profession only, ungodliness, and sinful lifestyles, via God-given repentance. And, we are to embrace what is holy and righteous, i.e. divinely persuaded faith, gifted by God, dead to sin and alive to God and to his righteousness. Then we will be vessels for honor, made holy and useful to our Lord for every good work.

Flee and Pursue (vv. 22-26)

Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

When Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, he put our sins to death so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. Through his resurrection, he conquered sin, death, hell and Satan on our behalf. Through true faith in Jesus Christ, thus, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin, and we are resurrected with Christ to newness of life, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:24). What this means for us is that when we were dead in our sins, we were free from the control of righteousness, but now that we have been set free from slavery to sin, we have now become bond-slaves of Christ’s righteousness (Ro. 6:1-23). We are not slaves to sin any longer, so we should stop thinking and living like we are! We need to live like we truly believe Jesus set us free!!

So, how do we do this? Well, first of all, we don’t, at least not on our own or in our own strength and willpower. We can only be successful in conquering sin in our sinful flesh in the power of what Jesus did for us in dying on the cross for our sins. It is by the Spirit that we are putting to death the deeds of our flesh, so that we might live with God for eternity (Ro. 8:1-14). So, in that power, and in the strength of God’s Spirit within us, we flee (run away from) evil desires. And, that is where a lot of Christians get hung up, because they say they want to be free from sinful behaviors, but they are not willing to cut out of their lives what leads them into sin, and they are not actively running away from sinful desires, but they are toying with them. And, then they wonder why they are not gaining victory over sin.

We have to die to sin if we want to live to Christ and to his righteousness. We have to put off lying and tell the truth; put off stealing, and work with our hands and give to others, and put off adultery and put on faithfulness, and the list goes on and on and on. If we are not willing to cut the cords of what leads us into sin, we will never gain victory over sin. We are not running from (fleeing) sin if we are still tempting fate or dabbling in it even a little. So, cut the ties to sin, in the Spirit’s power, and then you can pursue all that is godly and holy.

And, yes, if you truly get radical about sin, and dead serious about walking in holiness, the devil is going to go after you to try to get you back, so he will send all kinds of opposition your way, but do not let it unsettle you. Instead, speak the truth in love to all who oppose you in hopes that they will repent of their sins, and no longer be taken captive to do the devil’s will. Remember, Jesus died to free you from sin, so LIVE IN FREEDOM!

Blessed Are You / An Original Work / August 29, 2012

Based off Luke 6:20-49 NIV 1984

“Blessed are you; blessed are you

Who are poor for God’s kingdom is yours.

Blessed are you; blessed are you

Who are hungry, you’ll be satisfied.

Blessed are you; blessed are you

Who weep now, for you will laugh with joy.

Blessed are you; blessed are you

when men hate and reject you because of Christ.”

“Rejoice in that; rejoice in that day

And leap for joy; great your reward.

But I tell you; but I tell you

To love those who hate you; do them good.

Pray for those who; pray for those who

Treat you wrong and say kind things of them.

Do to others; do to others as you would

Have them do; have them do to you.”

“If you love those; if you love those

Who love you, what praise is there for you?

Because Christ is; because Christ is kind,

Be merciful, just like He is.

Forgive others; forgive others

Their offense against you; be ye kind.

Hear My words and; hear My words and

Put them into practice, then you’ll be fulfilled.”

https://vimeo.com/115046573

Sincere Faith

Tuesday, February 7, 2017, 9:58 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “I Will Lift My Eyes.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read 2 Timothy 1:1-14 (NASB).

Recalling Your Tears (vv. 1-7)

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life in Christ Jesus,

To Timothy, my beloved son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day, longing to see you, even as I recall your tears, so that I may be filled with joy. For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well. For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.

It is believed that Timothy’s tears were related specifically to the tears he had shed when Paul had to leave him, as Paul and Timothy were like father and son. Some also believe that Timothy’s tears were shed on behalf of Paul and his suffering, as Timothy would have been concerned, caring and compassionate regarding Paul’s suffering. Also, in context, it could be that Timothy was experiencing some of his own anguish, perhaps related to his own ministry in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. And, it appears Timothy had also been experiencing frequent illnesses related to his stomach, which could have also been still weighing on him (See: 1 Tim. 5:23). Yet, no matter the reason for the tears, it would seem that Timothy may have been experiencing some kind of feelings of depression or discouragement. And, so Paul was writing to encourage him and to build him up in his faith.

We all need encouragement, don’t we? Most all of us suffer in various ways, sometimes in silence where no one really knows the pain that is in our hearts. Sometimes this is because we lack genuine Christian fellowship of the kind that would lift us up in the Spirit and that would spur us on to good deeds, and so we cry, longing for close Christian companions who can encourage us in our walks of faith. There is so much worldliness in the church and so many professing Christians shy away from conversations about Jesus and his Word, and would rather talk about what the world talks about. Many, too, live in abusive relationships and lack genuine Christian companionship in their marriage relationships or in family relationships.

Many of those who are walking in holiness, though not in absolute perfection, are being ostracized even by the family of believers because of their seriousness of faith and spiritual walks and commitments to obedience to Christ and to his word, because they love God. They don’t have to go out into the world to be persecuted for their faith, for there are many within the church, or at least within the worldly institutional church, who are persecuting them because of their stand on the truth of the gospel and their strong biblical and spiritual convictions in the Spirit of God.

Too much of the church has gone the way of the world here in America, and thus they are focused on winning the world to the “church” via worldly means and methods, and have thus diluted the gospel to make it more appealing and acceptable to the world. And, they don’t want anyone saying anything that might offend the people of the world, because they want them to keep coming back to their “churches,” i.e. to their places of business.

In such a worldly church environment, those with sincere faith in Jesus Christ might experience isolation and may cry out to God longing for the kind of fellowship they once had in years past, which seems to be fading into the darkness. And, if they are, too, suffering abuse, persecution, illnesses, opposition, and apathy, because of their sincere faith, and because of their stand on the truth of the Word of God and the gospel of our salvation, they may have need of being refreshed in their spirits and of being encouraged to fan into flame the gift of God within them so that they don’t suffer discouragement and give way to fear, loneliness, and opposing forces. Yet, we must know here that if no one else cares, and if no one else reaches out to encourage and build us up in the faith, God always cares, and he never leaves us or forsakes us, but he is there to lift us up, if we will let him, and to spur us on to good deeds even if, in our emotions, we lack the strength.

I Suffer These Things (vv. 8-14)

Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher. For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.

Suffering is part of the Christian life. God brings suffering into our lives or he permits suffering to take place in our lives as part of our maturing process in Christ – to make us holy, to conform us to the image of Christ, and to prune and purify us so that we can be even more fruitful for God’s eternal kingdom. Suffering can also help to make us humble, to get us to call on (to rely on) God more, and to get us to draw closer to our Lord in fellowship with him and in obedience to his word, especially during times when we may be getting too comfortable in this world, too complacent, and/or too lazy about our spiritual walks. And, so suffering serves as a kind of shot in the arm to wake us up and to get us back on track, if we have gotten off track even a little bit.

Or, suffering works to grow us even deeper in our faith, sometimes in preparation for specific areas of ministry for which God is preparing us, which may involve even greater suffering and persecution to come, and thus we will need this lighter or lesser suffering now to strengthen our resolve to not give up and to not give in to discouragement when the going gets really, really tough, which sometimes it will.

So, when we take a stand for godliness and holiness in a world and in a worldly church where so many are making excuses for continued and willful sin against God, we should expect to be hated, rejected, persecuted and ostracized for our sincere faith in Jesus Christ and our genuine faith in the truth of his Word. When we choose to walk in holiness, in the power of the Spirit within us, and thus we do separate ourselves from what is worldly, and we do come out from the world and are separate in attitude, thought, belief and actions, we should not be surprised if even worldly Christians or family members also persecute and reject us, and even snub us and ignore our testimonies of faith and our love for our Lord because they disagree with our stand on the Word and our commitments to our Lord and to his service. They may even try to persuade us to come more their way because they may feel that is more “normal” and acceptable.

So, when we go through such times, and when true Christian fellowship may even seem to be scarce, our dependency needs to be on Jesus Christ and on his promises and on the truth of his Word. We need to get our focus off of people, and we need to get our eyes on the Lord, following him always.

I Will Lift My Eyes / An Original Work / December 12, 2012

Based off Psalms 121-125

I will lift my eyes to my Lord Most High.

My help comes from Him, who saved me from sin.

He will not let your foot slip, and He who watches will not sleep.

Our Lord watches over you, and your life He will keep.

I will lift my eyes to my Lord Most High.

My help comes from Him, who saved me from sin.

I give thanks to Him.

I will lift my eyes to my God in heav’n.

I look to the Lord. My sins, He’s forgiv’n.

Because of His great love for us, He made us alive with Christ.

Through the kindness of our Savior, He gave us new life.

I will lift my eyes to my God in heav’n.

I look to the Lord. My sins, He’s forgiv’n;

My home, now in heav’n.

Praise be to the Lord, who is on our side.

Our help found in Him. He gives peace within.

Those who trust will ne’er be shaken. God will supply all we need.

Our Lord has done great things for us. He’s our friend, indeed!

Praise be to the Lord, who is on our side.

Our help found in Him. He gives peace within.

I can count on Him.

https://vimeo.com/112516626

In Accord with Godliness

Tuesday, February 7, 2017, 12:12 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “When in The Stillness.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read 1 Timothy 6:3-16 (NASB).

A Different Doctrine (vv. 3-5)

If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.

What does it mean to be godly? It means to walk with God, to live to please him, to be devoted to him, and to treat him with love, honor, reverence and respect. It means to have one’s life centered on and focused on God/Jesus Christ. It also denotes a life of holiness, i.e. being separate (unlike, different) from the world because we are being conformed into the likeness of Christ. The godly person is committed to obeying the Word of God, out of love for God. A godly person, as well, pursues righteousness. Yet, we can’t be godly of our own accord. Only by the saving grace of Jesus Christ, through faith in him, and through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit of God now living within us can we live godly and holy lives unto God.

So, whatever teaching or doctrine we adopt for ourselves to believe, it must be in conformity with godliness and holiness and with the teachings of Jesus Christ. This means that if someone is teaching you that you can believe in Jesus Christ, be delivered from the penalty of sin, and have the hope of heaven when you die, but that you don’t have to repent of (turn from) sin, that you don’t have to obey Christ and his commandments, and that God is pleased with you no matter what you do, they are lying to you. The Bible teaches us that Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness and that he died to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good (1 Pet. 2:24; Tit. 2:14). In other words, he died that we might live godly and holy lives.

Accompanied by Contentment (vv. 6-10)

But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

We are not put here on this earth to amass great material wealth to spend on ourselves for our own pleasures. We are not to be busy about laying up treasures for ourselves on this earth, and building earthly kingdoms, but we are to be busy about laying up treasures in heaven, i.e. about doing what will bring honor and glory to God and praise to his name, and about that which will minister God’s love, grace and mercy to other human lives so that they, too, can come to know him, and so they, too, can experience salvation from sin and the hope of eternal life with God. This is not saying, though, that God will not bless some of us materially so that we can share those blessings with others, but that our focus in life should not be on what is going to pass away, but it should be on what is eternal and has value, not just for this life, but for the life yet to come.

So, instead of working hard to make lots of money in order to gain great wealth and possessions in this life, we should be about the business of our master in doing what he desires us to do in order to help build the kingdom of heaven, not earthly kingdoms. And, we should learn to be content with whatever station the Lord places us in, and we should not be envious of those who have more than we do materially, for the Lord will supply all we need, though not necessarily all that we want. And, we should always maintain the perspective that all we have is from God, and it is his to be used as he chooses, and it is not ours to hold on to, and that all that is of this material world is going to go up in smoke, so we should focus our attention on what is not going to pass away.

Pursue Righteousness (vv. 11-16)

But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He will bring about at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.

What does it mean to flee something? It means to escape; to run away from something. This is not passive. This is active. We are to flee evil desires, immorality, idolatry, and youthful lusts, as well as doctrines not conforming to godliness and the love of wealth and material possessions. Too many professing Christians, though, do not flee these things, but they toy with them, or they invite them into their lives, or through complacency and apathy, or laziness, they do not guard their lives against them, and so they work their way back into their lives. Yet, we must actively run away from these things and others like them if we are to live victorious Christian lives, and if we are to pursue righteousness, godliness, love, faith, etc. So many people who claim to be followers of Christ regularly give in to the lusts of the flesh because they are unwilling to run away from them and/or to cut out of their lives what leads them down the path of sin. And, so they live in defeat.

Yet, if we are going to pursue righteousness, holiness and godliness, we must flee all that stands opposed to these. The reason Jesus died on the cross from our sins was to deliver us from slavery to sin so that we might become bond-servants of his righteousness. Being “born again” means we are crucified with Christ, through faith in him, in death to sin, and we are resurrected with Christ to newness of life, to be lived to his righteousness. Old gone – new has come. Life comes from death. We can’t hold on to our old lives and have new lives, too. We must lose our old lives so that we now have eternal life with God (See: Lu. 9:23-25; Ro. 6:1-23; Eph. 4:17-24). Yet, we don’t do this in our flesh, but this is the working of the Spirit in our lives in saving us from sin, as we yield (surrender) to the Spirit’s work.

When in The Stillness / An Original Work / September 26, 2011

When in the stillness of this moment,

Speak to me, Lord, I humbly pray.

Be my desire, set me on fire,

Teach me to love always.

Help me to walk in fellowship with You,

Listening to You; sit at Your feet.

Whisper Your words to me,

Oh, how gently, guiding me in Your truth.

While we are waiting for Your blessing,

Lord, in our hearts be King today.

Help us to live for you ev’ry moment,

List’ning to what You say.

May we not stray from your word within us,

Help us obey You, Lord, in all things,

Walking each moment, Lord, in Your presence,

Our offerings to You bring.

Help us to love You, Lord, our master;

Be an example of Your love,

Helping the hurting, lift up the fallen,

Showing them Your great love.

Teach them to love You, follow You always,

Bearing their cross and turning from sin;

Walking in daily fellowship with You,

Making You Lord and King.

https://vimeo.com/126984144