Author: admin

There are always two ways to do everything. The correct way and the incorrect way! It is also possible to do the correct thing, but in the incorrect manner. For example,there may be times when we must point out to others where they have veered from the proper path. In such moments it can be tempting to rebuke people harshly and even to demean them for having acted foolishly. When people behave improperly, it can frustrate us or even make us angry.

Paul sent Timothy to correct improper beliefs and behavior in the church. Yet he also gave his protege wise counsel. In correcting someone older than us, we do not have to disrespect him. Rather, we can exhort him to rise to a higher level of Christian living. Likewise we can challenge younger men as brothers, younger women as sisters and older women as mothers. Sometimes it is not what we say that is as important as how we say it.

Some people are well meaning enough, but they have not yet learned the proper way to interact with people. As a result, they leave people offended rather than improved. If we are going to play a part in seeing people change, we must first love them. If we don’t speak with love, they won’t hear what we are saying.

It is human nature to be concerned about other people’s shortcomings. After all, they are so obvious. To make matters worse, other people’s faults can be truly annoying. Ultimately, however, we cannot change people, despite our heroic efforts. People must choose to change themselves.

What is important is that we take heed to ourselves. No one can change us. Only we can ensure that we become everything God intended. Likewise we must give serious, regular attention to doctrine. That is, the teachings of Scripture. All the truth in the world will not do us one ounce of good if we are unfamiliar with it. This will involve reading and study. It may involve declining to give our attention to less important matters. Giving attention to ourselves and to doctrine comes at a price.

Yet, as with all good things in the Christian life, when we heed God’s word, it brings blessing to more than just us. When we focus on God’s word, we draw other people’s attention to it as well. When we make doctrine a priority in our life, those around us give it greater attention in theirs. When we strive for godliness, others are encouraged to join us in our pursuit. Having the correct priorities is the key to achieving God’s purposes in our life.

There are infinitely valuable treasures to be found in God’s word for those who look hard and long enough. Too often we quickly skim God’s word before dashing off to our next appointment. We give Scripture a cursory glance as if we were skimming an acquaintance’s blog, and then wonder why we never “get” anything out of the Bible.

We must understand that God’s word is our life. We cannot afford to take it lightly or treat it carelessly. We must devote ourselves to understanding it deeply. That requires meditation. Meditation is when we keep a promise of God before us as long as it takes until we understand what God meant when he said what He did. We then keep that truth at the center of our attention until it has become a reality in our life.

Meditation refuses to be satisfied with simply the surface meaning and promises. It strives to gain the maximum benefit from God’s word. This takes concentration. It requires time. It demands that we put aside less important tasks. However, once we have fully grasped a truth from God’s word, everyone around us will know that we did.

We all give our attention to something. However, certain activities are of far more value than are others.

The elder Paul planned to come and instruct young Timothy personally. Until then, he gave him his sage counsel. Choose to give your attention to reading. This probably referred to the public reading of Scripture. In Timothy’s ministry, he needed to keep God’s word central. There is something powerful about God’s people hearing His word read aloud. Paul might have added: and read it confidently! The Bible ought not to be ready like any other book. It is God’s word!

Timothy was also to give attention to exhortation. That is, once we have heard what God’s word says, we ought to encourage each other to believe it and to obey it. Teaching informs us of what God said. Exhortation urges us to obey what God said.

Timothy was also to focus on doctrine. That is on the truths of God’s word. If his ministry was focused on Scripture, he would always be in a position for the Holy Spirit to use his life powerfully.

While many distractions and crises can assault us and demand our attention, we ultimately have the choice of where we give our attention. Choose to keep your focus centered on God’s word.

The world is filled with critics! Everyone has an opinion. Many of those opinions are not based on fact or even first-hand experience. There is a “popular” wisdom that is in fact, not wisdom at all. Many of the viewpoints of today’s Christians are simply assumptions based on what we have heard others say. One of those beliefs is that you cannot expect much from those who are young.

Such was Timothy’s dilemma. The apostle Paul had sent him to work with a troubled church. Yet there were those who accepted the commonly held view that young adults had nothing substantive to offer the church. Timothy, who was gentle in spirit, would surely be sensitive to the barbs that were inevitably thrown his way by those who did not respect his youthful leadership or like what he had to say.

Paul’s advice was to refuse to let other people label him or try and limit what God intended to do through him. There is no point in arguing with such people. The key is to live our lives as an example in word, conduct, love, spirit, faith, and purity. Let your actions do your talking and in time you will prove that your critics didn’t know what they were talking about.

Most of us could use more bodily discipline! Saying “no” to that cookie . . . Passing on dessert . . . choosing a salad over the fried chicken . . . It is discipline that propels us to get up early in the morning to hit the treadmill, or to go for a run, or to do those stretching exercises. Bodily discipline is good for you. It drives you to do healthy activities you would otherwise bypass. But there is a discipline that produces far greater results.

Godliness is a form of discipline. Just as it takes self-control to sit still while the nurse sticks a needle into your arm, so it requires discipline to allow the Holy Spirit to remove sinful habits and thoughts from us until we look like Jesus. Carnal habits generally are changed through focused effort. God will not make us Christ-like against our will!

Besides the enormous reward that comes from becoming like Jesus, godliness also offers eternal benefits: we bring our godly character with us into the next life. All of that work is not lost at our death! Certainly there is some “pain” associated with becoming godly. But it is worth it!

Some people love to talk. They will discuss anything and they will do so for hours on end. Some people are never happier than when debating and speculating They will vehemently defend their positions and viewpoints even though what they are arguing about seems of little or no consequence to others. The fact is that it is easier to talk about the Christian life than it is to live it, well.

Our calling as Christians is not to talk about Christian beliefs, but to live them. At times we’d rather confess our shortcomings than to let God definitively address them. Or we’re more comfortable discussing God’s power than we are with experiencing it in our daily living. It is easier to discuss what God did in peoples’ lives during biblical times than to allow Him to live out His life in ours, today. Too often God’s people would rather talk about the need for the Great Commission than reach out to their neighbor next door.

Paul was a man of action. He urged Timothy to avoid the trap of talking about things he should have been experiencing. Godliness doesn’t come from talking about it. It results from exercise. Talking is less demanding than is exercise, but it doesn’t accomplish as much. Are you merely talking about becoming like Christ, or are you taking the necessary steps for you to truly take on His character?

The world can be a hostile place for Christians. It is filled with voices and opinions that adamantly argue against and even scorn God’s word. This has always been the case. But it will be even more so in the latter days. The latter days represent the period of history immediately preceding Christ’s return. Satan and his demonic forces will desperately attempt to destroy as many people as possible as their own judgment looms.

Satan’s most lethal weapon has always been deception. He is not as powerful as he would like us to think. But he is infinitely crafty. What can seem to us as only a disagreement on a theological issue can, in fact, be a demonic doctrine. There will be Christians who argue with one another and angrily leave their church, who think it is merely due to a difference of opinion. The fact of the matter is the forces of darkness have succeeded in deceiving them. People will cause churches to split over minor or secondary issues and be duped into believing their actions are pleasing to God.

Such deception has been with us since the Garden of Eden. But it will get worse in the latter days. Beware! There is plentiful evidence that we are in the final days before our Lord returns. Deception is rampant. Don’t become the next victim.

Our leaders reflect on us. When a watching world looks at Christian leaders, it draws conclusions about the church as a whole. That is why it is imperative that we select leaders with sterling reputations.

Today we are too quick to excuse un-Christ-like behavior in our leaders. “No one is perfect” some claim. “We’ve all made mistakes” others argue. Before we know it, our leaders are no different than anyone else. But they ought to be. Christian leaders need not be perfect, but they ought to serve as role models for everyone else.

The secular media has had a field day exposing ecclesiastical hypocrites and charlatans. Each time they reveal another fallen leader, the world exults that Christians are no different than unbelievers, regardless of what they claim. Leaders represent their people. For those who lead the people of God, a high standard must be expected. What is your reputation with the world around you?

History is replete with tales of young men and women who rose to spectacular heights of leadership. Yet Scripture cautions us in being too quick to enlist novices into important leadership roles. This is in part because spiritual leadership is based on character. Our character takes time to develop and mature. Young adults may not yet have had time to be fully seasoned. Likewise, experience teaches us many things, humility being one of the most important. As young leaders, we don’t yet recognize all that we do not yet know! Being elevated quickly has led to the ruin of many a potential leader.

At times people are promoted too quickly because their organization is desperate for talented leaders. At other times they are enlisted prematurely because the people themselves are consumed with ambition. We are doing no one any favor by elevating someone into a leadership role for which they are ill-prepared.

One of the best measuring sticks for choosing leaders is their track record. Are they leading their own home well? Have they been faithful in small things? Have they completed earlier tasks? Have they developed a solid reputation in the lower ranks? If leadership candidates have no previous track record of success, be cautious in elevating them too quickly.