Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - WordAction - The Foundry Publishing House of Kansas City, Missouri, United States - The Global Church of the Nazarene for Thursday, 2 November 2017 "Faithfulness to Christian Teachings" by Rudy Morgan - 2 Timothy 2:14-26
2 Timothy 2:14 Keep reminding people of this, and charge them solemnly before the Lord not to engage in word-battles. They accomplish nothing useful and are a catastrophe for the hearers! 15 Do all you can to present yourself to God as someone worthy of his approval, as a worker with no need to be ashamed, because he deals straightforwardly with the Word of the Truth. 16 But keep away from godless babbling, for those who engage in it will only become more ungodly, 17 and their teaching will eat away at people like gangrene. Hymenaeus and Philetus are among these; 18 they have missed the mark, as far as the truth is concerned, by saying that our resurrection has already taken place; and they are overturning some people’s faith. 19 Nevertheless, God’s firm foundation stands, stamped with these words:
“The Lord knows his own,”[2 Timothy 2:19 Numbers 16:5; Nahum 1:7]
and,
“Let everyone who claims he belongs to the Lord
stand apart from wrongdoing.”[2 Timothy 2:19 Numbers 16:26]
20 In a large house there are dishes and pots not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay. That is, some are meant for honorable use and some for dishonorable. 21 If a person keeps himself free of defilement by the latter, he will be a vessel set aside for honorable use by the master of the house and ready for every kind of good work. 22 So, flee the passions of youth; and, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart, pursue righteousness, faithfulness, love and peace. 23 But stay away from stupid and ignorant controversies — you know that they lead to fights, 24 and a slave of the Lord shouldn’t fight. On the contrary, he should be kind to everyone, a good teacher, and not resentful when mistreated. 25 Also he should be gentle as he corrects his opponents. For God may perhaps grant them the opportunity to turn from their sins, acquire full knowledge of the truth, 26 come to their senses and escape the trap of the Adversary, after having been captured alive by him to do his will.
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Paul admonishes his “spiritual son” Timothy to be faithful to true Christian teachings as he leads in the body of Christ. This includes shunning deception by false teachers who will try to infiltrate the church.
Believers in Christ need repeated reminders about practical living in holy relationship with Jesus Christ in a fractured world. D. T. Niles is quoted as saying, “Christianity is one beggar telling another beggar where he found bread.” Timothy receives instructions from the apostle Paul in our reading today as to the heavenly bread that all disciples need to feed upon.
A worker approved and nourished by God has distinct positive changes in how the tongue is used and in conversations with others. Through God’s teachings, positive changes will also occur for His disciples in our personal contacts with others and social concerns for humankind.
Second Timothy 2:25 reminds us that we too must follow the example of our Savior in caring for and bringing the wandering soul back to God. Jesus tells us the stories in Luke 15 about the restoration of the lost coin, the lost sheep, and the lost son. Reaching out to lost and broken lives is our priority in our relationships with other people.
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Hymn for Today:
"Deeper, Deeper" by Charles P. Jones
1. Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.
Refrain: O deeper yet, I pray,
And higher ev'ry day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.
2. Deeper, deeper! blessed Holy Spirit,
Take me deeper still,
Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus,
And His perfect will.
Refrain: O deeper yet, I pray,
And higher ev'ry day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.
Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,
Let me fruitful grow.
Refrain: O deeper yet, I pray,
And higher ev'ry day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.
Finds me conqu’ror, and in His own image
Perfected at last.
Refrain: O deeper yet, I pray,
And higher ev'ry day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.
In His pow’r and soul exulting wisdom
Let me peace pursue.
Refrain: O deeper yet, I pray,
And higher ev'ry day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.
For the Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost.”(Luke 19:10)
---
Please pray:
That many young people in Trinidad and Tobago will be called into Christian ministry.
---
This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now
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2 Timothy 2:14 Keep reminding people of this, and charge them solemnly before the Lord not to engage in word-battles. They accomplish nothing useful and are a catastrophe for the hearers! 15 Do all you can to present yourself to God as someone worthy of his approval, as a worker with no need to be ashamed, because he deals straightforwardly with the Word of the Truth. 16 But keep away from godless babbling, for those who engage in it will only become more ungodly, 17 and their teaching will eat away at people like gangrene. Hymenaeus and Philetus are among these; 18 they have missed the mark, as far as the truth is concerned, by saying that our resurrection has already taken place; and they are overturning some people’s faith. 19 Nevertheless, God’s firm foundation stands, stamped with these words:
“The Lord knows his own,”[2 Timothy 2:19 Numbers 16:5; Nahum 1:7]
and,
“Let everyone who claims he belongs to the Lord
stand apart from wrongdoing.”[2 Timothy 2:19 Numbers 16:26]
20 In a large house there are dishes and pots not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay. That is, some are meant for honorable use and some for dishonorable. 21 If a person keeps himself free of defilement by the latter, he will be a vessel set aside for honorable use by the master of the house and ready for every kind of good work. 22 So, flee the passions of youth; and, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart, pursue righteousness, faithfulness, love and peace. 23 But stay away from stupid and ignorant controversies — you know that they lead to fights, 24 and a slave of the Lord shouldn’t fight. On the contrary, he should be kind to everyone, a good teacher, and not resentful when mistreated. 25 Also he should be gentle as he corrects his opponents. For God may perhaps grant them the opportunity to turn from their sins, acquire full knowledge of the truth, 26 come to their senses and escape the trap of the Adversary, after having been captured alive by him to do his will.
---
Paul admonishes his “spiritual son” Timothy to be faithful to true Christian teachings as he leads in the body of Christ. This includes shunning deception by false teachers who will try to infiltrate the church.
Believers in Christ need repeated reminders about practical living in holy relationship with Jesus Christ in a fractured world. D. T. Niles is quoted as saying, “Christianity is one beggar telling another beggar where he found bread.” Timothy receives instructions from the apostle Paul in our reading today as to the heavenly bread that all disciples need to feed upon.
A worker approved and nourished by God has distinct positive changes in how the tongue is used and in conversations with others. Through God’s teachings, positive changes will also occur for His disciples in our personal contacts with others and social concerns for humankind.
Second Timothy 2:25 reminds us that we too must follow the example of our Savior in caring for and bringing the wandering soul back to God. Jesus tells us the stories in Luke 15 about the restoration of the lost coin, the lost sheep, and the lost son. Reaching out to lost and broken lives is our priority in our relationships with other people.
---
Hymn for Today:
"Deeper, Deeper" by Charles P. Jones
1. Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.
Refrain: O deeper yet, I pray,
And higher ev'ry day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.
2. Deeper, deeper! blessed Holy Spirit,
Take me deeper still,
Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus,
And His perfect will.
Refrain: O deeper yet, I pray,
And higher ev'ry day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.
3. Deeper, deeper! tho' it cost hard trials,
Deeper let me go!Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,
Let me fruitful grow.
Refrain: O deeper yet, I pray,
And higher ev'ry day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.
4. Deeper, higher, ev'ry day in Jesus,
Till all conflict past,Finds me conqu’ror, and in His own image
Perfected at last.
Refrain: O deeper yet, I pray,
And higher ev'ry day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.
5. Deeper, deeper in the faith of Jesus,
Holy faith and true;In His pow’r and soul exulting wisdom
Let me peace pursue.
Refrain: O deeper yet, I pray,
And higher ev'ry day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.
---
Thought for Today:For the Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost.”(Luke 19:10)
---
Please pray:
That many young people in Trinidad and Tobago will be called into Christian ministry.
---
This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now
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