Kansas City, Missouri, United States - Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - "Buy or Rent?" – Monday, 27 October 2014 - Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:10-4:5

Kansas City, Missouri, United States - Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - "Buy or Rent?" – Monday, 27 October 2014 - Scripture: 2 Timothy 3: Keep the Message Alive
10-13 You’ve been a good apprentice to me, a part of my teaching, my manner of life, direction, faith, steadiness, love, patience, troubles, sufferings—suffering along with me in all the grief I had to put up with in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. And you also well know that God rescued me! Anyone who wants to live all out for Christ is in for a lot of trouble; there’s no getting around it. Unscrupulous con men will continue to exploit the faith. They’re as deceived as the people they lead astray. As long as they are out there, things can only get worse.
14-17 But don’t let it faze you. Stick with what you learned and believed, sure of the integrity of your teachers—why, you took in the sacred Scriptures with your mother’s milk! There’s nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.
4:1-2 I can’t impress this on you too strongly. God is looking over your shoulder. Christ himself is the Judge, with the final say on everyone, living and dead. He is about to break into the open with his rule, so proclaim the Message with intensity; keep on your watch. Challenge, warn, and urge your people. Don’t ever quit. Just keep it simple.
3-5 You’re going to find that there will be times when people will have no stomach for solid teaching, but will fill up on spiritual junk food—catchy opinions that tickle their fancy. They’ll turn their backs on truth and chase mirages. But you—keep your eye on what you’re doing; accept the hard times along with the good; keep the Message alive; do a thorough job as God’s servant.
"Buy or Rent?" by David Roller
We usually think of wisdom as the ability to make prudent decisions. We call a person “wise” who has a cautious nature and looks before leaping. That may be wisdom—or it may be fear!
Wisdom isn’t about how we decide so much as what factors we use in our decision-making. A wise person isn’t one who decides slowly; rather, a wise person is the one who understands the basis of the decision they make.
Say you’re deciding whether to buy or rent a house. How do you decide? First you choose which factors you’ll give the most weight. Those factors could include economics, personal preference, and ministry potential.
The apostle Paul tells Timothy to make decisions based on Scripture. Obviously, we would immediately agree. Paul insists that the only safe means of navigation through persecution, suffering, false teachers, and deceit is the Word of God. If we’re not locked into the wisdom of His Word, we may be caught up in faddish fascinations or be broken by persecution.
After extracting life principles from the word of God, some will buy, some will rent, and depending on the situation, both decisions can be wise.

Hymn for Today:

"Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah" by William Williams
1. Guide me, O thou great Jehovah, 
pilgrim through this barren land.  
I am weak, but thou art mighty; 
hold me with thy powerful hand.  
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven, 
feed me till I want no more; 
feed me till I want no more.
2. Open now the crystal fountain, 
whence the healing stream doth flow; 
let the fire and cloudy pillar 
lead me all my journey through.  
Strong deliverer, strong deliverer, 
be thou still my strength and shield; 
be thou still my strength and shield.
3. When I tread the verge of Jordan, 
bid my anxious fears subside; 
death of death and hell's destruction, 
land me safe on Canaan's side.  
Songs of praises, songs of praises, 
I will ever give to thee; 

I will ever give to thee.
Thought for Today:

“Hallelujah!
I give thanks to God with everything I’ve got—
Wherever good people gather, and in the congregation.
God’s works are so great, worth
A lifetime of study—endless enjoyment!
Splendor and beauty mark his craft;
His generosity never gives out.
His miracles are his memorial—
This God of Grace, this God of Love.
He gave food to those who fear him,
He remembered to keep his ancient promise.
He proved to his people that he could do what he said:
Hand them the nations on a platter—a gift!
He manufactures truth and justice;
All his products are guaranteed to last—
Never out-of-date, never obsolete, rust-proof.
All that he makes and does is honest and true:
He paid the ransom for his people,
He ordered his Covenant kept forever.
He’s so personal and holy, worthy of our respect.
The good life begins in the fear of God—
Do that and you’ll know the blessing of God.
His Hallelujah lasts forever!"(Psalm 111:1-10).
Prayer Needs:
For the development of Christian leaders in Saint Lucia.
____________________________
WordAction Publishing Company
Beacon Hill Press
Nazarene Publishing Company
2500 Troost Avenue
Kansas City, MO 64108 United States[
Embrace holy living…visit reflectinggod.com.
____________________________