This devotion this morning will take some thinking on your part. We looked at these verses not long ago but I want you to think about something this morning in these verses. Here they are:
2 Timothy 3:1-5
1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
I hope you carefully read these verses. As I read these verses it describes our time right now. I mean every description can be seen everyday we make it through. Since we talked about these not long ago I will not go over them again as most are self explanatory anyway. What I want ot focus on this morning is verse 5.
Back during the Presidential election, several news agencies stated that 84% of our country claim to be Christians. When I seen that I was shocked! If that was true our nation would not be in the shape it is in right now. Verse 5 says having a form of godliness but denying its power. I believe this verse explains the statistic mentioned earlier (84%). You see claiming to be a Christian and being a Christian is two different things. Georeg Barna recently reported that only 30% of our nation are Bible Believing Christians. To me that is a very Key statistic because if you don't believe the Bible from cover to cover than you are not a Christian because you are creating your own standards to live by not God's.
Now look back at the descriptions of the world today. Sounds like our neighbors, friends, many of our church memebers, and folks in the community. Now let say this...if someone is new in the faith it may take time to get rid of some these traits I understand that but if you have been a Christian for some time and many of these traits describe you, you had better look at your relationship with Christ for the Bible is clear we should develop the characteristics of Christ the opposite of these.
Look at the last verse again...focus on from such people turn away. Who are your friends? Do you have friends who live the life of the world? God says stay away from them. What does that mean? It means you must still try to bring them to Jesus but you should not be spending great amounts of time with them. Why? The reason is their life style will influence you in the wrong direction. Decisions to cut ties with folks is very hard but as the Bible teaches here it is needed.
So much to think about in this lesson today!
Tom
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Examples for us!
We think living for Jesus is hard....would you give your life for your faith? The disciples did. This will make you do some thinking about your walk with the Lord!
Tom
DO YOU KNOW HOW THE APOSTLES DIED?
WOW~~NO ONE EVER Said it would be easy!!~~but~~WOW!!
NEVER EVER SEEN THIS ON ONE PAGE BEFORE!
1 Matthew
Suffered martyrdom in Ethiopia , killed by a sword wound.
2 Mark
Died in Alexandria , Egypt , after being dragged by horses through the streets until he was dead .
3 Luke
Was hanged in Greece as a result of his tremendous preaching to the lost.
4 John
Faced martyrdom when he was boiled in huge basin of boiling oil during a wave of persecution in Rome .
However, he was miraculously delivered from death. John was then sentenced to the mines on the prison island of Patmos .
He wrote his prophetic
Book of Revelation on Patmos . The apostle John was later freed and returned to serve as Bishop of Edessa in
modern Turkey . He died as an old man, the only apostle to die peacefully.
5 Peter
He was crucified upside down on an x-shaped cross.
According to church tradition it was because he told his tormentors that he
felt unworthy to die in the same way that Jesus Christ had died.
6 James
Just The leader of the church in Jerusalem, was thrown over a hundred feet down from the southeast pinnacle of the Temple when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. When they discovered that he survived the fall, his enemies beat James to death with a fuller's club.
* This was the same pinnacle where Satan had taken Jesus during the Temptation.
7 James the Great
Son of Zebedee, was a fisherman by trade when Jesus called him to a lifetime of ministry. As a strong leader
of the church, James was ultimately beheaded at Jerusalem .
The Roman officer who guarded James watched amazed as James defended his faith at his trial. Later, the officer walked beside James to the place of execution. Overcome by conviction, he declared his new faith to the judge and knelt beside James to accept beheading as a Christian
8 Bartholomew
Also known as Nathaniel Was a missionary to Asia .
He witnessed for our Lord in present day Turkey .
Bartholomew was martyred for his preaching in Armenia where he was flayed to death by a whip.
9 Andrew
Was crucified on an x-shaped cross in Patras , Greece .
After being whipped severely by seven soldiers they tied his body to
the cross with cords to prolong his agony. His followers reported that, when he was led toward the cross, Andrew saluted it in these
words: 'I have long desired and expected this happy hour.
The cross has been consecrated by the body of Christ hanging on it.' He continued to preach to his tormentors for two days until he expired.
10 Thomas
Was stabbed with a spear in India during one of his missionary trips to establish the church in the sub-continent
11 Jude
Was killed with arrows when he refused to deny his faith in Christ.
12 Matthias
The apostle chosen to replace the traitor Judas Iscariot, was stoned and then beheaded.
13 Paul
Was tortured and then beheaded by the evil Emperor Nero at Rome in A.D. 67. Paul endured a lengthy imprisonment, which allowed him to write his many epistles to the churches he had formed throughout the Roman Empire . These letters, which taught many of the foundational doctrines of Christianity, form a large portion of the New Testament.
Perhaps this is a reminder to us that our sufferings here are indeed minor comparedto the intense persecution and cold cruelty faced by the apostles disciples during their times for the sake of the Faith.
And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: But he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
Matthew 10:22
Tom
DO YOU KNOW HOW THE APOSTLES DIED?
WOW~~NO ONE EVER Said it would be easy!!~~but~~WOW!!
NEVER EVER SEEN THIS ON ONE PAGE BEFORE!
1 Matthew
Suffered martyrdom in Ethiopia , killed by a sword wound.
2 Mark
Died in Alexandria , Egypt , after being dragged by horses through the streets until he was dead .
3 Luke
Was hanged in Greece as a result of his tremendous preaching to the lost.
4 John
Faced martyrdom when he was boiled in huge basin of boiling oil during a wave of persecution in Rome .
However, he was miraculously delivered from death. John was then sentenced to the mines on the prison island of Patmos .
He wrote his prophetic
Book of Revelation on Patmos . The apostle John was later freed and returned to serve as Bishop of Edessa in
modern Turkey . He died as an old man, the only apostle to die peacefully.
5 Peter
He was crucified upside down on an x-shaped cross.
According to church tradition it was because he told his tormentors that he
felt unworthy to die in the same way that Jesus Christ had died.
6 James
Just The leader of the church in Jerusalem, was thrown over a hundred feet down from the southeast pinnacle of the Temple when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. When they discovered that he survived the fall, his enemies beat James to death with a fuller's club.
* This was the same pinnacle where Satan had taken Jesus during the Temptation.
7 James the Great
Son of Zebedee, was a fisherman by trade when Jesus called him to a lifetime of ministry. As a strong leader
of the church, James was ultimately beheaded at Jerusalem .
The Roman officer who guarded James watched amazed as James defended his faith at his trial. Later, the officer walked beside James to the place of execution. Overcome by conviction, he declared his new faith to the judge and knelt beside James to accept beheading as a Christian
8 Bartholomew
Also known as Nathaniel Was a missionary to Asia .
He witnessed for our Lord in present day Turkey .
Bartholomew was martyred for his preaching in Armenia where he was flayed to death by a whip.
9 Andrew
Was crucified on an x-shaped cross in Patras , Greece .
After being whipped severely by seven soldiers they tied his body to
the cross with cords to prolong his agony. His followers reported that, when he was led toward the cross, Andrew saluted it in these
words: 'I have long desired and expected this happy hour.
The cross has been consecrated by the body of Christ hanging on it.' He continued to preach to his tormentors for two days until he expired.
10 Thomas
Was stabbed with a spear in India during one of his missionary trips to establish the church in the sub-continent
11 Jude
Was killed with arrows when he refused to deny his faith in Christ.
12 Matthias
The apostle chosen to replace the traitor Judas Iscariot, was stoned and then beheaded.
13 Paul
Was tortured and then beheaded by the evil Emperor Nero at Rome in A.D. 67. Paul endured a lengthy imprisonment, which allowed him to write his many epistles to the churches he had formed throughout the Roman Empire . These letters, which taught many of the foundational doctrines of Christianity, form a large portion of the New Testament.
Perhaps this is a reminder to us that our sufferings here are indeed minor comparedto the intense persecution and cold cruelty faced by the apostles disciples during their times for the sake of the Faith.
And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: But he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
Matthew 10:22
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Are we rejoicing?
This is a very simple verse this morning but the question is are we doing it?
Philippians 4:4
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
As I am sure you do I rejoice in the Lord often. But there is a litttle word in this verse that makes a big difference. That word is always! If I examine my life this morning I can't honestly say that I rejoice in the Lord always! For example I am at home sick this morning as I woke up with a fever and have all that head cogestion junk going on. It is very hard to rejoice in the Lord when you are sick. As I thought about this though, being sick in no excuse not to rejoice because as I look around I am blessed way more than I deserve. My cold is nothing compared to someone who is batteling cancer. The more I thought about this the more I began to rejoice in the Lord. For rejoicing in the Lord should have nothing to do with how I feel but it should be based on the love I know my Savior has for me. Jesus proved that by taking my place on the cross so I can have eternal life. Thank you Jesus!
As I am writing this devotion this morning I have found myself rejoicing in the Lord. No matter what is going on in our lives if we have a relationship with Jesus we should be rejoicing! The key is to keep our focus on Jesus and off of the world or ourselves!
So are you rejoicing this morning? You should be for God is good!
Tom
Philippians 4:4
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
As I am sure you do I rejoice in the Lord often. But there is a litttle word in this verse that makes a big difference. That word is always! If I examine my life this morning I can't honestly say that I rejoice in the Lord always! For example I am at home sick this morning as I woke up with a fever and have all that head cogestion junk going on. It is very hard to rejoice in the Lord when you are sick. As I thought about this though, being sick in no excuse not to rejoice because as I look around I am blessed way more than I deserve. My cold is nothing compared to someone who is batteling cancer. The more I thought about this the more I began to rejoice in the Lord. For rejoicing in the Lord should have nothing to do with how I feel but it should be based on the love I know my Savior has for me. Jesus proved that by taking my place on the cross so I can have eternal life. Thank you Jesus!
As I am writing this devotion this morning I have found myself rejoicing in the Lord. No matter what is going on in our lives if we have a relationship with Jesus we should be rejoicing! The key is to keep our focus on Jesus and off of the world or ourselves!
So are you rejoicing this morning? You should be for God is good!
Tom
Monday, March 15, 2010
Want a crown?
Good Monday Morning to you. On Friday in the devotion we talked about fighting the good fight, finishing the race, and keeping the faith. Today I want you to see what lies ahead after you do these 3 things!
Read this verse:
2 Timothy 4:8
8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
That crown is out there for all of us! Can you imagine standing before the Lord and having Him place a crown on your head??? WOW! Let me remind you though at this point receiving this crown is not easy! It is hard work following after Christ and living a righteous life. As Paul stated in verse 7 in talking about the good fight! It is a fight no question about that. I think this verse shows how much God really loves us. The reason I say that is that no matter how faithful we are to Christ we are not worthy of a crown but God will give a crown to the righteous and we are only righteous through the shed blood of Christ! Once we receive this crown we will just lay it down at His feet for He alone is the only One worth to be King!
So do you want a crown? There is nothing stopping you! Surrender all to Jesus today!
Tom
Read this verse:
2 Timothy 4:8
8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
That crown is out there for all of us! Can you imagine standing before the Lord and having Him place a crown on your head??? WOW! Let me remind you though at this point receiving this crown is not easy! It is hard work following after Christ and living a righteous life. As Paul stated in verse 7 in talking about the good fight! It is a fight no question about that. I think this verse shows how much God really loves us. The reason I say that is that no matter how faithful we are to Christ we are not worthy of a crown but God will give a crown to the righteous and we are only righteous through the shed blood of Christ! Once we receive this crown we will just lay it down at His feet for He alone is the only One worth to be King!
So do you want a crown? There is nothing stopping you! Surrender all to Jesus today!
Tom
Friday, March 12, 2010
One of my Prayers.
I have read this verse and heard many preachers preach on this many time. Read it below:
2 Timothy 4:7
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Paul is telling Timothy here about the life Paul has lived. This is one of my own prayers. I pray when my life comes to an end I can say these same words. Paul is not boasting here he is just stating a fact to young Timothy and pleading with him to live his life in the same manner. So let us examine what is being said here. "Fought the good fight", is there such a thing as a good fight. There sure is! We are in a Spiritual battle and as followers of Christ we have to battle every step of the way. From scriptures we can see there is no doubt Paul batteld all who were not of the way. We need to ask ourselves are we fighting the good fight? Next Paul says "I have finished the race". We are in a race in life to do all we can for Jesus. I want to say Paul did all he could and more but that would not be accurate. I bet Paul missed some opportunities after all he was human. But Paul did an amazing job and I would say He has done more than most for the Kingdom of God and He did finish the race. When we finish our race will we be happy with what we have done for our Lord and Savior? Finally Paul says "I have kept the faith". If anyone can say this it would be Paul. When we look at his life and the trials and tribulations he endured for his faith it is truly amazing. Beaten, imprisioned, ship wrecked, snake bit, persecuted and on and on. But yet this man said He counts all his sufferings as joy in serving the Lord!!! Wow! Paul kept the faith! Are we keeping the faith? We probabaly will never face what Paul did but we still struggle to keep the faith day in and day out. We can do it in the strength of Christ my friends!
So I pray today that you will join me in asking God to help us, fight the fight, finish the race, and keep the faith for the glory of the Father.
Have a blessed weekend and keep your eyes on Jesus!
Tom
2 Timothy 4:7
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Paul is telling Timothy here about the life Paul has lived. This is one of my own prayers. I pray when my life comes to an end I can say these same words. Paul is not boasting here he is just stating a fact to young Timothy and pleading with him to live his life in the same manner. So let us examine what is being said here. "Fought the good fight", is there such a thing as a good fight. There sure is! We are in a Spiritual battle and as followers of Christ we have to battle every step of the way. From scriptures we can see there is no doubt Paul batteld all who were not of the way. We need to ask ourselves are we fighting the good fight? Next Paul says "I have finished the race". We are in a race in life to do all we can for Jesus. I want to say Paul did all he could and more but that would not be accurate. I bet Paul missed some opportunities after all he was human. But Paul did an amazing job and I would say He has done more than most for the Kingdom of God and He did finish the race. When we finish our race will we be happy with what we have done for our Lord and Savior? Finally Paul says "I have kept the faith". If anyone can say this it would be Paul. When we look at his life and the trials and tribulations he endured for his faith it is truly amazing. Beaten, imprisioned, ship wrecked, snake bit, persecuted and on and on. But yet this man said He counts all his sufferings as joy in serving the Lord!!! Wow! Paul kept the faith! Are we keeping the faith? We probabaly will never face what Paul did but we still struggle to keep the faith day in and day out. We can do it in the strength of Christ my friends!
So I pray today that you will join me in asking God to help us, fight the fight, finish the race, and keep the faith for the glory of the Father.
Have a blessed weekend and keep your eyes on Jesus!
Tom
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Preach!
It is all of our jobs to preach the Word! Look at these verses:
2 Timothy 4:2-4
2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
Here Paul was telling young Timothy to preach the Word! We are to do the same. God wants us all to share the truth with others. In verse 2 Paul tells us to be ready at all times. Look at some of the words Paul uses to Timothy...convince-proof of the truth is in the Word. Show others what the Word says. This is why it is very important why must learn our Bibles. Rebuke-when others or ourselves are doing wrong we must be rebuked. BUT we must do this as the Bible tells us, rebuke gently and with love. If done in any other way it will not be absorbed by the one you are talking too. Exhort-means urge, advise, use caution...following God's Word is hard and we must exhort one another and keep each other accountable. Longsuffering-means to be very very patient even when the other is resisting you in doing right. In this area think of how we agonize God and He is still loving and patient with us...this is how we must be with others! Teach-we must instruct. So many don't have a clue what the Bible says, it is our job to teach them.
Verses 3-4 describe our Nation and World right now! People learn and believe what they want to be right not what the Word of God teaches. What or ears want to hear we now have teachers who will fill them with that wrong imformation. When told the truth they makes excuses and tell us we are judging them when in reality God's Word is judging them not us. Then they turn back to their lies and continue to live in their sin.
So let me ask this morning...are we preaching God's Word. Are we holding strong to the way God's Word tells us to preach as described in verse 2? My friends it is not easy but we are commanded to do so. It is not just the preachers job to share the Word...it is everyones who calls themselves a follower of Christ!
Have a blessed day and share Jesus!
2 Timothy 4:2-4
2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
Here Paul was telling young Timothy to preach the Word! We are to do the same. God wants us all to share the truth with others. In verse 2 Paul tells us to be ready at all times. Look at some of the words Paul uses to Timothy...convince-proof of the truth is in the Word. Show others what the Word says. This is why it is very important why must learn our Bibles. Rebuke-when others or ourselves are doing wrong we must be rebuked. BUT we must do this as the Bible tells us, rebuke gently and with love. If done in any other way it will not be absorbed by the one you are talking too. Exhort-means urge, advise, use caution...following God's Word is hard and we must exhort one another and keep each other accountable. Longsuffering-means to be very very patient even when the other is resisting you in doing right. In this area think of how we agonize God and He is still loving and patient with us...this is how we must be with others! Teach-we must instruct. So many don't have a clue what the Bible says, it is our job to teach them.
Verses 3-4 describe our Nation and World right now! People learn and believe what they want to be right not what the Word of God teaches. What or ears want to hear we now have teachers who will fill them with that wrong imformation. When told the truth they makes excuses and tell us we are judging them when in reality God's Word is judging them not us. Then they turn back to their lies and continue to live in their sin.
So let me ask this morning...are we preaching God's Word. Are we holding strong to the way God's Word tells us to preach as described in verse 2? My friends it is not easy but we are commanded to do so. It is not just the preachers job to share the Word...it is everyones who calls themselves a follower of Christ!
Have a blessed day and share Jesus!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
I AM!!!
These verses are so powerful!
John 8:57-58
57 Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”
58 Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”
Here once again the Jews are trying to prove Jesus isn't who He says He is. Of course to the Jews Abraham was a leading figure in their faith and they were saying you claim to have seen Abraham? You have a demonl to say something like that!!! Read the previous verses to 57-58 to see that part. Then look how Jesus replies "before Abraham was, I AM! Wow! Those are some powerful words. Jesus has always been! Guess what happens next...the jews pick up some stones and are going to kill Him but He walks right through the middle of them and passes by. Jesus was protected by God.
What I want us to grasp this morning is who we are serving. The I AM. Jesus faced persecution everyday once He started his ministry. Jesus tells us plainly in His word that when we follow Him we will also face persecution. Let me tell you my friends it will all be worth it in the end! When we dwell with Jesus, The I AM, for ever and ever what we are going through now will be of little relevance.
So let me remind you this morning....live for the I AM today and you will never regret it for Jesus is coming soon....are you ready for the great I AM???
Pray my friends...we have so many who are not ready.
Tom
John 8:57-58
57 Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”
58 Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”
Here once again the Jews are trying to prove Jesus isn't who He says He is. Of course to the Jews Abraham was a leading figure in their faith and they were saying you claim to have seen Abraham? You have a demonl to say something like that!!! Read the previous verses to 57-58 to see that part. Then look how Jesus replies "before Abraham was, I AM! Wow! Those are some powerful words. Jesus has always been! Guess what happens next...the jews pick up some stones and are going to kill Him but He walks right through the middle of them and passes by. Jesus was protected by God.
What I want us to grasp this morning is who we are serving. The I AM. Jesus faced persecution everyday once He started his ministry. Jesus tells us plainly in His word that when we follow Him we will also face persecution. Let me tell you my friends it will all be worth it in the end! When we dwell with Jesus, The I AM, for ever and ever what we are going through now will be of little relevance.
So let me remind you this morning....live for the I AM today and you will never regret it for Jesus is coming soon....are you ready for the great I AM???
Pray my friends...we have so many who are not ready.
Tom
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