II Timothy 2  There appears to have been a great struggle in the early church.. a struggle with "worldly and empty chatter;".. with false teachings.. with empty and useless "speculations".. with foolish quarrels.   Paul calls Timothy to be diligent.. " to present yourself approved to God as a workman.. handling accurately the word of truth." 

This was not an easy task for Timothy .  He had to be willing to "suffer hardship's"  just like Paul... as a faithful soldier of Christ Jesus.  As Christ's soldier, he was to work to please Him, not the world.  As an athlete, Paul says, works for the goal of winning the prize.. Christ's followers will compete according to the rules,  for He calls us to walk in Truth.  As a farmer works hard so that he can partake of his crops, a follower of Jesus will be diligent in living according to the truth, so he can receive all that Christ promises .  To go astray from the truth of the gospel, is to leave the firm foundation.. to fall into Satan's hands once again.


The truth, Paul says, is that Jesus died and we died with Him.  Jesus rose, and we rise with Him.
We will endure in Him and reign with Him.
But if we deny Him, He will deny us.
He is faithful, even when we are not.

"The Lord knows those who are His". We can trust Him fully. So, we must leave all wickedness behind and "pursue righteousness, faith, love,  and peace, with those who call upon the Lord from a pure heart." 

Our lives reveal what our hearts hold on to... so when we hold on to the Truth.. we can "be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting this who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth.... " 

Father in heaven, You are the only True God and You have graciously given us the Word of Truth.  Let us know Your Word clearly, diligently studying and meditating on the Truth, rebuking all falsehoods, distractions, and wickedness.  Fix our eyes on Your Beloved Son, Jesus Christ who is the Savior, the Living Word,  the One who died for us and in whom we have True life.   Rekindle the fire of faith in each of  us today I pray. Amen.

II Timothy 1   This is Paul's last letter.. and he sends it to Timothy,  whom he calls "my beloved son".

Paul leaves Timothy with a "clear conscience" and a thankful heart.  He longs to see Timothy again, but if that does not happen, he wants to leave him with words to encourage and build him up in faith.

Paul reminds Timothy of the "sincere faith" of his grandmother and mother.. and that he also has in him.

Paul reminds Timothy that he was given a "gift of God", and that he needs to keep it kindled afresh... stir up the fire.. the King James version says.  Keep the fire.. the gift of God.. alive and burning!

Paul reminds Timothy that the Spirit of God is not a "spirit of timidity" or fear.  The Spirit given to us is one of "power and love and discipline... "  ( self-control).

"Therefore"  Paul reminds Timothy, " do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me..."
Suffering for the gospel is not something to be afraid of or ashamed of, instead.. it is "a holy calling".
It is part of God's "own purpose and grace.. which has been granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity."

Paul reminds Timothy that Jesus Christ "abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel".. and it is for this reason he is suffering.. " 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. " 

This strong and clear testimony from Paul, in prison, facing a death sentence.. reminds Timothy and us, that no matter what circumstances we face.. we can remain steadfast in faith, with peace in our hearts, knowing that God has us in His Hands and will fulfill His good and perfect will in us.

Two final reminders in this chapter... "Retain the standard of sound words.. in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus".  And, " Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you. "   Both of these point to how vital it is that we base our lives on the Truth of God's Word.. which is the "sword of the Spirit".

By the power of the Holy Spirit who manifests Himself in us, we stand firmly and with clear consciences on the Truth of God's Word, in faith and in love, through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Father in heaven, may we stir up the flame of faith and love in our own lives.. remembering that You are able to keep us and live in us, and use us for Your purposes.... until that day when we will finally be made whole in Christ Jesus our Lord. Have Your own way in us today I pray, in Jesus' name . amen.

I Timothy 6  Paul instructs and encourages Timothy in this letter to "fight the good fight of faith".. 
It is another way of saying.. walk in a manner worthy of our Lord's calling.  

Every exhortation and command here unveils a clear picture of what that looks like...

v1  - treating others with honor.. "so that the name of God and  our doctrine may not be spoken against."

v2  Serving  fellow believers, even those who are masters,  out of love and respect, not taking advantage of a position of brotherhood in Christ.

vs 6-8  Being content with what we have ... seeking godliness by walking in truth, not for worldly gain.

v9-10  Having a proper and godly view of money so that we don't fall into the temptation of loving money more than God.

v11 " But flee from these things, you man of God: and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance  and gentleness."  

v12-14  ".. take hold of the eternal life to which you were called... keeping the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ." 

v17-19  Fix your hope.. on God " who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy... do good.. be rich in good works .. be generous and ready to share..  storing up.. the treasure of a good foundation for the future... "  Taking hold of "that which is life indeed." 

v20  ".. guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called 'knowledge '" . 

Father in heaven, "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 [You] be honor and eternal dominion ."   It is to You that we come and bring our prayers and petitions, in faith, and in obedience.  For we desire that Your good and perfect will be done in us, for apart from You we can do nothing.  We fix our hope on You, our God and Master.   May Your Holy Spirit fill us so that we can fight the good fight of faith, walking in a manner worthy of our calling by You into the Kingdom of the Beloved Son.. in righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance  and gentleness.. with contentment and grace.  We choose to take hold of that which is true life.. eternal life, through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ who gave Himself up for us.  With all praise and thanksgiving we come before You now, in His name. Amen.

I Timothy 5

Timothy faced many challenges.. as most, if not all, pastors do as they seek to lead in their churches.
Paul gives some guidance as to how to handle a few of these challenges.

Verses 1-2  address the relationships between the pastor and his congregation - in essence, Paul advised Timothy to consider older men like he would his father,  younger men like his brothers, older women like his mother and younger women like sisters.  This close relationship was to be "in all purity"... respectful, loving, kind, and sacred.

Verses 3-16 address how to handle the needs of widows.   There were some who were "widows indeed" .. they had no help and no hope outside of the church.  They had been "left alone" and "fixed [their[  hope on God".  She would continually pray,  have a reputation for good works, and be "above reproach".   These women would be put on "the list" and receive help from those in the church.

Other, younger widows, faced the temptation of wanting to find another husband.  If they remarried and continued to do what is right, then that was very good.  But, if they failed to live for the Lord.. either by giving into "sensual desires", gossiping, being a busy body, or otherwise wasting their lives... then they would not be eligible to receive help from the church.

 In either situation, if the widow had family that could help, then they should receive help from them so that those who had no other help would be able to get the help they needed.

Verses 17-25 speak about other church leaders.  If they did well, they were to be honored and paid.  If they were accused of wrong doing, that had to be properly attested to with more than one witness.
If they were sinning, then a public rebuke could be necessary.

A leader like Timothy needs to be impartial.  They need to be careful to appoint mature believers into places of responsibility.  They need to be aware that a sinful lifestyle is not always evident up front.. but that it will not remain "concealed".

All of these things may not apply to modern day churches.  I don't know if any churches have a widow's list... But, there is a reason this letter has been given to us...  We need to pray for our pastors and leaders in our churches.. that they might wisdom in dealing with the people in their congregations.  Many come to churches with great needs.... and some come just to see what they can get...  Some come and try to gain a position of power so that they can take from the church.. But, some come to serve and glorify the Lord.  There is a time and place for discernment and even judgement as a church's pastor.  May God give him great wisdom and insight for the work that he is called to do.

Father in heaven, I pray today for the pastors of my church and for those in this community.  May they seek You always, be filled with Your Spirit and faithful in their walk with You.  I pray for our church family.. for those who are struggling with physical, emotional, financial, and spiritual challenges. Grant our pastors the strength to come alongside these ones with grace and truth. Keep them from partiality and from pride.  I ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

II Timothy 4   Paul reminds us once again that we are in great need of God's Truth.. " constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine.. " 

Our culture, like that of the ancient world where Timothy served,  has infiltrated the "church" with :

"deceitful spirits"
"doctrines of demons"
"hypocrisy of liars"
"worldly fables"

They may call themselves "Christians", but they do not live according to His Word, putting faith in works or falsehoods.  The only way that we can truly live for Christ is to be CONSTANTLY nourished in the Truth.. 

Paul gives us some important truths here that help us to keep on the right path.

Verses 3-5  We who " believe and know the truth" need to remember that God has created  all things.  "For everything created by God is good and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer."   We must not allow ourselves to be deceived by those who preach salvation by works.. abstaining from certain things, practicing self-righteous rituals... etc.   God is our Creator and our Provider.  We receive everything from His hand and we give thanks.  We acknowledge our absolute dependence on Him when we pray.  Jesus teaches us to say " Give us this day our daily bread".... a reminder that every day.. EVERY DAY.. He is our source of life.  

Verses 6-10  Paul contrasts the dependence of false doctrines on "bodily discipline"  with the truth that what we really must pay attention to is "discipline.. for the purpose of godliness".   Spiritual discipline is "profitable for all things, since it holds promise for this present life and also the life to come."   This is what we "labor and strive" for, Paul teaches.. "because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially believers. " 

Verses 11-16  Paul gives Timothy ( and us)  direction to  "prescribe and teach these things." 
Living a life as an "example of those who believe" - with spiritual discipline.. means our "speech, conduct, love, faith and purity" will reflect that of Christ, who is our life.  It is when we stay in His Word and are filled with His Spirit that He will be seen in us.    Paul uses some strong words to emphasize this:
".. give attention.. " v13
".. do not neglect.." v14
".. Take pains with... " v15
".. be absorbed in.. " v15
".. pay close attention to.. v16
 ".. persevere in.. " v16

In other words.. we must intentionally and diligently keep abiding in Christ and in His Word for our own salvation "and for those who hear" us, or see us....

Father in heaven,  I hear You calling us deeper into this abiding relationship with Jesus. Help us to not only want to.. but to do it!  Grant us strength by the power of Your Spirit to walk in a manner worthy of Your calling. Give us a hunger and thirst for Your Word and for Your righteousness.  Let Jesus be magnified in us and through us as we yield our whole selves to be Your servants.  We can do nothing, except what Jesus does in us.. and so we will cling to the True Vine and receive life from Him.  May Your good and perfect will be done in me, in us today.  We ask this in the Powerful, Beautiful Name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

II Timothy 3  This chapter is a very practical guide for church leadership.  Yet, these characteristics listed for overseers, deacons, and women, are exactly what Christ calls us all to have as we live by His Spirit and walk worthy of His calling.

Included here. we are called:

To be faithful spouses
To be temperate ( moderate, self-restrained)
To be prudent (having sound judgement and self-control)
To be respectable
To be hospitable
To be able to teach
To not be pugnacious( quarrelsome or combative)  or drunkards
To be gentle
To be uncontentious
To be free from addictions and love of money
To be good parents
To be humble
To have a good reputation
To have dignity
To speak truthfully
To be beyond reproach
To be faithful

To have a clear conscience.. and "a great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus."

Verse 16 "And by common confession great is the mystery of godliness:  
He who was revealed in the flesh, 
Was vindicated in the spirit, 
Beheld by angels,
Proclaimed among the nations, 
Believed on in the world,
Taken up in glory." 

In other words, we need to be "exceptional in the ordinary" things of life, by letting go of.. dying to our old selfish lives.. and being alive in Christ alone for He is the "mystery of godliness"!

Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus, our Savior, we come before You to ask that once again You will fill us with Your Spirit so that we can walk a worthy walk, pleasing You in all aspects of our lives.  May we honor You in our marriages and in our families.  May we live in dignity and be beyond reproach in our daily lives, reflecting the character of Christ, who is our life.  We pray this in the name of Jesus, according to Your Holy Word. Amen.

II Timothy 2   Paul teaches that prayer is vital.. in order for us to keep living in faith and purity and love .   He urges believers to make "entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings"  on "behalf of all men".. including kings.  Why?  ".. in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity." 

"This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." 

This passage always convicts me of my failure to pray for our government leaders.  I am generally disgusted with those who are in Washington.  They all seem selfish, greedy, and power-hungry.  But, that is so judgemental, isn't it?  And, we are commanded to respect them, love them, and pray for them... for God desires them all to be saved!

Lord God, help me to be more faithful in praying for our country' s leaders.

Paul again focuses on the importance of preaching the truth.  There is "one God and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony borne at the proper time." 

To live according to this Truth, Paul exhorts men to pray "lifting up holy hands without wrath and dissension."   Pure love, sincere faith, and a good conscience... absolutely vital!

He also exhorts women to live according to Truth.  Because we belong to Jesus, we need to honor Him by dressing with modesty and discretion.  We should be known for our good works instead of our extravagant wardrobe.  We should show respect for our husbands and others.  We should "continue in faith and love and sanctity with self -restraint." 

If the most important thing in "the sight of God" is for all people to be saved and to walk in Truth, then that should be the primary desire for every Christian man or woman.  All our actions, all our relationships, all our motivations, all of our lives... should reflect this ultimate purpose.

Father in heaven, transform us by renewing our minds with Your Truth.  Take us and mold us into godly, pure, sincere, and faithful servants.  We do pray for our country and those in positions of governing.  Bring them to the knowledge of Truth and salvation.  We petition You for their repentance and redemption.  May they bow before You and recognize Your greatness and authority over them.  May they humble themselves and turn away from their stubborn, unbelieving hearts.  May we be able to live tranquil and quiet lives of godliness and dignity. We give You thanks that You hear our petitions and that You can do all things!   Be glorified Lord!
We pray this in the name of our Mediator, Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.