Thoughts on Life and Leading

Happy 25th Birthday, Jessica! Hope you have the best b’day ever! We love you.

These questions connect with our new message series at Maranatha: Fighting 4 Your Marriage. Whether or not you are involved in the series, work your way through these…

(ask yourself, not your spouse)

1. Is my marriage worth fighting for?
2. Am I 100% committed to making my marriage work?
3. Do I put my spouse before myself?
4. Do I bear any responsibility for the issues that my marriage is facing?
5. Am I willing to put in the work necessary in order to have a healthy marriage?
6. Am I willing to sacrifice in order to make my spouse happy?
7. Is God first in my marriage?
8. Can God heal my marriage?
9. Am I obedient to what God tells us about marriage?

If you answer “yes” to all of these questions, you are doing very well and your marriage is probably healthy.

If you find yourself saying “no” to any of the above, I would suggest charting a course of action:

• Reach out – to your spouse. Communicate your concern and desire for the health of your marriage.
• Work together. Stop fighting each other and start fighting as a team. Your spouse is not the enemy.
• Get help. Seek out a qualified (not a friend who only gets her advice from Oprah!) Christian professional to consult and work with. It will cost money but it is well worth the investment. Many times, financial arrangements can be made.
• Submit and commit to God. A marriage that is centered upon God and the principles He gives in His Word will survive. If you are not there yet, work on it!

Come to Fighting 4 Your Marriage. This week we talk about money. Next week we will discuss everyone’s favorite topic: Sex!

I am not especially fond of talking. I know that is probably hard for people to believe who hear me ramble for 45 minutes every Sunday. I speak because God requires it of me. When in a group, smaller or larger, I would just a soon someone else do the talking. It is not important to me to be the one doing the dialogue. Even when I am at home, it is no problem for me to not be real verbal.

That being said, I make a living talking. People expect me to have something to say. In fact, they tend to get a little nervous when I don’t say much. Lots of times in my life, I have heard comments like, “You sure are quiet, something wrong?” or “what are you thinking? You must have something to add to the conversation”. Truth be told, I would rather just be quiet sometimes.

That is not typical of a preacher in our culture. Lots of loud talking, that is pretty much what we are known for. I guess I am lacking some of the natural gifts that preachers are expected to posses, and I am OK with that. In fact, one of the more annoying tendencies of many preachers I know is the need to be the center of attention. I am not being critical of these guys, it seems to work for them. But I don’t need a microphone to be happy.

Someone said (James in the Bible), “Be quick to listen and slow to speak…” One of the leaders I respect most is Moses. This poor guy got stuck leading a bunch of rebellious, complaining people for 40 years through a nasty desert. And he got blamed for everything. They wanted to kill him. Talk about a tough gig! He maintained his integrity through it and had the honor of “speaking face to face with God as a man does with his friend”. But the thing is, he was a reluctant talker. He spoke when necessary but he was glad when his larger-mouthed brother did the speaking. And God seemed to be fine with the arrangement, in fact, the whole thing was His idea.

The next time you hear a leader waxing eloquent, enjoy it. When she or he drones on and on about what they think, appear interested. But if there is a leader who prefers to be the silent type, cut them some slack. Maybe they know what the infamous Run DMC said in the 1985 old-school rap: “You Talk Too Much! (You never shut up!)” They may just be tired of talking. They may have nothing to say at that particular moment. And they may be exercising some real wisdom. I think it was Abe Lincoln who said, “It is better to keep your mouth closed and appear as a fool than to open it and remove all doubt”.

I think I’ll go on a mission to reduce my spoken words and see what happens. Besides, nobody likes a bigmouth!

We are excited about our new series starting this Sunday at Maranatha. Fighting 4 Your Marriage is a three week teaching about how to survive the stress on our relationships. Notice the three topics: Money. Sex. Security. Should be good. If not good, at least interesting. If not interesting, at least it may raise some eyebrows.

Seriously, join us if you can. And bring a married couple that could use the help. Be looking for some interactive elements on this blog that connect with the series.

Ephesians 5:17 “Understand what God’s will is.” What does God want from you and for you? How long has it been since you pondered that idea? It seems to me that that we dismiss this question for times when big decisions need to be made, if we even consider it then.

So what might we be missing? The first part of the verse say, “don’t be foolish.” I suppose we have a choice, foolishness or living within God’s will.

Ephesians 5:10 “Find out what pleases the Lord.” This verse embodies the essence of the life of the Christ follower. This thought should direct all of our actions and decisions. This idea should provide all the incentive and motivation we should ever need.

“Find out”: it may take a while to discover, it is a process. But we must pursue it.

“what pleases the Lord”: What is it that brings joy to the heart of God? In a general sense, I believe it is our submissive heart that brings Him joy. Specifically, well, that is an individual as we are.

I encourage you, find out what Jesus wants for your life. Know what makes Him happy. And get on with it!

We enjoyed a very good Easter weekend at Maranatha. It is difficult to determine success in ministry, I believe that it is only in the long run that we will be able to measure whether or not things worked. In the short view, we had a successful season. If numbers mean anything (and they do because they represent souls), we succeeded.

Lots of people worked very hard in order to see the plans fulfilled. Our staff did a stellar job. The volunteers, and there were lots of them, worked diligently. We are grateful.

This stretch of ministry can be exhausting on a church. I think we did well. I believe that we gave our best. And I believe that we were faithful to preach and display the Gospel.

Jesus is alive! He lives in us. And we have plans to make Him known to as many people as possible in as many ways as possible.

Thanks, Maranatha, for making Easter 2009 awesome. Thanks, God for making Easter possible.

It is early Saturday morning and I can’t sleep. We had our Good Friday service last night, Clayton Watson did a phenomenal job bringing the Word. And although Clayton reminded us that Jesus didn’t stay on the cross or in the grave, as we observe Holy Week, Jesus is now “in between”. That is on my mind this morning.

Tomorrow will be lots of fun for the kids at our Eggstravaganza (massive egg hunt), as it should be. I think the kids know how to keep things in perspective.

And in 48 hours, some of us will be on the beach, getting set up for the Sunrise Service.

By noon on Sunday, the worship will be over and life will go back to normal for most of us.

I hope I recall the feeling of this “in between” morning. What Jesus did for us on the cross and in the tomb can’t be overlooked or overstated.

Profound.

This week, I finally got active on Facebook. I signed up a couple of years ago but wasn’t interested in taking the time to jump in. Since the church is now using it to communicate, I figured that it was time. It is a little more than I bargained for. It appears to me that there are lots of people with lots of time on their hands. And my question is: how do you handle friend requests from people with whom you do not want to be friends? Seems rude to ignore them. Seems dumb to accept!

On a much more logical note, we are getting all set for our Good Friday events tomorrow. Journey to the Cross is from 5-7 and then our worship service will begin. We are really excited to welcome Clayton and Linette Watson from The Sanctuary Church in DeLand Florida as our guests. Clayton will speak and I am sure that he will do an awesome job. He is a good friend and I really hope that lots of people come out to hear him minister.

Easter is here. It will be one of the best weekends of the year. For more info, check us out on our web site.

I’ve been away for a while, traveling and also trying to resolve some fairly serious computer issues. This post is coming via Letha’s computer so if there is a decidedly feminine feel to this, please forgive…

There has been lots of personal and professional activity of late.

We finished Quest, to the relief of many. Even with only approximately 20% participation, I think we accomplished some significant things. I KNOW that we were obedient to what God told us to do. That is a victory.

Letha and I were in Minnesota from Thursday to Saturday for my niece Kelly’s wedding. She married Kyle Berkness, a great guy we have know almost his whole life. I was honored to be able to conduct the ceremony. I love those guys and hope and pray for the very best for them.

Get this: while we were in MN, my nephew, Rich (named after me) was at Kyle’s bachelor’s party (playing paintball). He slipped and fell, landing on his head. He suffered a compression fracture in his upper back, tore ligaments in his neck and chipped a bone on his vertebrae. He spent a couple of nights in the hospital and is wearing a halo for 8-12 weeks. This contraption is screwed into his head in four places. He is very blessed that he was not injured more seriously. He is still in lots of pain, please pray for a speedy recovery for him. I have a feeling that God is going to be showing him some valuable things over the next couple of months.

This is Easter week, so our schedule is very full. We are working our tails off and praying a lot, trying to insure successful ministry this weekend. The measuring stick? Changed lives! A bit illusive and sometimes abstract but it is our goal, nonetheless.

If you are a part of the Maranatha family, I am asking you to step up. Do your part. Make sure that you reach out to people in your life. Share the power of the Resurrection. Live the abundant life that Jesus provides with His victory over death. Invite someone to a church service. Serve. I think we will see some great results.

In the mean time, I am considering buying a Mac but I am afraid that I would get a superiority complex over the lowly PC users. It would boost my cool factor, though.

grace and peace!

We made it through our 31 day Quest. Cover to cover of the New Testament. Let me wrap up some thoughts on the last half of The Revelation.

Chapter 12 of the Revelation contains some unusual imagery regarding events during the Great Tribulation and setting the scene for the introduction of the beast and the false prophet. Ch. 13 details these events. Needless to say, this will be one of the most frightening times in history. Revelation 13:10 says it well: This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints. In fact, this phrase is repeated a few times over the next couple of chapters. Chapters 15 and 16 contain the seven bowls of God’s wrath that are poured out by His angels. The seven are: painful sores on their bodies, seas turn to blood, rivers and springs turn to blood, the sun scorches people with fire, total darkness, the Euphrates River dries up, and incredible earthquakes, huge hail and natural disasters that destroy the people of the earth. Sounds like a picnic huh?

Chapters 17 and 18 include prophetic details of “Babylon”, those who are the enemies of God. She is completely destroyed by God and His armies. 19 Begins to transition into the time of complete victory by God. The war concludes. Chapter 20 contains details of the millennium period. The last part of that chapter gives details of the judgment of God upon people. Be sure your name is in His book. Revelation concludes with a beautiful description of heaven, the new earth and New Jerusalem. The entire sense of the book transitions and the focus goes to God and worship of Him.

Once again, you may wish to go over to Maranathachurch.org and listen to the message from yesterday’s service. I summarized the book and was a little more thorough in what I covered.

I want to thank you for reading the New Testament along with me. I hope your time was a beneficial as mine was.

I will add some concluding thoughts tomorrow.

Today, let’s read the first half of the Book of the Revelation (chapters 1-11)

As I am again reading through the book, I am struck again by the worship that takes place in heaven. Seems to me that this is the dominant preoccupation of heaven’s inhabitants.

The first chapter sets up the scene in heaven as John describes his experience. A very cool description of Jesus follows.
Chapters two and three are the characteristics and judgments of the seven churches. They are:
Ephesus: forsook their first love.
Smyrna: they were poverty stricken, yet really rich.
Pergamum: they remained true to God but did, however, allow false teachings of Balaam and the Nicolaitians.
Thyatira: they were sexually immoral.
Sardis: purported to be alive but were really dead.
Philadelphia: a door was opened to them that no one could close.
Laodicea: lukewarm and therefore despicable to God.

Chapter 4 is all about the throne of God and the worship of the Elders and living beings.
The next chapter features worship of the Lamb of God by every creature in all of creation.

Chapter six really begins the experience of the great tribulation. 7 seals were about to be opened and then seven trumpets were to blow. These are all judgments that will be poured out during seven years of tribulation. This continues through chapter 10 and in chapter 11, the two witnesses are killed and raised to life after three and one half days.

If you were not in our worship service on Sunday, you may want to take a listen to the message I preached on Revelation.

Tomorrow, the last day, we will conclude Revelation and the New Testament Quest.

Don’t panic, the books are brief.
Today we are reading the epistles written by John, as well as the little book written by Jude. These books are very practical and easy to apply. No need for lots of interpretation.

The book of I John deals over and over with the idea of our life as it relates to sin. He says that if we love God, we will not sin. Now that is a mouthful! The core of this message is that, if we do sin, we have an Advocate, Jesus Christ who speaks to the Father on our behalf (2:1). One of the more challenging verses on this topic is: 1 John 2:6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. We are also told in this book that God is love and it is impossible to grasp love without connecting to God. One of the greatest examples is given in 1 John 3:1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! On a very relevant topic, John tells us in chapter three that our love for God will cause us to help people who are in need. In other words, the expression of love for God is loving people. Love God, love others.

II John is a very brief book. He is telling us that it is possible to lose what we have been given, that we need to contend for our faith. He launches into the idea that people will come along to try to tell you that Jesus is not the Son of God. Don’t be fooled! We are not even supposed to hang out with these people, they are destructive and deceptive.

III John is also short. The purpose of this book is to be sure that we are walking in the truth. He discusses two guys, Diotrephes and Demetrius. The first guy was a hypocrite and was concerned only with his own selfish ambition. Demetrius was a good man and served as an example for others to follow.

Jude is a little more complicated book. It s basically a call to build up our faith so that we will not be destroyed by those who attempt to divide us. The key verses are: Jude 20-21 But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. 21 Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. The book ends with a beautiful doxology in verses 24 and 25.

Tomorrow, Monday, we will read Revelation 1-11.

Today’s reading includes two letters written by the church father and Apostle, Peter.

The first letter seems to focus on the idea that, as followers of Jesus, we may have to endure quite a few trials. In three different places (2:19-20, 3:17 and 4:12), he connects the idea of going through some suffering for the sake of Christ. In a nutshell, he is saying, expect it and be strong through it. A theme of I Peter is spiritual strength and stamina. He makes his applications in very practical ways, dealing with marriage and political/legal situations.

A few of my favorite verses from this book are:

1 Peter 1:13-14 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

1 Peter 3:15 Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.

1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

And one of my favorites as a pastor….
1 Peter 5:2-4 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers-not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

II Peter has a different focus. In this letter, he is concentrating on the idea of growing our faith. The directing verse is found in the end of the book: 2 Peter 3:18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The necessity of this growth is because of the evil that will lurk among us. There will be people who will try to change things up, switch around what we know to be true. Peter says that we should be aware of these guys and keep an eye out for them. If we are strong in our faith, we will not be fooled, and we will not be punished like they are going to be.

I really like his reminder/encouragement: 2 Peter 3:14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.

Good stuff from The Apostle.

Tomorrow, we hit it big, covering four books. Hang in there, just a few days left to complete the Quest!

Because of the nature of the book of James, I can’t bring myself to tell you guys how you should be living. It just seems to fly in the face of the essence of the book.

I’ll just speak to myself for a bit:

James basically says, “put up or shut up”.

If I need wisdom, which I do, I should ask God. He just may allow me to go through enough tests that I actually develop some patience. Once I have enough perseverance, wisdom will result. No shortcuts.

If I am poor, I am blessed, if I am rich, I am cursed.

I should be in a hurry to hear what others are saying. I should close my mouth. I should not get angry.

If I think I am holy but do not control what I say, I am fooling myself, but on one else and certainly not God.

If I think I am holy but don’t take care of orphans and widows in need, I am a phony.

If I like hanging around rich people because they are rich, I am a phony.

If I do not have mercy on others, God will judge me, withholding His mercy.

If actions do not reveal my faith, I have no faith.

If I call myself a teacher (leader), the bar is raised, more is expected of me by God.

My words can destroy people.

If there is bitterness and selfish ambition in my heart, I am being controlled by the devil.

I get to choose: friend of God or friend of the world, I can’t have it both ways.

If I come close to God and humble myself before Him, He will come close to me and lift me up.

My life will last only moments.

I should preface every plan with, “if it is the Lord’s will…”

If I am rich, I should plan on misery.

God is full of mercy and compassion.

If we pray for each other and confess our sins to one another, we will be healed.

If I turn a sinner toward the Lord, he will be saved from his sins.

That’s my application of James.

On Saturday, we will enjoy reading the letters written by Simon Peter.

There are six days left in our Quest, six blog posts on reading the New Testament.
Today’s reading is Hebrews 8-13. I will follow the pattern I set yesterday for the beginning of the book. The words you see are either underlined in my old study Bible or they are highlighted in yellow or orange.

8:6 But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises.

9:12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.

9:14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

9:15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance-now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

10:11-14 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. 13 Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, 14 because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

10:23-25 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
10:35-36 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

12:1-3 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

13:3 Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

13:2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.

13:15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise-the fruit of lips that confess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Tomorrow, the awesome book of James!

Rather than trying to summarize some complicated chapters, I would like to just mention a few of my favorite verses in Hebrews. These are the verses that are underlined or highlighted in my Bible. Reading them is not a substitute for reading the entire book. And they are by no means considered a summary of the book. Honestly, I am tired and I figure, what can I possibly add to the verses that they can’t say for themselves? (all verses NIV)

Hebrew 1:3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.

1:14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

2:1 We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.

2:14-15 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death-that is, the devil- 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

4:12-13 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

4:14-16 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet was without sin. 16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

5:12-14 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

7:24-27 but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. 26 Such a high priest meets our need-one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. 27 Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.

Tomorrow, we will do the same with the remainder of Hebrews. Join me, won’t you?

This is the lightest reading day of our series. It only takes a few minutes to read all of the books of Titus and Philemon. Yesterday’s reading also make today’s reading easier, as Paul deals with similar issues in Titus as he did in Timothy.

The letter to Titus is a letter to a man who was responsible to lead the churches on the island of Crete. Titus was to appoint local leaders and to “straighten out what was left unfinished”. This probably was a fairly difficult and frustrating job. It is usually easier to establish something the right way over correcting things that have gone wrong. This may be similar to a person starting a new church as compared to assuming leadership of an already-established church.

Specifically, Paul instructs Titus about qualifications for Elders and leaders in the churches. Elders, take another look at 1:6-9. The ways these letters teach us about our relationships in the church is remarkable. There is no getting away from our responsibilities toward one another, no matter our status. The end of chapter 2 is an encouragement to godly living, in light of the soon-to-be-revealed “blessed hope” of the church – the appearing of Jesus Christ. I noticed another mention by Paul about avoiding foolish controversies. Obviously, he thought debating about endless topics was a huge waste of time for church leaders.

Philemon is a letter from a friend, to a friend. This book has a few characteristics not seen in any of Paul other letters. This is strictly personal, although principles learned certainly apply to everyone who reads it. Paul is a reconciler, trying to patch up a relationship between Philemon and Onesimus. The latter previously worked for the former and it did not end well. Since that time, Onesimus had spent time with Paul and had gotten his life together. Paul was representing him to Philemon and asking for grace and another chance. Since Onesimus was now a believer and brother in Christ, Paul was of the opinion that the relationship could and should be different. There is a lot to be learned about forgiveness, new beginnings and reconciliation. Paul is pretty quick to point out that he has spiritual authority over both of them but does not wish to force the issue. He also reminds Philemon of their relationship and how we hopes for compliance. We do not know how the story turned out but are sure of Paul’s wishes in the situation. The lessons for us are obvious. Forgive, accept, get over it.

On Wednesday, we will read Hebrews Chapter 1-7. I want to commend you for your reading on whatever level. If you are reading one verse per week, you are taking in life-giving Good News. If you are reading every word every day, you are loading up on blessing and benefits.

These letters are written from a friend to a friend. But this relationship could better be characterized as a teacher/student relationship. Paul was Timothy’s mentor and coach. He writes respectfully but in no uncertain terms. He is a spiritual father to the younger, less experienced pastor. You can sense that relationship throughout the books.

Because of my particular calling, I have always been especially fond of the “pastoral epistles”, (the letters to Timothy and Titus).

In the early parts of the first letter, Paul instructs Timothy to stay in Ephesus for the purposes of structuring the church there on biblical principles. In the end of that chapter, he reminds the young leader about the words of prophecy that had been spoken over him at an earlier time. Chapter two is pretty controversial for our purposes. Most people aren’t really sure what to do with Paul’s teaching about women in the church. My suggestion would be, don’t ask me! Chapter three specifically lays out the qualifications of Elders and Deacons in the church. If there are any church leaders reading this post, review the qualifications and be reminded that our requirements are higher than those of others. Warnings of false teachers fills the first part of the next chapter and the section ends with a great encouragement for young people who find themselves in positions of leadership: 1 Timothy 4:12 Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. (NIV) Chapter 5 has much to say about relationships, communications and how we should reach out to widows. The final chapter is a killer for those of us who love money. Read it and weep.

II Timothy is a little more personal. Paul opens his heart to some issues he had faced. He reminds Timothy to follow his example: 2 Timothy 1:13 What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. For many years, I have utilized the following verse as a theme for my ministry: 2 Timothy 2:2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. Don’t you see the link of chains? – we continue to pass on what has been passed on to us. Over and over, we see Paul tell Timothy not to waste valuable ministry time arguing with people who just want to argue. I find these verses very helpful – I don’t like to spend time debating endless and meaningless topics. II Timothy 3 gives a stark picture of how people will behave in times like these. Timothy knows better than to fall prey to the traps of these times, Paul is simply reminding him. Now Paul concludes with more personal teaching: He charges Timothy with significant responsibilities. He also reminds the younger of his life and ministry and, in essence, says goodbye.

I hope you enjoyed reading through the “Timothys”. Tomorrow, we will read two brief books, Titus and Philemon.

Have a great day, or night, whatever the case may be!

In worship services today, Quest part 4 will take us from Hebrews all the way through Jude – a large section of scripture, to say the least. In our reading for today, we will go through the letters to the church at Thessalonica. Rather brief, but powerful books. By the way, my others reading has really taken a hit. I don’t think I have cracked another book so far this month!

These truly are books written by a friend to his friends. You can sense his compassion for and interest in their spiritual progress and development.

What could be considered a theme for the book of I Thessalonians is found in 5:11“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” Paul is encouraged by them and them by him – the concept of mutual encouragement is still valid today!.

Take a look at how Paul feels about them: 2:19-20 For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? 20 Indeed, you are our glory and joy.

You can see the heart of Paul for these guys, how we wished some many great blessings for them: 3:12-13 “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. 13 May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.”

A nice goodbye blessing: 5:23-24 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it”.

I will never forget, at a critical juncture in my ministry, when struggling as to whether or not I could fulfill God’s call on my life, an older brother in Christ looked me in the eye and quoted verse 24 – what a crossroads for me!

Use these words to build up others. Speak these words to the people about whom you care. Allow the Word of God to bring life to those we love.

II Thessalonians is certainly a sequel to the former book.

Paul further clarifies some of his teaching from earlier.
Chapter 2 is important teaching about the coming of Jesus Christ and the things that must happen prior to His revelation. Please notice how much of Paul’s writing covers this topic – appears as though this issue is close to the heart of God for His people.

In 2 Thessalonians 2:15, we see a valuable reminder. I think the reminder is based on his instruction about the coming of Christ: “So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.” We must see the value and necessity of holding on to the integrity of God’s Word and fighting for what is right and true.

The final chapter is a reminder to his friends as to how important it is for us to continue to work hard, be diligent, earn our way and remain productive. This is no time for laziness!

One more nice “goodbye blessing”: 2:16-17 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

We start the new week off on Monday with Paul’s two letters to his protégé, Timothy. We are on the home stretch now!!!