Maranatha Grace Church

Hello:

Book of 2 Timothy Challenge – Day 27 – 2 Timothy 1  (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

⁶ For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, ⁷ for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. ⁸ Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, ⁹ who saved us and called us to^[a] a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,^{[b] 10} and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, (2 Timothy 1:6-10)

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (v.7). Most of the time we are like a person who is frantically searching for his glasses while the glasses are on his face. Very often, we ask, we pray, and we beg God to give us something that he has already given us. We pray for power, love and self-control while those things are already given to us. All we need to do is to receive by faith what God has already given to us.

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline (v.7). We need to act on the firm belief that the word of God is true. Asking for more power when we are not using the power that we already have would be a waste of resources. We already have it, we need to use it.

Let’s boldly share the gospel to our friends, our co-workers, our managers, our teachers, etc.., let’s share it to everyone that God has placed on our sphere of life. Let’s go out in love to pray for a sick person, and trust that the Lord will heal him. Let’s fan into flame the gift of God that is in us.

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of 2 Timothy Challenge – Day 28 – 2 Timothy 2  (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

²⁰ Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. ²¹ Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable,^[a] he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. (2 Timothy 2:20-21)

It would be a big surprise to know who is in the kingdom of God and who is not in it. A great house has many vessels, vessels of gold and silver, but also vessels of wood and clay. The kingdom of God has many Christians, spiritual Christians, but also carnal Christians. Some vessels have honorable use, some for dishonorable. Some people are available to be used by God, some people are not available.

Gold, silver, wood and clay are of fixed nature. Silver cannot turn into God, clay cannot turn into wood. But human beings can change. If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). A carnal Christian can become a spiritual Christian. “Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use (v. 21).”

God has good work for all of us to do. Not glamorous work as the world thinks. Good work such as healing the broken hearted. Good work such as visiting the sick, being there for a lonely older person. Good work such as giving a word of knowledge or a word of wisdom to a confused teenager. Someone has to do God’s work. The vessel sets apart as holy will be useful to the master of the house. God needs us!

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

Book of 2 Timothy Challenge – Day 29 – 2 Timothy 3  (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

¹² Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, ¹³ while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. ¹⁴ But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom^[a] you learned it ¹⁵ and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God^[b] may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:12-17)

As we read verse 12, we recoil in fear; no one likes to be persecuted. But it is a fact that, “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (v. 12).” Sometimes the persecution is external to us, this is the least troublesome kind of persecution, we get a break once in a while . Other times the persecution is internal to us, this is the most burdensome one, there is not respite since we live with ourselves.

Young Christians, people who are new in the faith can get very discouraged by the internal persecution. Before they became Christians, they seem to have lived their lives more joyfully, more carefree, on the surface seemingly happier. Before it was everything goes, now the soul wants to please God and there is a struggle. The Old Adam, our carnal nature, wants to take over our new life in Christ, and the persecution starts.

However, in the face of persecution we remember the words of the Savior, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:10).” Through our struggle a kingdom is given to us.  We turn to the word of God for strength and wisdom, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness (v. 16).”

May the Lord richly bless you!

Hello:

We have reached the end of our Book of 2 Timothy Challenge. Tomorrow we start the Book of Matthew Challenge for the next twenty eight days.

Book of 2 Timothy Challenge – Day 30 – 2 Timothy 4  (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: ² preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. ³ For the time is coming when people will not endure sound^[a] teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, ⁴ and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. ⁵ As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. (2 Timothy 4:1-5)

Long ago I used to attend an African American church in upstate New York. I was exposed to a style of preaching that I had never experienced before. A continuous back and forth went on and on between the preacher and the congregation. Men and women in the congregation would call out during the sermon, “Preach, preach pastor, preach.” And as long as the people were saying “preach” the preacher would not stop.

At first the experience was upsetting to me, but finally I got used to it. Maybe sermons need to be enjoyed by the people, good communication is a two way street. The pastor preaches and the people respond. But what should he preach, and how should he preach? “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching,” Paul urges Timothy (v. 2).  

Nowadays when we have at the click of a remote control a great number of very polished, media savvy preachers, does the local church pastor trying to be faithful to the Lord’s calling on his life stand a chance to touch his congregation with the full message of the Bible? It is the responsibility of the local pastor to do the work of an evangelist: Reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. Will we let him do that?

May the Lord richly bless you!