If you’ve been in any form of the military, or defended your country in any capacity…I want to personally thank you for your service. For I know many of you have never been recognized and appreciated for what you did. It takes a certain character make-up to be a good soldier…a certain firm stand and persistence to face adversity day in and day out…a certain firm determination to get the mission done. By the time Paul wrote this second letter to Timothy he was well acquainted with the life of a soldier…for he wrote this letter from prison. So Paul couldn’t help but watch the Roman soldiers as they worked around him…drawing inspiration from their mindset and resolve. This is why he exhorted Timothy to be a good soldier…enduring hardship, fighting the good fight, and holding on to his faith until his mission was accomplished.
Tag: II Timothy
II Timothy 4:3-4 ” For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”
There’s nothing more uncomfortable than the conviction of the Lord as He shines the light of truth onto our sinful lives. Conscience-stricken, we nervously look for a way to escape the situation and the guilty feelings that are overwhelming us. Humans don’t like feeling convicted…instead, we’d rather hear lovely, benign platitudes and feel-good stories that don’t offend. Over history, mankind has fabricated falsehoods in their minds…lying, deceiving fables and myths that go against the teachings of the Bible…but help to make them feel less guilty about their own forbidden and unrighteous desires. These fables and myths gloss-over doctrinal truth…rejecting the Gospel and deceiving the listener.
II Timothy 4:2 ” I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction.”
The term season in this Scripture doesn’t refer to a period of time …it refers rather to us. We need to be ready to share the Gospel with others whether we feel like it or not. If we only reached out to others with the Good News of Jesus when we felt ready and confident…we’ll probably not do it very often. And if we wait for some giant spark of inspiration or emotion to come upon us first…we’ll probably wait a long time, and meanwhile, miss many opportunities . One of my fondest memories of leading an elderly neighbor to the Lord was also during one of the lowest points of my life. Grief, sadness, and depression hung over me like a dark cloud when the Lord told me to go speak to this man. “Lord,” I asked. “I can hardly function as a human being, how can I possibly go and talk to this man about Jesus?” But I obeyed, and this man accepted Jesus into his life…only to meet his Savior later that day in heaven.
II Timothy 2:19 “…God’s solid foundation stands firm.”
Don’t fool yourself…if your motive for serving the Lord is anything but pointing others to Jesus, you won’t succeed. For any Holy Spirit empowered ministry has to have at its basis the cornerstone of Christ. Without that origin, you are out there under your own power…with lopsided purpose and motives. So ask this of yourself…Is my outreach to others self-centered or selfless? Is it about Jesus, or about me? Then listen to that still small voice inside for direction.
II Timothy 1:7 ” For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”
As a Believer, you have been given the Spirit of adoption and strength. No longer are you an orphan, fearful of tomorrow. No longer are you a slave to anxiety or dread, for you have been embraced by your Heavenly Father…taken in as family and becoming a joint heir with Jesus.
II Timothy 1:8 ” So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord…”
Do the people around you even know you’re a Christian? ” I’ll let my walk do the talking,” you might be saying to yourself right now. But do you know how many “good” people don’t know Jesus and are going to hell? To paraphrase Jesus in Mark 8:38, If you’re ashamed of Me, I’ll be ashamed of you. Why should we be embarrassed to tell others what Jesus has done in our lives? Our testimony…or our personal story of redemption needs to be something we’re so comfortable telling others about that it flows naturally like breathing. No one can take your testimony from you…it’s totally unique and the supernatural power it has can melt hardened hearts. Someone around you today needs to hear your testimony…it will change their life forever. Be brave and declare Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
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