Monday, October 24, 2005

Today Our Daily Bread 1 Tim 1, Rom 16:19-20 & Acts 17:6

Just in case-Please excuse me if I' not able to post in the next day or so. Got up early to get this one out- the storm has started, Am believing it won't hit too hard, but if power were to go out, I wouldn't be able to post...due to Wilma & its effects
Love 2 All!

The scripture passages were taken from Rock Church's suggested daily reading schedule for the month of October. Comments are from, ~Lena's Journalin'~, which are Lena's own personal notations on each days’ passages.
1 Timothy 1:1-20
Greeting
Keep the Faith of the Gospel
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope, 2To Timothy, a true son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.
No Other Doctrine
3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia--remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, 4nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith.
5Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, 6from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, 7desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm. 8But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, 9knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, 11according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust.
Glory to God for His GraceR2
12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, 13although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 14And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.
15This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. 16However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.
17Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, F7 be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
Fight the Good Fight
18 This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, 19having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, 20of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.
Footnotes
F7: 1:17 NU-Text reads to the only God. Show cross-references R2: cf. Acts 8:1-3; 9:1-19

~Lena’s Journalin’~
What makes one a true son, in the faith? I’m sure there are many things, some I think of are: growth, maturity, continuance in covenant, a participator, and one who has and calls one a Father.
A son is not a son without the active presence of a father. This "father" could be a father figure, or a mentor, but it is a continual influential presence. A child can be birthed by a male’s initial influence, but without the continued nuturing of a "father" the child can remain a "child", for his whole life. Maturity comes with accountability and continual training by example. Someone bigger has to show us the Father, as Jesus did. If we are left to ourselves, we are children in levels of maturity. This is so important to the growth of one’s faith. We must grow up, by following others who "father" us, so that we can also "father" others. This is God’s Divine plan. Jesus came to show us "The Father", this is also the mission and goal of every disciple. Without this we are very shallow in our faith-walk, and we do not grow much in our faith. Ever meet an adult who was not "fathered", has no accountability to anyone, is not teachable, is very self-made, doesn’t need anyone, thinks and acts-"me, me me-ish"? They may have celebrated so many birthdays each year, but that does not mean they are matured sons. True son-ship can only come through yielding one’s life to another’s life.
Just a side note here: Macedonia, means to expand (Isa 54:3-4), Paul says-I urged you, when I went on to (expand God’s kingdom) Macedonia, remain in Ephesus (where you are "permitted" to be). Our pastor preaches on the Elementary Principles in Hebrews 6. It speaks of the elements and foundations of our faith, it says we can "go on to perfection (which is completion or the process of completion of the next "level") if God so permits…He’s the one who gives the "A-O-K", the charge to go on, because we are faithful at each level of growth and maturity. He is calling us towards Macedonia- or expansion of our faith and of taking ground for His kingdom. We fulfill that cal by purposing to grow, never staying where we are at, never being too satisfied to just stay there and not go on, yet staying there long enough to learn all we can so that we can go on to the next place in Him strong and well equipped. This is not about failure or being tested so much as it is about being drawn to become more and more as He is, and being willing to grow and be submitted to the process.
Dear People, please lay down religious thinking. Pick up LOVE, love motivates and keeps us maturing. Religion deceives us in telling us we have arrived somehow and now can tell others how much they lack being where we are. Love grows, matures and shares that route out of deep concern for the progress of the beloved, not to show one up on you, as in a contest, but to share the joy of growth for the benefit of others. The law may be needed to initiate this process and get us to the goals set before us, but grace truly gets us there as the revelation of His love also leads us there and then keeps us there. We do what we do, not because we are made to. We are freewill beings realizing that the power of our wills is exercised by choosing life and love, because we want to, not because we have to. There is no real power in rebellion. It exercises a power that divides, but its effect is temporary and will be dealt with by God in eternity’s light. The eternal power of life is contained in love.
Just to touch on verse 20. "Turned over to satan"…Please listen, satan IS the god (little"g") of this world. When we do not decide to follow God’s will, we serve satan’s, by process of elimination. The Lord said, we cannot serve two masters, if we are not with Him, we are against Him, etc. I truly believe people are drawn to God by the prayers of others, and by the covering of grace of the request of others. I believe if a believer will gird another up, he is girded up, or "shielded, kept, protected" until a time when he must decided for himself. There is grace extended towards that person to become a believer in Christ. When that happens the person receives his own grace to grow. At first the grace is there because another decided to pray for them and extend love towards them. When the revelation of the love of God is received, there is a certain grace that helps the person grow and as they grow grace is extended. All of this happens through free-will choices. When or if the person, through their own free-will, decides to come outside of the extended grace, through stubbornness of the will or disobedience to growth or outright rebellion to God, they are back in the territory of God’s enemy, satan. They are no longer under the hand of God or grace of God extended over them, due to their own choices made. By process of elimination, if not under the "hand of God", then who’s hand is one "under"? Where were we when we first came to believe in Him? Under who’s hand? We were involved under satan’s hand, yet in that place we were able to be drawn by God, that place may have led us to God. We were in rebellion there, yet the pain of the consequence of rebellion actually brought us to the saving of our souls! It would be the grace of God if in rebellion we were brought to salvation. At least we were not yet dead in the flesh, but still had time to repent. Sometimes we need a clearer view to even really appreciate what we had. Maybe our rebellion put us in that place, but if we are able to see there, so be it and God be glorified!
Romans 16:19-20 19 For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil. 20 And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
Acts 17:6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, "These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.