1 Timothy 4 Today for Our Daily Bread

Scripture selections are taken from the Rock Church Daily Bread Reading schedule for each month. “Lena’s Journalin’” are Lena’s comments on the specific passages from her Daily Journal.

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1 Timothy 4:1-16
Warnings against False Teachers
1Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from what we believe; they will follow lying spirits and teachings that come from demons. 2These teachers are hypocrites and liars. They pretend to be religious, but their consciences are dead. F11
3They will say it is wrong to be married and wrong to eat certain foods. But God created those foods to be eaten with thanksgiving by people who know and believe the truth. 4Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it. We may receive it gladly, with thankful hearts. 5For we know it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.
A Good Servant of Christ Jesus
6If you explain this to the brothers and sisters, F12 you will be doing your duty as a worthy servant of Christ Jesus, one who is fed by the message of faith and the true teaching you have followed. 7Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives' tales. Spend your time and energy in training yourself for spiritual fitness. 8Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next. 9This is true, and everyone should accept it. 10We work hard and suffer much F13 in order that people will believe the truth, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and particularly of those who believe.
11Teach these things and insist that everyone learn them. 12Don't let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you teach, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. 13Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them.
14Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecies spoken to you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you. 15Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. 16Keep a close watch on yourself and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right, and God will save you and those who hear you.
FOOTNOTES:F11: Greek are seared. F12: Greek brothers. F13: Some manuscripts read and strive.
Copyright Statement: Holy Bible, The New Living TranslationCopyright © 1996 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.
~ Lena’s Journalin’ Today ~
Who’s responsibility is it to avoid hypocrisy?
Should we point out someone else’s hypocrisy? Are we the watchman set to watch out for evil in others among us?
I’ve been with Christian brothers and sisters who are like eagles, looking for evil and finding some. Then when it is found, telling everyone around to notice it also. I used to think that could be a mark of a mature believer, because they were able to see what was wrong. I have since realized that it is good to know what might be wrong, but there is a very fine line in the motivation of that knowing.
My sister in law once asked her brother if he was able to see all of what he was seeing in and about others in and about himself. I have thought of that profound statement many times since. This is the way of truth, light etc. To know Him, and to make Him known in my life. To know Him and demonstrate Him in my life. To know Him and prove His power in my life. To show Him visibly to you.
There’s a friend of mine who has a saying- preach the gospel, and if necessary use words!
I was thinking of a joke we could use when teaching Children’s church. I imagined two of our cool adult “kids” doing a skit and whoopin’ it up, being goofey, one is examining the other, the other tries to get away. The one examining has a log beside their head, but they ignore that completely, they keep trying to see if there might be anything offensive in the other’s eyes, they find a small spot and reach to do something about it, as they hit the person in the head with their log. Then he says loudly, ”Stop a minute, I’m tryin’ to find your spot, so I don’t have to look at mine”. To be honest with everyone here, if we concentrate on looking at other’s spots and spend time searching high and low for spots, we’ll never have the time to deal with our own or even notice if we have any! THAT IS the point.
It is time for self examination like never before. It’s time to ask God to look inside, it is time to open up, become vulnerable, get cleaned and healed up, so that we can help the world, not see their spots, but change them by the power of love. Love’s power changes, it doesn’t just see or point out, it sees only for the purpose of bringing saving change, using words, only if necessary.
What will the world believe if they complain about hypocrisy? What will people of the hurting church believe, if they hate hypocrisy? Change. They will believe in change, they will believe the changed life they see. That is our responsibility before God, to live what we say, to prove what we say we believe.
We could preach Romans 12:1, offer to God a living sacrifice…but how do we live it? Do what we say. Do we give our hearts over to God personally? Do we sanctify our thoughts and give our thoughts over in exchange of His? Do we love as Christ loved? Do we forgive no matter what? Aare we kind to the unkind? Do we pay good to those who give us evil, or do we just act as anyone else in or out of Christ acts?
This is serious business here. The world will know us by our love. Everyone says people are hard to love and even in the church there are hypocrites. Who are we? Do we love? Are we Christians? Or hypocrites?
Do we love the house of God and His imperfect people, who are working as we are to become like He is?
Are we patient with others in their growth or do we put them down for not growing fast enough to become what wed like for them to become? Ouch!
Let us encourage one another in the Lord. Let’s pray for one another that healing power will help us get to a place where we can receive the love of God enough to be able to also give it.
Yesterday I was thinking of bondage and slavery and being under the rule of another. I’ve been taught in the church that it is good to be under authority, to come under authority, respect authority etc. It covers us to be under authority, and yes not all authority is nice or easy to be under, but when we trust God, He will deal with them, if they do not lead us correctly.
The Lord has helped me deal with my own rebellion to the misuse of former authority and to be able to come to a place where I accept and submit to those who rule over, I do it before God. It has taken me years to accept it, because of hurts of the past etc. Now I realize it is a test of my true faith in God and a test of my trust level in God. Anyway, I got a good understanding yesterday about the difference between being in bondage and slavery and coming under an authority. I realized the difference is enforced rule from and outside source, compared to and inward yield.
If I force you to do what the word say to do, that’s bondage. If you do what the word says to do, because you want to, that’s freedom. If you are told something true and you don’t want to do it, but you are told have to, it is best, and is” required” etc and then you do it even though you don’t want to, but you choose to, that is also freedom.
Freedom is found inside of the will of men. There is a story about a slave who was released into freedom, but he had such a love for His Master that he stayed and served anyway, even though he could go free. That man was free, because it was not inflicted upon him to stay, but he did stay anyway, he choose to stay. To others it may have appeared he was a slave, but he was free, and choose to be joined to his Master with all of the appearance of a slave to other’s eyes. The Master gave him the choice, as God does us. God will let us choose to go to hell if we want. It would tear His heart open, but His love is so great that He let’s us choose. We have the freedom to choose. This is the love we love each other and the world with, free will love. Why would they choose to follow us as we follow Christ? Our changed loving lives cause them to be invited to choose freely themselves.
More on being a bondservant in this awesome article!
http://www.hissheep.org/hebrew/the_law_of_the_bondservant.html


Daily Repetitive Verses:

Proverbs 27:17-19
17 You use steel to sharpen steel, and one friend sharpens another. 18 If you care for your orchard, you'll enjoy its fruit; if you honor your boss, you'll be honored.
19 Just as water mirrors your face, so your face mirrors your heart.
Psalm 122:1
1 When they said, "Let's go to the house of God," my heart leaped for joy.