{Reading The Book of Titus~Week 9}

The Church is Entrusted with the Truth of the Gospel: The church is Called to Holy Living

God called Paul as an apostle, He sent him as a messenger of Jesus Christ and entrusted him with that gospel. The word “entrusted” sticks out to me in this first chapter. I remember in 2 Timothy that Paul told Timothy to entrust the gospel to faithful men.

“The things which you heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” 2 Timothy 2:2

In this letter to Titus, I believe Paul to be doing the same thing. He has left Titus on the Isle of Crete and entrusted him to set in order what remained or correct the wrong doctrine and practices of the churches. According to chapter 1:10-13 Paul already knew about these men who needed to be corrected and he describes them as:

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{Reading the Book of 2 Timothy}

Guarding The Treasure: The Good News of Salvation

Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you. 2 Timothy 1:14

The days of Paul’s ministry are coming to an end. He finds himself in a cold cell {4:13} in chains {2:9}with no hope of deliverance {4:6}. According to 2 Timothy 1:15 all who were in Asia turned away from Paul except Onesiphorus who refreshed him and was not ashamed of his chains.

Paul is penning the last letter he will be guided to write. He addresses it to Timothy his true child in the faith. He encourages Timothy but at the same time urges him to stand firm in the faith, and to join him in suffering for the gospel. He exhorts him not to be ashamed of the gospel  nor to be ashamed of him because he is in chains.  I can hear him speaking to Timothy as a father or mother speaks to his or her own child as he says these words,  “Timothy I am in prison but the gospel of Jesus Christ is not imprisoned it is not chained. I am enduring all things for the sake of the elect, those chosen by God before the foundation of the world so that they may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus. Timothy, the gospel must be preached for the sake of the elect. Do not be timid, kindle afresh the spiritual gift that has been given to you and go forth with the true gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Do You REALLY Believe ALL the Scriptures?

Have you ever come face to face with the fact that you may not believe all that the Scriptures teach? Join me today at Satisfaction Through Christ as I discuss this topic.

 

Do you really believe all the Scriptures? I have been in church all my life. I remember going to church every Sunday morning, Sunday night,and Wednesday night. I remember being in Sunday school and participating in many years of VBS. I even taught Sunday School and VBS. I spent 14 years of my adulthood with the same people in the same church. I always believed that “I believed” everything that is written in Scripture. I  also believed everyone that attended church believed it too. I soon learned that just because someone

• goes to church
• says they are a Christian
• says they believe the word of God

{DO NOT ALWAYS BELIEVE EVERYTHING THE BIBLE TEACHES}

{Reading the Book of 1 Thessalonians~Week 5}

Message of encouragement: Knowing and Expressing our Faith

As I have read and re-read this book over the last several days I cannot help but think about the faith, the love, and the steadfastness of hope the Thessalonica church understood and expressed.  This church was conceived under much tribulation and that tribulation continued after its conception. I think we forget, we do not think about,  or do not grasp the fact that from the beginning of the church’s existence  it has been under attack. News Flash, persecution, and suffering will never cease for the church. This is not our home. We are aliens and strangers in this place.  Our call is to live victorious through Christ and call sinners to repentance amidst the hostility and persecution of the world. But as we can see through the words of this book we have a living hope and a gospel that comes with power!

{Reading the Book of Ephesians~Week 2}

Put on your armor because the church is under attack!

Paul went to Ephesus on his third missionary journey. He spent three years in this city preaching and teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. God was performing extraordinary miracles  through the hands of Paul. Many believed and were confessing and disclosing their ungodly practices, witchcraft being  one we learn about in Acts 19:17-20. We see in this same passage that many who practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of everyone. The word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing.