Beware of Man-Made Rules

120 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 4:1-3, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, 3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. ” So false teachers will regularly pop up in the church in latter days, who with seared consciences that have caused them to depart from the faith will hang their hats on man-made rules or legalism. They will rise up in the church and invent commands that are necessary to follow in order to be part of the Church...the Body of Christ. Remember this portion of Scripture is coming directly from the Holy Spirit who “expressly says,” (He gets very specific and prophetic about what these false teachings will be.) The two teachings mentioned are forbidding marriage and abstaining from certain foods. We aren't told who is forbidden to marry or what foods are forbidden, only that these prohibitions will surface in the church in the future and the sheep should watch for them, for they will serve as a red flag. These two issues of course are not the only calling card of false teachers but when these two showed up the Spirit tells the flock how to deal with them. As always in regard to false teaching we must go to the Scriptures. And the scriptures tell us that marriage is a good thing! Jesus consistently honored marriage with His teachings about divorce. His first miracle took place at a wedding, and in Heb 13:4 we read, “ Marriage is honorable among all, (Don't miss the word “all” here.) and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge. In the matter of food, it was made clear to Peter on a rooftop in Joppa that all food was acceptable to eat, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” (Acts 10:13) and we are told in these next verses of Timothy how God makes it clean: “nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; 5 for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. Got some food set before you? Then thank God and acknowledge that it came from Him and eat with a joyful and pure heart! While your at it, if you are married, share it with your spouse.

Given To Diversion From Absolute Truth

119 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,” I learned a new word today. According to the Strong's Concordance, the word “lies” here means, “”mendacious.” And mendacious means “given to divergence from absolute truth.” These false teachers seek to put two faces on the absolute truth of the Word of God, hence the word hypocrisy is used because a hypocrite is one who is “two-faced.” You can easily see why this is referred to as “the doctrine of demons,” because the original doctrine of demons was laid bare for all of us to see in the Garden of Eden, when the snake planted the seed of doubt in Eve's mind with those infamous words, “Did God really say?” This strategy is still being employed by the evil one and one only need to look around the church in America today to see it being played out. Did God really say this in 1Co 6:9,10? “ Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.” Do not be deceived! Do not be taken in by these false teachers who ignore these truths, and claim that this is not absolute truth! The truth is these sins condemn those who continue to live in them! But they don't have to, if one heeds the absolute truth found in the next verse! “ 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” These sins don't have to identify you! Turn to Jesus and allow Him to deliver you from their bondage and condemnation! The conscience of the church is being seared right before our eyes, and that is the natural consequence of those who play around with absolute truth! A seared conscience is one that has been rendered insensitive. It no longer can discern what is right and wrong. God help us! God raise up preachers and teachers who aren't afraid to say, “Thus saith the Lord!”

Doctrines of Demons

118 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,” The church will always be dealing with the matter of false teaching. Some of it so strong and beguiling that even the elect may fall for it and consequently fall from the faith. As Jesus said in Mt 24:24 "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. The “deceiving spirits” are those who have themselves departed from the faith having been beguiled by the “doctrines of demons,” (Doctrines straight from hell.) What are some of these doctrines? We get a hint from the Book of James as he refers to “demonic wisdom.” James 3:14,15 says, “But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic.” Teachings that involve “self-seeking” rather than “other seeking.” Teachings that appeal to what is “earthly and sensual.” These are things that sinful flesh long for, and are quick to grab when presented to us (especially by trusted Bible teachers, the kind that the Apostle John warned about in 1Jo 2:19 “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us;” ) These false teachers cater to the flesh in two ways. The first and most obvious way is teach that anything goes. Does your flesh envy something? Go for it! And fornicators, sexual, and sensual sinners of all types are given a green light with no restraints. The other way the flesh is catered to is by presenting laws (restraints) to the flesh that make it believe it can contribute to it's own salvation. This latter self-seeking is even more dangerous than the first. Both are deadly traps! Beloved, when fleshly temptations come, whether by legalism or cheap grace remember: Your flesh was crucified with Christ, buried with Him in baptism, and you no longer need to feed it with unholy sensual sins, or any kind of seemingly holy laws to aid in your salvation. Rather you need to feed yourself with the Spirit of Christ!

Seasons of False Teaching

115 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, ” The use of the word “times” here in the phrase “latter times,” is significant because it speaks of “seasons” or periods of time (rather than a single era of history) when people will depart from the faith as they give ear and credence to false teachings. One only has to look at church history to see the ebb and flow, the rise and fall of this phenomena. It's like the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. It was hot and heavy for a period of time (40 days) and then the devil backed off for a while. Lu 4:13 says, “Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.” These “latter times” are marked by a rise in people falling away from the faith because they give heed (hold their minds toward) the false teachings of deceiving messengers. These “false teachers, (deceiving spirits) are not outsiders. They rise up in the church and if possible deceive even the elect! The Apostle John wrote about these deceiving spirits, calling them “antichrists” who had appeared already in his day, and would continue to appear in the last hour, in which he and we now live! He said in 1Jo 2:18,19 “Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us. These little false teachers are only prepping us for the big show, the final apostasy that comes before the end. This is scary stuff! How do ordinary Joes, like you and I guard against falling for these deceptions? Two things. First of all, Jesus withstood the deceptive temptations of the devil by using the Word of God. “It is written!” He said, and secondly, John reminds us to continue with him and the other apostles, “if they had been with us, (he said) they would have continued with us.” In other words, stick with the basic teachings of the Apostles! My friend deceptive teachings are here. They rise and fall like the tides. Fight them with the Word of God and if you need to, circle back and continue with John and the other Apostles as you cling to their apostolic teachings!

The End Will Be Sudden

115 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, ” The Holy Spirit has a warning for the church as He reiterates some of what Jesus warned about concerning the Last Days. But what are the Last Days? Can we get some kind of a time frame in order that we might be better prepared? Personally, I think there can be no better preparation for the Last Day than to follow the advice of Jesus who said, “Watch and pray!” It's not so much about watching for the signs of the end as it is about standing watch over your faith! While we anticipate our Lord's soon return, we certainly don't want to be one of those who while waiting, “give heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,” and wind up departing from the faith! Jesus said this about “watching and praying:” Lu 21:34-36, "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35 "For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man." So, guard your faith, that you will be able to stand before Jesus on that Day! For it will come as a snare. Think about that! Have you ever seen someone caught in a snare? One minute you are walking through the forest enjoying the view, and the next moment you are hanging upside down by your ankles. That's how sudden and unexpected the end will be. We Christians ought to know that! We expect it to be sudden and therefore we must always guard our faith! This snare of the Last Day will come on ALL those who dwell on the face of the earth. No one is excepted! Therefore, watch and pray that when it suddenly comes, you will be found in the faith and worthy to escape. The snare has been set since the pouring out of the Spirit on Christ's church. The Apostles and the early church believed it could happen at any moment! And we ought to believe it too! Mankind is marching relentlessly toward it, and only God knows when He will spring it. Therefore: Watch and pray!

How To Test Words of Prophecy

115 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, 3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.” How reassuring to the church today, to know the Holy Spirit is still in the business of “expressing,” God's Words through prophecy. “Whatever HE hears He will speak,” (Jn 16:13) Something to pay attention to here is these words of prophecy, spoken through these prophets of Paul and Timothy's day, are first and foremost tied in directly to what Jesus said would happen in the latter days. These “words from the Lord,” spoken of here in Timothy, speak of the rise of false prophets, and what did Jesus foretell in Mt 24:11? "Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.” and in Mr 13:22 "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” The Holy Spirit isn't bringing some off the wall word to the church here. He is starting by reiterating something that Jesus had said earlier, and this is very important to note when discerning prophecy! We must ask ourselves this question: IS IT IN LINE WITH WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THE SCRIPTURES? You see, prophecy is always judged by the Scriptures as it is written in Isa 8:20, “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them,” and the veracity of prophetic utterances are also borne out when that which is prophesied actually occurs. . De 18:21 "And if you say in your heart, 'How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?' - 22 "when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him. We will do well if we follow these two rules, as we judge any and all “prophetic utterances” given today.

The Holy Spirit Is Alive and Well

114 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 4:1,2, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, (1 Tim 4:1,2) So good to hear from the Holy Spirit isn't it? Jesus had assured His Apostles on the night in which He was betrayed that the Holy Spirit would come to them and among other things would guide them into the truth and tell them of things to come! We read about it in Joh 16:13 "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” This portion of 1 Timothy is a beautiful confirmation that the Holy Spirit is indeed still with us and carrying out His manifold missions just as Jesus said He would. Jesus has not left His church orphans. The Holy Spirit is here guiding, foretelling necessary things, convicting of sin, and all the other things that Jesus said He would do! How was His presence manifested in this portion of Scripture? There is no mention of fiery tongues here, only the fact that He “expressly says.” The word means, “outspokenly,” “distinctly,” and it comes from a word that means a “pouring forth of utterance.” So the Holy Spirit has uttered through chosen vessels in His church, these words we are about to hear. He could've done it in plain language or HE could've done it with the gift of tongues with interpretation. We are not told the “how's” only the distinct specifics of the prophecy. Take heart from this passage my brothers and sisters! The Holy Spirit is alive and well, building His church through the exercise of the gifts that He has poured out on His church through individual believers, thereby equipping us to stand against the very gates of hell!

Sticking To the Basics

114 - 1Ti 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory. This is the creed of the early church and it is our creed as well. This is what we profess to believe as followers of Jesus Christ. It has a beautiful flow to it, much like the creeds we use in the church today. We believe that Jesus was and is God in the flesh. We believe that He is the sinless Son of God, justified in the Spirit, by His resurrection from the dead. We believe He was seen in a resurrected body by His angels, (personally selected and appointed Apostles) Who then were commanded to preach Him to the Gentiles, where many in the world would come to faith, and then this Jesus ascended into heaven, where HE was received up in glory. This part of the early church Creed should serve as a wake up call for the church of all ages. This is a reiteration of Jesus' last words to His angels as recorded in Mt 28:19,20, and in the Book of Acts. He said in Matthew: "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. And in the Book of Acts we read: Ac 1:2,3, “ until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, 3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. And then in v8,9, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." 9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.” This is what the early church believed about Jesus. Do we believe the same? Do we remind ourselves often of who Jesus is and the importance of the great Commission He has given His church? Never hurts to revisit these truths, does it? Never hurts to stick to the basics.

More of What We Believe About Jesus

112 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, This is the creed of the early church and it is our creed as well. This is what we profess to believe as followers of Jesus Christ. It has a beautiful flow to it, much like the creeds we use in the church today. We believe that Jesus was and is God in the flesh. We believe that He is the sinless Son of God, justified in the Spirit, by His resurrection from the dead, as the Apostle Paul stated in Ro 1:4”and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” He was seen by angels, the word “angel” here means messenger. Who were the “messengers” who saw Jesus? They were the Apostles. This declaration is more important than we make it out to be. Not only because these “messengers” or Apostles had a personal post resurrection encounter with Jesus, and serve as reliable eye witnesses, but they were all personally taught by Jesus and have handed His teachings down to the church. Much of these letters written to Timothy are encouragement from Paul to Timothy to continue steadfast in these doctrines and to be sure to hand them down to others. 2Ti 2:2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. It was this apostolic doctrine that was first emphasized in the early gathering of believers after Pentecost! Ac 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” These “angels” messengers have spoken and written in great depth of what it means to be a follower of Christ, and their words carry just as much clout as the red-letter words of Jesus as found in the Gospels. I think we would all do well to remember that fact. Just because it's not in red-letters, doesn't mean it's not a direct quote from Jesus. The words of the Apostles have been handed down to them directly by Jesus. Hear them church! Heed them!

This IS What We Believe About Jesus

110 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit,” This portion of Scripture is likely a creed of the early church. It's what they believed about Jesus and therefore it is what we should be believing about Jesus as well. First of all, they and we believe or assert that Jesus was God, manifested in the flesh. Next, they and we believe that He was “justified in the Spirit.” These first two declarations boil down to the fact that Jesus is the sinless Son of God! The word “justified” here is like a verdict. Jesus is declared to be fully righteous, ever without sin. We declare here that He is the “Just One” (completely innocent one ) spoken of in Ac 7:52 "Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One,” And in 1Jo 2:1 Jesus is referred to as “Jesus Christ the righteous.” Then in 1Jo 2:29 “He is righteous,” And in Ac 22:14 "Then he said, 'The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One,” And in Re 16:5 And I heard the angel of the waters saying: "You are righteous, O Lord, The One who is and who was and who is to be,” Well, you get the idea, Jesus is declared to be righteous by the Spirit of God Himself, and this declaration was obviously an important part of the message that the church declared to the world! “Jesus is the Christ, the sinless Son of the Living God!” This justification by the Spirit was further proved for us at His baptism when the Spirit descended on Jesus and God declared, “This is My Son in whom I am well pleased. And later on the Mount of transfiguration, when the disciples saw Him in all His pure glory and heard the Father declare again: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!" This Spirit revealed truth about Jesus is held dear in the heart of the believer who clearly hears the voice of the Father, while to the unbeliever the voice of the Father remains muffled thunder, as it was in . Joh 12:28 "Father, glorify Your name." Then a voice came from heaven, saying, "I have both glorified it and will glorify it again." 29 Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered.” “Jesus, the sinless Son of God.” Muffled gobbledygook to the unbeliever, but a crystal clear Holy Spirit revelation to those who believe. We are Christians and this is what we believe about Jesus!

It's What We Believe

110 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory. This portion of Scripture is likely a creed of the early church. It's what they believed about Jesus and therefore it is what we should be believing about Jesus as well. First of all, they and we believe or assert that Jesus was God, manifested in the flesh. This belief is first of all foretold in the Scriptures. The prophet Isaiah put it this way: Isa 7:14 "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. (Immanuel means “God with us.” This manifestation became a reality in our world through the virgin birth of Jesus to Mary as told to Joseph in Mt 1:20-23, 'But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 "And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." 22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us." In addition we have the testimony of the Apostles including Thomas who upon seeing the risen Jesus said in Joh 20:28, “My Lord and my God!" Further Jesus asserted this truth often in His time on this earth when He said things like this to the Pharisees in Joh 8:58, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM." in Joh 10:30 He said, "I and My Father are one." We believe Jesus is God manifested in the flesh because of the testimony of the prophets and eyewitness accounts of the Apostles as written in His Word.! It is a fundamental belief of the Christian faith, let us never forget it!

Unveiling the Mystery

108 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory. This portion of Scripture is likely a creed of the early church and right off the bat we learn of the importance of creeds. The Holy Spirit speaking through Paul says, “without controversy,” and the word means confession, and confession always carries the idea of agreement with it. When a party who is guilty of a crime is interrogated by police, they hope that they will get a “confession” out of him or her. A confession that says, “I agree with the charges against me.” In like manner, the Holy Spirit seeks to produce a confession with individuals that “agrees” with the basic tenets of the faith....the mysteries of godliness. When Peter responded to Jesus' question of “Who do you say I am,” Peter said “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and note how Jesus responded. Mt 16:17 Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” This basic, rock solid confession of Peter's that was wrought by God the Holy Spirit is the basis of Christianity. Christians acknowledge that Jesus is the Christ, (the Messiah) the living Son of God! Without that confession on our part, everything about the faith remains a mystery. And so we read here: And without controversy (or agreement) on the points or creed that follows, faith will remain a mystery. (Something not fully grasped) And these Holy Spirit convictions concerning Christ, are a gift of God (by grace) and taken on God-granted faith. They will always remain foreign to the natural man as it says in 1Co 2:14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Do you believe in this Jesus who was: “God manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.? Then thank the Lord, for the mystery of the faith has been revealed to you by the Spirit!

The Words of the Nicene Creed

108 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory. This portion of Scripture is likely a creed of the early church and may have been included in their worship services. I can picture the pastor saying : “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness.” And the congregation responding, “We believe that God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, and received up in glory!.” It is much the same as you might find in some churches today, when the pastor might say something like: Let us confess our faith together in the words of the Nicene Creed: And the congregation responds with: I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made. Who, for us men for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end. And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father [and the Son]; who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets. And I believe one holy catholic (the word means universal) and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen. Recited creeds are useful tools in helping people understand and declare the fundamentals of the Christian faith. Are they mandatory? Of course not, but knowing the fundamentals of the faith is very important no matter what your denomination, because they help stand guard against any intrusion of false teaching.

The Importance of the Christian Creeds

107 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory. This is an amazing piece of Scripture, and because the Holy Spirit speaking through the Apostle Paul includes it here, we ought to give more credence to the creeds of the church. Many scholars believe this portion of Scripture with it's six separate declarations was used by the early church much in the same way creeds are used today. But seriously, when is the last time you recited the Apostles Creed, or the Nicene creed, or the Athanasian Creed anywhere! These creeds were written during times of controversy in the Christian church. Times when false teachers had crept into the church, and theologians gathered and crafted them to help dispel heresies that had crept in. These creeds, like this creedal statement used by Paul dealt with the miraculous mysteries of the faith. In them we declare things that we Christians believe about God. They speak of things like creation, the virgin birth, the deity of Christ, His redemptive work on the cross, and the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The Athanasian Creed speaks to the mystery of the Trinity and it is a great read! Creeds are Reader's Digest forms of what we believe as Christians and as such should be taught to our children in such a way that they not only recite them, but they grasp a basic understanding of those things that are declared in the Creeds. These Creeds serve as a time tested guards against false teaching and go a long way in keeping our faith on point. Some shy away from the use of creeds because they feel there is a certain roteness to them, kind of meaningless chants. But I assure you, to the heart that has been quickened by the Holy Spirit through rebirth, every line strikes a chord with the Holy Spirit who lives in us and at the end of the creed, our soul shouts a glad Amen, with all the other gathered saints.

You Are Called To Be A Part Of A Local Body of Believers

106 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 3:14 These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; 15 but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. Paul is hoping for a personal visit with Timothy in the near future, but in the meantime he wants Timothy to keep himself busy or occupied with the things that he has written about in the preceding verses. That's the thrust of the word “conduct, ” it means “to busy oneself.” These things start with the admonition to guard against false teaching, and a reminder that the house of God is to be a house of prayer. Timothy should take care of this business, and further he is to busy himself with the matter of setting up the structure of church leadership, using the guidelines for bishops and deacons just set forth in the preceding verses. This is not to be taken lightly! The church is not just a building of mortar and bricks, rather it is a living organism of those who have been called out of the world by the gospel. Let us never forget, the Church is the Body of Christ and HE is the head! The local congregation (the house of God) is indeed the church of the living God, and it is foundational to the work of the Kingdom of heaven on earth. Is it perfect? Yes and no. It is perfect inasmuch as Christ is perfect, but it's imperfections show up in the fact that it is made up of sinners, and sinners don't always get it right. But don't let the imperfections of the saints keep you from connecting with a local body of believers! It is the pillar and ground of truth, and you and I are called to be a part of it! Timothy is to remember that fact as he busies himself with the business of planting churches. A church is described here as the house of God, and as with any house structure is needed. The materials used in a building must be of good quality. They must meet certain requirements, how much more then should the structure of the house of God be done in accordance with the stipulations found here in Timothy. Those who would plant churches would do well to pay attention to these words found in Timothy. Busy yourself with the prep work involved in planting, and when the materials have been properly assembled ….plant.