Morphed Into the Ladies Aid?

141 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 5:9 Do not let a widow under sixty years old be taken into the number, and not unless she has been the wife of one man, (1 Tim 5:9) The “number.” That's all we know. Paul and Timothy's audience knew exactly what Paul was referring to, but about all we can do is make educated guesses. To say that this number referred to only those widows who would receive financial assistance from the church doesn't make sense in light of the preceding verses to provide for those widows of all ages who are experiencing deficiencies in support. Something more must be meant. I would agree with those commentators who refer to “the number,” as a special class of church worker who may or may not have received financial assistance from the church. I would liken “the number,” to our modern day Ladies Aid who take on all sorts of projects to bolster the ministry of the church. I believe “the Number” has morphed into these wonderful ladies of the church who prepare meals for the funeral, make quilts and blankets, organize food drives, or any other good work one could think of under the umbrella of the church. I think the best example we can give is found in Acts 9:36-41. This is the account given of Tabitha who was also known as Dorcas. She is described as a woman full of good works and charitable deeds. I speculate that Dorcas was a member of “the Number,” because when she died, the disciples called for Peter and when he arrived, the widows (the number?) were there to greet him showing him the the coats and garments that Dorcas had made “while she was with them.” Peter then knelt, prayed and commanded Tabitha (Dorcas ) to arise. She opened her eyes and Peter then presented her alive to the saints and the widows. (Why mention the widows separately if they were not part of a special group like “the number?) So how does this apply to the church today? Well for one thing it gives a great deal of legitimacy to the elderly ladies who serve their church with acts of compassion through the ministry of the ladies Aid Society or anything else you choose to call this ministry. Got such a group in your church? How about giving them a nod of appreciation and a simple thank you for their service. These ladies know more than most, that there is no retirement in the kingdom of God!

What??????????

140 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 5:9 Do not let a widow under sixty years old be taken into the number, and not unless she has been the wife of one man, 10 well reported for good works: if she has brought up children, if she has lodged strangers, if she has washed the saints' feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, if she has diligently followed every good work. 11 But refuse the younger widows; for when they have begun to grow wanton against Christ, they desire to marry, 12 having condemnation because they have cast off their first faith. 13 And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not. 14 Therefore I desire that the younger widows marry, bear children, manage the house, give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully. 15 For some have already turned aside after Satan. 16 If any believing man or woman has widows, let them relieve them, and do not let the church be burdened, that it may relieve those who are really widows. Wow! What in the world are we to make of this? How does this portion of Scripture match up with 2Ti 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness? What can we learn from this today in our culture? What are the timeless lessons here for the church? Why is this included in holy writ? I hope in the next couple of days, we'll be able to sort through some of these things and the Holy Spirit will clarify what needs to be clarified, and teach us what needs to be taught. ​ For starters, why is there an age limit placed on these widows as a requirement for being a part of the number? What is meant by “the number?” The number is “the enrollment.” This tells us that the early churches kept track of things. There was a list kept, a roster of widows that were part of something that was a regular part of the local congregation. The first requirement to be a part of this roster was the widow needed to be at least 60 years of age. It doesn't seem like much, but maybe the first thing we can learn from this is local congregations ought to keep records. Next time, we'll take a closer look at what is meant by “the number.”

Who Are the Real Widows?

138 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 5:5,6, “Now she who is really a widow, and left alone, trusts in God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day. 6 But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives. (1 Ti 5:5,6) The Holy Spirit speaking through the Apostle Paul keeps referring to widows as “she.” This speaks much to the culture of that day. It was extremely difficult for a female widow to make it on her own in this culture, not so much for the male. So do we just read this portion of Scripture and say, “well this doesn't concern us, it was their culture, and their problem, not ours.” I don't think so. Remember, we talked last time about widows by strict definition are those with deficiencies. Their main deficiency being the lack of a spouse and a family support system. We still have women and men who because of the passing of a spouse, or the passing of a marriage via divorce, or the cold-shouldered treatment by their families find themselves in need. It is the local congregations responsibility to take on the role of family for these “widows.” But, wait, there is a stipulation to this care. In biblical times widows frequently gave themselves to service in the temple. Such was the case of Anna spoken of in Lu 2:37, “and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. The head of her family was God the Father and she diligently served Him and was taken care of by the offerings of the church. The same kind of offerings that the early church distributed to the true widows mentioned in Acts 7. But the church had no responsibility to take care of the widow, who departed from the family of God as evidenced by her carousing with the world. Such a widow has chosen the family of the world as opposed to the family of God! We should make note of these stipulations as we seek to care for those with deficiencies in our local congregation today. The widows of today must also make up their mind as to which family they want to belong to. It's not that the church utterly neglects the poor of society but our resources are first and foremost meant for those of the immediate family of God as it says in Ga 6:10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” Church, let us be compassionate to all, but first of all let us look to honor the so called “real widows” in our own congregations.

Honoring Widows

137 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 5:3 Honor widows who are really widows. 4 But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents; for this is good and acceptable before God. The word “widow” in the Greek is the idea of someone with a deficiency. It comes from a word that means gap or chasm, an impassable interval. The deficiency for the way we use the term is, this person once had a spouse, but the spouse passed away and now the widow is left alone to fend for herself or himself. He or she is deficient, lacking someone who was once united with them, (The two shall become one) It is well and good to call someone a widow who has lost their spouse, but let us not limit our definition to that. In the context here, a widow is anyone who has a gap in family support. It is anyone who for whatever reason finds themselves without any means of support. (Financially, emotionally, spiritually.) The Holy Spirit speaking through Paul commands us to honor, that is give value to, or prize those who find themselves abandoned. This is God's plan for social security! The first line of defense for those who find themselves alone is the immediate family! The children and the grandchildren have the responsibility to take care of mom and or dad or both when the days of deficiency come upon them. Plain and simple it is payback time kids. Your mother and father sacrificed for one third of their life, (sometimes even more) giving up sleep, money, and time, for you! How many years, how long of a season can you now sacrifice for them as you seek to meet their deficiencies? Show piety! The word has a double meaning. It means to respect and support your parents, but it also means to worship God! Think about that! Meeting the deficiencies of mom and dad is an act of worship! No wonder God says, Eph 6:2 "Honor your father and mother,"! This is good and acceptable to God!

The Family of God

136 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 5:1 Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, younger as sisters, with all purity. There was an old praise chorus sung in churches years ago that went like this: “You will notice we say “brother and sister” 'round here. It's because we're a family and these are so near. When one has a heartache, we all share the tears, And rejoice in each victory in this family so dear. I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of God, I've been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His blood. Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod. For I'm part of the family, the family of God! That pretty much sums up what the Holy Spirit is telling us here. Local congregations are church families and the elderly are to be treated like mom and dad. The young adults like brothers and sisters, and to carry it even further I would say, teens as teens and children as children. This makes so much sense when you consider that one of the purposes of marriage is to produce offspring, and one of the purposes of church as the bride of Christ is to unite with Him and through evangelism produce offspring! Marriage mirrors the church and the church mirrors marriage! There's a miracle that takes place when the Holy Spirit is received by an individual. They supernaturally become a brother or sister to all others who have received the Holy Spirit. This mirrors the miraculous act of conception! Believe it! Marvel at it! Revel in it! And act like it! It's strange that the Holy Spirit reminds us that this brotherly and sisterly love is to be marked by purity. The word means chastity. The exhortation for all is not to cross physical sexual boundaries in the church family. Pay strict attention to this warning, because it is easy to forget when a brother or sister might be emotionally vulnerable, and lines of sexual purity can be crossed. This may seem a little strong to some, but to cross this line of intimacy is nothing less than incest in the family of God! Yes, young people will meet their future spouses in the church family, and that's well and good! But the line of sexual impropriety must never be crossed in the interactions of church family members. The sex act is reserved for marriage, period!

How To Treat the Elderly In the Congregation

135 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 5:1 Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, (1 Tim 5:1) Thus far Paul has dealt with things like organizing church leadership, admonitions against false teaching, and reminding Timothy and us of the fundamentals of the faith concerning Jesus Christ. Which must be held and believed by all. These fundamentals of the faith are to be touted by those in positions of leadership and teaching. Beginning here in chapter 5 he starts to give instructions on dealing with the sheep. Not all members become elders and deacons. Not all become teachers. People make up a congregation and these people come in all shapes and sizes. By that I mean some are old some are young, some are widowed, some are slaves, some are slave owners. You get the idea. These guidelines are timeless. Congregations are still made up of young and old, married and unmarried, employee and employer, and we can learn a lot from these instructions. Paul begins with the treatment of the elderly in a congregation. They are to be treated with the utmost respect! Don't tear into them with harsh words, (that's what the word “rebuke” means here. Speak to them as you would to your own father in accordance with the commandment! Le 19:32 says, 'You shall rise before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old man, and fear your God: I am the LORD. It's not that an erring senior citizen can't be corrected, but the correction should be done while using the utmost respect. We are told here that we should seek to exhort our senior members of the congregation. Let's face it the senior citizen has the finish line in sight, and the best thing one can do to a racer who is nearing the finish line is to encourage them to finish strong. Got senior citizens in your congregation? Don't ignore them, rather come alongside them with words of encouragement and hope as they near the finish line, remembering that one day you may need those same words of encouragement yourself.

How To Make Spiritual Progress

134 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 4:15 Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. 16 Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you. There's that phrase again. “the doctrine.” What doctrine? The doctrine that was summed up by the early church and then quoted by Paul in 1 Tim 3:16. To paraphrase again. Jesus is God in the flesh, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried. He was justified by the Holy Spirit by His resurrection from the dead which was witnessed by His Apostles and over 500 others. He instructed His Apostles to go and preach this Good News to the Gentiles and many would come to faith. He ascended into heaven and sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty from whence he shall come to judge the living and the dead. Timothy is to meditate on these things, the word means to “revolve in the mind.” Keep playing these truths over and over again in your mind and allow the Spirit to strengthen your faith. “Give yourself to them Timothy, that is, agree with them wholeheartedly and then note the promise of “evidental spiritual progress” for those who so do! (“that your progress may be evident to all.”) As you believe these facts about Jesus, it's almost like you were there with Him and the disciples. Further, in believing these things and meditating on them often will guard your heart and mind from false teaching and possible loss of salvation and as you proclaim them to others, these truths have the same effect. Souls will be saved! These things are the foundation of the faith 1Co 3:11 “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” We start there and all other aspects of our faith will flow from this truth. Meditate on “the doctrine” often it will keep your life on track with what really matters.

Timothy's Spiritual Gift

133 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 4:14 Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. (1 Tim 4:14) What's going on here? A spiritual gift was given to Timothy by God through the medium of prophecy (words of God-inspired speakers) and then accompanied by the laying on of hands by the elders of the church. This gift is not to be neglected by Timothy! Let's first of all look at the charge to not neglect this gift. The idea is he is not to be careless with this gift and he is not to make light of it! All spiritual gift are to be revered, if for no other reason than consideration be given to the Giver! Plus these gifts are all important in the functioning of the Body of Christ. 1Co 12:20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." But what is this gift of Timothy's? Given the context of the preceding verses and the overriding emphasis of this letter on the problem of false teaching I would agree with those commentators who speculate that his gift was that of discerning the spirits mentioned in 1 Cor 12:10. Timothy was well schooled in the true doctrine from early on through his mother Eunice and grandmother Lois. He was further schooled by the Apostle Paul. These instruments of God proclaimed (prophesied) the Word of God to him, and through this prophetic word, Timothy was given the ability to sift through correct and incorrect teachings. This gift was accompanied by His ordination (the laying on of hands) if you will into the Office of the Word where he had the authority to dispel false teachings. (A very important gift in the overseeing of church planting. A gift that he was charged with not neglecting. Timothy and all others with this gift are never to relax in their effort to dispel false teachings in the church. They are to stick to their guns in the matters of the doctrine of Christ. The doctrine of godliness mentioned in 1 Tim 3:16.

What's God Been Teaching You This Week?

132 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 4:13 Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Timothy is holding the fort so to speak until Paul is able to come to him. Kind of what the church and it's pastors are to do until Jesus comes! Hold the fort! Timothy, (and we) are given three areas in which to give out attention to. Last on this short list is “doctrine.” The word simply means “instruction.” First and foremost in the matter of doctrine is that “doctrine that is according to godliness.” This doctrine is found in 1 Tim 3:16 and we have covered it extensively in previous prime time devos. This doctrine of Christ is summed up nicely in the creeds of the early church and in the creeds we use today. (The Apostles, the Nicene, and the Athanasian) Instructing the saints on these basic teachings is a great way to combat false teachings that rise up about Jesus. Of course the Word of God contains even more instruction for the saints, as it says in 2Ti 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” Further every believer has been gifted with the indwelling of the perfect teacher the Holy Spirit: Joh 14:26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” It is good to ask the Holy Spirit to teach you as you read God's Word, and it is good to share what you learn from Him with others. One of my favorite ways to start out a group Bible study is to ask the simple question, “What has God been teaching you this week?” This communal sharing of God's Word is pleasing to Him as we read in Mal 3:16 Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, And the LORD listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the LORD And who meditate on His name. My brothers and sisters, give attention to times of mutual instruction!

That I Might have A Word For the Weary

131 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 4:13 Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Timothy is holding the fort so to speak until Paul is able to come to him. Kind of what the church and it's pastors are to do until Jesus comes! Hold the fort! Timothy, (and we) are given three areas in which to give out attention to. Last time we talked about reading. The word means to “know again.” This speaks of reading God's Word and storing it up in our hearts as the Psalmist wrote in Ps 119:11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You! Timothy (and we) are also encouraged to pay attention to exhortation. We are to be cheerleaders for the saints as we urge them to stay the course and finish the race! The word in the Greek is paraklesis and it involves the acts of imploring, solace, comfort, and consolation! All these acts are able to flow from one who has become familiar with Scripture as it says in Ro 15:4 “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” It is amazing, yes even miraculous how a timely word from the Scriptures can bring comfort and hope to the weary. It is as the prophet Isaiah said in Isa 50:4 "The Lord GOD has given Me The tongue of the learned, That I should know how to speak A word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear To hear as the learned. Christian radio and other media have been used by God as a great tool in this arena, but let us not all rely on mass communication. Sometimes we are left alone one on one with a weary soul in need of the consolation found in the Word of God. Why not pray with every new day as you spend time in the Scriptures: “Lord, awaken my ears today to Your Word, that I might have a word from you for the weary. In Jesus Name, Amen

Pastors: Know Again the Scriptures

130 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 4:13 Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Timothy is holding the fort so to speak until Paul is able to come to him. Kind of what the church and it's pastors are to do until Jesus comes! Hold the fort! Timothy, (and we) are given three areas in which to give out attention to. We are to give our mind to these three things. First on the list is reading. The word “reading” here means to “know again.” Know again the Scriptures! Read them often. God has made Himself known through the Scriptures, know Him again and again, and again as you read the Bible! Allow God to speak to you through them and speak back to Him through prayer. Remember what the early church fathers said when they were tied down with responsibilities other than ministering the word? They said in Ac 6:4 "but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word." Pastors are to make sure they spend time in conversation with God and “ministering” applying the Word of God. They are to exhort others from this Word and make sure that the doctrines that are taught in Scripture, (Most notably, those we have gone over in 1 Tim 3:16) are closely adhered to. Most pastors I know are voracious readers, and that's a good thing. It's obvious that the Apostle Paul was well read. He knew what was out there in the world. He knew what the philosophers of his day were touting and was always able to affirm it or repute it in accordance with the Scriptures. Though he was well read, he didn't change anything about his ministry. He didn't follow fads. He stuck to the basic doctrines and teachings of the church and summed up his preaching style with this one verse written in a letter to a hotbed of secular philosophy....Corinth. He said 1Co 2:2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Pastors! Be well read, but never forget this advice from Paul! “Jesus Chriist crucified!”

Live Your Life As An Example

129 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 4:12 Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Last time we began to talk about the areas in which Timothy and other spiritual leaders are to be exemplary. (Young or not!) Let's pick it up today with the second trait on the list, “ in conduct.” Simply put Timothy and other spiritual leaders are to behave themselves. They are to manage their lives in such a way that is deemed proper. Next, they are to be examples “in love.” The word is “agape” in the Greek and it means benevolent. Generous actions that seek to give people what they need, not necessarily what they want. Next, they are to be examples “in spirit.” This trait is closely related to attitude. That invisible attribute of man that reacts to perceptions, reflections, feelings, and desires. Sometimes we can become petulant people, (especially if things don't go our way) and we sulk about. Sulking is not good and by the way, this is a sure sign of spiritual immaturity. Next they are to be examples “in faith.” These are people who exercise confidence in divine truths and promises. They exhibit consistent trust in God and His Word. Next, they are to be examples “in purity.” The word means moral cleanliness and is linked to chastity. Sexual promiscuity including viewing of pornography simply will not do for example setting in purity. Of course these traits are not for spiritual leaders alone. They are for all followers of Christ. These traits will follow those who have yielded their lives to Christ and thereby allow the Holy Spirit to rule and govern their life. Admittedly, we all fall short in these areas, but when we do, we have an Advocate in Jesus Christ. And we know that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. As for leaders and potential leaders. No one can find fault with one who lives in a manner consistent with these traits.

So, You Want To Be A Pastor

128 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 4:12 Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Remember, this is a letter to Timothy written by the hand of Paul. No one knows for sure how old Timothy was at the time of this letter, but most scholars put him somewhere between the age of 30 and 40. But chronological age shouldn't matter when it comes to those who have assumed their role in the office of the Word. It is enough that trusted church leaders (elders) have set Timothy apart for ministry by the laying on of their hands, (1 Tim 4:14) But if it's not enough, if some still desire to question Timothy's credentials based on his age, he can produce this letter written by Paul that says “let no one despise your youth.” In other words, no one is too think less of Timothy and his work because of his age. BUT Paul continues with specific instructions for Timothy as to how he is to conduct himself. Such conduct will shut the mouths of any who may complain against him. He is to serve as examples to others in the following areas: Word: The word in the Greek is logos, and it is defined as the articulate utterance of human language. Timothy must be able to express himself well in using words. It is in the expression of logos that God comes to His people. In fact Jesus is called Logos in the Gospel of John and in 1 John. He is the perfect divine expression of God! God uses words to bring people to faith: Ro 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. He uses His Word to teach us and correct us! 2Ti 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, A good messenger of God is not sloppy with language or grammar, and if one hopes to be a pastor, he needs to be able to articulate and communicate the Word of God to others. Has God put a call on your life to be a messenger? Then prepare well by studying language, grammar, and communication. Serve as an example as you rightly divide the word of truth, above all, leaning on the Holy Spirit to “teach you all things.”

This Is Our Story and We (By the Grace of God) Are Sticking To It

127 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 4:10,11, “For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. 11 These things command and teach. (1 Tim 4:10,11) Paul and the Holy Spirit are relentless here in hammering home the points of the credal statement of 1 Tim 3:16! Stick to the story he says! Labor at it! Strain to keep it straight! Jesus is God in the flesh, (the living God!) He rose from the dead! After which he was seen by the apostles who were then instructed to bring the gospel message to the world. This message would be believed by many and result in the salvation of their souls. After He passed this message and subsequent command of the great commission. He ascended into heaven. Command and teach these things church! Labor to do it because the temptation will come to ignore this basic message for the sake of turning the Bible into a “how to” manual. Don't get me wrong, the Bible is the greatest book ever written for instructions for living, but these instructions must never supplant the message of this creed. The message of salvation! Don't ever think that this basic message is too boring to preach, too routine! We need to hear it! The world needs to hear it. God took on flesh, died for our sins, rose from the dead, commissioned His church to spread this message and then ascended into heaven! The Apostles, including Paul and other ministers like Stephen, Phillip, and young Timothy put their lives on the line and suffered greatly as they persisted in telling this unchanging story. They stuck to their guns, and so should we. They suffered reproach and the word means they were defamed, railed at, chided, taunted simply because of what they proclaimed about Jesus. Paul told Timothy to command the church that would follow to teach these things! It would be good to revisit these teachings on a regular basis to make sure we are still on the track of the early Apostles. This was their story and it's our story and we are sticking to it. Mock us taunt us, persecute us, but we still believe that Jesus alone is the Savior of all men, and no one gets to heaven except through Him!

God Has Placed Eternity In All Hearts

126 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 4:7-9, “But reject profane and old wives' fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. 8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. 9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance.” (1 Tim 4:7-9) Exercising your body profits much in this life, but exercising oneself toward godliness profits in this life and the next! This saying is worthy of all acceptance! In my mind there's a couple of ways of looking at this. The obvious one is that this saying is worth noting in it's totality. But it's also something that every human being should be willing to accept. “All should accept this basic truth.” The basic truth is there is more to life than the here and now! It's true some may scoff at the idea of an life in the hereafter. They live by the creed: “You only go around once, grab all the gusto you can!” But underneath their bravado and their hardened heart is the truth spelled out in Ec 3:11, “ He has put eternity in their hearts,” For others that truth is more evident and so they invent religions of good works in an attempt to ink there reservation in Nirvana. But the Holy Spirit, speaking through the Apostle Paul spells out the one exercise that profits both now and for eternity. That of godliness. The godliness that is summed up in the credal statement of 1 Tim 3:16, Believe that Jesus is God manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, (rose from the dead) seen by angels, (that is, the Apostles, after His resurrection,) preached among the Gentiles by these apostles, and subsequently by the church. This eternal life saving message was believed in the world, and this same Jesus was received up in glory from whence He shall come again to judge the living and the dead. Eternity is at stake! Where will you spend it? What will you do with this Jesus and His message? Jesus said in Joh 12:48 "He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him--the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.” Believe these basic truths about Jesus, for this is exercising yourself toward godliness.

Don't Minimize Jesus

125 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 4:6,7, “If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed. 7 But reject profane and old wives' fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. The Holy Spirit keeps hammering the point home! Don't lose track of the fundamentals concerning Jesus! The godliness that Timothy is encouraged to exercise himself with here, is the same godliness mentioned in 1 Tim 3:16 that we have been addressing for the last couple of weeks. It is the doctrine of Jesus that states he was (a) Manifested in the flesh. (B) Justified in the Spirit. © Seen by angels. (D) Preached among the Gentiles. (E) Believed on in the world. And (F) Received up in glory. Any other teachings about Jesus are to be regarded as profane (void of anything sacred) and nothing but silly old wives tales fit only for discussion among senile, silly, old cronies. Timothy and all other believers are told to shun (don't even engage in debate over these matters but ignore them and simply stick to the guns of godliness as stated in 1 Tim 3:16)! Since the days of Timothy and even before, efforts have always been made to minimize Jesus. To make Him a mere man who was simply a good moral teacher, or to spiritualize His bodily resurrection, or anything else that flies in the face of His godliness as spelled out in 1 Tim 3:16! Don't fall for it! Rather, “exercise” yourself, that is, train yourself on the basic tenets of the faith. To exercise is to regularly engage in activity that strengthens you for an athletic contest. I know no better way to do this than to utilize the creeds, and the catechism, and of course regular time spent in the Word of God! A quick hint for reading the Bible. Use the acronym SPOKE as you read and ask yourselves these questions: Is there any Sin I need to confess: Any Promise I can claim? Anything I am being called to Obey? Any Knowledge about God? And finally, any Error in my way of thinking? 1 Tim 3:16 is loaded with the Knowledge about God. Visit it often and strengthen your faith!

Be A Runner For Jesus

124 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 4:6, “If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed. (1 Tim 4:6) This is a great word for all pastors. Do you want to be a “good minister of Jesus Christ?” The word “minister” here means to be an attendant or to run errands. Get that picture pastor! Be a runner for Jesus! Bring this message and all the messages He has passed along to His hand-picked Apostles to the brethren! This message will not only feed and strengthen the brethren, but once grasped, it will feed and strengthen you as well, as you conform to these teachings. The question begs to be asked, “What teachings is Paul talking about? He must be talking about the six declarations of the creed found in 1 Tim3:16! If you look at the context of this portion of Scripture you can see that Paul is concerned about false teaching rising up in the church, and the way to guard against false teaching is to continue to hammer away at the six fundamentals mentioned in 1 Tim 3:16! These truths about Jesus will nourish the faith of the sheep and the shepherd! Don't forget them! Don't sweep them under the rug or put them in some forgotten corner of the church. Teach them to your children in Sunday School or in children's church! Re-emphasize them to your youth groups and confirmation classes. Make them a regular part of your adult instruction and include them somehow in your worship celebrations! Go ahead pastor! Preach the Bible verse by verse, or use the pericope, or preach a series of messages on relevant topics, but don't forget these basic teachings about Jesus! Our church forefathers crafted catechisms for this very purpose! Dig them up, blow the dust off of them and pass these basic truths found in the creeds of the church along to the brethren. In so doing, you will be considered a “good minister of Jesus Christ.” Pastor. Do you want to hear Jesus say to you on that Last Day, “Well done thy good and faithful servant? Well then be sure you pass these truths along!

Marriage and Food Are Alike

124 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 4:3-5, “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. 4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; 5 for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. (1 Tim 4:3-5) Marriage is more like food than one might think. Both are in God's design to sustain life on this earth, and both are gifts from God that are sanctified by His Word and prayer! Now some may snicker at such a statement and say, “Look around pastor! We don't need marriage to produce children, thereby sustaining life! We can make children outside of marriage!” This is undoubtedly true, however, to quote Jesus, “From the beginning it was not so!” He said in Mt 19:4-6, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' 5 "and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? 6 "So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate." This is God's gift of marriage, and He designed it as a parameter for bringing offspring into the world. It is set apart forever on the basis of His Word, and it is in this parameter that the gift is to be received with thanksgiving. To bypass the process is to “ditz” the gift, and the Giver. Once Eve was brought to Adam and given to him in marriage, God gave the command to “be fruitful and multiply. And replenish the earth.” Marriage was God's plan to sustain and replenish the earth, and that's why we can say it is just as necessary as food itself. Therefore, it is not to be forbidden! At the same time it is not to be twisted into something it is not. Note God's explanation of marriage, He includes words like “Father and mother(male and female) “man and wife,” (male and female) producing children, male and female, who leave home and then being united through marriage producing more sons and daughters. Marriage. A sacred gift involving man and woman for the purpose of sustaining the earth. We take great pains to take care of our gift of food. Should we not also take great pains to take care of God's gift of marriage?

Just Think About Your Daily Bread!

121 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 4:3-5, “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. 4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; 5 for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. (1 Tim 4:3-5) All of God's good gifts to us are to be acknowledged by the enlightened recipients. How do we read it in Jas 1:16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” Unenlightened recipients scarcely give the source of their daily bread a thought. They may go no further than acknowledging their favorite grocery store as the source of their food, or the farmer, or the government. Others may bow down to mother earth and worship her, and still others may bow down to foolish idols and myths. The latter was the case when Paul and Barnabas brought the gospel to Lystra. After witnessing a miraculous healing, the people likened Paul and Barnabas to the Greek Gods, Zeus and Hermes. Listen to Paul's response: Ac 14:15-17, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, 16 "who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. 17 "Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness." The Bible says even with these words about a mighty Creator who not only made everything, but provides what is necessary environment to grow food, the people sought to offer sacrifices to Paul and Barnabas. This is the lot of the unenlightened, they just don't get it! But you and I know better, and because we know better, we ought to be quick and diligent in thanking the Lord for our daily bread!

Give Thanks! It Is Meet and Right So To Do!

121 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 4:3-5, “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. 4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; 5 for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. (1 Tim 4:3-5) Marriage and food. Both created by God and therefore, they (and everything else created by Him) are to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. The truth is, what God has spoken into existence is good, and not to be labeled as bad. Even though well-intentioned, to COMMAND that people abstain from these things, is to deny that fact. I am reminded of Ro 1:20,21, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” Creation screams, “There is a God!” His attributes are clearly seen in creation and He is to be thanked and glorified because of it! I mean what else is there to do when you break out the microscope or the telescope! It's all His doing! The sanctification of the food we eat, takes place as we say a simple table prayer, much like Jesus did when HE broke bread on this earth. When He fed the 5,000 He first gave thanks: Joh 6:11 And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples,” He also gave thanks and therefore blessed the bread and wine when He instituted what we call the Lord's Supper and when He revealed Himself to the disciples on the road to Emmaus as they sat down to eat. The point is, all food is good as you tip your hat to the One who made it! So pray before your meal with a spirit of thanksgiving as you acknowledge where the food came from! Your prayer can be as simple as “Come Lord Jesus, Be our guest, and let these GIFTS to us be blessed,” Amen Or the simple acknowledgment found in Ps 145:15,16, “ The eyes of all look expectantly to You, And You give them their food in due season. 16 You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing. To quote from one of the liturgies used in church services: Give thanks unto the Lord. It is meet and right so to do!