Stirring Up Discord

163 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 6:3,4 “If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, 4 he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions,” (1 Tim 6:3,4) Look what happens when false teachers in local congregations refute the wholesome words and doctrine of Christ by chasing after loopholes. Look what happens when these man-made loopholes are embraced! Envy raises it's ugly head among members as sin is excused and embraced rather than dealt with along biblical lines. Strife arises as tempers flare over who is right and who is wrong. Both camps engage in reviling one another, and evil suspicious arise over questions about each others sincerity of faith! Look at these words! They are all words of discord, and Pr 6:19 tells us that God hates those who sow discord among the brethren. This can all be avoided by following Jesus' simple advice. It is written!! This penchant for excusing sin and dismissing the doctrine of Christ is the result of a corrupted mind that seeks to find objections every time it runs into truth, so that it may justify sin. It sees and seeks reasons to live contrary to the Word of God. Jesus spoke of this in Joh 3:19 "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 "For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 "But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God." These loophole seekers have been blinded by the god of this age: 2Co 4:4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. Friend, come to the light! Stop seeking to justify sin, rather confess it, put it under the blood of Jesus , receive His forgiveness and seek to forsake your sins living in obedience to the healthy life-giving words of Christ!

Stop Looking For Loopholes

162 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 6:3,4 “If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, 4 he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions,” (1 Tim 6:3,4) I want to give you a classic example of one of the methods of false teachers who are obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, because it can be a ploy used in the church today for those who would deny the doctrine of Christ, or those who would have us ignore the wholesome (healthy) words of Christ. These false teachers become obsessed with putting a stamp of approval on sin and make a mockery of what the Bible says as they seek to create scenarios that would seem to fly in the face of what is taught by Jesus in Scripture. Their mantra is “but what about this case, or what about that case” and unfortunately many of us grab at the scenario and use it to justify our sin. Friends, circumstances don't change the Word of God! It is what it is and we can either obey it and enjoy spiritual health or live in the loopholes where faith withers and runs the risk of dying.The classic example of loophole chasing is found in Mt 22:23-33, as the Sadducee's tried to justify their denial of a bodily resurrection: “The same day the Sadducee's, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, 24 saying: "Teacher, Moses said that if a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. 25 "Now there were with us seven brothers. The first died after he had married, and having no offspring, left his wife to his brother. 26 "Likewise the second also, and the third, even to the seventh. 27 "Last of all the woman died also. 28 "Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her." 29 Jesus answered and said to them, "You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30 "For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven. 31 "But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, 32 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living." Note our Lord's response, Jesus flat out told these loophole seekers that they didn't know (they weren't intimate) with the Scriptures. Rather than seeking loopholes, we are better suited to become intimate with Jesus and His Word and instead of nit-picking, believe with all our hearts, “Thus saith the Lord!

Smoke and Mirrors

161 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 6:3,4 “If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, 4 he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions,” (1 Tim 6:3,4) Anyone who teaches things contrary to the Word of God and denies the creed of 1 Tim 3:16 is a false teacher. His or her teachings will result in envy, strife, reviling, and evil suspicions. This is not the kind of church Jesus was looking to build on this earth. Such teachers are “proud.” Interesting word, it literally means smoke, and is associated with pride. Think in terms of false teachers being nothing but smoke and mirrors, using words and twisting contexts to make things appear different than they really are. False teachers are in one respect illusionists! An illusionist relies on distraction to dupe his audience into believing something untrue. The very first illusionist was Satan who provided a distraction to Eve as he disguised himself as a snake and then drew Eve's attention away from the word of God as he caused her to concentrate on the beauty of the fruit, and then was able to suggest to her, “Did God really say?” And the rest is history and with smoke and mirrors, the devil caused Adam and Eve to believe that they shall be as God knowing good and evil.! Instead of knowing good and evil, Paul says these false teachers know nothing! They are obsessed with finding loopholes in the Word of God as it concerns sin. In so doing they turn the healthy words of God into unhealthy modes of living. You will recognize them by their constant plea, “But what about this circumstance and what about that circumstance?” and they will create extreme scenarios in order to distract you and lead you into a disregard for the wholesome words of God and into a life of sin. Don't fall for it! It's a trap! Seek to learn to live by the words “Thus saith the Lord,” or as Jesus masterfully handled the smoke and mirror temptations of the devil in the wilderness, “It is written!”

Here It Is Again, That Doctrine of Godliness.

160 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 6:3,4 “If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, 4 he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions,” (1 Tim 6:3,4) There it is again! The reference to the “doctrine which accords with godliness.” We have seen this reference often in this letter to Timothy. It first showed up in the credal statement of 1 Tim 3:16 and bears repeating because the Holy Spirit keeps repeating it! The mistake we make when thinking about the “doctrine of godliness, “ is we associate godliness with our own lifestyle. We think in terms of what we must do to be considered “godly.” But the doctrine of godliness is not about us , it's all about Jesus! It is about what we must believe about Jesus, and that's why it's been included in the creeds of the Christian church from the very beginning! Here it is again as stated in 1 Tim 3:16, “And without controversy (no room for argument here) 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.” To paraphrase this creed: Jesus is God in the flesh, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified and died, and was buried, and then justified by the Holy Spirit by His resurrection from the dead which was witness by angels (His Apostles, and over 500 others, by the way) He then instructed His Apostles to go and preach this Good news to the Gentiles, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Many would believe their message and come to faith. He then ascended into heaven and sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty from where He will one day return and judge the living and the dead. This is the doctrine of godliness! It's what we believe about Jesus. If you want to live a godly life, then believe this about Jesus, receiving Him, as your Lord and Savior. Then you will pay close attention to the first part of this verse and seek to live according to the wholesome (health giving) words of Jesus as found in Gen 1:1 through Rev 22:21!

Mess With the Word and You Mess With Jesus

159 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 6:3, “If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, ( 1 Tim 6:3) Paul has dealt with the how to's of dealing with the elders (the pastors) who rule well and those who don't rule well in the preceding chapter. Now he spends some time on dealing with “ANYONE” who would teach things in the congregation that are contrary to the words of Jesus and the doctrine that accords with (is in agreement with) godliness. This dealing with false teaching in the church has been a major theme of this first letter to Timothy. A teacher in the church of Jesus Christ must be given to the wholesome words of the Bible, the words of Jesus Christ. These words are wholesome, they are healthy for the soul. Pr 4:20-22 says, “My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; 22 For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.” Peter put it this way in Joh 6:68, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” It is so tempting for teachers to put their own spin on things as they wrangle over words and craft doctrines that tickle their ears and the ears of others. But the Bible has a strict warning against this tactic: Re 22:18, 19 “For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”And in De 4:2 "You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you. The OT points forward to Jesus and the cross, the NT points back to Jesus and the cross, and both speak to the Final Day of Judgment. Don't mess with the Word of God. You mess with the Word of God....you mess with Jesus! He IS the Word! Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

A Little Something Extra In Your Spiritual Paycheck!

158 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 6:2 And those who have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brethren, but rather serve them because those who are benefited are believers and beloved. Teach and exhort these things. In verse 1, Paul speaks to slaves and reminds them to give their pagan masters not some, but ALL honor. Slaves, (workers in today's economy) are not to give reason to others to speak evil of God! (No sarcastic remarks such as , “Oh so that's what it's like to work as Christian.”) Here in verse 2, he reminds slaves who have believing masters to do the same. Believing masters are not to be taken advantage of with lesser effort of work simply because they are brethren in the kingdom of God. They too are worthy of ALL honor! The worker dare not say, “Oh I can skate and do the bare minimum because my boss is a believer and he wouldn't dare fire his brother in the Lord.” Really? Where's the mutual benefit in that attitude? Remember who's in charge! Ro 13:1 says, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” Authority starts and stops with God and that's why respecting it and giving honor to it is so important. The world will never understand this concept, but we MUST understand it!Honoring the authorities on earth is to honor the ultimate Authority in heaven! Do you have a job? Do you have fringe benefits included in your wage package? Well read this verse again and notice that God promises a benefit to those who honor their believing master. What is that benefit? I don't know but if God is handing it out, I want to be on the receiving end, how about you? Therefore, let us all remember to work as unto the Lord, knowing full well that somewhere down the line, there will be “a little extra” in your spiritual check.

Advice for Employees

157 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 6:1 Let as many bondservants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and His doctrine may not be blasphemed. Slavery was a way of life in the Roman empire. Some slaves had good masters and some had bad masters. These masters had full control over their slaves, they were their legally obtained property. They could treat them pretty much any way they pleased. Thankfully, we no longer have this system in place in our nation. To treat another person as a mere piece of property is just wrong. Jesus didn't die for property, He died for souls! So how can we apply this Scripture to our culture today? The best way is to use it is in the employer/employee relationship of the workplace. There are labor laws in effect designed to keep today's slave (the employer) from being maltreated. Nonetheless, things aren't always a bowl of cherries in the workplace. This Scripture reminds all of us employees, that there are people who hold positions of authority over us and we are to give them their due honor. How we respond to authority is a witness to others, that says we acknowledge and serve a higher authority. We are slaves to God, and He commands us to honor those in authority over us. Look, the bottom line here is this. As followers of Jesus Christ,we never want to hear our employer sarcastically say, “Oh, that's what it's like to work as a Christian!” And so we honor our immediate supervisors and our employer by humbly serving and respecting them and their position. It is as stated in Col 3:23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. Do this and your employer, (believer or not) will be given no occasion on your account to speak evil of God.

It All Comes Out In the Wash

156 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 5:24 Some men's sins are clearly evident, preceding them to judgment, but those of some men follow later. 25 Likewise, the good works of some are clearly evident, and those that are otherwise cannot be hidden. This almost sounds like a proverb, but in reality it is a word of consolation for Timothy as he goes about the business of ordaining elders for his ministry of planting churches. He has already been told not to lay hands on novices, (1 Tim 3:6) and to weigh charges against an elder very carefully (1 Tim 5:22) So, Paul is stating two facts here. First of all sin will find you out, and secondly good works will also find you out. Armed with this knowledge, Timothy and the church of today may ordain pastors confident that bad apples and good apples are sorted out by the evidence of fruit in their lives. Some are sorted out early by the evidence of sin, while others can be dealt with through church discipline if their sins show up later. Others have good works that are evident, making the decision to ordain easy, still others may appear to have good works only to find out later, that they weren't what they were cracked up to be. Take heart from this church, knowing in the matter of sin and good works, it all come out in the wash. Nu 32:23 says, "But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the LORD; and be sure your sin will find you out. Judah found this out in the matter of his sin with Tamar (Gen 38) David was found out with his sin with Bathsheba. (2 Sam 11,12) You just can't escape the evidence of fruit! Mt 7:16 "You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 "Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. Even if our best efforts fool men, it's only because God is allowing it. He can expose your secret sins in an instant if He chooses, and quite frankly it would be better for the sinner to expose them now, and put them under the blood of Jesus rather than waiting until it's too late!

Timmy's Tummy

155 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 5:23 No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach's sake and your frequent infirmities. At this juncture of the letter, Paul gets very personal with Timothy. Timmy's tummy was evidently acting up and Paul was concerned by the frequency of the incidents, and so he passes on some good medical advice. “Drink a little wine Timothy for medicinal purposes.” The first thing I find interesting about this passage is Paul doesn't say anything about the laying on of hands in order to pray for a miraculous healing. (Not to say that they didn't do that) but this advice from Paul should tell us that it's okay to seek relief of our maladies through medicine. Next, we ought to notice that this wine was to be used in moderation, “use a LITTLE wine for your stomach's sake. A little wine in the stomach might settle things down a bit, especially since the water of Timothy's day was not always potable. Let's talk a little bit about the biblical use of wine. Wine was a major part of the Passover meal, it was typically used 4 or 5 times during the ceremony, but it was watered down wine. It was typically diluted with three parts water to one part wine. Anything less by biblical standards was considered “strong drink,” With this diluted mixture of water and wine, and the 4 or 5 cups that were part of the ceremony, there was no chance of getting tipsy. By the way, this explains Jesus turning the water into wine at the wedding of Cana. He was not putting His stamp of approval on getting blasted. You can be sure he did not make “strong drink” but He made a good drink, one that was exceptionally tasty even with the watered down mixture. We could all learn from this in our alcohol crazy society. Stay away from strong drink. Everything in moderation, “a little” as Paul advised Timothy. Prov 20:1 says: “Wine is a mocker, Strong drink is a brawler, And whoever is led astray by it is not wise.”

Beware of Lynch Mob Discipline

154 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 5:22 Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people's sins; keep yourself pure. Some more personal instructions for Timothy from Paul, but these instructions certainly apply to God's church for all time. The first thing that comes to mind when we see the phrase, “laying on of hands,” is ordination into the office of elder or pastor. This certainly should never be done hastily! We were told in 1 Tim 3:6, that an elder must not be a novice. And of course Timothy is to seek to keep himself morally pure and he is not to join in with others and their debauchery. But I think something more is being said here. What if we read this portion of Scripture in the context of dealing with an elder who has been accused of not ruling well, or church discipline in general? This “laying on of hands” is a slightly different Greek word than the one used for installing someone in an office of the church. The word for laying on of hands here can be used with the idea of accosting someone. If we use it in that context, we see that Timothy is being urged here to not engage in hasty discipline and to keep his mind pure and unprejudiced. Don't be part of the problem Timothy by jumping into the fray without a fair trial and without following the proper procedures of church discipline as laid out in the 18th chapter of Matthew. For if that person is found innocent of the charges and wrongly accused, you have joined in with their sin! As an overseer, Timothy has the responsibility to guard against lynch mob type of justice, or as it more often than not turns out to be injustice. Remember the ultimate purpose of church discipline is always the restoration of the erring brother. With this goal in mind, one can see the importance of moving slowly, and having all the facts straight. “Do not lay hands on anyone hastily.”

Angels Are Watching

152 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 5:21 I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality. I find it interesting that the Apostle Paul brings in witnesses to this charge that he gives Timothy. The church is charged with being an instrument of impartial judgment. You may be able to bribe a judge in the secular world, but it should never happen in the church. Church disciplinary procedures and really all our interaction with members of the local body of believers should not be shaded by color of skin, social standing, or the amount of money we have. God is called upon as a witness to this charge. The Lord Jesus Christ is called upon as a witness to this charge, and the elect angels are called in as witnesses. These elect angels are the “good angels” if you will. The ones who did not take part in Lucifer's revolt. It something that we don't think about very often, but these angels do more than carry messages from God. They also observe and marvel at His church. In 1Co 4:9 we read of the Apostles being put on display by God and made spectacles to “angels and to men.” And in 1 Cor 11:10 we catch a sense of propriety and order in our worship services for the sake of the angels who are observing.” 1Co 11:10 “For this reason the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels”. And of course angels are very interested and overjoyed when they observe one sinner coming to repentance. Lu 15:10 "Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."Why all this angelic interest in the affairs of the church? Because these loyal created angels have always been with God. They remained loyal during the rebellion, and have been a part of His providence from the beginning. They know of the forthcoming Marriage Supper of the Lamb and marvel at every aspect of the preparation of the Bride of Christ. They have seen God moving from the beginning, building His church! They see our response to God's providence and grace in everything we do as a church. Discipline, worship, and all the business of the congregation ought to be done decently and in in order for their sake and ours! 1Co 14:40 says this concerning God's church! Let all things be done decently and in order. So, what are angels observing in your congregation? Chaos? Confusion? Partiality? Or order, decency, and impartiality? In short, is the Spirit moving with all of His associated fruit or not?

Souls That Matter To God Are At Stake

152 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 5:21 I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality. Wow! Paul wants Timothy and us to take any charges brought against spiritual leaders (pastors) very seriously. He calls in God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels as his witnesses! Don't be prejudicial or partial in these matters church. Don't let favoritism, money, popularity, or anything else cloud the issues. Stick to the facts and the testimony of the witnesses before any judgment is made. The Bible is rife with references against preferential judicial treatment. Jas 2:1-4 says, My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. 2 For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, 3 and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, "You sit here in a good place," and say to the poor man, "You stand there," or, "Sit here at my footstool," 4 have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? And in 2Ch 19:5-7 we read, “Then he set judges in the land throughout all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city, 6 and said to the judges, "Take heed to what you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for the LORD, who is with you in the judgment. 7 "Now therefore, let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take care and do it, for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, no partiality, nor taking of bribes." Good advice for any disciplinary matters within the local congregation, go into it with the fear of the Lord upon you. Very often souls that matter to God are at stake. Therefore, follow the procedures as laid out in Scripture. Stick to the facts, listen to reliable witnesses, and show no partiality! And always remember the goal of any church disciplinary procedures is the restoration of the erring brother or sister.

Pastors: Seek To Remain Occupied With These Things

151 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 5:19 Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses. 20 Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear. (1 Tim 5:19,20) In context, we are likely talking about pastors here. This is a very delicate matter because pastors are bound to step on toes, and ruffle a few feathers as they preach, teach, and lead a congregation. This can lead to disgruntlement among the sheep. Of course, there is more than disgruntlement involved here. Obviously a pastor who is caught up in any kind of moral failure needs to be disciplined like any other member of the congregation. And in the matter of discipline in the Scriptures, at least two witnesses are always required, and the procedure of Matthew 18 is to be followed, with the goal of the restoration of a brother. . But the matter that I believe being addressed here is that of competency. It's the matter of “ruling well,” spoken of in v17. The first concern of ruling well, ought to be the matter of false teaching. Pastors who engage in false teaching must be dealt with, but again on the testimony of at least two witnesses. Once the witnesses bring the matter before the congregation, they are to rebuke him, (the word means to produce an overwhelming argument for the charges against the pastor. Elders (pastors) who face an accusation, (and the word means complaint) from two or more witnesses, and found to be sinning (and this word means missing the mark) need to be admonished in the presence of all. People all have different ideas about what a pastor should be, but remember all pastors are different. They have different styles, different temperaments but that should not be grounds for dismissal. It seems to me from what we studied so far in Timothy, a pastor is on the mark when he rightly preaches and teaches the doctrine of Christ, and when he spends time in reading the Word, praying, and ministering that Word to others. This should be sufficient, for this is what he is called to do. Pastors, ought to read this portion of Timothy and seek to remain occupied with these things, because they know that a congregation that follows these guidelines seriously expects their pastor to perform these duties. Congregations on the other hand need to stop putting extra expectations and workloads on their pastor. Rather, when necessary they need to function as a body, roll up their shirtsleeves and do their individual duties! Got a pastor who adheres to the doctrine of Christ and spends his time reading and applying the Word, and praying? .....Then you have a gem who has hit the mark God has set before him, a pastor who is worthy of double honor.

Pay Your Pastors A Decent Wage

150 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 5:17,18, “Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. 18 For the Scripture says, "You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain," and, "The laborer is worthy of his wages." (1 Tim 5:17,18) I remember serving as an elder in a congregation while I was still very wet behind the ears. One of our duties was to determine the pastor's salary and benefits. I was kind of shocked to see what the congregation was paying the pastor! It seemed to me to be an awful lot of money for just preaching a sermon once a week!.......But then I became a pastor! This is what I learned. THE LABORER IS WORTHY OF HIS WAGES!. I learned that there is a lot more to shepherding than preaching on Sundays, and in the matter of compensation for the pastor, this passage in 1 Timothy is worth strong consideration. Pastors that rule well are worthy of double honor....namely respect and financial compensation. The Holy Spirit uses the Scriptures to paint a beautiful picture of this concept of compensating pastors! He quotes from De 25:4 "You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain. This command from Deuteronomy is a stand alone command. It is right smack dab in the middle of totally unrelated issues. In fact if you read this portion of Deuteronomy you are likely to say something like, “What is this command doing here?” This command is addressing cruelty to an ox and expediency of the owner of the ox. If you want the ox to maintain it's energy level as it works....feed it! Don't be financially cruel to your pastor! Don't threaten or seek to control him with wages. Free him up from trying to provide for himself and his family by working other jobs. Pay him an honest and grateful wage as you free him up to thresh out the truths of the fruit of the seeds found in the Word of God, so he may produce food for your spiritual table.

Honor Authority, Your Children Are Watching

149 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 5:17 Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. (1 Tim 5:17) God likes authority, and He of course is the Supreme Authority with the final say on everything! But He has placed authority in our lives in many different arenas. These authorities are to be honored and respected because of the office they hold. Honor is to be given to our parents who are the first authority figures that we encounter in our lives. Eph 6:2 says, "Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise”) In addition we are to render honor to other authority figures such as pastors and teachers. Heb 13:17 says, “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.” Finally, we are also to render honor and respect to secular governmental authorities: Ro 13:1,7, says, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” 7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.” Luther summed up the commandment about honoring our parents this way: “Honor your father and your mother. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not despise or anger our parents and other authorities, but honor them, serve and obey them, love and cherish them. It seems we have lost this respect for authority in our nation and we need to turn it around. It starts with us and our children. Teach your children to first of all fear and love the Supreme Authority. (God) Then to honor and respect you. Then their spiritual leaders, and also include the governmental authorities. (Policemen, firemen, and all other civil servants all the way up to the president!) The best way to do this is to set the example. Watch how you speak about and act toward those who hold authority in your life. Your children are watching!

Respect and Honor For Pastors

147 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 5:17 Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. (1 Tim 5:17) Next on Paul's list of instructions for the church is the matter of dealing with those who serve as elders. Specifically here, those elders who rule. They are the overseers of a congregation or the pastors. Let me ask you a quick question. Should this honor be on display JUST in the month of October (Clergy Appreciation Month) or year round? God bless Focus on the Family for raising awareness of Clergy Appreciation when they instituted Clergy Appreciation Month in October of 1994, but friends, this is a full time exhortation from the Holy Spirit speaking through the Apostle Paul. Honor the pastor of your congregation, especially if the pastor rules well. Oh Oh! I smell trouble here. What does it mean to “rule well? I mean what if a pastor is not ruling well? Before we get into that, let's be clear on the honor due to the office of the Word, which is the position that the pastor holds in the Kingdom of God. The word honor here has a double meaning, it means honoring with money, but also honoring with dignity. The office of the Word, (and therefore the one who holds that position) is counted as worthy of dignity. Somehow this kind of honoring of the office has waned in recent years. Maybe it's because pastors have sought to be identified as ordinary Joe's, or maybe it's because of well-publicized scandals in the church, or maybe it's because the pastor wants the sheep to know that he is not to be put on a pedestal because he is a sinner too and in need of the saving grace of Jesus. Maybe it's because robes have been cast aside for suits and sport coats or Hawaiian shirts with Levis. These kinds of things can subliminally lead to a lessening of respect for the office of the Word. But having said that, clothing does not make this office. Jesus didn't hand out robes and sport coats to His Apostles, (the only robe they were given is the robe of righteousness which He hands out to all believers!) The dignity of the office comes from the fact that God has established it! Eph 4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,” let this fact be the starting point about rendering honor to elders. More on this next time.

Lessons Learned

146 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 5:16 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. (1 Tim 5:16) This section on widowhood concludes with another reminder for family members to take care of their own rather than placing the financial burden on the church. Remember a widow strictly defined is anyone with some sort of deficiency, (financially, physically, etc.) of course, most notably one who has lost a spouse. The point is family ought to take care of family. This whole section on widowhood is something that individual congregations need to work out in accordance with Scripture, but even as it may seem a little confusing by today's customs and circumstances, there are some age old truths that we can garner from it. Let's list some of these things that we have read in the past several days: First of all it is good for children to honor their parents. (v4) It is vital to seek to remain close to Christ rather than seeking the pleasures of the world. (V5,6,11,12) Bearing children in God's gift of marriage is a good thing. (v10, 14) Hospitality is a good thing (v10) Serving in the local congregation is a good thing (v10) Sharing the burdens of the afflicted is a good thing. (v10) Idleness, gossip, and being a busybody are bad things. (v13) Managing a household is a good thing. (v14) Remarrying within the guidelines of God's Word is a good thing (v14) All these things good and bad can be missed if we get mired down in trying to figure out who qualifies for what and who is disqualified. It is as stated in Mic 6:8 He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God? God has shown us in this portion of Timothy some things that are good and some things that are bad. Pay attention to them, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God and you will do well.

More Guidelines For Young Widows and Marriage

145 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 5:14,15, “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. (1 Tim 5:14,15) “Therefore.” Always look back a couple of verses when you see that word in Scripture and see what the “therefore” is “there for!” These “younger widows,” in the preceding verses had cast aside their faith and sought the pleasures of the world. They desired to look outside the bounds of Christ for their marital partners and fulfillment. (There are strict requirements in accordance with God's Word in the matter of remarriage.) In addition, many with the new found free time available to them upon the death of their spouse wasted their time in becoming gossips and busybodies speaking things which they should not. So the Holy Spirit, speaking through Paul urges these young widows to follow a different course. He urges them first of all by inference to guard their faith in Christ. Desire to continue to follow Christ! Weymouth's New Testament puts it this way, “don't chafe against the yoke of Christ,” keep following Him! And if in following Christ, the opportunity arises to remarry, the widow is free to take advantage of the opportunity in accordance with the Word of God. In addition she is encouraged to fulfill her role then in the marriage, chief of which is to bear children should the Lord bless in such a way, and she is to take on the all important role of managing the house. Rather than casting aside all restraints of body and mouth, and basically giving herself over to Satan, she is to seek to remain under Christ and become that Proverbs 31 woman. Take the time to read Prov 31:10-31 and you will see what I mean. Who could possibly speak against such a woman? There is a great deal to be said about utilizing the God-given skills of a woman in this context, but don't use this text as a sledgehammer. Let all married men and women work out their marriage as best they can, always seeking to allow the Holy Spirit to teach and guide through the Scriptures, bringing glory to God!

Gossip Is A Lot More Serious Than You May Think

144 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 5:13 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. The Holy Spirit speaking through Paul continues to address the problem of these younger widows. Freed from the responsibilities of marriage by the death of their husband, some go chasing after sensual pleasure as mentioned in the previous verses, others spend their time doing nothing but going from house to house as gossiping busybodies! They bubble over with dirt they can spread about others. These habitual gossipers are linked in with those who have departed from the faith! This is serious business, and something we in the church need to take more seriously. We are quick to speak against sexual sins, but not so quick to speak against this sin that is spiritual murder in the form of character assassination! Ro 1:29, throws this sin in with a whole lot of spiritual cancers evidenced in unbelievers: “They were filled with all manner of wickedness, evil, covetousness, malice. Full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity, they are gossips, And in Eph 4:29, we read, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And here's one more for you in Pr 6:16-19, “These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.” Get the picture? Gossip is serious business and here in Timothy, grounds for shunning, which in reality is carrying out the business of church discipline. Please! Don't let it get that far! Nip it in the bud! Luther's explanation of the commandment against being a false witness against one's neighbor sums it up beautifully: He says, “We should fear and love God that we may not deceitfully belie, betray, slander, nor defame our neighbor, but defend him, speak well of him, and put the best construction on everything. In the manner of speaking about others, we would do well to follow this rule.

A Partial List of Good Works

143 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 5:9,10 “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. (1 Tim 5:9,10) Again, this Scripture seems quite odd to us because we weren't around when “the number” was evidently a common thing in the church. Nonetheless, there are things we can learn from what is being said here. We have already learned that God's Word takes marriage very seriously. Next, we get an inkling of those things which God considers good works. It is not the complete list of course, but this is something that a woman of God can look at and say, “hey I've done some of this stuff....and God deems it as good! Have you raised children? Your own or the children of others? Motherhood is a good thing! Have you lodged strangers? Have you opened your home up to others who need a place to stay? This was a far more common occurrence in biblical days, but you can practice this form of hospitality today as you provide lodging for missionaries, or college students, or here in this part of Wisconsin, visitors to the EAA, or even minor league baseball players. Maybe you can't take in a homeless person, but you certainly can volunteer at the local homeless shelter. These are good things! Have you washed the saints feet? That too is a good thing, and it simply speaks of finding ways to serve in your local congregation. Have you sought to provide relief for the afflicted? The word means those who find themselves in a tight spot. You know them in, and outside, the church. People who are feeling the pressures of life. Financial, marital, emotional, and health issues. Have you sought to help release some of that pressure by direct aid or just being there to let them blow off some steam? Finally do you have a track record of finishing what you started? Are you diligent in following through on your good works. These are all good things in the sight of God. Will you be good at all of them? Probably not. But at least here we all get an inkling of just some of the things that are pleasing to God. As we seek to please Him for the kindness and mercy He has shown us through Jesus Christ, these are good places in which to express our thanks.

Marriage Matters

142 - 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. Every jot and tittle, every punctuation mark is significant in the Word of God. Please note the colon found after the phrase, “well reported for good works.” This colon indicates that what follows is a list of good works that would indicate a spiritual maturity or giftedness required to be a part of “the number.” The one who is part of “the number,” doesn't need to have all of these qualifications, but certainly some of this fruit must be evidenced in her life leading up to her occasion of widowhood. But we should not miss the first requirement which is listed outside the colon and therefore is a requirement for all. In order to be a member of “the number,” the widow must first and foremost have been the wife of one husband. This requirement is also found for those who would serve as elders, and those who would serve as deacons, and deaconesses. Why is this faithfulness, “till death do us part,” brought up so much in Scripture? Well if nothing else, let us learn from these portions of Scripture that marriage matters to God. The Bible refers to it as “the institution that God loves.” (Mal 2:11) marriage was instituted by God and among other things is to be a reflection of the relationship between Christ and His church. A relationship that requires constant forgiveness, grace, and mercy.....and faithful endurance. There is much debate about “grounds” for divorce as spelled out in the Word of God. Maybe we would all be better served and God glorified more if we started looking for “grounds” to keep the marriage together. Here's one in this obscure portion of Scripture. Marriage matters! And these kinds of references in Scripture ought to make us pause and reconsider our appreciation of the sanctity of this gift from God.