The Proof IS In the Persecution

The Proof Is In the Persecution

220 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 2:8b,9 “ according to my gospel, 9 for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained.” Paul endured much hardship for the sake of the gospel. He mentions these hardships in 2Co 11:24-27, “ From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness--” It's not easy claiming that faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to eternal life! Ultimately, it was this intolerant claim from Paul that cost him his life at the hands of the Roman emperor Nero. Francis Schaefer in his classic work, “How Then Shall We Live,” (which I highly recommend) states that the Christians weren't martyred by Rome because they were followers of Christ. Rome could care less about your religion! Many different religions were tolerated by Rome. Schaefer maintains that the Christians insistence that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation, put them in direct opposition to the states required worship of the emperor! And this is why they were persecuted and put to death. Do you want to avoid persecution? Then just buy into the philosophy that all roads lead to heaven. Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, etc, it doesn't matter, just be a good person and you will do just fine in the afterlife. Just cross out Jn 14:6 from your Bible and your vocabulary, and the world will leave you alone, in fact they will praise you for your tolerance! If you don't know Jn 14:6 by heart, I urge you to memorize it, because that's where Jesus Himself said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Believe it! Do not be ashamed to proclaim it, for this is where the faith proving heat of persecution will come from. Speaking of persecution in Php 1:27-29, we read, “ that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. 29 For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,” The proof, is in the persecution, and if you really want to experience it, stand fast on the Christian proclamation that Jesus is the only way to life!

Born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered Under Pontius Pilate, Was Crucified, D...

Born of the Virgin Mary

220 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 2:8,9 “Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel, 9 for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained.” Last time we talked about the importance of remembering. There are many portions of Scripture where God commands us to remember. It would be a good exercise to get a concordance and look at all the Scriptures with the word “remember” in them. (Maybe even a good sermon series if you're listening pastor) Here, Paul commands Timothy to remember that Jesus Christ was born from the seed of David and raised from the dead according to what Paul and the other Apostles teach. Again the Christian creeds are a good tool for helping us rehearse or remember this basic tenet of the Christian faith. That Jesus was born of the seed of David and would suffer and die for our sins and then be raised from the dead is a matter of fulfilled prophecy. Let's begin with the prophecy that Jesus would come from the seed of David. Ps 132:11 says, “The LORD has sworn in truth to David; He will not turn from it: "I will set upon your throne the fruit of your body.” And: 2Sa 7:12 "When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. And as Peter stated in Ac 2:29,30 "Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 "Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, As Christians this is part of what we believe about Jesus. He is both fully God and fully man. Paul preached it but because others held to their belief that Jesus was just a mere prophet or good teacher, he found himself in the hoosegow awaiting execution. Jesus is Immanuel, God with us, fully God fully human, and we steadfastly proclaim it and believe it no matter what the enemies of Christ may throw at us. Jesus, “born of the virgin Mary,” a confession of the Christian that affirms we believe He came from the seed of David just as the Scriptures say!

Remember

Remember

219- Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 2:8 “Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel, (2 Tim 2:8,9) Remember! The word means, “exercise your memory,” “rehearse,” This takes conscious effort on our part. Think of it as “jogging” your memory. We need to do this on a regular basis in regards to many things in the Bible. When you see the word “remember,: in Scripture, think of it as a command, and set about remembering! Why is it important to remember? Because if we don't remember, we will fall into the trap of the opposite, we will forget! The children of Israel were told to “remember when they came out of Egypt,” a reminder to us to remember our own day of deliverance from sin, death, and the devil! We are commanded to “remember the Sabbath Day,” Why did God ordain such a day? Remember, lest you forget what it means to to rest in Him! Num 15:39 tells us to , “remember all the commandments of the LORD and do them,” On a regular basis, pause and look back over all the wonderful things God has done in your life as it says in 1Ch 16:12, “ Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,” My personal favorite, is the second shortest verse in the Bible from Luke17:32, “Remember Lot's wife,” Don't forget her end as she longed for the things she was leaving behind.” Entire Psalms such as Ps 105 were written to help us remember! The point is, when you see that word “remember” in Scripture, stop whatever you are doing, and recall, work it around in your mind, speak it, write it down, do something with it that will help you remember.......lest you forget! Sometimes we are so bent on learning new things in Scripture, we forget how important it is, not to forget the old!

The Pastor Is Like A Soldier, Athlete, and Farmer

The Lot of the Pastor Is Similar To the Lot of the Soldier, Athlete, and Farmer

218- Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 2:4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. 5 And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 The hard-working farmer must be first to partake of the crops. 7 Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things. The last analogy that Paul uses is that of a hard-working farmer. Trials, tribulations, testings, are all part of the life of a soldier, an athlete, and a farmer. Paul reminds Timothy that as a minister of the Gospel, he is in the same boat as these three. And as the soldier, athlete, and farmer, endure, so should Timothy and all others who would follow in his footsteps. None of these occupations are a cakewalk. They take hard work and long hours of discipline. The same can be said for those who would put on the robe of pastor. The pastor, like a soldier, must often set aside common activities of the world as he engages in ministering the word. Like an athlete, he must avoid the temptation to stretch the rules, carefully learning to rightly divide the word of truth, and as a farmer, he must be up early diving into the seed bag of the Word of God, as he prepares to sow the seeds of life into souls that God has sent his way. Are you ready to do this pastor? Are you ready to endure the hardships of a soldier? The discipline of the athlete? The hard labor of the farmer? Count the cost, BEFORE you respond to the call! And if you say “yes!” then be like that soldier, who's only aim is to please his commanding officer! Be like that athlete, disciplining yourself to abide by the rules of biblical interpretation, and like a farmer, be prepared to roll up your sleeves and labor long and hard in your chosen field! It's not all gloom and doom! As Paul wrote in 1Ti 3:1 This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. There are satisfying rewards in this line of work. The soldier's sense of pride when the CO pins a medal on him, the victor's crown of an athlete who wins by training hard and following the rules, and the farmer who is able to enjoy the fruits of his labor after the harvest! Has God called you into the pastorate? Be like the best soldier, the best athlete, the best farmer you can be knowing the truth of 1Pe 5:4, “and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.”

What Are the Rules?

The Rules of the Competition

217 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 2:4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. 5 And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 The hard-working farmer must be first to partake of the crops. 7 Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things. Paul uses several analogies to encourage Timothy in his role of overseer in the church. These are like mini-parables, (earthly stories, with heavenly lessons!) First he warns Timothy not to get too entangled with the affairs of this world. His number one priority, (like a good soldier) is to please his Commanding Officer! In Timothy's case, that would of course be Jesus. Next he reminds Timothy to play by the rules. Any athlete who competes, but breaks the rules of the competition and is found out, is disqualified. Wow! This sounds very serious! A pastor needs to compete by the rules! What rules? What is Paul talking about here? The best way to answer that question is to turn to the Books of Deuteronomy or Revelation! In Dt 4:2, we read, "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.” And in De 12:32 "Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it. And in 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.” Pastor! Teacher! That's the rules! Don't add to the Word of God or take away from the Word of God! Scripture interprets Scripture, not societal trends, or the itchy ears of others! Let “Thus saith the Lord,” be your mantra and you will do well!

Keep the Word and the Flock the Main Thing

216 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 2:4 “No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.” (2 Ti 2:4) Paul continues to use the soldier analogy for Timothy, who was called and gifted by Jesus to pass along the teachings of Jesus and His Apostles to the next generation. So this section of Scripture is primarily for those who serve in the Office of the Word. And the warning simply stated is this, don't take on the role of pastor with too many irons in the fire. This doesn't mean that one can't be bi-vocational. Paul worked as a tentmaker to help make ends meet as he brought the gospel to the Gentiles. But even as he did this, his primary concern was always the message and sheep entrusted to his care. It was this dedication to the integrity of the message and his desire to see souls won to Christ that pleased the one who chose him to be a soldier....namely Jesus Christ. Paul was in this for one reason....to please Jesus, and he wanted Timothy and all others who would follow in his footsteps to be likewise motivated. He said in Ga 1:10 For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ. And even more to the point in 1Th 2:4-6, But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts. 5 For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness--God is witness. 6 Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. The devil works overtime in his business of distraction, (remember Eve in the Garden? He directed her attention to the glitz of the fruit and away from the Word of God) He will seek to do distract pastors as well with the things of this world, hoping that they will get careless with the Word and the flock! Therefore, pastors and prospective pastors, remember this tactic of the evil one, and if you are going to get entangled with anything may it be the Word of God and the Holy Spirit!

Gird Up Your Loins Pastor, Hardship Is Coming

215 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 2:3, “You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” (2 Tim 2:3) All those who are called to serve as pastors ought to pay attention to what is being said here. This is for you! You have been personally recruited and signed up to be a pastor by General Jesus Christ! Count the cost! You are about to experience your very own Valley Forge. Hardship is going to come your way! Before you say yes to this call, steel yourself to the fact that serving as a pastor is not always going to be a bed of roses! To be sure, all those who become followers of Christ are entering a war! But you, as a pastor, have a target on your back. It is an age old strategy of war to take out the leader, 1Ki 22:31 says, “Now the king of Syria had commanded the thirty-two captains of his chariots, saying, "Fight with no one small or great, but only with the king of Israel." Without a leader the troops become disorganized, disheartened and easier pickings for the enemy. In the past several years, much has been posted on the internet about pastors leaving the church in droves. Don't believe every thing you read on the internet, A popular figure given is 1700 leaving per month. In reality the number of pastor's leaving is closer to just 1 %. Ha! Maybe it would be better to say that 1700 are just TEMPTED to quit every month! The point the Holy Spirit is making here, is prospective pastors need to count the cost of serving as a leader in the Kingdom of God. Endurance will be necessary because hardship will come your way. Sometimes it will be extreme as was the case for Paul and also for pastors who serve today in regions where the church is persecuted. Other hardships are less extreme, but nonetheless make the role of pastor difficult. (Discouragement, doubt, difficult parishioners, can all take their toll.) Know that going in before you respond to the call and be prepared to endure any and all hardships that will come your way as a good soldier of Jesus Christ! But remember this also, it's not all gloom and doom! 1Ti 3:1says, “ This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work.”

Passing the Faith Along

213 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 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.” (2 Tim 2:2) Paul was an Apostle, and as an Apostle he had some one on one training with Jesus. He made this clear in his letter to the Galatians: “But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (Gal 1:11,12) The things that Jesus passed onto Paul are essential to the faith and therefore were passed onto Timothy in the presence of other witnesses, and now Timothy is charged with committing these things along to other faithful men, who are gifted teachers. If you are a rightly called pastor and/or teacher, you have had these teachings of Paul committed to you! And guess what? You are charged with committing these teachings to other faithful men and gifted teachers. The word “commit” here speaks of a deposit. You are to deposit what has been deposited in you to these other faithful teachers. Call it discipleship. Call it mentoring, call it what you will, but it must be done with every generation. Do you want to see what happens when you skip a generation? Just read the Book of Judges. It is not enough to fire shotgun blasts of teaching in weekly sermons to a congregation, this charge from Paul involves a more specific targeted audience. Where do you find these faithful men who are apt teachers? It's not up to you to find them, it is up to you to make yourself available to deposit. It is God who provides the gifted Eph 4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, I have been blessed to sit under a pastor who understood the importance of passing the faith along, and it was with amazement that we watched our little congregation turn out many pastors and teachers who went on to serve in various ministries. What was our pastor's secret? He prayed and trusted the Holy Spirit to do his work! It was the Holy Spirit's doing to be sure, and it involves the work of prayer. Jesus reminded us in Mt 9:37, “Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 "Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." Prayer is vital in this matter of passing the faith along, don't neglect it! It only takes the neglect of one generation to lose it!

The Importance of Witnesses

213 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 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.” (2 Tim 2:2) Paul continues his last instructions to Timothy. As I read this verse something jumps out at me and I feel it is worth pursuing. First of all, let me say that one of my favorite verses in the Bible, and I believe one of the most important, is found 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,” That verse has caused me to slam on the brakes more than once as I seek to expound on the Scriptures, and it happens again here today in this verse. It says “ALL Scripture” and as I read our text today I find myself wondering what to do with the phrase “among many witnesses.” Why did the Holy Spirit include that phrase? Why not just say, “And the things that you have heard from me commit these to faithful men Wasn't Paul's one on one sessions with Timothy good enough? I'm sure Paul handed many gems down to Timothy one on one, but Paul includes a safeguard here in the matter of passing truth down to the next generation. Truth requires more than one witness! 2Co 13:1b says, “By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established." This safeguard allows for every teaching that Timothy received from Paul and subsequently passed down to the next generation to be attested to by other witnesses. It's not just Timothy saying, “well Paul told me once,” but rather “Paul has told us!” Do you see the difference? I think that's one of the great values of seminary classes. The teachings are handed down in front of many witnesses and safeguards are in place for any loose cannons. There is accountability built in! Even as a pastor of the local congregation seeks to mentor others, it is wise to go beyond one on one, just for the sake of accountability, because the standard in the Bible is, “By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established."

Grace For the Moment

212 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 2:1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. (2 Tim 2:1) Paul had just painted a picture of two types of people. There are those who like Phygellus and Hermogenes flee the kitchen when it gets a little warm. They ditch the faith, resisting the grace of God which is able to make them stand during trial and tribulation. Then there's Onesipherous, who surely had tapped into the grace of God and didn't care about the heat, in fact he rushed into the kitchen to keep Paul company in his chains and refresh him! He urges Timothy to be like Onesipherous and allow the grace of God to empower him for the trials and tribulations that surely lie ahead. This is no small thing and something that every follower of Christ must consider. We must learn to be strong in the grace of God! What does that mean? What do I have to do to tap into God's grace (divine influence on my heart) The heart and soul of God's grace is, it's all Him. It's all His doing, none of mine. That's why the Bible tells us that we are saved by grace through faith not of works, it is the gift of God, not of works lest anyone should boast. I know it sounds flippant, but it's true we have to “let go and let God!” To be strong in the grace of God, is to approach the throne of God and simply say, “Help me Jesus, I can't do this on my own!” then wait for Him and His promised action on our behalf. He will give you what you need to help carry you through whatever crisis of faith you may find yourself in. Heb 4:16 says, “ Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” As a follower of Christ, you have access to the grace of God 24/7. So the next time things heat up and the devil tries to separate you from your faith in Christ, call on the Lord, for He says in Ps 50:15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me."

Pray For Mercy For the Merciful

211 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 1:16-18, “The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, (Oh knee sif' er ous) for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain; 17 but when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously and found me. 18 The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that Day--and you know very well how many ways he ministered to me at Ephesus. (2 Tim 1:15-18) Onesiphorus. I wonder why we don't here more sermons about this man and his ministry. He certainly set the bar high for visitation ministry! He diligently sought out Paul wading through bureaucratic channels in order to visit him. He visited him often and brought refreshment (the idea being a cool glass of water on a hot day!) Word of his many refreshing visits got out to others as Paul made sure others were aware of his efforts! This love and concern for Paul touched Paul deeply and he prayed specifically for Onesipherous that he and his household would be recipients of the mercy of God both now and on the Day of Judgment! This mercy, in the Greek, is Elios, and it is extended for the alleviation of the consequences of sin. What a prayer for Onesipherous and his household! Onesipherous had shown mercy to Paul and now Paul prays that God would return the favor. Could we not learn from this? I want you to think of someone (believer or unbeliever) who came into your life at a time of turmoil and tribulation. Someone who made an effort to bring relief to you. Maybe it was a timely visit, or a word from Scripture given in season, or maybe some sort of care package or financial gift. Yes, fire off a thank you note, but don't forget to send a thank you note to God for that person. Pray for them as Paul did, that God would alleviate the effects of sin in their life from this day forth. Pray for their salvation and the salvation of their household! Look, it's not that their good work for you saves them, but their good work and your prayers open the door for God's mercy to come to them. Speak to God on their behalf....if not you.....who? After all. Who better to pray for mercy than the one who has received it?

More On Visitation Ministry

208 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 1:16-18, “The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, (Oh knee sif' er ous) for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain; 17 but when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously and found me. 18 The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that Day--and you know very well how many ways he ministered to me at Ephesus. (2 Tim 1:15-18) Onesiphorus. I wonder why we don't here more sermons about this man and his ministry. He certainly set the bar high for visitation ministry! He was not a hit and miss visitor to Paul during his incarceration, he OFTEN visited him, refreshing Paul's spirits! In addition, he didn't come into the prison with a paper bag over his face, as if he we ashamed to be seen with Paul. He was always genuinely glad to see him and had no qualms about being associated with him. Depending on the crime, sometimes this can be difficult in prison ministry. The prisoner is quite aware of the shame associated with his crime, whatever it may be. He doesn't need his visitors to add to it. Remember you are not embracing the sin, only the sinner who is a soul that matters to God! Go with a heart that is glad to connect with this person whom Christ died for on the cross! Then we read of Onesiphorus' dogged efforts to visit with Paul! He sought him out very zealously and found him. Sometimes in prison, ministry, there can be very frustrating bureaucratic channels that make it difficult to visit, perhaps Onesiphorus ran into a few of these himself, but he persevered, he kept at it until he found Paul and was able to refresh him! Thank you Onesiphorus for being a model for visitation ministry! Let your visits with Paul be an example for those so called today, that they too may doggedly pursue opportunities to gladden the hearts of the prisoner or the infirmed for the purpose of refreshment.....often! Allow me to let you in on a little secret in the matter of a visitation ministry, more often than not it is the visitor who comes away refreshed!

Building Your Herd

Going through an old journal of mine, I found this entry from November of 2008: Tozer has said, “Proper and sound teaching of the Word of God will awaken desire within the one being taught to move forward in spiritual adventure with Christ.” We study passages in the Greek to find out what they mean in English and we say, “Isn't that fine!” And that's all we do about it! Tozer says our spiritual growth comes to a screeching halt whenever we hear a spiritual truth and refuse to act on it. Maybe it's a sin we need to confess, but refuse to agree with God that it is a sin. Maybe it's some business we need to straighten out between God and ourselves, or between ourselves and others. Maybe it some act of obedience that we stubbornly refuse to perform. Refusal to act on revealed truth is a recipe for chronic discouragement! It is accepting mediocrity and stunted spiritual growth as the norm. There is an old Hindu saying that goes like this, “You who are busy learning texts and not living them are like the man counting other peoples cattle without having a single heifer of his own.” Maybe it's time for each of us to start building our own herd....one heifer at a time as we act on what the Word of God is speaking to us. May the Holy Spirit open our ears to the Word of God and then move our members to respond accordingly. Just one word of caution as you build your herd. Don't go tooting your own horn about it! Remember God owns all the cattle (Ps 50:10) Any increase is His doing not yours!

The Cause That Refreshes

208 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 1:16-18, “The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, (Oh knee sif' er ous) for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain; 17 but when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously and found me. 18 The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that Day--and you know very well how many ways he ministered to me at Ephesus. (2 Tim 1:15-18) Onesiphorus. I wonder why we don't here more sermons about this man and his ministry. He certainly set the bar high for visitation ministry! He OFTEN refreshed Paul while he was in prison! We aren't told how often, but we can be sure that Onesipherous was a frequent visitor to the dungeon which held Paul. In his visits he refreshed Paul. The word means to cool off. That doesn't mean that he dumped a bucket of cold water over Paul when he visited him, but rather, like an ice cold glass of lemonade on a hot and humid day, Onesiphorous brought relief to the parched soul of Paul! One can almost hear the guard announcing to Paul, “Onesipherous is here to see you,” and Paul's soul leaping for joy at the thought of another refreshing visit from this friend! Do you have a ministry of visitation? Sometimes we are thrown into such a ministry when illness strikes a friend or loved one, or when an acquaintance or relative finds themselves behind prison doors. Before you enter that room or that cell, ask yourself what you can do to bring refreshment to that person. Don't come walking in filled with gloom and doom, or a list of sins that you think may have put them in their predicament! Put a smile on your face and be genuinely glad to see that person. It will go a long way in the area of refreshment! More importantly, pray up before you get there! Ask God how you might refresh that person! Maybe it's a matter of finding Bible passages that ooze refreshment! Read the 23rd Psalm for starters! Let them know that God loves them and that you love them and of course be prepared to pray with them! Need encouragement before embarking? How about reading this portion of 2 Timothy for a refresher course on conducting visitation! For starters, purpose to refresh....... often!

The Compassion and Mercy of Onesiphorus

207 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 1:15-18, “This you know, that all those in Asia have turned away from me, among whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes. 16 The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain; 17 but when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously and found me. 18 The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that Day--and you know very well how many ways he ministered to me at Ephesus. (2 Tim 1:15-18) Three names. Two mentioned in a bad light and one in a good light. We know nothing further of Phygellus and Hermogenes than this mention here in 2 Timothy. Timothy was very much aware of these two men and all the others who were members of the Asian church who had turned away from Paul in his hour of need. This is not Asia as we know it today but rather that part of Asia where Paul ministered and included areas such as Ephesus and Galatia. It's not that all the churches in these areas had turned against Paul, it was that those members who were in Rome at the time of Paul's imprisonment and upcoming execution turned away from him. I can think of no better comparison than that of the disciples who scattered like sheep when Jesus was arrested and of course the blatant denial of Peter. Fear and shame drove those disciples and Peter, and fear and shame likely drove Phygellus and Hermogenes. But look what drove Onesiphorus..... compassion and mercy! Like the Levite and the priest who hurried by the wounded man in the ditch, Phygellus and Hermogenes turned their back on the chained and isolated Paul , but Onesiphorus, like the Good Samariatan, looked for ways to refresh Paul in his dilemma! We are in no position to judge Phygellus, Hermogenes, and the other Asian Christians in Rome. They are not mentioned again in Scripture, but we can hope that Jesus came to them as He came to Peter and those who fled and restored them In the meantime, let us ask the Lord to help us be like Onesiphorus and when we see a brother or sister in duress, that God would conquer our fears and shame and move us to compassionate action!

The Sketch of What the Apostles Handed Down To Us

206 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 1:13, 14, “Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 14 That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. (2 Tim 1:13,14) It's all about Jesus and the Gospel and Paul makes that point clear here to young Timothy. Tap into the power of the Holy Spirit Timothy! Use that power to not deviate from the pattern of sound words that Paul has handed down to the church through his own encounters with Jesus and the Word! With faith in Christ and the fruit of love that comes with it, stick to the guns of the gospel and the doctrine of Christ! To be sure, there would be attacks on the doctrine of Christ. There have been attacks on the doctrine of Christ, and there will continue to be attacks on the doctrine of Christ. So Paul reminds Timothy to hold fast (don't let it get away from you) the pattern ( the word means sketch or outline) of the sound (perfectly healthy) words that Timothy has heard from Paul. What is this sketch of doctrine that is so important to Timothy and the church? It is the creed, concerning what we must believe about Jesus. This creed of the early church was sketched out for Timothy in 1Ti 3:16 “And without controversy (don't argue about this) great is the mystery of godliness: (Great is the mystery of Christ!) And here it is. Here is the sketch! “God was manifested in the flesh, (Immanuel, God with us, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary) Justified in the Spirit, (By His death at the hands of Pontius Pilate and subsequent resurrection from the dead! Seen by angels, (Seen by His messengers, the Apostles and over 500 other witnesses) Preached among the Gentiles. Believed on in the world, This risen Christ would appear to His messengers and give them the charge to preach the Gospel to the world, and then He was received up in glory.” This was the pattern, the sketch that the church must adhere to as it concerns Jesus. There has been some filling in of that sketch through the years, (what the church now calls the Apostles Creed or the even more detailed Nicene Creed) but the basic doctrine concerning Christ has not changed and must not change. This sketch goes a long way in defense of the Gospel from false teachers, and we in the church ought to remind ourselves of it often and hold fast to it!

Read the Book of Revelation! We Win!

205 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 1:12 For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.” Paul, is not ashamed of being a follower of Jesus and he is not ashamed of his calling. He has a distinct advantage over many because of his face to face encounters with Jesus. He says here “I know whom I have believed,” and the word “know” here means to take in with one's eyes, it speaks of a personal encountering. He knows Jesus just like you know people in your circle of acquaintances. We are all familiar with his personal encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus that resulted in his conversion, but I also want to talk about Paul's encounter with Jesus when he was taken up to the third heaven....the very throne room of God! We read about it in 2Co 12:2-5, “I know a man in Christ (he's speaking about himself) who fourteen years ago--whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows--such a one was caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I know such a man--whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows-- 4 how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. 5 Of such a one I will boast; yet of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities.” We aren't told what Paul witnessed in heaven, but I think we can get a clue if we read the throne vision in the Book of Revelation beginning in chapter 4. The bottom line of that vision is Christ wins! Christ has won! The Lamb of God is victorious! Paul saw the victory! And therefore was able to boast in his infirmities. He was able to handle all that came his way because he knew with certainty the end! And so he confidently states he knows that Jesus is able to keep what had been committed to Paul (the Gospel) to The Day! The Gospel will prevail! You and I likely won't get a glimpse of this victory in person right now, but we can get it through the Revelation of John. No wonder the Re 1:3 says, “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.” Are you experiencing trial? Infirmity? Tribulation? Read the Book of Revelation. You don't have to understand it all. All you need to garner from it is Christ wins! Persevere in Christ to the end and you win too!

Persevering Shamelessly

205 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 1:12 For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day. Paul, who was appointed by God to serve as a preacher, apostle, and teacher to the Gentiles, knew going in that he would suffer persecution and trial because of this appointment. Ananais was told to relay that information to Paul shortly after his conversion: Ac 9:15 But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 "For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake." Sitting in a dungeon, waiting for your execution by the state, being counted as a criminal, certainly could bring on feelings of shame, and doubt. Would you want to be associated with such a person? Would you want to be associated with a faith that is deemed worthy of such a cruel death? There would be no public outcry to save Paul, in fact as he writes this letter, all but Luke have abandoned him. Paul had the option to renounce his faith at any time and be spared this shameful, painful death! But he didn't! One can't help but think of Jesus. Also suffering a shameful death at the hands of the state as He hung without mercy on a cross between to common thugs. There was no public outcry. He was abandoned, just a few concerned friends and His mother at the foot of the cross to watch Him suffer and die. In fact, the public cried out “Crucify Him!” He's a fraud! A phony! Mt 27:42 "He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. Where's your Jesus now Paul? Let me ask you point blank, “where is your Jesus now in your own time of trial? Where will your Jesus be in your coming tribulations?” And the answer that Paul gives is the same you and I need to remember. “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.”Paul was intimately familiar with Jesus and he believed that Jesus had the power to keep his faith intact until that Day that the gates of paradise would be opened to him! Paul knew that his agonies now are temporary, and in persevering in the faith, no matter the perceived shame of it would result in eternal bliss! May God give us the same convictions as we suffer while we travel this sod on our way to our eternal home!

The Importance of Progressive Instruction

204 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 1:11, “ to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. (2 Tim 1:11) Paul is speaking about the gospel. He was appointed or assigned by God to (1) preach the gospel, to (2) be an Apostle, and to (3) teach this gospel to the Gentiles. This word for “appointed” here is used to denote a setting of food on the table. Paul was appointed (placed on the table if you will) by God to bring the food of the Gospel first of all to the Jew and then the Gentile. He “sets” the table with the Gospel, and Jew and Gentile can either receive it or reject it! He does this as (1) a preacher, (one who heralds the news, like a town crier if you will) He is a preacher employed by God in the work of proclaiming salvation! “Hear ye hear ye, Jesus died for your sins!” He was also appointed to (2) serve as an Apostle of the gospel! An apostle is one who is personally appointed to serve as an ambassador for Christ and this appointment is initiated by Christ Himself in a person to person encounter! Paul was appointed an Apostle on that day when he met Jesus on the road to Damascus! He was also (3) appointed as a teacher. According to the Zhodiates Study Bible, those appointed as teachers are gifted by God to give progressive instruction concerning God's redeeming purposes. So for Paul, it was not only to serve with the authority of an Apostle, and to proclaim the gospel. But he was also to follow that up with progressive instructions to help believers mature in their faith. Instructions that will help us all “work out our salvation.” These instruction of Paul concerning God's purpose in redeeming us are found throughout his New Testament letters, as he sought to teach these various churches (and consequently you and I) how to live as Christians. I think it's important for all of us to realize that the message of the Bible does not end with salvation. God does not save us and leave us orphans. He comes to us with further “progressive” instructions that are meant to strengthen our faith and help us to finish the race in the best possible manner.

When Death Became A Mannequin

203 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 1:9,10, “ who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, 10 but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, (2 Tim 1:9,10) Under the curse of the Law, man is doomed. Without the light of the gospel, there is nothing but darkness and death and damnation awaiting fallen man! And from eternity God has had a plan to redeem the crown of His creation! He assured Adam and Eve that one day He would raise up a Savior from their seed who would crush Satan, who is the antithesis of life! The entire Old Testament held out the promise of salvation and the appearance of a Deliverer to the Patriarchs, and the prophets. Abraham and all others who simply believed this coming promise had it accounted to them as righteousness, and Paul, Timothy, you and I and all other New Testament believers who believe that Jesus Christ was indeed this Deliverer also have it accounted to us as righteousness! This Jesus abolished death! Let's talk about that. The word abolished means to be entirely idle! Entirely! All of it, 100% of death is now idle, powerless to the believer! Think about being completely idle for a moment. Recently, there was a social media craze going around where people seek to shoot a video of themselves and others posing as mannequins. The idea is to remain perfectly still or idle. Some of these videos are amazing, but sooner or later someone is going to move, well since Jesus died and rose from the dead, He has made death permanently idle. Permanently powerless! This victory is summed up in 1Co 15:55-57, "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jesus has turned death into a lifeless mannequin for all who receive Him. Death has been made powerless, abolished and replaced by life and immortality through the light and power of the Gospel. Believe it! Receive it, and live forever!

Privileged Information

202 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 1:9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, 10 but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, The Holy Spirit, speaking through Paul, continues to provide us with more information about Jesus and God's plan for salvation. This plan was in place before the beginning of time, and the beginning of time as we know it, occurred on the 4th day of creation, “Then God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years;” (Gen 1:14) Now some may say that time began on day one, because a day speaks of a specified length of time. I won't argue that point, I'm just saying that time in the way we MARK it began on the fourth day when God said let there be lights to divide day from night, and let them be for days and years. How long were those first three days? I say, we really don't know. The boundaries of time as we know them were not set in place until the fourth day! But let's not get caught up in that debate now, rather let us take by faith that God had a plan in place to save fallen mankind from eternity! He is omniscient, (all knowing) from eternity and though this fact can elicit all sorts of questions regarding the Sovereignty of God and the free will of man, again, let us not get bogged down in that debate at this time. Rather let us rejoice in the fact that the plan was unfolded before our very eyes with the birth of a promised Redeemer in a little town called Bethlehem over 2000 years ago! As Jesus said in Lu 10:24 "for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it." What a privilege for us to live in such a time as this! Concrete evidence in the resurrection of Jesus that proves the abolishment of death. Life and immortality for all who believe! Receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and live!