God Has Given Me A Love For Him and Consequently A Love For His Word

279 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 3:16,17 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Tim 3:16,17) ALL Scripture! Not some! I am so thankful that God made this truth so clear in my own heart. It's been such a blessing to me in my own personal devotional life, but at the same time a curse. (What I mean by that, is this truth has caused me to slow down to a painful pace when I read and study the Scriptures.) Some people read through the Bible in a year, (and that's okay!) I always have good intentions, but then as I set off in an attempt to read it through in it's entirety, I will come upon a word, or a thought and I find myself off on a bunny trail of a cross-reference, or an attempt to grasp the right context, or I'll open up my concordance and find myself chasing down the meaning of a word in the original Hebrew or Greek language. I can't help it! The Holy Spirit has impressed upon me that He doesn't waste words!ALL are important, and I often find myself being driven to discover why! God doesn't waste His breath and many times I think we miss the point in our haste to read for the sake of reading. Jesus even said that punctuation marks are of eternal value! Mt 5:18 "For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. I have been doing these “devotionals” on a daily basis since 1988, many times just focusing in on one word, I tend to go slow and easy because I believe ALL of the Words of God are important! I personally don't want to miss a thing! God has allowed me to share these devotions with the listeners of WEMI and with the congregation of Living Word Lutheran Church through the years. I have gone verse by verse through Genesis, Deuteronomy, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Malachi, Mathew, Mark, John, Acts, James, 1 and 2 Peter, Revelation, and 1 and 2 Timothy. It took me more than a year of Sundays to preach through the Book of Romans and a full year to preach through the Sermon on the Mount! But, honestly, I haven't even scratched the surface! There is so much more to dig into and chew on in the Word of God. Every syllable God-breathed rich and useful! Oh how rich is the language of God! I can hardly wait to get started on another Book! Ps 119:97 says it best for me, “Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.”

A Fundamental truth

278 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 3:16,17 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Tim 3:16,17) I don't know when I read this verse for the first time. All I know is it became one of the most important verses for me as a returning prodigal child of God. It is the first verse I memorized, when by the grace of God, Jesus invited me back intro the kingdom! The Holy Spirit seemed to be impressing upon my heart this foundational truth that I needed to believe if I were going to work through matters of faith. “ALL scripture is given by the inspiration of God!” I can't pick and choose what I will believe about what is written in these pages, I must believe it all! If I'm going to go all in with Jesus, I need to go all in with His Words as well! After all. if I am able to discard or discount things written in the Bible, then how do I know that Eph 2:8,9 is a trustful saying? Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Or for that matter Joh 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” By God's grace, I believe these verses and by God-granted faith I believe that the Holy Spirit has written every word found in the pages of the Bible! 2Pe 1:20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. Once that is settled, the pages of the Bible begin to become more than blurred words on paper. They become absolute truth in my heart! Though the devil may try to convince me that there are contradictions..... (“Did God really say?”) I am able to respond with certainty, “Yes He did, for it is written” Will I understand it all perfectly? Of course not! Not this side of heaven, but I will understand what the Holy Spirit wants me to understand and that's all that matters. He will shed light where it needs to be shed and withhold it when it needs to be withheld. I need not fret or wring my hands about that which I do not understand. It doesn't change the fact that ALL Scripture is God-breathed!

Beating the Bush

277 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 3:13-15, “But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (2 Tim 3:13-15) These evil men and impostors are those false teachers that rise up out of the church mentioned in the previous verses. Some were already around in Paul's day, and he warns Timothy that they will be around in his day, and in fact will just get worse and worse as time marches on toward the end. Jesus spoke of these false prophets in Mt 24:24 "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. These false prophets began a relentless march for victims in and out of the church since Christ's church was established on earth and will continue with increasing intensity until the end! The word “grow” here is interesting, it means to “advance by beating.” Perhaps you've hear the term, “beating the bushes,” it's a method of hunting birds that involves people advancing in a field and pounding the underbrush to cause the birds to fly and become easy targets for the hunters. Don't let these false teachers, who make a lot of noise, sway you from the path of life! Jesus said in Mt 24:13 "But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” Don't take flight from the true gospel! The false teachers make a lot of noise but their teachings can't harm you if you remain under the cover of Jesus! Paul gives Timothy and us the solution to resist false teachers KNOW THE SCRIPTURES! Know them from your youth and CONTINUE IN THEM! Do you see how important it is to teach the Scriptures to your children at an early age? And how important it is to continue in that education until they fly the coop and are on their own. This foundation will give them something to come back to should they stray, It is these same Scriptures that “are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” It is this hammered home doctrine of salvation by grace through faith that enables us to resist the false teachings and in the end lead us to eternal life!

Well-Compassioned

276 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 3:12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. (2 Tim 3:12) I think we all need to let this statement sink in. We should pay special attention to the word “will!” It's not “might” suffer persecution, it's will! Who “will” suffer persecution? Those who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus. Let's break this down a little bit. Those who “desire” to live godly are those who are “determined” to live godly. This “determination” (which we are able to resist by exercising our free will) is a gift from God and it comes from the Holy Spirit, and those who follow the Spirit's leading instead of resisting it, are spiritually alive! (That's what the word “live” implies). When one is spiritually alive, he is “godly in Christ Jesus.” The idea is that such a person is “well compassioned,” He or she takes on the compassion that earmarked Jesus. Just a quick word on compassion. The classic example is the story of the good Samaritan. He had compassion on the man in the ditch, and the word compassion means “his bowels yearned.” Now I know this is a little crass, but I don't know how else to say it, When my bowels yearn I am compelled to act and I look for the nearest restroom! One of the earmarks of a born-again Christian is they are well compassioned, and why not? The most well-compassioned person who ever existed now lives in them! They can't help but listen to the Spirit who prompts them to take action. The compassion of Jesus is summed up in the term “agape love.” Agape love is giving people what they need, not necessarily what they want, and this is where the persecution will come from. People need to know that Jesus is the only way to salvation, but they will come after you for being intolerant. People need to know that sexual sin is harmful, (and yes, that includes sex outside the bounds of marriage) 1Co 6:18 says, “Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.” But they will come after you for being an old-fashioned prude. People need to know that abortion is murder, but they will come after you for sticking your nose into their body, conveniently forgetting that there is another body involved. People also need to know that there is forgiveness for these sins and all others, but their flesh keeps looking for other ways to deal with their guilt. Being “well-compassioned is to stick to speaking the truth....in love no matter what! Keep responding to human need around you, (that's love) but never weary of proclaiming biblical truth. It's something we all need! If you do this, you will likely not be appreciated by the world, but neither was Jesus!

The Persecutions of Paul

275 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 3:10,11, “ But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, 11 persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra--what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. (2 Tim 3:10,11) Timothy has not only observed the character of Paul and his deep commitment to his calling, but he has also seen the price Paul paid. In Antioch of Pisidia, Paul was opposed by the Jews who sought to contradict everything he was saying about Jesus and they spoke evil of Paul. We read about it in Ac 13:45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul.” Not content with their ugly use of words they raised up further persecution against Paul and Barnabas and kicked them out of their region: Verse 50: “ But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. Then in Iconium, The Jews and the Gentiles went after him: Ac 14:5 And when a violent attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to abuse and stone them,” Paul and Barnabas then fled to Lystra where they preached the gospel, but their persecutors followed them: Ac 14:19 Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead.” Yes, Timothy had seen all of this and Paul mentioned it to the Corinthians as well as we read in 2Co 1:9,10, “ Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, 10 who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us,” Finally Paul quotes this reassuring verse for Timothy from Ps 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all. My friends we have not yet been pressed yet to the sentence of death, but isn't it good to know that no matter the persecution, no matter the trial, no matter the suffering, we have this great promise of deliverance. If not from the immediate circumstances, but the ultimate deliverance into the life to come! Hold onto that promise today and endure whatever hardship you may be facing. God will deliver!

Love Them Anyway

274 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 3:10 But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, (2 Tim 3:10) We've talked about Paul's doctrine, manner of life, purpose, and perseverance in presenting the gospel, today, let's talk about Paul's example of love and perseverance. Timothy had witnessed Paul's dedication to loving on people no matter what! The love spoken of here is agape love, which is defined as giving people what they need, not necessarily what they want. The people wanted a King to rule in a physical kingdom on earth to deliver the people from the yoke of oppressive governments, but God gave us a sacrificial Lamb to deliver us from our sin problem, which is our deepest need! It's funny, unless God opens our eyes, we are almost never happy with this kind of love! Give us what we want! Look how the people turned on Jesus when they realized He was not going to be the earthly Messiah they wanted. But God “agaped” them (and us) anyway! People were not happy with Paul's message of salvation by grace versus salvation by works, and look how he was treated, but he persevered in agapeing them anyway. A poem entitled “Anyway” found framed on the wall of Mother Theresa's children's home in Calcutta began with these words: People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered....love them anyway. This kind of love demonstrated by Paul was observed by Timothy and served as a model for him and it ought to be a model for us. A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine was having a difficult time at work. It the sort of thing that happens to all of us sooner or later. And whereas I am apt to go in with guns ablazing trying to fix the situation, my friend's plan was quote: “I'm just going to go in to work tomorrow and love on people.” What a great solution! Love on people and let God do the rest! It is as Jesus said in Lu 6:35 "But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. This kind of love can only come from God! Ask Him for it! Use it! And patiently wait for His results.

What If I'm Fifteen?

273 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 3:10 But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, (2 Ti 3:10) Timothy has carefully observed Paul in all these different aspects of his life and ministry. Paul is setting these before Timothy now, so that he will use them as his own pattern once Paul is called home. Today, let's talk about Paul's pattern of faith and longsuffering. In a nutshell, he was convinced of the truth of the crucified and risen Christ revealed to him on the road to Damascus and all the other revelations given to him by Jesus and he stuck to his guns. He didn't waver on the doctrine of Christ! It is as he wrote earlier to Timothy in 2Ti 1:12, “ 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.” The longsuffering that Paul speaks of here is that of being patient with people. It is closely related to the patience and perseverance that God mercifully holds out to unbelievers as we read in 2Pe 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.' So Paul reminds Timothy here to be patient as it relates to the gospel producing fruit. Not everyone gets it the first time around. As I reflect back on my own prodigal days, and occasional exposure to the gospel, I realize that the gospel was always presented when I happened to attend church, I just didn't get it! So, persevere in presenting the faith! Fruit will come! There was a Greg Long song that was popular a few years ago called “Fifteen,” and the chorus went like this: “If it takes 15 times, to hear about Jesus for someone to believe, wherever I stand in line I've got to make a difference in case it comes down to me. Cuz I may be the 3rd, maybe the 7th, there may be years in between, but what if I'm 15, what if I'm fifteen!” Don't give up on the gospel. Today may be the day someone hears it from your lips and finally gets it!

Your Purpose

273 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 3:10 But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, ( 2 Tim 3:10) We've talked about Paul's purpose and Timothy's purpose, but what about your purpose? What are God's plans for your life? Paul had the advantage of a face to face encounter with Jesus. Timothy had the face to face tutelage of Paul. What do you and I have? We have the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, and it is more than enough to shake out our personal purpose in the kingdom. The Bible is a very personal book. The Holy Spirit speaks to you and I through it's pages. Heb 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. God is the Potter and we are the clay and He fearfully and wonderfully made us. He knows what we are best suited for and He created us for participation in His kingdom. We are saved by grace for a purpose as we read in Eph 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” How do we discover these good works? How do we uncover our purpose? It's fairly simple. Respond to the Word of God as you meditate on it. Trust the Holy Spirit to speak to you through His Word and then seek to comply with it. Ps 37:4 says “Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.” The word delight here, means be pliable, like clay. Let the Word of God shape you. Believe it! Obey it! Stop worrying about your purpose, It will unfold for you as God gives you the desires of your heart. He knows those desires better than you because He created you! There's no magic trick here. Be pliable in God's hands and you will eventually find yourself smack dab in the middle of His purpose for you. Try this simple prayer on a daily basis from Rom 12:1, “Lord by Your mercy I present my body a living sacrifice to you. Here I am, what is it that you would have me to do.” Then simply watch for opportunities to respond to situations that come your way in accordance with what God the Holy Spirit has spoken to you through His Word. It may not be what you imagined, but think about it, who has the better imagination? You or God?

Timothy's Purpose

272 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 3:10 But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, ( 2 Tim 3:10) Last time we talked about Paul's purpose which was made crystal clear to him by His face to face meeting with Jesus. But how about Timothy's purpose? How about yours? Let's look today at Timothy's purpose. Although he had no face to face encounter with Jesus to spell out his purpose in the church, he had many face to face encounters with Paul....who did. Perhaps the best way to describe Timothy's purpose would be to say he was like a relay runner, taking the baton from Paul and handing it off to future generations of leaders in the Christian church. His purpose was put in writing for all to see! Paul wrote in 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. In one sense, his purpose was to tag along with Paul on his missionary journeys and learn to emulate Paul, because he would be the Paul of the next generation! He traveled with Paul and at times was sent by Paul to other churches to encourage and guide them in the ways of Christ handed down to the Apostles and Paul. But Timothy's purpose took the spread of Christianity and the planting of churches to the next level. Paul's letters to Timothy gave him specific instructions on how to run the church in regards to the care of the flock, including the qualifications for leaders, the conduct of the members and ministers, the administration of the church, the order in which the church should be conducted, and how to deal with the false teachers that would surely arise in the church. All this put in black and white for Timothy and for our church leaders of today. His purpose made clear as the Holy Spirit moved Paul to write these letters with these instructions. It would be wise for all of us to review these instructions for our churches today, it seems they would help us remember our own purposes as a church. Timothy didn't have to guess about His purpose. It was there for him written in ink by the Apostle Paul who was guided by Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Do we have to guess about our own individual purposes? We'll address that question next time.

Paul's Purpose

271 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 3:10 But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, ( 2 Tim 3:10) Timothy carefully followed Paul's purpose. Okay, here's some fair questions: What was Paul purpose? What was Timothy's purpose” For that matter, what is your purpose? What are the plans that God has for you? This is something that kind of gnaws at all of us! First of all, let's look at Paul's purpose. Don't we wish we had it laid out before us as clearly as he had it laid out for him by Jesus! Paul recounted his purpose as he spoke to King Agrippa about his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus: Ac 26:16-18 says, “ 'But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, (there's that word again!) to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. 17 'I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, 18 'to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.'' No mistaking that charge from Jesus! Shortly after his encounter with Jesus, Ananias was told by the Lord to give him similar instructions: Ac 9:15 But the Lord said to him, (Ananias) "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." Then in Ac 13:2 we read of the church at Antioch sending Paul and Barnabas out to fulfill Paul's purpose! “ As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, "Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." The green light. Let the plan be put into action! Paul's purpose was (1) received directly by him from Jesus, (2) attested to by Ananias ( a second witness) and (3) triggered after a time of fasting by the Holy Spirit. Oh if it were only that simple for us today....but it is! And I hope we can explore God's purpose for you in the days ahead, beginning with Timothy's purpose next time on the Prime Time Devo!

Imitate Paul's Lifestyle

268 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 3:10, “But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, (2 Tim 3:10) Timothy not only followed the teachings of Paul very carefully, but he also followed his example of day to day living. Timothy emulated Paul's lifestyle, just as Paul emulated the lifestyle of Christ. This is more important than one might think especially as this lifestyle ought to be reflected in the spiritual leaders of today who have followed in the footsteps of Paul and Timothy. It's one of the reasons the qualifications for church leaders are so stringent as spelled out in 1 Timothy 3! But his example is for all followers of Christ! Have you not heard? We ought to live by a different moral compass than that of the world. Listen to these admonitions from scripture concerning our lifestyle: Php 4:9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, (Paul) these do, and the God of peace will be with you. Php 3:17 Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us (Paul and other leaders) for a pattern. 1Co 4:16 Therefore I urge you, imitate me. (Paul) 2Th 3:7 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, (Paul and his fellow workers) for we were not disorderly among you; 8 nor did we eat anyone's bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, 9 not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us. And finally, we ought to follow Paul's example because he sought to follow the example of Jesus! 1Co 11:1 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. This is not a lifestyle without struggles between our flesh and the Holy Spirit and Paul was also very open and honest about his own personal struggles in that regard. This transparency is vital to those in and outside the church. We are to seek to be lights in this world, without shadows and hidden dark corners. If any shadow is cast in our lives, let it be the shadow of the cross, which serves as a reminder that we are sinners who struggle, yet saved in our struggles by the grace of God through faith in Jesus!

The Doctrine of Paul

268 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 3:10-11, “But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, 11 persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra--what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. (2 Tim 3:10,11) Timothy first hooked up with Paul in Lystra and Paul invited Timothy to accompany him on his missionary journey. From this point on Timothy would have first hand exposure to the teachings of Paul, his manner of life, his purpose, his faith, his longsuffering, his love, his perseverance, persecutions, and afflictions. This exposure would go along way in helping Timothy pass the faith along and prepare subsequent followers for the things they would have to endure. Jesus said in Joh 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." We are told here that Timothy carefully followed the doctrine or the teachings of Paul. We certainly could not name all these teachings in this short devotional, but I think it's important that we understand that these are not teachings invented by Paul. He was merely handing down the teachings of Jesus and the Apostles as handed down to Him. Even as Paul and Timothy set out, we read of what they did in Ac 16:4, “And as they went through the cities, they delivered to them the decrees to keep, which were determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem.” But not only the Apostles teachings but the teachings of Jesus which Paul would receive directly from Jesus as was explained to him at his conversion: Ac 22:14 "Then he (Ananias) said, 'The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth.” Armed with this knowledge, we ought to take the teachings of Paul far more seriously than many do. He had much to say about what we must believe about Jesus, and how we should live as Christians! He preached repentance toward God and faith toward Jesus (Acts 20:21) He preached Christ crucified! He was a champion of salvation by grace, but never cheapened it as he told us how to live righteously. Timothy followed the teachings of Paul closely, because they were in reality the teachings of Jesus, ought we not do the same?

Tracing the Pattern

268 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 3:10-11, “But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, 11 persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra--what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. (2 Tim 3:10,11) “But you!” Unlike the false teachers like Jannes and Jambres, Timothy has followed Paul in every way and in every circumstance. Whereas Jannes and Jambres steadfastly opposed Moses, Timothy gladly went all in with Paul and the entire package of the truth of God's Word, and everything that comes along with it. Paul is about to be martyred. He knows it and Timothy knows it, and in this his last letter, he uses this portion to greatly commend and encourage Timothy. This commendation and encouragement is something we would all do well to emulate in our own lives. I speak especially to those who may be getting a little gray around the edges. Look around. Who do you see that is carefully following and embracing the truth of God's Word in their words and deeds. Take the time to commend them whenever you can. Take the time to encourage them whenever you can. The days are coming for them when they will need it! No need to manufacture encouragement and compliments, just make sure you are sincere and hand them out as Paul did to a person who “carefully follows.” The word “carefully” here means to “follow near,” to “trace out.” Remember when you traced out a pattern for a project you were doing. Remember how careful you were in following that pattern? Timothy's pattern was Paul's pattern, and Paul's pattern was the Word of God, and that's the bottom line! Paul reiterates that truth later in this section with one of the most powerful and faith strengthening statements in Scripture: 2Ti 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, All Scripture is useful for us in tracing out the path we need to follow as disciples of Jesus. Are you following that pattern? If so I commend you and I encourage you to not waver from it! Finish strong in the footsteps of Timothy, Paul, and most importantly Jesus.

He IS Lord, Not A Magician's Assistant

267 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 3:8,9 “Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; 9 but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.” (2 Tim 3:8,9) First question here is, “who are Jannes and Jambres?” Though not named in the Book of Exodus, Jewish writings, and other books of history name these two men as the magicians that sought to duplicate the miracles of Moses and Aaron. They were of the devil and their magic tricks were cheap imitations of the power of God. If you recall, Aaron cast his rod to the ground before Pharaoh and it turned into a snake. Jannes and Jambres duplicated that feat, but then Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods. Just as the truth of God's Word will swallow up the devil's dupes and cheap deceptions! Time and time again Jannes and Jambres sought to duplicate the power of God and time and time again they were trumped by God! Truth wins! Grace wins! These religious impostors will rise up in the church in the end times (the time from the ascension of Jesus and subsequent pouring out of the Holy Spirit on His church, until the Day He returns! ) with their cheap tricks and false signs orchestrated by the devil himself! But that's all they will have going for them. They and their adherents will find themselves in the situation Jesus speaks of in Mt 7:21-23, “Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 "Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' 23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' Chilling words for any willing or unsuspecting false prophet who may find themselves caught up in the arena of the spectacular, while bypassing that which matters....namely Jesus as Lord not as magician's assistant. Supernatural displays will cause many to depart from the faith as Jesus said in Mt 24:24 "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. So how do we guard against this? The key is to understand how magicians work. They work by means of distraction. The glitz of the false prophet distracts the saint from the Word of God which has the final say! Isa 8:20 says, “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. So keep your head in the Word! Because Jesus said the words that HE has spoken will serve as our judge on the Last Day!

When the Cults Come Knocking

266 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 3:5-7, “having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” These traits that Paul has listed has led us to a discussion about cults. Throughout the history of the end times, they rise and they fall. Some last longer than others, especially when they have fine tuned their “form” or “formula” for godliness, and adjust it to the times in which they live. The bottom line calling card of these cults is salvation by works rather than grace which is the true power of godliness. These “cults” come knocking on the doors during the day, often preying on women, and if they happen upon someone who is in the midst of a spiritual struggle with their lifestyle, and looking for a change, they may be easy pickings for the works related solution of the pair that has come knocking on their door. One notable trait of these cults is their attention to indoctrination and teaching. They are always learning the ways of their founders, guided by their materials and their own version of the Scriptures and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth, as they deny the power of godliness, the power and purpose of God's grace. Here's Paul's advice to you when they come knocking on your door. “Turn away from such people!” This same advice is given by the Apostle John in 2Jo 1:9 Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; 11 for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds. Apparently shunning these purveyors of false doctrine is the Holy Spirit preferred way of dealing with them. In fact it might be a good idea to have these verses printed on a card and hand it to them as you close the door. Perhaps God's grace and the Holy Spirit will work through His Word and plant seeds that will lead them back to the right path.

A Calling Card of the Cults

264 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 3:1-5, But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! (2 Tim 3:1-5) I was scrolling through my Facebook page the other day and stumbled on a message by Francis Chan. He is a gifted preacher and well known in evangelical circles. He was preaching on an encounter he had with a couple of Jehovah Witnesses that came into his yard. He told them how happy he was to see them and wanted to tell them about some miraculous ways that God had answered prayer in his life. They left, they didn't want to hear about it, because Jehovah Witnesses do not believe that God heals today. I mention this today because in our text Paul talks about a time when people will rise up in the church and have all the “form” of godliness, (remember the word means “formula”) but denying it's power! This is one of the calling cards of cults. These “forms” of godliness are usually produced in people by obeying a set of rules (a formula) that earmark the specific cult. Not all “cults,” deny the power of God, but most do reduce Christianity to a formula rather than a relationship. Bottom line is a formula seeks to produce salvation by works, thereby removing the power of God from the mix. Always remember beloved, the power of godliness is found in grace, and it is by grace we have been saved through faith, and that not of ourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast!” (Eph 2:8,9) Let us learn from the Galatians who had allowed a doctrine of salvation by works to infiltrate the church, listen to what the Holy Spirit had to say to them in Gal 3:1-3, “ Ga 3:1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? 2 This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?” Remember these words and you will do well when the cults come knocking on your door. “And from such people turn away.

Unleash the Spirit

263 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 3:1-5, But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! (2 Tim 3:1-5) We have reached the last of the behaviors that will periodically pop up in the church in the “last days” And again, the last days include that period of time from the ascension of Jesus until He returns. Last time we talked about the dangers of congregations falling into the trap of reducing Christianity to a formula. It's never a formula, it's a relationship with Jesus Christ in which the power of the Holy Spirit is present in the believer! Often as we get comfortable with the way we do church, we inadvertently push the Holy Spirit aside and start relying on our flesh. That is contrary to what Jesus said in Joh 4:23,24, "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." To deny the power of the Holy Spirit is to cease to worship Him as a vital part of the Godhead! Jesus had this to say about the power of the Holy Spirit in Joh 14:12-14, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. (What happened when Jesus returned to the Father? He sent the Holy Spirit to indwell believers, and His power was unleashed in believers just as He promised in Jn 14:13,14! “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” So we must learn to ask the Spirit to show forth His power through the church as we pray for all things! Because when the Spirit responds, the Father and Son are glorified! Don't go through the motions as it concerns prayer in the church! Pray believing! Pray anticipating, that the Spirit will move in supernatural ways bringing glory to God the Father and God the Son!

The Oft Forgotten Person of the Trinity

263 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 3:1-5, But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! (2 Tim 3:1-5) We have reached the last of the behaviors that will periodically pop up in the church in the “last days” And again, the last days include that period of time from the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost until Jesus returns. This last one is an easy trap to fall into for any congregation, and I think you'll see why as we look at the term “form of godliness.” One of the synonyms given for the word “form” in the Greek is “formula.” There have been times, there are times, and there will be times when churches settle into a “formula” of holiness. All the trappings of worship and praise and ministry are there wrapped up in each individual congregations “formula.” But one thing is lacking....the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit. He becomes the forgotten and neglected person of the Trinity. I fellowship in a Lutheran denomination, and we have this tendency to lock the Holy Spirit up in the baptismal font. Other factions lock Him up in the Sacraments, and others just lock Him up in their own weekly rituals. Even so called charismatic churches can lock Him up in their own kind of rituals and routines. It is so easy to do as we get comfortable with our own weekly worship practices. The Holy Spirit desires deeply to act and react with all congregations who name Jesus as Lord. He wants to release His supernatural power in your midst! How do we get some of that? How do we break out of our self-imposed spiritual ruts? It starts with becoming familiar with the Holy Spirit! What does the Bible say about this miracle working Third Person of the Trinity? Find out! Congregations ought to spend time learning about the Holy Spirit's ministry. Pastors ought to preach and teach about Him, and then most importantly of all, we ought to act on what we learn, believing that the Holy Spirit is alive and well and is more than capable of moving among a congregation in supernaturally powerful ways. Ways that demonstrate an embracing of His power, rather than a denial!

Lovers of Pleasure

262, - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 3:1-4, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,” (2 Tim 3:1-4) Again, we have been in the “last days” ever since Jesus ascended into heaven and we will be in the “last days,” until He returns. These traits will pop up in the church on occasion and will sap the strength out of the church.....the church loses it's power, and you can see why! It loses it's distinction as it blends in with the ways of the world. There will be times when Christians will love pleasure more than God! A lover of pleasure definitely has sexual overtones, but it is not limited to eroticism. It is anything that pleases the senses, anything that seeks to gratify us more than God! This is not the only place this warning appears in the New Testament! Jude 1:4 says, “For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Jude 1:17-19 says, “ But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: 18 how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. 19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.” We live in sensuous times, but let not the church be driven by sensuality! Let our satisfaction and gratification be in Christ alone! He alone can gratify the ever thirsting soul! Sensual pleasures are temporary and you will always need more and more to satisfy, but that isn't the case with Jesus! When He met the Samaritan woman at the well, who was looking for gratification in all the wrong places He said, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 "but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." (JN 4:13,14) In these “last days,” seek to be gratified and filled by the Shepherd and you shall not want!