Resource Manager Posted November 26, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 26, 2014 26 November 2014 Esther 1Amos 62 Timothy 3; 4 “EQUIPPED FOR EVERY GOOD WORK” Today we read the final chapters the Apostle Paul wrote, in which he said, “the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness ..." [2 Timothy 4:6-8] His encouragement to Timothy to remain firm in the faith is equally an exhortation to us. He reminds him, "how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” [2 Timothy 3:15-17] Our primary object in becoming acquainted with God’s word, is firstly to make use of that knowledge in how we live our own lives – and that is far more than being able to talk about his word, although that is vital. We recall what Paul told the Corinthians in his 2nd letter, “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” Let us make sure we appreciate the grace that abounds, it is a vital factor in keeping us humble and properly “equipped for every good work.” Paul’s words say it all - how clearly are they etched into our minds? The Scriptures make us "wise unto salvation" - yet this must not become simply 'head knowledge' - and the ability to talk about the things of God. The committed man (or woman) of God must fully absorb them, not only to teach others, but use them – daily - for their own "correction and training in righteousness." Only then will we be able to say, with Paul, " I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day." [2 Timothy 4:7-8]-------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted November 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2014 27 November 2014 Esther 2Amos 7Titus 1; 2; 3 “…. AND TO PURIFY FOR HIMSELF” We live in times similar to those we read of tomorrow in Amos 8, "Behold, the days are coming," declares the Lord GOD, "when I will send a famine on the landnot a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD." [Amos 8:11] In these days, when we all have Bibles, there is even less excuse for such a famine! There is certainly not a famine of food and drink today, most have an abundance of it. But Paul told Titus, that in those days people had been "slaves to various passions and pleasures" [Titus 3:3] until they learned to "purify" their minds through serving Christ and the word of God. We must each ask ourselves, 'How well am I succeeding in maintaining that blessing of purification? Today we also read the 3 short chapters of Paul’s letter to Titus whom he had left in Crete to “put what remained into order" [Titus 1:5] There are matters in Paul's instructions to him that are, we suspect, equally applicable today – he warns of those who "profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work." [Titus 1:16] Paul says " their consciences are defiled." [Titus 1:15] Our world today is so defiled in so many ways, we must be ever vigilant to keep our minds fed with godly thoughts that will keep penetrating all our thought processes, and, as a result, we will give continual faithful service to our Saviour who "gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works" [Titus 2:14] "so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life." [Titus 3:7] We are not saved through doing "good works" - it is "grace" that justifies (righteous-ifies - that means) so that we have "the hope of eternal life." Paul's words that our Lord "gave himself" to "purify for himself" a people – and that means you and I, reminds us of his words to the Hebrews, where Paul contrasts the purification rituals under the Law with what should now happen! He told the Hebrews, "how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God." [Hebrews 9:14]-------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted November 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2014 28 November 2014 Esther 3; 4Amos 8Philemon 1 “THE SHARING OF YOUR FAITH” How do we share our faith? Do we just talk to others about what we believe? Paul’s letter to Philemon shows it is more than this. Our faith is confirmed to others by our actions, by what we do, because we genuinely believe. Paul tells Philemon, "I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective ..." [Philemon 4-6] Effective in what way? Paul continues, " ... for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ. For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you." [Philemon 6-7] It is clear that "the sharing of our faith " is far more than just talking about it. "Every good thing" is about how 'good' our character has become and this is shown more by what we do than by what we talk about and teach, although that is important. "Yes, brother" Paul tells Philemon, "I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ. Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say." [Philemon 20-21] The same lesson is evident today in our reading in Esther. Mordecai calls upon Esther, now the Queen, to act - even though it means putting her life on the line. Her action - or inaction - will show the kind of faith she has. She agrees to go and seek an audience with the king, saying, "if I perish, I perish." [Esther 4:16] And now remember what we read yesterday how Paul, as with all genuinely faithful believers ever since, can believe from their hearts that "there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing." [2 Timothy 4:8] Genuine Christ-like love is faith in action as Jesus repeatedly demonstrated for us in his life. Look at Matthew 10:37 and then at his challenge to Peter after his resurrection, John 21:15-17. And the time is getting closer when, those who have shown genuine faith, by both words and actions, and are alive “on that Day” shall all be changed, "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality." [1 Corinthians 15:51-53] This will be for genuine believers who have shared their faith.-------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted November 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2014 29 November 2014 Esther 5; 6Amos 9Hebrews 1; 2 “WE MUST PAY MUCH CLOSER ATTENTION” Today we started to read Hebrews, it is one of the most interesting and informative books in the Bible for it describes in detail the integrated pathways by which our eternal salvation became possible and the pathways we must follow in accepting that salvation. We must beware of taking a phrase in isolation, some have misunderstood God's word through doing this. This is often because they have decided what they want to believe and have their eyes focussed on finding proof. There are a few places in Hebrews where the Greek prepositions Paul uses are ambiguous: however, how they are to be understood becomes clear once we perceive the flow of Paul's reasoning. We read [Hebrews 1:2] that "in these last days he (God) has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things" That is clear, there is a sense in which God has made Jesus his "heir." But then it says, as translated in the ESV "by whom he made the worlds." It cannot mean Jesus is the Creator, this does not make sense. The little, but significant, Gk preposition 'dia' – translated as 'by' in this verse, is translated as "for" in Hebrews 1:14, the role of the angels is "to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation" We see how they did in the life of Paul [Acts 27:23] and Peter [Acts 12:7] So if we read Hebrews 1:2 as "for whom he (God) made the worlds" - Paul's point becomes clear: the translators seem to be influenced, where the Greek meaning is variable, by the later Catholic doctrine of the Trinity of which the N T writers knew nothing. The point in Hebrews 1:4 is clear. Paul writes, that Jesus "having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs", that is, the angels. The word “name” has the sense of “reputation” here. In Hebrews 1:5 Paul uses 2 O.T. quotations, that predicted that Jesus would be "begotten" - an event which had now happened; the "today" had arrived. Altogether Paul weaves 11 quotations from the Psalms and Isaiah into today's 2 chapters. Hebrews 2 starts, "Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?" This "great salvation" alone gives real purpose to our lives. Without it we are in no better position, long term, than any of the animals. God's word is a means to an end! It is food for our minds, and needs careful digestion. Jesus overcame, the gospels show how he did this. And us? Look at how Hebrews 2 ends, "he is able to help those who are being tempted" - let us come ever closer to Jesus, the only one who sets the example in overcoming; our daily feeding on God's word lays the only foundation for receiving and making use of this help.-------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted November 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2014 30 November 2014 Esther 7; 8Obadiah 1Hebrews 3; 4; 5 "HOW CAN I BEAR TO SEE THE CALAMITY ..." When you can see a crisis coming your heart becomes heavy with apprehension! There is a terrible climax facing this world – but we don’t know how far ahead it is, or its full nature, but apprehension is growing. In reading today how Queen Esther and her Uncle Mordecai knew that the calamity facing the Jewish people was set for “the thirteenth day of the twelfth month” [Esther 8:12] – we wondered if it is better to know a specific date? We read how Esther “wept and pleaded with him (King Ahasuerus) to avert the evil plan of Haman the Agagite” [Esther 8:3] - and this caused us to meditate on two factors. The first is the apparent relationship in language of the word Agag with the word “Gog”, the vicious latter day enemy from the north that will seek to wipe out regathered Israel we read of in Ezekiel 38:2,3,10-12,16. There is a great desire today by many to wipe out Israel - so will history in a sense repeat itself? The second factor that we considered was that the Jews in captivity in those days were not at all righteous in the sight of God. We have read in both Ezra and Nehemiah that the people lacked commitment. Their return to Jerusalem did not at first lead to great things indeed when Ezra came he was “appalled … because of the faithlessness of the returned exiles” [Ezra 9:4-5] Those of us who have visited Israel have been dismayed that an atheistic attitude prevails among the majority, this appears to be largely a reaction to the tragedy of the Holocaust, as it is among a few Jews we have met here. Yet there are signs this attitude is fading, and there is more consideration of the Bible developing in Israel, which for them, is the Old Testament: however there is also a growing ‘Messianic’ movement we have a Synagogue here. Just as we read in Esther of the deliverance of the Jews in those days, there could well be a parallel event today; maybe a latter day equivalent of Mordecai and Esther could arise who will plead with the Almighty, saying “how can I bear to see the calamity” [Esther 8:6] that is coming to my people? At present the Jews today have a great ability to defend themselves, but prophecy indicates they will need help from God, this could be when they are in the desperate plight that Zechariah 14:1-3 indicates! Our reading of Obadiah’s one chapter prophecy today is also of great interest; he wrote, “For the day of the LORD is near upon all nations … and the house of Jacob shall possess their own possessions … and the kingdom shall be the LORD’s.” [Obadiah 15,17,21] Israel are back “in their own possessions”! With so many prophecies indicating an awesome calamity is coming, let us make sure we are “on the LORD’s side”. [Exodus 32:26]. -------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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