We are a week from Pentecost so it would seem appropriate to address this week’s Sabbath Thought to a topic that relates to that Holy Day.
In the example of Paul and Timothy we have a wonderful example of how the legacy of the truth is passed along to others.
On Paul’s first journey to spread the gospel of the Kingdom of God one of the locations that he visited was the area of Galatia. Three of the cities in this region were Derbe, Lystra, and Iconium. There Paul came upon a young man named Timothy.
Luke wrote of this encounter in Acts 16:1-3, “Then he came to Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek. He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium.” Timothy stood out in a positive way that Paul could clearly see.
How was it that Timothy became a disciple and showed his maturity by being recognized by the brethren? Paul mentions the origin of Timothy’s faith in 2 Timothy 1:5, “. . . when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.” Timothy became a disciple as a result of the teaching and example of his grandmother and his mother. They paved the way for Paul to find a young man who was already progressing in God’s way of life and was capable of serving with Paul in his ministry.
Paul continued to help Timothy develop as a disciple and servant in the church by taking him under his wing. 2 Timothy 3:10 “But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, 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. Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 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.”
In essence, we are being told that Paul took what he had learned from Jesus Christ, from the word of God, and from his own experiences and passed them on to Timothy.
Hopefully, we as members of the church can make the same type of contribution Paul, Lois and Eunice made to Timothy. We have learned God’s ways from family, friends, and most importantly the Bible. Will we make the effort to pass what we have learned along to the next generation? It is a crucial role God has called upon us to play.
Have a most pleasant Sabbath,
Gary Smith
Showing posts with label Salvation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Salvation. Show all posts
Friday, May 26, 2017
Friday, December 30, 2016
Feeling What Not Having Hope Feels Like
A prominent politician made an interesting comment a couple
of weeks ago. The politician said, “We are feeling what not
having hope feels like.”
Why is this person lacking in hope? Her hopelessness comes
as a result of her political party losing in the November
election. With the election of someone that they heartily
disagree with, they feel that the policies conducive to hope
will be cast aside.
On the other side of the political spectrum, there is great hope
that “America will be made great again”. The sad reality is
that hope springs forth every time there is an election. The
winning voters always seem to hope that good things lie
ahead. As the hopes of the winning side in the election are not
met, there will be great disappointment over the failure to
deliver on the promises made to the voters.
The reality is that no matter the politician, his followers are
bound to be disappointed. The hopelessness of trusting
politicians and their offer for humanity is brought out in
Psalms 118:9, “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put
confidence in princes.”
Whereas man is limited and uncertain, God is not. God is the
same “Yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). We can
always be assured that God is there and He will always act in
our best interest even if His response is not what we want.
Let’s consider a couple of scriptures that lay out for us the
panorama of hope which is what prophecy is all about.
Through these scriptures, we can see why for God’s people
there is always hope.
The panorama begins in Genesis with the sins of Adam and
Eve. As God spelled out in Genesis 2, in the day in which
Adam or Eve ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
they would die. Death is an inevitable outcome of sin.
With death hanging over the lives of the first couple, it might
be said, “They were feeling what not having hope feels like.”
However, one of God’s first actions after sin entered the world
is found in Genesis 3:15, “And I will put enmity between you
and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall
bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel." God was
telling the first man and woman that a seed would come who
would work out the problem of sin.
The scripture in Genesis seems pretty obscure until God fills
in more details about the coming, Seed, Jesus Christ, who
would open the way to salvation for all mankind.
What is to be ultimately be worked out by the Seed, Jesus
Christ, is detailed in Acts 3:19-21, “Repent therefore and be
converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of
refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that
He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before,
whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all
things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy
prophets since the world began.”
God, through Peter, tells us that as promised from the time of
the first sin there is coming a time when all things will be
restored to the way God always intended them to be. We are
reassured that there is always hope for this sin sick world
through Jesus Christ the Messiah.
The Bible reassures us of the fulfillment of this promise from
Genesis all the way to the end of Bible in Revelation.
Human beings lose hope because things don’t work out the
way they want them to.
But God is our hope no matter what is going on in our lives or
in the world around us. As the Psalmist says, “For You are my
hope, O Lord God; You are my trust from my youth (Psalms
71:5).
Have a most enjoyable Sabbath because we always have hope.
Gary Smith
of weeks ago. The politician said, “We are feeling what not
having hope feels like.”
Why is this person lacking in hope? Her hopelessness comes
as a result of her political party losing in the November
election. With the election of someone that they heartily
disagree with, they feel that the policies conducive to hope
will be cast aside.
On the other side of the political spectrum, there is great hope
that “America will be made great again”. The sad reality is
that hope springs forth every time there is an election. The
winning voters always seem to hope that good things lie
ahead. As the hopes of the winning side in the election are not
met, there will be great disappointment over the failure to
deliver on the promises made to the voters.
The reality is that no matter the politician, his followers are
bound to be disappointed. The hopelessness of trusting
politicians and their offer for humanity is brought out in
Psalms 118:9, “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put
confidence in princes.”
Whereas man is limited and uncertain, God is not. God is the
same “Yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). We can
always be assured that God is there and He will always act in
our best interest even if His response is not what we want.
Let’s consider a couple of scriptures that lay out for us the
panorama of hope which is what prophecy is all about.
Through these scriptures, we can see why for God’s people
there is always hope.
The panorama begins in Genesis with the sins of Adam and
Eve. As God spelled out in Genesis 2, in the day in which
Adam or Eve ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
they would die. Death is an inevitable outcome of sin.
With death hanging over the lives of the first couple, it might
be said, “They were feeling what not having hope feels like.”
However, one of God’s first actions after sin entered the world
is found in Genesis 3:15, “And I will put enmity between you
and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall
bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel." God was
telling the first man and woman that a seed would come who
would work out the problem of sin.
The scripture in Genesis seems pretty obscure until God fills
in more details about the coming, Seed, Jesus Christ, who
would open the way to salvation for all mankind.
What is to be ultimately be worked out by the Seed, Jesus
Christ, is detailed in Acts 3:19-21, “Repent therefore and be
converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of
refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that
He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before,
whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all
things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy
prophets since the world began.”
God, through Peter, tells us that as promised from the time of
the first sin there is coming a time when all things will be
restored to the way God always intended them to be. We are
reassured that there is always hope for this sin sick world
through Jesus Christ the Messiah.
The Bible reassures us of the fulfillment of this promise from
Genesis all the way to the end of Bible in Revelation.
Human beings lose hope because things don’t work out the
way they want them to.
But God is our hope no matter what is going on in our lives or
in the world around us. As the Psalmist says, “For You are my
hope, O Lord God; You are my trust from my youth (Psalms
71:5).
Have a most enjoyable Sabbath because we always have hope.
Gary Smith
Friday, March 4, 2016
Too Many Distractions For Bible Study?
A few weeks ago a blog was written to address why third and fourth generation Christians are leaving the church. The blog addressed various points and I would like to address one of those points as part of this week’s Sabbath Thought.
The author of the blog writes, “We are inundated with more distractions than the generations before us
Distractions. Distractions. Distractions. At the touch of a button we can pull up porn, dirty comedy, and a host of all kinds of other sinful things. Even if we aren’t out looking for it, it’s constantly being pushed in our faces. While TV and the internet are considered amazing modern advances, they make being a Christian a lot more difficult. Not only do they surround us with temptation, but they distract us from what we should really be doing.”
Are there more distractions today? Probably, but not only do third and fourth generation Christians have to deal with these distractions but so do all Christians living at this time. Distractions are part of this world and have always posed temptations for God’s people. Our challenge is to turn off the TV, the internet, the X-box, the cell phone or the computer. Instead of letting the distractions get the better of us, we must focus upon those things that are pleasing to God.
The Apostle Paul addressed where our minds should be in Philippians 4:8-9, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things.” Clearly, by conscious choice we must fill our minds with the uplifting things Paul points to in order that we can meditate on them. We must reject the distractions tempting us and deliberately focus on the positive.
The author of the blog continues, “We are trained to think that studying is work. It’s not something we look forward to since we do it all day long at school and even into (sic) our jobs. Studying the Bible in your free time just doesn’t sound relaxing. Now TV, that’s relaxing. We know what we should do, but it’s just so easy to give in to other options when they are sitting right there at our fingertips. However, take all those distractions away, sit in an empty room with just your Bible, and reading it becomes a lot more appealing.
Our relationships with God suffer because of this… and we know it. We ache for the simpler times when people weren’t so overwhelmed by this world and the distractions in it.
When we get distracted, when our relationship with God falls by the wayside, it becomes easier to leave.”
It is true that studying is not always fun or as relaxing as TV. But isn’t that the challenge we face in regard to Bible study? We are told in Hebrews 11:6 that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Diligence implies applying oneself, working hard, striving for a goal. From Hebrews 11:6 we can conclude that if we diligently seek to understand God and His way of life through the Bible we will be rewarded for the effort.
More to the point, where can we find the qualities Paul laid out in Philippians 3 more completely expressed than in the Bible? Paul directs Timothy, a young man in the faith, “But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 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 Timothy 3:14-15).
In the blog post the author gives a great suggestion for avoiding distractions and studying the Bible, “However, take all those distractions away, sit in an empty room with just your Bible, and reading it becomes more appealing.” Clearly, when one shuts out the distractions and focuses his attentions on the scriptures then the word of God has the greatest potential for impacting a person’s life.
As one studies the Bible in a focused manner, the rewards of the effort are great. Note what David recorded in Psalm 19 in regard to God’s word “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward” (Psalm 19:7-11).
It is true that our world is filled with many distractions and it is easier to be distracted than to engage in Bible study. However, at the end of the day, what do we have to show for indulging in distractions? In most cases, the distractions we indulge in offer us no lasting result and most importantly they do not contribute to our being in the Kingdom of God.
However, doing the work that Bible study requires, reap results that last forever.
Happy Sabbath,
Gary Smith
The author of the blog writes, “We are inundated with more distractions than the generations before us
Distractions. Distractions. Distractions. At the touch of a button we can pull up porn, dirty comedy, and a host of all kinds of other sinful things. Even if we aren’t out looking for it, it’s constantly being pushed in our faces. While TV and the internet are considered amazing modern advances, they make being a Christian a lot more difficult. Not only do they surround us with temptation, but they distract us from what we should really be doing.”
Are there more distractions today? Probably, but not only do third and fourth generation Christians have to deal with these distractions but so do all Christians living at this time. Distractions are part of this world and have always posed temptations for God’s people. Our challenge is to turn off the TV, the internet, the X-box, the cell phone or the computer. Instead of letting the distractions get the better of us, we must focus upon those things that are pleasing to God.
The Apostle Paul addressed where our minds should be in Philippians 4:8-9, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things.” Clearly, by conscious choice we must fill our minds with the uplifting things Paul points to in order that we can meditate on them. We must reject the distractions tempting us and deliberately focus on the positive.
The author of the blog continues, “We are trained to think that studying is work. It’s not something we look forward to since we do it all day long at school and even into (sic) our jobs. Studying the Bible in your free time just doesn’t sound relaxing. Now TV, that’s relaxing. We know what we should do, but it’s just so easy to give in to other options when they are sitting right there at our fingertips. However, take all those distractions away, sit in an empty room with just your Bible, and reading it becomes a lot more appealing.
Our relationships with God suffer because of this… and we know it. We ache for the simpler times when people weren’t so overwhelmed by this world and the distractions in it.
When we get distracted, when our relationship with God falls by the wayside, it becomes easier to leave.”
It is true that studying is not always fun or as relaxing as TV. But isn’t that the challenge we face in regard to Bible study? We are told in Hebrews 11:6 that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Diligence implies applying oneself, working hard, striving for a goal. From Hebrews 11:6 we can conclude that if we diligently seek to understand God and His way of life through the Bible we will be rewarded for the effort.
More to the point, where can we find the qualities Paul laid out in Philippians 3 more completely expressed than in the Bible? Paul directs Timothy, a young man in the faith, “But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 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 Timothy 3:14-15).
In the blog post the author gives a great suggestion for avoiding distractions and studying the Bible, “However, take all those distractions away, sit in an empty room with just your Bible, and reading it becomes more appealing.” Clearly, when one shuts out the distractions and focuses his attentions on the scriptures then the word of God has the greatest potential for impacting a person’s life.
As one studies the Bible in a focused manner, the rewards of the effort are great. Note what David recorded in Psalm 19 in regard to God’s word “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward” (Psalm 19:7-11).
It is true that our world is filled with many distractions and it is easier to be distracted than to engage in Bible study. However, at the end of the day, what do we have to show for indulging in distractions? In most cases, the distractions we indulge in offer us no lasting result and most importantly they do not contribute to our being in the Kingdom of God.
However, doing the work that Bible study requires, reap results that last forever.
Happy Sabbath,
Gary Smith
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