Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 2:1
LET IT GLOW
What a week I've been having! The antibotic I'm taking makes me run to the bathroom; our neighbors' cows got into our soft, wet yard leaving poop and hoof prints, and holes; the computer messes up at work; hubby gets upset with me; my car window won't stay up so the seat got wet when it rained. And the week isn't over yet.
But God is still on His throne! This was definitely the day I needed to here, "Linda, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus."
How about your week? I hope it isn't going like mine.
Friend, I am so glad that you have decided to join me on this journey, walking through the New Testament. There is always room for more, so I'll move over as we walk along this rough and rugged road called life. We've been experienceing some plesant and not so pleasant times, haven't we? I've often said that life is full of challenges-it's how we handle them that counts. Do we expect anything different of our Christian life?
"We can expect life to present difficult challenges as the Christian walk follows a rough and rugged path," said Charles Swindoll.
Perhaps this is so because God wants to make us like His Son Jesus. In order for this to develop, He sends joys, sufferings, trials, and tests our way.
Charles Swindoll quotes the British theologian and author F.B.Meyer's book Christ in Isaiah, published in 1917:Think it not strange, child of God, concerning the fiery trial that tries thee, as though some strange thing had happened. Rejoice! For it is a sure sign that thou art on the right track If in an unknown country, I am informed that I must pass through a valley where the sun is hidden, or over a stony bit of road, to reach my abiding place-when I come to it, each moment of shadow or jolt of the carriage tells me that I am on the right road. So when a child of God passes through affliction, he is not surprised.
All right, Brother Meyer, I must be on the right track.
Swindoll's New Testament Insights on 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus says:
While the Christian journey toward joy is, indeed, rough and rugged, we do not travel without help. We have within us a divine GPS device; the Holy Spirit continually gives us expert guidance toward our destination-if only we will listen and heed His instructions! We have in our hands a perfectly reliable map of the terrain in the form of sixty-six books, bound together as the Bible. And the Lord has called and equipped trustworthy guides to lead the way. These we call "pastors."Be strong is a verb form of endynomoo, meaning "to empower," which calls for an ongoing response, better translated "keep on being empowered." In other words, God does the empowering, so our responsibility is to submit to His work and to cooperarte with it.
Christ is the source of the power, we receive that power from Him, and grace is the means by which it flows from Him to us. Just like electricity in your home, if the flow of power stops, nothing works.
A pastor is to be empowered continually in the grace that is in Christ Jesus and lead his flock on the journey we call the Christian walk.(Swindoll)
Am I continually being empowered with the grace of Christ so I can be strong? Wow!
Excuse me while I hit my knees.
LET IT GROW
I will be sharing in the next several lessons the seven pictures of the Christian minister that Paul gives in this second chapter. I think they can also be used by us ordinary believers, too.
The reference used is from Warren Wiersbe found in his book Be Faithful:
Paul warned Timothy that the journey would not be easy. He chose seven examples that we will discuss:
- the steward
- the soldier
- the athlete
- the farmer
- the workman
- the vessel
- the servant
LET IT GO
Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
Support others as they travel down their rough and rugged road of life.
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