The Cold Moon set and the Wind is blowing...
I first went to 1 Timothy because it was one of the verses in my new prayer journal for the week. Then I recognized the often misquoted or explained away verse about how God wanted all men to be saved. I stuck with it for a while, maybe because it concerned Church leadership and I really miss being active in ministry. And today, due to a messed up bank account, broken car, and other unpleasant circumstances, we couldn’t go to church. So I’ve read the whole thing through again, using Bible Gateway, and the Message. There is a lot of interesting stuff in there. A lot of verses that led me to think, “ok, what does that say in a ‘real Bible” So I looked some of it up in the New American Standard. My favorite Bible Scholar from Roberts Wesleyan college said that was the closest to the Literal Translation of the original Greek.
5The whole point of what we're urging is simply love--love uncontaminated by self-interest and counterfeit faith, a life open to God. 6Those who fail to keep to this point soon wander off into cul-de-sacs of gossip. 7They set themselves up as experts on religious issues, but haven't the remotest idea of what they're holding forth with such imposing eloquence. The Message
5But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, 7wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions. The NASV
Love?
John, in his gospel and letters mentions Love as a command and requirement of faith no less than 30 times. Love God, Love your neighbor, Love the brethren, Love your enemies. 14Grace mixed with faith and love poured over me and into me. And all because of Jesus.
15Here's a word you can take to heart and depend on: Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners.
4He wants not only us but everyone saved, you know, everyone to get to know the truth we've learned: 5that there's one God and only one, and one Priest-Mediator between God and us--Jesus, 6who offered himself in exchange for everyone held captive by sin, to set them all free. Eventually the news is going to get out. 7This and this only has been my appointed work: getting this news to those who have never heard of God, and explaining how it works by simple faith and plain truth.
Isn’t this the doctrine? The teaching of Jesus. John 12:32 says that by the lifting up of Jesus on the cross, all men will be drawn unto Him. All men will be drawn, not all men will choose to say yes.
* 16This Christian life is a great mystery, far exceeding our understanding, but some things are clear enough: He appeared in a human body, was proved right by the invisible Spirit, was seen by angels. He was proclaimed among all kinds of peoples, believed in all over the world, taken up into heavenly glory. The Message
16By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness:He who was revealed in the flesh,Was vindicated in the Spirit,Seen by angels,Proclaimed among the nations,Believed on in the world,Taken up in glory. NASV
The mystery of faith! But why does it seem, that the Jesus who loves me, and the God who never forsakes His elect has left me alone here and now? Why don’t we have the ministry that we were promised? I am afraid that 1 Timothy explains that.
Outsiders must think well of him, or else the Devil will figure out a way to lure him into his trap.
Outsiders do not think well of us. Our eldest son fell so hard and far from grace. Praise Jesus he repented and was redeemed, and his faith has kept him from despair.Yet he, and the people that love him, are still suffering the consequences of his sin. But it is not just his fault that the world and the Church has judged us and found us wanting. Pastor Art does tend to be overbearing at times, and I am way too emotional for my own good.
Somewhere it talks about being too thin skinned. Circumstances have stretched us way thin, and this thin skin has indeed been an inroad for the devil, who has lured us into the trap of self pity and distrust.
Going down that path, some lose their footing in the faith completely and live to regret it bitterly ever after.
21People caught up in a lot of talk can miss the whole point of faith.
Hopefully, Prayerfully, we can rise above this, we can come out of this dark night and move on.
1Ti 6:20 Timothy, guard what God has placed in your care! Don't pay any attention to that godless and stupid talk that sounds smart but really isn't. 1Ti 6:21 Some people have even lost their faith by believing this talk. I pray that the Lord will be kind to all of you! Lord Have Mercy, And God bless us, everyone! Amen
Sunday, January 15, 2006
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4 comments:
I have often thought that one of the groups the church is least equiped or least likely to know how to minister to, is one of it's own. As I look back on my life, the greatest pain and hurt that I have experienced have been in the church and at the hands of other church leaders. But, praise the Lord, He is faithful and has brought me through it.
Nevertheless your post raises some very important questions:
What should the church do to minister to one of the sheep who is lost?
What should the church do to minister to one f the sheep who is hurting?
I sense your pain in this posting. And I have prayed for you today.
~Kevin
1 Timothy 1:3-11
3As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, 4nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. 5The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, 7desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.
8Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 9understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, 11in accordance with the glorious gospel of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.
1 Timothy 6:
2Teach and urge these things. 3If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, 4he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, 5and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.
and
20 O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called "knowledge," 21for by professing it some have swerved from the faith.
Taken in its proper context, Paul is talking about false teachers i.e. those who are teaching a gospel other than the true one.
"love uncontaminated by self-interest and counterfeit faith,"
sounds like the ec and tbn.
If it is wrong to defend sound doctrine: then Paul,and all the other apostles and church fathers and even Jesus Himself, are sinners.
I call conversation and dialogue along the lines of "how would this or that look", (a favorite emeregent past-time btw) to be the endless geneolgy and a singular waste of time.
Finally, are there not two sides to every story?
When I studied 1st Timothy, I dug deep to find just what this false teaching was, which I did explain in my post.
As far as two sides to every story.
Well, maybe not. Are there two sides to Noah's Ark or Daniel in the Lion's Den?
As far as ministering to the sheep that are hurting...in this particular case, I assume full responsibility. The hurt is a result of my own immaturity and overly thin skin. As I said in my post..."Pastor Art does tend to be overbearing at times, and I am way too emotional for my own good.
Somewhere it talks about being too thin skinned. Circumstances have stretched us way thin, and this thin skin has indeed been an inroad for the devil, who has lured us into the trap of self pity and distrust."
Since the Church in question has a particular focus and purpose, our problems would have only drained resources that would be best invested in the mission at hand.
Kevin, thank you for your prayers.
Chris P. -
I don't really have any points to argue with you on this one, since I basically agree with you, but I thought you might be disappointed if you quoted the bible and I didn't respond to you with an argumentative phrase or the inclusion of the word "but" in my agreement.
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