July 29, 2014

1 Timothy 6:15-21

Rachel Workman:  15 For, At just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. 16 He alone can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach him. No human eye has ever seen him, nor ever will. All honor and power to him forever! Amen. I love these verses. The King of all kings and the Lord of all Lords. That really puts things in perspective.
17 Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. 18 Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. 19 By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life. Some verses that I would do well to remember. But some of the hardest verses. It's very easy to trust in money. We depend on it so much. But what if we learned to depend on God the same way we depend on money? What if we were to store up God instead money and lust after God instead of lusting after money?
20 Timothy, guard what God has entrusted to you. Avoid godless, foolish discussions with those who oppose you with their so-called knowledge. 21 Some people have wandered from the faith by following such foolishness. This is still great advice. Don't waste your energy of those who oppose your views. This will just add frustration to you and really further their ignorance. Those who are determined to be right will find a way remain right.
May God’s grace be with you all.

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Mike Grimm:  15 For, At just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. 16 He alone can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach him. No human eye has ever seen him, nor ever will. All honor and power to him forever! Amen.

17 Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. 18 Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. 19 By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life. Paul advised Timothy to deal with any potential problems by teaching that having riches carries great responsibility. Those who have money must be generous, but they must not be arrogant just because they have a lot to give. I love the anonymous donors at CHRISTmas time or just anytime in general. And in this day in age, for everything that we own, there will be other people who want it. Kind of like the Democratic Party. We must be careful not to put our hope in money instead of in the living God for our security. Even if we don’t have material wealth, we can be rich in good deeds. No matter how poor we may be, we always have something to share with someone.

Paul encourages Timothy to flee from the material desires of life and pursue spiritual things: righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. What are you chasing after today? A new car, a bigger house, more toys for the weekend? Or are you pursuing things that will affect you for all eternity: a righteous life, godly behavior, and a gentle spirit?

20 Timothy, guard what God has entrusted to you. Avoid godless, foolish discussions with those who oppose you with their so-called knowledge. 21 Some people have wandered from the faith by following such foolishness. A final word of exhortation to young Timothy; keep away from the pseudo-intellectual arguments of unbelievers, from small talk and time-wasting conversations. Focus on what really matters today.

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