Important To Me - 1 Timothy 4 Continued
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- 20 - Important To Me MP300:00
What's important to me as I read this chapter?
Seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils
(Mormonism, JW's, Contemplative Prayer,Emergent Church, False Prophets, Money
Grubbing Preachers, One World Religion and every false teaching and teacher).
If I am deceived, I will teach deception to others who will teach deception to others
and on and on. Imagine the eternal significance of this! We must know God's Word!
Which of us wants to stand accountable before a Holy God for this?
A Seared Conscience – reminds me of Romans 1 – A Reprobate Mind.
This is a frightening thing! To have a mind devoid of the possibility of understanding!
To be unable to grasp truth in a way that it can change you for the good is
to live in utter darkness without hope of recovery!
Filling our minds and hearts with the scripture is a sure
way to avoid this condition.
Being a Good Minister of Jesus Christ
A. Nourished up in faith and sound doctrine – Not just doctrine, but doctrine that
lines up with God's Word and produces the right kind of faith in us! Faith that
leads to a life of action with direction and purpose and gets the right kind of
results – results that will bring glory and honor to our God.
B. Exercising myself unto godliness – Let's consider godliness! What does this word
mean to us? What will it mean to those within our sphere of influence? What kind of
effect will it have on our families, our community and our nation?
C. Laboring for the Lord and suffering reproach – Do we want this? Are we willing
to pay the price that living a god-centered life will cost us? Do we even consider
what it could or will cost? Are we serious enough to die for it if necessary?
D.Trusting in the Living God – Do we? Will we? Do we believe with all our heart
that God is worthy of our trust and that he will fulfill his word no matter what
evidence may appear to the contrary?
E. Being an example to believers in word, conversation, love, spirit, faith and purity.
Have we ever wondered why this seems so difficult for us? We over-simplify the
call to being an example. It is easier for us to focus on our shortcomings rather
than trust God to help us rise above them. We look at others and say, I am as
bad or worse than they are. God want us to rise above that mediocrity and to
believe that he can make us more than conquerors as his word says we should
be – not in a self-satisfied, prideful way, “but with assurance in what He is doing
in and through us.” Living powerfully while giving the glory where it belongs!
F. Not neglecting the gift that was given to me in prophecy with laying on of hands.
I believe every one of us is gifted in some way or another. Whether we have this
gift through the laying on of hands is quite another thing, but whatever gifts God
has seen fit to give us should be used to their utmost for the sake of others and to
bring honor and glory to our Savior and Lord!
G. Giving myself wholly to using those gifts God has given me – Jesus gave his all
for us, and we should be willing to give our all for him. What do we hold back
that is rightfully his? What if he asks more of us than we are willing to give?
That should not even be a question if our talk is more than just talk – those of
us who profess that we would die for him if need be. I understand the human
nature and self-preservation, but God is calling his people to renounce self and
present our bodies a “living SACRIFICE.” Sacrifice and self-serving attitudes
cannot co-exist. Either one or the other must go!
H. Being sure of what I believe (doctrine) and continuing in them both for my own
sake and the sake of others. It's imperative that we know what we believe lines
up with the Word of God. There is too much at stake here! On the day when all
mankind is summoned to judgment what we have believed and taught will be a
factor of immense importance! If our teaching was in line with God's Word and
anointed by his Holy Spirit we will see the fruit of that in the lives God used us to
minister to. We will hear him say to us, “WELL DONE!” We should want that
more than anything else in life!
C. R. Lord © 1978
A Small Oblation
I do not minister for money,
But somehow it seems
kind of funny,
That those who let
me build this site,
Somehow feel that it's alright,
For me to pay a monthly fee,
To offer all this stuff to thee,
So if you'd show appreciation
Kindly leave a small oblation.
C R Lord © 12/17/2018