Daily Encouragement

June 28, 2009 - Serve God With Confidence

Through Paul's encouragement to Timothy, you can be sure of two powerful motivations for our service to God:

Number one, "... God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." (v. 7 NKJV) What an assurance for you as Christians who serve the Lord. The grammar of this verse indicated that God's action has completed. You have been provided by the Holy Spirit in your spirit the power, love and sound discipline to do His work. He is with you to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:20)

Motivation number two, "… For I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day" (v. 12 NASB) You do not need to worry about whether you can be successful or not because you also believe in the Lord Jesus whom Paul believed. You can know for sure that He is powerful and gracious enough to keep that which you have committed to Him for keeping until you see Him face to face. You can entrust Him with you life. You can depend on His safe keep when you turn over all your ministry to Him. You can rely on Him for your future salvation. You can trust in Him for your family. Nothing can separate you from the love of God. (Romans 8:38-39)

The only question is this: Do you entrust all those to Him?

June 29, 2009 - Be A Vessel Of Honor

Meditation on 2 Timothy 2

You must have been blessed by so many precious truths in this chapter. May I draw your attention to verse 21, "Therefore, if a man cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work." (NASB)

In the family of God, there are many kinds of vessels; some are useful but not as honorable as others. (v. 20) God has given us the freedom to decide which kind of vessel we want to be. God will use us even if we are sometimes faithless because He remains faithful. (v. 13) But if we want to be the honorable vessel, we must flee from youthful lust and wickedness and pursue faith, love and peace.

As we pointed out before, Timothy was about thirty-five to forty years old at that time. This is the age category when many men and even women go into so called mid-life crisis today. They would be interested and tempted to leave their own marriage partner to pursue other younger companion. Those who fall into such sins will lose their usefulness for the Lord. Just look at some of the high profiled Christian men who had to resign from their positions. They could have done so many great things for the Lord but they are not now.

Remember Jesus who was in all points tempted as we are. He is able to deliver us because He was a man, the son of David. He understands our weakness and He is now our high priest who prays for us. (Hebrews 4:15-16)

Would you want to be an honorable vessel for God?

June 30, 2009 - The Absolute Authority Of The Scripture

Meditation on 2 Timothy 3

The apostle Paul stated clearly that the Scripture is able to make one wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. (v. 15) Much more than that, Paul continued, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." (v. 16 ESV)

The reason for all those great benefits from the Scriptures is that it is breathed out by God. (Translated as inspired by God by other Translations.) This indicates that God is the author of the Scripture. He is able to make the man of God to be complete. (v. 17 NKJV) Therefore we can be equipped by the Word of God to do every good work according to the will of God.

We can recall the fact that when God made Adam, the first man, He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and the man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7) So when the Scripture is breathed out by God, it then is the instruments by God to impart spiritual life. Therefore, Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (ESV) And 1 Peter 1:23 says, "Since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God."

With all these characteristics of the Bible, we can conclude that the Scripture has the absolute authority over the conducting of our church and our lives.

July 1, 2009 - Everyone Needs A Close Friend

Meditation on 2 Timothy 4

Twice in this passage, Paul urged Timothy to make every effort to come to him. (v. 9, 21) We could sense the desperate need of the apostle Paul. He recognized that he was approaching the end of his life as a result of his trial in Rome. Though he claimed that he had fought a good fight, he had finished the course, and he had kept the faith, he lamented the fact that all his friends (except Luke) had deserted him. Other faithful workers had to take care of their ministries some place else. Demas had left him because he loved the present world more than the ministry. Moreover, the weather was changing. Winter was coming soon. He must have felt cold and needed warmth. He seemed to be lacking books for reading. On the top of all these, he was facing tremendous opposition to the gospel from his enemies.

So he wished Timothy to come quickly. The aging Paul wanted Timothy to bring him a cloak and some reading materials. He requested Timothy to bring Mark too. Yes, Paul knew that the Lord was with him and had delivered him many times from persecution and even from lion's mouth. But he needed Timothy now.

In difficult time, everyone relies on a companion who is trustworthy and who knows his needs well. Have you felt that you are lonely at times? Open yourself for a good friend. If you do have someone already, then look around you to see if there is someone who needs an understanding pal and get to know him. To struggle alone in Christian life is not good.

July 2, 2009 - Two Fundamental Needs Of The Church

Meditation on Titus 1

There are two basic ingredients every local church must have. They are sound pastors and sound doctrines. Titus one addresses these two fundamentals. God's word shows us what kind of pastors should be installed in a local congregation: he must be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful and obedient children, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled and holding fast the faithful word.

The other fundamental is that the church must possess sound doctrines. Those who teach impure ideas of man must be silenced. For they would defile the whole family of God. Any wrong teaching must be corrected and rebuked, so everyone can be sound in the faith. The pastors/elders should be responsible for the sound doctrine of his (their) church.

In Acts 20:17-35, we find that the elders are basically doing the same thing as the pastors. So the term for elder and pastor can be used interchangeably. Sound pastors can mean sound elders. That is what we need in our churches today.

July 3, 2009 - Pattern For Christian Living

Meditation on Titus 2

Here is a guideline for Christians in various categories how to conduct their lives. The Lord's expectation for older men, older women, young women, young men, church leaders, and employees are spelled out. We should not overlook these standards as something only for the churches on the Island of Crete. They are for all of us to adhere to. Let us read them carefully.

Verse fifteen says that, "These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you." (NASB) Titus, the pastor was exhorted to be responsible for teaching these standards to the congregation with authority from God. He should let no one ignore what he taught.

So it is today, we should pay attention to our personal conduct and practice in life and work that are taught in the word of God in details whether you are a man, woman, older and younger. God is speaking to you through His word.

July 4, 2009 - Christian Conduct Among Unbelievers

Meditation on Titus 3

In this world that is filled with deception, disobedience, various lusts and pleasures, malice, envy and hating each other, the leaders of the church should remind the congregation to obey rules and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be uncontentious, gentle, showing every consideration for all men. (v. 1-3)

We should always remember that we ourselves were just as foolish in God's sight before we were saved by the washing and renewing of the Holy Spirit. Paul reminded Titus specially that Christians were regenerated not because of their good deeds or their own righteousness, but purely be the grace of God.

Therefore Christians must engage in the good works of sharing the talking about the Gospel instead of unproductive talks. Also we should help those who have pressing needs.

May we pray today that we live that kind of life for God.