IN SPITE OF OUR BEST INTENTIONS, WE ALL SIN EVERY DAY, BUT WE HUMBLY CONFESS OUR SINS AND RECEIVE GOD'S FORGIVENESS FOR JESUS SAKE. WITH THE HELP OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, WE SINCERELY TRY TO AMEN OUR SINFUL LIVES, TO GROW IN SANCTIFICATION., IN OTHER WORDS: "HOLINESS." AND WE REGULARLY ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER WHEN WE WORSHIP TOGETHER AND WHEN WE HAVE DAILY CONTACTS WITH ONE ANOTHER. BUT ONCE IN AWHILE A FELLOW CHRISTIAN IS GUILTY OF A DELIBERATE SIN AND MAKES AMENDS FOR IT. WHEN THAT HAPPENS, WE NEED TO MAKE A SPECIAL EFFORT TO BRING THAT FELLOW CHRISTIAN TO REPENTANCE. EVEN IF THAT PERSON'S SINS DOES NOT HARM YOU DIRECTLY, IT STILL CONCERNS YOU. IT IS STILL A SIN AGAINST YOU IN THE SENSE THAT IT DISRUPTS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THAT FELLOW, FOR YOU CANNOT IGNORE ANOTHER DELIBERATE SIN. IF YOU KNOW ABOUT IT, YOUR LORD WANTS YOU TO GO TO YOUR FELLOW CHRISTIAN IN PRIVATE AND DISCUSS THAT SIN. IF HE LISTENS TO YOU AND REPENTS OF HIS SIN, NO ONE ELSE NEEDS TO KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THE MATTER IS SETTLED. YOU HAVE BROUGHT THE STRAYING SHEEP BACK INTO THE FOLD; THE CHURCH. IF YOU ARE UNSUCCESSFUL, HOWEVER, THEN THE LORD WANTS YOU TO TRY AGAIN, AND TAKE TWO OR THREE OTHERS WITH YOU.THEY SHOULD BE MATURE CHRISTIANS WHO HAVE RESPECT OF YOUR ERRING BROTHER OR SISTER. PERHAPS TWO OR THREE OF YOU TOGETHER CAN SETTLE THE MATTER. IF YOU ARE SUCCESSFUL, YOU HAVE WITNESSES WHO CAN TESTIFY IN THE CASE. THE NEXT STEP IS TO TELL IT TO THE CHURCH.
THE EVENTS IN OUR WORLD TODAY ARE, TO SAY THE LEAST TROUBLING. WE HEAR NEWS OF CONFLICT, EVEN IN OUR COMMUNITIES, EVEN IN THE CHURCH, HAVE BECOME FACTS OF LIFE. IN THIS TIME AND AGE ALL HARD WORK HAS BEEN DONE FOR US, THE EARLY CHRISTIANS HAVE TAKEN OUR LASHES, OUR LEADER "JESUS CHRIST" HAS DIED FOR US, AND COMES BACK FOR US, YEAR AFTER YEAR FOR EACH GENERATION FOR 2,OOO YRS. WHEN WE THINK OF THE PROPHETS, WE TEND TO THINK OF PREDICTIONS OR "FORETELLING" THE FUTURE SOMETHING THEY CERTAINLY DID, HOWEVER THEIR PRIMARY AND ALSO OURS OBJECTIVE WAS TO "FOR-TELL" GOD'S WORDS TO HIS PEOPLE TO CORRECT AND INSTRUCT. THE PROPHETS CAME FROM A VARIETY OF BACKGROUNDS AND SPOKE OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, BUT THEY HAVE ONE THING IN COMMON, THEY CHALLENGED GOD'S PEOPLE AND US NOW TO FAITHFULLY BE,, WHO WE AND THEM AT THAT TIME HAD BEEN CALLED TO BE. TODAY WE LOOK AT THE SPIRIT IN THE LIFE OF TIMOTHY AND THIS WAS HIS STORY. IN TIMOTHY WE MEET AN UNUSUAL MAN. HE IS A MAN OF ABILITY, COURAGE, DECISION, FORCE, GRACE HUMILITY, INTEGRITY, JUSTICE, TRUTH AND VISION AN WISDOM. HOW DID HE GET THAT WAY? WE ARE INTRODUCED TO TIMOTHY'S FAMILY BY WAY OF HIS MOTHER WHO WAS A JEWESS BUT HAD BEEN CONVERTED TO CHRISTIANITY. IN WRITING TO TIMOTHY, PAUL LATER DECLARED THAT THEIR FAITH DWELT FIRST IN HIS GRANDMOTHER LOIS AND THEN HIS MOTHER EUNICE AND FINALLY IN TIMOTHY. THESE WERE GODLY WOMEN WHOSE HEARTS WERE OPENED TO THE TRUTH AND WHO, WHEN THEY HEARD THE TRUTH, BELIEVED IT AND OBEYED IT. TIMOTHY'S FATHER WHO WAS A GREEK WHO HAD A "GOOD REPORT OF THE "BRETHREN." HIS HOME WAS IN LYSTRA IN ASIA MINOR. PAUL HAD VISITED THE CITY ON HIS FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY AND BECAUSE OF A MIRACLE WHICH HE AND BARNABAS HAD PERFORMED, WAS TAKEN FOR THE"god"
mercury. WHEN HE REPUDIATED THE WORSHIP OF THE PEOPLE, THERE WAS A REVULSION ON THEIR PART UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF THE LOCAL PRIEST., AND HE WAS STONED AND DRAGGED OUT AND LEFT FOR DEAD; BUT THE LORD RESTORED HIM AND HE ENTERED INTO THE CITY., WHERE HE REMAINED THAT NIGHT. IT IS ALL TOGETHER THAT TIMOTHY HAD SEEN PAUL LYING IN HIS OWN BLOOD, OR BATTRED FROM THE ROCKS WHICH SHOULD HAVE TAKEN HIS LIFE.ON HIS MISSIONARY JOURNEY, PAUL WAS INTERESTED IN FINDING A YOUNG MAN TO ATTEND HIM AS A MINISTER AND HELPER, IN COMING TO LYSTRA, FOUND TIMOTHY WHO ALREADY A BELIEVER AND WHO HAD BEEN CONVERTED IN CONNECTION WITH THE FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY HE INVITED HIM TO BE HIS COMPANION IN TRAVEL. TIMOTHY WAS EDUCATED IN JEWISH SCRIPTURES, WHICH ARE ABLE TO MAKE A MAN WISE UNTO SALVATION THROUGH FAITH WHICH IS IN CHRIST JESUS (2nd TIM 3;15). THUS HE WAS WELL EQUIPPED THROUGH A KNOWLEDGE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES. AND THROUGH A CONVERTED EXPERIENCE TO BECOME A SERVANT OF THE LORD. TIMOTHY IS INTRODUCED TO US AS THE "CERTAIN DISCIPLE." PAUL LATER DESCRIBES HIM: MY OWN SON IN THE FAITH" THIS WE BELIEVE THAT TIMOTHY WAS CONVERTED AS A RESULT OF PAUL'S OWN PREACHING AND TESTIMONY. TIMOTHY'S KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT HAPPEN TO PAUL AT HIS HOME TOWN ON THE FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY LEFT NO ILLUSIONS AS TO WHAT IT MEANT TO BE A CHRISTIAN. HIS OWN PERSONAL SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE IS NOT RECORDED, BUT WE CAN RECONSTRUCT IN IMAGINATION HIS EXPRESSION OF DESIRE TO BECOME A CHRISTIAN AND HIS INSTRUCTION IN THE WAY (FAITH).
BECAUSE TIMOTHY'S FATHER WAS A GREEK AND HIS MOTHER A JEWESS, PAUL HAD TIMOTHY CIRCUMCISED FOR THE SAKE OF THE JEWS WHO WERE IN THAT AREA, THAN HE CHOSE HIM TO TAKE JOHN MARK'S PLACE ON THE TEAM. WHEN TIMOTHY WAS SELECTED BY PAUL, HE IMMEDIATELY ASSENTED AND PREPARED TO GO WITH HIM. THE SCRIPTURE SAYS," ACCORDING TO (1 TIM.4:14), SAYS TIMOTHY WAS SET APART IN THE PRESBYTERY BY THE LAYING ON OF HANDS. TUS HE RECEIVED THE GIFT OF PROPHECY AS A MANIFESTATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. IN HIS LIFE HE BEGAN HIS APOSTOLIC AND MISSIONARY JOURNEY WITH PAUL AND SILAS TRAVELING NORTHWARD TOWARD BITHYNIA THEN WESTWARD TOWARD TROAS, AND AFTER, RECEIVING THE VISION OF THE MAN IN MACEDONIA, WENT INTO PHILIPPI OF EUROPE. THERE HE WITNESS THE BEATING OF PAUL AND SILAS AND IMPRISONMENT ALTHOUGH APPARENTLY HE WAS SPARED THIS ORDEAL, PERHAPS BECAUSE OF HIS YOUTH. (ACTS 16: 23-24). IN THE MIDST OF THIS AND ALL SUBSEQUENT PERSECUTIONS THROUGH WHICH PAUL AND HIS COMPANIONS PASSED, SOMETHING HELD TIMOTHY NEW STEADY IN HIS NEW FOUND FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST. HOW MANY OF OUR MODERN DAY CHRISTIANS WHO COULD ENDURE THE BEATINGS, TORTURES, SLEEPLESS NIGHTS WAITING FOR THE NEXT SET PERSECUTIONS THAT YOU COULD EXPECT DAY AFTER DAY FOR THIS NEW FOUND RELIGION, AND THE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE IF YOU ENDURED. BUT, TIMOTHY WAS NOW READY FOR THE PRICE HE HAD TO PAY FOR UNDERSTANDING THE GIFTS OF GOD" SO THAT HE BECAME PAUL'S RIGHT HAND MAN, WITH NO DOUBT'S. WHEN PAUL WROTE HIS LAST LETTER FROM THE PRISON IN ROME, HE URGED HIM TO "STIR UP THE GIFT OF GOD THAT IS WITHIN US." WHAT IS THIS MEANING OF THE GIFT OF GOD;" TIMOTHY WAS A DISCIPLE BEFORE PAUL LAID HANDS ON HIM IN ASSOCIATION WITH COMING INTO THE MINISTRY. HE WAS SAVED ACCORDING TO (ACTS 16), WHEN PAUL FOUND HIM AS THE FRUIT OF HIS PREVIOUS PREACHING ON THE FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY. THIS MUST HAVE BEEN GREAT JOY TO PAUL. THE GIFT OF GOD THE GIFT OF GOD THAT WAS TOLD TO TIMOTHY BY PAUL, REFERS TO THE GIFT OF THE "HOLY SPIRIT" IN THE NEW TESTAMENT SENSE, AFTER PENTECOST BEING RECEIVED AT CONVERSION. THE ONES FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT ARE FULL OF POWER, OF LOVE, OF WISDOM, OF A JOY AS A RESULT OF THEM BEING FILLED. AND THEIR ARE THOSE BEING FILLED AT THEIR CALL TO CHRIST THROUGH THEIR FAITH
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