2 Timothy 2:14-26
14 Remind them of these things, and charge them before God [the Lord] not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
16 But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, 17 and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some.
19 But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”
20 Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. 21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.
22 So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23 Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels.
24 And the Lord's servant [bondservant] must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.
All of our words? Why do the Heavens - space - exist? What if Heaven and space store up every word we have spoken and this comes back to us? Particularly, when we all go through the Valley of Decision and our words come before Jesus the Lord. Joel 2 and 3.
What about:
~ Irreverent babble
~ Regular Life
~ Teaching and leading each other to the Upward Path of God
~ Learning from every Word of God
Irreverent Babble -
Wouldn't we all have irreverent babble, even discussing the events of Little League Baseball and team sports. The movies we watch. The Television, the muck that has invaded our lives and our family and friends.
The Pew Report asks us why the Nation loses 2% a year from Churches.
I think this is pretty clear. We have returned to the 1st Century A.D.
Muck has hit in divorce, abandonment by parents, grown children and their attitudes, "dating" at all ages - cultural values that do not help the generations, memories of parents who have harmed, responsibilities of busy parents loosing their joy, wobbly parenting, porn, the culture asking us to look for every cent of profit, the expenses of medical cares and the number one bankruptcy of this nation. The ebb and flow of life changing circumstances. The abandonment of jobs, as people age and are let go. Tough and harsh times. Television and isolation. Muckety muck attitudes of superiority and the desire to protect life from trouble.
Regular Life -
Solutions - We need to see what The Book of Acts brings to the model of the Churches.
What grew the Churches in this time? Only Love. Our Mission Field is not away from the Church, our Mission Field, according to St. Augustine are the (few) people we actually live with and just intersect into our lives.
We need to remember the pervasiveness of Jesus Christ as Living Water, the Holy Spirit. Giving Strength. Refreshing, renewing. Going in to seep, nourish where people would flee.
Let's be realistic - The Church has always recorded the trouble of people meet people. As a part of Jesus, the doors are open to all people. Rev. Bill Hull says the Church is where enemies learn to love one another.
Remembering this in Jesus Christ - our guide is this - Jesus Loves. Love is the authority of Jesus and His Word.
Wow, Jesus could say a few things really getting our attention.
Luke 14:26
If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters--yes, even their own life--such a person cannot be my disciple.
Luke 9:60
And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 7
Explaining to take a stand against aspects pulling us away from Jesus.
Learning to see God interweaves all situations for the good of those who love the Lord and work to His Purpose.
Youth workers know how to weave the noble and ignoble together.
1 Corinthians 9:19-23
19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
1 Corinthians 9:24
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to take the prize.
Not forgetting the direction of Jesus. Not idolizing our families when they are mistaken. Asking the joy and help of the Love Jesus has for us all.
Long ago this meant abandonment and shunning, today this is Love making known. Still God says we should flee sexual sin. You and your household will serve the Lord. Give what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
~ Learning from every Word of God
Trust the Example of God. Trust in God begins at Birth.
God was certainly going to put His own Son in the Trust and Faith -
the position of Mary and Joseph raising a child in the early years - trust is required immediately.
Jesus was named before he was in the womb. Yes. Many years earlier. At birth, he was given pain to find health; circumcision . His culture looked for ways to promote health and long life. This was trust - God would see the small child through the waters of this trouble.
The cultures surrounding the Jews, killed the infants and spread their blood as fertilizer. It was an exchange with the god of prosperity for a life filled with prosperity and did yield crops. We call this today, abortion.
God never felt called to explain why the Children of Israel were not to mingle with the other nations and their gods. We might wonder He had some concern - they would like the idea of prosperity through blood. The animal sacrifices are listed throughout the Old Testament like Psalm 40 - not a pleasure to God. Their blood was not used on the crops, God would rely on solutions other than blood. Leviticus 17:14 surely tells us God was aware Life is in the blood of all living things. Trust God.
Faith gives us Solutions. Acts 1 Model of Churches - would ask us to find love, mercy and humility for each other.
Father God,
We lift up our sudden flooding larger than Hurricane Ike. The people who were fine on Tuesday and Wednesday and today see tremendous flooding. The people who recovered from flooding a few weeks ago. We ask the Mercy of Father God in the weather.
We desire Your wisdom and guidance and look to Your Word for the centeredness of God. To make the circle, wider, more loving, more filled with Your Word with Holy Spirit in Jesus, to Abba the people, to have Jesus' Joy, Love, Truth and Mercy. Justice.
Father God, help us to Obey You as our Abba. Honor You. Remembering most of the Blessings in life revolve around Your Commandments. Telling us a promise, “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”
Remembering with us the Journey leads always to You. Your Throne. Majesty and Righteousness in Beauty are Your's.
To see the Willingness of God is Love.
For God so loved
the world,
that He gave
His only Son,
that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.
In invitation for forever.
Remembering You love Thanksgiving for Today and hope for Tomorrow.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Our Thanksgiving shall meet our lips. You shall teach diligently to your children (your loved ones), and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
Grandmother Anita never, never, never, never gave up on her son in faith and prayer, Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child (the New Testament refers to brothers and sisters) in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. And in her son's 70's, Joel Olsteen, in Christian Fellowship, handed out free copies of Rick Warren's "Purpose Given Life" and her son saw Salvation in Jesus Christ. Salvation is a gift of Jesus. Those who knock, find.
Parents, loved ones, do not provoke to anger, but bring them up in the discipline Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Encouragement, Gentleness, Perseverance, Character. Endurance. Do not withhold disciple. Love yourself as well as others. And Honor Father God first with Love.
For Your Willingness, Your gracious Gifts, Your Mercy and Love - Father God, we Thank Thee. Amen in Jesus.
♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †
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