Mission Faithwalk

  And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day. What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. (II Timothy 1:13-14)                 In today’s passage, Paul continues his discussion of the gifts that God had given him and Timothy. Paul was given a gift of appointment as 1) a herald, 2) an apostle, and 3) a teacher. One gift in the sense that they came together, but three gifts. We’re not limited to one. Paul also didn’t indicate what Timothy’s gift was for some reason. That’s a good thing, though. If he had mentioned that Timothy’s...

                      He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. (II Timothy 1:9-10)                 “For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance, he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries.” ― Robert Jastrow, G od and the Astronomers (1978)             ...

                 The Lord will deliver them to you, and you must do to them all that I have commanded you. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. (Deuteronomy 31:5-7) It’s being a whimpery morning and I need this. There’s nothing really wrong, except that I can’t get to work on this, that, and the other because I have to leave for work in 15 minutes. The drama queen enters, stage center (because she’s always at stage center) with her tale of woe because what has not been done yet today will never get done. It’s all over because she (the Fat Lady) is singing. At the end...

                 I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline . (II Timothy 1:5-7)   What do you think about gifts God gives? It seems to me that some people think it’s like Spiderman’s super power. One day, they’re “bitten” by the Holy Spirit and suddenly, they can something new and amazing. And yes, God can work that way, but that doesn’t seem to be what’s described in today’s passage. Paul says he was persuaded that Timothy had a sincere faith. He is sure that, through the laying on of his hands, Timothy received a gift of God. What was this gift? We may be tempted to list of one of the gifts mentioned elsewhere: ...

              He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10) Exalt [c. 1400, "to give off vapor, flow out," from Old French exalter (10c.), from Latin exaltare "raise, elevate," from ex "out, out of, from within" (see ex- ) + altus "high," literally "grown tall," from PIE root *al- (2) "to grow, nourish." From early 15c. as "to elevate in rank or honor;" also "glorify, praise, extol."] ( Exalt )- Etymology, Origin & Meaning                 What does it mean to exalt God? What does it mean to worship Him? I suspect we all have some vague, high-level notion, but what is your “not Sunday School,” real answer? Yes, I’m stuck on a definition again. I’ve included the etymology, but what do those meanings mean? For some folks, worship means singing praise songs.  It’s raising hands and swayi...

                  “ Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)                 Since we have been considering wisdom off and on recently, I thought I’d continue with the subject today. Jesus was speaking to people who had believed Him. And as usual, His hearers misunderstood Him.  They proclaimed that, as descendants of Abraham, they had never been enslaved to anyone. What about Egypt, the Medes and Persians, the Babylonians, the Greeks, and the Romans?  Then, of course, they were slaves to sin, to unbelief, and to mistaken beliefs. But, no, they had never been enslaved.                 But let’s deal with Jesus’ statement for a moment because it’s bold. If the people who had believed Him so far would hold to His t...