DON'T PANIC, SEEK THESE FOUR: II Timothy 2:21-22

"Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." II Timothy 2:22

Only one thought on fleeing. Notice Paul does not say to think, pray, or resist. He just says, "Flee". Don't think, just flee. 

I once was at a situation where someone threw a military grade tear-gas canister into a high school basketball game. People just ran out in complete panic, knocking each other down and running every which way. It was mayhem. Sometimes I think that is what our attempts at repentance look like. We're all over the place, knocking into things, just doing anything. Paul gives a four specific spiritual points to seek.

First he tells us to seek righteousness, then faith, love and peace. The opposite of evil desires is righteousness, acting Christ like. Acting Christlike is faith in action. Remember in I Timothy 5:1-2 Paul had exhorted Timothy to treat others, and specifically younger women as sisters, with absolute purity. To act righteously is to love as Christ loved us. Faith in action is manifested in love. When you act righteously, by faith, in love, you will be at peace with God and others. Seeking God this way with others who call on the Lord out of pure hearts is what church is all about. That's Christianity. 

Father, help us to seek righteousness, faith, love and peace together in Christ. Praise be to you in us today!

FAN YOUR GIFT INTO A FLAME: II Timothy 1:6

I really like to watch "Dual Survivor". In almost every episode they will need to make fire to survive. Cody Lundin is a master at starting a fire. He will make a spark and then start blowing on it to get it to flame up. It starts small and then grows as he adds fuel to the fire. In the same way, we need to take whatever the spark of the Spirit God has given us and let it mature.

"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." II Timothy 1:6

If you are a Christian you have a gift. That is part of the grace of God. We are not just saved from sin and sort of stockpiled until Christ comes again. No, we are each given a gift to build up the church (I Corinthians 12). Think about that. God has make each of us a necessary and functioning part of the body of Christ. You have a gift, a necessary function, that is a valuable part of the body of Christ. 

I think that if you ask God to give you a least one person to bless, and/or one thing to do everytime you go to church, you will find that gift. I think if you pray each day for one opportunity (or more) for a redemptive conversation or act, God will provide. Sometimes I think it is just doing things as unto Christ. Every interaction with co-workers is a spark. 

What spark is in your life? Who will you come into contact with today? 

Father, help us to fan into flame the gifts that are in us. Open our eyes to see the opportunities to be used by you, even today! We also pray for all those injured and the families of those who lost a loved one yesterday at the Boston Marathon bombing. Comfort them. Protect or country. Praise be to you in us today! 

GRAB SOME LIFE THAT IS TRULY LIFE: I Timothy 6:19

True story: A general contractor had just finished the foundation on the house he was building and was starting on the first floor. I gentlemen drove up and told him, "That looks real good but that's not where I want my house." The contractor looked at him and asked, "Who are you?" The gentleman said, "The owner of the lot you're building on!" 

"In this way they will lay up for treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life." I Timothy 6:19

In the same way that the contractor started to build a house on the wrong lot, many people invest a great deal of their resources in things that will turn out to be off-target at best.

What is essential as far as God is concerned is what should guide our decisions. Taking hold of Christ. Living by faith. Trusting God with all that he has given us and seeking to be a servant of all, that is where life, life that is truly life will be found.  

So, if you find yourself sort of grasping at air, seeking fulfillment for you life, seek it where it is truly found. Life that is life, eternal life is found in Christ. Seek him. 

Father, help us to take hold of life in Christ. Praise be to you in us today!

BE CAREFUL WHO YOU SUPPORT/ I Timothy 5:22

"Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure." I Timothy 5:22 

I think these are pretty stiff words of advice. Don't just jump on any bandwagon of support. Don't rush people into leadership. I have seen many a good person put into leadership before they were ready soon encountered circumstances they were not spiritually mature enough to deal with and down they went. Not always trapped by sin. Sometimes they just caught up in a teaching that wasn't quite right. In my mind the leadership that put them there shared the guilt because they were too quick to call them pastor and send them out to sink or swim.  

Be careful who you align yourself with. If they are caught in sin, you may end up with them. I have been asked many a time to go places with people and I knew that it was not right. Every time I am glad I say no. Keep yourself pure.

Father, help us to be wise in our support and strengthen us to remain pure in you. Praise be to you in us today!

WHO DESERVES HONOR?/ I Timothy 5:17

As a teacher I see it all the time. Students who have no respect for anyone. Then I meet their parents and it is apparent why. The idea of teaching your children to honor and respect their elders is long gone from our society. In a real sense I believe that much of the current generation does not know what an honorable person is, does and looks like. So, it is easy for them to be misled by someone with a strong personality. In all of life, including the church, it is very important to know who to honor as a leader.

"The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching." I Timothy 5:17

In the church it should be pretty easy to tell who the leaders are. Who is serving, preaching and teaching? Notice that Paul goes beyond simply serving and says, "direct the affairs of the church well". He emphasizes that some minister "well". Who should be honored in the church? Those who serve well. 

What does this tell me? It tells me that I need to be an honorable man by serving well, not just serving to say I did it, but, serving well. It also encourages me to do all things well, as unto the Lord. As I go to work today, I need to bring honor to God by doing the tasks set before me well. 

So, I encourage you  to honor those who serve well in your church and also to serve well yourself, in all your life.

Father, help us to serve well in all we do and bring honor and praise to you today! Praise be to you in us today!

HOW TO TREAT OTHERS: I Timothy 5:1-2

When I first started teaching I was single and my approach and perspective toward my students was sort of as an older brother. After I got married and had children my point of view changed. I began to see them through the eyes of a parent. Now, part of my philosophy as an educator is that I try to treat each student like I would like my children to be treated. As a Christian and a leader Paul gave these words of direction to Timothy and they still hold good for us today.

"Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity."        I Timothy 5:1-2

Paul's basic message is to treat each other like family, like a godly family, because we are the family of God. If something needs to be said, say it, but say it with respect and love. I have been in several situations as an administrator where I needed to "correct" someone. Delivery is everything. Sometimes teachers had much more experience than I did, but, they still needed "guidance". I tried my best to be respectful yet truthful. I even wrote up one of our long time security guards once. I did not do it with anger and gave him opportunities to do what was being asked by the district mandate. Just recently our school got a new principal (I recommend him and think he was a great choice). The security guard came up and said he wished I was the principal. 

So, I encourage you to treat others, no matter who they may be, in a godly manner. God will bless that and use you. 

Father, help us to treat others with love because you first loved us. Praise be to you in us today!

YOUR TEACHING AND THEIR LEARNING: I Timothy 4:16

"Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers." I Timothy 4:16T

Sometimes I will be sitting on the couch reading my email or something on the computer and my youngest son will just walk over and peak to see what I doing. I think he's checking to see if I am playing video games. The point is he's watching. 

As a husband, father, coach, Scout leader and a teacher I am almost always in someones view. Watching my life and doctrine must be a constant. Doctrine is important because I act upon what I truly believe. What I believe about how people should be treated with come out in how I act. I find it interesting that this current generation is not as familiar with the golden rule as previous generations (ask a bunch of teen agers if they have even heard of it). It shows. I want my children to know that Christ laid down his life for them and that example is the example to follow. I need to follow Christ's example so that they might follow Christ's example too. 

Who's watching you? What is your life teaching them? What do you want to teach them?

Father, may our actions reflect you as we seek to live by faith in Christ. Praise be to you in us today!

MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS AND TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF: I Thessalonians 4:11-12

When I turned sixteen my parents told me I could wear the clothes I wanted and do several things I wanted to, I just had to pay for them myself. So, I got a job. My parents taught my siblings and I the work ethic and self reliance this way. It is our family culture. It has been passed down the generations and I believe it is Biblical. The following verses in Thessalonians teach us to self reliant. 

"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody."                  I Thessalonians 4:11-12

I guess this is why I have such a hard time with much of the political message of those on the left. It is a very dangerous thing to start talking about having the right to anything other than the pursuit of happiness. I have the right to mind my own business and work for what I want. 

I know this sounds a bit political but, if anyone tells me that my beliefs should not influence my political opinions then they are being entirely dishonest about why they vote the way they do.  

What Paul is telling the Thessalonians to do is to focus on providing for themselves. Remember, Paul was a self-supporting missionary. He provided for needs by his own tent making business and then served others. He is talking to people who were waiting for the second coming of Christ. They were forgetting to take care of the here and now. Paul reminds them that being a disciple of Christ is being a servant of Christ. We are to be givers. We work so that we might give. 

This isn't really about giving money because Paul worked to take care of his personal needs so he could be a minister of the gospel with out asking for money. Like Paul we should make it our ambition to not be dependent on anyone so that we might serve others.

Fathers, help us to be able to serve others. Provide jobs for those who need them. Use us to share your gospel with the world around us. Praise be to you in us today!