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2 Timothy 2:1-4:18<\/strong><\/span> 2 Timothy 2, verse 9 has a great verse for us Chronological Bible readers! \ud83d\ude42 \u201cBut the word of God cannot be chained.\u201d <\/em>Amen!\u00a0 Well, I suppose in theory one individual Bible could be chained (as you sadly see below), but not all Bibles.\u00a0 God\u2019s living and active Word overall cannot be chained!<\/span><\/p>\n 2 Tim 2 is a great chapter today\u2026 just jam packed with wisdom. Verse 4 stands out: \u201cAnd as Christ\u2019s soldier, do not let yourself become tied up in the affairs of this life, for then you cannot satisfy the one who has enlisted you in his army.\u201d<\/em> How often do we become tied up in affairs of this life\u2026. ? Every day? Every hour? More often than that\u2026 ? If we are constantly \u201cdistracted\u201d by the affairs of this life, do we lose sight of Jesus? Do we distract ourselves so much so that we can\u2019t serve Jesus well?<\/span><\/p>\n Verse 21 is a great closing verse today: \u201cIf you keep yourself pure, you will be a utensil God can use for his purpose. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.\u201d <\/em>Will you keep yourself pure?\u00a0 Have you ever realized that you are indeed a utensil for God\u2019s use?\u00a0 \ud83d\ude42<\/span><\/p>\n Second Timothy chapter 2 verse 22 is so very true: \u201cRun from anything that stimulates youthful lust. \u201c<\/em> Notice that first word \u2013 Run. Flee. Go the other way. U-turn. Don\u2019t hang around. Run.\u00a0 Do you run from things that stimulate lust in your life? Do you really Run?\u00a0 How fast?<\/span><\/p>\n Verse 22 continues on with some encouraging words \u2013 \u201cFollow anything that makes you want to do right. Pursue faith and love and peace, and enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.\u201d<\/em> I like that \u2013 pursue faith. Pursue love. Pursue peace. And \u2013 \u201cenjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.\u201d I do pray you have some relationships like this in your life? They can provide you such great rest and rejuvenation. A small group in your church may be a great way to find these types of relationships if you don\u2019t have them currently. Community can be messy & tough & scary at times \u2013 but it\u2019s so worth it! Please pursue community with other believers. And please do continue to have relationships with others who may not be believers in your life too. Be cautious in that sometimes those old relationships can bring us down or pull us back to old habits if we are not careful.\u00a0 That is why we most definitely need to have a community of those who call on the Lord in our lives as well.\u00a0 In community, let us pursue faith! Pursue love! Pursue peace! With pure hearts!<\/span><\/p>\n 2 Timothy 3:1-5 are 5 powerful verses that deserve to be meditated upon by each of us: \u201cYou should also know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control; they will be cruel and have no interest in what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act as if they are religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. You must stay away from people like that.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 How do these teachings of Paul resonate with you?\u00a0 Do you see parallels in today\u2019s modern world with these teachings?\u00a0 Are there some people in your life today that you should literally stay away from?<\/span><\/p>\n Okay, and then verses 16 and 17 just make One Year Bible bloggers like myself smile\u2026. \ud83d\ude42 \u201cAll Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God\u2019s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 Do you believe these verses to be true? Do you believe that Scripture is inspired by God? And useful to teach us what is true? And make us realize what is wrong in our lives?\u00a0 Is God\u2019s Word fully equipping you for every good thing God wants you to do?<\/span><\/p>\n Second Timothy chapter 4 verses 3 & 4 give a good warning for each of us today: \u201cFor a time is coming when people will no longer listen to right teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever they want to hear. They will reject the truth and follow strange myths.\u201d<\/em> Do we do this? Do we \u201clook for\u201d or \u201cshop around for\u201d teachers that we really like? Teachers that may only tell us what we want to hear? That may not challenge us with Truth? That may offer strange myths?\u00a0 (okay, so this animated teacher guy below is probably a solid teacher \u2013 I came across a scary image about false teachers with a wolf growling as one image option for below\u2026\u00a0 but I just kind of liked this guy better for some reason today.\u00a0 Wow\u2026 here I am shopping around for my teacher!\u00a0 This guy below is probably telling me what I want to hear! \ud83d\ude42\u00a0 Okay, okay, I\u2019ll put up the scary wolf image below too!)<\/span><\/p>\n In the close of this 2nd letter to Timothy, we are reading some of Paul\u2019s final written words! They are amazing. It\u2019s great to see some basic human needs in these closing words in verse 13: \u201cWhen you come, be sure to bring the coat I left with Carpus at Troas. Also bring my books, and especially my papers.\u201d<\/em> It\u2019s also sad to see how Paul\u2019s been left pretty much alone and abandoned by many.<\/span><\/p>\n Worship Video:<\/strong>\u00a0 The wisdom of so many verses in Second Timothy chapter 2 today reminded me yet again of the power of the Gospel to transform our lives.\u00a0 The power of Jesus to transform our lives!\u00a0 And so, I\u2019m reminded of Brandon Heath\u2019s popular song \u201cI\u2019m Not Who I Was.\u201d\u00a0 I\u2019m not sure if you\u2019ve seen this video set to this song, but do yourself a favor and watch it all the way through.\u00a0 It is a grace filled song with a grace filled video to go along with it!\u00a0 Are you who you were?<\/span><\/p>\n
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