Bible League: Living His Word Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.Implicit within the instruction that the Apostle Paul gives to Timothy in our verse for today is the conviction that there is a war taking place in the present era. On the surface, the war Christians are engaged in seems to be with various human beings and human institutions, but Paul tells us in Ephesians 6 that ultimately the war is against powerful spiritual forces of evil. Behind the scenes, the war is between the kingdom of darkness and the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Given this situation, Timothy must act accordingly. He must be "a good soldier of Christ Jesus." He must please Jesus, his commanding officer, by not getting entangled in civilian affairs. This means he should act like a soldier fighting a war and not like a civilian who is not fighting. The idea here is that Timothy should take up the task he has been assigned by Jesus and not get entangled in things that are not relevant to that task. He should not, in other words, do anything that would detract from his calling in life. He should not impede the war effort. Since the present era is an era of war, there may be sufferings and hardships to face. Part of being a good soldier of Christ Jesus is being willing to endure these things. There may be times when Timothy will have to face the same things Paul faced: hunger and thirst, sleeplessness, shipwrecks, bandits, false believers, and a host of other difficulties (II Corinthians 11:23-27). Above all, Timothy may have to face persecution. Persecution is a direct attack of the dominion of darkness. Persecution is war at its worst. Paul calls Timothy to join him in enduring these sufferings like a good soldier, rather than evading the battle by getting entangled in irrelevant civilian affairs. No normal person wants war, but war is a fact of life in the present era. Let us always be prepared to fight, like Paul and Timothy, the good fight of faith (I Timothy 6:12). Let us always be prepared to stand our ground, as they did, when attacked by the enemy (Ephesians 6:13-14). Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingJoshua 16, 17, 18 Joshua 16 -- Territory of Ephraim Allotted NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Joshua 17 -- Territory of Manasseh Allotted NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Joshua 18 -- Remainder Divided; The Territory of Benjamin Allotted NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Luke 5:1-16 Luke 5 -- Jesus Calls First Disciples, Heals the Leper and Paralytic, Calls Matthew, Questioned about Fasting NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion I was glad when they said to me,“Let us go to the house of the LORD.” Insight Going to God's house can be a chore or a delight. For the psalmist, it was a delight. As a pilgrim attending one of the three great religious festivals, he rejoiced to worship with God's people in God's house. Challenge We may find worship a chore if we have unconfessed sin or if our love for God has cooled. But if we are close to God and enjoy his presence, we will be eager to worship and praise him. Our attitude toward God will determine our view of worship. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Mark 8:38 When he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.If we have been partakers with Jesus in his shame, we shall be sharers with him in the lustre which shall surround him when he appears again in glory. Art thou, beloved one, with Christ Jesus? Does a vital union knit thee to him? Then thou art today with him in his shame; thou hast taken up his cross, and gone with him without the camp bearing his reproach; thou shalt doubtless be with him when the cross is exchanged for the crown. But judge thyself this evening; for if thou art not with him in the regeneration, neither shalt thou be with him when he shall come in his glory. If thou start back from the black side of communion, thou shalt not understand its bright, its happy period, when the King shall come, and all his holy angels with him. What! are angels with him? And yet he took not up angels--he took up the seed of Abraham. Are the holy angels with him? Come, my soul, if thou art indeed his own beloved, thou canst not be far from him. If his friends and his neighbours are called together to see his glory, what thinkest thou if thou art married to him? Shalt thou be distant? Though it be a day of judgment, yet thou canst not be far from that heart which, having admitted angels into intimacy, has admitted thee into union. Has he not said to thee, O my soul, "I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness?" Have not his own lips said it, "I am married unto thee, and my delight is in thee?" If the angels, who are but friends and neighbours, shall be with him, it is abundantly certain that his own beloved Hephzibah, in whom is all his delight, shall be near to him, and sit at his right hand. Here is a morning star of hope for thee, of such exceeding brilliance, that it may well light up the darkest and most desolate experience. Daily Light on the Daily Path Romans 12:13 contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.2 Samuel 9:1 Then David said, "Is there yet anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?" Matthew 25:34-36,40 "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. • For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; • naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' • "The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' Matthew 10:42 "And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward." Hebrews 13:16 And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Hebrews 6:10 For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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