It is still all about Faith

God Will Fulfill His Promises Without Our Help

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Abraham’s Tragic Lapse of Faith

Book of Genesis Chapters 16; 17

We could change the title this lesson to “God Does Not need Our Help to Fulfill His Promises”.

The one most important thing to consider is that God will never fail in keeping His promises!

The second most important thing to consider is that God works according to His own timeline and not ours!

God has a plan and a purpose for each of us who have called upon Jesus Christ to save us.

In Abraham’s day, righteousness came by his faith and faith is still the key to our relationship with our Heavenly Father today.

It can be said that we are our own worst enemy most all the time.

When we believe that God has put all the processes in our world in place and just allows them to run their course, then we are wrong.

If this were true, then our prayers would not bring results.

Certainly, God has put many processes in place, but the fact remains that our Lord also has His hands on all of His creation.

Our Lord God Almighty has His hands on us who believe at all times or He could not be referred as being our Heavenly Father and He would not say we were His children!

The Lord has a perfect plan and has made many promises and God’s plan and His promises will be completed just as He has stated and all we need do is to believe and act according to His perfect Word!

*Gen 16:1 Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.

Today we will see the birth of the Arab nations and why there is so much hatred between the Arab nations and Israel.

If they would acknowledge these things, then there could be a true and lasting peace!

One of our greatest failures come because of our lack of patience.

Patience could be said to be a calm an unruffled temper in which we bear the evils of this life.

Believe me, we need a lot of patience to deal with this evil, corrupt, wicked and evil world!

Our faith tells us that Jehovah will never break a promise. Our lack of patience demands that we see those promises fulfilled in our lifetime.

Every believer knows that we will never die so we are selfish to think God will complete His promises in our lifetime.

God promised Abram a son by his wife Sarai, but Sarai had been barren for 75 years and she just could not believe she could have a child.

She was right in her thinking but wrong in placing limits on the power of God.

His power is unlimited!

In reality this was a lack of faith because the Lord had said Abram (Abraham) would have a child and that child would come by Sarai (Sarah).

Gen 15:4 And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.

We must understand to go against any part of the Word of God, no matter how small, will bring consequences, sometimes severe consequences as in the case of Abram.

Hagar was a slave girl given to Abram and Sarai during the time they spent in Egypt where Abram had made another mistake telling Pharaoh that Sarai was his sister which she was, but she was also his wife.

In the New Testament and in typology, Hagar would be a type of the Old Covenant, the Law and we know that the Law enslaves its followers.

Satan makes slaves. You would think that all who hate slavery would also hate Satan and his ways.

The children of Hagar were born into slavery and so is everyone who put themselves under the Law.

Gal 4:22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
Gal 4:23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.

That promise being salvation by “Grace”. Sarah represents “Grace” and she is a type of Grace in the Bible.

So let us see these things.

*Gen 16:2 And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.

We should also understand that Sarai had always wanted children and was probably key to Abram bringing Lot with them as they traveled.

We should also realize that Abram was not sure if he were the cause or his wife was the cause of their lack of children.

Why was Sarai barren? If we study the Word of God, we will find that many people lived in certain circumstances so that in the future God could work a great miracle that would not have been believed otherwise.

Listen to Jesus:

Joh 9:1 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.
Joh 9:2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
Joh 9:3 Jesus answered, “Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him”.

God still does these things but most of them go unnoticed! Sarah would have fit into this category!

Sarai could not believe that she could have children, but she felt the promise of God to Abram was so important that it needed a little help to be fulfilled.

She gave these thought to her husband and he listened to her, much as Adam did to Eve and they both were proven wrong and their wrong were sin with severe consequences.

In fact she was so wrong it clouded her judgment.

God does not need our help He just commands us to obey, and He always does what He says He will do.

Had Sarai been right then we would not need God nor the Word of God because it would not be believable.

In fact God did not have to do any of these things, He could just have easily have been a tyrant, and voiced His commands.

*Gen 16:3 And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.

We should also notice that Sarai never considered Hagar to be her slave but one of her maids.

Sarai gave Hagar to her husband, which in the eyes of God was also wrong though it was a custom of that day, for a man to have more than one wife.

1) So many today try to do things to help the Lord fulfill His promises and He does not need our help at all to do as He says He will do!
2) So many today try to conform to the customs of the place they live when God’s law is for every where we live. We are never to act upon the laws of the world that go against the Word of God.
3) So many today feel like the end will justify the actions of today, when only one thing will work consistently, and this is obedience to the Word of God and “faith” that God will do as He says. Which He has proven to be true!

The Word of God proves these things to be true, over and over again if we would just show that true “faith”!

We should be very careful before acting upon the suggestions of others, when we are trying to be obedient to the Lord.

What may seem right to many, may actually be wrong by the Word of God.

The world will never lead us to Jesus because the world hates Jesus because Jesus points out sin!

*Gen 16:4 And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

When we go against the Word of God bad things happen almost immediately.

Sarai wanted to be a part of God’s plan for her husband, but she began to question God’s promises, something we should never do.

She felt that she and her husband were already past child-bearing years and they were by todays medical standards, but nothing is impossible for God.

Mar 10:27 And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, “but not with God’: for with God all things are possible.

Luke 1:37 “For with God nothing shall be impossible”.

Heb 6:18 That by two immutable things, in which “it was impossible for God” to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

This is the reason there are no true atheists, they are afraid of the promises of God, but so-called believers just do not always believe the Word of God as commanded!

What we have seen so far is that impatience leads to a collapse of “faith”!

Abram had been walking with the Lord for more than 10 years now and impatience brought temptation because of strong arguments from his wife.

Abram begin to question the Word of God.

Heb 10:35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward.
Heb 10:36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

Here we see we need the patience of Job! God “will never” break a promise He has made to us!

*Gen 16:15 And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael.
Gen 16:16 And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.

Ishmael became the oldest son of Abram when he was born when Abram was 86 years old, but Ishmael was not the son promised of God!

Some of the things said of Ishmael even before he was born.

Verse 12: He will be a wild man. His hand will be against every man and every man’s hand will be against him. He will dwell in the presence of all his brethren.

The one group who fit this description today are the so-called Palestinians!

He was born at Mamre.
He was circumcised at the age of 13.
He grew up a true child of the desert, wild and wayward.
He knew how to insult, and he knew how to mock those around him, for no reason.

All these things happened because of the impatience of Sarah and Abram allowed them to take place.

God came back to Abram to assure him that His promise was real.

*Gen 17:1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
Gen 17:2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

It was twelve years later that Jehovah returned to Abram with these words.

Abram had lived these 12 years thinking he was in the will of God but not so.

The truth is we all need to walk with God. Not Allah but Jehovah the true God!

Some of us may walk alone while many will walk in groups of others together, preferably all in one accord.

If we do not walk with the Lord, we will never be aware of His presence in our lives!

The Lord does what the Lord does every day, we can be a part of it, or we will be left out entirely!

If we strive to be perfect, our example being the Lord Jesus Christ, then we must walk before the Lord.

In other words we must do all we can do for the “Glory of God”!

We must live moment by moment in the presence of the Lord, aware that He has His loving eyes upon us at all times!

This is walking before the Lord!

We cannot be perfect in this life, but we are obligated to try our best.

Our effort means more to the Lord than the results and our effort works toward God’s “Grace” in our lives!

1Th 4:11 And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

Abram had been desperate to achieve what he thought God wanted, but Abram had fallen into the same trap that many may fall into today.

When God says He will do something, then we just need to accept it as fact and trust Him and go one with our lives in peace.

God does not need our help to fulfill some promise He has made!

God made this covenant (contract) with Abram and all Abram had to do was to patiently wait on the Lord!

There was only one thing for Abram to do. Humbly go to the Lord.

*Gen 17:3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,
Gen 17:4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.

We may sometimes wonder how God will do as He says and when we do this, we make God to be small with little power, but we serve a Great Big God, and we need to be aware of God’s Awesomeness!

We serve an “AWESOME” God!

If we need to arouse our faith the best place to start is upon our knees!

When we humble ourselves before the Lord, we show Him that He is in charge of our lives, and our only wish is to have His will to be our will!

God reminded Abram that He had made this covenant with him and not to someone else and his age had nothing to do with it.

In fact, if God had given Abram his child at a young age, then Abram would not have felt the power of God to do as He wishes.

We can only give the Lord the sack of dirt that we are! We have nothing else meaningful to give to the Lord!

The covenant God made with Abram was of a “promised seed”. Far beyond that of a human child, but of the Messiah!

This seed included the Messiah.

We must see Jesus throughout all the Old Testament for He is there.

The only way for Abram to see what the Lord was saying was to look through the Lord’s eyes.

It would not hurt for us to do the same thing.

Find a place in the Scriptures and jump in and be one of the characters.

This new covenant would require a name change.

*Gen 17:5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

The name Abram means “an exalted father”.

The name Abraham means “father of a multitude”.

God told Abraham he would not only be a great father, but he would be a father of a great multitude as the father of all those who have faith in the promises of God.

God also changed the name of Sarai to Sarah.

Sarai means “my princess”.

Sarah means “the princess of a great multitude”. Not just a princess, but the but the mother of the promised child and in this case a type of Mary the mother of Jesus the Christ (Messiah).

*Gen 17:6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.
Gen 17:7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
Gen 17:8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

This is not so much an expansion of God’s covenant with Abraham but in reality, God just explaining the meaning of His covenant.

There will be descendants of Abraham upon this earth as long as this earth exists!

We see that Abraham becomes a person that God wants to have a close personal relationship with.

A type of each Christian today.

God established not only the Messiah but His followers as the “promised seed” and He would be God of the “promised seed”.

That “promised seed” is all those who believe the Word of God, and the promises of God, as did Abraham and this belief is accounted to them for righteousness, just as it did Abraham.

This is what the Apostle Paul tried to teach the Jews who rebelled against such teaching.

The Covenant with Abraham is the foundation of our hope from which the riches of God, at the expense of the Lord Jesus Christ, will be fulfilled!

This has been God’s guide in dealing with us since the time of Abraham and will continue until the “Rapture” of the Church and the Millennial Kingdom for the Jews, who could have missed out on the wrath of God if only they had believed as did their patriarch Abraham, this also true for the Arab nations.

God separated the lands of the Jews and the Arab nations and even these would have worked better, if it not been for the descendants of the wild man Ishmael who still causes most of the problems in this area of the world.

Rom 4:13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
Rom 4:14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:
Rom 4:15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.

This covenant was sealed with a sign.

*Gen 17:13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
Gen 17:14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

Circumcision was a special badge of God’s chosen people Israel, not the Church!

The circumcision of the heart is the sign of God’s chosen people the Church, all believers!

Rom 2:25 For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.
Rom 2:26 Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?
Rom 2:27 And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?
Rom 2:28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
Rom 2:29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Again the Apostle Paul tried to explain these things, but the Jews remain blind to the Word of God as do most all of the world!

We can be sure that God never said that rites, rituals, or ordinances, bestow anything upon anyone, but are only signs of something that has already taken place.

Col 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
Col 2:17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

Now God mentions Sarai, (Sarah).

*Gen 17:15 And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.
Gen 17:16 And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.

We must understand to have a personal relationship with the Lord is to change our relationship with our family.

We will never know if Abram blamed Sarai for being childless.

Abraham had already proven he could father a child, so it was Sarai who was barren.

If this was true, then God reassured Abraham that Sarah would be the mother of a multitude.

God gave Sarah a new name and the relationship of Sarah to Abraham was mended.

If Abraham believed all God’s Word, then he would have to believe these words of God!

By the thinking of man this thing was impossible, but nothing is too hard for God!

We should notice that even with all the promises given to Abraham, one of those things was to treat his wife with respect and honor.

Our relationships with our family should be a priority after we come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Savior!

A Christian man must be head of his family, as Jesus Christ is Head of the Church!

Abraham may have had a little problem in believing this thing or he reacted with a laughter of delight, we will never know which one.

Jesus said Abraham acted with great delight.

*Gen 17:17 Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?
Gen 17:18 And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!
Gen 17:19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

We should believe Jesus!

Joh 8:56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.

We should believe the Apostle Paul.

Rom 4:20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
Rom 4:21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
Rom 4:22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
Rom 4:23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
Rom 4:24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
Rom 4:25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

It brings great joy when we realize God has done something in our lives that we did not expect!

Abraham did show his great love for Ishmael, but it would be the seed of Sarah by Abraham, Isaac, whom God’s covenant would continue through.

It was Abraham who would name his only child by Sarah and his name would be Isaac.

Abraham may have thought his dreams would be fulfilled through Ishmael, but God had already said he would be a wild man, and this would have been out of God’s will.

Those who are wild reject authority!

Abraham would have to pass his heritage down through Isaac as God had commanded.

Ishmael would also be blessed but not the “promised seed” so Islam is a false religion!

Note: We can arouse our “faith” by having a fresh stirring experience with the Lord, a refilling of the Holy Spirit daily, and a true walk before the Lord!

Amen

Precious Memories in Perilous Times

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Precious Memories

Book of 2 Timothy Chapter 1

As we begin the 2 Book to Timothy, we should understand that several years had passed since Paul had written the first Book to Timothy. Paul had first written to Timothy while he was in Laodicea.

At the time Paul wrote this second letter to Timothy, Paul was imprisoned in Rome and he was sentenced to death. At this time the death penalty came by beheading and Paul would soon face this judgment with a smile because he knew he was going home to be with the Lord.

This time Paul was charged for inciting an insurrection against the Roman government. This will probably be the charge that will be used against Christian preachers if the Democrats get back in office, here in America.

Paul was writing this letter at a time when Christianity was banned in Rome and all Christians found and sentenced to death.

We should understand when we read the Book of 2 Timothy we are reading the very last words of the Apostle Paul!

We will see that like a prophet. Paul knew that perilous times were coming for all!

*****2Ti 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,
2Ti 1:2 To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Paul knew what would soon take place in his life and he wanted Timothy to understand that he would see him again.

What will we see from the Apostle Paul is that, he would maintain his dignity as a man called of God right to the very end.

This letter to Timothy will seem to be a personal letter between he and Paul, but the Holy Spirit decided that even we of today needed to understand what Paul was saying here.

This letter is another of what we call the pastoral epistles, which are written to answer questions about church organization.

This is another letter from Paul by the Holy Spirit, teaching us how to act in the House of God.

One thing is very clear, only those called of the Lord Jesus Christ will have a ministry in the Christian Church. This is a personal calling from the Lord Jesus Christ to that person who is called.

That one who is called, is called to walk in the will of God, remembering that it is the will of God that every living soul be saved.

1Ti_2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Eternal life comes only by Jesus Christ! Eternal death comes to all that reject the Lord Jesus Christ!

Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Joh 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

God’s plan is really very simple, have faith in the works Lord Jesus Christ, and be at peace with God forever!

Joh 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
Joh 11:26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

When we meet Jesus, we will be meeting the God of all creation!

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Joh 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and “from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him”.

Jesus left little doubt that He was the Mesiah, come from God!

In all the Scriptures we do not find one harsh word about Timothy. The fact that Timothy was saved at an early age, that he was able to do so good in the ministry of the Lord. He was saved young and he was led by true Christians all his life.

Timothy shows us the importance of discipling our young people with the truth of the “Gospel” of Jesus Christ.

*****2Ti 1:3 I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day;

What did Paul have? Paul had precious memories of the time he had spent with this young man who was also called of God.

Paul leaves us with the importance of disciple training, covered with much prayer. We must realize that is not about self because the Lord will take care of that.

It is about that prayer life for someone besides ourselves!

We must understand that God has given us this wonderful privilege to pray for those who are disciples!

Prayer is important for everyone but, when we do not zero in on our young people, we are neglecting the future of our church!

We should be thinking of our young disciples in our morning prayers and our nightly prayers and everything in between!

We should remember what Jesus said:

Mat 21:21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
Mat 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, “believing”, ye shall receive.

We need to pray that God would move all the evil things of this world (drugs, alcohol, smoking, etc.) out of the way of our young people.

Maybe we to need to shed a tear for our children!

*****2Ti 1:4 Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy;

No doubt that when Timothy heard that Paul had been arrested again and sentenced to death, he shed tears for Paul who had taught him so much and had also been like a father to him.

We also see Paul who is sentenced to death, for preaching the “Gospel” of Jesus Christ, was at peace with his death, and trying to comfort Timothy.

Timothy was strong in his faith and strong in his courage, yet he was still tender. We should remember the qualifications of a Pastor and Timothy met all these qualifications.

Timothy was young man who was not afraid to stand up for the Lord, yet he was still tender and compassionate, and not afraid to show his tender side.

It is this powerful man of God, who had brought joy to the heart of the Apostle Paul!

Not many realize that after the martyr’s death of the Apostle Paul, Timothy remained Ephesus, where sometime later he was also died the martyr’s death, because he preached the whole council of God without being ashamed of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Psa 119:63 I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts.

Timothy was never afraid to call Jesus his Savior! Timothy is a great example for young and old.

*****2Ti 1:5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.

As Paul was remembering the faith of Timothy, he also remembered the strong faith of his grandmother Lois and also the strong faith of his mother Eunice.

Here we see the fruit that can come from those mothers and grandmothers, who teach their children the truth of the Word of God!

Unfeigned faith is a faith that is not counterfeit. It is not hypocritical. It is real faith. It is sincere faith. It is based upon God’s love for his church!

Lois and Eunice had that faith, that could move those mountains out of the way for this young man named Timothy!

We can see how the Christian family can produce fruit for the work of the Lord!

It seems that in every period of the history of the church, it is the church women who have been more open to the conviction of the Holy Spirit and pass these things down to their children!

It is in these last days that Satan will use all his power to destroy the family, in his attempt to destroy the church.

We must remember what Jesus has said.

Luk_18:8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

Once the church is taken out of the world, during the time of the great falling away, there will not be much faith, if any, left upon this world!

It is only those parents who have dedicated their lives to the Lord and walk in Christ Jesus everyday, who have a chance to pass these things on to their children!

Pro_22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

God would not say this if it were no true!

Even as strong as Timothy was, Paul knew that every Pastor needs to be encouraged from time to time.

*****2Ti 1:6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.
2Ti 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

The biggest problem we face in the church today, is that God’s people have let their fire go out!

We will certainly endure abuse, if we claim the Lord Jesus Christ!

Joh 15:18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
Joh 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

We already know that this world we live in will never get better than it is right now!

2Ti_3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

Still, like Timothy, it is not time to quit on God!

We need to take a poker and stir up the fire that is within us, so our flame can shine brighter.

There was no indication that Timothy’s fire was getting dim and about to go out!

The Apostle Paul was on death row and he wanted Timothy to know his fight was finished and he would soon be going home.

It would be Timothy who would carry the torch of freedom until he too had fought his good fight.

The truth of these things is, if the Lord has given us a task, then we are to remain in that task until we go home to be with the Lord!

We must not ever forget that He has promised to provide our needs always!

Rom 12:5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
Rom 12:6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
Rom 12:7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
Rom 12:8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

If we are afraid, we must know that fear is a word that is not in God’s dictionary!

God gives us the gift of active power, so that we are not afraid to speak up for Jesus!

God gives us the gift of speculative power, so we can think right, and discern right from wrong.

No need to fear what man can do to us, if they kill us we just wake up in Heaven.

No need to fear the trials we face every day, because we are on the winning side, look in the back of the book.

No need to fear what the world says about us, they are on the losing side, also in the back of the book.

God gives us the Spirit power if we just ask, but power is not needed if we are not in the fight!

God gives the Spirit of love for everyone we see, if we just show it. The agape love of God, as our own Father!

God gives the Spirit of a sound mind when we have the mind of Christ!

1Co_2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

With these gifts of the Holy Spirit, plus all the fruit of the Holy Spirit, how could we ever be ashamed of our Savior?

*****2Ti 1:8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;

Makes me want to say, just jump in this battle and stay as close to Jesus Christ you can!

We can actually call this section “Ashamed”!

Why must we never be ashamed of the Lord Jesus? Because it is He who holds the power of the Almighty God for salvation, but only for those who believe!

Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

It is a fact that cowardice is a bad thing. To a soldier it could lead to his death or imprisonment.

To the Christian who refuses to get into the war against evil, it could mean an early death because, to be in the will of God is the safest place for any Christian to be.

Thank goodness our God is in the soul saving business!

Being ashamed of our Savior, is showing doubt that our Lord Jesus Christ does not have the power of God.

We are nothing without Jesus Christ!

Why would anyone be ashamed of the “Gospel” when it actually does bring “Good News”!

The Gospel answers every question concerning sin and it is the remedy for fallen man!

We must never be ashamed that our God came to this earth to die!

We must never be ashamed of the blood of Jesus Christ, that washes away all sin.

We must never be ashamed of the virgin birth!

We must never be ashamed of the cross that Jesus bore.

We must never be ashamed period.

We must never be ashamed to take our stand on the “Gospel” of the Lord Jesus Christ!

When we cannot take a stand on freedom from the bondage of sin, then nothing else can satisfy that question of just “who am I”.

When we cannot live for Jesus, we will certainly die for Satan!

Joh 15:20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

We must never be ashamed of persecution. Paul said to Timothy, do not be ashamed of my imprisonment”!

It should be an honor, for a Christian to be so much like Jesus that he is imprisoned!

It should be an honor to speak the words of Jesus and be imprisoned for it!

This shows the weakness of those in charge who are so afraid to hear the “Gospel” because one: some know the Word of God is so powerful that they would suffer because of God’s message and two; they are denying the truth to live in their own little false world of misery.

For the Christian, this is the only world that we can suffer in, we will not suffer at all in Heaven.

Though the non-believer they may or may not suffer much in this world, but they will suffer an eternity of unreal suffering in Hell!

God sends His message to this world in order for those bound for Hell can repent and join Him in Heaven.

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

My question to all those that reject the Word of God, why don’t you leave the Christians alone!

Why be so afraid of God’s Word?

Joh 8:23 And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.
Joh 8:24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

To a world that can believe in aliens and UFOs, why can you not believe in the supernatural, our Heavenly Savior.

I’m not sorry that I am called a Christian, I am sorry that so many just do not believe!

*****2Ti 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
2Ti 1:10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

Some people say we use the word saved to much, but this is the word that works for me!

I am saved. I am preserved, I am protected, I am redeemed, I am delivered from the sin of this world.

Tit 3:4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Tit 3:6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

When you speak of salvation, you cannot get around the fact that Jesus Christ is the Author of salvation!

It is a fact that God has a purpose for everything that happens in this world. God does not do bad things, but He allows bad things to happen if they suit His purpose and His plans.

What is God’s Purpose?

Eph 1:9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
Eph 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

Now we know that everything in this world happens according to this purpose which God is so bold to give to us that we would know, and we can rest on the surety of these words!

If you are not in Jesus Christ, you simply will not be gathered when the Lord comes to take us home. This is known as the rapture of the church. These things are true because God says they are true. Now who do you trust?

Col 1:26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

We have a hope that is much better than a guarantee when we place all our faith in the works of the Lord Jesus Christ!

There is absolutely no reason those in the Lord Jesus Christ should be uncertain about their salvation.

There is absolutely no reason that we should fear death as a Christian because we will be going home!

Over and over the Scriptures will lead us to Jesus Christ as our Savior, not just some other man but truly God come down from Heaven to die just so we can be saved.

Yes, I like that word saved!

It was also the work of the Lord Jesus Christ to abolish the death that Satan uses to hold onto his followers.
There are far too many of these followers who have come out of the woodwork to declare they worship Satan to their own demise!

Evil abounds, but God has more “grace” than this world has “evil”!

To be a believer ,we had to be bought from Satan’s slave market but many more are left behind that we need to reach with the “Gospel of our salvation!

1Jn 4:12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
1Jn 4:13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
1Jn 4:14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
1Jn 4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, “God dwelleth in him, and he in God”.

What is the only method to become a preacher of the Gospel?

*****2Ti 1:11 Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.

Paul was appointed to preach by the Lord Jesus Christ, there is no other way to be a true preacher of the “Gospel” do not be fooled by nay sayers.

Paul was appointed Apostle by the Lord Jesus. The only way to be an Apostle was to have been selected by The Lord Jesus Christ seeing Him with his own eyes. For this reason, there can be no more Apostles, Paul was the last.

**Paul was appointed to be the Preacher assigned to the Gentiles.

The God called, Jesus Christ chosen, Holy Ghost filled preacher, is the person who is chosen to go forth and proclaim the message of King Jesus!

The main message will be that Christ has abolished death, followed with that He has brought life and immortality to those who believe upon Him!

What has happened to our preachers of today? They ignored this message or have they forgotten who Jesus is, or are they to ashamed to preach the truth?

**Paul was appointed to be an Apostle because he was sent by the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Apostle is to go where ever he is sent with the message that “the King is Coming” and that sooner not later and speak the message he was given by the Lord.

It is the job of the Apostle to make known the business of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The business of our Savior was to do all the work necessary to provide his subjects a means of eternal life with Him and His true angels!

**Paul was appointed to be a teacher.

It is the job of the teacher to teach the curriculum that they have been assigned without changing it in any way. The Teacher will teach the whole council of God with diligence and perseverance!

Paul understood the hazards of what he had to do.

*****2Ti 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

The biggest problem with the Christian of today they make God out to be powerless and not able to fulfill His promises, which is very foolish if we just look around to what God has created for us!

When we have been justified (just as if we had never sinned) how can we think God is not able to fulfill His promises?

God says those He has justified will escape eternal death (the wrath of God) only if they have faith!

Rom 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Rom 1:19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
Rom 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

Psa 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

There is no one (no one) who could have given us these majestic heavens but The Lord God!

It is so very foolish to think these things came about by some accident. The only thing accidents have ever brought is destruction!

Rom 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

I along with the Apostle Paul are not ashamed of our God of glory!

In fact, the Lord Jesus Christ came to this earth to reveal the power of God!

God is independent of His being, because everything God is (His virtues, His decrees, His works, His causes, all God’s character) depends on Him!

There is absolutely nothing God cannot do but sin. God is who He says He is!

Exo 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

I too am persuaded that God can save my soul and that I will join Him when I die!

We must commit ourselves to the work of the Lord! Why?

1Pe 1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

We are kept by the power of God!

The Apostle Paul was very sure that judgment was coming but he was also very sure this would take place sometime after he was gone on to Heaven!

Paul was also very sure that when he met Jesus in the clouds, he would have to give an account of himself after his salvation, because all the things Paul had done by persecuting the church before he was saved had been forgiven and God would not remember these things against him.

Even as we see the things of this world get even more evil, we must still hold fast to the Word of God!

*****2Ti 1:13 Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

Because the nature of humanity is corrupt and sinful, we cannot always trust that we can know the truth of their words.

This is not so with God. The Word of God is good for our health here on earth and eternal life when we join the Lord!

The only sound words that we can depend on come from the Lord!

When we start doubting the words that tell us the truth of our Savior, then we are not clinging to the truth!

No false doctrine comes from sound words which are the words that Jesus Christ our only Savior has brought to us from God the Holy Spirit!

When we doubt the Word of God we are calling God a liar.

2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

It is impossible to truly believe upon Jesus Christ if we reject in any way the truth of Scriptures!

Joh 20:30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:
Joh 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

The Holy Spirit has decided that the words He has given to us. are all we need to trust in the Lord for eternal life.

We have the truth and the results of the truth.

When it comes time to hear the Word of God, we can believe that it is true, beyond all doubt and yes Jonah was swallowed by a real whale!

Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

The Word of God brings so much truth many people spend too much time trying to find fault in the Word of God.

We must hold fast to the form of sound words!

*****2Ti 1:14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.

We should understand that trust works both ways with the Lord. We are to trust in His Words and He will trust us to take those words to someone else, so they also can make the choice to accept or reject the truth of God.

The world just does not understand that God wants everyone in this entire world to get an opportunity to compare His truth to what the world has to say about health, love, life and purpose!

We as Christians have the words of life, how can we not share it?

We must also understand that if God has something that affects humans then He will choose another human to do it.

The only humans who can do this thing must be filled with God the Holy Spirit!

In fact, the only good thing upon this world is the Word of God!

What is the greatest truth of the Word of God? It is all about Jesus Christ!

Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

1Jn 5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

Rev 19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

There should be no doubt in the Christian, of what these things mean!

It is our Holy God the Father that gives us the Gift of Life and that gift comes by “The Word”, God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ!

So, we can hold fast the gifts God places in our hands.

*****2Ti 1:15 This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.

We should pay very close attention to what the Holy Spirit is saying here.

The Apostle Paul was arrested a second time and sentenced to death at the hands of Nero, just for preaching the truth of the Scriptures.

Phygellus and Hermogenes had travel with Paul since Paul was in Asia.

Most all those of Asia abandoned not only Paul but also the Lord and when we say no to God, we are committing sin.

Certainly, Rome was a dangerous place to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but God would take something bad and make good come from it!

Php 1:12 But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;
Php 1:13 So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places;
Php 1:14 And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

These things being true Phygellus and Herogenes both from Asia not being arrested with Paul abandoned him and took with them others from Asia.

This was a sad time for Paul, but he never gave up and the Lord never left his side just as He said, He will never forsake us.

Paul was not ashamed of the “Gospel” and this showed in these words given to Him by the Holy Spirit.

Rom_1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

There was one who stood by Paul and he became a very special help to him!

*****2Ti 1:16 The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain:
2Ti 1:17 But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me.

Onesiphorus was a Christian from the church of Ephesus where Timothy was being sent.

While Onesiphorus was helping Paul, his family back home was without their father, and Paul prayed for mercy for this household and Paul was making Timothy aware of this family who may also have a need.

Onesiphorus came many times to visit Paul and while he was there he would cheer Paul up, and it also reveals to us the Paul may have spent some time with this family when he was in Ephesus.

This may be all we know of this man Onesiphorus, but it is obvious that he was a Christian who was not ashamed of the “Gospel” and he was a true friend to Paul.

Pro_18:24 A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

No doubt that the name of Onesiphorus had been written in the Lambs Book of Life.

*****2Ti 1:18 The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day: and in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well.

Not one of us deserve the mercy of God!

To ask God to show mercy is not so much to ask God to be good as it is to show we have a forgiving God.

I believe when Paul says, “that day” he is referring to the day of the “Rapture” when we will all face the Lord Jesus Christ, at the Bema Seat!

We must never abandon our brothers and sisters in Christ, no matter the circumstances, we are all bound together by the blood of Jesus Christ and we must never bring shame to His name!

Heb 13:3 Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.

There will never be a day, while we live upon this earth that we will not need the mercy of God!

Amen