II Timothy 4:1-2 I have often been on jury trials. While many, if not most people do not like to be on a jury, I really enjoyed it! Just to see the whole process at work, close up, was so educational to me. I guess the time off work, maybe the drive, and of course the loss of your regular pay in exchange for the minimal pay a juror receives, are probably the factors for not wanting to be chosen.
In that process of course you have a judge. He is really the referee in the courtroom. While the jury hears the evidence of the crime committed, they are also charged by the judge with the heavy weight of making the correct decision. It really is made clear to you in the judge’s instructions that this decision is placed on the shoulders of twelve human beings. Still, in this life, we are not the judge or jury with our peers. Only God is. He is judge and jury, the One who sees all the evidence and decides the outcome. We have, however, been given many jobs to do by the Lord. I call them ‘preach, point and push.’ In today's scriptural passage the apostle Paul is telling Timothy, and ultimately us, what we need to do until the ‘Judge’ returns. So, let’s take a look at our job description — We have been told to "preach the word, reprove, rebuke and exhort." And, we need to do all that with "great patience and instruction." I’m just gonna say this first off… we will not all preach from a pulpit. But, we will still preach! My husband was a pastor of a church that declined to about 20 people before we were assigned there. When we retired it was up to about 200. Was that my husband’s doing? Only in the sense that he did what he was told by the Holy Spirit. Now scripture tells the Pastor of any church to "equip" the saints. Once the people have the knowledge, they go out and ‘preach’ without even speaking a word. In all of our actions, interactions, responses and behaviors, we are preaching! Perhaps you've heard the age-old saying, "I preach the gospel everyday… sometimes, I use words!" I remember one job I had as office manager of a home health agency for the elderly. The other woman in the office was very high strung. One day when I returned after a day off she said, "You cannot take any time off again. The office was in chaos! But as soon as you walk in, the office is calm." I did not know what to make of that statement, but later the Holy Spirit reminded me, "When you walked in, I did too." And the Holy Spirit, part of the Godhead, carries a peace that passes all understanding. My husband had similar experiences when he was a teacher. When he was in the classroom, things ran smoothly. The other teachers would tell him of the upheavals when he was not there. That’s how we preach! And those experiences give us the opportunities to explain the ‘hope' that lies within us. We also have been given the instruction to "reprove and rebuke" when we see people starting down the wrong path! This one is much harder to do. In some of the situations I have had to address with people, they do not always receive it well. It is their choice, for their own good, yet if they are not aware of this scripture verse, they may think you are out of line. Here are two experiences that come to mind with different outcomes. We have seen couples living together without the blessing of marriage on their lives. After explaining to one couple that God cannot bless them ‘abundantly’ without being under His covenant umbrella, they married. Their lives were immediately free from the guilt and bondage of sin, and began to flourish. On the other hand, the other couple continued to delay the marriage siting ‘money’ as their reasoning for the delay. Since the cost of a marriage license is reasonable enough, that is not a good reason. Their lives have continued to roll along like a car on a pot-hole ridden road. Bumpy and rough, to say the least. God just cannot go against His Word and bless sin. I am also reminded we have a responsibility to gently point to something that needs attention in a friend’s life. We can be held accountable if we don’t. Let’s say, gossip. Put up a ‘stop sign’ when friends begin this one. As difficult as it may seem, you are making them aware of something they may not have noticed, since it had become such a habit. If nothing else, they will probably think twice before sharing some gossip with you. The last job we have is finishing what we started. Once we have pointed to the sin, now we can point to the way that will bring peace and prosperity. Exhortation is the ability to ‘give a little push’ in the right direction to people who have expressed their need to change. You may do this by encouraging them to join a Bible study, or teach a Bible study. Maybe it is to head a group, or just go to one. Whatever it may be, we must use great patience and instruction when we exhort people. Case in point: I am very new to blogging -- so my dear friend came along side me and patiently instructed me… for hours! That’s an exhorter extraordinaire! So, watch how you are living your life. Are you preaching a sermon that will expose a person’s sin and push them onto the right path? Or… is your life preaching a sermon that is somewhat less than it should be? You will be preaching, no matter what! Question: Can you remember a time in your life when you gently 'gave a little push' in the right direction to someone who needed it? How did that turn out? Feel free to share with our readers via the comment button below.
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I John 2:28 I have some questions for you. How long has it been since you thought of yourself as a child? If you have grown children, do you still think of them as children? Remember the way you felt when your parents caught you doing something you were told not to do? Or, do you remember the look on your children’s faces when you caught them doing something they weren’t supposed to do?
Now, let’s talk about the fact that in the eyes of God, we are still children! Today's scripture verse is specifically calling us children. In our eyes when we reach age 18-21 we are making most decisions on our own. We may have our own apartment and be out from under Mom and Dad’s roof and rules. We may have jobs, a car, a spouse, or even our own children. But still, God is calling us "dear children" in His Word. Let’s look at what a child is. I was just at someone's home with 5-month-old triplets. Imagine that. This single Mom had to run some errands, get groceries, prescriptions, formula and diapers. So, in our church we have a group of people who have signed up for 3-hour shifts (after background checks, of course) while she does the necessary things that keep a household running. And since my hubby and I are retired, we volunteered! Of course, we first got a quick overview of their schedules -- each are different. Each baby has their own bottle and formula. Their cribs each have their names. That is helpful, but... only if you know who is who! Sara needed medication within 30 minutes after eating. However, she fell right to sleep after her bottle. Ben guzzled his bottle. We changed his diaper, and he went back to sleep. But Kira, well, she was not having any of that! Her shock of red hair (the other two are bald) and her cry, told me she was her own little person and she was just not wanting that bottle! She is breast fed and does not want a bottle just because her Mom is not there. It’s not Kira's fault. Obviously, we felt bad -- but rocking, walking, cajoling, music and even my singing just did not help! When Mom came to the door, she knew just what was the problem. We left quickly knowing we had done our job. Now she and she alone had to do hers. Yes, we are still children too. Some of us are like Sara and Ben. We follow the rules, go by the book, do as we are told. Compliant. Some of us, like Kira, want what we want, and we want it now! Think about being Ben and Sara as you stand before God. "Lord, I did as You asked me to do. I followed Your plan to the best of my ability, with Your help. I was confident You were always there to guide me and help me when I needed it. I can stand here with a clear conscious." And Kira? Well, she represents those of us who like to push the envelope. She makes her own schedule and rules, and forgets where her life and everything she has came from. She will also stand before God one day, the Creator of the Universe, and I fear she will be ashamed. She did not do the simple little things, like drink her nourishment, and live it. How many of us are like Kira? We think we know better, pushing away God, the only One with the hope, the answers, and the help in our lives. These three precious babies will grow and change and make decisions to follow on the Godly path... or not. One thing that will not change… they will always be God’s children. Who do you identify with? If you still behave like Kira, and you are an adult, take a minute and re-evaluate your life. Are you listening to your Father God, or self? Kira, Ben and Sara are still infants. They will grow and change, learning new patterns and ways to achieve their goals. However, they will always be children of God, as are we. We will always be connected to Him with ‘heart strings.' Some may try to break those strings, but it is impossible. We will always be attached to our Creator. I don’t know about you, but in my home things always went better for me if I did the right thing, the right way, the first time. I find it is the same with God. If we live by His book, our lives will be better and we can stand before our Father, unashamed. (Additional Reading: Romans 8:16,17) Question: As a child of God, can you remember a time He asked you to do something, and you disobeyed? Feel free to share your learning experience in the comment section below. |