Get Prepared Timothy

Usually I meditate on just one or two verses, but this morning I am going to highlight a few more.

The verses the Spirit brought to my heart are in I Timothy 4:6-16. The main verse that introduces these verses is found in verse 6, �If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.�

If I am to be a good herald of the gospel of Jesus Christ then it is my responsibility, even as it was Timothy�s, to speak to you words of faith and sound doctrine that would grow you up in this most excellent faith.   You are actually reading with me the teachings of Paul to his young �son in the faith�, Timothy.

Paul�s instruction to Timothy is to remind you what we are supposed to be doing as ministers/disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. Timothy was a minister in training�but aren�t we all? It is the responsibility of us all to remind each other why we are here, especially if we begin to forget and take our eyes off Jesus and put them on each other or our on flesh.

�But refuse profane and old wives� fables, and exercise you rather in godliness.� I love this, we can sure get off on �he said, she said, we said� instead of what HE SAID (as in God the Father, through Jesus Christ illumined through the inspiration and power of the Holy Spirit). Don�t we love to discuss the talk of the town and what is new? There is nothing new under the sun. The only new things are the ones that are being revealed to us daily through the personal revelation of Jesus Christ. If you want to truly be godly, then exercise yourself in the things of the Lord.
Work out with Jesus.

�For bodily exercise profiteth little; but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.� You can go to the gym every day and work out until your body is the picture of perfection, but in the end what will it benefit you? Yes, it will keep you happy and healthier longer. But it will not do for you what godliness will do. Knowing God will give you the promise of life now and in the eternities. Bodily exercise has no eternal benefit, you cannot take your body with you when you pass over, but godly exercise lasts not only a lifetime, but into eternity.

�This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance,� What he is about to say has held the test of time, it is faithful, it is meaningful and worthy of your attention.
So listen up!
You need to receive his words. And herein is the key to all scripture.
You can read and read and read, but until you listen up and receive it, there will be no lasting change in your life.

�For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those that believe.� Without qualifiers, we will have to work and we will have to suffer rebuke at the hands of others because we trust God. There is no way to get around it. Just because you have Jesus does not mean your life is going to be easy. In fact, if you stand up for what you believe, I can guarantee there will be those who stand against you. But we put our trust in a living God who is active in our lives; who has the very hairs on our head counted? It is for Him that we endure, not ourselves. And if we endure for ourselves, we will have a hard time indeed, because we will be beat up, chewed up and spit out by life.
Over and over and over and over and over and over again.
That is not to say that we will not have that happen even with Him, but He will teach us to grow from those experiences and become an overcomer! We will learn how to not live a defeated life. We will live in His victory!

And here is the crux of the matter; He died for all men, even those who stand against us.

A sobering thought at times, because we are so used to looking at some as enemies or the ones who wronged us. But He came for their salvation just as much as ours.

�These things command and preach.� I like the New American Standard translation better on this one. �Prescribe and teach these things.� Paul is giving Timothy and us a prescription for a victorious life. If you go to a doctor He will listen to your woes and then write you out a prescription to make you healthy. Well if you want to be healthy in the Lord, Paul is saying you must teach these things. You must get these things in your spirit to be healthy or whole in the Lord Jesus Christ.

�Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.� Man� what a mouthful! He is talking about what might be an excuse for some not to serve. It is a well worn excuse that has hindered others from fully surrendering without hesitation. I am too young to be held accountable. I am too young to do this. I am too young for them to listen to me. You can file this under a long list of excuses we have all raised not to serve with abandonment.

I stutter, I am slow of speech.

I am wealthy�I don�t want to give that up.

I don�t understand the Scriptures.

I don�t know what to say.

I am too old to be of any use.

I don�t have enough money.

I can�t come to church on Sunday, its my only day off.

I am just too tired.

I need a little more time to prepare and get things in order.

Who will go with me?

And the excuses go on and on and on.

Could you add yours in there?

Whatever our excuse is, it is keeping us from serving God to the fullest.

And to us it is valid.

Paul says to turn that excuse around and use it for your good. The Lord is wonderful at taking our weaknesses and turning them into our strengths.

Even though you are young Timothy. even though you are slow of speech, even though you are old, even though you are poor, even though you are tired, even though Sunday is your only day off and you can�t imagine who would go with you�

All is not lost�God still loves you right where you are.

And right where you are, you can still be an example of a believer in your words, in your walk, in your loving example, in your encouraging and motivating ways, in your expectant attitude towards miracles, and in your wholesome lifestyle.

Someone, no matter who you are, is looking to you.

Whether you like it or not, someone will be influenced by your life.

Will it be for the bad or the good? That is up to you.

�Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.� He is talking about attending the public worship. Pay attention to the readings, be careful to exhort one another and others and take pains with the doctrine. Know what you believe and why. "Till I come" refers to the Apostle Paul�s coming. He was going to come and visit Timothy. Timothy was going to be held accountable by Paul. Make yourself accountable to someone. Paul calls Timothy, his �son in the faith.� We all need someone �in the flesh� to be accountable too. Find yourself someone who will "mentor you�, I believe this is the fashionable term today.

Accountability breeds responsibility which turns into maturity, which points to a �settled or established� walk in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Part of the problem in the church today is that we have lost our accountability. Our churches are so large we have a fast food religion. We have totally lost the concept of discipling as was evidenced in the New Testament. Jesus had twelve disciples who He held accountable. Paul, considered himself an apostle because He had a �real personal encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ.� Find yourself someone who walks in the anointing of an Apostle and make yourself accountable to him or them.

�Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by the prophecy, with the laying on of the hand of the presbytery.� I can hear some now, but I don�t have any gifts. WRONG! You have Christ, the hope of glory; you have all the gifts resident in you through the power of the Holy Spirit indwelling you. The Godhead bodily dwells in you! If you don�t feel like you have any gifts then you probably need to fan the fires a bit more. Get under leadership that is what the presbytery is. Get some prophecy by the laying on of hands so that you can be built up in your faith. Keep going back for prayer until you get it! That is what the public assembly is for, to build us up in our faith and instruct and mature us. Take advantage of all that God has for you. Don�t set back and let another reap the blessings that could have been yours.

�Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that they profiting may appear to all.� There is that word again, meditate. I love that word! Think on and consider highly and deeply the things he has just spoken on. Give yourself wholly to them; don�t keep back any part from God. He wants to use you in a powerful way, but the choice remains with you. Read the scriptures and meditate on them. Meditate on exhorting others, pay close attention to those who need an encouraging word. Exhortation is a gifting that I believe all members of the body need to exercise. Stretch yourself�be lead by the Spirit to lift others up in their faith. Meditate on what you believe doctrinally from the Scriptures; have them in your Spirit so that you can make a defense of them when asked. Be ready in season and out to present the gospel of Jesus Christ. Meditate on your giftings! Meditate on your response to leadership. There is a place for you in the body.   Where do you fit in? It is not a question of �if you fit it�, but �where� do you fit in. If you do these things your progress will be obvious to all. And you will have given glory to God even through your seeming excuses. Take your weaknesses and see if God won�t make them your strengths.   He wants to raise you up!

�Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them; for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.� You are responsible for yourself and your actions and reactions. No one else is responsible for you. Continue to pay close attention to doctrine. If you know them and have them in your spirit, they will save not only you, but those who hear you.

Spirit Filled Christian Women Empowered by the Word of God

INDEX

Gearing Up!

Plan of Salvation

"I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes."

Psalm 119:99

"And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues."

I Cor. 12:28

"Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more
strictly.

James 3:1

" But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them�bringing swift destruction on themselves."

II Peter 2:1-3

For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

II Tim. 4:3

"We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.

Hebrews 5:11-13.

Stressed?

God Heals!!!