Don’t Take 1 Timothy 6:10 Out of Context.....By Stephen Sanders

 Don’t Take 1 Timothy 6:10 Out of Context

By Stephen Sanders

What does this scripture really mean?

"For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." - 1 Timothy 6:10

Well, you may say, “I don’t need to see anything else! The Bible is the Word of God so if that’s what it says then, well, that’s what it means! End of story!” Or perhaps you may say, “See, it says the ‘love’ of money, so I can have as much money as I want as long as I don’t ‘love’ it.”

While 1 Timothy 6:10 is probably the most well-known verse in the book of 1st Timothy, we need to look at the verses that surround it to discover exactly what Paul was saying here. I mean, what if I told you that the movie Star Wars was all about Luke Skywalker discovering that Darth Vader was his father?

It’s not JUST about that, even though, “I am your father!” is probably the most famous line from that movie. Get my drift? We don’t treat movies or other books like that so why would we treat the Bible that way?

So what was Paul warning Timothy about? Let’s start here...

3-5
If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.

Here, Paul compares ungodly leaders to those who:

- Ignore Jesus’ words
- Have a morbid interest in controversy
- Suppose that godliness is a means of gain

6-10
But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Next, Paul claims that Christianity does involve prosperity (great gain) when accompanied with contentment with having food and clothes (our needs met). Timothy is being warned about teaching a gospel that includes a guarantee of riches because:

- They are temporary
- Lead to temptation
- They cause people to wander away from the faith

11-16
But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He will bring about at the proper time. He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells unapproachable light, whom no man has see nor can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.

So far, we can ascertain that Paul is warning Timothy that, the love of money, which we have just determined is a Christian teaching that equates godliness is a means of gain, is something that we need to flee from. Instead of following that teaching, we need to:

- Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness
- Grab the gift of eternal life which we have through Jesus Christ and share THAT message

17-19
Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.

Finally, before he switches gears, Paul instructs Timothy on how to minister to those who are already rich:

- Warn rich people how their riches are temporary, how they lead to temptation and how they cause people to wander away from the faith
- Teach them to instead be rich in righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness

The concept of “riches” in the Christian walk can be a tricky thing to navigate. Some things, like the love of money, can be more difficult for some people in certain cultures than it is for those in other cultures. And, when it all comes down to it, we all probably have something - money, people, stuff, selfish desires - we choose to place above Jesus in our everyday lives.

As we let the real meaning of 1 Timothy 6:10 sink in today, we should ask ourselves this: “What am I treasuring over Jesus?” And as we answer that question, I pray that God uproots all forms of evil that keep us from living as He wants us to.

Transformation through Experience.....Denison Ministries

 Transformation through Experience

Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview: 

We serve a God of powerful transformations. All throughout Scripture God takes those whom the world deemed the lowest, the hopeless, and the helpless and uses them to change the world. You are not beyond transformation. God longs to break off that which inhibits you from experiencing fullness of life. He longs to heal you, deliver you, and set you free. May your life be forever changed as we spend time discovering God’s heart for transformation.

Scripture:

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18

Devotional:    

No Christian practice can take the place of experiencing God. It’s in experiencing God that we begin to live in response to the unconditional, unfathomable depths of God’s love. It’s in experiencing God that we learn to discern and trust his perfect, pleasing will. And it’s in experiencing God that our hearts are transformed into powerful reflections of his wonderful character.

2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” When we see God face-to-face everything changes. You can’t see God and stay the same. Encountering him always requires something from us. Experiencing his holiness always calls us to be holy as he is holy(1 Peter 1:15). Experiencing his love always calls to love because he has “first loved us” (1 John 4:19).And experiencing his heart for transformation always calls us to surrender our lives to him as a “living sacrifice, holy and pleasing” (Romans 12:1).

In Isaiah 6:1-6, Isaiah’s encounter with the living God speaks to the truth of transformation through experience. In response to seeing “the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up” and hearing the Seraphim calling to one another, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory,” Isaiah’s natural response was, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” And upon declaring the truth of his depravity a seraphim touches his lips with a burning coal and says, “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” Isaiah was transformed through experiencing God.

If you want your life to be transformed you must set out to seek the face of God. You must respond daily to his invitation to meet together. Your life must be centered around the fact that perfect, blameless Jesus gave his life that you might simply have relationship with the Father. If you do—if you give your life to experience the fullness of God’s love, power, and presence—you will never be the same. May you “[behold] the glory of the Lord” today as you enter into a time of guided prayer (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the transformation that takes place in experiencing God.

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18

“Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” Isaiah 6:7

2. Turn your heart to God and seek his face. Have faith that when you set aside time to experience God he will manifest his presence to you. His presence is his promise.

“You have said, ‘Seek my face.’ My heart says to you, ‘Your face, Lord, do I seek.’” Psalm 27:8

“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13

3. Rest in the presence of your loving Father. Confess any sin you have in response to his holiness and promise to forgive you. And receive the cleansing that comes from repentance.

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” Acts 3:19 (NIV)

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

So great is God’s love for you that he longs to meet with you. In Revelation 3:20 God says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” God is already knocking on the door of your heart. You don’t have to wonder if he will meet with you when you open your heart to him. Revelation 3:20 is his promise. He longs for you to encounter him more than you do. He wants to be known by you more than you want to know him. Have faith in the goodness of your God and live a lifestyle of encounter. May your life be transformed by a revelation of God’s unfailing love and presence.

Extended Reading: Revelation 3

When God Doesn’t Come Through.....RUTH SCHWENK

 When God Doesn’t Come Through

RUTH SCHWENK

“When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’” Matthew 11:2-3 (NIV)

I sat on the hardwood floor of our kitchen, back pressed against the wall, with my head in my hands and the tears flowing. I wanted to trust God for the new life within me, but my past losses were threatening my current peace.

After I had trouble in previous pregnancies, this one had me trembling. What was supposed to be the happiest time was the hardest time, and I felt scared of what each day would bring.

It is one thing to say God will work everything together for your good. But what do you do when you’re afraid God may not show up?

Sometimes our life circumstances don’t make sense. We wonder what God is up to, and more pressing, we may even doubt and wonder if God will come through at all. But doubt is not the same as unbelief — as we see most beautifully in the example of John the Baptist, who found himself suffering in prison because of his allegiance to God. In a moment of questioning and doubt, John wondered if God would come through for him.

“When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’” (Matthew 11:2-3)

Like every faithful Jew, John knew that the coming of the Messiah meant good news for the poor, healing for the brokenhearted and “freedom for the captives” (Isaiah 61:1, NIV). But would Jesus come through for him? Now?

In Jesus’ response to John in Matthew 11:4-6, Jesus quoted Isaiah 61:1. But He omitted one very important phrase. He said nothing about the prisoners being set free.

“Jesus replied, ‘Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.’” (Matthew 11:4-6, NIV)

From Jesus’ response, John understood that his faith, which got him imprisoned in the first place, would not set him free from the prison cell he found himself in. While Jesus’ ministry would certainly include setting captives free, what John was expecting would not be what he would experience. And Jesus didn’t come through in the way John had hoped.

But John’s story does not end in despair. He did not fall into the trap of unbelief. Nor did he “stumble,” or fall away, on account of Jesus. Scripture does not indicate that John’s life, unlike others’ (for example, Judas Iscariot’s), ended in betrayal or disbelief. On the contrary, Jesus alluded to John later in His ministry as an example of righteousness. (Matthew 21:32)

What we can learn from John is that he moved not from uncertainty to certainty but from uncertainty to trust. He learned what we must all learn: In God’s hands, even what seems senseless is sacred and full of meaning and purpose.

After that tearful day in the kitchen, God showed Himself faithful to me. He reminded me through His Word that He is trustworthy and good, no matter the outcome of our circumstances. He invited me to lean on Him as my Rock, to seek comfort in Him as my heavenly Father and to trade my fears for His peace.

Friend, I’m not sure what you are facing in your life today. But if you are struggling to give your hopes and hurts to God, you are in good company. We’re all limping along, learning to trust Jesus in all the things.

The good news is that Jesus not only suffered for us, but He suffers with us. He enters our pain. And no matter the final outcome of any situation, Jesus gives us the grace to walk faithfully under the weight of our cross and into His glory.

Dear Jesus, thank You for being beside me through every season of my life. Even when I don’t understand what You are doing, help me to trust that Your love for me is unending and Your plan for me is good. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Acquiring Great Faith.....Dr. Charles Stanley

 Acquiring Great Faith

Dr. Charles Stanley

Hebrews 11:17-19

I’ve had people tell me, “I wish that I had great faith.” While most of us would like God to just drop that kind of confidence into our laps, it’s not the way He operates. Faith increases as a result of our obedience in little things. We all marvel at Abraham’s willingness to offer up Isaac at the Lord’s command. But have you ever stopped to consider all of his smaller steps of submission that prepared the way for this enormous test?

Throughout his lifetime, Abraham obeyed God. At the Lord’s command, he left his country (Gen 12:1-4), was circumcised (17:10, 26), conceived Isaac in his old age (21:1-3), and sent his son Ishmael away (21:9-14). By the time he was asked to offer Isaac as a sacrifice, he already knew that his God would always be faithful to His promises. His previous experiences had taught Him to trust the Lord.

In the same way, each small step of obedience solidifies our confidence in God. Then, when He challenges us with a more difficult assignment, a firm foundation of assurance enables us to trust and obey Him. Great acts of faith flow from our past interactions with the Lord. By neglecting His simple commands, we miss priceless opportunities to witness His faithfulness.

Having trouble trusting God for something big? Maybe it’s because you’ve ignored those “small” and “insignificant” promptings of the Holy Spirit. The Lord considers each of His commands important and promises to reward every act of obedience, regardless of size. Great faith begins with little steps.

The Beauty of Waiting.....by Katherine Britton

 The Beauty of Waiting

by Katherine Britton

"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." - Psalm 27:14

Waiting seems to be a common theme in my circle of friends right now. For some, like my friend who was laid off twice in eight months, the long-awaited hope is a stable job in a tough economy. Others are biding their time, trying to find useful ways to serve and stay busy until God speaks. Some can see their heart's desire just across the room and yet must act as if it's a world away. Those finishing graduate school and starting new jobs find themselves waiting on new friends in new places.

This weekend, two of my dear friends reached the end of their wait. Their story waited for three years while they grew ever so slowly together. They might have constructed a different narrative for their story back then if they had had a choice, but as I watched her walk down the aisle, I wondered if she still felt the hurry. This bride and groom's circumstances refused to follow the seemingly most desirable timetable, and the monumental effort they both invested sometimes seemed ineffective. But I witnessed a tender moment as my friend walked towards her groom - her eyes never left his face, and he couldn't stop smiling at her. Those three years slipped by in a moment to reveal two people refined and beautiful.

I crave a destination, not the trip, so likening waiting to some over-spiritualized journey is lost on me. But I am a person who goes endures the racking climb to see the spectacular vantage point - I want to see the beauty of the Lord made known. Seeing my friends walk down the aisle gave me a similar feeling. I saw the beauty that had come from waiting - and that made the wait beautiful too.

Sitting at home tonight, my thoughts keep drifting back to Hannah, the prophet Samuel's mother. This dear woman endured years of childlessness, wanting a son so badly that the waiting made her sick. Her prayer was "remembered" after many tears and pleadings with God, and ultimately she gave the reward of her waiting. Yet her story concludes with a song, a beautiful meditation on the paradoxes of waiting on God to fulfill his promises. As she delivered her son to a lifetime of service - away from her, no less - she proclaimed, "My heart rejoices in the Lord… for I delight in your deliverance." This was a woman whose night of sorrow lasted for years, but even she saw the beauty of the morning.

My driving heart would like to think that good things come through waiting, but perhaps that understanding narrows the beauty of redemption. Why don't we extend the beauty to the waiting itself? As the song goes, "He makes all things beautiful in his time." Yes, even the waiting.

A Prayer of Love from 1 Corinthians 13.....By Debbie McDaniel

 A Prayer of Love from 1 Corinthians 13

By Debbie McDaniel

“Love never fails…” 1 Corinthians 13:8

Known as the Love Chapter, 1 Corinthians 13 is one of the greatest reminders to us today of what real love looks like. And what it doesn’t look like. Widely read at weddings or written all over love notes, these words may become so familiar over time; they can almost lose some of their important message.

As we read this portion of Scripture today, let’s ask God for help in soaking in every truth as we pray His powerful words back to Him. Let’s ask for the freshness of His Spirit to bring His message of love alive within our hearts and flowing through our lives. We can’t do it on our own. We’d never be able to muster enough strength within us. It’s only possible through Him. And more than ever before, our world needs to see what true love looks like. We can do a lot of good things in this life, we can give gifts, and even make notable sacrifices for others. But if we do not have Christ’s love within us, compelling us, filling us, every moment of every day, “it profits me nothing.”

His words of truth and love:

“If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails…But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.” From 1 Corinthians 13:1-8, 13

Dear God,

Thank you that you are a loving, gracious God. Thank you that you’ve offered us forgiveness and the gift of new life in you. Thank you that your love is perfect, it never fails, and that nothing can separate us from your love.

We pray that our lives would be filled and overflowing with the power of your love so we can make a difference in this world and bring honor to you. We ask for your help in reminding us that the most important things are not what we do outwardly, it’s not based on any talent or gift, but the most significant thing we can do in this life is simply to love you and to choose to love others.

Lord thank you that your love is patient. Help us show patience with those around us.

Lord thank you that your love is kind. Help us to extend kindness to others.

Lord thank you that true love is not jealous. Help us cast aside feelings of jealousy or hatred towards others.

Lord thank you that your love does not brag and is not arrogant. Help us not to live with pride or arrogance, but to choose to walk with humility and grace.

Lord thank you that true love does not act unbecomingly. Lord help us to extend kindness instead of rudeness towards others. Help us to lay aside the critical tone and tearing down with our words, so that we can truly walk in peace.

Lord thank you that true love does not seek its own. Lord help us not to live selfishly, looking only to our own interests.

Lord thank you that true love is not provoked. Lord help us not to become easily angered. Help us not to be so quickly reactive, but instead slow to speak and slow to become angry.

Lord thank you that your love does not take into account a wrong suffered. Lord help us not to hold grudges, but to choose to forgive, even when it’s difficult.

Lord thank you that your love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth. Lord help us to love your words of truth, may we walk in your freedom and wisdom. Let it be what drives our lives and choices every day.

Lord thank you that your love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, thank you that your love never fails.

Help us to love as you love. Fill us with your Spirit so that we can choose what is best. We are weak Lord, but we know also, that even when we are weak, you are strong within us. Thank you that it’s not all up to us. Thank you that you equip us to face each day with the power of your love, your forgiveness, and your grace.

We love you Lord, and we need you today, and every day,

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen

Our Ultimate Hooray.....by Charles R. Swindoll

 Our Ultimate Hooray

by Charles R. Swindoll

John 11  

What gives a widow courage as she stands beside a fresh grave? What is the ultimate hope of the handicapped, the abused, the burn victim? What is the final answer to pain, mourning, senility, insanity, terminal diseases, sudden calamities, and fatal accidents?

The answer to each of these questions is the same: the hope of bodily resurrection.

We draw strength from this single truth almost every day of our lives—more than we realize. It becomes the mental glue that holds our otherwise shattered thoughts together. Impossible though it may be for us to understand the details of how God is going to pull it off, we hang our hopes on fragile, threadlike thoughts that say, "Someday, He will make it right," and "Thank God, all this will change," and "When we're with Him, we shall be like Him."

More than a few times a year I look into red, swollen eyes and remind the despairing and the grieving that "there's a land that is fairer than day" where, as John promised in the Revelation, "He shall wipe away every tear... there shall no longer be any death... any mourning or crying or pain... there shall no longer be any curse... any night... because the Lord God shall illumine them; and they shall reign forever and ever" (21:4; 22:3, 5). Hooray for such wondrous hope!

Just imagine... those who are physically disabled today will one day leap in ecstatic joy. Those who spend their lives absorbed in total darkness will see every color in the spectrum of light. In fact, the very first face they will see will be the One who gives them sight!

 There's nothing like the hope of resurrection to lift the agonizing spirits of the heavyhearted. But how can we know for sure, some may ask. What gives us such assurance, such unshakable confidence? Those questions have the same answer:the fact of Christ's resurrection.

Because He has been raised, we too shall rise! No wonder we get so excited every Easter! No wonder we hold nothing back as we smile and sing and celebrate His miraculous resurrection from the grave!

Jesus Himself promised: "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies" (John 11:25).

Easter is a double-barreled celebration: His triumphant hurrah over agony and our ultimate hooray of ecstasy.