Daily Bible Devotionals

“Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be arrogant or to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God, who richly provides us with all things to enjoy.  Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good reserve [foundation] for the age to come, so that they may take hold of life that is real.”  1 Timothy 6:17-19 (HCSB)

No matter what time of the year it is, it’s always fun to think about the winter holidays.  I remember Christmas growing up.  And more specifically, I remember Christmas mid-morning.  I’m not talking about Christmas “morning,” where you ran into the living room and ripped through the wrapping paper.  I’m talking about an hour after you got dressed and went to the sidewalk to meet up with your friends to see what THEY got for Christmas!

One of my childhood friends was “Mark” (name changed).  Mark always had the best of everything.  His parents were well-to-do, so he had to practically machete through dense layers of presents to reach their Christmas tree.  I was lucky to get three gifts, including the yearly underwear and socks package, from my grandmother.

Two cool things about Mark: 1) he always complimented whatever I got, and 2) he let me play with all his stuff!!!  We’d meet on the sidewalk mid-morning.  I would be holding a football.  He’d be holding professional football tickets…then he’d invite me to the game.  He was rich in money but also generous.  Rich in good works.

Years later, I heard that Mark’s dad lost most of his money in a stock market crash.  Wealth is uncertain like that.  I wondered how their family coped with living on an average income.  I know they loved the Lord, so I hope they drew strength from their church.  

This year, when the season arrives, and before we share what we got for Christmas, how about letting people know how much they mean to us?  For that matter, why wait for the holidays?  It’s always good to praise the Lord for getting us through another year and for giving us hope for the future.  Let’s take hold of what’s real in this life and set our hope on God, Who richly provides us with all things to enjoy.

“Support widows who are genuinely widows.  But if any widow has children or grandchildren, they must learn to practice godliness toward their own family first and to repay their parents, for this pleases God.  The real widow, left all alone, has put her hope in God and continues night and day in her petitions and prayers; however, she who is self indulgent, is dead even while she lives.  Command this also, so they won’t be blamed.  But if anyone does not provide for his own, that is his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” 1 Timothy 5:3-8 (HCSB)

Years ago, I was asked to attend a meeting of a group of creative thinkers called the Renaissance Group.  Meeting at the Newport Beach home of Roberta and Howard Ahmanson, hand-selected authors, musicians, ministers, and artists convened to form a “think tank,” whereby new methods of reaching the secular world with the Gospel might develop.

On one occasion, the group was sent a copy of Marvin Olasky’s book, “The Tragedy of American Compassion.”  Several weeks later, we met in the Ahmanson’s living room to discuss the book with the author.  I suggest you get a copy of Olasky’s book.

The foundation of Olasky’s observations is that compassion only works well in small groups of accountabilities.  In small groups, as in small towns, people know each other.  They know when a person is hard-working and who is lazy.  They know who is honest and are aware of the liars.  Mr. Olasky points out that most Americans have lost touch with the “community” mindset to the point where they give money to charities (or sign-holding men on the corner) out of guilt or raw emotional reactions without demanding any accountability from those organizations or individuals receiving charity.

On the other extreme, we allow charity to be dispensed by our government through a welfare system in drastic need of an overhaul.  In actuality, healthy church ministries have the best record for helping people transition from their dependence on charity into a lifestyle where they become contributors to charity.  This is because churches are communities of accountability whose standard for charity is God’s Word.

In today’s passage, Paul is narrowing the focus of what a “widow” is.  Those deserving of charity are not simply women without husbands; they are women without husbands who fit specific Biblical accountability criteria.  Paul’s system is similar to Olasky’s proposal.  He was saying, in effect, “Don’t let your emotions or sympathies interfere with God’s standard for ministry.”    

“Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and with all propriety, the younger women as sisters.”  1 Timothy 5:1-2 (HCSB)

When this passage is matched with today’s text, it becomes evident that, while the definition of “widow” is narrowed, the definition of “family” is expanded.  Social responsibility is shifted from the corporate congregation to the compassionate individual.

“Command and teach these things.  Let no one despise your youth; instead, you should be an example to the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” 1 Timothy 4:11-12 (HCSB)

One evening, I got a phone call from my then 12-year-old son, Wyatt.  He had just hit the age of attending “night” parties.  You know the ones.  “Day” parties include a birthday cake and a clown who bends balloons.  “Night” parties consist of pizza, loud music, and all your friends trying to look cool.  It’s a rite of passage.

Anyhow, we got this call.

Parent: “Hello?”

Son: “Hey, uh, am I allowed to play the Halo video game?

Parent: “What’s it rated?

Son: “Uh…M for mature.”

Parent: “Are you 18 years old?”

Son: “No.”

Parent: “Then, no. You shouldn’t play it.”

Son: “Uh, can you come pick me up?”

Parent: “Why?”

Son: “Uh, ’cause everyone’s playing it, and I’m alone and bored.”

Parent: “We’ll be there in 10 minutes.”

10 minutes later, my wife and I showed up.  We expected to see my son moping by the curb, but all the kids were outside, playing basketball.  Wyatt ran up to the car, “I told them I wasn’t allowed to play that game…so they said they would play basketball instead.”

I would never have made that phone call when I was a kid!  I just would have played the game and never said anything to Mom and Dad.  If asked, I would have simply lied.  No remorse.  That’s just how I figured kids got by.  It wasn’t the right attitude to have, but I never considered my parents to be on my side.  Parents were the barrier that stood between me and fun.  So, whenever I went to someone else’s house and their parents let them do stuff mine wouldn’t, I just did what I wanted.  The whole scene kind of ate at my soul because I could never be at peace.  Deep down, I knew I was a liar.

Let me be the first to say that I am proud of my son.  He’s not a saint; he’s human.  But episodes like I described (above) still happen.  I am pleased to know we aren’t his enemies.  And I’m proud that he stands up for what is right and doesn’t let other people control him.

Leadership is not just about age.  It’s about being confident, competent, and convicted.  I will never tire of telling you, “God has great plans for you.” (Jeremiah 29:11)  Stay the course, endure, and receive what He has prepared for those who live faithfully.

“But if I should be delayed, I have written so that you will know how people ought to act in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.  And most certainly, the mystery of godliness is great: God was MANIFESTED in the flesh, VINDICATED [justified] in the Spirit, SEEN by angels, PREACHED among the nations, BELIEVED ON in the world, TAKEN UP in glory.” [my emphasis]   1 Timothy 3:15-16 (HCSB)

One lazy afternoon, I watched a History Channel special: “In Search of Jesus.”  For two hours, a myriad of so-called “Christian” experts gave their accounts of the Messiah’s birth, life, and resurrection.  Some scholars said He was born in Bethlehem, others say Nazareth, and still, others suggest a desert cave.  One guy suggested Jesus wasn’t born at all.  Rather, He was only a “spirit.”

None of them believed Joseph took Mary and Jesus to Egypt.  Nor could they agree on Herod’s execution of babies in Bethlehem.  The show ended with speculation over Messiah’s resurrection.

Given the varied testimonies of so many disagreeing “scholars,” I doubt anyone would be compelled to accept Jesus as Lord, much less devote their lives to taking up a “cross” and following Him.  Honestly, the show would have been better if the directors had swapped the “expert” Christians with some REAL ones!

Just as Paul was given the “administration” to dispense the mystery of the gospel (Gentiles get in) and the mystery of lawlessness (those who abandon God’s Word will be harshly judged), he also revealed the mystery of Godliness.  We are called to imitate Jesus, refuting heresy by our transformed lives, surrendered to God’s Word.  Following Jesus means more than walking an aisle, praying a prayer, raising a hand, or signing a card.  It’s about a life devoted to Messiah-likeness.  The Bible says God was pleased with Jesus’ suffering on the Roman cross because He lived up to the character of the NAME He inherited.  If you are indeed a co-inheritor with Jesus, how are you doing in living up to the character of the Name you have inherited?

Let’s review what Paul calls the “foundation of our faith,” asking ourselves how our lives resonate with these fundamental truths of the gospel.

Have you placed your trust in Jesus?  Upon doing so, Jesus is made MANIFEST (i.e., “takes up residence”) in us.  If so, the presence of His Spirit should be working in your life, testifying that you have been JUSTIFIED by Messiah’s atoning work on the cross.  The angels in Heaven have SEEN every believer because they rejoice when even one sinner repents.  (Luke 15:10) Through the believer, the gospel is PREACHED throughout the world, and by our testimonies, men BELIEVE in Jesus.  How’s it going, sharing your faith?  Finally, do you live with the knowledge and hope that you, too, will be TAKEN UP in glory to be with Jesus at the time God appoints?

“First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.  This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:1-4 (HCSB)

Several years ago, during the Christmas season, I was surfing the TV channels when I caught a late-night cable news show interviewing the maker of the “Left Behind” video game.  The game’s designers had given the “Christians” in the game the option to shoot “unbelievers” who don’t convert!  The twisted side of me just had to laugh.

As you can imagine, the news commentators (along with many Christians) were appalled at this idea.  Still, others rushed to defend the game’s maker.  The “enemy” loves this kind of controversy.  Ironically, this all took place during the season when Christians remember God’s gift of peace on earth and goodwill towards men.

Did this game prompt an outbreak of Christian violence?  No.  But such controversies add another layer of distance between Christians and unbelievers in our lives.  **In fairness to the game’s maker, players cannot WIN the Left Behind game by killing people.  You lose “spirit points” by exercising that option.  Players score points by witnessing and praying.  But, come on….

A facet of Christianity that the game makers “left behind” is the powerful testimony of the martyr.  “Left Behind” leaves the player with only two options for survival:  Convert or kill.  Sounds more like Islam to me.  There were no points for the martyred servant, to whom God would say, “Well done!” as opposed to “Game Over.” Those options, “convert or kill,” are tragically haunting to the Jewish community because Christian-on-Jewish persecution is part of their history.  But the idea of the martyrs, those believers whose faith in God and love for unbelievers lead to their personal death, is missing from both the video game and the over-arching conversation with the Jewish community.

Survival is a basic human instinct, but hope in the resurrection is, perhaps, the most powerful component of our faith.  The great existential question of the evangelist: Even if it cost our lives, would we honor God to the very end, striving to convince our oppressors to follow Him, as well?  What is God’s heart’s desire for the world?  Paul tells us God wants everyone to be saved.  How much so?  Jesus laid down His life for the world.  John 3:16-17 The Lord honored Jesus’ sacrifice by raising Him up again, and He promises the same for all believers.  This truth emboldens us to lay down our lives, even unto death, if required.  

Evangelism is about laying down our lives so that others might see our example and choose to believe in Jesus.  It’s not a “believe or die” scenario.  It’s more like “believe and live.” The essence of servanthood is saying “no” to our individual rights and “yes” to personal righteousness.

“As I urged you when I went to Macedonia, remain in Ephesus so that you may instruct certain people not to teach different doctrine or to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies.  These promote empty speculations rather than God’s plan, which operates by faith.”  1 Timothy 1:3-5 (HCSB)

There are a growing number of churches that have adopted a diminished view of “calling.”  That is to say, they don’t believe that God cares what you do with your life as long as you’re not pursuing sin.  I don’t understand how that theology is supported Biblically.

When I read the Bible, the concept I see being reinforced is the theology of “calling.”  That is, God calls people personally, to specific places, to minister to specific people with a specific message for a specific amount of time.  If there were no “calling,” why would anyone suffer for the gospel?  We would simply avoid the uncomfortable, following the ministry path of least resistance.  Why suffer if God doesn’t care about the details of your life choices?  

God beckons us to a certain salvation from a certain hell.  He equips us with certain gifts and calls us to certain places to deliver certain messages to certain people.  We labor with  certain hope that our work will be certainly completed by His Spirit.  “Calling” compels us to go.  Calling emboldens us to persevere, enduring hardship.  Calling ensures victory through the power of His Spirit.   And “calling” is not just for pastors.  It encompasses ALL believers.  We are all called, and God has specific plans for each of us.

Let’s examine Timothy’s calling:

Certain place:  He was dispatched to Ephesus.

Certain time frame: He was told to stay there.

Certain people: He was to speak to the church leaders in Ephesus who had strayed from Paul’s teaching.

Certain message:  He was to command the church leaders to get back on track.

Certain hope:  With correct instruction applied over time, the congregation members would develop loving hearts, good consciences, and sincere faith.

There is a story of a fashion designer notorious for mending clothes backstage at her New York runway shows.  When asked why she didn’t assign the task of mending to a junior designer, she smartly replied, “Because it’s my name on the tag.”

God cares enough to call us into salvation and His service.  We bear His name.  God cares about your choices because His name is on your life.

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of 2 Thessalonians 3. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?  And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time.  For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.  And then the lawless one will be revealed…”  2 Thessalonians 2:5-8a (NKJV)

Paul spoke of his administration in the earlier epistles to reveal the “mystery of the gospel.”  That mystery can be summarized as follows: Gentiles get in, too.  That is, Messiah’s grace is offered freely to all who will believe by faith, regardless of ethnicity.  No longer a mystery, today’s “Church-at-large” is comprised of mostly Gentiles.

The gospel’s mystery is still mysterious in most Jewish synagogues, but hopefully not for long!

So, what is the “mystery of lawlessness”?  The mystery of lawlessness is the polar opposite of the “promise of lawlessness.”  Lawlessness promises liberty without accountability.  “If it feels good, do it.”  On the surface, that’s a great idea…but when lawlessness is promised to EVERYONE, every man becomes a law unto himself.  The result is anarchy.

“Anarchy!”  It’s a great punk rock slogan, but if you’ve ever been in the midst of full-on civil unrest, you’ll wish you’d never been born.  One 4th of July in downtown Memphis, I watched patriotic revelry turn to pure anarchy as rival gang members squared off.  In a moment’s spark, thousands of citizens were running for their lives.  

The mystery of lawlessness is that the absence of law promotes terror and anxiety, not freedom.  A lawless society does not find balance.  Rather, it implodes and resounds with waves of selfishness.  Our present “post-modern” culture is defined by the trend against absolutes.  Well, it doesn’t get more absolute than a law!  So, as professing followers of Jesus distance themselves from God’s Word as the ultimate authority, they are actually promoting lawlessness with the promise of more religious freedom.  They are obviously ignorant of the “mystery” of lawlessness, which will produce the opposite effect they hope for.  They are setting the stage for the day of antichrist, softening the Church-at-large.

Antichrist will promise to completely abolish the law, like a false light peering past the curtain of the Holy Spirit.  But when fully revealed, lawlessness will have led the world into enslavement to the ultimate self-worshipper, Satan.      

Jesus said, “I came not to abolish the law but to fulfill it.” Matthew 5:17.  Jesus freed the believer from the law’s penalty by fulfilling the Torah through His death on the cross, as evidenced by His resurrection.  Yet, the law remains fully intact.  How else would people be held accountable?  True liberty can only be obtained by the fulfillment of the law, not the removal of it.

“God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well.  This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from Heaven in blazing fire with His powerful angels.” 2 Thessalonians 1:6-7 (NIV)

My wife and I have four children.  At times, it is challenging to keep a secret in our house.  There are just too many people and too little space for privacy.  At times, we have developed an elaborate holiday shopping process.  Everyone shops on the same day, yet nobody knows what they’re getting until they open their presents.

When it comes to gift-giving, my kids demand FAIRNESS.  Everyone must get the same amount.  If it were discovered that we spent more on one sibling, there would be a huge whine-fest until next year.

Adults have similar expectations about God.  “God must be fair!”

You’ll be disappointed if your hope of God’s goodness is weighed on your scale for His fairness.  God is not fair.  (See also: Ecclesiastes) Fairness assumes that we should all get the same thing.  Our American understanding of “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” has led us to think that everyone deserves equal portions.  

Each of us has different “callings” (or “missions” to accomplish) within God’s Kingdom.  In the Army, soldiers are rationed supplies and armaments according to their distinct missions.  Some need overwhelming supplies, and others would be hindered by excess gear to schlep.  It’s not a question of fairness or equity.  Supplies are rationed based on what is suitable for the mission.

If God is not fair, then what makes Him good?  He is good because He is JUST.  Justice does not assume all men get equal shares in life.  It simply represents that God can always be trusted to judge fairly and display His righteousness with ultimate authority.

The Thessalonian congregation endured severe persecution.  Notice Paul didn’t promise equality with other congregations.  Instead, He encouraged them to persevere as a testimony to others.  He focused their hope on God’s JUSTICE instead of a false hope of equal treatment with other believers.

Some acts of Justice may not occur in our lifetime.  Our oppressors may die believing they got away without punishment.  We hope that God will judge eventually.  Nobody escapes God’s Justice.  Paul indicated that aspects of the fullness of God’s Justice would not be fully weighed on the Thessalonian oppressors until the Lord is revealed.

Enter Grace.  Messiah took God’s judgment (of the World’s sin) upon Himself.  Through a saving relationship with Jesus, we can boldly stand before the Lord, “justified.”  Furthermore, the Grace of Messiah Jesus is offered freely to ALL who would receive it by faith.  That’s fair enough!