SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 1/21/2025 10:16 AM
My Worship Time Focus: PT-1 “Introduction to 2 Timothy 2:8-13”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: 2 Timothy
2:8-13
Message of the verses: “8 Remember Jesus Christ,
risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel, 9 for which I
suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned. 10
For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so
that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and
with it eternal glory. 11 It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died
with Him, we will also live with Him; 12 If we endure, we will also reign with
Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us; 13
If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.”
This introduction to these verses is kind of long
and so it will take me a number of days to complete it. Now in the last SD there was a discussion
about the prophet Jeremiah, and I said that in today’s SD that we will look at
how what was written about Jeremiah has to do with Paul was writing to Timothy,
so it will be good if you are reading this SD without reading yesterday’s SD
that you find it and read it too.
John
MacArthur writes “That is essentially the admonition Paul gave to Timothy, who
at this time faced increased opposition from within the church as well as
increased persecution from without.
Timothy was not to retreat or wallow in self-pity. He was instead to ‘be strong in the grace
that is in Christ Jesus…[and to] suffer hardship…as a good soldier of Christ
Jesus’ (2 Timothy 2:1, 3).”
I have to say that when I became a believer in Jesus
Christ as I accepted Him as my Savior and Lord that it took a while to realize
that as I studied the New Testament that I realized that because I was a
believer that it can and will involve unconditional submission to Him and to
the work of His kingdom. This commitment
could mean suffering and even death, but one thing I do know that by the grace
given to me, and continually given to me from the Lord that He will be with me
forever. This makes me think about
things like if the Lord desires me to suffer for the kingdom of God and if
death should occur that I would then be ushered into heaven and receive a crow
from the Lord Jesus Christ. As of now it
is my desire to continue to read and study the Word of God and to post what I
am learning onto my blogs and pray that the Holy Spirit of God will use them to
bring glory and honor to my Lord Jesus Christ.
“Study to show yourself approved to God, a workman that needs not to be
ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). This verse from 2 Timothy, which we will be
looking at sometime in the future is a very important verse for me as it is my
desire to do what this verse is speaking about, and that is why I study the
Word each day.
John
MacArthur writes “Near the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, ‘Not everyone
who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does
the will of My Father who is in heaven’ (Matt. 7:21; cf Luke 6:46). A short while later, He told the Twelve, ‘He
who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life shall lose it, and
he who has lost his life for My sake shall find it’ (Matt. 10:38-39). Near the end of his earthly ministry, as Christ
began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many
things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be
raised up on the third day,’ He repeated the earlier truth in slightly
different words: ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and
take up his cross, and follow Me. For
whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for
My sake shall find it’ (Matt. 16:21, 24-24).
In what is commonly called His second farewell discourse, Jesus said ‘Remember
the word that I said to you ‘A slave is not greater than his master,’ If they persecuted Me, they will also
persecute you’ (John 15:20).
Lord
willing I will continue with this line of thought as I continue looking at the
introduction to these verses.
Spiritual
meaning for my life today: Suffering for the Lord is something that
every believer must think about, but they must also trust the Lord to give the
grace that it will take if that happens.
I am not saying to continually think about it, but to realize that it is
possible and if it happens that the Lord will be with me or any other believer
in a very special way.
My
Steps of Faith for Today: Remember to “Study to show yourself
approved to God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the
word of truth”
1/21/2025 10:44 AM
No comments:
Post a Comment