SPIRITUAL
DIARY FOR 7/18/2025 11:20 AM
My
Worship Time
Focus: PT-1
Intro to “The Triumphant Epitaph of Paul”
Bible
Reading & Meditation Reference: 2 Timothy 4:6-8
Message of the verses: “6 For I am
already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has
come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept
the faith; 8 in the future there is laid
up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will
award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His
appearing.”
Perhaps when people are ready to
die that they say things that are most truthful, and are stripped of hypocrisy
and then reflect accurately their true beliefs and feelings, and as we look at
these verses written by the Apostle Paul close to when he was about to go to be
with the Lord we can see his heart. I
have stated in earlier SD’s that there was a time when Paul actually went to
heaven, and after seeing things that men were not allowed to see God have him a
thorn in the flesh in order to keep him from revealing what he say. I think that, although this is not a part of
this introduction to these verses that I will go on with what Paul wrote to the
Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 12:1-10, as I think this will be profitable to
what Paul is writing to Timothy in our verses we will be looking at.
“11 Boasting
is necessary, though it is not profitable; but I will go on to visions and
revelations of the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago — whether
in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows — such
a man was caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I know how such a man — whether
in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows — 4 was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words,
which a man is not permitted to speak. 5 On behalf of such a man I will
boast; but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to my
weaknesses. 6 For if I do wish to boast I will not be foolish, for I will be
speaking the truth; but I refrain from this, so that no one will credit
me with more than he sees in me or hears from me. 7 Because of the
surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from
exalting myself, there was
given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me — to
keep me from exalting myself! 8 Concerning this I implored the Lord
three times that it might leave me. 9 And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for
you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my
weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I
am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions,
with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Now I want to look at the previous
chapter in 2 Corinthians in order to see some more of the things that happened
to Paul, things that perhaps many people could not go through without perhaps
dying, or perhaps want to wonder if being a Christian is worth it, but Paul
certainly did. Before I go on with
quoting from 2 Corinthians 11 I want to talk for a moment about when Dr. David
Jeremiah had cancer and had to go through some very painful treatments at the
Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. He was lying
in bed, perhaps feeling sorry for himself, and I believe one of his friends
came in to see him, or perhaps this was written in a letter, at this time I am
not positive which one it was. The point
is that what was written or spoken to him came from these verses that I am
about to copy and paste here, and they had a positive impact on Dr. David
Jeremiah. By the way he is still
preaching at the church he is the Pastor at in California.
“16 Again I say, let no one think me
foolish; but if you do, receive me even as foolish, so that I also may
boast a little. 17 What I am saying, I am not saying as the Lord would, but as
in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting. 18 Since many boast according
to the flesh, I will boast also. 19 For you, being so wise, tolerate the
foolish gladly. 20 For you tolerate it if anyone enslaves you, anyone devours
you, anyone takes advantage of you, anyone exalts himself, anyone hits you in
the face. 21 To my shame I must say that we have been weak by comparison.
But in whatever respect anyone else is bold — I speak in
foolishness — I am just as bold myself.
22
Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants
of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? — I speak as if
insane — I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments,
beaten times without number, often in danger of death. 24 Five times I received
from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods,
once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have
spent in the deep. 26 I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from
rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from
the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the
sea, dangers among false brethren; 27 I have been in labor and hardship,
through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in
cold and exposure. 28 Apart from such external things, there is the
daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak
without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern? 30 If I have to boast, I will boast
of what pertains to my weakness. 31 The God and Father of the Lord
Jesus, He who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. 32 In Damascus the
ethnarch under Aretas the king was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order
to seize me, 33 and I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall,
and so escaped his hands.”
Now I believe that these verses from
2 Corinthians tie in with what Paul wrote to Timothy in our verses for today,
as they certainly happened before and when Paul says “7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have
kept the faith,” this gives us a pretty good idea of what he was talking
about. At any rate I think that I will
not get too much of the introduction to our verses we are about to look at, and
Lord willing will continue to write about them in tomorrow’s SD.
Spiritual Meaning for my Life Today: I know that God is in control of my life, and
I know that the things that are going on in my life and in my wife’s life are
to bring about good as we put our trust in the Lord.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Continue to trust the Lord to see us through
the issues that are going on in my life, so that they will bring glory to the
Lord.
7/18/2025 11:59 AM
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