1 Timothy - 03.21.24
SCRIPTURE -1 Timothy 6:17 TPT
“To all the rich of this world, I command you not to be wrapped in thoughts of pride over your prosperity, or rely on your wealth, for your riches are unreliable and nothing compared to the living God.
Trust instead in the ONE who lavishly supplies us with all good things, fulfilling our every need.”
OBSERVATION
Your riches are unreliable, Trust instead in God.
God pointed this scripture out to me and followed it up with the next verse.
“Command them:
to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.
In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation
for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”
(1 Timothy 6:18-19 NIV)
Jesus spoke many times about the principle of giving. HE especially wanted us to grasp that everything we have BELONGS to God. We in fact are not owners of our finances, time, resources, or gifts. We are “managers” or “Stewards” of what God has entrusted to us. Jesus told many parables to explain this principle.
When I stand Before Jesus, I want to hear Him say that I have been Faithful with what He has entrusted to me. The biggest misconception Christians have is that when we give money away to a Church or Ministry—it’s gone. Once it leaves our hands, we believe it has no further connection to us, no further implications relevant to our lives.
But Jesus said HE keeps track of every cup of cold water we give to one of His needy. HE Promises us He will reward us in Heaven because we help the poor and needy who are unable to pay us back for what we do for them. We are investing in eternity.
“And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.”' (Matthew 10:42 NLT)
APPLICATION
Making Spiritual Investments
Christ invites us to Choose our Treasury. Will we invest in treasures on earth and lose them when we die? Or will we invest our treasures in Heaven, where they will be our for an eternity? It’s not that Christ rejects wealth-on the contrary-God has an investment mentality. Wealth is worth seeking. The question is, what IS True and Lasting Wealth?
Christ simply teaches us that we can trade temporal possessions we can’t keep
To Gain eternal Possessions we can’t lose!
“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:20-21 NIV)
In the Book of Luke Jesus tells the Parable of a King who calls Ten servants together and gives them each a mina and tells them “Do Business with this until I “RETURN”.
A mina was a Greek silver Coin equal to approximately 3-months wages. When the King RETURNS, He calls the Servants and demands an accounting.
““The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’ “‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’” (Luke 19:16-17 NIV)
““The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’ “His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities.’” (Luke 19:18-19 NIV)
““Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. “Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’” (Luke 19:20, 24 NIV)
One day I will stand before God and give an accounting for how I managed God’s resources. The resources include money, time, talents, AND the Gospel. And, Jesus will determine what kind of Steward I have been just as we read in the Parable in Luke.
If I have been a recipient of the Good News and I am a Christ Follower—
Then I am also a steward of the Good News and God will expect me to have a showing for how I managed that resource, along with my finances and gifts, and time.
Jesus made it very clear that we cannot serve two Masters. When Jesus became my Savior, He also became the Lord of my Life. How can I not choose to Love and Obey the God who saved me out of darkness and gave me the assurance of eternity with Him? May I hear and Obey Him freely for Everything He asks of me.
PRAYER
LORD Jesus,
Help me to remember that Heaven is a very Real place. You say we are citizens of Heaven and to set our sights on the REALITY of Heaven. That Heaven should FILL our thoughts. LORD, I Pray You would FILL My Thoughts with Heaven. May I be so Heaven Filled that I would not be bound by earth. May my heart be Filled with Your Holy Spirit and Guided by Your Presence everywhere I go.
May Your Love permeate me and motivate me to Love what you Love and who you Love and do the good works You planned for me. May I be prepared to freely Give whatever You ask of me Knowing You are my Supply and my strength. May I remember there is a Heavenly bank account that never runs dry, rusts, or can ever be destroyed. May my heart be there-where You are. In Jesus Name.
Here I am Lord, Send me.
Tina L Kudelka
Psalm 101 - 3.20.24
Scripture
I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. (Psalms 101:2, NKJV)
Observation
God cares about the condition of our hearts. He weighs the motives of our hearts (Prov 16:2, 21:2). He cares about the integrity of our hearts, not only when we are in church on Sundays, but everyday all the time. He cares about the state of our hearts when we walk within our homes, when no one else is watching. The first part of this verse talks about living a blameless life. It comes from maintaining a heart of integrity.
Application
How do I maintain a perfect heart before God? The answer is in the very next verse. “I will set nothing wicked before my eyes” (verse 3). What we feed on will determine the state of our hearts. What are we allowing our eyes to feast on? Are we allowing the world’s filth to enter our hearts? We need to guard what goes into our heart. The writer of Proverbs says we should guard our heart with all diligence, as out of it springs issues of life (Prov 4:23). Jesus taught that all sins originate in the heart (Matthew 15:18-19). We need to feed on God’s word everyday, and allow the Word to wash us (Eph 5:26). We need to renew our mind with God’s word everyday (Rom 12:2). In line with the theme of consecration that we ended our fast with earlier this year, let us make sure that we choose to keep ourselves as pure vessels prepared for special purposes, ready for the Master’s use (2 Tim:2:20,21).
Prayer
Dear Father, thank you for your love for me. Help me to always have a perfect heart before you at all times. Help me to repent of any attitude, any sinful thought pattern or anything in my heart that does not glorify you, and grieves your Spirit. Help me to guard my heart with all diligence. Help me to always have a heart that is pleasing to you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
- Asha Chacko George
1 Timothy 4 - 3.19.24
SCRIPTURE: 1 Timothy 4:1-5 “ Now the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will depart from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons, through the hypocrisy of liars whose consciousness are seared. They forbid marriage and demand abstinence from foods that God created to be received with gratitude by those who believe and know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is sanctified by the Word of God and prayer.”
OBSERVATION: Paul dealt with the two false religions that were being taught in Ephesus; abstaining from marriage and abstaining from certain foods. These false doctrines came from deceitful spirits. These rules made them appear to be self disciplined and righteous, but these strict disciplines weren’t able to erase their sins! The discipline that was demanded by the false teachers seemed good, and by following these religious rules, it made them appear moral, but religious rules cannot change a person’s heart, only following Jesus can do that!
APPLICATION: My heart isn’t changed by being a rule follower, but by letting Jesus live in me, so that HE can shape me into what I should be.
PRAYER: I pray I will set my heart on things above, and that I will strive to put God’s priorities into practice daily. I pray I will rely on the Holy Spirit to help me program my mind with thoughts that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy, and that I will live a life that is nourished on the truths of God’s Word and is pleasing to Him.
- Robin Orefice