1 Timothy (Program #5) – Overseers and Deacons for the Church’s Administration

In Chapter 3 of the apostle Paul first epistle to Timothy, he comes to the crucial and the highest point in the whole letter. But before he does, he first gives Timothy the important requirements or prerequisites for proper leadership in the Church.  Listen, as Paul details these necessary attributes:

“Faithful is the word: If anyone aspires to the overseership, he desires a good work. The overseer then must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, of a sober mind, orderly, hospitable, apt to teach; Not an excessive drinker; not a striker, but gentle; not contentious; not fond of money; One who manages well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity (But if one does not know how to manage his own house, how will he care for the church of God?); Not a new convert, lest being blinded with pride he fall into the judgment suffered by the devil. And he also must have a good testimony from those outside, that he may not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. Deacons must similarly be grave, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for base gain; Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.“

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Isaiah (Program #13) – Jehovah’s Dealing with Israel’s Reliance on Egypt

God’s plan relies on man’s full cooperation and involvement, but a pattern that has been repeated throughout the history of God’s move with His people is that His people repeatedly turned away from Him and allow their hearts to be fully occupied with everything but Him.   This was the case in the Old Testament time of Isaiah, just as it is frequently described our own condition as believers and followers of Christ today.  What is God’s way to bring us back to Himself? Stay with us for a truly enlightening word on our life study of the Bible.

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1 Timothy (Program #4) – The Normal Life of the Brothers and Sisters in the Church

In his first letter to his young co-worker, Timothy, the apostle Paul after his first imprisonment encourages Timothy to war the good warfare for the faith against the situation of degradation that had set in among all the churches.

In his letter he firstly reconfirms the basic foundation of the truth, God’s economy and the teaching of the apostles. Then he points the Timothy and eventually all the brothers and sisters to prayer. The real solution for all the negative situations.  Next, he addresses the sisters and admonishes them in much detail on how they must bear the burden for the church to be healthy.

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Isaiah (Program #12) – Jehovah’s Punishment over Ephraims Drunkards

In the gospel of Matthew, the Lord Jesus quoted from Isaiah regarding the hypocritical worship that confronted Him in every turn.  He said “these people honors Me with their lips, but their hearts stay far away from Me.”  It seems the same can be spoken regarding today’s situation.  If we are honest we have to admit that it even describes our own situation from time to time.  How does God lead His people out of religious falseness into genuine experience and worship?

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1 Timothy (Program #3) – Prayer to Carry Out God’s Desire for Man’s Salvation

The apostle Paul wrote the books of 1 & 2 Timothy during a period of decline and degradation among the Churches that have been under his ministry. In respond to this negative situation he first laid the foundation for good spiritual health by refocusing them on God’s economy. This is in 1 Timothy 1:4.

Then in Chapter 2 he exhorts Timothy, his faithful co-worker to take the lead in the most crucial area of all in dealing with degraded and trouble situations and that is in the matter of prayer.  Listen to 1 Timothy Chapter 2 : 1-3. “I exhort therefore, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men; On behalf of kings and all who are in high position, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all godliness and gravity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of our Savior God,“

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Isaiah (Program #11) – Jehovah’s Reaction to the Degradation of Israel (2)

God’s loving chastisement of His beloved ones is a common experience of all who love Him.  But our first tendency is to get out from under the severe and harsh circumstances as quickly as possible.  The message from Isaiah is that hastiness to escape may causes us to miss something deeper and richer in our experience of Christ.  Stay with us for the next half hour, as we learn to wait in the path of His judgment

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1 Timothy (Program #2) – Faith and a Good Conscience Needed for the Keeping of the Faith

In 1 Timothy Chapter 1:18, The apostle Paul gives young Timothy a charge. A charge that he would war the good warfare.  This charge he writes, “I commit to you, my child Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you might war the good warfare,”

Many Bible readers and Bible lovers have no doubt been aspired by such hefty stuff. But do they really understand what it was that Paul would have Timothy so gallantly fight for and defend?

In reading passages like this in scripture. We need to take great care to get in the full context. In this case the key to understanding Paul’s charge to Timothy is the preceding 17 verses in Chapter 1. And those can be well summarized by verse 3, “Even as I exhorted you, …. that you might charge certain ones not to teach different things. Nor to give heed to myths and unending genealogies, which produce questionings rather than God’s economy, which is in faith.“

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Isaiah (Program #10) – The Judgment of Jehovah Upon the Nations and Its Issue (1)

When God’s people give in to temptation, sin and corruption, God in His righteousness surely must judge and discipline.  Of course, as Christians He also has a way to forgive us and lead us back into His loving presence.  But ultimately the solution for our continuous failures lies not in renew commitment and more earnest and sincere effort.  Rather we need to be fired, terminated and eventually replaced.  We all desperately need to see that God’s solution for us is to be replaced.  Don’t miss this extraordinary life study of the Bible.

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1 Timothy (Program #1) – God’s Dispensation versus Differing Teachings

The book of 1 Timothy was written during a period of decline and even degradation in the Church. And interestingly the apostle Paul takes the opportunity to point out a clear distinction between the central focus of the New Testament and general, random Christians teachings.  And remarkably very few Bible readers have ever taken notice of these important verses. Listen to 1 Timothy Chapter 1:3-4 “.. I exhorted you, when I was going into Macedonia,” Paul writes to Timothy, “to remain in Ephesus in order that you might charge certain ones not to teach different things. Nor to give heed to myths and unending genealogies, which produce questionings rather than God’s economy, which is in faith.”

What are these different teachings that are versus God’s economy?  We will explore this marvelous, broad and critically important topic in the coming days and weeks in this new life study of 1 & 2 Timothy.

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Isaiah (Program #9) – The Salvation of Jehovah (7 & 8)

The Old Testament book of Isaiah seems to alternate between God’s judgment which issued from the degenerating and corrupted condition of His people and the glorious revelation of our Savior Christ.  This sequence also seems to parallel at times, our own experience.  After God’s chastisement and discipline we often enjoy the Lord in a deeper and more substantial way.  We will see this issue once again in two of Isaiah’s most marvelous chapters 11 and 12 on today’s life study of the Bible.

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