Caregiving / 1 Timothy 5:1-25

Maybe it’s just this season in my life, but today’s reading touched me. "Bless the older folks. Respect them. Treat them kindly and with love. Take care of those in need."

My mother will be 94 next month and husband Terry and I are her full time caregivers. Her physical health is good, but her memory is not. She can’t live alone.

So many of us—millions!—are caring for others—parents, spouses, children—who need our help. Whether that means full-time-in-your-home care, or checking-in-frequently care, or arranging for loving and competent “other” care, we are caregiving.

We have put some part of our “own” lives on hold to care for others. We are making a sacrifice.

It’s a blessing. It’s a burden. It’s a joy and a privilege, and it’s exhausting and expensive.

Much like raising children, which is caregiving on the other end of life, it’s hard.

And it’s the right thing to do. The right thing is often the hard thing to do. In today’s passage, Paul assures Timothy—and all of us—that God sees. God knows. God cares.

Jesus, be my hands and my heart today. Help me to bear the “burden of the blessing” of loving and caring for others.

Training

1 Timothy 4:1-16

Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come. (vs. 8)

I was a runner. (And, honestly, it makes me uncomfortable to admit that I'm not really one now.) I used to run 5-7 days a week, preparing for cross country races, track races, or road races. In the winter, we would run through the halls at school. We drove out of town to run up and down huge hills. We ran through the mud in the marsh. We ran intervals and long distances, all to make sure we were well prepared. Our team ran for the chance to win conference or to make it to State (which we never did). I ran to put more medals on my letter jacket, to make it to first team all-conference (which I never quite accomplished), to be better than a I had been the year before.

Training focuses our minds and our bodies on the goal set before us. It prepares us to endure when the challenge gets difficult, and it helps our bodies be prepared for what we need them to do. Paul admits that physical training is good. There are rewards and benefits to physical training (even when we don't achieve all the goals we set).

But, he says, this is a trustworthy saying that everyone should accept, "training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come." He says the reason he struggled and worked hard was because his hope is in the living God, the Savior of all people, particularly of believers.

How are you training yourself in godliness? Do you find that it's more challenging to set your mind to striving for that goal than it is for your physical training efforts like fitness goals, health goals, or hopes of athletic success? Do you have a team you're a part of, holding you accountable and cheering you on? Is there someone you might be able to coach? What "field" of ministry are you preparing for?

Our hope is in the living God, the Savior of all people. And He has called us into His family, giving us the opportunity to offer our gifts, talents, struggles - to offer ourselves - to Him for His service. Whether you've been in the stands, on the bench, or in the arena, let us devote ourselves today to God's training camp, allowing Him to do His miraculous work in, through, and among us!

Hymn to Christ

1 Timothy 3:1-16

As I began reading this chapter, I found myself thinking something like
this -
I'm not a church leader, nor do I aspire to be one. . .

I fell into a "them vs. me" mentality. Then I came to verses 14 and 15:
"I am writing these things [so that] you will know how people must
conduct themselves in the household of God." I realized there is a
challenge here for all of us in the Family, whether or not we are in
positions of leadership -

Be known for our faithfulness.
Don't be quarrelsome (as in "I want to have the last word").
Rather, be gentle and always exercise self-control.
Avoid malicious talk.
Be hospitable.
Develop a truth-based mindset.
Beware of pride.
Be people of integrity who always have a clear conscience.

How can we possibly live up to such a standard of godliness? Paul
points to our true and only source of strength - have confidence in
Christ Jesus.

Verse 16 is in poetic form, probably from an early Christian hymn -
We praise Jesus, first of all, because he became one of us. Colossians
2:9 says, "In Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body." As
the perfect God-Man, Jesus knows our struggles and our pain. "This High
Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same
testings we do, yet he did not sin" (Hebrews 4:15 ).

Next, this hymn to Christ says he was "vindicated by the Spirit." It
was through the Holy Spirit that Jesus was raised from the dead (Romans
8:11). All that he had claimed regarding himself was proven true.
Consider these words from Matthew 16:21 - "From then on Jesus began to
tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to
Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands
of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law.
He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the
dead." He said that on the third day he would rise, and he did! We can
believe Jesus when he says, "Everyone who looks to the Son and believes
in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last
day" (John 6:40).

"He was seen by angels." I imagine a great company of the heavenly host
descending to earth the moment Jesus was born, singing, "Glory to God
in the highest." Next, perhaps, the angels had a glimpse of Jesus on
the mount of transfiguration, as he spoke with Moses and Elijah (see
Matthew 17:1-9). As Jesus struggled in prayer on the Mount of Olives
the night before his Crucifixion, "an angel from heaven appeared to him
and strengthened him" (Luke 22:43 NIV). Angels were at the empty tomb.
"Why do you look for the living among the dead?" Two angels stood with
the apostles as they watched Jesus "taken to heaven in glory."

A prayer from the Holy Communion liturgy:

It is very meet, right, and our bounden duty that we should at all
times and in all places give thanks unto thee, O Lord, holy Father,
almighty, everlasting God. But chiefly are we bound to praise thee for
the glorious resurrection of thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who by his
death hath destroyed death, and by his rising to life again hath
restored to us everlasting life. Therefore with angels and archangels,
and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious
name, evermore praising thee, and saying:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts: Heaven and earth are full of thy
glory! Glory be to thee, O Lord most high! Amen.

Deetje Wildes

Attract Not Distract

V. 1 – Pray for others.  Why not pause right now, and pray for at least 8 other folks?  Would you find it personally helpful if you wrote a list of people’s names on a paper, and then use that list often in the coming days?  V. 3 – God’s great desire is that everyone will be saved.  We should share that desire and concern, shouldn’t we?  But do we?  V. 10 – Do I seek to make myself attractive by doing good things?  Do I do and say and look as if I really care greatly for the concerns and needs of others?  Do others find me to be attractive in that sense?  Recently I had occasion to relate the story of the man who demanded a definition of what a Christian is.  The wise responds was, “I’m not sure that I can do so in a way to satisfy the spirit of your question.  But I can show you one.  Her name is Betty and she has lived out the Christian life in such a way that if you know her, you’ll know what a Christian is.”  V. 11-14 – Role of women in those days…it was so limited compared to today.  It is well to remember that no religion anywhere, however, has done so much to give modern women the liberating life they have today than has our Christian faith.  Live in faith, love, holiness, and modesty.  That should be the aspiration of every woman...especially Christian women. 

 

Donald E. Pardun

 

I Timothy 1:1-20

Good Day!

 

^v15 “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners-- of whom I am the worst.”

 

Oh good!  A Bible verse that talks about me.  Paul makes his famous claim as being the worst of sinners, although each of us who really know our own hearts and desires and motives can make the similar claim.  I find it interesting that Jesus didn’t come to save righteous people; they wouldn’t need any help.  Jesus is the great physician who performs His mighty work of healing on sick people, not healthy people.  When sin happens in my life, when difficult times happen in my life, it is so very good to remember this verse and to know that I have measured up to the standard God has set for me to receive His saving work in my life: I am a sinner.  I qualify for God’s grace! 

 

Not only is this a trustworthy saying, it deserves full acceptance.  Do I accept the fact that I am a sinner who cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ or come to Him?  Do I accept that Jesus is God who came down out of heaven and lived a perfect life in my place and in His death took the penalty and payment for my sins?  Do I accept that the main purpose of Jesus’ coming and the main purpose of His continued work today is not just to show us how to make the world a better place, but rather Jesus main purpose of coming into the world is to save sinners.

 

As we grow closer to our Savior and as His love and grace are poured out in our lives, we will believe, accept, and live this very trustworthy saying more and more.

 

Grace and Peace,

 

Pastor Adam

 

Idle Thoughts

2 Thessalonians 3:1-18

"Stay away from all believers who live idle lives."

When I first read this, I wondered what Paul could have meant by "idle lives." I gathered that it must refer to people who are spiritually idle, because after all, it's the spiritual that Paul was most concerned with, right?

I was wrong. In context it's quite clear; Paul is talking about work. Eugene Peterson's The Message puts it like this:

"Our orders—backed up by the Master, Jesus—are to refuse to have anything to do with those among you who are lazy and refuse to work the way we taught you. Don't permit them to freeload on the rest. We showed you how to pull your weight when we were with you, so get on with it. We didn't sit around on our hands expecting others to take care of us. In fact, we worked our fingers to the bone, up half the night moonlighting so you wouldn't be burdened with taking care of us. And it wasn't because we didn't have a right to your support; we did. We simply wanted to provide an example of diligence, hoping it would prove contagious."

So Paul is basically saying to stay away from the habitually lazy. Paul is telling everyone to stay away from people like me.

Okay, maybe I'm not exactly lazy (he said, trying to excuse himself). But I confess to fantasizing about a life of leisure. My work schedule often keeps me up quite late (note the timestamp on this entry). Though if I am to be honest, if I managed my time better, I could probably get more sleep and still get my work done. But what I really want is a vacation.

What surprises me here is just how much emphasis Paul puts on work. In 1 Thessalonians 5:14, he gave a similar command, but here he goes on about it for ten verses. In fact, there seems to be some spiritual benefit to hard work. Well, I don't want to hear that. I want to hear about the spiritual benefits of a day off.

Oh yes . . . I've forgotten. God did appoint a day off -- a sabbath rest.

"Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest." (Exodus 34:20-22)

Let's put that in terms I can understand.

"Even when you're past the deadlines and your clients are sending you desperate e-mail messages asking where their manuscripts are, you must rest."

A friend of mine had a phrase she would to use if ever she found herself working on a Sunday: "The ox is in the well" -- a reference to Luke 14:5. "If one of you has a son or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull him out?"

"The ox is in the well," she'd say. Meaning, "I know it's Sunday, but I have to get this project done. I cannot rest today."

But this is just an excuse. If I was disciplined about my work habits during the rest of the week, I'd be able to take my sabbath.

And maybe that's what Paul was getting at: discipline. The work we do is a discipline. It strengthens us, gives us confidence, provides for our needs, keeps us from being a burden to others.

And it is an opportunity to serve Jesus.

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." (Colossians 3:23-24)

When we are idle at our work, we are idle at serving Jesus. So our work is not just a discipline, it is a spiritual discipline. The six days of labor are every bit as spiritual as the seventh day of rest. This is a perspective I need to take; a truth I need to remind myself every time I go to work.

But I must confess, I'd still like a vacation.


--Drew Clausen

IS THERE NO KNOWING?

II Thessalonians 2

 

How do we know what we know?  Why do we think what we think?  Can anything really be known with certainty?  These are just a few of the questions that philosophers have been debating for millennia.  While the majority of philosophers agree that some sort of truth exists, most philosophers also agree that humans have a hard time getting their minds around it.  In technical language, truth is sort of wibbly wobbly.

 

Wibbly wobbly, indeed.  And philosophers don't even know the half of it.  They see that humans are affected by their own perceptions.  But they don't understand that humans are actively being deceived by Satan.  They know that humans filter information through their own assumptions.  But they don't know that humans have some kinds of understanding hidden from them by God.

 

Lies. Deception. Hiddenness. Mystery.  These are all aspects of the human experience.  It should make us humble.

 

Until Jesus returns, we will always only know "in part" (I Cor. 13:12). But it's the part that we need to know.  God's not only the God who hides, he's also the God who speaks.  God's the revealer of mysteries.  He's communicated to us all we need to know in order to live in the world we have.  It should make us hopeful.

 

Our part in all of this is to "stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching" passed on to us.  The Thessalonians are an example of how easy it is to lose grip.  They were taught the information they needed, but apparently they had forgotten it.  How human!  We all need to be taught.  We all need to be reminded.  We all need to be putting into practice the truths we hear and read.    

 

God's solid word and our strong grip of it.  This is how we stand firm in an unstable world.