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2 Timothy 2:11-13

This is a faithful saying:

For if we died with Him,
We shall also live with Him.
If we endure,
We shall also reign with Him.
If we deny Him,
He also will deny us.
If we are faithless,
He remains faithful;
He cannot deny Himself.

Encouraging Words

Our relationship with God through Jesus Christ is not about words or labels such as “Christian” that we apply to ourselves. It is about our hearts and the Christ-like actions that flow from our relationship with Him. We do not do our actions to garner favor from God, He gives it freely. Our actions flow from the love for God that Jesus and the Holy Spirit produce by dwelling within us. Because of this we are willing to die for Him for we know that we will live with Him. We live for Him because we know that through Him, we will endure with Him. He will always be faithful. Glory to God!

Job 40:2

“Will anyone pervert judgment with the Mighty One?
He who rebukes God will answer for it.”

Encouraging Words

Wow! Just wow! What a powerful statement God made here to Job. We have witnessed in our current events where people in high leadership positions are rebuking a clergy member, a Bishop, for calling upon them to show mercy and concern for the people under their watch. The message was sincerely out of the beatitudes and not an offensive challenge, but an honest and humble plea. And the results have been rebuke, reprisal, hatred, and even calls for deportion of an American citizen. If this behavior is not rebuking God, then I don’t know what is. Glory be to God!

Sirach 33:13

All His ways are according to His good pleasure.
Like clay in a potter’s hand,
Thus men are in the hand of Him who made them,
To render to them according to His judgment.

Encouraging Words

We are in the middle of a time where evil abounds and is embraced and defended by many. The encouraging aspect of this verse is that all men and women will someday be subject to our Lord’s judgement. He is the one that has told us about the judgment of the sheep and the goats at the end of time. (Matthew 25: 31-46) He is the final judge and sometimes His judgment is rendered in this age, but it will always be rendered. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy Lord, have mercy!

2 Timothy 2:3-4

You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.

Personal Challenge

At what point do the affairs of the world around us that are grievously impacting the innocents, the aliens amongst us, the widows, orphans, and infirm, begin to draw us into a battle against the things of the world. We are seeing the beginning of a shift in our country from the land of freedom and opportunity to a land run by, and for, only the grossly wealthy. There is total disregard for the command that Christ gave us to love and take care of these very people being impacted. Each of us must make the choice to demonstrate the love of Christ by resisting the direction that we, as a people, are going and fight the good fight that Christ has called us to fight. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have Mercy! Lord, have mercy!

Check this out as an enforcement of my thoughts: Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde

Sirach 32:23-24

In every work entrust your soul to the Lord,
For this is the keeping of the commandments.
He who believes in the Law heeds the commandments,
And he who trusts in the Lord will not suffer loss.

Personal Challenge

We live in a day where we are watching our great country be sold to oligarchs and criminals. It is a time for mourning as well as a time for action. We, the followers of Christ, must begin by recognizing and claiming that our true citizenship is not of this country or this world. Through Christ, we are citizens of heaven who have been blessed by Him to be His emissaries where we are. As His emissaries we have all His power and authority behind us to serve Him. This means that we must live our lives, where we are in ways that magnify and glorify Him. We do this by loving Him and loving our neighbor. We show our neighbor that we love them by standing up for them when injustices are perpetrated and striving to meet their needs, both physical and spiritual. We have the responsibility to protect the freedom and rights of those who cannot do that for themselves. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

2 Timothy 1:12-14

For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.

Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.

Encouraging Words

True followers of Christ know that they will suffer for their convictions. Christ suffered and told us that if we followed Him, we would suffer too. Most of the apostles were martyred and history is full of true followers being martyred as well. So, these so-called modern-day Christians who claim their worldly ways are acceptable, are in for a big surprise some day. Along With Paul, I am not ashamed of the Gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ and am willing to stand firm against the false versions of Christianity springing up all over the place. Like Timothy, I am willing to hold fast to the pattern of sound words from Christ and the early fathers of the church. Glory be to God!

Sirach 32:14-17

The man who fears the Lord will receive instruction,
And those who rise early will find His approval.
He who seeks the Law will be filled with it,
But the hypocrite will be made to stumble by it.
Those who fear the Lord will discover judgment,
And like the light they will kindle righteous deeds.
A sinful man will turn aside correction
And find a rationalization according to his will.

Personal Challenge

We live in a day and age where wisdom has been replaced by folly. Truth has been replaced with lies. We choose to follow our passions and desires because it feels good rather than pursue the truth whether we like it or not. Once again, Sirach provides some sound guidance in these times. Fear, or respect, God and receive His instruction, and sometimes His discipline. Work diligently for Him, no matter what you are doing, and you will find His approval. Seek His law, his commands, which are to love Him and to love our neighbor, and you will be blessed. By doing this, you will discover God’s good judgment and will kindle righteous deeds in your life. But the opposite is true of those who choose folly. They will become hypocrites and stumble on the very commandments that draw us close to God. They will turn away from instruction and discipline and find rationalization for life in their own will and not the will of God for the good of others. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

2 Timothy 1:8-9

Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,

Personal Challenge

My journey through life has been full of joys and sorrows, excitement and boring times, life and death, love and enmity. I do not regret that my Lord Jesus Christ has been the central figure throughout the majority of that journey. I choose to be His follower and am not ashamed to proclaim Him and His truths, I am also not afraid to stand up to those who pervert and misalign His teachings and who He is. As our world moves farther and farther down the path of embracing false statements and outright lies for personal gain and edification, the need to fight for the Truth is ramped up. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!