2 Timothy Chapter 2 Verse 8

•I love this! Paul had just laid out a couple of things for Timothy. First, for him to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus! And that is so important because strength in the grace of God gives us confidence and boldness that we could never have if we lived a life of probation or thinking that God hasn’t made His mind up about us yet!

•And then Paul exhorts Timothy to raise up folks around him and teach them these things…exhorts him to endure hardship as a good soldier, a victorious athlete and a faithful farmer…and as the pile kind-of gets bigger and Timothy may begin to feel the pressure and weight of it all, Paul reminds him of the active ingredient in the gospel of Jesus Christ…the resurrection and hope of new life! And remember where Paul is…under Nero’s death sentence…and so Paul says, “My gospel.” I love that!

•What keeps Paul lite as he awaits his own execution in a Roman prison? The same thing that will help you through the moment, through the situation, through the darkest of life’s seasons…that Jesus has secured right relationship between God and man, cleansed us of our sins, and beaten death…for anyone who would turn to Him!

2 Timothy Chapter 2 Verse 9

•It’s interesting because this gospel, this truth, this godliness and faithfulness did not bring Paul a life of glamour and riches. What it did bring him was a life of power, love and soundness of mind. Confidence and surety…integrity and grit…A life that put on display the love and truth of Jesus Christ. A life lived close to God! There are many out there today that preach health and wealth but in the life of Paul, I don’t see it. You know what though, those false teachers, do you know what they have in their churches? Bibles! So they can preach these flesh-filled doctrines but any one of those members that devote themselves to the scriptures…they’ll see the error…

•Let the world say what it may, let the rulers rage and the people plot a vain thing…the Word of God remains unchanged and unchained! An anchor point for Timothy in his fearful, meager predisposition, an anchor point for Paul as he finds himself under the condemnation of a madman, and an anchor point for us as the millions of voices call out to us in this world to follow them…

2 Timothy Chapter 2 Verse 10

•That is a huge saying! Why? Because in the Christianity that many employ, some will not endure the smallest of offenses. Even husbands, even wives…within the church…within the holy covenant of marriage for which they have exchanged vows, are willing to endure so little even for the one they profess to love the most…staggering…Paul’s heart aligns with the true spirit and power of Christianity, and makes this absolute huge statement…for the elect, for the sake of them being saved and know Jesus, endure all things…

2 Timothy Chapter 2 Verses 11 – 13

•I love this! These are just simple rules to employ in order to compete well, fight well and plant well. Accept, trust-in and identify with the cross of Christ…and you will live with Him and have life through Him. Jesus said if anyone desires to come after Me, let him take up his cross and deny himself…if you endure, hold fast, do not lose heart and run then you won’t just live, you’ll reign! If you deny Him, you forfeit these things…and no matter what, He will be true to His Word…He cannot deny Himself.

2 Timothy Chapter 2 Verses 14

•One of my fav verses in the Bible because Paul’s point is clear and boy is it an important one…Timothy, be the broken record in the crowd about the importance of unity in the bond of peace. Just like Paul said in Ephesians 4 to make every effort to accomplish this…guard yourself against striving over words…not circumstance, not issue, not what’s going on…which really matters…I mean this is truth here…the people that want to argue with their mouths about something nonessential in context or about something that someone has said typically are not involved at all in the circumstance ministry in the church. If they were, the words would fall on the floor like second rate non-issues that they really are…

•Paul says this stuff is not only unprofitable but it can bring about ruin. Did you know a church once divided over the question, “How many angels can fit on a pinhead?!” Churches have split arguing over the appropriate length of the worship leader’s beard! There’s even recorded a major church split over an argument whether or not the church should allow deviled eggs at the church potluck! Come on MAN! The folks bringing up these trivial, useless issues are the ones never making hospital visits…hardly ever making it out to prayer meetings or extra-curricular Bible studies and these are the folks spending no time praying for the pastor…because all they’re doing is distracting!

2 Timothy Chapter 2 Verse 15

•I love this one too…Timothy be diligent…in trials, in these things I have taught you, in denial of evil and temptation to lose your cool or lose your confidence, be diligent when the moment is tough and seek the glory of God and not your own and that will be as if presenting yourself to God for His approval…Notice we are to be approved to God…not so much to man…a worker, an athlete, a soldier, a farmer that is not put to shame…how do we do all of this? Be in the Word, a student of the Word and equally as important, a doer of the Word!

•There are churches out there that tell you that the Word of God is too confusing or difficult for just anyone to understand. That you need special training or schooling to understand the Word of God. There are even groups that say, “Don’t read the Word, read this magazine, read our materials, and that will explain to you what God really meant…” Ridiculous. Read the Word of God and God will grant you understanding as you diligently seek Him. He has promised. He will not deny Himself.