I Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

Do not be surprised when you see individuals backslide from the faith. While you should not be surprised, you should definitely be grieved that someone who had the faith is seduced into departing from the faith. It is one thing for an individual who has not had the truth never to accept it; it is another thing all together for someone who had the truth to now depart from it.

Satan does not give up simply because you became a Christian. Satan understands that you once belonged to him because of your sin and he will do everything in his power to bring you back into his fold. Satan understands that one day he will be destroyed because of his sin. It is his goal to take as many with him as he possibly can. Satan has nothing to lose. Just because you are now a child of the King, in his mind, it does not make you off limits for him to destroy your effectiveness for God and cause you to depart from the faith. Instead, the closer your relationship with God, the more he desires to destroy you.

Satan is not to be trifled with; he is a powerful opponent. Satan understands that he is eventually going to be a loser. However, Satan is just like a cornered mountain lion. The mountain lion is not going to sit down and be captured. The mountain lion is going to be captured while it fights. The mountain lion is going to look for an opportunity to attack. Satan knows what is going to happen, Satan’s sin has made it so that he can never have eternal life in heaven. Satan understands his punishment and his whole purpose is to now cause as much grief to God as he can.

You understand that nothing is sacred with the enemies of God. Just because you are a child of God, it does not mean that you are free from temptations and trials. Satan is going to try to cause you to forsake your faith. Satan desires to cause you to lose sight of the power of God. Satan knows that God created you and that he gain possessions of the souls of men by causing Adam and Eve to sin in the garden. Satan knows that God purchased you back with the life of HIS Only Son. Satan feels that if he has taken you from God once, that it does not hurt to try to take you away again.

You must be vigilant to keep your faith. Paul warns Timothy in this passage that some will depart from the faith. You must learn to be like Job who endured great testing and was able to say, naked came I into the world and naked shall I return. Job refused to curse God and he refused to deny his trust in God. While you may not personally suffer like Job suffered, Satan is still going to put you through the trials in an attempt to cause you to fall short of the glory of God.

Paul has warned you that some will turn from the faith. You have studied God’s word and you understand that Satan is going to lose in the end. Now it is time for you to strengthen your faith so that when the storms of life blow, you will be in a position that you will not quickly be seduced. Do not be seduced by false doctrines. Do not be seduced by lies. Do not be seduced by creating higher standards then those that God demands. You have the truth. Give thanks to God that you have the truth and that through HIM you are more then capable of overcoming the attacks of Satan.

I Timothy 3:13 For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

In order to be even qualified to be a deacon, the steps that are required ensure that the individual must have great boldness in the faith. Paul laid out so many qualifications that if one is truly qualified, the church should not have to wonder if this individual would lead them astray. Paul is basically saying that if a person met all of God’s qualifications, then he could predict with certainty the fruit that will be evident in this person’s life.

The world will know you by your fruit. Your life should be clear and convincing evidence before man that God is number one in your life. If you desire to lead others to draw closer to God, there should be evidence in your life of a boldness that you have in sharing with others the power of the living God in your life. If you do not have a natural boldness in sharing your faith with others, what makes you believe that you are qualified to assist others in drawing closer to God?

God does not have you living on this earth to see how much money you can make and spend upon yourself. God does not have you living on this earth to see how much fame and prestige you can obtain. One of the biggest purposes of your life is to draw glory to God, to cause the world to see that God is living and that they are accountable to HIM for every thought, action, and deed.

God desires that you live your life for HIM. HE has commanded you to let the light of your life shine and that you are not to hide it. If you do not have a boldness of preaching the gospel of Christ, then what business do you have in teaching others to do the will of God? If you want to be a leader, then you first must be a follower of Christ and must first demonstrate to God that you are a faithful soldier who has a track record of fulfilling the commands of Christ.

One indication that you have the boldness in the faith is that you do not fear man. Your life should be a beautiful illustration to others of an individual who fears God and is not afraid to tell others how they are failing to live up to God’s perfect standards. There is too much political correctness going on in the church today. Believers are not holding themselves accountable let alone holding their fellowman accountable. Sin is sin, and if you see a brother in sin, rather then beating around the bush, you should have the boldness to approach that believer and tell them were they are falling short. Samuel demonstrated great boldness in telling king Saul that his actions did not please the Lord, and Nathan sure did not beat around the bush when he confronted David about his sins of murder and adultery.

There are many qualifications for you to be a leader, and if you have met all those qualifications, then it will be evident in your life a boldness of faith. Until you have that boldness to put God first in your life and not fear what man will think or do to you, then you are not ready to lead others in the local church. Your daily walk with the Lord should be evident to all and should cause others to see and desire to follow your example. You cannot afford to hide your faith from the world. Your faith is what draws the world’s attention to the fact that there is a living God who they are accountable to today.

I Timothy 3:11 Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.

Paul is still talking about those who desire to be leaders in the church. One of the requirements that Paul lists for men who desire to be leaders is that his wife also demonstrate her complete faith in God. It is not just a one-man show. God makes a husband and wife one, thus when a man is being examined to see if he qualifies to lead others in the church, the qualifications of the man’s wife are equally as important.

Jesus tells us that a house divided against it self cannot stand. If a man meets all the qualifications of being an elder yet his wife does not maintain the same standards, there are going to be issues that will arise in that family if they are not already obvious that will tarnish the effectiveness of the families ministry. The purpose of a deacon is to minister to others, not to be ministered to. If the husband and wife do not have the same level of faith, it is inevitable that the family relation will reach a point where it will need help thus resulting in not only a diminishing ministry, but also causing others to stumble when they look at this leader’s family life.

You have heard that one is not to be unequally yoked. While this scripture deals with marriages among believers and unbelievers, the principle can also be applied to Christians being married with different levels of faith and different purposes in life. God created marriage so that a husband and wife are one. As a single unit, they are a powerful team to work together to do the will of God. However, if a husband and wife are not equally yoked in their level of spiritual growth and purpose in life, while they may still be one in the eyes of God, they will not have an effective ministry.

In this passage, Paul gave six verses on the qualifications of a leader in the church. Of those six verses, two are spent upon his qualifications based upon his wife and his family. Paul understood it was not just about the man but his entire family that needed to be qualified. Scripture says that you shall know them by their fruit. That is exactly what Paul is telling you to do, look at the fruit of a man’s family in order to determine if he is worthy of a position of leadership.

It is possible that you would miss problems in a man’s life if all you did were to look at just his qualifications. That is why it is necessary to also look to see if he is equally yoked, has followed God’s law by being faithful to only one woman, and that his children demonstrate that he is raising them properly by how they act. When one begins to lead in the church, it is not just the one individual who is ministering but it is the entire family.

Life is not about what you can do. It is God who created the family unit. The family was not created by civil government, it was not created by the church, it was created by God from the very beginning. Adam was able to do his job by himself, but it was God who brought him a helpmate. Together they were to have dominion over the whole earth. You can minister to God on your own. However, if you are married, your spouse must demonstrate the same level of faith or else your ministry will not be very effective in the long run. Your faith and your spouse’s faith are important elements when it comes to your ability to serve God. If you desire to serve God, be faithful first at home.

I Timothy 3:9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.

Paul is speaking here about the qualifications of a deacon in the local church. One of the many qualifications is that the man must hold the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. There are many things of faith that you cannot understand. However, it is your duty as a Christian to believe in God regardless of whether it makes sense or not.

A deacon is to be a leader in the church. As such, if they cannot trust God in all things, how then are they qualified to lead others? Paul lays forth the requirement that if one desires to be a leader; then he first must be willing to take God for who HE claims to be. You cannot afford to doubt God. You cannot afford to be in confusion over what the Christian faith is all about. If you are going to lead others in the faith, then you must first demonstrate your ability to live what you are supposed to be teaching.

All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. This means that a leader in the church will not be perfect. Nonetheless, the leader should be demonstrating their walk with the Lord. One cannot just talk the talk, but they must also walk the walk. It is one thing for a leader to get up and teach others about living their faith, but they must demonstrate to all that they not only can teach proper Christian living but that they can also live it.

What are the mysteries of the faith that you must demonstrate with a pure conscience before both God and man? Remember that faith is the things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. To determine what are some of the mysteries of the faith, you simply have to look at the scripture and see what things you hope for that you have not yet seen.

As a Christian, you know that Christ is preparing a place for you in heaven. You have not seen heaven, yet you believe there is a heaven. Christ also promised that HE would return. There are multiple promises by God throughout scripture that have yet to be fulfilled. While you may not fully understand all that God is going to do, you cannot demonstrate any doubt in the promises of God. Instead, you have an obligation to simply trust God and allow HIM to fully understand the mysteries of gospel in due time.

The word of God is very deep. The more you dig into scripture, the more God is able to reveal to you about HIS plan for your life and for HIS church. You must be diligent to learn what God has for you to understand. You cannot sit back and pretend to know what you are talking about if you have not taken the time to study the scriptures. If you desire to be used of God to touch the lives of others, then you must take hold of the promises of God and demonstrate your wiliness to believe even though you do not see.

There is always going to be things in scripture that you are just going to have to accept by faith. God desires to see you living by faith and as such, this is one of the many requirements of a leader. A leader must learn to live by faith and be an example to others of how they are to live by faith. Living by faith requires that you do things that do not always make sense. Living by faith requires that you trust God first and that you will allow HIM to make your paths clear later. Living by faith requires that you take the scriptures for what they say and you do not attempt to add or subtract from them.

I Timothy 2:15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.

Starting in I Timothy 2:9, Paul is instructing women how they are to abide in the church. Paul instructs women to be modest, to learn in silence, and then not to teach or usurp authority over man. To explain this last instruction, Paul details how it was Eve who first transgressed in the Garden of Eden. The first half of this verse is relating back to verse 14 that is referring to one woman, Eve. Because of Eve’s sin, it became necessary for a Savior. God sent that Savior not through man, but through a woman. If Eve had never had children, there never would have been a Savior.

Paul had been talking about one woman, Eve, when he mentioned that woman was saved by childbearing. However, once he is finished with his explanation as to why women are not to usurp authority over the man, then he transitions back into a general commandment to all women. Paul then instructs women to live in faith, charity and holiness with sobriety.

This final general commandment is no different then what he had instructed all Christians in various passages. The commandment to Christians is that they are to live their life in faith, love, and purity with self-control. This is no different for the women. Paul probably finishes this discussion with the general commandment so as to ensure that there is no confusion that the specific instruction does not violate the general commandment. In fact, the specific instruction is designed to enable women to better understand how they are to fulfill the general commandment.

Paul understood that it was important to give instruction to both the men and the women as to what was proper conduct for them during the worship of God. Paul took his teaching and went back to the basic foundation that Christians whether they are male or female have a duty to live in faith, love, purity with self control. However, because these terms are sometimes construed so broadly, Paul gave specific examples at how a woman can live her life pleasing to the Lord and still abide by these principles. This entire passage is similar to Jesus’ teaching on adultery. Jesus took the general commandment of one not committing adultery and further explained that principle by stating that if one lusted in their heart, they were guilty of adultery.

You have a duty to live your life in faith, love, and purity with self-control. This sometimes means that you are required to do things out of deference for others. Yes, you may feel qualified to do something, but in order to live your life pleasing to God, you must defer to others. A Christian needs to understand that they are not living their lives for themselves, but they are living their life for the glory of God.

Living by faith is understanding God’s will for your life and living it. Sometimes you will have to do things that seem contrary to society today and even the belief of other Christians. However, you live by a higher standard. You must live your life by God’s standards, not by man’s standards. Just because others are doing it, it does not make their actions right in the eyes of God. You must be careful to live your life for God, live your life with self-control, putting God’s will first.

I Timothy 2:7 Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.

God had separated Paul out to preach the gospel unto the Gentiles. God called Paul and Paul heeded God’s voice and obeyed. Paul understood that Christ was truth and as such, Paul could not lie to those he was called to minister too. It would do Paul no good to preach the gospel of Christ and misrepresent to others who Christ really is. If Paul lied, Satan would be quick to expose the lie and Paul’s ministry for Christ would be diminished. Paul desired to be used of God and as such, the truth was an important part of his ministry to the Gentiles.

Paul became a teacher to the Gentiles by simply following God’s direction for his life. God instructed Paul to teach and Paul did the will of God. Paul’s obedience to the will of God demonstrates Paul’s faith and trust in God. As Paul learned to hear God’s voice and obey, his ministry grew and Paul saw the Lord using him in ways that were beyond his comprehension. Paul became a teacher to the Gentiles because of his faith in God and because the truth needed to be shared with the Gentiles.

God allowed Paul to see the importance of the Gentiles being saved. Because of this truth that was revealed to Paul, Paul centered his ministry on the truth that God had given him. Paul also desired that he preach the truth of the gospel to the Jews but while Paul had that burden, it was not the door that God opened for Paul. Peter on the other hand while he understood that the Gentiles needed to receive the gospel, he was not burdened with the truth of preaching to the Gentiles. Peter instead was burdened to preach to the Jews. Both Peter and Paul were used of the Lord and they both followed the faith and did as God requested them. However, they had two different ministries because of the difference of the burden of truth that was laid upon their lives.

God does not give each Christian the same burden of truth. God does not give to each Christian the same burden of ministry. If God gave everyone a burden to be missionaries to one particular country, then who would be around to support all the missionaries, who would preach to the other tribes and nations, who would disciples believers in the local church. God gives different burdens of truth to each Christian. Paul’s burden was the truth that the Gentiles needed to hear the gospel of Christ.

What is the burden that God has laid on your heart? It is this burden that is designed to assist you in following God�s will for your life. By fulfilling your burden, you will find true peace. However, just because you are following God’s will and fulfilling your burden as given to you by God, it does not mean that life will be easy. Paul still faced persecution as he preached the gospel with the Gentiles. However, Paul had an inward peace because HE knew what God was requiring of HIM.

God has laid a burden upon your life. Seek HIM for ways that you can fulfill that burden. Allow HIM to lead you and guide you because you understand that if you do not fulfill that burden, you will lack the inward peace that passeth all understanding. God desires to use you, will you allow your faith to grow as you look unto HIM and do HIS will. Do the will of God in all faith and all truth.

I Timothy 1:19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck;

You believe in God and have placed your trust in HIM. You listen to HIS voice and you seek to please HIM. However, you must be careful because your faith is constantly at war with the evil one. Satan does not want you to maintain your relationship with God and as such, he is doing all that he can to destroy your relationship with God.

Just because you believe in God, it does not mean that you are entitled to a life of smooth seas. In fact, because you have accepted Christ as the Master of your vessel, you can about guarantee that your faith will be tried and tested. The seas of life may be tumultuous but having a mutiny on board the ship of your life in the middle of the storm will not result in smoother sailing.

The Master understands the tumult and HE understands your abilities. HE has proven HIS ability to calm the storm and to keep you safe from yourself. You must stay in the boat and learn to hear the Master’s voice over the tumult should you desire to escape the trial you are facing. By listening to the Master, HE will guide you in the way you are to go so that you can safely navigate the seas of life and reach safely your final port, heaven.

When the storms of life hit you, do not yield to the temptation to abandon your faith and take control of your life. Mutiny in your life will result in shipwreck. Yes, you may be in control of your life, but what joy is there in being in control if you do not reach your destination and you destroy your life?

The Master of your life is wise and understands the seas. HE has faced these storms and safely navigated. You must trust the Master and listen to HIM. You cannot afford not to be listening to HIS voice during the storm. It is during the storm that so many attempt to take control and do it their own way because they cannot hear the Master. However, the storm needs to drive you closer to HIM and cause you to learn to hear the Master’s voice in spite of the storm.

Faith is not something that is easy to comprehend. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Having believed, it is just as important to continue to believe, as it was to make that initial commitment. Having made the commitment to put Christ as the Master of your life, you must be resolved to follow HIM and to not allow anything to distract you from your relationship with HIM. When you hold fast to the faith and maintain a good conscience before God and man, your life will be a dynamic testimony for HIM. Abandoning your faith will destroy you.

The storms of life will come if you are not facing them right now. Hold fast and stay committed to the journey that you begun. The same faith that caused you to start the journey needs to grow strong in order to enable you to maintain the course and finish the race set before you. Hold fast, your spiritual life depends upon it. Remember that the Master will not guide the ship into any storm that HE knows you are unable to handle. This storm can be sailed through and you will overcome by maintaining your course and listening to the Master. Head HIS voice, listen to HIM, and you shall reach your port.

I Timothy 1:14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

Paul attributes your ability to love and your ability to demonstrate your faith to Jesus Christ. Without Jesus Christ, it would be harder to demonstrate our love and our faith. The reason it would not be impossible is because God gave to us in the book of Hebrews, several individuals who demonstrated their faith prior to Jesus’ life here on this earth.

God gave HIS only Son so that you might have faith and live your life for HIS purposes. God demonstrated ultimate love by sending Jesus to die for you. Jesus demonstrated ultimate love by laying down HIS life for your sin. Jesus died so that you might live your life full of faith and love. This is what is expected of you since the death of Jesus Christ.

God’s grace is abundant. In the next verse, Paul tells you that he was chief among sinners but that Christ forgave him and still used him. Your sins are a hindrance for you to live your life for God. Satan loves to remind you of your sins so that you become reluctant to demonstrate for faith and love to God. However, this is why Jesus came, so that you might have freedom from the bondage of Satan if you simply confess your sins before God and allow HIM to forgive you of all unrighteousness.

God desires that you live a blameless life just like HIS’ Son. However, God knows that because of the sin of Adam and Eve, it is impossible for you to never sin; this is why God created a way that you can have freedom over Satan. Jesus demonstrated HIS faith and HIS love for us; now it is your obligation to God to demonstrate your appreciation for HIS grace by living your life according to HIS purposes.

God has given you the tools that you need to exercise your faith and to demonstrate your love. The question for you today is whether you are obeying HIS voice and doing HIS will. Are you living your life full of faith in such a matter that God is glorified by your actions? You have an obligation to live your life for HIM. God has given you so much, and yet all HE requires of you is to do HIS will for your life. If you had a loving boss who paid you a salary in six figures that asked you to do something simple during your normal working hours, you would not question HIS authority but would do as he requested. So to, God has given so much to you, you should be listening to HIS voice and be looking for opportunities to do HIS will.

God’s grace is sufficient for your life. Why don’t you demonstrate your love for the Lord by spending time with HIM in the Bible, in prayer, and in serving HIM? A young couple in love will demonstrate their love one for another by spending time with each other and by seeking out opportunities to please their partner. So to, you must demonstrate your love to God by spending time with HIS so that you know HIS will and can obey it.

God does not ask too much of you. Satan is going to do everything in his power to ensure that you do not do the will of God. You need to take the time to ensure that you understand God’s purpose for your life and that you live your life according to that purpose. God has done too much for you for you to just do what you want when you want. God’s grace is abundant; now use your second change for the glory of God.

I Timothy 1:12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;

Paul ministered unto God not because he was such a great guy, but because the Lord opened the doors for Paul to minister. Paul could have attempted to minister unto God but if the Lord’s hand was not with him, he would quickly become discouraged and his ministry would have been fruitless.

Paul understood that it was God who enabled him to minister. Paul thanked God for allowing him to minister to others. Paul understood that in order for him to maximize his effectiveness for God, he had to hear God’s voice and follow HIS instruction. Paul desired to minister in Corinth, but for a period of time, he listened to God and simply mended tents with Aquila and Priscilla. When the time was right, God told Paul he could minister and the Lord opened the doors and blessed his ministry.

You cannot minister to God and enjoy success absent God’s direction and blessing. If you desire to be used of God in a mighty way, then you need to first demonstrate your faithfulness in small matters. As you demonstrate your faithfulness, God can continue to bless you and guide you into greater ministry. In addition to your faithfulness, you need to also demonstrate your recognition that it is God who opens the doors for you and not you yourself. Give credit to whom credit is due; all credit is due to God.

Paul demonstrated his faith and was faithful to do the will of God and he saw his ministry grow. Paul knew that his ministry on this earth was in the hands of God and that God could take it away at any time. Paul understanding where HIS ministry came from was quick to give credit to God and thank God for allowing him to serve HIM. Just because Paul was grateful, it does not mean his ministry prospered. Nonetheless, because Paul was grateful, he demonstrated his reliance upon God.

Do you desire to do more for God? Do you constantly ask the Lord to use you and enable you to do more for HIM? Do you look at individuals who are serving the Lord in a ministry similar to what you desire to do and envy what they are doing? Remember, God is in control. HE was the One who gave you the desires of your heart. God knows your desires and HE knows the perfect timing by which HE will release you to serve HIM.

You have an obligation to listen to God and to discern HIS direction for your life. Your demonstration of faith in listening and obeying will allow God to enable you to do even more for HIM. God is looking for those individuals who will be faithful. Is God going to use you? Have you demonstrated your faithfulness so that HE can use you?

To desire to do the will of God should be every Christian’s goal. To be faithful and fulfill the will of God should be evident in every believer. To see gratefulness in the heart of every believer for the work that God enables them to do should be evident among the brethren. Your faith is on trial for the entire world to see. Paul passed the test and was used mightily for the Lord. Paul did not possess any special gift other then the relentless desire to please God by fulfilling HIS will for his life. You too should be looking for opportunities to serve God and upon seeing those opportunities, give thanks to God.

I Timothy 1:5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:

Paul is reminding Timothy that if he trace the law to it root, he would find love as the foundation. Jesus told us when asked what the greatest commandment was that we are to love the Lord with all our heart and the second commandment is to love our neighbor as ourself. We learn from John 3:16 that the whole foundation of the salvation message begins with God�s love for us.

Timothy had served with Paul and thus was pretty knowledgeable on Paul’s teaching of the importance of love in the church. In this passage in addition to love, there are two other things other then love that are a purpose of the law. The second purpose of the law is so that we can maintain a good conscience and the third purpose is so that our faith is not compromised.

As for a good conscience, as we obey the law, this enables us to worship God and have fellowship one with another not fearing the consequences of our actions. When one sins, they have a guilty heart and they are not free to openly fellowship with others because sin has a way of destroying not only your fellowship with God but with other Christians. When you violate the law, the Holy Spirit convicts you of your sin and Satan is working on you to try to cover up your violation so that no one knows of your wrong.

The law is also designed to ensure that your faith is not compromised. No one likes a hypocrite. In fact, the world is watching you to see if there are any areas of your life that do not match up to the high standards that you propound. The world does not mind if someone who does not hold high standards does not live up to high standards, but it does have a problem when someone purports to live by a higher standard and then fails to live up to that high standard.

When you live according to the law, you are living your life pleasing to the Lord. Your testimony is uncompromised, you have a clear conscience, and you are demonstrating to the world the love of God. You cannot afford to be a fake Christian. In the world that you live in today, they are quick to pick up if you can only talk the talk but not walk the walk. It does not matter if you have been going to church your entire life and you know the meaning of all theological terms if your life is not a demonstration of the power of God in your life. The world sees your love for them and the world sees the demonstrations of your faith.

Just as one of the purposes of the church is edify the members, so also the purpose of the law is to demonstrate to the world the love of God and their need for a savior. The law is not only designed for the sinner but also for the saint. The law is your guide to maintaining a good conscience before both God and man. The law is your tool to ensure that when the world looks at you, there is nothing that they can see that hinders your testimony or the power of your faith. You should live your life pleasing to the Lord. God is placing people in your life that you can touch. However, you have a duty to God to follow HIS law so that your faith is uncompromised and so that when the world looks at you they do not see anything that causes them to reject the truth that you demonstrate.

I Timothy 1:3-4 As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.

Timothy was given a charge by Paul to work with the church at Ephesus. Timothy had several responsibilities but one task that he was assigned was to ensure that no other doctrine was preached. Timothy was to be vigilant in watching that the gospel was preserved and that no strange doctrine crept into the church.

Timothy was also to watch to ensure that truth was taught rather then fables. While legends make good stories, Timothy was to ensure that these legends were not grasped as truth by the church. It appears that the church also was very concerned with who their ancestors were. However, what was important for the church to understand was that they had a new life in Christ Jesus and who their great-great-great-grandmother twice removed was has no impact upon their destination for eternity. Paul saw that the genealogy topic simply created more questions then it brought answers.

Paul understood that the gospel has a simple truth. Paul encouraged Timothy to keep the churches focus on godly edification that is a result of their faith. Timothy’s job was to help the church remember its purpose and not to be distracted by false teaching, legends, and things that no longer were applicable.

Give a small child a task to clean their bedroom and the child if not closely supervised will be easily distracted. Yes, they may get a few toys put away, but soon they will come to a toy and all they will be able to think about is playing with that particular toy. However, if the task is to clean the room, then someone needs to stay with the small child and keep reminding them of what their responsibilities are so that they can stay on task and please their parents.

In a way, Timothy was pulling babysitting duties. He was watching over a baby church that had shown a tendency to be easily distracted. However, while Timothy may have been in a position of watching and correcting the church of Ephesus, it was a job that needed to be done so as to assist the church in establishing itself in its new life for God. This was not a position that Timothy had to hold for a long period of time, but was a job he was assigned so that Paul could be free to preach the gospel around the world. It was Timothy’s job to ensure that the newborn church was not distracted from their faith.

Satan is cleaver and has many fancy ways of distracting the believers. You need to be vigilant to ensure that Satan does not distract you from the truth with partial truths that sound good to the ears but in the end leads to destruction.

One of the purposes of the church is to edify the believers in the faith. As a Christian, you have a responsibility before God to encourage others in the truth and to increase in the faith. This means that you need to be watchful to ensure that Satan is not able to distract you from the faith by presenting false doctrines that while they sound true, have no basis in scripture. Focus on the truth and preserve your faith.

I Timothy 1:2 Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.

Timothy was not Paul’s biological son but Paul treated him as a son. Paul treated Timothy as a son because through Paul’s ministry, he led Timothy to the Lord. Paul did not simply lead Timothy to the Lord and then go on his way, but instead, Paul invested time and energy into the life of Timothy, disciplining him to enable Timothy to draw closer to God.

As Timothy drew closer to the Lord, his faith grew and Timothy was able to minister for God apart from Paul. Paul had properly trained Timothy in the faith so that when Timothy matured, he did not depart from the faith. Paul led many to the Lord but he did not treat them all the same way he treated Timothy. Paul saw something special in Timothy and he thus cultivated a father son relationship with him so as to be in the position to work with Timothy.

Just as a parent is responsible for the development and maturing of their child, so to did Paul take spiritual responsibility for the development of Timothy. Paul had no obligation other then the prompting of the Holy Spirit to spiritually adopt Timothy, but once Paul did take Timothy under his wings, Paul had an obligation to work with Timothy to spiritually train him so that he would be prepared to serve the Lord long after he departed from the presence of Paul.

A good parent understands that their children do not live with them the rest of their life. They understand that there is going to come a day when they will release their child into the world to fulfill their own purpose in life. A parent’s duty is to train up that child so that when the child is released, the child will have the capabilities of fulfilling their purpose. Paul did not take Timothy as a spiritual son to keep as a helper for his ministry for the rest of his life. Paul did receive some benefit in having Timothy as a fellow laborer but Paul’s purpose was to train Timothy to eventually release HIM.

Paul was always looking for individuals that he could disciple so that they could continue the work. Aquila and Priscilla are another good example of Paul disciplining someone and preparing them for future ministry. Paul spent a period of time mending tents with Aquila and Priscilla in Corinth. We know from scripture that Aquila and Priscilla continued to serve the Lord for many years and that they not only hosted the Church in their house but that they also had an active part in disciplining other believers.

The body of Christ has many parts. Some are commissioned by God to bring many to salvation; others are responsible for taking the newborn Christians and working with them to assist them in their spiritual walk so that they can become productive members of the body of Christ.

You have a duty to God to fulfill HIS purpose for your life. However, while you are fulfilling your purpose in life, part of your responsibility to God is to help develop the next spiritual generation. You need to be looking for opportunities to work with others so that the church will grow and your freedom to worship God will not be lost.

II Thessalonians 3:1-2 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.

Paul is asking the Church of Thessalonica to pray for him and his companions as they share the gospel around the world. Paul tells the church that the entire world does not enjoy the freedoms that the church of Thessalonica enjoys. Paul also reminds the church that there are those who do not believe in the faith who would like to stop their effort.

Paul reminds the church that not all men have faith. Many doubt that God exists. Even among the church, many who proclaim to be a Christian still doubt that God has a purpose for every aspect of their life. Life filed with doubt leads to insecurity. When one is insecure they rely upon their own strength and do what is right in their own eyes. This was especially true about the Jews during the time of Paul. The Jews doubted that Jesus was the Son of God, and as such, they punished all those who were trying to bring them to the realization that their Messiah had already come.

As you proceed to do the will of God for your life, you will encounter obstacles that are put in your path by individuals who do not have faith, individuals who doubt that God controls their life. However, God does control the hearts of man, and God uses even unbelievers to direct us in the way you are to go.

Paul coveted the prayers of the church because he understood that God had a high calling on his life that required him to face individuals who proclaimed not to have faith. Paul understood that these individuals were trying to destroy his ability to do the will of God. Paul was not going to allow this to happen and thus encouraged the church to remember and pray so that he would be successful.

Do you pray for those who are out in the world fighting for the cause of Christ? They do need your prayer because they are constantly in a battle with Satan for the souls of men. Here in America we are comfortable with our freedoms and it is very easy for us to forget what happens to those who are in countries where the country is not founded upon the basic principle that God is the center of the universe.

Do you constantly have interaction with those who do not believe? You are not as free to share with them the truths of how the Lord is leading you and guiding you. While you can share the hope of the resurrection that dwells within you, a lot of the spiritual truth that God has shown you cannot be shared because to do so would require you to cast your pearls before swine.

It is not a great revelation that there are individuals who doubt that God even exists. However, the important thing to remember is that you are to pray for those who do work with the unsaved. In addition, you need to be careful what you say to those who doubt God because they do not hold themselves to the same standards that God requires that you hold yourself to. The more interaction you have with unbelievers, the more you need God’s wisdom in your life in how to deal with these individuals who have a different perspective upon life’s problems. Only God can guide you in the way you are to go.

II Thessalonians 1:11-12 Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power: that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The work of faith demonstrates the power of God. Your testimony should open the eyes of the world that God is alive today. People do not want to serve a God that they believe is weak. People today imagine God as a God of rules, prohibiting them from doing things that they think is fun. If there is nothing else to God other then a bunch of rules, they have no use for God. When God demonstrates HIS power through you, people take notice. When people recognize that you are doing the impossible, it causes them to desire what you have.

God has a purpose for your life. God desires that you continue to grow in your faith and draw closer to HIM. God knows that you believe in HIM. God knows your heart. However, God would like to take your relationship with HIM to the next level. God desires that others will recognize something different about you.

David had a heart after God’s own heart. David had seen the power of God in his life. However, David lived in the fields and as such, the world had not yet seen God demonstrate HIS power through David’s life. God brought David to the battlefield. David saw the giant and knew that this giant needed to be destroyed. David by faith stepped forward and was willing to take on the giant even though he was not qualified in the eyes of the world to do so.

David took his faith and trust in God and he faced the enemy head on. God was with David and the whole nation of Israel realized the power of God through the life of David. The nation of Israel saw David as just a boy but after David demonstrated the power of his faith, they saw him as a great man and they sang his praises.

Is there something impossible in your life that God intends to use to demonstrate to the world that HE is alive today? God is looking for individuals who are willing to trust HIM and obey HIS words and see how HE will work through them. The impossible situation you face may be an opportunity not only for you to see the power of God but also for the world to see God working through you.

Paul prayed that the church in Thessalonica would demonstrate their faith with power. The work of faith naturally will be powerful, but the work of faith must be seen in order for others to see its power. David saw God enable him to kill a lion and a bear but while these were powerful works of faith on David’s part, they were not seen. However, when David killed the giant, this work of faith caused God to be glorified through David to this day. It should be your prayer that your faith will have an impact upon others.

Start looking for impossible situations in your life that God might be able to use to demonstrate to the world that HE is alive and HE is powerful. Be willing to step forth in faith in accordance with HIS direction for your life. Maybe the reason why you have not seen the power of God in your life is because you have not stepped forth in faith.

I Thessalonians 1:3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;

Paul thanked God that the church of Thessalonica was growing in the faith and that there was love one to another that was abundant. Paul understood the principle of encouraging others and thus he started off his letter to them letting them know the things that they were doing right and that they needed to continue doing in their lives.

Just as a newborn baby does not stay the same size the rest of their life, so to must we continue to grow in the faith. However, unlike humans when there comes a time that we stop growing, that day should never happen with regards to our faith. God has given us a spiritual journey and he does not want you to stop until HE calls you home. It is your duty to God to every day draw closer to HIM. Your faith and relationship with God should be better today then it was yesterday. Your relationship with God should be better next year then it is today.

Spiritual growth is very important. Just because you have heard from God one day, it does not mean that there is nothing else for you to learn. God has many rich and deep truths for you to learn. It is HIS desire that you continue to seek HIM and HE will draw you closer to HIM. Enoch allowed his relationship with God to be so close that God simply took him home without death. Enoch strived to walk with God and he did walk with God.

As long as you are marching forward for the cause of Christ and increasing your faith, it will be harder for Satan to cause you to sin. However, as soon as you stop moving forward and stop growing in the faith, you will be in a position where Satan can more easily cause you to stumble. Think of it this way. If you are standing still on a busy sidewalk and someone ran straight into you, which direction would you go? Most likely you would step backwards, the direction that you were bumped. Now think that you are walking forward on that same busy sidewalk and someone ran into as before, which direction would you go? Most likely you would not go backwards. Possibly both of you will come to a dead stop, or possibly it would bounce to the right or the left.

Your ability to continue to grow in the faith is necessary in order for you to avoid many temptations that you face. If you stop growing, you are giving Satan the opportunity to cause you to stumble and fall short of the glory of God, tarnishing your testimony. Your growing in the faith is one of the tools you need in order to ensure that you can do many great things for HIM.

Stop and examine your life today. Do you feel that you have grown in the faith over the last week, last month, or the last year? If not, what do you need to do in order to ensure that you are drawing closer to God? Paul commended the church in Thessalonica for their growth in the faith. It is time that you start putting more emphasis in your spiritual growth. You cannot afford to continue to just get by spiritually. Instead, your spiritual life needs to continue to grow. Grow in the faith so that you are able to overcome the temptations of the evil one. Grow in the faith and please your Creator.

I Thessalonians 5:8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

This verse sounds very similar to the passage in Ephesians six which deals with the armor of God. However, in Ephesians six, there are six different pieces of armor mentioned whereas this verse only lists two. In Paul’s list in Ephesians, the breastplate is righteousness. Both lists have the helmet represented by salvation. The list in Ephesians puts faith as a shield. The Ephesians list does not mention love.

While these two lists may be different, they do not contradict. In both of these passages, Paul is using something that people of that day see and understand in order to illustrate an important point. You could be speaking to someone today and make the analogy that someone was so fast they were like a Ferrari. Tomorrow, you could be speaking to someone and be talking about something expensive and you could analogize the expensive item to a Ferrari. Neither analogy is incorrect and neither analogy contradicts the other analogy.

In this verse, Paul is analogizing the breastplate that a soldier wears to a Christian’s faith and love. A breastplate is designed to protect a soldier’s heart and vital organs. Your adversary the devil would like to destroy your relationship with the Lord. Satan would love to ruin your love for the Lord and make it impossible for you to serve HIM. Paul is letting you know that it is your faith and your love that will protect you from falling into sin. Your faith in God is a shied to quench Satan’s fiery darts; it is also your breastplate to protect your heart.

God has given you the tools to protect yourself from Satan’s attacks. Your faith in God as you learn to trust and obey HIM will give you the strength that you need to overcome the attacks of Satan. While faith alone can assist you, Paul illustrates here that your faith needs help and that help comes from love. Your faith and your love enable you to defend yourself better.

A five-year-old boy could love his father, but if the boy is sitting on top of a roof and his father is telling him to jump and he does not do so, the boy is demonstrating a lack of faith and obedience. That same boy could obey his father all day long but not love his father because he is angry and upset over something and the boy is simply obeying because he has no other choice.

Your faith and your love are two elements that when mixed together enables you to withstand Satan’s attacks. Just because you have faith and love, it does not mean that you are immune from Satan’s attack. Instead, what it means is that you are better equipped to withstand the attacks and the better equipped you are to withstand, the better position you will be to overcome.

If you would like to sin less, then you need to live your faith and your love. God has given you the tools to overcome temptation. Each time you sin and fall short of the glory of God, you are demonstrating your lack of faith and love to God. Satan is not quick to give up. Draw near to God and use HIS tools to do many great things for HIM.

I Thessalonians 3:10 Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?

Paul prayed that one day he would come back to the church of Thessalonica so that he might work with them once again. He desired to be with them in order to help them grow spiritually. Paul understood that while he could write a letter to encourage them, it was not the same as a personal visit. Paul could only write so much. He would be able to cover much more ground if he was present. Paul knew that this church was doing well, but that it could do even better.

Paul’s prayer to visit Thessalonica was not because he saw a major problem that demanded his attention. Paul’s prayer to visit was because he saw great potential for the Lord that Paul desired to develop. Paul desired to assist this church continue to grow closer to God and it became a prayer that he constantly prayed before God.

Are you looking for opportunities to work with others and assist them in growing closer to God? Are you praying night and day for God to give you opportunities to draw others closer to HIM? This is what Paul was doing. He saw potential and he began to ask God to give him the opportunity to work with this church and bring them closer to God.

Paul could have spent his time praying for many things. He could have prayed night and day for God to remove his thorn in the flesh. Paul could have prayed that he could go back to Jerusalem. Rather then pray for something for himself, Paul’s concern was for the things of the Lord and how he might be more effective for the Lord. Paul was persistent in his prayer that he desired to build the faith of the church of Thessalonica.

You should be looking at those God has put in your life and ask God to assist you in helping them draw closer to God. In addition to growing closer to God yourself, you should realize that you are not the only person in this world and that God desires to use you to help others draw closer to HIM. Be willing for others to stretch you and help you draw you closer to God.

You are not perfect and your faith can be increased. Seek out those individuals you know who have great faith and learn from them and see how God might cause you to draw closer to HIM. In the same way that you seek to perfect your own faith, be willing to help others perfect their faith.

The closer you and others are to the Lord, the easier it will be for the world to see that you are a Christian and that you have something that they need. You need to be looking for opportunities to not only grow yourself but for others to grow closer to God. Your ministry and effectiveness for God is greatly dependent upon the perfection of your faith.

Paul’s desire was to assist the church and see that they were affective for the Lord. Paul prayed that the Lord would use him to help others. You too should be looking for those who God has placed in your life that you can minister to. Your prayers should be continually before God asking HIM to allow you to be more affective on this earth. Do not spend your time seeking things that you consume, but instead, ask for those things that if the Lord gives you, will increase your effectiveness for HIM.

I Thessalonians 3:7-8 Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith: For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.

Your testimony does have an affect upon others. You may not think that anyone is paying attention to your life, but those around you will see the choices you make. The world is paying special attention to what you are doing since they are determining whether there is something different in your life that it makes it worth the effort to change. Your fellow believers also need encouragement as you testify how the Lord has been with you and seen you through certain situations.

One of the purposes of your Christian walk is to live your life pleasing to God as a demonstration to others in how they too can live their lives for HIM. Your testimony of faith when shared with other believers should encourage them to desire a closer walk with God. In addition, after hearing about your faith, other Christians ought to be encouraged to demonstrate more faith in their own life.

Two siblings have convinced themselves that the attic in their house is haunted. Mother asks the older one to go up to the attic to bring back a particular box. The younger seeing the older come back with no problems should ease some concern when his mother asks him to go pick up another box.

Testimonies are an important part of your Christian life. Your testimony is stories of how God has seen you through certain situations. If you share your testimony with others, it should encourage them that God is still alive. Paul was greatly encouraged at hearing the testimony of the church of Thessalonica that they were not yielding to temptation. Paul may have been a stronger Christian then the Christians of the church of Thessalonica, but nonetheless, the testimony of the church still encouraged him and gave him hope.

The closer to God you are, the greater the demonstrations of HIS working through your life. These stories are not designed for just you to hoard, but were given to you by God to draw others to HIM. Your testimony of faith is designed to show the unbeliever that you serve a living God. You testimony of faith is designed to show a weaker believer that they should increase their trust in God. Your testimony of faith is designed to show the stronger believer that you are growing in the faith and that you are striving to have a closer walk with HIM.

God is alive and active in your life every day. While you might not recognize it, you do need to change your focus so that you are more observant to the good things God is doing for you. That near miss as you were driving to work is a testimony of how God protects you. That conversation with an old friend was not just an accident, it was the Lord working out circumstances to bring you back together again.

As God works in your life, you need to note both large and small things that HE has done for you. There will be times in your life where Satan will be attacking you and you will need to remind yourself of God’s faithfulness in your life. How can you remind yourself of God’s faithfulness if you do not keep track? God is faithful; HE is the same yesterday, today and forever. Learn to take joy in God’s testimony in both yours and other’s lives.

I Thessalonians 3:6 But now when Timothy came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you:

Upon Timothy’s return from his visit to the church of Thessalonica, Paul received word that the church was remaining faithful. The church’s testimony was strong; they were not yielding to temptation. They were living their lives as Paul had hoped. Paul had sent Timothy because he was worried that the church had compromised its standards but Timothy confirmed that the church was standing fast.

The church in Thessalonica had the opportunity to yield to temptation when affliction came. This was an opportunity for them to turn from God and in return to their old sinful ways. Nonetheless, even though the tempter was attacking them, the church relied upon their faith and they put the Lord first. They understood that their faith was built upon the rock and that they could if they remain faithful overcome the storms of their adversary.

A mother told her son that he was not going to have dinner until he cleaned his room. She sent him back to the room to clean the room and she went her way preparing dinner. After a half hour, she began to wonder if her son was doing his job. However, she held off looking as long as she could in hopes that her son was doing what he was instructed to do. Nonetheless, in her mind, all she could think is that somehow, her son had been distracted with the toys and that since she was not there watching his every move, he was no longer doing what he was supposed to be doing but was instead playing. The mother was busy cooking dinner so she sent her oldest son to go check on her boy. When her son returned, she was proud to hear that her son was doing her will and cleaning the room.

Paul was human and as such, he understood the temptations that the church faced. Paul had great joy in hearing that the church was overcoming the temptation to forsake the faith. This church remained faithful.

God’s strength is sufficient to endure the temptations that are set before you. You do not have to yield to the temptations of the enemy. God has ensured that you have a solid foundation that will remain strong as long as you rely upon HIM. God is well pleased when you do not forsake your faith but instead continue to do HIS will.

Satan does not want to see you succeed. He will attack you and try to cause you to stumble in the faith. Nonetheless, as you continue to do the will of God, HE will give you the strength to make it through your trials one day at a time. God’s strength is sufficient for your next step. One step at a time you need to be like the church of Thessalonica that remained faithful and did the will of God.

Others are watching you to see how you will face the trials that are set before you. How you respond will affect others. As you remain faithful to God, your testimony will be an encouragement to others and give them the strength to also overcome the trials that are set before them. The struggle for your faith is never easy, but if you keep your focus on God, HE is faithful and just to ensure that you will overcome. Do not yield to temptation but instead use temptation to draw you closer to God.

I Thessalonians 3:5 For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labor be in vain.

Paul had planted the church in Thessalonica. Paul knew that the church was suffering tribulation. Paul was afraid that Satan might have caused the church to stumble as a result of suffering tribulation. Paul cared very much for the church but he understood that the church had to survive on its own faith, not the faith of Paul and Timothy. Paul thus stayed away from the church as long as he could so that the church would prove its own faith. Nonetheless, Paul had too much invested in the church and eventually he could no longer wait to discover if the churches faith had held out. Paul sent Timothy to discover if the church’s faith held.

Paul understood that the church would rely upon his faith if he was present. In order for the church’s faith to grow, they needed to learn to struggle on their own. Jacob is a perfect example of someone relying upon the faith of others. However, once Jacob wrestled with God alone, Jacob developed a personal relationship with God and the God of his fathers had now become his God.

This principle of growing stronger by testing is demonstrated in nature. If someone were to help a butterfly escape from its cocoon, while the butterfly will have escaped the cocoon quicker, it will not survive because it is the struggle that makes the butterfly strong enough so that it can live and fly.

There are two families who live next door to each other. One set of parents does not make their children do anything. They give their children whatever they want whenever they want. The other set of parents require that their children do household chores. This second family makes the children earn their own money in order to receive the toys that they desire to have. When the children grow up, which set of children is more likely to succeed in society? The children who learned to work are more likely to succeed.

The trials and temptations that you face are designed to give you the strength to do greater things for God. You must face the trials and temptations alone. You cannot afford to rely upon others to see you through your struggles. God and God alone should be your focus. You cannot afford to expect man to assist you in escaping from your trial. Instead, your focus should be only on God and while God may use man, you will know that it is God who you must thank and it is God who made a way of escape for you.

Jacob had to face God alone and this gave him the confidence of saying that he had a personal relationship with God. Paul had to leave the church of Thessalonica alone so that they could face their struggle and establish their own faith.

The struggle of your faith is personal. You must learn to look towards God. The harder the trial, the more you must rely upon God. God knows how HE plans to use you. God knows the mountains HE desires you to climb so HE gives you the appropriate trials so that you will have the strength to do HIS will. Do not look to others to create a way of escape for you during your trials. Also, if you see someone else struggling, be wise like Paul who was not quick in offering assistance but allow the church to focus on God.

I Thessalonians 3:2-3 And sent Timothy, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith: That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.

Timothy was sent to the Church of Thessalonians to assist them in establishing themselves in the faith. The church was facing some afflictions and Paul understood that their faith was the only thing that was going to see them through their affliction. Timothy’s job was to teach them and comfort them so that they could weather the storms.

The church was being afflicted and this affliction was such that Paul knew that they needed to be comforted in the faith. They were facing things that seemed too difficult for them to handle. Timothy was there to give them the encouragement that they needed to continue doing that which is right in the eyes of God. Timothy was able to encourage them to remain grounded in their faith so that Satan could not move them.

Satan’s desire is to destroy you. He wants you to turn from God when the trials become difficult. However, the stronger the storms, the more you need God and the more you need to rely upon HIM. When your faith is tried, you need to stand firm.

This church needed help bring reminded how to be established in their faith. God knew that they needed the help and HE sent Timothy to the church and Timothy worked with them so that they were found faithful. God gave the church the tools that they needed when they needed it. God did not send them Timothy during a time of prosperity but sent them Timothy when they were struggling through a trial that could possibly cause them to do something that would affect their testimony.

God knows your every need long before you ever ask. God knows the temptations and your trials that you will face before you were ever born. God knows the help that you are going to need in order to sustain yourself through the trial. God is faithful and HE will not let you face a trial that you are not able to bare. God sent Timothy to strengthen the church and instruct the church so that the trials that they faced they would glorify God and would create a testimony of God’s faithfulness in their lives.

What trial are you currently facing? This trial is an opportunity for you to cry out to God and watch your faith grow as you see HIM take you through the trial. Take comfort in your faith, establish yourself so that you are well grounded and cannot be moved. The lighthouse built upon a rocky cliff is much more likely to weather the storm then the lighthouse built upon a sand dune. The harder the trial that you face, the more you need to ensure that you are grounded in your faith.

It is your faith in God that will enable you to survive the trial that you are facing. There are times where it will seem impossible for you to make it through the trial and at these times, God will give you the help that you need. Your help can come in many different ways, but God will be faithful to ensure that you have the tools at your disposal so that you can accomplish HIS will. The only question is, will you remain steadfast and use those tools that God has given you so that you will be found faithful.

I Thessalonians 1:8 For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.

In this verse, Paul is commending the church for their part in spreading the good news of the gospel. Paul states that the church has not only spread the gospel in Macedonia and Achaia but also to every place that the faith of the church has been told. This church had so demonstrated its faith that the world knew that there was something different. This church did not just hide the truth of the gospel to themselves; but they obeyed Christ’s words by spreading the gospel of faith around the world.

This church did not need to go out and preach fancy words to let the world know that there was something different about them. This church did not need to put on fancy shows or music concerts to entertain their audiences to demonstrate that there is something different about them. This church instead just let their lives show the world that they had something of value, something that attracted all who came in contact with them that this church had something that was to be desired.

Your actions speak louder then your words. Paul is commending this church for the fact that this church’s actions were speaking so loud that the gospel of Christ was spreading. This church not only believed in Christ but they lived their lives so that the entire world could see that there was something different about them.

Put a young boy on top of a high structure and have his father stand on the ground beneath the structure. The father tells his son to jump and that he will catch him. The son can say all day that he believes his father, but until he actually jumps off the roof and allows his father to catch him, the boy’s actions demonstrate a lack of faith in his father. The quicker the boy jumps off the roof, the greater the demonstration of faith that the boy shows he has in his father. If his father has to plead with him to jump the son is not demonstrating his faith.

We demonstrate our faith by doing those things that God requests of us. We must be prompt in our obedience to HIM. God is faithful and HE will provide for our every need. God needs for us to promptly obey HIM in order to demonstrate to others our faith in HIM. God knows what opportunities await us at the time HE asks us to do something and if we are dilatory in our response, we might have missed an opportunity.

Your faith must be demonstrated to the world. You can preach the gospel of Christ to the entire world, but if your actions do not demonstrate to the world that there is something different about you, then all your words will be in vain. The world may hear your words, but they need to see your actions confirm your faith.

Christ has told you that you are to preach the gospel. You must step forth in faith like this church did and obey HIM. This one church had an impact on the world because they obeyed Christ and their lives demonstrated their faith in Christ. When both your words and actions join together, it is a powerful testimony that the world can see and this powerful testimony God can use to reach the world with the gospel.

I Thessalonians 1:3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;

Paul is giving his salutation to the church of Thessalonians. Paul sees fit to start out by informing the church of things that they are doing right. Three of the things that the church was doing right was how they were demonstrating their faith, their love and hope. You should remember that Paul ends the love chapter (I Corinthians 13) by mentioning three things, faith, hope, and charity. As you study Paul’s writing, you will see that Paul mentions faith, hope and love quite often.

Paul believed that faith love and hope were all important elements of the Christian life. Paul understood the need for balance and as such, he would not just site the person’s faith but would also point out how they were doing at demonstrating the other two areas. In this particular passage, Paul recognizes the church for actively practicing its faith and love. He also recognizes the church for patiently waiting for Jesus Christ’s return that was a demonstration of their hope.

There is more to the Christian life then just faith. Faith is not the sole ingredient to living a life pleasing to the Lord. Balance is necessary and ones faith must be accomplished with love and hope. If a person only ate whole wheat bread and nothing else, while they are eating something that is good, their diet would be lacking in several key areas and their health would eventually diminish. Yes they are eating healthy but because there is no balance, eventually their body would be lacking certain nutrients that it needs and eventually ones health would give out.

A person cannot just clean one room in their house and call the whole house clean. If all they did was clean the living room for three years, the rest of the house would be quite dirty and few would desire to enter the house because of the stench. A person could say they clean the living room all they want but it would be evident to all that while the living room may be habitable, the rest of the house is not.

Faith is an important part of your Christian walk. Yes you do have an obligation to study and increase your faith. Nonetheless, there are other aspects of your Christian walk that you cannot forget to demonstrate. The world is carefully examining your life to see if there is anything in your life that demonstrates that you are different and that you have something that they need. The more balanced your Christian walk is, the less holes they will see in your Christian walk and the more desirous they will be of what you have.

The world is watching you. They do not care if you have all faith if they feel that you do not have any hope for eternal life. The world does not care about your faith if you have the personality of a hungry hyena just looking for someone to devour. The world hears your words, but your life demonstrates more to them then your words ever will. The world needs to see your faith but they also need to see that you have love one to another and that you have a hope that your life has another purpose then just living on this earth and dieing. Paul commended the church of Thessalonians for their balanced Christian life. If Paul were writing a letter to you today, would he be able to commend you on your balanced Christian life? Would he say you have demonstrated faith, love and hope?

I Samuel 4:3 And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.

The Philistines had put themselves in a position to fight Israel. Israel gathered together to prepare to defend themselves but they were not as strong as the Philistines. 4,000 Israelites died. Israel did not desire to go back into the battle absent the Lord because it was clear to them that without the Lord, they were nothing. The elders thus sent for the Ark of the Covenant. In their minds, if they had the Ark, then the Lord was with them and they would have to win the battle.

The elders of Israel did not seek the Lord’s will prior to going to battle. The elders of Israel did not seek the Lord’s will after they had lost 4,000 men. The elders of Israel simply presumed that if they had the Ark, then the Lord was with them and they would win the battle. Unfortunately, the elders presumed wrong and 30,000 Israelites lost their lives and those who were left fled to their tent.

How many individuals would have been saved if the elders had simply sought the Lord to see what HIS will was regarding the situation. The elders presumed and 30,000 lost their lives and the Philistines confiscated the Ark of the Covenant. It seemed logical that if they brought the ark in that the battle would turn, but God’s ways are not always our ways. Just because you do something that appears spiritual, it does not make it spiritual.

Presuming the will of God can have drastic consequences upon your life. It may even have a drastic effect upon those around you. God is not so distant that you have to guess the will of the Lord. Instead, HE is there waiting for you to call upon HIS name so that HE can direct your steps. It is harder to call upon the Lord then to guess what you think the Lord desires you to do.

In order to call upon the Lord, you must exercise your faith that God is in control, that HE can speak to you and that HE desires to make HIS will know unto you. You have to take the time to put yourself in a position where you hear HIS voice. It takes a lot of effort on your part to ensure what the Lord is saying to you regarding your direction.

In presuming the will of the Lord, all you have to do is guess what you think the Lord is trying to do in your life. You are able to assume that God wants you to do what you have already figured is best for yourself. God is not apart of the decision; you are just making the decision because you feel it is the one that you must make. You can hang your hat upon some spiritual principles, but if it is not the Lord’s will, it does not matter how spiritual it is, the Lord will still not bless it.

If you desire to have the Lord with you, then you must take the time to ensure what HIS will for your life is. You cannot afford to guess no matter how many spiritual reasons you can come up with. There is just too much riding upon your decisions that you must learn to take the time to seek God’s will first and then react. If you guess God’s will wrong, you can easily grow bitter at God but the real problem was with yourself, not with God.

I Samuel 3:21 And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh: for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord.

Samuel had heard the Lord and Lord had told him that HE was going to judge Eli’s house in accordance with the previously declared word of God by the man of God. Eli was like a father unto Samuel and as such, Samuel was not eager to tell Eli the word of the Lord. Nonetheless, Eli must have perceived that the message spoken to Samuel was regarding HIM and he thus insisted that Samuel tell him.

This was not the only message Samuel heard from the Lord. Once Samuel understood how to hear from God, Samuel did not allow any words to fall to the ground. Samuel pronounced judgment whenever the Lord requested. Because of Samuel’s boldness and thoroughness regarding pronouncing God’s word, it became evident to all of Israel that God was with Samuel.

Would God have continued coming and speaking to Samuel if Samuel had not been willing to pronounce judgment upon the house of Eli? There is a reason why God started with such a difficult message for young Samuel. This was a test by God to see if Samuel was willing to fear the Lord more than man. Samuel passed the test and the Lord expanded his ministry and allowed all Israel to see that the Lord was speaking to Samuel.

God may at times ask you to do a difficult thing. You may not understand why HE has asked you to do what you were asked to do. Nonetheless, you must be like Samuel who was willing to tell the word of the Lord even though it was against someone who had a major impact in his life. You must understand that God can and does tell you to do difficult things. It is not your position to question God it is your position to obey HIM.

Moses was commanded to gather the people and strike the rock. Moses would have looked funny had nothing come out of the rock. Nonetheless, Moses had seen the faithfulness of God and as such, he was willing to follow God’s instruction. When God asks you to do a difficult thing, stop and look back and see how the Lord has been with you and guided you in the past. Remember God’s faithfulness. Having remembered God’s faithfulness; be bold in following God for HE will take you through that which HE has commanded you to do.

God desires to use you and to guide you. However, if you are not faithful to do what HE shows you to do, then HE is less inclined to use you because you are an unstable servant. Samuel was used of God because HE passed God’s test. While all Israel may not have known the difficult task that God had required Samuel to bare, it is clear that the nation knew Samuel was chosen of God and that Samuel was hearing God’s voice.

Others may not know the deep burdens you face. Others may never understand the pressure you face in obeying God. However, God knows and HE is faithful to enable you to complete that which HE has assigned for you to do. As you demonstrate your faithfulness, the Lord will bless you in other ways by bringing you additional opportunities that you never thought possible. God is looking for individuals who have the faith to trust in HIM. Will you be the individual who God uses?

I Samuel 3:10 And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.

Samuel did not know the voice of the Lord. He was in bed one night when he heard his name being called. Since Eli would be the only person calling him, he went to Eli. Eli stated that he had not called Samuel and sent him back to bed. Three times, Samuel was called and he ran to Eli. Finally, Eli perceived that the Lord was calling Samuel and he told Samuel that the next time he heard his name called, that he should respond, “Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth.”

Samuel was about to learn to have a personal relationship with the Lord. Samuel most likely had heard stories of the Lord speaking to others, now the Lord was going to show Samuel that HE was going to be speaking to Samuel also. God was speaking to Samuel, but Samuel first needed to learn how to listen. Samuel had to learn the voice of God.

It is very easy to put yourself in an environment that enables you not to hear the voice of God. You can run around and make yourself busy fulfilling your responsibilities and thus create a situation that you cannot hear God. Samuel could not hear God as long as he was running back and forth trying to serve Eli. In order to hear God, you have to take the time and stop everything else and just listen. You need to express your interest in hearing God’s voice.

God desires to speak to you. However, the question is, are you ready to put everything else aside and listen? God had come to Samuel four times to speak to him, but it was only the fourth time when Samuel was prepared to listen that Samuel received the message. God’s voice did not change between the four occasions. The way God came did not change between the four occasions. The only thing that changed was that Samuel was ready to hear from God.

How often do you have a difficult problem that caused you to come before God and ask HIM to show you the way? You have asked God to answer your prayers. However, after you have asked, have you spent the time with God so that you could hear HIS answer to you? Have you put yourself in a position that you could actually hear God speak to you?

God desires to have a personal relationship with you. HE desires that you give HIM the opportunity to speak in your life. Think about your best friend. If your friend did all the talking and all you did was sit back and nod your head, what kind of relationship would that be. God is not up in heaven just waiting to hear your requests and answer them. God yearns for your relationship to go to the next level. In order to take the relationship to the next level, you must be willing to be like Samuel and stop everything and acknowledge the Lord and just listen.

By faith you understand that God is trying to speak to you and you put aside all other distractions and listen. It is too easy to crowd your life with distractions so that you cannot hear God. However, hearing God is a vital part of your relationship with God and is necessary if you truly desire to live a life pleasing to HIM. You cannot afford to hide from God with your busy schedule. Instead, make the time and listen to God.

I Samuel 2:34 And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them.

God sent a man of God to Eli to pronounce judgment on Eli’s house as a result of the sin of Eli’s sons. We do not know the name of the man of God, all we know is that he was sent by God to deliver a message to Eli. This man of God not only had to tell Eli that his sons were going to die, but that another priest would be raised up to take his place. Furthermore, those who were left of the house of Eli would be begging for their bread.

Doing the will of God is not always a pleasant task. Sometimes God will have you do things that you would rather not do. Telling someone that God had no more use for them is not a task many would relish. Nonetheless, this man of God understood that God desired him to give this message to Eli and this man of God obeyed. This man of God did not receive glory and honor for obeying the Lord. God did not record his name in the Bible so that you could admire the faith and boldness of this man of God. God simply lets you know what the message was and that there was a man faithful who was willing to deliver it. It was God who desired the glory for the presentation of this message.

Just because you obey the Lord, it does not mean that trumpets are going to sound in heaven and God is going to tell all the angels that you are an individual that HE is well pleased with. God does not supernaturally start blessing you just because you obey that which HE has told you to do. God told you to do something because HE knows you are capable of doing it, this is your duty, and you do not need honor for simply obeying.

If a parent tells their child to clean up the room, the child should not expect to hear at the dinner table their praises sung because they obeyed and did that which was required of them. The child has a God given responsibility to obey their parents, they should not expect or require that they receive praise for simply obeying.

This man of God was recorded in the scriptures as an individual who obeyed God. We are not told his name, we are not told whose son he was or what tribe he came from. We do not know if he knew Eli or not. All we know is that God gave him a message and he delivered it and the things that he spoke about came to pass.

Just because you obey God, it does not mean that God has to bless you supernaturally. You obey God because you desire to please the ONE who sent HIS only Son to die and save you from your sins. You obey God because HE is your creator. God sends the rain upon the just and the unjust. Just because you obey, it does not mean that you receive any special treatment from HIM. Do not have expectations of what God must do for you because you are HIS child. Remember, God is trying to use your life to draw many to HIM so HE may do certain things so that others can see your faith and trust in HIM regardless of the circumstances in your life.

Trust in the Lord and obey HIM. Do not obey HIM because you expect something in return. Eternity in heaven should be a sufficient reward to living your life according to HIS purpose. God may have you do things that do not always make sense. Nonetheless, HE is God, and by faith, you have an obligation to obey HIM and do HIS will.

I Samuel 2:22-23 Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? For I hear of your evil dealings by all this people.

Eli’s sons did not fear the Lord and their actions were an abomination to the Lord. Eli was aware of his son’s sin and he confronted his sons about their transgressions. Nonetheless, his sons did not head their father’s warnings but continued to do that which was right in their own eyes. All Israel knew that Eli’s sons were committing sin and as such, it probably had a drastic effect upon how many people came to Eli to be ministered to. Why would a woman desire to come and worship the Lord in Shiloh?

Eli is an excellent reason why Paul told Timothy that one of the qualifications of someone who was going to be in a position of authority in the church was that the man must have his house in order and that his children must be in subjection. Eli’s ministry was being destroyed quickly because of his son’s sins. So too today, your ministry also can be damaged if you have children and your children are not living their lives fully unto the Lord. People will look at your children and see the results of the message that God has given you and see if the results are something that they desire in their lives.

Eli had lost control of his sons and his sons were hurting his ministry. In addition to people naturally desiring to no longer come to Eli, God was about to take away Eli’s ministry and was about to kill Eli’s two sons. Violations of God’s law can only be tolerated for so long, especially when one is a leader. Solomon tells us that one is to train up a child in the way they should go and when they are old, they shall not depart from it. Eli apparently did not properly train up his children and his ministry was quickly being destroyed. Eli may have had a great ministry at one time, but people tend to remember the bad much more then the good.

The way you live your life is the biggest testimony that you have. People are watching you and are examining whether or not they feel that you are living a life that is worthy to follow. It does not always matter the words that you speak if the actions that follow are not consistent. If you claim to have the truth, then there is no place for hypocrisy in your life. In addition, if you have children, your children’s behavior also has a great impact upon your testimony.

God is a God of mercy and HE can take any situation you have and demonstrate HIS mercy and provide for you a viable ministry that is effective for the Lord. While God will forgive you and continue to use you, it is better that you strive for perfection and not give the enemy any chance to destroy your ministry.

By faith you understand that you must live to a higher standard. You cannot live your life in such a way as to destroy the ministry of your parents nor destroy your own ministry. Your actions speak louder then your words. Ensure that your actions are such that God can use you to do great things for HIM. Remember that people are watching you and your family and as such, ensure that your life is in order before you jump at an opportunity to conduct further ministry for the Lord.

I Samuel 1:17 Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.

Eli has just learned that Hannah was so troubled that she was not a drunk woman but that she was crying out to God in prayer. Eli responded with a blessing. Eli had no obligation to bless Hannah but he chose to open his mouth and bestow upon her a blessing from God. The blessing that Eli bestowed upon Hannah came true and God visited Hannah and opened her womb and gave her a son.

How many times throughout scripture do you read about a blessing? Isaac gave Jacob a blessing when he sent him to Laban. Jacob wrestled with God for a blessing. The people of Ruth’s town blessed her when she married Boaz. Scripture is full of examples of individuals taking the time to speak a blessing upon the life of another.

Today, while you may hear many individuals tell you “God bless you” this is not the same as a planned blessing with carefully considered words. It is rare to hear about a father blessing their child. It is rare to hear of people bestowing a blessing upon a newly wed couple. Blessings really are not held as a valuable part of our life.

Do you really understand what a blessing is? A blessing is the spoken words by another regarding specific areas of ones life. These words will be such that can be a direction for ones life. In the case of Ruth, the blessing was that she would be fruitful and bear children. We know that Ruth did have at least one son.

By faith both the person receiving the blessing and the person giving the blessing believed that the things stated in the blessing will come to pass. However, a blessing is different from prophecy in that it is not the foretelling of a specific event at a certain time. Instead, a blessing is more of a prayer to God to do something for another.

When was the last time you gave a scriptural blessing to another individual? When was the last time you received a true scriptural blessing? A blessing use to be so important that Rebekah encouraged her son to steel his brother’s blessing. The blessing made him the ruler over his brother. The general events of Isaac’s blessing on Jacob did come to pass. Esau and Jacob both understood that the words their father said would come true.

Is there someone close to you that you feel needs encouragement? Rather than simply patting them on the back and telling them “God bless”, why don’t you take the time to carefully consider your words and give them a blessing? Take the time and search the scripture. Find a verse or two that are applicable to their situation. Pray about your blessing and see if this is something God would like you to give to the individual. Seek the Lord’s direction and the Lord will give you the words to speak.

By faith you will speak your words to the individual that you desire God to bestow special favor upon. By faith the listener can hear your words and can use your words to give them encouragement and hope during the storms of their present situation. Nothing in scripture indicates that a blessing is not still valid today. Rather than give general blessings, take the time to see how you can speak a specific blessing that God may answer. See how you can use your words to change the course of someone’s life.

I Samuel 1:11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.

Hannah made a vow with the Lord that she was willing and able to keep. She apparently thought through her vow and determined what she would do should the Lord actually give her the desire of her heart. She understood that the Lord had closed her womb and that any child given to her was strictly from God. She was willing to give back to God that which God gave her which is why she was and did make the vow unto God.

Hannah had no obligation to make a vow. In fact, there was a chance that her husband would veto the vow if he disagreed in the day that he heard the vow. Her husband however understood his wife’s desire to have a child, and did not veto the vow.

Hannah also vowed that her child would never have his hair cut just as Samson. She did not obligate her future son to a full Nazarite vow. God had chosen Samson, but Hannah choose her son to be at least follow part of the Nazarite vow.

Hannah was willing to give back to the Lord the son that the Lord gave unto her. She understood the child was from God and that if God gave her a son, there was a purpose for that son and that she had an obligation to God to ensure that her son was in the proper position to be used of God. She made the vow and scripture is clear that she fulfilled her part of the vow.

Hannah is an excellent example to you of an individual who understood that if God gives you a good thing, it really belongs to the Lord and that HE has a purpose for the good thing that HE is giving to you. What is the good thing that you desire from God? Whatever it is, have you determined how if the Lord gives you the desire of your heart how you can use the desire of your heart for the furtherance of God’s kingdom? Could it be possible that one of the reasons why God has not given you the good thing that you request because you have not taken the time to think of how you are going to use the desire of your heart for HIS benefit.

Imagine a son coming up to his parents requesting of his parents that they extend his bedtime from 8:30pm to 9:00pm. His parents decline. Now a couple days later the son comes back and states that he is having a hard time finishing his chores and his school work in the time designated by his parents and that if they extended his bed time by 30 minutes, he could allocate that extra time to properly finishing his obligations. This son now has a better chance at receiving his request.

God has no obligation to answer your requests. However, HE is much more likely to give you your request when you understand how you plan on using your request to magnify HIS name. By faith you will reason with God and demonstrate to HIM how HE is benefited by giving you something that you request of HIM. You should be like Hannah in that you take the time to give God the reasons why HE should answer your prayer. Do not be hasty in making a vow, but you can make a vow you can keep.