# 42 2019 Devotion, 1 Tim. 6:11,12. Faith!  Read all of chapter 6 The purpose of these devotionals is to draw Gremar and I closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.

1 Timothy 6:11,12 “But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of the faith.” 

Paul ends this chapter with a warning about false teachers and a final charge to Timothy. Apparently there were unscrupulous persons trying to exploit the new Christians for financial gain. “⁴ they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions”. 

Unfortunately, since the beginning of Christianity, well meaning people have had “an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions”, all in the name of orthodoxy. Over the years, religious controversies have caused much pain and major disruption of relationships to the point that today, we have close to thirty thousand different denominations in our world. The only upside of this dark side of religion is that many more people are attracted to churches that cater to their beliefs.

Paul gives us a different motivation: “But godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷ For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. ⁸ But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.” The answer to all this disruption is the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives if in fact we listen to His guidance. Paul says: “But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of the faith.” This advice is the fruit of the Spirit (Gal.5:22,23).

Therefore, trust Jesus as the “King of kings”, do not put your “hope in wealth”, but “be rich in good deeds”, “be generous and willing to share”, “so that they (we) may take hold of life that is truly life”.

The bottom line for followers of Jesus: “guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, ²¹ which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith.”

“Grace be with you all.”

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# 39 2019 Dev. Psalm 72:17. The King! Read all of Ps. 72. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw Gremar and I closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.

Ps. 72:17 “May his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun. Then all nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed.”

Psalm 72 is David’s prayer for his son Solomon who is about to be anointed as king. His prayers include requests for all that is expected from a leader: “Endow the king with justice…” and “righteousness, prosperity” for the needy. He is compared to the benefit of creation: the sun, moon, rain, may “righteousness flourish and prosperity abound. May all kings bow down to him and all nations serve him.” All this came to pass in Solomon’s time.

Verses 12-14 switches to the those “who cry out…, who have no help”. The king “takes pity on the weak and the needy…, precious is their blood in his sight”.

Verses 15-16 addresses the physical needs of the land and of his people. Also, this came to pass in Solomon’s time.  

Verse 17 is what this Psalm is about: God’s plan for His people, for His world and for His Kingdom. This is applied to Solomon, in as far as people of his time understood, but in our time we see the second meaning of this Psalm in the incarnation of Jesus Christ. This second meaning is confirmed in 2 Samuel 7:16 “Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.’”  This is the last sentence of God’s promise to David.

The rest of the Psalm praises God for his deeds and glory.  As we understand this Psalm today, everything in this prayer is applied to Jesus Christ. In our time, by this Psalm, our hope is confirmed, our faith is built up and the Kingdom of God in our hearts is displayed. Amen!

By the power of the Holy Spirit we are strengthened to live out our Christ centered worldview.  David, in spite of his short comings, that we all share in one degree or another, is our example as “a man after God’s own heart”. I pray that all followers of Jesus may be people “after God’s own heart”. Praise be to God!

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# 38 2019 Devotion, 1 Tim. 4:6. Spiritual Guidance! Read chapter 4. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw Gremar and I closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.

 1 Timothy 4:6 “If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.”

 Paul introduces another: “This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance.” Paul’s saying points back to what he writes before and what he writes after it. Paul starts this chapter with the voice of the Holy Spirit: “that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.” The latter times are between the coming of Christ and His second coming. We are living in the latter days right now. Paul relates to Timothy the beginnings of what came to be known as “Gnosticism”. A simple definition of Gnosticism: in early Christian centuries wayward followers of Jesus proclaimed that matter is evil and that emancipation comes through secret knowledge. The answer, Paul writes Timothy: “If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.” 

 Followers of Jesus are still facing heretical convictions today. We all know the issues that the world has excepted as normal, as right, and should be acceptable to all humanity with no regard to faith or conscience. Many churches are compelled to be politically correct because they are afraid of being spiritually correct.  Paul tells us: instead of following the world, “rather, train yourself to be godly. ⁸ For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. ⁹ This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance.”

 For the followers of Jesus, this trustworthy saying also points forward: “set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. ¹³ Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. ¹⁴ Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you.” Pastors are designated by the Holy Sprit and confirmed by fellow followers of Jesus. As a pastor, Timothy’s work is to set spiritual direction for the church. What is happening today is that some church leaders’ spiritual guidance has been hijacked so subtly that Satan is not recognized in the guidance given. This is what Paul is pointing out and we do well to listen. Verse 15 puts us on a positive path: “Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. ¹⁶ Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” Praise be to God!

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# 37 2019 Dev. Psalm 71: Our Rock! Read all of Ps. 71. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw Gremar and I closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.

 Ps. 71:3 “Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go;
give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.”

 This is the third Psalm of this series with the main overall theme of Hope. The Psalm is a prayer, a request for relief of opposition, real or imagined. The Psalm is also a complaint, a lament and an expectation of salvation. “For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord, … From birth I have relied on you…I will ever praise you….you are my strong refuge…Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone”. The Psalmist is putting his whole life into God’s hands.

If we forsake living in our little circle and are living in the real world, we identify with this Psalm and with the Psalms as a whole. The events of the last months: senseless killings in this country and abroad, unbelievable destructive weather events, unprecedented miss-information, persecutions of all religious groups, all this is enough to question our hope. People ask: where is God in all this? But that is not a question that followers of Jesus should be asking. No! our God reigns! Amen?

We can’t claim to understand completely but we know that God is in control spiritually and physically of our personal lives, of our country, of the world, and of the whole universe.  This assurance is not blind faith, it is simply faith: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11).

In old age we ask what older people have asked for millenniums: What is this world coming to?  In such times as these we need to hold onto verse 3: “Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress” That rock is Jesus! That is our prayer of hope and comfort! Thanks be to God!

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# 36 2019 Devotion, 1 Tim.3:16. True Godliness!  Read all of chapter 3. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw Gremar and I closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.

 1 Timothy 3:16 “Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great:”

Here we have another worthwhile saying that at first glance seems to be the first verse, but when you read the whole chapter it is more likely that all of chapter three is based on an early confession or hymn.

It also appears that this instruction for leadership is directed to married men. On a side note, the church we worked with in Africa does not allow single men to be ordained as pastors. Today many churches and some Christians apply these instructions to both men and women, single or married and there are churches and Christians who apply these instructions to only men. The jury is still out on this issue of leadership but what is important to know that both groups are dedicated followers of Jesus and and practice the whole gospel of Jesus!

 The issues that Paul mentions in his instruction are: “Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, ³ not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. ⁴ He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect.” These characteristics bring respect and good rapport in the community, inside and outside the church.

 Paul gives us the reasoning for his instruction: So that “you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.” Here, Paul applies these characteristics to all followers of Jesus! This makes sense when we read: “the mystery from which true godliness springs is great:” and the poem that follows.

“He appeared in the flesh,
    was vindicated by the Spirit,
was seen by angels,
    was preached among the nations,
was believed on in the world,
    was taken up in glory.”

Our true godliness comes by our belief in Jesus! Simple! Thank you Lord Jesus!

  © cgvanwyk, all rights reserved.

# 35 2019 Dev. Psalm 70:4. The Lord is Great! Read all of Ps. 70. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw Gremar and I closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.

 Ps. 70:4 “But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say, “The Lord is great!”

 Ps. 70 is the second of four related Psalms and is titled: A Petition. The Psalmist is petitioning God to intervene into his life in order to save his life from the enemy. The Psalm is short but is a desperate prayer for help. The Psalm is framed in two urgent requests; “hasten, O God to save me” and “come quickly to me, O God”. He is overwhelmed, but in verse four he falls back on the anticipation of hope, on his expectation of salvation and he praises God; “The Lord is great”!

 That really is what following Jesus is all about; hope and expectation. Every one of us are overwhelmed at one time or an other. We are not physically threatened but we have spiritual enemies, as Peter tells us: “Your enemy the devil prowls  around like a roaring lion”. Sometimes we are overwhelmed by illness, or other setbacks also brought on by Satan. God does not bring evil on His followers. God is completely sovereign and that is why we pray with hope and expectation. But God answers our prayers in His own way and in His time but He always answers.  Along with the psalmist we say: “come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer. But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; The lord is great”!

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# 34 2019 Devotion, 1 Tim.2:3-5. Worship!  Read all of chapter 2. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw Gremar and I closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.

 1 Timothy 1:3-5 “³ This is good, and pleases God our Savior, ⁴ who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. ⁵ For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, ⁶ who gave himself as a ransom for all people.”

 When Paul says “this is good” he is referring to what he says before it: “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— ² for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” Paul encourages us to intercede and pray for all people, and for leaders and for those in authority. The political environment of today has prevented us from praying for our leaders, we use one or another excuse not to pray, but read Rom. 13 to put things back in perspective. The lack of our prayers only adds to the chaotic political situation we are facing today.

 Secondly, Paul talks about worship: “Therefore (pointing back to vs 3-5) I want men everywhere to pray” and put aside disputes and anger. “I also want the women to dress modestly” and do “good deeds appropriate for women who profess to worship God.” If anger, disputes and modesty was a problem then it certainly is a problem today. Now people do what they want and wear what they want but Paul says no, everything you do and wear sends a message. Worship is a daily activity, 24/7.

 Thirdly, Paul is speaking about male headship which has unique responsibility. Paul talks about the fall in this passage. The fact is that Adam was responsible, God addressed him first, but Adam passed the buck, “it is the woman you gave me”. God addresses Eve, she passed the buck to Satan. God addresses Satan: God cursed him and said: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head and you will strike his heel.” This is what we call the “Mother Promise” the promise of salvation in Christ (Gen.3:15). This promise is why Paul says: “women will be saved through childbearing if they continue in faith and love.”

 Paul does talk about male headship but this is not always understood: Paul had female coworkers, and there were female deacons in the early church. Paul is not restricting women, but what he is saying is what we are experiencing now; mutual submission and mutual respect which is lacking today. Our culture is moving to a female centric orientation. How are people depicted in advertisements, movies and in social media? Men are depicted as bumbling idiots, and as only sperm donors, while women are depicted as strong and reliable.  But this is not how things are supposed to be: “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” The husband must love his wife and the wife must respect her husband. Read Eph.5:21-33 for God’s standard on human relationships. Praise be to God!

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# 33 2019. Dev. Psalm 69:5,29. Affliction! Read all of Ps. 69. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw Gremar and I closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.

 Ps. 69:5 “You, God, know my folly; my guilt is not hidden from you.”29 “But as for me, afflicted and in pain—may your salvation, God, protect me.”

 Ps. 69-72 begins a new series, ending book 2 of the Psalter. They contain three prayers and a royal Psalm of Solomon. Ps 69 is a prayer for relief from persecution and rejection applied to the king unjustly. The king’s situation echoes Christ’s experience while on this earth. Along with Ps. 22, Ps. 69 is the most quoted Psalm in the New Testament. The Ps. is divided in half; Vs. 1-15 and 16-36. V. 5 is the middle of the section 1 and v 29 is the middle of section 2, vs 5 and 29 compliment each other.

 While v. 5 acknowledges the king’s guilt it also leads to concern for the innocent, concern for those associated with the king. This applies to Jesus but also applies to us as the followers of Jesus who stand opposed to our secular culture: “Lord, the Lord Almighty, may those who hope in you not be disgraced because of me. God of Israel, may those who seek you not be put to shame because of me.” We share the burden of Jesus, rejection, maligned unjustly, hated because we promote love and forgiveness.

 Section 2 begins with: “V 16. Answer me, Lord, out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me.” Certainly a prayer we share with the Psalmist. The center of this section is: V 29 “But as for me, afflicted and in pain—may your salvation, God, protect me.” We have been spared much of the pain of following Jesus that over 200 million people experience around the world. Yet God is faithful: “I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. The Lord hears the needy and does not despise his captive people.” Even where we live; facing only a few of the challenges of the king in this Ps. or of followers of Jesus in some countries today, Jesus is faithful to us.

 The promised Land always was and is a metaphor for the Kingdom of God and for Life Eternal. This is how this Psalm ends: “Let heaven and earth praise him,
the seas and all that move in them ³⁵ for God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah. Then people will settle there and possess it;³⁶ the children of his servants will inherit it, and those who love his name will dwell there.” The inheritance of our God. Thank you Lord Jesus!

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