All of us make conscious or unconscious decisions each day whether we will serve under the yoke of Jesus or the yoke of the devil. Most have chosen the yoke of this world. Jesus offers us a light yoke of obedience to His Ten Commandments. The world offers a very heavy yoke of obedience to fashion, money, power, ego, pride, things, and work. That is a very heavy yoke to bear.
When we take on the yoke of Jesus every morning, He will help us carry our heavy loads throughout the day. Every day here at the ministry, I experience that concept. At times I feel as if the load is way too heavy for me to carry. But then, I turn my eyes away from the heavy load and look to Jesus. He then puts His yoke on my shoulders and lifts me up so my feet barely touch the ground. For 27 years He has been carrying this ministry. My faith has grown so much during those years. But I do see where I must continue stretching my faith if I plan on making it through the time of trouble.
As bondservants of Jesus, let us look upon all around us with love as “worthy of all honor” as Jesus looked upon those around Him. Let the yoke of Jesus lift us above our petty problems and the troubles of the world. He will take care of them if we continue doing our duties and responsibilities for Him.
1 Timothy 6:1 to 1 Timothy 6:21
Let all who are under a yoke as bondservants regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled.
The world is watching to see if we honor the name of Jesus. The honor of Jesus and the teachings we profess will be tested and tried. But we must never surrender to our base and earthly feelings. We must look to Jesus as our Helper. I must admit, in my past I did not bring honor to the name of Jesus. I am very ashamed of my sinful life.
We must bring honor to Jesus by living the righteous and holy life in our work? Do we treat the boss with honor? Do we give the boss the time he requires, or do we steal a minute here and there for our own selfishness? How about the things of the boss? Do we misuse them for our own selfishness? Let us bring honor to Jesus by living the perfect, sinless and Commandment keeping life in our work, home, school and play.
Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are brothers; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved. Teach and urge these things.
We must serve all, whether believers or nonbelievers, with the same love and service we would give Jesus. Jesus is watching to see if we carry His name with honor. Let us stand up in His power to live His perfect, sinless and Commandment keeping life.
If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, . . .
There are way too many different doctrines swirling around out there in the cesspool. Keep yourself pure by living, teaching and believing the teachings of Jesus to be perfect, stop sinning and keep the Ten Commandments to get your eternal life. If those who do not believe the teachings of Jesus, nor put them into their hearts,
. . . he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, . . .
There are a lot of controversies and quarrels taking place in our churches. Quarrels about words are ruining the lives of millions. The problem is, instead of doubling down on the truth as Jesus teaches, churches have put away the teachings of Jesus for the opinions of man in order to have “peace” in the church. It comes down to that word, “unhealthy”. We are not to crave controversies or quarrels; they will come if we stand firm for the truth. But we are not to go out looking to cause trouble with our own opinions. We are to teach truth with love in our hearts for all.
. . . and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.
This is found in a lot of churches. They teach doctrine that is not of God as a means to gain wealth and power. People are deceived by these false teachings and they are constantly causing friction among the people of God. They have depraved minds because they do not have the truth of Jesus. And remember, “gain” doesn’t have to mean monetary gain. It could be the gain of power or other advantages to our lives.
But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.
Godliness! How few know what that is. It isn’t going to church or listening to sermons. Godliness is doing as God does. Working as God works. Living as God lives. Being content with what we have is “great gain”. Stop “needing” things you don’t need. Stop wanting what someone else has. Be content and use what you have to bless others.
But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.
This concept is being impressed upon me more and more. I’m getting to the point where I hate spending money. Yet, money has to be spent to keep the ministry up and running. The printer needed a $700 fuser unit. There are four imaging drums that have to be replaced from time to time and they are about $300 a piece. Then, of course, there are the four color toner cartridges that need to be replaced every month or so at about $70 each. Then, there is paper, 112 sheets of paper for every book we print, along with cover paper, binding material, envelopes and postage. It doesn’t take long before money becomes an issue. Since purchasing the printer about four years ago, we have printed over 700,000 prints.
But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
I simply desire to have enough funding to meet your needs. I praise God for our 12 donors who sacrifice to keep this ministry up and running. All day long I am praying for God to prosper them and protect them.
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
Instead of craving or loving money, we should be craving and loving the Lord Jesus Christ. Instead of wandering away, let us return to Jesus and crave the faith of Jesus. Let us practice the faith of Jesus in our own lives. Let us find our joy in living the perfect, sinless and Commandment keeping life.
But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.
Flee and Pursue! Personally, I think we flee righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness and gentleness way too much. Our priorities are truly mixed up in this world. We have become numb to the life God wants us to have.
Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
These “witnesses” are not just our friends, family and neighbors. There are angels who surround us, recording everything we say and do; and protecting us as we allow them. Then, there are the myriads of worlds filled with righteous people who are also watching. What “confession” are you making?
I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, . . .
I’m trying to become more aware of that concept every day. Every breath I take is given by God. If He should stop giving it, I would cease to have life. This is not an automated process; this is a moment by moment deliberate act on the part of God on our behalf. What have we done to honor God?
. . and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach . . .
Do you keep the Ten Commandments “free from reproach”? Are you faithful in every detail of your life? Are you wasting God’s time sitting in church? What are you doing that gives a “good confession” before the world?
. . . until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords,
Instead of running around claiming, “Jesus is coming”, we need to understand that He will be displayed at the proper time. When He is ready. Until then, what are you doing to prepare people for His appearing? Are you displaying the Ten Commandments in your life? Are you teaching them how to live the perfect, sinless and Commandment keeping life?
who alone has immortality, . . .
We do not have an immortal soul. Our soul dies eternally unless we develop a soul that lives the perfect, sinless and Commandment keeping life. Only God is immortal. When He comes, He will bestow immortality on every person who lives as He commands.
. . . who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.
Is Jesus “unapproachable”? No! The “light” is unapproachable. He has stepped out of that light many times. He stepped out when He talked with Abraham. He stepped out when He came to this earth as a baby in Bethlehem. He wants to step close to you.
As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.
In a moment all can be gone. The financial market could collapse. Your health could collapse. A marriage can collapse. A child dies. Life is not certain. We must learn to enjoy every day what God provides, since we do not know how long we will have it.
They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, . . .
That is all that counts. What we do for others is what counts. In the end, it isn’t the amount of money you have stored up, or the things you have accumulated; but who you have helped and have been generous to.
. . . thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
God is going to take a look at that foundation. What is your foundation built upon? Will you “take hold of that which is truly life”?
O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you.
Each of us has been given the deposit of a measure of the Spirit of God. What we do with it will determine our future. Guard it well while you grow it.
Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” for by professing it some have swerved from the faith. Grace be with you.
There is a lot of babbling and contradictions going on out there. It can be very addicting. We need to learn to turn it off and sit quietly at the feet of Jesus.