That's the Book: 1 TimothyEver seen sheep fight? Ever been to church? Sadly its sometimes the same thing. 1 Timothy is an important book. Its a personal message from the church leader Paul to his protégé Timothy. The book is written to encourage Timothy to not quit and stand firm on issues in a fractured and fighting local church in Ephesus. All kinds of crazy was being preached and the important message of Jesus was being compromised by the reputation of the fighting church. Sound familiar? I'd say 1 Timothy is an important book for believers today. We too have a contentious discussion happening amongst people who claim Christ. Most clearly seen on social media and the sharpest blades come out on Twitter. Lots of people are advising the best approach is to flee and drop any portion of faith which offends. Some are picking up viral campaigns of anger. Some are valiantly standing up to abuse. Some are using bad doctrine as a fundraising mechanism. All very familiar themes found in 1st Timothy. As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work - which is by faith. The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. I Timothy 1 4-5 Somethings are heresy and some are simply different interpretations - and the letter from Paul to Timothy contains advice on when to stand and fight and when to be silent. This book tells me there are s specific times when silence is the appropriate response. And clearly other times when kicking bad doctrine out the door should be our resounding corporate shout. The trick is to know which and when. My best guess says when abuse is happening, when exclusion, when one sin is shamed and others tolerated or celebrated we better not shut up. I'm not impressed when grace is cheapened into license or when the law is elevated to a whipping stick. But on all the minors - for the love - can we tap down our disagreements and elevate the main thing? When the grand story from Genesis to Revelation is what we teach. We’re in a good place when the cross is the main message. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners- of whom I am the worst. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. 1 Timothy 2 : 2-6 1 Timothy has some of my least favorite verses in the Bible. A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. 1 Timothy 2:11 When I run up against verses I don't understand or frankly don't like. I do my best not to just ignore them. Sometimes those hard verses have the best lessons. And clearly sometimes silence IS the right and often neglected approach. But these verses also seem to contradict Paul's great esteem mentioned in other books for women preachers and leaders. So off to study I go. I love Beth Moore's recent advice on Twitter. "Do your homework. Study the Scriptures, Genesis to Revelation. Study them hard. Know the NT from end to end. Learn to distinguish between differing interpretations that are well within the bounds of orthodoxy & actual heresies. The ESV has 757,439 words in it. That’s alotta Bible." Contest is everything. When the grand story from Genesis to Revelation is what we teach we don't get side tracked as easily by controversy. 1st Timothy also has some of my favorite affirming verses. Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12 Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity. 1 Timothy 5:1-2 Seriously - our #metoo culture could be solved if people would treat each other as family - with absolute purity. Good advice. Paul finished up the book with a clear fight against any sort of profiteering off faith and a final exhortation to Timothy not to quit. These are the things you are to teach and insist on. If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 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 and constant friction between people of corrupt mind who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. 1 Timothy 6: 2-5 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. But you man of God flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the pretense of many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6: 10-12 I'd say the same to you. Let's approach our faith with a clear heart with a goal of love, a commitment to the main message of Christ's redeeming sacrifice and the goodwill to one another to figure out what matters most. Baaaaaaa. Resources As always - the Bible Project is helpful. I especially like how the team allows for different interpretations of the text while pointing out the salient and clear issues. Love it. Free Book - Perfection Collides with Free Will by Gary WilliamsWhen I run up against verses I don't understand or don't like I try not to just ignore the content. I try to wrestle with the text until I understand or at least have a perspective to put the verses in context. Contest is everything. And sometimes I read what other people who have done the research think. Working through 1 Timothy I read and asked some knowledgable friends questions. This pass along came through those discussions. Gary Williams is finishing up his book Perfection Collides with Free Will. He'll be publishing soon but offered this FREE PDF DOWNLOAD for people interested in the nuances of relationships in ministry for men and women. Thoughtful.
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This batch of books brought to you by a visit overseas and plenty of time to read. Enjoy!
One of my favorite books in the whole world is Ernest Hemingway's book A Movable Feast. It's about the early years in Paris with his first wife. Paula McLain had the ingenious idea to write the same book fictionalized from the MRS. Hemingway's perspective. I absolutely loved it. I read this on the long plane home from our recent vacation and bawled my head off. I felt bad for the stranger seated to my left. I'm sure he was concerned about the tears dripping off my nose. If you love Hemingway but are saddened by his self destructive life this book is a heart rendering and inspiring look at what it means to love and let go.
I continued my dive into all things Hemingway when I checked out this massive tome. It's often said real life is stranger than fiction and no one does that apply to more than Hemingway.
I kept the spy theme going on vacation with The Whitehall Mandarin. While we were in London we walked the Thames River through The Whitehall district. Its where the military police, Scotland Yard and the government buildings are located in London. I enjoyed this book for the descriptions of things we had just seen. It also made me wonder how much of the fictionalized history was true. Pretty crass though so be warned.
Part fairy tale, part self help. Fun and dangerous if you take it too seriously. I listened to this massive best seller on Audible. Some of the scenes made me nod in recognition. The whole world conspires to help those that are following their personal legend.
We read Katie Davi's first book Kisses for Katie in bookclub almost a decade ago. She was a young woman who made the audacious and beautiful decision to personally adopt 13 girls in Uganda. Ten years later she tells her ongoing story of God's faithfulness, of loss and healing in her new book Daring to Hope. This is inspiring.
A friend promised to let us try the tea if we finished the book. This was an interesting look at the massive changes in rural China over the last fifty years and one woman's journey to adapt and maintain her identity.
What are you reading?
That's the Book: 2nd ThessaloniansI spent the weekend at a work conference. We were out at the beautiful Skamania Lodge. During one of the breaks a friend of mine talked me into doing the arial course. I bought a t-shirt because I couldn’t see myself dangling up in the sky between trees in work attire. As I signed the lengthy waiver I noticed the government license and inspection which were prominently displayed in the office. Nice. The first step in the process was putting the gear. I synched and paid attention. Tightened my helmet. We went through the training course which was down on the ground. Practiced clipping on and off. My trust was not in myself. I know myself. Slightly uncoordinated, out of shape, not terribly aware of my own surroundings. Good chance if left to my own devices I'd fall and break my head. I did trust the equipment. The government inspection. The trainer. The people who came off the course just as I was going in. They all looked like they survived and were even smiling. I trusted the clips and wires. And those big beautiful trees. I trusted the trees to do what trees do. Stay put. You see the sermon here right? My trust is not in myself. My fear is not in the wind or the height or gravity. Because my trust in the trainers and the trees was greater than the fear. The view was fantastic up top of the world. The perspective changed. 2nd Thessalonians is a short book. Just three chapters. A quick reminder to the people Paul had already spent great time with and had written previously. The book has two main points; 1. To commend the people for their faith and perserverence. They had already proven by their track record that faith in Christ was a wise move. Therefore, among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. All this is evidence that God's judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. 2 Thessalonians 1:4-5 2. To tell them to hold on in tough times because their faith in Christ to hold them would prove stronger than their fear of their future. It's not that there is nothing to be afraid of. It's just that God is stronger. He stays put. With this is mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. 2 Thessalonians 1:11 I certainly had reason to fear climbing up in the trees and dangling a hundred feet up on just a wire. But the harness, the credibility of the company, the evidence of other participants and the structure of the trees bore more weight than my fear. Same thing with faith. The future does hold uncertainty. There are people and movements opposed who would seek the downfall of a believer. But Christ is more certain. And this is the message Paul sends to those believers at Thesanolica. So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. 2 Thessalonians 2: 15-16 It's the same message I send to you. Yes. The future is scary. Yes. There will be painful things to come. And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people for not everyone has faith. But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance. 2 Thessalonians 3:2-5 Pray, and watch those ahead of you who have persevered. And remember clearly where God has proven in your life to hold you steady and upright. He is certain to catch you if you fall. So go ahead. Enjoy the view. Rescources I love the book The Lucky Few and have followed this fantastic family on Instagram the last several years. You can read my review of The Lucky Few HERE. I'm excited to announce there is a new book! Scoot Over and Make Room by Heather Avis just released and is sure to be a stunner. I'll be reading and reviewing soon but wanted to encourage everyone to grab your own copy. Check out the book trailer below. I love to paint. The girls and I can spend an evening together chatting and painting and I come away relaxed and hopeful. I'm really a hack. But I enjoy it so I keep on On our recent vacation I signed up for the daily watercolor class. I could get used to that life. Good food, beautiful views, time to paint. When I paint a little it helps me appreciate really good art. Helps me slow down. I see the world in new ways. Sometimes a little time away helps me see things I didn't notice before. For example, this little painting with the people at the cafe clearly has another table of guests behind them. Maybe I'll make some time to finish it tonight.
What do you do that enriches your life? We woke up this morning to a front yard full of pink flamingos. We'd been out of town for the last bit so had forgotten about this fundraiser for our church mission trip this summer to Zimbabwe. My youngest giggled and informed us she knew they were coming. Apparently my baby sister put us on her hit list. I'm pondering this morning who to send our friendly pink interlopers to visit.
I have a coffee cup at home given to me by a good friend. It says "Be careful or you'll end up on my blog." HMMMMMMM...… Fundraising is more effective when it's fun. Little tip there for life. |
About MeI love Jesus. I think my two daughters can change the world. I think you can too. Past Posts
August 2020
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