April 9th, Thursday: 1 Timothy 1 - 2

1 Tim 1

The work in Ephesus was not easy.

And Timothy wanted a new assignment.

But Paul urged him to stay where he was and get the job done.

The next time you want to abandon your assigned place, consider the arguments Paul gave for Timothy for staying where he was.

Stay at your post, God will empower you as you pray.

Stay there for the work's sake.

What Paul warned the Ephesian elders about, had come true.

Paul's teachers were in the church.

The pastor's job is to warn them and teach the people the truth.

If he abandoned the flock, Timothy would be a hireling and not a shepherd.

And do it for the Lord's sake.

Jesus died to save sinners, and He lives to equip and enable His servants to do the work of the ministry.

The same God who empowered Paul would empower Timothy.

And can empower us today, because God is faithful.

And do it for our own's sake.

You see – God has equipped Timothy, called him and gave him a solemn charge.

There was a battle to fight and he dare not run away.

If we flee the post of duty, we rob ourselves of opportunities to grow, to serve and to glorify God.

When the winds of adversity blows, set your sails in the right direction.

And let Christ handle the rudder.

Otherwise you maybe shipwrecked.

1 Tim 2

What is the most vital ministry in the local church?

Well, according to Paul, it is prayer.

Prayer moves the Hand that govern the world.

We must pray for government leaders that the doors of ministry will be kept open, and souls would be won to Christ.

Because God's people do not pray for people in authority, wars close mission fields, officials do not grant needed visas, and the work of the Lord suffers.

Vance Hafner wrote, 'A good woman is the best thing on earth. Women were last on the cross, and first at the open tomb.'

The church owes a debt to her faithful women which she can never estimate.

Say nothing of the debt we owe in our homes to Godly wives and mothers.

Paul reminds Christian men that Christian women are important to the Lord and the work of the church.

The Gospel brought freedom to the women in the Roman empire, but some of them do not know how to handle it and went to extremes asserting their liberty.

Hence the reminder about the spiritual leadership of the men in the church.

Modesty, true spiritual beauty, godliness and good works – these will characterize the woman God blesses.