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Dailies July 2021 |
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08/26/2021 Daily Devotions: by Christina Farris 1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, 2 To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 3 I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day; 4 Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy; 5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also. 6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. 7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; 9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, 10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: 11 Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. 12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. 13 Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. 14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us. 15 This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes. 16 The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain: 17 But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me. 18 The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day: and in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well. Paul tears are probably running down his eyes as he writes, the emotion are strong for young Timothy who is like a son, and he has not seen him in sometime. He thinking back on when he meet Timothy who was learning about Christ, God and the Holy Spirit from Eunice his mother and Lois his grandmother. The emotion strong, but the reality of all God had in store for Timothy has a man of faith. Paul had layed hands on Timothy and baptized him by the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit were stirred up in Timothy, Meaning he began to minister by the Holy Spirit to the people around him. Paul stops on the description of baptism on Timothy and continues writing about the fact God has not given Timothy a Spirit of fear but Spirit of power, of love and a sound mind. I want to stop right here because if we focus on the word hear of what did Timothy receive of the Holy Spirit, not a spirit of fear, but the Spirit of power, love and a sound mind. What kind of Spirit did you receive when you asked for the Holy Spirit to fill you? If someone prayed over you what did they request in your life for you to receive of the Holy Spirit? Did you just get knock down/slain in the Spirit/slammed to the floor? The hyprocrisy in the charsmatic and pentecostal movement today, is they do not teach who the Holy Spirit is, or about his holiness, instead it is a movement of slamming people to the floor by emotion? No, not exactly. Some of the best Bible scholars question these experiences of people receiving the Holy Spirit baptism with speaking in tongues, slaying in the Spirit and so forth. Yet the experience coming without the education of who the Holy Spirit is, causing mimicky and chaos in some cases. It like using pressure points on a person to cause people to fall to the floor and not actually allowing the Holy Spirit to be desire or consumed with knowledge of what a person will be receiving. Timothy experience would of come with knowledge of being educated by his grandmother and mother as well as being taught scripture from Paul. Timothy father was a greek and that all we know about him, and we do not know if he was christian or not. Yet we know Timothy had learn about Jesus as a child. His experience came of the gifts and presence of the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands and being prayed over by Paul. Don't get caught in the emotional experience, not saying they can not be legit, but you find some experience is not real. How do you know your experience is real in the since of the Holy Spirit coming down upon you from heaven. One the Spirit you receive is not one of fear, but of power, love and sound mind. Sound mind might seem what? Well do you know what you experience, do you know what is of God? are you sure of what is of God, did the Bible and Holy Spirit answer your question about your experience. Love being something of unconditional love for the family God, and for those in need of God. Power of the Holy Spirit, meaning the gifts of the Spirit is making changes through Timothy ministry through preaching and teaching in the lives of others. The power of the Spirit going forth empowering and building up others in faith with boldness not known to the regular world because of a lack of faith. Are you an experience seeker? If you see the works of God manifesting through your prayer, and through testimony, teaching about Jesus and so forth then God is revealing to you that your name is written in the Lamb's book of life. Paul reflection on young Timothy and his experience with young Timothy, on sheds some light on the loneliness of Paul. Yet the memory of what God was doing in Timothy life was blessing to Paul. He seen the fruit of his labor of love in Timothy life. Not only that he experienced much persecution in ministry to see Timothy success without danger would of been a blessing. Not saying Timothy never fast any persecution for he would die a mayrter of faith. Yet he was minister and a pastor and had traveled with Paul on his missionary journeys. Paul continues on in his letter with young Timothy after the reflection of the laying on of hands, to speaking briefly of his own experience but also about holding to the sounds words about the Holy Spirit and hold dear to the faith, hope and love given by the Spirit, and not just fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Realize Paul talks about the power of God in such away to know it not just the memory of himself that important but the example of the memory that God had given in Paul of the Holy Spirit to Timothy. It is the reflection to know the truth as one experience God gifts working in one's life on a regular bases, to know that evidence is no more needed to believe. I can still taste the stew of my mother's kitchen in my mind as if it was yesterday, with a piece of beef and fresh vegetables from the garden. It is this thought that reminds me of the reflections of God and the experience we have about God should be like a sweet savory soup. A memory to hold to and to grasp as one of joy and happiness. Plenty of meat with a vegetables to feast on in the experience of faith and emotion. If your experience leaves you scared, bewilder, and without understanding ask yourself is it of God or the enemy. Then ask yourself did I learn who God was during my experience or was it just an emotional roller coaster. One need structure not just belief. One needs knowledge not just experience to know God is not just emotional experience. It is being able to go forth in that same love, hope, no fear and faith in God to share the truth of God. Dear Heavenly Father, experiences are great with you, but keep us focus on the foundation of knowledge of truth of who God is and the reality of why you move in your people life through the baptism of your Spirit that changes the lives that need knowledge of who the Holy Spirit and Jesus is. In Jesus precious name, Amen. Continual Scripture Study: 2 Peter 3:16-18 KJV16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. 17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. 18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. 1 John 1:1-4 KJV
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