Pure conscience? Seriously?

 

2 Timothy 1:3-7(NKJV)

I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, 

greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy, 

when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. 

Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

This is Paul in his 2nd letter to Timothy.  Paul says he serves God with a clear conscience.  Think about that for a minute.  Paul was a Pharisee, as were his forefathers.  Paul was a strict adherent to the law.  Paul persecuted and personally brought about the death of many Christians, for believing in Christ.

How can Paul claim to have a pure conscience?

Easy.  That is the cleansing and saving power of Jesus Christ!  When we accept Jesus and confess our sins we are washed clean, not just given a fresh coat of paint.  Does that makes sense?  Those sins aren't just covered up, they are wiped away.  They are gone!

Have you accepted Jesus yet?  No better time that right now.  Just have a conversation with Jesus and ask Him to lead your life.  "Dear Jesus…." 

For those who try to practice spiritual blackmail

Ran across this the other day.  I think it is a useful verse to use against those who like to practice spiritual blackmail.  As an example I have two clients who are brother and sister.  The brother spends money like a drunken sailor and then when his kids need help he goes to the sister and tries to guilt her into providing that help.

Well Scripture tells us that he is the one who is guilty of not fulfilling his role in Scripture, not her.

1 Timothy 5:8(NKJV)

But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

Choose life or choose death. It really is that simple!

Choose life or choose death.  It really is that simple and it is a theme that is repeated throughout the Bible.  Here it is in Jeremiah.  The same choice as we face in the New Testament from the standpoint of we either listen to and believe God...or we don't. 

In the Old Testament story in Jeremiah it is the OT version of salvation where Judah is looking to be saved from Nebuchadnezzar.  Do they listen to God's prophet or not?  Do they trust God for their salvation or do they trust Egypt?  In the NT it is whether to accept Christ for our eternal salvation as God gives us the opportunity to do.  But again it comes down to do you trust God or not? 
 

Jeremiah 43:1-13(NKJV)

Now it happened, when Jeremiah had stopped speaking to all the people all the words of the Lord their God, for which the Lord their God had sent him to them, all these words, 

that Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men spoke, saying to Jeremiah, “You speak falsely! The Lord our God has not sent you to say, ‘Do not go to Egypt to dwell there.’ 

But Baruch the son of Neriah has set you against us, to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they may put us to death or carry us away captive to Babylon.” 

So Johanan the son of Kareah, all the captains of the forces, and all the people would not obey the voice of the Lord, to remain in the land of Judah. 

But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces took all the remnant of Judah who had returned to dwell in the land of Judah, from all nations where they had been driven—

men, women, children, the king’s daughters, and every person whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch the son of Neriah. 

So they went to the land of Egypt, for they did not obey the voice of the Lord. And they went as far as Tahpanhes.

Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying, 

“Take large stones in your hand, and hide them in the sight of the men of Judah, in the clay in the brick courtyard which is at the entrance to Pharaoh’s house in Tahpanhes; 

and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Behold, I will send and bring Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and will set his throne above these stones that I have hidden. And he will spread his royal pavilion over them. 

When he comes, he shall strike the land of Egypt and deliver to death those appointed for death, and to captivity those appointed for captivity, and to the sword those appointed for the sword. 

I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt, and he shall burn them and carry them away captive. And he shall array himself with the land of Egypt, as a shepherd puts on his garment, and he shall go out from there in peace. 

He shall also break the sacred pillars of Beth Shemesh that are in the land of Egypt; and the houses of the gods of the Egyptians he shall burn with fire.”’”

Pretty tough lesson to learn.  The things they feared the most came to pass because they didn't trust and follow God.  What about you?  What are you worried about the most?  More importantly, are you trusting God to lead you through it?  If the answer is yes then what the heck are you worrying about?  Chill!  God's got it covered!

"For every creature of God is good,"….Really?

This comes from one of Paul's letters.  One of the problems I have in understanding Paul is that I think he sometimes speaks in vague platitudes that can be taken out of context.  This illustrates what I am talking about.   
 

1 Timothy 4:4-5(NKJV)

For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; 

for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

Where I think this can be taken out of context is that I think you will have some who will take this and say something like "how can you say Hitler was evil?  Right here it says that every creature of God is good.  People are some of God's creatures aren't they?".    A casual observer of the Bible might look at that and agree. 

The thing is, we know that can not logically be true and therefore what Paul meant.  Notice that is says "is good", not "was good" so we aren't dealing with a before and after the fall kind of thing.  I can illustrate the illogic in a couple of ways.

God vs Satan is the epitome of the battle of good vs evil.  If we were to accept the above premise that "every creature of God is good" then we would have to say that Satan, being a creature of God, is good.  That would negate the battle of good vs. evil.  Illogical.

One of the characteristics of God is that he is a just God.  Would a just God send good people to hell?  No.  If the above premise were meant to be as all inclusive as some would suggest, then there would be no need for hell.

I believe that if you read the verses in their entirety it could be interpreted to be talking about the dispute of eating clean and unclean food.  That since God created all "creatures" (animals), it is OK to eat them without guilt provided the food is received with thanksgiving. 

But because of Paul's lack of preciseness, my interpretation is just as open to criticism and critique as any other.  And that is where we need to let the Holy Spirit take over and guide us in our understanding!

And the great thing is that once you accept Jesus you get the Holy Spirit to guide you.  He isn't reserved to just a special few.  We all can have Him.  If you would like that guidance in your life then just ask Jesus to lead you.  Have a conversation with Jesus.  "Dear Jesus…."

Receiving the "love of the truth"

Here is a great piece of Scripture.  You know how when you point out sin and people say things like "that isn't very loving.  Jesus said love your neighbor."?  Take a look at what this Scripture has to say about that.

2 Thessalonians 2:10-12(NKJV)

10and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 

11And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 

12that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Now you could interpret "did not receive" in a couple of ways.  Did not receive as in heard it and rejected it or did not receive as in never heard the truth. 

In either case I believe that it is saying that lying to someone and telling them "awe it isn't your fault" when it clearly is for example; is not showing that person love.  Telling them that they don't really have to believe in Jesus as long as they are a good person again is not showing them love.  It is actually allowing them to perish.  I think we would all agree that that isn't loving. 
 

People can't make course corrections and change when no one shares the truth with them.

As the Bible says, "the truth will set you free!"

Hmm….wouldn't this require a judgment?

1 Thessalonians 5:19-22(NKJV)

19Do not quench the Spirit. 

20Do not despise prophecies. 

21Test all things; hold fast what is good. 

22Abstain from every form of evil.

Doesn't that all require judgment?  :)

Signs that are hard to miss.

The timing of the last days has always been a popular topic of study.  I have written on it several times.  As I have said before, some of the stuff in the Bible about the end times is so generic that it is pretty much useless. 

I'm thinking of things like "wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes, etc.  This have gone on throughout history.  But there are a couple of things in Scripture that I think will be hard to miss.  Here is an example I found yesterday.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-4(NKJV)

1Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 

2not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of £Christ had come. 

3Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of £sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 

4who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits £as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

So what does that mean?  My take on it is that until we see the anti-Christ sitting in Jerusalem (in the Temple) claiming to be greater than God Himself, I'm not going to be too worried about it. 

Who is the anti-Christ?  I don't know but he will reveal himself by claiming to be greater than God. 

Until then Scripture tells us to be vigilant which I will be but other than that I'm not going to lose any sleep over it.

Faith makes life so much easier!