Understanding God

Everything that I understand, I understand only because I love.

Count Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910, Russian novelist, philosopher)

Psalm 91:14-16 (HCSB)
Because he is lovingly devoted to Me, I will deliver him; I will exalt him because he knows My name. When he calls out to Me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will rescue him and give him honor. I will satisfy him with a long life and show him My salvation.

“Seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand,” said the theologian St. Augustine. We see here a backwards approach to research practices. Most believe to understand something that you are to approach it without any presuppositions, but in getting to know our God we find the opposite, you must first believe, and then you will understand.

Everyone has a “favorite” subject which they may know more about and probably like to share that subject with others. I met someone this past week that loved to talk about photography, and loved to share it, and I learned many useful things from him which he told me without asking. You see, he had a great interest and he was “devoted” to that subject and he wanted to share his devotion.

If we applied that same effort to knowing and understanding our God, we wouldn’t find it hard to share. We would be so lovingly devoted to Him that we would want to share with everyone we met, the things that He does for us. Now that’s devotion. We couldn’t be around someone else without sharing with them the benefits of knowing His Name. Love Him, and Understand Him…God Bless.
Pastor William

Falling In Love

I need nothing but God, and to lose myself in the heart of God.

Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque

Jeremiah 9:23-24
This is what the Lord says: The wise must not boast in his wisdom; the mighty must not boast in his might; the rich must not boast in his riches. But the one who boasts should boast in this, that he understands and knows Me that I am the Lord, showing faithful love, justice, and righteousness on the earth, for I delight in these things. This is the Lord’s declaration. (HCSB)

Plato, the Greek philosopher who lived in the BC’s, had this to say about the much discussed subject of Love. His words were these “Love is a serious mental disease.” Now I tend to agree with him, for real love seems to consume us. It happens at loves first touch in us, the quickening pulse, a tightening chest, and a curiously strong attraction.

Now if that is how human affection strikes us, how much stronger should our love for God consume us. Deuteronomy 6:4-6, known as the “Shema” to the Jews, was a daily statement of faith, “Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart.”

Read Ecclesiastes and begin to understand what it was that Solomon learned, the smartest man that ever lived. Some of his terms might make you blush, but it seems he had discovered a great love for his God. I think that it is something that we all need to do today, look at Him again, examine all of His attributes and be consumed by a great love for all that He is, and be amazed that He is yours…God Bless.
Pastor William

Continuing Truth

The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it and ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.

Winston Churchill (1874-1965, British statesman, Prime Minister)

John 8:30-36 (HCSB)
As He was saying these things, many believed in Him. So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, you really are My disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” “We are descendants of Abraham,” they answered Him, “and we have never been enslaved to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus responded, “•I assure you: Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. A slave does not remain in the household forever, but a son does remain forever. Therefore if the Son sets you free, you really will be free.

Aldous Huxley, the famous British author, once said it this way, “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you mad.” That’s funny, but really most of the time truth rubs the flesh the wrong way, doesn’t it? This is true because we perceive truth as a denial of desire, or what we desire to be true, and this makes us mad.

Jesus knew this. Listen to Him this morning as if you were standing among the crowd that had gathered around Him. He said, if you “continue” in My Word, you will know the truth, and it will set you free. So what is it that would stop us from continuing in the Truth but being a slave to our “own” desires? Jesus was saying when you make choices always choose truth, continue in it, and live in it.

The Jews took offense at being called slaves. They chose to be captive under the Law and deny Jesus and get angry at “The Messiah,” who spoke the Truth to set them free. What will be mine and your reaction when we face the truth? It is an everyday decision. As Albert Einstein said, “The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all our lives...God Bless.
Pastor William

The Lost Are The Subject

If you are out to describe the truth, leave elegance to the tailor.

Albert Einstein (1879-1955, German-born American physicist)

Titus 3:8-11
This saying is trustworthy. I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed God might be careful to devote themselves to good works. These are good and profitable for everyone. But avoid foolish debates, genealogies, quarrels, and disputes about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. Reject a divisive person after a first and second warning, knowing that such a person is perverted and sins, being self-condemned. (HCSB)

We are seeing today the devil himself using tools of the church to damage the cause of Christ. Calvinism, I believe, is one of the greatest threats to the church today. Time magazine just printed an article of the confusion, or friction that exists in the faith today. It is not an argument that the church needs, nor does it do any good to help reach the lost for Christ.

The greatest Truth that we can proclaim as Children of Christ is the Message of Salvation. The methods or the elegance as Einstein described it can be left to the tailor, for if we allow the things that we eat as Christians to harm those that have not tasted the fare, then we are most inadequate to spread the gospel.

If we, as followers of Christ, do not cling to truth, we are foolish. In Romans 16:17 Paul says “Now I implore you, brothers, watch out for those who cause dissensions and pitfalls contrary to the doctrine you have learned. Avoid them.” So the Doctrine of Salvation is to be shown to the world and not petty bickering and confusion from the ranks of those bearing the Gospel that is not what the lost need to hear…God Bless.
Pastor William

House Top Christians

It is not difficult to get away into retirement; and there live upon your own convictions; nor is it difficult to mix with men and follow their convictions; but to enter into the world; and there live firmly and fearlessly according to your own conscience; that is Christian greatness.

Author Unknown

Matthew 10:26-28
“Therefore don’t be afraid of them, since there is nothing covered that won’t be uncovered, and nothing hidden that won’t be made known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light. What you hear in a whisper, proclaim on the housetops. Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (HCSB)

These words, given to us by Jesus, are a wakeup call to all that follow the way of the cross. Many of you brave souls may say to me today, I’m not afraid of anyone. Well, then if you are not, bravely face the world today and tell them who the greatest love of your life is, and declare who holds your heart and sustains your soul.

Boy, in today’s world we are sold on being politically correct, and tolerant. Ok, that’s cool, but does that mean that you cannot share what your beliefs are? I don’t think so; as a matter of fact tolerance says that we are able to hear one another without fear of retaliation.

You will find though that as a Christian, others will not tolerate your beliefs, and why? Because it is not a belief, it is not words; it is invigorating and active truth that stirs souls. What a Christian has is hot coals that warms and comforts the saved, but causes a burning in the heart of the world that cannot be quenched by empty words, so proclaim those whispers on the housetops, let the world see His light…God Bless.
Pastor William

Clay Pot Opinions

When it comes to truth, men on their side must force themselves for a while to lay their notions by and begin to familiarize themselves with facts.

Francis Bacon (1561-1626, British philosopher, essayist, statesman)

Isaiah 45:9-12
“Woe to the one who argues with his Maker—one clay pot among many. Does clay say to the one forming it: What are you making? Or does your work say: He has no hands? How absurd is the one who says to his father: What are you fathering? Or to his mother: What are you giving birth to?” This is what the LORD, the Holy One of Israel and its Maker, says: “Ask Me what is to happen to My sons, and instruct Me about the work of My hands. I made the earth, and created man on it. It was My hands that stretched out the heavens, and I commanded all their host. (HCSB)

It is amazing to watch the Created trying to understand the Creator. The story goes that scientists had discovered a way to make a man, and they met with God to have a contest to do so. The scientists grabbed a handful of dirt to begin their task, but God looked at them and said, “No, you get your own dirt.”

My question is this; can the copy see the works of the original? The creation is looking at what is created trying to understand the Creator. The creation is looking for a process, or a logical answer to their existence, but it doesn’t exist. God created us from nothing, and everything that we see from nothing, and when we look at it, we see Him, we see perfection, and not a process.

God wanted us to look at creation in all its beauty, and then to look for Him and seek Him, to stand in awe of His might and power. The fish can ask the ocean to tell him how he was made, but the ocean knows not where he came from, the ocean watched a process set in motion until God decides it must end, and then we shall see, and then we shall know, The Creator…God Bless.
Pastor William

Fearing God

There are times when fear is good. It must keep its watchful place at the heart's controls.Aeschylus (525-456 BC, Greek dramatist)

Acts 9:31
So the church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace, being built up and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, and it increased in numbers. (HCSB)

No single English word describes the word “fear” of the Lord. The meaning includes worshipful submission, reverential awe, and obedient respect to the covenant-keeping God of Israel. Understanding “fear” in God’s dictionary is important to Christian growth. Solomon tells us in Eccl 12:13 “When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is: fear God and keep His commands, because this is for all humanity.

So what are we missing today, we are missing the fear. Psalms 34:11 says “come children, listen to me, and I will teach you the “Fear of The Lord.”. If I could describe it, to me it is like following a map, and watching the sign posts along the way. We should be watching for landmarks that tell us we are on the right path. Some are journeying in the world today without the “Fear” of the Lord aiding them as their compass.

In Philippians 2:12, we find Paul telling the children of God to work out their salvation in obedience, and with “Fear and trembling. It is a fear of falling short of the mark, which is the definition of sin. It is a respect for and a seeking of holiness, which without it, no one shall see God. Walking in fear knows what Peter says in 1 Peter 1:17, that this is a temporary journey, and then we see Him, face to face…God Bless.
Pastor William

Keeping His Word

Words convey the mental treasures of one period to the generations that follow; and laden with this, their precious freight, they sail safely across gulfs of time in which empires have suffered shipwreck and the languages of common life have sunk into oblivion.
Author Unknown

Psalm 119:57-64
The Lord is my portion; I have promised to keep Your words. I have sought Your favor with all my heart; be gracious to me according to Your promise. I thought about my ways and turned my steps back to Your decrees. I hurried, not hesitating to keep Your commands. Though the ropes of the wicked were wrapped around me, I did not forget Your law. I rise at midnight to thank You for Your righteous judgments. I am a friend to all who •fear You, to those who keep Your precepts. Lord, the earth is filled with Your faithful love; teach me Your statutes. (HCSB)

What is it to keep His Word? It involves many aspects of our lives to do this. It involves our daily walk and it also involves our daily talk. It takes both to pass on to coming generations the true faith that God places within the soul of a Christian dedicated to “keeping God’s Word.

The psalmist says that the Word caused within his heart an accounting. He thought about his ways, he examined his life and directed his heart to the commands of God. You can also see the spirit in which he obeyed, he obeyed “without hesitation.” It’s important to see too that he was in the midst of trial, and he turned to the Law of God for his refuge.

Now that is keeping God’s Word, you turn to it without hesitation. God’s Word is your friend, the Word sleeps with you at night, and it travels with you throughout your day. Through the Word you see a path through this world that no one else sees. You see an earth filled with the Glory of God, and at night you see glimpses of the Glory to come. You heart desires His statutes and you desire to see His face…God Bless.
Pastor William

Sincere Prayer

Prayer is essentially man standing before his God in wonder, awe, and humility; man, made in the image of God, responding to his maker.
George Appleton

James 5:16-18
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The intense prayer of the righteous is very powerful. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours; yet he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the land. Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land produced its fruit. (HCSB)

How is your prayer life going? Maybe the question should be do you have a prayer life? I only say that because of the difficulty of keeping any schedule in today’s busy world. There are some important facts that we must not ignore in our instructions to seek our God, for it is through our times alone with Him that we receive power to live powerfully in the Gospel.

We find confession as one of the first steps of successful praying in James 5, and not just for ourselves, but for others as well, and it is important for our healing. We are to recognize our need for healing, and also desire to be remade, and renewed. Again, it is important to recognize the condition of the heart that is praying, we are also to be concerned for one another.

Now look at the type of prayer that is offered. It is described by James as “Intense” prayer. Now that is not a quick prayer or a shallow request. It is time spent on our knees deeply searching out God’s will for others, and for ourselves. It is sincerely desiring to experience God’s best so that the Glory of God might be revealed in the lives of the Church, to direct the world’s attention to our Savior…God Bless.
Pastor William

Accepting The Word

God asks no man whether he will accept life. This is not the choice. You must take it. The only question is how.
Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887, American preacher, orator, writer)

Proverbs 2:1-6
My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, listening closely to wisdom and directing your heart to understanding; furthermore, if you call out to insight and lift your voice to understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it like hidden treasure, then you will understand the •fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. (HCSB)

Some important words should not be ignored in God’s direction to us this morning through scripture. British author Aldous Huxley, once wrote, “Every man who knows how to read has it in his power to magnify himself, to multiply the ways in which he exists, to make his life full, significant and interesting.” Accept, is a good word for today.

“Accept,” is an important word giving us special insight to knowing “how” our Lord speaks today. “Accepting” God’s word is an important step in getting a fuller understanding of who our Father is, and God speaks through men. In Acts 15:7 Peter stood up and said to them: “Brothers, you are aware that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the gospel message and believe.

Peter is saying is that he was God’s chosen tool to preach the Gospel that others might hear it and accept it. This still happens today. Men preach, and by faith others accept by faith, that God works through men. 1 Cor1:21 says this “For since, in God’s wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of the message preached…God Bless.

Pastor William

Say Your Sorry First

Prayer in the sense of petition, asking for things, is a small part of it; confession and penitence are its threshold, adoration its sanctuary, the presence and vision and enjoyment of God its bread and wine.
C.S. Lewis

1 John 1:9-10
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us. NASU

What is prayer for? For some it is a “Wheel of Fortune,” a time to hunt for treasure, or to ask for something that is a main need of their time. We all have needs, and God is keenly aware of them, and has been since the beginning of time. But, God also knew the cause of our problem, and that was “sin.”

It was, and has been, and will continue to be, the maze between us and a real relationship with our Lord. God knew our natural bend towards sin and how easy we seemed to fall. God also made away for us to make it through this maze, and find Him in the end, and it is the Blood of His Only Son, Jesus our Savior that marks our way through this confusing world.

God asks us only one thing. Confess your sins. I think we spend a lot of time asking for things, and not asking for forgiveness for things that are getting between us and a right relationship with our Father. Every day is a day for confession, a time to clear the fog from our spiritual confusion. I believe we should all first say we are sorry for our mistakes, before we start asking for things…God Bless.
Pastor William

THe Power of Yes

Never allow a person to tell you no, who doesn't have the power to say yes.
Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962, American First Lady, columnist, lecturer, humanitarian)

2 Corinthians 1:17-20
So when I planned this, was I irresponsible? Or what I plan, do I plan in a purely human way so that I say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” simultaneously? As God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes and no.” For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silvanus and Timothy—did not become “Yes and no”; on the contrary, “Yes” has come about in Him. For every one of God’s promises is “Yes” in Him. Therefore the “Amen” is also through Him for God’s glory through us. (HCSB)

What is our answer to Christ? Every day of our lives Jesus calls upon us to express His love to this dying world. We are to walk worthy and to talk worthy, and we are to show others by the way we live the “Yes’s” that are possible in Christ Jesus.

Who is telling us no? Satan himself is. His only message is no, he cannot say yes to anything but death. Satan says “no” to the many new experiences that we can have in Christ, if we would only step out in faith and claim them for the Glory of God. But, Paul says, “Yes” has come about in Christ; in Him we have daily victory in our lives.

All the promises of God are “Yes” in Christ, says Paul, not “Yes and No,” but Yes, and the “Amen is also through Him, and the Amen is our answer to His “Yes.” What does “Amen” mean, it means “let it be so.” Now that is the proper, and only daily answer to God’s call on our lives isn’t it…Father, let it be so…God Bless.
Pastor William

Perfections Function

It is the function of perfection to make one know one's imperfection.
St. Augustine (354-430, Numidian-born bishop of Hippo, theologian)

Galatians 5:3-6
Again I testify to every man who gets circumcised that he is obligated to keep the entire law. You who are trying to be justified by the law are alienated from Christ; you have fallen from grace! For by the Spirit we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness from faith. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor un-circumcision accomplishes anything; what matters is faith working through love. (HCSB)

One of the hardest things for us to grasp in our walk here on this earth, is a proper perspective on our lives. In most cases we have shifting motives or ideas and find ourselves working in opposite direction of where God may be leading us. Sometimes in our striving to do well, we wind up losing the focus of, or direction towards the primary goal that is central to Christ, which is “Love.”

“But, what just is a halo, but something else to keep clean,” Fry, a playwright once wrote, but unfortunately many times we are striving with halos. We have a great desire to do well and get caught up in striving to be perfect, instead of striving for maturity in Christ. In striving to do well, we get lost.

We are found here, a mature Christian realizes that they will not be perfect, and they rest on Christ’s free gift of righteousness by faith. The Law was given to show us our limitation, but Christ came to remove those limitations. Together we now all await our Savior, letting our love for Him, work in our faith, and our faith in His Love work in us, to show a lost world His Grace, in us…God Bless
Pastor William

Harmony is Your Responsibility

Psalm 133:1-3 Living in Harmony
How good and pleasant it is when brothers can live together! It is like fine oil on the head, running down on the beard, running down Aaron’s beard, on his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon falling on the mountains of Zion. For there the Lord has appointed the blessing— life forevermore.
(HCSB) A Davidic song of ascents.

Colossians 3:14-17 (HCSB)
Above all, put on love—the perfect bond of unity. And let the peace of the Messiah, to which you were also called in one body, control your hearts. Be thankful. Let the message about the Messiah dwell richly among you, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, and singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Once again we hear the message from Paul, “Above all” put on love, which Paul tells us is the perfect bond of “Unity.” Listen to David, I used his quote this morning, and he speaks of fine oil that covered the head of the high priest, and the dew that comes from the snowcapped peak of Mt Hermon, when the descending cool air strikes the rising warm air below, to describe the bond that we should have in The Church.

God knows us so well, we are limited in patience, and so narrow minded. He says to us in so many ways in His Word, don’t get alone and isolate yourself and begin to make your own rules, and reject everyone around you that doesn’t think the way that you do. He warns us of our nature and reminds us of how much we really need each other. As the dew of Mt Hermon, we are to cool and refresh one another.

Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:1-4 “I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, With patience, accepting one another in love, diligently keeping the unity of the Spirit with the peace that binds us.” We are reminded that our own humility, and gentleness are necessary to diligently protect peace in The Body Of Christ…God Bless.
Pastor William

Homemaking

There is no sanctuary of virtue like home.
Edward Everett (1794-1865, American statesman, scholar)

John 14:23
Jesus answered, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. (HCSB)

Home! It is a strong word. It carries with it more power than a magician’s tricks and sets our minds and imaginations ablaze. Lydia M. Child, an American writer, said it this way, “Home -- that blessed word, which opens to the human heart the most perfect glimpse of Heaven, and helps to carry it thither, as on an angel's wings.”

What makes a home? Well, I think I have the perfect recipe above. First it must be a sanctuary, but what will make it a sanctuary is not just because you and those you love reside there, but because The Holy Family has made their home there too. Now that’s a sanctuary, but so many of our homes are empty these days. Both parents work to make ends meet and the home stands empty everyday unless…

...Unless, the Holy Trinity has made their home there too. Now if that has happened that home is blessed and protected, and again, how is made possible? It is made possible because a family has decided to “Keep” God’s Word as a standard for their lives, their homes and their family. In that case the home will always be full, full of the love of Christ and wonderful memories that will always stir strong feelings…God Bless.

Pastor William

Meeting In The Word

The Word of God well understood and religiously obeyed is the shortest route to spiritual perfection. And we must not select a few favorite passages to the exclusion of others. Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian.
A. W. Tozer (1897-1963, American preacher)

John 14:22-26 (HCSB)
Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it You’re going to reveal Yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus answered, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. The one who doesn’t love Me will not keep My words. The word that you hear is not Mine but is from the Father who sent Me. “I have spoken these things to you while I remain with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit—the Father will send Him in My name—will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.

Another dependable sign of a disciple of Christ is a great love of His Word. We have a lot of different programs, and books out there from different authors, but the book that will get us through is God’s Word. I don’t mean to demean others books and writings, but the Greatest Book is still “The Bible,” and if it is read by a believer and interpreted by The Holy Spirit of God, nothing is better.

Notice also that Jesus says that the one who loves Him, “Keeps” His Word and keeping His Word calls together one of the most important board meetings with the Chief Executives over your life. Keeping His Word stirs great affection in the Fathers heart for you, and causes Jesus, The Father and, The Holy Spirit, to come and make their home within you. They will “Tabernacle” with you.

I think that we are being “bombarded” today by many well meaning people with books to help and encourage Christians, but the best book is not being studied and read with a zeal for God to reveal to them, what the world cannot understand. The Holy Spirit is ready right now, and waiting for you and I to open “The Book.” If we will do that a land of wonder is revealed before our eyes, the world cannot see…God Bless.
Pastor William

Heavens Escalator

I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare.
C. S. Lewis (1898-1963, British academic, writer, Christian apologist)

Genesis 28:20-22
Then Jacob made a vow: “If God will be with me and watch over me on this journey, if He provides me with food to eat and clothing to wear, and if I return safely to my father’s house, then the Lord will be my God. This stone that I have set up as a marker will be God’s house, and I will give to You a tenth of all that You give me.” (HCSB)

One of the most dependable signs of love is giving. It is a sign of a lifetime commitment and one that is not easily overlooked. You will find it constantly in God’s Word, and you will find it constantly in life. If you see someone open their wallet, as well as their heart, then you know that a relationship is serious.

Look at the commitment that Jacob made after a dream in which he saw the stairway of heaven, and angels ascending and descending. This is also mentioned by Jesus in John 1:51, when Jesus says “you will see heaven opened and angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man. They are angels of provision, and they are bringing whatever is needed on this earth, from heaven.

Where are these stairways? Well, I think that wherever there is someone with a real relationship with God, there is a stairway nearby. You will see them sharing with others what they have received, being confident of their supply, and sure of God’s promise to them. It is a sign of what they have seen and believe, the mark of a real commitment to their God; you can’t out give Him…He wins every time…God Bless.

Pastor William

Sincere Love

Sincerity is an openness of heart that is found in very few people. What we usually see is only an artful disguise people put on to win the confidence of others.
Francois De La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680, French classical writer)

1 Timothy 1:3-5
As I urged you when I went to Macedonia, remain in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach other doctrine or to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies. These promote empty speculations rather than God’s plan, which operates by faith. Now the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith. (HCSB)

Focus, focus, focus, it’s time to re-aim, to get our goals in sight again. I fear many Christians and I’m afraid that some churches have lost sight of our ministry to this world. Paul is adjusting Timothy’s sights here and getting the right targets back in Timothy’s scope. Listen to what Paul say’s is the goal of their instruction.

No. 1 is love from a “Pure” heart, second is a Good conscience, and third a Sincere faith. Faith can only dwell in a pure heart, and this union yields a good conscience. This union yields such a secure peace that you can confidently love others sincerely, without worrying about what others think of you. You see most of the time people give a compliment because they want one, but sincere love doesn’t need one.

Spurgeon, the British Baptist preacher, said this “Sincerity makes the very least person to be of more value than the most talented hypocrite.” So it is imperative that when we claim to love, that we represent our Fathers love as pure, and sincere, and this will leave us with a good conscience. The road to reality and sincerity can be found by following Calvary’s well worn path, right behind Jesus…God Bless.
Pastor William