My Daily Pause

It doesn’t feel like we are all teaching our children to be the best they can be in God’s kingdom anymore. We need more people that can proclaim the word of God and we need more examples of how great life as a Christian can be.

In 1 Timothy 3, the qualifications of elders are deacons are laid out and are pretty straight forward. We appoint men that have attained these qualities, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t all supposed to be trying to attain them! These aren’t a list of qualities directed only at local church leadership – these are qualities of Christians in good standing.

These qualities will give us:

• Patient and loving fathers
• Strong families based on God’s pattern
• Well-grounded teachers
• Respect from the communities we serve

I wish we were all teaching our children to desire to become elders in the Lord’s church. I hope we can begin to teach them all to preach a gospel sermon. We can begin by making them all young Timothys by taking an interest in teaching the young ones in Bible class and being sure to always honor the leaders, preacher and other hard working men in the church.

Daily Bible reading for May 27

Psalm 146
Numbers 32
Joel 1
1 Timothy 3

Guarding against false teaching is a challenge now just like it was when Paul sent Timothy out to preach. (1 Timothy 1:3)

The first line of defense in protecting the gospel is your ears. Whether you are studying with a person you know well or someone new, listen to what they teach:

• It should harmonize with what you already know.
• If it doesn’t, then either you are wrong or they are.
• This becomes a study point and an opportunity for growth and correction.
• Ideas that are new to you aren’t necessarily wrong, but are also study points.

Of course to recognize new, false, different or wrong ideas, you have to be well grounded in the scriptures. This takes some work and commitment, but it is a part of loving God. (John 14:15)

How do we get that grounding?

• Study
• Attending church AND the Bible study sessions.
• Daily Bible reading
• Daily Bible study

If we were all like the Bereans, (Acts 17:11-12) we would all be quick to pick out false teaching and there would be just one church that looks like the church in the Bible.

Daily Bible reading for May 25

Psalm 144
Numbers 30
Obadiah 1-14
1 Timothy 1

We are almost exactly six months from “Black Friday” so it seems like a good time to have a refresher on the spirit of giving. Giving is a subject that to some, is highly personal and sensitive. Some preachers even have a hard time talking about it from the pulpit.

While the Bible teaches us to be liberal givers, there is some amount of balance required. Solomon stressed a strong work ethic (Proverbs 21:25-26) because of the folly of idleness. Paul taught us to do good for all (Galatians 6:10), but gave a warning in 2 Thessalonians 3:10 to not be careless in our giving, thus allowing some to “work the system”. There are a number of reason why:

• Idleness is a sin and the recipient is not motivated to work
• The giver becomes an accomplice to the idleness
• The truly needy lose out
• Idleness spreads through the community as a way of life

probably worst of all, the spirit of giving is stretched thin when idle people are encountered claiming they are needy.

Paul advised us not to become weary of doing good (2 Thessalonians 3:13) and Solomon taught that generosity creates blessing (Proverbs 22:9).

Sooooo … How do we balance our charity since there is no quick and easy formula for learning how? Perhaps we gain wisdom from the actual practice of generous giving.

Daily Bible reading for May 24

Psalm 143
Numbers 28-29
Isaiah 66
2 Thessalonians 3:6-18

In a previous post, we briefly considered the outcome of whether or not we include God in our lives.

In Psalm 143 we find David hidden in a cave, feeling as low as any man can go. He found himself alone and without the earthly comforts of family and home. If we routinely wait until we are in desperate need to go to God, we might find ourselves in that same darkness and afraid to go forward. Using David’s example we see the way to handle those times of need:

• He asks God to help (Psalm 142:1-2)
• He tells God how overwhelmed he is (Psalm 142:3-4)
• He identifies God as his refuge (Psalm 142:5-7)

We need to make a habit out of talking to God. When we do, we will start to find ourselves in dark times less often. Refuge in ourselves or in the world will always fail too soon.

Daily Bible reading for May 23

Psalm 142
Numbers 27
Isaiah 65
2 Thessalonians 2:13-3:5

We have often heard God asked to guide, guard and direct us in prayer – Maybe to the point of it being cliché. In Psalm 141, David expands upon that sentiment. When we invite God into our lives and protect us from sin, he helps us by protecting us from even the desire to do sinful things.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 shows us the other side of the coin. When we exclude God from our lives, we become suspect to a hardened heart, the lies that Satan tells us and an attitude of enjoyment when we do sinful things.

Be sure and call on God often.

Daily Bible reading for May 22

Psalm 141
Numbers 26
Isaiah 63-64
2 Thessalonians 2:1-12