Precious Rewards
2 Timothy 4
As we close out the
2 Books of Timothy, next week will begin with a few lessons in the
Book of Titus.
We should not forget
this second book written in the name of Timothy were the last written
words of the Apostle Paul.
It was written from
Rome as Paul was arrested the second time by Nero, for preaching the
"Gospel" of Jesus Christ.
This time Paul was
sentenced to death by beheading, and again Paul was content that his
life would soon be coming to an end and he would be going home to be
with the Lord!
The truth is, we
live in a world that is bombarded with messages of hope, yet all we
can see is a world that is becoming more and more corrupt because our
world offers no hope for true life.
My hope is that we
could see one more worldwide revival and thousands or even billions
would come to know the Lord Jesus Christ on a personal level that
begins with love and remains as love because we have such a great
love letter from our Savior!
The message of the
Word of God is so simple that many do not understand the simplicity
of salvation, but one thing must happen. The Holy Spirit must convict
us of our sin!
The only lasting
hope for all mankind is a personal relationship with Jehovah God, the
Lord Jesus Christ, the Great "I AM" of the Scriptures.
The Word of God is
so important that the Lord called special men and then equipped them
to preach the "Gospel Message" of the Lord Jesus Christ!
*****2Ti 4:1 I
charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who
shall judge the quick and the dead "at his appearing" and
"his kingdom";
2Ti 4:2 Preach the
word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort
with all longsuffering and doctrine.
What is the work of
that Preacher who is called of God? Number one He is to preach.
I think it would be
good to mention that in all the pastoral epistles we find nowhere in
the Scriptures where any female is authorized to preach the Word of
God and the Word of God gives no indication that any woman should
become the Pastor of any of the sheep of God who is the Good Shepherd
of all His sheep!
In fact, it takes
only one Scripture to prove my point!
1Ti 3:2 A bishop
then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of
good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
What we know is that
Timothy was a single man called to be Pastor in the Church at
Ephesus.
For a married man
called of God, he must meet the qualifications set down in what we
call the pastoral Epistles, the 2 Books of Timothy and Titus, after
first becoming a "Born Again" child of God.
In this one passage
we see that the husband must be blameless and have only one wife and
could even mean one wife at a time, but this one passage eliminates
the woman who could never be the husband of one wife. If it turned
out to be a couple in the LBGT movement then it cannot be any part of
the church!
So, God commands
that those men He has personally chosen, are to preach the Word of
God.
How many false men
behind the pulpits of America and even this world have rejected the
Word of God and preached every version but the truth of God?
A Preacher, whether
you say Pastor, Bishop, or any other name is to Preach the Word of
God and this means every passage in the Bible, all 31,173 verses in
the context that they were written, rightly divided.
2Ti 3:16 All
scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That the
man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
We saw this
Scripture last week and it has not changed, nor will it ever change!
It is a fact that we
will be judged for every evil thing we have done since coming to know
Savior but without a doubt that Pastor will be judged for every
message he has preached all the time he has been called to be a
pastor.
God is watching us
all but there is much more written about God watching those who deal
falsely with the truth of the Word of God!
The most important
reason to preach the pure truth of God is the fact that we will all
be judged by the same Word of God that is be preached.
I personally trust
the King James Version Bible because it is an English translation
from the original Hebrew and Greek manuscripts. I also realize that
King James himself was an evil man who I never hear of changing. The
King James Bible has nothing to do with King James except to say that
he may have paid to have this work done and even then, not having the
right intentions. As God does, He makes good things come from bad
intentions!
I would stay away
from any other English translation and those who use any of the other
languages should gauge their own translation by those same Greek and
Hebrew manuscripts.
Every work of the
Christian must be good enough, not to satisfy men, but to satisfy
Jesus Christ (Christlike)!
We must clearly
understand that if the Lord gave such a command to "Preach"
then He is certainly not trying to hide anything from us and He will
greatly judge all those who do try to hide the truth of God from us.
In fact, the truth
of God simply cannot be hidden from those who are seeking the truth
but easily hidden from those who will sit and listen to anything from
every "so-called" man of God!
No one is perfect
and myself far from that, but we are all to search the Scriptures, so
we will know the truth when we hear it and it is not that hard
because God will never hide the truth from us!
The man has never
lived who can outsmart God!
Psa_2:4 He that
sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in
derision.
Psa_59:8 But thou,
O LORD, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in
derision.
The one thing that
stands out in this passage is the fact that The Lord says to preach
the Word of God and does not mean to preach any other matter to those
who are listening! This is a sharp command to preach.
This is to take the
Word of God and make sense of the Word so all those listening can
understand, with the vigor to make sure they hear what God has to
say!
This is so the Holy
Spirit can do His work of conviction!
There are many
Preachers and Pastors who have no problem with the preaching of God's
Word. Where many fail they do not exhort those who are hearing to
take the Word of God in to their hearts and apply it to their daily
life.
God has already
proved that He is longsuffering and even says so and all those who
receive the Word of God into their hearts can be gloriously saved but
even God has a limit with His longsuffering.
Isa 63:10 But they
rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be
their enemy, and he fought against them.
We already know that
God does not ever changed His perfect ways and He never will!
Why are all these
things so very important? Because of the time we have arrived at
today in the Church Age!
*****2Ti 4:3 For
the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but
after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having
itching ears;
2Ti 4:4 And they
shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto
fables.
We should clearly
understand that in the day Paul wrote these words to Timothy and the
Church, false doctrine was already entering the Church!
The human being is
still a basically sinful creature, since the time of Adam and we will
use ever method thought of to avoid hearing the truth of our
sinfulness. This is the Holy Ghost's first obstacle in convicting us
of our sin!
The human being will
seek out words that will be suited more to their desires and their
fancies!
It is just a fact
and even more so, when they only receive partial truths or the Word
of God is not drilled into those fancies. Most every one that hears
the Word of God that is preached as commanded, will know when they
hear the truth and it is then it becomes time to make a decision to
accept the truth or reject the truth, but the truth is understood and
not many will do so the very first time they truly understand the
Word of God.
The Preacher is to
also be patient! Salvation is nothing to be toyed with. It is the
most important decision any of us will make and it is the right
decision!
God will continue to
send His Words to individuals until the Holy Spirit says that it is
enough! God said my Spirit will not always strive with man!
Church history has
already proven that this happened early to the Churches in Asia and
Paul even commented upon this same thing.
2Ti 1:15 This thou
knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of
whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.
These are the 7
churches in the Book of Revelation, but we must also remember that
these are also the 7 Ages of the Church nearing its end.
Only one Church the
Church of Philadelphia will remain completely faithful to the Lord.
All six of the other
churches became apostate in one way or the other with the greatest
apostacy of leaving the first love of the church or the foundation
which is the Lord Jesus Christ.
I believe this is
where we are at in the USA and most of the rest of the world where
the church is not still on fire for God! In fact, the USA has become
one of the biggest mission fields in the entire world when it was
once known as a godly nation!
We must also know
that if we are not on fire for the Lord Jesus Christ, then we can
also be considered to be an apostate Church!
People turn away
from God simply because they have rejected the truth and do not want
to hear the truth, not even considering the consequences of such a
rebellion against our Holy God!
The Bible is very
clear! When you turn away from the foundation of the Church, the Lord
Jesus Christ, then Satan will have a man or even some woman who will
teach unto you vain fables to make you feel good about the false
church!
They will tell you
anything that sounds close to the truth without having any truth in
it.
Gen 3:1 Now the
serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD
God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye
shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
Gen 3:2 And the
woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of
the garden:
Gen 3:3 But of the
fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said,
Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
Gen 3:4 And the
serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
Gen 3:5 For God
doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be
opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
Sinful man simply
wants teachers who will allow them to live as they please, without
hearing anything about sin or Hell, or even Heaven.
For such people
these places will become places that simply do not exist!
We must pray for
such people and God still loves them!
But we must not ever
be fooled the only way any one can be saved is to surrender to the
whole truth of God!
Gal 1:6 I marvel
that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace
of Christ unto another gospel:
Gal 1:7 Which is
not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert
the gospel of Christ.
Gal 1:8 But though
we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than
that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
Gal 1:9 As we said
before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto
you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
We must realize that
myths and fables exist in every religion but not in Christianity!
*****2Ti 4:5 But
watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an
evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
When God gives us a
ministry then we are to make full proof of that ministry God has
given to us!
It is obvious that
when we look around we can see many so-called men of God who just do
not remain faithful to their ministry!
A true minister of
God will suffer more hardships than most because they have a target
on their back for those who follow Satan to fire their fiery darts.
1Co 15:57 But
thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus
Christ.
1Co 15:58
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always
abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your
labour is not in vain in the Lord.
Not every man of God
will be traveling preachers because many are chosen to Pastor a
church. For any ministry the object must remain to seek to win souls
in everything that is done, even in discipleship training, the object
is to seek those that the Lord can save.
The Lord Jesus has
passed this baton to the church!
Joh 4:34 Jesus
saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and
to finish his work.
We should not forget
the circumstances of the Apostle Paul as the Holy Spirit gave him
these words.
*****2Ti 4:6 For I
am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
2Ti 4:7 I have
fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the
faith:
2Ti 4:8 Henceforth
there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the
righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but
unto all them also that love his appearing.
Paul knows his
punishment will be death by beheading but his knowledge of going home
to be with the Lord far outweighs anything this world could do to
him!
The very last act we
as Christians must do is give our bodies as a sacrifice back to the
Lord, who will then even resurrect that body at the "rapture of
thee Church". That saved soul will be in Heaven at the last
breath of that body.
When we give our
life to the Lord, He will still require the death of that body at a
time of His choosing!
To depart from this
world and to move into that place prepared for us by the Lord Jesus
Christ is the greatest blessing we can receive in this world and the
beginning of true life!
**Paul said death
was no more than a departure from this world and finally going home!
We must remember
when we are in the Army of God we must live our life as a faithful
soldier. We should clearly understand, God has an all-volunteer Army
and we must be committed to the fight!
This world no longer
has any real importance to that soldier in God's Army!
In the end we should
all be able to say we have fought a good fight. In fact, our rewards
will be based on our fight in the army of God!
**Paul said he had
remained in his race and he had finished his course, he had completed
his race in this life!
We must discipline
our lives to the commandments of God and follow the Lord as our
example right up till the end!
A true runner will
never stop in the middle of a race. This would include taking care of
that body that we have been given and following the lead of the Lord.
**Paul had kept the
faith!
We must be good
stewards of the Word of God. The Lord has given us the ability for
our faith to grow. When we are saved we have sworn our allegiance to
the Lord Jesus Christ. Even through all the sufferings of the Apostle
Paul, when he could have thrown up his hands and laid his faith
aside, but he had claimed that faith and he held onto his faith all
the way to Heaven's gates where he was welcomed in the arms of the
Lord!
We serve a righteous
God who will Himself present a "crown of righteousness" to
all those who have followed in the steps of the Apostle Paul!
Think about that for
a minute!
The King of all the
Ages make a presentation to a dirty rotten sinner like me, and like
you, a Crown of Righteousness.
It is only then that
we will have been made perfect in the eyes of the Lord!
Now if you are not
looking and preparing for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ then
you will miss out on such a precious gift that we will all just toss
back to the Savior's feet.
How can I be worthy
of such a thing? Have I truly finished my course? Have I been a
consistent soldier in the army of God? Have I kept the faith as did
Paul? Have I been true to the Lord once He saved me? Will I even have
a crown to toss to the feet of Jesus?
1Co 9:25 And every
man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now
they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
Jas 1:12 Blessed is
the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall
receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that
love him.
1Pe 5:4 And when
the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory
that fadeth not away.
What did the Lord
advise us all to?
Rev 3:11 Behold, I
come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy
crown.
This is what happens
to those who fall into the trap of false preachers and false
teachers!
One of the things
that Paul wanted and could be fulfilled before his death was to spend
just a little more time with this young man Timothy before he went
home to be with the Lord.
We can learn many
things in these last breathes of the Apostle Paul.
*****2Ti 4:9 Do thy
diligence to come shortly unto me:
2Ti 4:10 For Demas
hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed
unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.
2Ti 4:11 Only Luke
is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable
to me for the ministry.
2Ti 4:12 And
Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus.
We should understand
that until we get to Heaven, human companionship is a necessary
thing. The most important of those would be our family and our church
family who we know we will spend eternity with. Timothy was close to
the heart of the Apostle Paul.
We should also
understand that though the Christian life is the greatest life while
we are upon this earth, but there are certainly times when every
believer needs help!
No doubt Demas was
believed to a part of Paul's church family but when he realized that
he could die because of his beliefs it was too much for him to commit
to.
Demas loved this
present world more than he loved the Lord Jesus and Paul was hurt by
his leaving. It is a terrible thing for someone who has been involved
in the ministry of the Lord to give up on the Lord when times get
hard. They too just reject the truth!
Mat 26:56 But all
this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be
fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.
Mat 26:57 And they
that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest,
where the scribes and the elders were assembled.
We see these things
happening all over our nation today who prefer to be politically
correct rather stick to the proven truth!
It should be obvious
that worldliness is fatal to God's plan of salvation.
The Lord Jesus said
this was a sign of the end of the Church Age!
Rev 2:1 Unto the
angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that
holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst
of the seven golden candlesticks;
Rev 2:2 I know thy
works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear
them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are
apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
Rev 2:3 And hast
borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and
hast not fainted.
Rev 2:4
Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy
first love.
Timothy was the
Pastor in Ephesus until He was also murdered by the government and
this is no reflection on his preaching, but it is a sign of the
Church Age we live in today.
For some unknown
reason Titus had to return to his own ministry but we should consider
that Dalmatia was also a Roman province and persecution was no doubt
an issue here.
This is the only
mention of Crescens in all the Scriptures, but tradition says he was
one of the seventy disciples of Christ Jesus who was sent to preach
and no doubt Crescens also had to return to his ministry in Galatia
also a Roman province.
Luk_10:1 After
these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two
and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself
would come.
Luk_10:17 And the
seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are
subject unto us through thy name.
Doctor Luke remained
with Paul right up to the end. We should not doubt that Luke was
certainly a highly skilled medical missionary!
We also see that
Mark was near to Ephesus and Paul needed someone to take over his
jail ministry and Mark was a great value to the Lord for such things.
We know from past
studies that Tychicus had been sent to deliver these epistles of Paul
many times which shows the importance of such men who take the Word
of God to places it is not allowed.
We should also
understand that the Church has no power when the world is allowed to
enter into it!
We cannot be
politically correct and obey the Word of God at the same time!
We next see that
there are other things that Paul held dear all of his days after he
met the Lord Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus!
I pray we all
remember our day on the Damascus road forever more!
When we lay on
death's bed we need to remember what is truly important to us.
*****2Ti 4:13 The
cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with
thee, and the books, but especially the parchments.
No doubt that this
Roman prison was a cold dark place and Paul left his heavy coat in
Troas. Just so we know when Timothy found Mark and then to Troas it
was a 600-mile journey to Rome in a time when walking was the most
used transportation.
No doubt that some
books were at that available and Paul had some favorites, but these
could still be scrolls containing the Word of God which is probably
more accurate but at least we know that Paul enjoyed reading!
Those parchments
were probably animal skins that had been prepared for writing. These
things would outlast paper because they were more durable.
Paul is in prison,
he cannot preach nor, can he teach but he could keep his mind active
by reading and studying from some books that he had chosen. I'm sure
the Scriptures were among them!
Paul's life as a
Christian missionary had certainly been harsh at times!
*****2Ti 4:14
Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him
according to his works:
2Ti 4:15 Of whom be
thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words.
Since not much is
known about this Alexander, then must just accept what Paul is
saying. We can also understand that Timothy all knew of this person.
It is believed that
this is the same Alexander of Ephesus who was a leader in a certain
union of metal workers making idols to the false goddess Diana.
Diana was a goddess
in Roman mythology and the Greeks called her Artimus. In Ephesus was
the Temple of Diana, once listed as one of the seven wonders of this
world.
This Alexander was a
Jew and the Jews had developed an extreme hatred for the Apostle
Paul.
We still see that
answer lies in the fact that when we accept the Lord Jesus Christ as
our Savior, anything we place over our Lord then becomes our god.
We should be able to
see that money was the god of Alexander and not Diana nor the Lord
Jesus Christ and he was truly an evil man!
There is a real
possibility that this same Alexander testified against the Apostle
Paul at his first answer, as he puts it!
It seems that today,
even more Christians are turning against other Christians effectively
killing the Holy Ghost Power in the Church.
*****2Ti 4:16 At my
first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God
that it may not be laid to their charge.
2Ti 4:17
Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by
me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles
might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.
Here again we see
another instance where Paul followed in the ways of Jesus Christ as
he asks God the Father to forgive all those who had forsaken him.
We can also see that
Paul would stand before Nero one more time. We may all stand before
our own government one day just because we know the truth and accept
the truth of God. We will never stand alone for though the whole
world abandoned us, the Lord Jesus Christ will never leave our side
the whole time.
We should not miss a
very important point here. The Lord Jesus Christ was abandoned by all
those who followed Him and was delivered by God the Father, The Lord
Jesus Christ will deliver all those who call upon His name.
Paul knew He was
going to his death, but he wanted every Christian to realize he would
be delivered out of the mouth of the lion, that "roaring lion"
Satan himself because, Satan holds no power over our death, because
our life lies in the hands of our Holy God!
As long as our
"faith" lies in work of the Lord Jesus Christ for our
salvation, our life is held securely in the hand of God!
The Lord informed
Paul that because he had remained faithful to the "gospel";
and the Holy Spirit had been the mind behind all the Epistles of
Paul, that every Gentile would at some time, hear and understand the
lifesaving Word of God, "The Truth" of life!
Php 1:7 Even as it
is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my
heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and
confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.
Php 1:8 For God is
my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus
Christ.
What is true
deliverance?
*****2Ti 4:18 And
the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me
unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
If we could all just
hold to the truth of this Scripture, all our worries in this world
would vanish and stay away!
We as Christians
have been delivered from a Devil's Hell. It is in the past, we have
already been delivered! We have been preserved to live out eternity
wherever the Lord our God abides in His Heavenly Kingdom!
Heb 2:14 Forasmuch
then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also
himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might
destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
Heb 2:15 And
deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime
subject to bondage.
At the death of our
body, in one moment of time, "the twinkling of an eye", our
life in this world will cease and our life will begin wherever God is
at!
Some say a twinkling
is 11/100's of a second. This means it will be very quick!
One moment we are a
citizen of this world and the next moment we will be at our new home
in Heaven!
We will never have
the taste of death in our mouths!
Isa 43:2 When thou
passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the
rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the
fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon
thee.
While we remain in
this body, we should remember everyone who have made a difference in
our lives!
*****2Ti 4:19
Salute Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus.
2Ti 4:20 Erastus
abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick.
2Ti 4:21 Do thy
diligence to come before winter. Eubulus greeteth thee, and Pudens,
and Linus, and Claudia, and all the brethren.
2Ti 4:22 The Lord
Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen
We should also
remember that these are the very last words of the Apostle Paul.
Paul would always
send greetings from those who were with him and also to those he was
writing to.
If there was ever a
woman who could take on the role as Pastor, it would be Priscilla,
but she remained with her husband Aquila and they both helped Paul in
any way that they could.
They had been driven
from Rome by the Emperor Claudius and had met Paul in Corinth and
they made friends quickly because they were all tent makers.
They accompanied
Paul to Ephesus, later again they went back to Rome where they
allowed their house to be a church, where God's people could
assemble.
Again, they were run
out of Rome and it seems they settled in Ephesus.
No doubt these two
Christians were a great help to Timothy. Priscilla was a great
example of the godly wife and would work tirelessly in the church at
Ephesus.
Onesiphorus was a
Christian from Ephesus who had shown a great kindness to Paul while
he was in that Roman jail. No doubt that this entire family had been
a precious family to the Apostle Paul.
Erastus was also a
companion of Paul at Ephesus who had been sent with Timothy to
Macedonia while Paul traveled in Asia. He was a native of Corinth.
Trophimus had
traveled with Paul on his 3rd missionary journey. He was with Paul in
Jerusalem. He was that Gentile Paul was accused of taking into the
Temple which meant the Temple was made unclean until a ceremony of
cleanness could be performed.
It seems that
Trophimus was too sick to travel to Rome to assist the Apostle Paul
in his own last days.
It was difficult for
ships to travel the Mediterranean Sea in the winter months and Paul
wanted to see Timothy before this time and he certainly wanted that
cloak.
Eubulus was another
Christ who had helped Paul while he was in that Roman dungeon.
Pudens was a friend
of Timothy's who after the death of Paul was also murdered by Nero.
Linus is said to
have become the Pastor of the Church in Rome after Peter had been
murdered.
It is believed that
this Claudia was the wife of Pudens and both of them may have come
from royal families, she being from Britain.
When Paul said all
the brethren then he was referring to all those of the Church that
day and today!
All brethren have
the same Father, God the Father, and are brothers and sisters to the
Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ and filed with God the Holy Spirit!
Without wearing the
seal of God, you cannot be in this family!
Eph 1:5 Having
predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to
himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph 1:6 To the
praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in
the beloved.
Eph 1:7 In whom we
have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according
to the riches of his grace;
Eph 1:8 Wherein he
hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
Eph 1:9 Having made
known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure
which he hath purposed in himself:
Paul loved all those
who have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior!
Amen!
Let's Pray!
