How you doin? I woke up this morning to nearly 6 inches of snow and it's still snowing. It's a regular old winter wonderland. The Casting Crowns new album "Thrive" that came out yesterday is AWESOME!!!!!!! It doesn't have any gangster rap on it T.J., sorry. I also just wanted to thank my boss and crew. They are extending themselves in a very generous way to supply our churches dinner theater with a great dinner for free. I just want you to know that people do indeed have generosity in them. Thank you Mr. Sbarro and my boys/girls at Evo. I appreciate your support and generosity. 1 Timothy 5 today.
This is one of those chapters that's hard for me to figure out how it ALL applies to me. However, I did see some stuff that is of interest to me right now. Purity and pleasing God are 2 huge subjects for me. Verses 1-2, "Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity." This includes my thoughts. Thinking thoughts of rebuke or impurity are just as unpleasing to God as speaking or acting on them. I associate it with cancer. Impurities in the body need to come out. That's a loaded statement right there. It's also a good word.
Verse 4, "But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God." This is from the NIV. The NASB says, "but if any widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn to practice piety in regard to their own family and to make some return to their parents; for this is acceptable in the sight of God." I like both of these translations. This verse helps me push through hard times with family members who are difficult to honor, love, and practice piety with. I love any instruction on how to be pleasing to God. It's like my number 1 goal each day, to be pleasing to Him. It's amazing to me how focusing on being pleasing to Him, takes my mind off of sin and into the truth of the Way. Truly following Jesus' model of communing and fellowship with the Father nearly eliminates sin and increases purity to a remarkable, almost unconscious, way. These instruction apply to my church family as well my genetic family.
Verse 22, "Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure." (NIV) "Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility forthe sins of others; keep yourself free from sin. Again, these instruction are key in maturing and discernment. To practice this instruction, it requires the ability to hear Gods voice and to follow His lead. Great stuff. Be pleasing to God today.
PS Stacey received a prophetic word this morning that the Doug Addison conference in June is going to break break strongholds of addiction in our area. HOLY MAC A LOLY!!!!!!! More on this later.
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