STAYING POWER" You, for your part, must remain faithful to what you have learned and believed." —2 Timothy 3:14
Timothy wanted to quit pastoring the church of Ephesus. Paul gave Timothy several reasons for not quitting: * the true teaching he had received (2 Tm 3:10), * the godly conduct he had witnessed (2 Tm 3:10), and * the faithfulness of other Christians in suffering persecution (2 Tm 3:11).
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If you feel like quitting a ministry, marriage, church, or commitment, first fill yourself with true teaching. Take care not to be infected with the subtle deceptions of secular humanism, or you will be programmed to quit. Second, make sure you are surrounded by people repenting of sin and trying to lead holy lives. Faithfulness is caught more than taught, and so is unfaithfulness.
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Finally, reach out to those who know the value of redemptive suffering. If you're influenced by self-centered pleasure-seekers, you will refuse to suffer the pain that accompanies faithfulness to your commitments.
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*JESUS didn't Quit when He hung on the cross and died for us on Calvary. That same Jesus lives within us. By His power, we don't have to quit anything except sin. Jesus will provide the truth, inspiration, and courage for us to stay faithful and not quit.
Prayer: Father, because of my faith in You, may I not be manipulatable...
Though my persecutors and my foes are many, I turn not away from Your decrees." —Ps 119:157
Timothy wanted to quit pastoring the church of Ephesus. Paul gave Timothy several reasons for not quitting: * the true teaching he had received (2 Tm 3:10), * the godly conduct he had witnessed (2 Tm 3:10), and * the faithfulness of other Christians in suffering persecution (2 Tm 3:11).
.
If you feel like quitting a ministry, marriage, church, or commitment, first fill yourself with true teaching. Take care not to be infected with the subtle deceptions of secular humanism, or you will be programmed to quit. Second, make sure you are surrounded by people repenting of sin and trying to lead holy lives. Faithfulness is caught more than taught, and so is unfaithfulness.
.
Finally, reach out to those who know the value of redemptive suffering. If you're influenced by self-centered pleasure-seekers, you will refuse to suffer the pain that accompanies faithfulness to your commitments.
.
*JESUS didn't Quit when He hung on the cross and died for us on Calvary. That same Jesus lives within us. By His power, we don't have to quit anything except sin. Jesus will provide the truth, inspiration, and courage for us to stay faithful and not quit.
Prayer: Father, because of my faith in You, may I not be manipulatable...
Though my persecutors and my foes are many, I turn not away from Your decrees." —Ps 119:157
3 comments:
The Lord God says this: I am going to look after my flock myself and keep all of it in view. As a shepherd keeps all his flock in view when he stands up in the middle of his scattered sheep, so I shall keep my sheep in view. I shall rescue them from wherever they have been scattered during the mist and darkness. Ezekiel 34 : 11-12
You do a wonderful job on your blog! These are words I needed to hear! God bless you and your family!
Dear Padre,
I also needed to hear them!
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