2 Timothy 1:1-7

Today I began a study in Timothy. And much like the first few posts I did on this blog I am going to outline it for you!

This is what it looked like:

I began with this structure:

1. Questions

2. Observations

3. Big Ideas

4. Take it home

1.Questions

V3 - who are Pauls forefathers?

V4 - what/when/why was Timothy crying? Were these tears of grief or joy?

V5 - is this faith passed down through genetics (nature) or from his upbringing (nurture)?

V6 - reference to 1 Timothy 4:14 - what was the message here? Is the gift that of teaching?

How far apart were these letters written?

2. Observations 

V5 - it's interesting that sincere faith here is passed through women first.

V6 - laying on of hands -> appointed by church leaders but wih divine prophecy as well (reference to 1 Timothy 4:14). So his work has not only the approval of men but of God also?

V7 - is speaking of the Holy Spirit.

3. Big ideas

A letter written by an older man to a younger. They have avoid relationship - like that of a father and son.

Paul is remindingTimothy of where he has come from and what tool he has (the Holy Spirit) to help him do his work.

V6 - 'fan into flame the gift of God' -> the spark is still there and Paul is calling Timothy to action.

A reminder that it is God working through the spirit given to Timothy. This spirit is powerful outside of Timothy.

Power, love and self-discipline. Gods word is powerful, he gives Timothy the capacity to love and calls Timothy to exercise self-discipline to flee from sin and dwell on holy things. (Maybe overlapping things here and. It quiet right).

4. Take it home

We have the Holy Spirit just as Timothy did. We often need to be reminded, like Timothy, of where out origins lie, of who called us.

We have the same spirit of power, love and self-discipline. We should exercise these things. We should not be timid and remember it's God working through us with his spirit. Everything we have is God given!

So obviously I didn't answer my questions above. I am planning to take them to someone who is trained in the Bible and maybe check out my bible dictionary. But I hope this little study can be kind of instructional for your bible time. We don't always need to answer all our questions at once. God can teach us even when we don't know all the answers! 

If you have accepted the gift of Christ then you will have this spirit in you! So you hold power, love and the capacity for self-discipline.

Keep your noses in the word and go out to the world to share his love we hold. God is powerful so don't be timid! And feel blessed that God uses us to spread the message of his love and saving grace.

Many blessings!

Big Changes

I often have no idea what God is doing in my life. Most of the time I don't mind but lately I really have.
You see this year has been one of massive growth for me. For the first time I have attended church regularly for the whole year. However, I will be leaving my current and loved church (where I've been for the last 12 years of my life) because my family is moving house and therefore moving suburbs.

Here's something I say often: "Be careful what you pray for!"

I have once again not been taking my own advice.
Earlier in the year I was praying: "God send me wherever, I am your servant"
I was also praying for a feeling of safety, security and consistency in my life. Three things I haven't felt often.

But here's the catch...

God is giving me a sense of safety, security and consistency in this life but it's not the way I wanted. God is teaching me to find these things in himself only and NOT in my life situation. And God is obviously taking me wherever he wants me to go.

So instead of kicking and screaming  I will go with a sad but glad heart. I will allow myself to trust my creator, the most consistent being in my life and I will move house and find a new church with the knowledge in my heart that God is watching over me. God has many plans in store and though I can not see them, once again will I follow his lead.

I will also allow myself to feel sad, because sadness is an emotion and a proper one when you are leaving one church family to find another.


Romans 8: 18-30 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%208&version=NIV)

Present Suffering and Future Glory

¹⁸ I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. ¹⁹ For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. ²⁰ For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope ²¹ that^[h] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
²² We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. ²³ Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. ²⁴ For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
²⁶ In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. ²⁷ And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who^[i] have been called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. ³⁰ And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

Here is my current Work in Progress.

This one is for my beach mission leaflets.

The sand is made of raw sugar! 

You might recognise some of them from my previous post entitled "Breathless" which is also here: 

http://little-thoughts-on-a-big-book.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/breathless.html

Many Blessings to you all!

Awake Oh Sleeper!

Recently I have spent a lot of time with people who sleep... A Lot!
Sleeping to the point that they have literally only been awake for maybe 4 or 5 hours in the day.

Now there is nothing wrong with sleep, it is something God has given to us to enable our bodies to function during the day. However, sleep can become an issue when you use it to escape from the world.

You may be thinking how is this person spending time with sleepers? Technically I'm not spending time with them because they are asleep. However, living in close quarters I have been doing my work around these sleeping people.

Here's the problem. When you sleep for so many hours in the day that you don't eat or interact with others there is a problem. This causes your relationships strain. Take it from someone who is up all day. I would love to socialise with you sleeper, but I can't. You are asleep.

Sleep is good but when you do too much of it you miss out on al the wonderful things God has made for us to enjoy. Like the sunshine, the sounds of birds outside and the sound of the beautiful rain we've had lately. You miss out on meal sharing with those who love you. You're life and your chores pile up to the extent that they are overwhelming. You also become a burden to those you live with.

Treat sleep respectfully. Use it as God intended. As something to enable you body to rest and recuperate so you can get on with life.


Do not sleep to excess people. How can you call that living? Do you really think by sleeping all your problems and struggles will fix themselves? Do you think that life will improve if you let is slip by? Is your dream land better than this world God has created for us?

Awake oh you sleeper. For God has many blessing for you in the day. He wants to love you and you to enjoy this world. And yes bad things will happen and life will be hard. But with God life is here to enjoy. So awake and be a blessing to the world!


Luke 22:46
"Why are you sleeping?" He asked them. "Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation."

Remember we follow a God who loves us and who has overcome sin. So do not worry but live a life to serve him.

Many Blessings!

Breathless

Sometimes when I read the scriptures the power of the words causes breathlessness.
This happened this morning when preparing my scripture lesson for this week:

John 5:16-30

New International Version (NIV)

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%205:16-30&version=NIV)

The Authority of the Son

16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. 17 In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” 18 For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
19 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.
24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. 25 Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.
28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. 30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.



Here's some art I've been doing for my mission this year. I'm on the art of our leaflets. If all goes well they will make it, if not I will have some beautiful art regardless.

Many Blessings to you all!