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Itty Bitty Bible Study – Titus 2a

My thoughts for the Itty Bitty Bible Study group on Facebook. (join if you’d like to get these in fb!)

For Chapter One, I utilized a video series from Right Now media. You can get that information from one of the previous studies.

In IBBS Titus the Introduction, we talked about Paul confessing to be a servant, and that translates to being a slave – but to whom?
In IBBS Titus 1:1-2, we talked about God’s elect and godliness.
In IBBS Titus 1:2, we talked about an eternal hope and promise.
In IBBS Titus 1:3-5, we talked about Who, What, Why, Where and Peace
In IBBS Titus 6-10, we talked about being Ambassadors
In IBBS Titus 11- 16, we talked about what is a true saying.

Titus chapter two, follows Titus chapter one. I know, that’s pretty simple. When the letter was written, there were no chapters and verses. Those were added later to assist us in some way. For more information, check out Wikipedia about why there are chapters and verses!

Why do I bring that up?
Because, Titus 2:1 starts with “but”

Titus 2:1 King James Version (KJV)
2 But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:

But what?
It refers back to the preceeding passages in Titus 1:9-16.
Titus 1:9-16 King James Version (KJV)
Specifically, talking to the wise old men:

9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

and those that are not wise old men:

14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.

16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

IBBS Titus 1:10-16 talks about the not so wise old men.
IBBS Titus 1:6-9 talks about the qualifications of elders, or those that choose to be a light to the world – those of us who are called to be ambassadors!

Let’s put Titus 1:9, 16 with Titus 2:1

1: 9 Holding fast the faithful word as he(wise believers) hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
1:16 They(the gainsayers) profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
2:1 But speak thou(wise believers) the things which become sound doctrine:
italics mine

Now, onto chapter 2.

Titus 2 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Sound Teaching and Christian Living
2:1 But you must say the things that are consistent with sound teaching.
2 Older men are to be level headed, worthy of respect, sensible, and sound in faith, love, and endurance.
3 In the same way, older women are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not addicted to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 so they may encourage the young women to love their husbands and to love their children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, homemakers, kind, and submissive to their husbands, so that God’s message will not be slandered.

6 In the same way, encourage the young men to be self-controlled 7 in everything. Make yourself an example of good works with integrity and dignity[a] in your teaching. 8 Your message is to be sound beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be ashamed, having nothing bad to say about us.

9 Slaves are to be submissive to their masters in everything, and to be well-pleasing, not talking back 10 or stealing, but demonstrating utter faithfulness, so that they may adorn the teaching of God our Savior in everything.

11 For the grace of God has appeared with salvation[b] for all people, 12 instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. 14 He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for Himself a people for His own possession, eager to do good works.

15 Say these things, and encourage and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard[c] you.

Let’s Dig In!

Titus 2.1 But Speak thou the things which become sound doctrine.

What’s the point of sound doctrine?
We are ambassadors to the word of God. Our lives should reflect our relationship with Jesus Christ, and our words should reflect our understanding of the doctrine of salvation.

I have an Itty Bitty Bible Study Post, Titus 1:6-9 about being an ambassador.

The Bible seems to support the concept of “adulting”.

OLD MEN…AGED

Titus 2:2 Aged man. There are other verses that mention about aged men. The point is that as we age we are supposed to become more responsible. Apparently, unlike the animals grow from infant to young adult to being self managing adults in the wild, human beings need to be taught how to be a respectable, responsible adult.

Titus 2:2 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
2 Older men are to be
level headed,
worthy of respect,
sensible, and
sound in faith,
love, and
endurance.

Mentoring – some verses that point to the expectation!

And another!

OLD WOMEN – AGED

Titus 2:3-4 Likewise, teach the older women
to be reverent in the way they live,
not to be slanderers
or addicted to much wine,
but to teach what is good.
Then they can urge the younger women
to love their husbands and children,
Titus 2:3‭-‬4 NIV

I find it interesting that the main responsibility for aged women, aside from character is to teach what is good. Now in this verse it doesn’t say only teach women, or only teach children, but I’m just pointing that out. The other primary goal for an aged woman is to urge younger women to love their husbands and their children.?

I’m going to share a little bit of my own thoughts about an aged woman urging others to love their husbands.

My husband and I have been married since 1980. We have 5 children.

We married when we were 19 and 20. We were a young man and a young woman. The keyword is young!

To say that we did not understand each other or how to communicate would be an understatement. We did go through premarital counseling through 2 different churches. That’s supposed to be the guarantee that you are of like mind enough to at least start out the marriage peacefully right?

Along comes the honeymoon.
Jim had no idea how long it would take for me to get dressed and ready to go out to a fine dinner. This was one of our 1st clashes. And James defense, is 1 of 3 boys with a mom who’s only Preparation for a fine dinner is to put on some lipstick. She also never really went in for dressing nice except for one wedding, but even then I’m pretty sure her outfit was very simply put on, her hair dried naturally perfect, and of course the lipstick . Jim had no idea that it might take someone an hour to get ready to go somewhere! And his experience with me as we were dating was I was always ready on time or 10 minutes early. We just needed to recognize each other’s expectations.
At some intersections, as we were driving since we took a road trip for honeymoon, I would sometimes make a comment as to which way to turn not knowing that this was a very sensitive issue for Jim. To him it was me telling him what to do. To me I was just being part of the conversation. We needed to learn a bit more about each other and trigger points or hot buttons.

There issues we didn’t know about each other, like, I have PTSD which has some interesting effects on trust, intimacy, and sensitivity. Then one I can think of that Jim had a problem with was anger and I’m not sure he ever knew he had a problem until he met the irritating, aggravating, Illogical aspects of me.

I was pregnant from summer of 81 to May of 88, and we have gotten to realize in our old age just how much those hormones mess with the personality and common sense of the woman who is pregnant. I would say things that would irritate Jim and I could not figure out why. But thanks to some experience with others who have been pregnant who have said things that have hurt me, I now understand that I was hard to live with!

Add into that 5 children between ‘82 and ‘88, which also included 2 miscarriages, I was either pregnant, nursing or recovering from pregnancy for those 6 years. We did the night time feeding issues, the babies that screamed all night issues, the diapers, sicknesses, and protecting them from themselves issues constantly for 6 years. If I actually want to be correct, it would be 7 years to include our youngest’s whole 1st year. At the end of that year, in April or May of 89, I had a complete hysterectomy throwing more of my hormones completely out the window.

I’m not gonna continue on about the different hormones and when my memories came back from the abuse as a child or anything else because I’ve laid out the story well enough to give you an idea of the stress were in . Oh, of course, money was tight so I needed to grow our own food as much as possible and stretch the penny as hard as it would stretch.

Here’s where I’m going with this.
There are several types of counseling that I got it this time.

There were those that recommended I leave Jim and divorce him because of his anger. But they did not take into consideration my issues and I was aware enough of my issues that I knew it was not an imbalanced issue that caused friction in our marriage. And, in my mind set, I was pretty sure that anything that was going wrong in our marriage was all my fault. I was trying to find ways to just stay married but there were those that felt that I needed to leave him now. I guess it was my own self opinion that kept me from doing this.

There were those that said that I should just be silent and not say anything to Jim and only reply “yes sir” “no sir” to anything that he had to say.

I was also told that if there is any trouble in a marriage it is the woman’s fault.

I was also given counseling on the appropriate method of submission to my husband, and to only speak positive things and to never groan or complain in front of anyone. This one was the closest to right, in that this one kept his perceived character flaws out of the public eye and encouraged me to love from My love of Christ, and the love Christ to placed to my heart. But this backfired. In fact when I tried to talk to an older woman from church, just ask for counsel about how to interact with Jim, she looked at me in the face and said “I thought you said your husband was perfect! So, the problem must be you!”

After separations, hours and hours and hours of counseling, and some high intensity conversations, this older woman(me) has come up with a couple things that would have really helped me when we began. I haven’t yet written up some of the latest but here are 2 that I have shared in the last few years:

This one is to aid communication
Marriage Tools 1

This one helps get your heart focus in the right place:
Marriage Tools 2

This other post just summarizes everything I’ve said and points to love.

I was given a way for me to visually express my desire to love my husband: But I only have it on Shutterfly.

But I gave Jim all sorts of tangible evidences of me loving him and I photographed them and put them in a book because we were moving into a trailer and didn’t want all the clutter of the physical items.

These are ways that I, as an old woman, am trying to teach younger women. to love their husbands without being shackled, without being belittled or talked down to.

1st Timothy 2:9 through 15 talks about women.
After I first got married, I did a deep study in The Bible about what a woman should be, including Proverbs 31.
I have no idea where that study is, but I wanted to find out how to be a godly wife and eventually how to be a godly mother.

I find it interesting that the things older women are supposed to teach the younger women are

to be sober,
love their husbands,
love their children,
to be discreet,
chaste,
keepers at home,
good,
obedient to their own husbands and that the word of God not be blasphemed.

The reason you need to teach something to someone is because it doesn’t come naturally.
Today, some of these words have very negative meanings.
Someday I may go through and discuss how they are not so negative, but today is not That Day.

YOUNG MEN
Titus 2 verse 6,7,8

Sober minded,
pattern of good works,
doctrine is sound,
they can’t be condemned by their speech and
enemies have nothing evil to say that could be believed.

While this is listed for young men to be taught, I’m thinking that young women could be taught to have a pattern of good works, to have uncorrupt doctrine, to be sincere, and that their speech is such that they can never be questioned as well.

The speech thing reminds me of the verse about the prophet whose words never fell to the ground.
1 Samuel 3:19

What a lovely thought! What a glorious thing to be said about someone! If one were to do a topical study in the Bible about the importance of the tongue, it would be intense! Off the top of my head I’m thinking about the verse life-and-death is in the power of the tongue.
Proverbs 18:21

SLAVES – SERVANTS – EMPLOYEES

Titus 2:9-10
Obedience.
Young women are told to obey their own husbands, and servants are told to

obey their own masters.
Please them well in all things
Answer not again

There are cultural aspects to this, but there is also truth.
There are positions of authority in the Kingdom of God.
Jesus was under the authority of God the Father while he walked the earth, and He said so. And yet, Jesus is fully God. Both God the Father and God the Son highly honor God the Holy Spirit.

If we look at the Godhead, the triune nature of God, and we remember that in Genesis we were created in the likeness of God we can get a hint as to what this obedience means.

A difficulty in the world today that causes us problems with this is the CEO’s of large corporations making so much money when the ones lowest on the totem pole have to have food stamps to make ends meet. Employees and employer issues. Monarchs and paupers.

Many monarchies in history were completely out of touch and many still maybe out of touch with the plight of the common man. King and subjects

Let’s look at this again:

One of the concepts of obedience in the Christian faith is similar to obedience of a child to their father. A child’s father should love and care for the child while honoring their own personality and allowing them to explore things within a safely constructed environment.

Adam-and-Eve in the garden is a great example. They were given this beautiful garden and could do whatever they want and eat whatever they wanted except for one tree.

The Bible says that Jesus learned wisdom and obedience by the sufferings that he went through as a child, which was probably the training of Joseph and Mary as his parents.

Adam-and-Eve decided to eat of the one and only tree out of only God knows how many and disobey.
One day, Jesus didn’t stay with the family but stayed back at the temple discussing things with the priests and scribes. Obviously that was outside of the boundaries his parents had given.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that Jesus sinned, I’m saying that his parents had to bring him back into the boundaries of the environment with which they were protecting him.

Adam-and-Eve did sin, because they went directly against what God had said, and then they were kicked out of the beautiful environment that was the garden, and now we all suffer the consequences.

When a child is told not to touch the hot burner on the stove, and they reach up and touch the hot burner, most parents allow the burn to be the punishment.
a wise teaches that to disobey what has been laid down can bring negative consequences.

The husband is supposed to provide the protection and the wisdom to have a godly household, a safe household, in order for the wife to excel in the giftings that God has given her to provide a peaceful household and a nourishing household.
Can a man run a household? Yes. But men don’t normally have the nurturing gifting that a woman has.
Can a woman provide for a household? Yes. But a woman isn’t naturally the detached overseer.
And then there’s the whole thing about children, they just don’t have the knowledge or the experience. They need to trust their parents to provide them with safe boundaries so that they can explore and have a safe place to process that exploration. When the parents do not provide this guidance, that’s when we have many different and difficult issues with our children.

In our world today we have many men raising families on their own and many women raising families on their own and children that are tossed around because their parents have not become responsible for them. This was not God’s plan

Just like any corporation, someone needs to be in charge to make decisions. Someone needs to advocate for the workers and create a space conducive for growth. And you need workers.

A corporation without a head will flounder because it can’t move forward. Without the human resources personnel to stand in the gap between their CEO and the workers, many abuses end up happening. Unless the business is a one person creativity business, it needs the workers to get the work done.

Obedience isn’t about blind submission and eliminating self identity. The biblical concept of obedience is that it is an act of love, respect, and honor out of gratitude for what God has done in our lives. It is also like the son who wants to be like his father or the daughter who plays imitating her mother.
And obedience is a choice.

Someday I’ll write something about submission and obedience. They are so misused to abuse others. There are many other scriptures that talk about the responsibility of those in positions of authority to humble themselves and care for those that are under their authority as their own flesh.
The church is supposed to submit one to another and to consider others more highly than themselves.

If we take The Bible as a whole, we cannot read it the way it has been used and abused for many years.

Moses was described as a friend of God, there are several times that we have it in writing that he answered God as in answering again or questioned God! If the verse saying not to answer again to our employers for our masters as a has been applied, then Moses was out of line.

David knew he wasn’t supposed to mess around with another man’s wife, no one needed to tell him about it, and he messed around with Bathsheba.
When the Lord told him that the child would die, he cried out for God to change his mind. That seems like answering again!

Elijah argued with God about what God sent him to eat.

Peter argued with God about what God showed him to eat.

So again, we can see that there’s something different here.

Then there is something about being called be the leader of the family.
When Zachariah was told by the angel that Elizabeth would have a child, he argued and was struck “dumb”

And yet when Mary was told she was gonna have a baby without having known a man, she actually questioned the angel and wasn’t struck dumb.

That tells me there’s a right way to question authority and a wrong way.

All of that was to say I’m never going to preach obedience as an aspect of salvation or submission equaling that of of doormat that can be stomped all over without any individuality and mental acuity on behalf of the woman.

The next section of chapter 2 is really the why and I think it needs its own discussion. Please join me!

Hi!
My hope in the midst of despair and my joy in the face of depression is because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. If you do not have one, or are not sure you will join him in heaven, please check out these links.

Got Questions provides a detailed explanation of The Roman’s Road.
Billy Graham’s version of the Plan of salvation

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Copyrights and Legal-eze
There are many organizations that support children and families. Here are ones that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

Naomi’s Heart Ministries
Obed’s House Ministries
Project Based Missions, Global
The son of a friend will be interning with CRU – previously known as Campus Crusades for Christ. If you’d like to support someone I can vouch for in this area, please consider going to Matthew Plant’s donation page.
Compassion

Itty Bitty Bible Study – Titus 1:10-16 This is a true saying

My thoughts for the Itty Bitty Bible Study group on Facebook. (join if you’d like to get these in fb!)

I utilize various resources to research and study these Itty Bitty Bible Studies.
This time, for Titus, I hooked up with Keith Loy’s Celebrate Titus on RightNow Media. RightNow Media is a subscription for everyone in a church.
If you don’t have RightNow Media on your computer or TV streaming channels, the Celebrate Titus dvd is available. I don’t know if it’s more or less information.

I am not an Amazon associate, so I don’t get anything out of sharing this! I will let you know that I will be quoting him!

Titus 1:10-16

13 This saying is true.

What saying is true?
It’s not a pretty saying.
We’ve just looked at Titus 1:6-9, the qualifications for an ambassador for Christ. It’s not just for Bishops, Elders and such…it’s for everyone who is called by the name of Christ!

Titus 1:10-16 King James Version (KJV)
10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:
11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake.
12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, the Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.
13 This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;
14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.

We can read that in various versions….

Titus 1:10-16 Contemporary English Version (CEV)
10 There are many who don’t respect authority, and they fool others by talking nonsense. This is especially true of some Jewish followers. 11 But you must make them be quiet. They are after money, and they upset whole families by teaching what they should not. 12 It is like one of their own prophets once said,

“The people of Crete
always tell lies.
They are greedy and lazy
like wild animals.”

From the look of this, there is some stereotyping going on…and yet, “it is one of their own prophets that said”…apparently, it was a cultural thing at that time.
Read it in the Amplified or The Message, I dare ya!

Cultural bigotry?
That’s not the point of this passage.
Then, what is?
It’s a statement of a cultural issue, that even the people of CRETE knew about! Yet, that’s not why Paul is writing that. It’s to prepare us for the next part:

Titus 1:10-11 Contemporary English Version
10 There are many who don’t respect authority,
and they fool others by talking nonsense.
This is especially true of some Jewish followers.
11 But you must make them be quiet.
They are after money,
and they upset whole families by teaching what they should not.

The point is that false doctrines cause chaos…and need to be shut down.
Even if it is from the Jewish followers, of whom Paul has had difficulty making sure they don’t bring others back into bondage to the law!
Galatians 1:6-9
Hebrews 6:4-6

Using Contemporary English again,

13 That surely is a true saying.
And you should be hard on such people, so you can help them grow stronger in their faith.
14 Don’t pay any attention to any of those senseless Jewish stories and human commands.
These are made up by people who won’t obey the truth.

KJV says it a bit more clearly:

13 This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;

The reason to rebuke someone in error is to clear up the issue, and help them to grow sound in the faith! Grow stronger in their faith! Not let them slip down the rabbit holes of senseless and foolish Jewish myths, or human commands that pull them away from the freedom of Christ.
This is the purpose of Church Discipline doctrine…which I’m not going to discuss, but rather, put a link here for you to read and discern. Matthew 18, with some examples in the Corinthians letters. An extreme of this is the Amish shunning.

Are there really rabbit holes and Jewish myths mentioned in the Bible? YES!
In Matthew 7:15-20, Jesus warned them, and us, of false prophets, that they will look good…but we can judge them by their fruit…and we should.
Matthew 15 talks about the traditions of the elders verses scriptures.
Matthew 23 lists a few the Pharisees were guilty of teaching.

Mark 7 also talks about these things…Jesus is putting the teachers of that time on notice!

Blind guides…Matt 15:14

WARNING WARNING WARNING

1 Timonthy 4:1 KJV
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

2 Peter 3:16 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
16 He speaks about these things in all his letters in which there are some matters that are hard to understand. The untaught and unstable twist them to their own destruction, as they also do with the rest of the Scriptures.

We have to beware of those teaching false teachings, as well as those that twist scriptures around to their own destruction.

Here is the really ugly, dangerous, scary part to me:

Titus 1:15-16 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
15 To the pure, everything is pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; in fact, both their mind and conscience are defiled. 16 They profess to know God, but they deny Him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, and disqualified for any good work.

I don’t want to be defiled.
I do not want to be unbelieving.

1 Corinthians 2:9-16 King James Version (KJV) especially verses 14-16
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.

It takes the mind of Christ to understand the things of Christ, and that is only obtained through salvation. Steps are listed at the end of this blog.

This passage is scary, but true!

Romans 1:18-32 King James Version (KJV)
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

Go Ahead, read that passage in different versions, if you aren’t clear on the meanings. Romans 1:18 and following in the Bible Hub

God gave them what they wanted. Freewill. Scary.

On the other hand, there is something very precious here…

Titus 1:15 To the pure, everything is pure.

This is freedom!
This is priceless – though Jesus paid an enormous price for us to walk in this freedom!

Again, Paul does talk about us NOT using our liberty in Christ to sin…or to cause others to stumble. Our freedom = rights, but with rights comes responsibility!

What are we free from?

sin
death
slavery
fear
self hatred
purposelessness
the consequences of the law!
earning our way to heaven…

Can you think of any other things that we are free from, by the grace of God, and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ?

We do have rights, and with those rights come responsibility!

rights —– responsibility
wealth —– giving/generosity
health —– self care
eternity — faithfulness
forgiven — forgive
full life — die to self

Die to self? That’s self sacrifice, taking the flesh to the cross…choosing to walk in the fruit of God’s love.
There are two ways we can sacrifice for God:
Walk in the Spirit… Galatians 5:16-26
present your bodies a living sacrifice – Romans 12:1

Just because we are free and have liberty does not mean that we can go on living in sin…GOD FORBID! Romans 6:1-3

1 Corinthians 6:12 King James Version (KJV)
12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

We are crucified to that old life! Romans 8
Remember, we shall know them by their fruits…Matthew 7:20
They shall know us by OUR fruits…
what fruit are we displaying?

For reference, review the chart in Itty Bitty Bible Study Titus 1:6-9
Galatians 5 talks about walking in the Spirit. We looked at it in Itty Bitty Bible Study, Galatians 5 as well.

A warning, to all of us:

Titus 1:16 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
16 They profess to know God, but they deny Him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, and disqualified for any good work.

Titus 1:16 Common English Bible (CEB)
16 They claim to know God, but they deny God by the things that they do. They are detestable, disobedient, and disqualified to do anything good.

Titus 1:16 Amplified Bible (AMP)
16 They profess to know God [to recognize and be acquainted with Him], but by their actions they deny and disown Him. They are detestable and disobedient and worthless for good work of any kind.

For completeness – here’s the passage in The Message

Titus 1:16 The Message (MSG)
10-16 For there are a lot of rebels out there, full of loose, confusing, and deceiving talk. Those who were brought up religious and ought to know better are the worst.
They’ve got to be shut up.
They’re disrupting entire families with their teaching, and all for the sake of a fast buck.
One of their own prophets said it best:

The Cretans are liars from the womb,
barking dogs, lazy bellies.

He certainly spoke the truth.
Get on them right away.
Stop that diseased talk of Jewish make-believe and made-up rules so they can recover a robust faith.
Everything is clean to the clean-minded;
nothing is clean to dirty-minded unbelievers.
They leave their dirty fingerprints on every thought and act.
They say they know God,
but their actions speak louder than their words.
They’re real creeps,
disobedient
good-for-nothings.

If we are honest, we can all point our fingers to someone that is dirty minded…seeing something dirty in anything that is said.
If we are honest, we can think of someone that says they know God, but their lives and actions and choices say they do not.

If we are honest, we can point all those fingers back to ourselves…

Do we laugh at off color jokes?
Do we giggle at psuedo off color jokes?
Do we snicker at something that is totally innocent, and yet, we see it with a less than pure concept?
I have.

Do I do things that might speak to someone watching that I am an unbeliever?
Does my character, choices, and conversation glorify God or would Jesus be embarrassed to be by my side sometimes?
Yes, I have…and yes, things have been iffy at times.

There are times that my behavior and choices could cause others to question my loyalty to Christ.
Am I supposed to be concerned with other’s opinions?
For those in the church, in order to move up in the church, to gain accolades or to obtain position…if those are my motives for my character and choices…they are wrong. I am a manpleaser. My reasons are for my own benefit.

On the other hand…if my character and choices causes others that are watching to see how a Christ-follower behaves, then I am to be concerned about how my behavior effects their opinion of God and His Kingdom. I am an ambassador. My reasons are for Christ’s and seekers’ benefit.

On another hand(yes, that’s three), if I choose to do things that the world does so that I do not have to speak up for Christ, or potentially suffer persecution, my reasons are for self preservation, not others, nor Christ’s.

Here’s the catch.
The Holy Spirit is ALWAYS WITH ME, because I am the temple of the Holy Spirit!
That means, when I choose to do things that are less than Godly, I expose the Holy Spirit to things that are less than Godly…or ungodly.
Someone is ALWAYS watching me.

I’ve been writing up a post on bitterness, including anger, and frustration and irritation at others. Do people see this in me?
Maybe.
But even deeper than whether others see this is that there are verses that say these very things prevent me from being forgiven if I don’t forgive, my prayers being hindered if I hold onto anger, and that a root of bitterness can grow and poison everything in my life. The thing is, I see these in me, and therefore, Jesus sees these in me, and is talking to me about them. I have a choice.

Our choices, our character tells others how committed we are to Christ.
Our choices, our character tells God how committed we are to Christ.
Our choices, our character tells US how committed we are to Christ.

I do not want to face Christ and here him say that I was good for nothing!
Oh my, just read the list in Revelation about who goes into the lake of fire!

Revelation 21:8 King James Version (KJV)
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Go ahead, read Rev 21:8 on Bible Hub, in various versions!
On the Bible Hub website, you can look at the cross references…so many things that talk about what will NOT have it’s place in Kingdom…like:

1 Cor 6:9-10 KJV
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

The beauty is that we have a choice.
We have a choice because we were bought with a price.

1 Corinthians 6:11 King James Version (KJV)
11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

We are not our own…we are a new type of slave…but also called friend, by Jesus Christ!

John 15:15 King James Version (KJV)
15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

We will still be judged, and this is what I want to hear:

Matthew 25:23 King James Version (KJV)
23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

When you think of all that He has done for us, is it too much to ask us to live according to His principles and His standards?
When he’s saved us out of darkness, and brought us into His Kingdom of light…saved us from eternal death, which we deserved…how much is too much to give back to Him?

An oldie:

A new one for me:

Got Questions provides a detailed explanation of The Roman’s Road.
Billy Graham’s version of the Plan of salvation

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Naomi’s Heart Ministries
Obed’s House Ministries
Project Based Missions, Global
The son of a friend will be interning with CRU – previously known as Campus Crusades for Christ. If you’d like to support someone I can vouch for in this area, please consider going to Matthew Plant’s donation page.
Compassion

Itty Bitty Bible Study – Titus 1:6-9 Ambassadors

My thoughts for the Itty Bitty Bible Study group on Facebook. (join if you’d like to get these in fb!)

I utilize various resources to research and study these Itty Bitty Bible Studies.
This time, for Titus, I hooked up with Keith Loy’s Celebrate Titus on RightNow Media. RightNow Media is a subscription for everyone in a church.
If you don’t have RightNow Media on your computer or TV streaming channels, the Celebrate Titus dvd is available. I don’t know if it’s more or less information.

I am not an Amazon associate, so I don’t get anything out of sharing this! I will let you know that I will be quoting him!

In IBBS Titus the Introduction, we talked about Paul confessing to be a servant, and that translates to being a slave – but to whom?
In IBBS Titus 1:1-2, we talked about God’s elect and godliness.
In IBBS Titus 1:2, we talked about an eternal hope and promise.
In IBBS Titus 1:3-5, we talked about Who, What, Why, Where and Peace

Now, it’s about Qualifications for Leadership. Here’s some quotes from Keith Loy.

“Leadership is not a title to be earned, but a towel to be held.”

“Influence and Impact another is leadership”

“Godliness(Christlikeness) is all about public witness (Influence)”

“Reputation precedes effectiveness” – Joseph Hall?

“How one lives has everything to do with how one leads”

“Does my walk talk and does my talk walk?”

What is the point of all of these? As Christ like followers, we are Ambassadors to this world.

“You may be the only Jesus anyone ever meets” – unknown

2 Corinthians 5:18-20 King James Version (KJV)
18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

Got Questions has a very nice explanation of what does it mean to be an ambassador of Christ.

From this article, they say it much better than I could even try!

Christians are God’s ambassadors in that they have been “approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel” (1 Thessalonians 2:4). As we go through this world, we represent another Kingdom (John 18:36), and it is our responsibility to reflect the “official position” of heaven. We are in this world, but not of it (John 17:16). God’s ambassadors are to be “as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16). Empowered by the Holy Spirit, we must take the message of our King to the “ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8), imploring men and women everywhere to be reconciled to God.

This is not easy to accept.
I’d like to put all the responsibility of being an ambassador on the Elders and Bishops, as are listed here in Titus and in Timothy.
The problem is, Jesus didn’t just preach the sermon on the mount to the 12 disciples.
Another problem is, we are all to be trees that produce fruit(by Jesus’ words) and we know the fruit is in Galations.
Another problem is Paul’s excellent writing on Love…in 1 Corinthians 13. He’s not just talking to the Bishops and the elders.
If that’s not enough…Christ commanded several things:

Mark 16:15 and Matthew 28:19-20
Jesus said Go YE…as in ME.
If I want to claim “and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” I have to claim the calling as well.

1 Peter 4:10 King James Version (KJV)
10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

We’ve all been given a gift…and as we have, we are to minister to one another…and that is the evidence of us being good stewards of the grace of God!

another reason for maintaining the character and reputation as listed here is

1 Timothy 3:7 King James Version (KJV)
7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

How many have fallen snare to the enemy, and lost their witness? Their church? Their families? Some, even their lives?

Can we agree that if we love the Lord Jesus, that we will want to be a good example of Him to others?
Can we agree that the combined commandment from Jesus is to Love God and Love others?

Ephesians 4:15 King James Version (KJV)
15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

I have been gravely convicted of my lack of qualities as an ambassador of Christ…and yet, I am greatly comforted by the fact that in any way that I sin, I have the promise of an advocate for me with the Father (1 John).

I haven’t listed Titus 1:6-9 here yet.
I’ve tried to cross reference it with The Fruit of the Spirit, 1 Corinthians 13, and the Beatitudes.


Titus 1:6-9	Bishop Qualifications			Cross Reference
Fruit of the Spirit	Love Chapter	Beatitudes	Bishop	Others
Gal 5:22-23	I Cor 13:4-7	Matt 5:3-10	Titus 1:6-9
Love	Love		faithful to one wife	1 Tim 3:2-4
Joy	Rejoices in the truth			Neh 8:10 John 15:11, 16:24,33 Psalm 16:11
Peace		Peacemaker	Not violent	John 14:27 1 Tim 3:3 Prov 28?7, Phil 4:7
Patience	Patient		Not angry Not irritable	1 Tim 3:3 2 Tim 2:24 Prov 14:17, 15:18
Kindness	Kind	Merciful	Hospitality	1 Tim 3:2
Goodness		Pure in hearts	Blameless Holy	1 Tim 3:2 & 7
Gentleness	Not rude			2 Tim 2:24
Self Control	Endures all things	Meek	Not drunkard Not violent Not angry	1 Tim 3:2-3 2 Tim 2:25 Eph 5:18, Lev 10:9
Faithfulness	Bears all things Believes all things Hopes all things	Persecuted	Live wisely Devout Just	Pro 31:4-5
	Not arrogant	Poor in Spirit Mourn		2 Tim 2:24-25 1 Tim 3:6
			Not greedy	1 Tim 3:3-7
	2019(c) MCWildman and The WildBerry Patch

Here is a pdf of a Google doc of the qualifications of bishop.

Here’s a very clumsily hand written one:

All of this is to try to give you an overview of the various qualities written in Titus for the Bishop, and how they actually are the qualities that Christ expects of us as an ambassador.

I hope this gives you the same eye opening understanding about the qualifications of a Bishop…we are all ministers to the gospel. I had hoped to get away from this, as there is that qualification – husband of one wife…I am never going to be a husband! Titus 2 will bring that home!

Got Questions provides a detailed explanation of The Roman’s Road.
Billy Graham’s version of the Plan of salvation

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Naomi’s Heart Ministries
Obed’s House Ministries
Project Based Missions, Global
The son of a friend will be interning with CRU – previously known as Campus Crusades for Christ. If you’d like to support someone I can vouch for in this area, please consider going to Matthew Plant’s donation page.
Compassion

Itty Bitty Bible Study – Titus 1:3-5 Who, What, Why, Where and Peace

My thoughts for the Itty Bitty Bible Study group on Facebook. (join if you’d like to get these in fb!)

In IBBS Titus the Introduction, we talked about Paul confessing to be a servant, and that translates to being a slave – but to whom?
In IBBS Titus 1:1-2, we talked about God’s elect and godliness.
In IBBS Titus 1:2, we talked about an eternal hope and promise.

Titus 1:3-5 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
3 In His own time He has revealed His message in the proclamation that I was entrusted with by the command of God our Savior:

4 To Titus, my true son in our common faith.

Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

Titus’s Ministry in Crete
5 The reason I left you in Crete was to set right what was left undone and, as I directed you, to appoint elders in every town:

Let’s break these down quickly.

Who was Paul?

Titus 1: 3 In His own time He has revealed His message in the proclamation that I was entrusted with by the command of God our Savior:

Paul didn’t walk with Jesus.
He seems to feel like he is an apostle out of his time.
Jesus revealed his message to him, specifically, and called Him personally.

Acts 9:1-9
2 Corinthians 12
In IBBS Galatians 1:1-10, I talked about Paul defending his apostleship.
He begins many of his letters with just such defense. It’s as if he’s listing his qualifications as an apostle.

Titus 1:4 To Titus, my true son in our common faith.

Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

Who was Titus?
Wikipedia has a great summary about Titus, Saint Titus, verses Titus the Roman Emperor.
The international Bible Society gives some information on Titus in it’s intro to Titus.
Christianity Today gives a bit of the Bible Timeline history of Titus.

Apparently, he was someone Paul led to Christ.
Apparently, he was called into the ministry, and served with Paul.
Apparently, he was sent out to minister to Crete, and this is where this letter comes in.

When was this?
From the International Bible Society:

Paul possibly wrote from Macedonia, for he had not yet reached Nicopolis (see 3:12). The letter was written after he was released from his first Roman imprisonment (Acts 28), probably between a.d. 63 and 65 (see chart, p. 2261)—or possibly at a later date if he wrote after his assumed trip to Spain.

Why?

Titus 1:5 The reason I left you in Crete was to set right what was left undone and, as I directed you, to appoint elders in every town:

To complete a work.
To appoint elders.
Next time, I’ll talk about the importance of elders, and watchmen and overseers for the body of Christ, or God’s people, since it starts back with Moses, but for right now, this is the purpose.

Did you notice I skipped something?

Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

Romans 1:7 KJV
To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Galatians 1:3 KJV
Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,

For more: IBBS Galatians 1:1-10

Ephesians 1:2 KJV
Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

For More: IBBS Ephesians Intro, 1:1-2

Philippians 1:2 KJV
Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

For more: IBBS Phillipians 1:1-2

Colosians 1:2 KJV
To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The BibleHub has quite a collection of cross references for Grace and Peace based on the verse Romans 1:7

It’s as if this is a theme to Paul! A constant Prayer.
Grace…
Peace…

Numbers 6:24-26 King James Version (KJV)
24 The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:
25 The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
26 The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

Ephesians 2:8-9 King James Version (KJV)
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Philippians 4:7 King James Version (KJV)
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

And then, Faith….

Hebrews 11:1 King James Version (KJV)
11 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:6 King James Version (KJV)
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Is he praying for our salvation? I don’t know…but I’ll take all the grace, mercy, peace, faith and love that I can get. What about you?

Ah, there’s the Where!
Crete…Greece. Preaching to the gentiles!

Next – the requirements for being an elder…you might be surprised at my take on this!

Got Questions provides a detailed explanation of The Roman’s Road.
Billy Graham’s version of the Plan of salvation

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Naomi’s Heart Ministries
Obed’s House Ministries
Project Based Missions, Global
The son of a friend will be interning with CRU – previously known as Campus Crusades for Christ. If you’d like to support someone I can vouch for in this area, please consider going to Matthew Plant’s donation page.
Compassion

Itty Bitty Bible Study – Titus 1:2 Hope and promise

My thoughts for the Itty Bitty Bible Study group on Facebook. (join if you’d like to get these in fb!)

Titus 1 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
2 in the hope of eternal life that God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.

The Hope of Eternal Life which God promised before time began.

Most Christians know what the Hope of Eternal Life is….

Romans 6:23 King James Version (KJV)
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

For more information on this:

- Advent day 14 – Jesus is a Lamb
- Advent day 12 – Jesus is the Lion and the Lamb
- Advent day 7 shares the colors of Christmas, or the colors of salvation.
- Advent Day 6 shares WHY did Jesus Come.
- IBBS Ephesians 2:1-10 explains the situation – why we needed Jesus!
This is the Hope…that we who were dead in our sins were loved while we were yet sinners and Christ came down from his glorious heaven, took on our form, dealt with our pains and sufferings, and died a horrible death on our behalf, then rose from the grave and now sits at the right hand of God to intercede for us day and night!

Why did I post all of those previous blog post links? Because, if you do not know the hope of eternal life…they are there to guide you and explain!

If you think you are getting into heaven just because you are good enough…let me burst that bubble right now. So you think you are going to heaven? is something I wrote years ago, and it’s because I want you to have the TRUE hope of eternal life!

2 in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie,promised before the beginning of time,

The hope of eternal life…..
Talked about in Titus introduction.

The hope of eternal life…salvation.
God, who does not lie…I think we can agree with this…God is TRUTH.
Here’s a bunch of verses about truth…from BibleStudytools.com

None really say God is Truth…but, when you take all of verses together…you get:

Romans 3:4 King James Version (KJV)
4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

Another collection of God is true verses comes from Bible Knowing Jesus.

Again, only a few specifically say that God is true…but you get the picture…God cannot lie and still be truth.
He promised eternal life…He promised salvation…He promised a solution to our sin situation!

James 1:17 KJV
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

2 Timothy 1:12 Holman Christian Standard Bible
12 and that is why I suffer these things. But I am not ashamed, because I know the One I have believed in and am persuaded that He is able to guard what has been entrusted to me[a] until that day.

Philippians 1:6 Holman Christian Standard Bible
6 I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you[a] will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

The end is coming, and our hope is in this eternal life…

1 Thes 4:14-18
18 Therefore encourage[e] one another with these words.

Hebrews 6:13-20 Holman Christian Standard Bible
Inheriting the Promise
13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since He had no one greater to swear by, He swore by Himself:
14 I will indeed bless you,
and I will greatly multiply you.[a]
15 And so, after waiting patiently, Abraham[b] obtained the promise. 16 For men swear by something greater than themselves, and for them a confirming oath ends every dispute. 17 Because God wanted to show His unchangeable purpose even more clearly to the heirs of the promise, He guaranteed it with an oath, 18 so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for our lives, safe and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. 20 Jesus has entered there on our behalf as a forerunner, because He has become a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.

So, this goes back to Abraham….
What about Noah?
Genesis 9
God promises not to destroy the world again with a flood – but Noah and his family were a type of salvation…

Hebrews 11:7 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
7 By faith Noah, after he was warned about what was not yet seen and motivated by godly fear, built an ark to deliver his family. By faith he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

For that matter, Hebrews 11talks a lot about the promise not seen in the heroes of the Faith.

Heb 11:10 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

Heb 11:16 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

Heb 11:39-40 39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

Now, going back before Noah…

Hebrews 11:1-3 Holman Christian Standard Bible
Heroes of Faith
11 Now faith is the reality[a] of what is hoped for, the proof[b] of what is not seen. 2 For our ancestors won God’s approval by it.
3 By faith we understand that the universe was[c] created by God’s command,[d] so that what is seen has been made from things that are not visible.

Titus 1:2 in the hope of eternal life that God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.
How did God promise this gift of eternal life before time began?
What happened before creation?

Luke 10:18 KJV
And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

Isaiah 14:12-15 King James Version (KJV)
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

Ezekiel 28:11-19 tells more of the fall of Satan

Got Questions answers about the angels that fell with Satan.

One thing that Got Questions says that I’m not sure I agree with is that the fall was AFTER creation.
Let me put forth what I believe I’ve just gotten, and you be the judge as to the WHEN of the thing!

Based upon the promise before time began, when did time begin?

Genesis 1 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
The Creation
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.[a]
2 Now the earth was[b] formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and He called the darkness “night.” Evening came and then morning: the first day.

As far as I’m concerned – time was created when God created the light, separated the day and night, and declared “the first day” was good!

Time began.
As I read Titus 1:2, I take it that he had the plan for our salvation BEFORE day ONE.
WHY?
To choose good, there must be something else to choose from.
The lack of good.
Otherwise known as not good, or evil.
The angels were created with choice – but, what choice did they have? Hmmm. Lucifer wanted to be like God! And he was already prepared to tempt Eve with the same thing!

God knows the end from the beginning, right? Isaiah 46:10
God wants us to love him freely, not out of requirement or slavery, right?
So, God gave us a choice…freewill…and, it didn’t take very long, as far as we know, for humans to mess up.
Knowing that we would mess up, and choose ‘not good’, God still put the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil in the midst of the garden.
It’s the ONLY thing that they could not touch. THE ONLY THING!
They could have eaten from the tree of life!
AND EVERY OTHER TREE, SO BEAUTIFUL, SO FRUITFUL, SOME THAT WE CAN’T EVEN IMAGINE! Paradise! with ONE restriction.
The devil was there in the garden…
The devil used words to tempt Eve to question God.
Adam didn’t stand up to Eve…which may have changed everything! He just ate.
Their gods were their bellies, their eyes and their pride. Phil 3:18-20
The sin was idolotry…they put their own desires above God. They wanted to be LIKE God!

The Plan

Genesis 3:15 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
15 I will put hostility between you and the woman,
and between your seed and her seed.
He will strike your head,
and you will strike his heel.

This is known all through Christendom as the first declaration of the plan of salvation.

Genesis 3:21 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
21 The Lord God made clothing out of skins for Adam and his wife, and He clothed them.

This is the first death, and it was on behalf of Adam and Eve’s sins…their futile attempts to hide their sins with fig leaves failed. The wages of sin is death…something had to die…and Adam and Eve had to wear the skins of the animals that they had named and cared for…to remind them of the cost of sin.

Hebrews 9:22 Amplified Bible (AMP)
22 In fact under the Law almost everything is cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness [neither release from sin and its guilt, nor cancellation of the merited punishment].

The shedding of animal blood was the foreshadowing of Christ being the lamb that takes away the sins of the world. John 1:29
Isaiah prophesied of this lamb in Isaiah 53 – long before he came.

Here’s what has blown my mind.
As I read it, God had already experienced the angels falling….and they had lived in perfection.
Still he chose to create us.
He knew the end from the beginning…so when Eve was rebuked, He knew that Jesus was going to come and die on our behalf…seed of Eve, destroying the seed of the enemy.
When HE covered them with those bloody animal skins, the first death, HE KNEW that one day, Jesus would be that bloody mess, paying the price for sin on our behalf.
And still – God chose to create us.
He created us in His image…so that we could be like him.
He gave us free will and choice…so that we could choose to be like him…or not.
And, He gave us His son, that we might be saved from the dead heart that chooses evil.
AND – HE GAVE US THE GIFT OF FAITH SO THAT WE COULD BELIEVE!

Ephesians 2:8-10 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— 9 not from works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.

While we were yet sinners – yes:Romans 5:8

Before we were knit in our mother’s womb – yes –
- Jere 29:11
- Jere 31:17
- Lama 3:26
- Jere 1:5
- Psalm 139
But even before that!
Before time began!
He created us with a plan!
He knew we would choose to fail,
And that we would slip into hell
But when we listen to his voice
He calls us to a better choice
Come unto me my little dears
I will love and draw you near
I have loved you since before time began
And I have set in motion the perfect plan.
Choose Jesus and the blood you see
And I’ll give you life that is so free
The life I planned, that you destroyed
Is still here waiting with love untold.
Just turn to me, and let me show
The love I planned to help you grow.
Eternal life is mine to give,
Just turn to me, and live, live, live.
(c)MCWildman2019

Forgive me for this long passage of scripture at the end, but, it is God’s words to us…He has set before us life and death…we must make a choice!

Deuteronomy 30:15-20 King James Version (KJV)
15 See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;

16 In that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.

17 But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them;

18 I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it.

19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

20 That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

I hope you worship with me:

Hi!
My hope in the midst of despair and my joy in the face of depression is because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. If you do not have one, or are not sure you will join him in heaven, please check out these links.
- Got Questions provides a detailed explanation of The Roman’s Road.
- Billy Graham’s version of the Plan of salvation
Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Copyrights and Legal-eze
There are many organizations that support children and families. Here are ones that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.
- Naomi’s Heart Ministries
- Obed’s House Ministries
- Project Based Missions, Global
- The son of a friend will be interning with CRU – previously known as Campus Crusades for Christ. If you’d like to support someone I can vouch for in this area, please consider going to Matthew Plant’s donation page.
- Compassion

Itty Bitty Bible Study – Titus 1:1-2

My thoughts for the Itty Bitty Bible Study group on Facebook. (join if you’d like to get these in fb!)

I utilize various resources to research and study these Itty Bitty Bible Studies.
This time, for Titus, I hooked up with Keith Loy’s Celebrate Titus on RightNow Media. RightNow Media is a subscription for everyone in a church. If you don’t have RightNow Media on your computer or TV streaming channels, the Celebrate Titus dvd is available. I don’t know if it’s more or less information.

I am not an Amazon associate, so I don’t get anything out of sharing this! I will let you know that I will be quoting him!

Titus 1 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

Greeting
1 Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to build up the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness,
2 in the hope of eternal life that God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.
3 In His own time He has revealed His message in the proclamation that I was entrusted with by the command of God our Savior:

In IBBS Titus Introduction, we discussed Paul’s definition of himself as a servant or slave, and apostle.
We discussed the why – to build up the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness.

Here’s a few quick comments.
Who are God’s elect?
Got Questions has a great article on the theologies of Predestination and Election.

In Itty Bitty Bible Study Ephesians 1:3-6, I discuss what I feel is the most important focus in this debate. I hope you go look at that…It points to the need for faith.

In Luke 18:7, elect is also translated as chosen.

Luke 18:7 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
7 Will not God grant justice to His elect who cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay to help them?[a]

Acts 13:48 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
48 When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and glorified the message of the Lord, and all who had been appointed to eternal life believed.

Ephesians 2:8-10 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— 9 not from works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.

In IBBS Ephesians 2:1-10, I talked about this very concept. We are saved by Grace, through faith BY GOD!

We know that we are a chosen generation, correct? 1 Peter 2:9
What about Godly?

Psalm 4:3 King James Version (KJV)
3 But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the Lord will hear when I call unto him.

What does that mean about who can be saved?

1 Timothy 2:3-4 King James Version (KJV)
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

and this puts both together:

2 Timothy 2:10 King James Version (KJV)
10 Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

Or complicates it…but, no matter what, Jesus said:

John 3:16-18 King James Version (KJV)
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

I believe in the Whosoever doctrine!

You see, God desires that all men come to him.

1 Timothy 2:4 King James Version (KJV)
4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Our time is short:

2 Peter 3:8-10 King James Version (KJV)
8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

The fields are indeed white for harvest. Matthew 9:37-38 – but we must be ready to be the workers!

Matthew 9:35-38 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
The Lord of the Harvest
35 Then Jesus went to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every[a] disease and every sickness.[b] 36 When He saw the crowds, He felt compassion for them, because they were weary and worn out, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. 38 Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”

I believe that Paul is speaking to those that confess to be believers, and discussing how the body needs to be helped.

Therefore, yes, we are to share, preach, and minister to those outside the church, but especially the household of Faith:

Galatians 6:10 KJV
As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

So often, we are told to build up one another in our most holy faith. Jude 1:20, 1 Thes 5:11, Eph 4:29 for a few.
This is the purpose of the Church body!
1 Corinthians 12 talks about the needs of the Body of Christ.

We are the Body of Christ. We should be encouraging one another

Ephesians 5:19-21 King James Version (KJV)
19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

Outside of the church, we are to go, preaching the gospel and making disciples.

Mark 16:15-16 King James Version (KJV)
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Inside the church, we are to encourage one another, lift one another up, sometimes, exhort one another, but mostly..LOVE ONE ANOTHER!

Why is Paul doing this?
He wanted to lift up those believers….
…securing their knowledge of the TRUTH…
To what end?
…leading to godliness.

So, outside, we have the unbelievers that need to know the truth of salvation, and at the end of this blog, I have several links that will share the truth of salvation.
Inside, teaching the truth that leads to godliness(vs 1)…what is that about? If they are believers, they(we) don’t need to be preached salvation to, right? What do we need to learn about?

1 Peter 2:1-3 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
The Living Stone and a Holy People
2 So rid yourselves of all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, desire the pure spiritual milk, so that you may grow by it for your salvation,[a] 3 since you have tasted that the Lord is good.[b]

1 Corinthians 3 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
The Problem of Immaturity
3 Brothers, I was not able to speak to you as spiritual people but as people of the flesh, as babies in Christ. 2 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, because you were not yet ready for it. In fact, you are still not ready, 3 because you are still fleshly. For since there is envy and strife[a] among you, are you not fleshly and living like unbelievers?[b]

Hebrews 5:11-14 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
The Problem of Immaturity
11 We have a great deal to say about this, and it’s difficult to explain, since you have become too lazy to understand. 12 Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the basic principles of God’s revelation again. You need milk, not solid food. 13 Now everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced with the message about righteousness, because he is an infant. 14 But solid food is for the mature—for those whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil.

What is the indication of immaturity? Ungodliness. Therefore, Paul is writing to draw believers to the truth of faith that leads to godliness.

Does that mean perfection?
Well, there is a verse with which I used to beat myself over the head.

Matthew 5:48 King James Version (KJV)
48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Thank you Blue Letter Bible!~ I’ve included the search link so that you can look even deeper.

Outline of Biblical usage
brought to its end, finished
wanting nothing necessary to completeness
perfect
that which is perfect
consummate human integrity and virtue of men
full grown, adult, of full age, mature

Can we choose to walk in integrity? Yes!
Do we have all we need to move into completeness in Christ? Yes, His word and the Holy Spirit!
Can we choose to walk in virtue? Yes!
Can we grow into the fullness of Christ, maturing day by day? Yes!

It’s not that we are perfect NOW, but that we are choosing day by day the things of God, rather than the things of this world!

How do we do that?
THE WORD OF GOD! Get in the Bible! God’s TRUTH leads to godliness.

Psalm 119:11 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
11 I have treasured Your word in my heart
so that I may not sin against You.

Proverbs 4:18 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
18 The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
shining brighter and brighter until midday.

It’s a choice, a growth, moving towards something.

Even so, just like the truth about being saved by God, by a gift of faith, we grow in God by His working in us!

Philippians 2:13-15 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
13 For it is God who is working in you, enabling you both to desire and to work out His good purpose. 14 Do everything without grumbling and arguing, 15 so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world.

Godliness…defined:

Dictionary.com
conforming to the laws and wishes of God; devout; pious.
coming from God; divine.

The Meaning of Godliness by Classroom:

Godliness is a significant term in the Christian faith. According to Strong’s Concordance, the word is translated from the Greek word for “piety”, and is used in the New Testament fourteen times in the letters of Peter and Paul. While the expression also refers to the divinity of God, godliness in the Bible is mainly used to describe a positive way of life influenced by God, and inspired reflection in the tenets of the Christian faith.

We have all felt the condemnation of needing to be perfect.
It’s just that…condemnation.
Condemnation brings death.
Conviction brings life.
If it brings fear, worry, and doubt – it’s not from God.
If it brings challenge, love, and courage – it’s probably from God, even if it hurts.
Giving up our pet sins hurts.
Losing out on God’s best will hurt eternally!

Here’s some verses about truth leading to godliness:

Proverbs 1:1-7

Proverbs 1:7 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
7 The fear of the Lord
is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Colossians 2:2-3 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
2 I want their hearts to be encouraged and joined together in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery—Christ.[a] 3 All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Him.

Colossians 1:25-27 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
25 I have become its servant, according to God’s administration that was given to me for you, to make God’s message fully known, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to His saints. 27 God wanted to make known among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

The promise is that it’s GOD that began the work, and God will complete it!

Phil 1:6 HCSB
I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Oops, here is another clue that there are differences…in this case, the apostles vs the other people following along. What’s up with that?

Matthew 13:11 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
11 He answered them, “Because the secrets of the kingdom of heaven have been given for you to know, but it has not been given to them.

There are multiple types that are in the church.

Mature Believers – called, elect, chosen…however you want to depict them. See verses above.
Young, Immature Believers – can’t handle the meat of the word yet…but need nurtured. see the verses above.
Tares among the wheat…Matthew 13
Wolves…Matthew 7:15 King James Version (KJV)
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Remember, we were like them at one time.

Romans 2:4 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
4 Or do you despise the riches of His kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing[a] that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

Galatians 6:1-2 King James Version (KJV)
6 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

This gives some insight into expectations of those that are more mature in the Lord, and how they are to minister! We are all in a different place in our walk with Jesus – we can learn from all – beware that we not be tempted – but lovingly come alongside each other to grow together in Him!

Is godliness required?
We are to offer the sacrifices of righteousness…

Romans 12:1-2 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
A Living Sacrifice
12 Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship.[a] 2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Psalm 4:5 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
5 Offer sacrifices in righteousness[a]
and trust in the Lord.

With His Help:

Psalm 5:7-8 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
7 But I enter Your house
by the abundance of Your faithful love;
I bow down toward Your holy temple
in reverential awe of You.
8 Lord, lead me in Your righteousness
because of my adversaries;[a]
make Your way straight before me.

Did Jesus say this?

Matthew 5:20 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus gave us some pretty clear instructions for behavior in the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 5, Mt 6, and Mt 7
We have a promise:

Isaiah 32:17 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
17 The result of righteousness will be peace;
the effect of righteousness
will be quiet confidence forever.

Romans 14:16-18 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
16 Therefore, do not let your good be slandered, 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever serves Christ in this way is acceptable to God and approved by men.

For more about these promises, and more of an explanation of what righteousness is, Please go to
IBBS Ephesians 1:7-14
IBBS Ephesians 1:15-23

Remember, if we have received Christ as our Lord and Savior…and we have chosen to look forward, to become more like Christ…and we work out our own salvation day by day, we are right with God.

Righteousness with God…is being right with God.
Do we sin?
Yes
Does that separate us from the Father?
Only in the same way that disappointing a parent would briefly cause separation from our parent, until we repent, ask forgiveness, and turn from that behavior that causes separation.
It’s not a lose or keep salvation situation, it’s a fellowship situation.

Getting to know Jesus is key to being in fellowship with him.
Spending time in His word is key to getting to know Him.
Spending time with the Holy Spirit in prayer is key to connecting with the Godhead.

This is what Paul wants to prepare Titus for, to help with in the church at Crete.
This is what God wants us to be prepared for, in the church we attend.
He wants mature believers to minister to the other believers, so that they will have knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness…
and to share with those outside the church, the hope of eternal life, that God promised before time began.

And seriously, can’t we all be ministered to by remembering the hope of eternal life? …remembering that God keeps his promises?

Romans 15:13 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Got Questions provides a detailed explanation of The Roman’s Road.
Billy Graham’s version of the Plan of salvation

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Naomi’s Heart Ministries
Obed’s House Ministries
Project Based Missions, Global
The son of a friend will be interning with CRU – previously known as Campus Crusades for Christ. If you’d like to support someone I can vouch for in this area, please consider going to Matthew Plant’s donation page.
Compassion

Itty Bitty Bible Study – Titus Introduction

My thoughts for the Itty Bitty Bible Study group on Facebook. (join if you’d like to get these in fb!)

I utilize various resources to research and study these itty bitty Bible studies.
This time, for Titus, I hooked up with Keith Loy’s Celebrate Titus on RightNow Media. RightNow Media is a subscription for everyone in a church. If you don’t have RightNow Media on your computer or TV streaming channels, the dvd is available. I don’t know if it’s more or less information.

I am not an Amazon associate, so I don’t get anything out of sharing this! I will let you know that I will be quoting him!

From Wikipedia

Not mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, Saint Titus was noted in Galatians (cf. Gal. 2:1, 3) where Paul wrote of journeying to Jerusalem with Barnabas, accompanied by Titus. He was then dispatched to Corinth, Greece, where he successfully reconciled the Christian community there with Paul, its founder. Titus was later left on the island of Crete to help organize the Church, and later met back with the Apostle Paul in Nicopolis. He soon went to Dalmatia (now Croatia). According to Eusebius of Caesarea in the Ecclesiastical History, he served as the first bishop of Crete and remained there in his old years.[citation needed] He was buried in Cortyna (Gortyna), Crete; his head was later removed to Venice during the invasion of Crete by the Saracens in 832 and was enshrined in St Mark’s Basilica, Venice, Italy.[cit

That gives a good basic understanding of who, when and where Titus was.

Bible.org has another great introduction to Titus, explaining that this goes hand in hand with 1 & 2 Timothy as the Pastoral Letters.

Titus 1 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Greeting
1 Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to build up[a] the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads[b] to godliness, 2 in the hope of eternal life that God, who cannot lie, promised before time began. 3 In His own time He has revealed His message in the proclamation that I was entrusted with by the command of God our Savior:

In IBBS Galations 1:1-10, I discuss Paul describing his calling.

Galatians 1
1 Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—

In the old days (hahaha), folks put their authorship at the beginning of letters. It’s kind of like a return address.

In Ephesians 1:1 he just declares himself an apostle, by the will of God. (IBBS Ephesians Intro)

Ephesians 1 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Greeting
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will:

In IBBS Philippians 1:1-2, we discussed the aspect of Paul describing his walk as a servant.

Phillipians 1
1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,
To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers[b] and deacons:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Servants – websters – one that serves others a public servant; especially : one that performs duties about the person or home of a master or personal employer of Christ Jesus – the point of servant is that it has a master…and they declare who their master is, Whom they serve, right up front!

In Galatians, for whatever reason at the time, Paul really spent a lot of the letter talking about WHY he was actually an apostle.
IBBS Galatians 1:11-24 & 2:1-10 covers that explanation.

Let’s break down the first verse.

Titus 1:1 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Greeting
1 Paul,
a slave of God and
an apostle of Jesus Christ,
to build up[a] the faith of God’s elect and
their knowledge of the truth
that leads[b] to godliness,

Who? Paul. The one who was Saul, the leader of those that persecuted Christians. You can read about that in Acts 9.

What? Slave of God.

Definition of slave (Entry 1 of 4)
1 : a person held in servitude as the chattel of another
2 : one that is completely subservient to a dominating influence

This term was so despised in Paul’s time, that it was like shock and awe for him to use it. Of course, it does hearken back to Christ at the last supper in John 13.

Remember, Peter was offended that his Lord and Savior would do a servant’s work! Jesus had a different view:

John 13:12-17 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
The Meaning of Footwashing
12 When Jesus had washed their feet and put on His robe, He reclined[a] again and said to them, “Do you know what I have done for you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord. This is well said, for I am. 14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example that you also should do just as I have done for you.
16 “I assure you: A slave is not greater than his master,[b] and a messenger is not greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

In Romans, Paul gives another explanation:

Romans 12:3 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Many Gifts but One Body
3 For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one.

We are all called to be slaves to Christ.
In IBBS Ephesians 2:20-22 part one and Part two we talked about how we are slaves.

The truth is, we are slaves.
BUT WE GET TO CHOOSE TO WHOM!!!

What, part two – apostle of Jesus Christ.

Definition of apostle
1 : one sent on a mission: such as
a : one of an authoritative New Testament group sent out to preach the gospel and made up especially of Christ’s 12 original disciples and Paul

An apostle is a specific ministry position in the Christian Church.
There are almost as many beliefs about what, who and when an apostle is as there are church buildings!
In one church we attended it was taught as the ‘fivefold ministry’.
Oddly enough, Wikipedia has an entry on this! It’s really very good for an overview without bias.

Paul wrote about these offices in Ephesians 4.

Ephesians 4:11-13 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
11 And He personally gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 for the training of the saints in the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into a mature man with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.

That ties the What and the Why together!
WHY?

to build up the faith of God’s elect and
their knowledge of the truth
that leads to godliness,

That sounds like

build up the body of Christ
unity in the faith,
knowledge of God’s son
growing into a mature man
with stature measured by Christ’s fullness

Oh my.
The purposes for the ministry could very well apply to you and me.
While I am not called to be an apostle, pastor, or what else…I do teach. Do you?
Do you ever share your testimony?
Do you ever lead a bible study?
Or even host a table in a larger group for bible study?
Ok, here’s one…do you ever share a Bible meme on facebook?
You preach…teach…and your light is your ministry!

Aren’t we all called to help each other grow into the fullness of Christ?
1 Corinthians 12 says yes.
Ok, yes, another letter by Paul.

Did Jesus ever ask us to share with each other?

Matthew 5:13-16 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Believers Are Salt and Light
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled on by men.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket,[a] but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine[b] before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

I said in IBBS Ephesians Introduction:

I have often had difficulty wondering if the letters written to those people were actually applicable to me.

2 Timothy 3:16-17
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Romans 15:4
4 For everything that was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope.

And with that…my difficulties disappeared! Granted, again, these two verses are again, written by Paul.
I do think that Jesus’ words make it very clear that we are expected to be Jesus on the earth, to share Jesus’ love, joy, and light and to help each other to grow into the fullness of Christ. I just can’t see how we can get out of having to live up to our calling!
Remember 1 Corinthians 12, with Christ’s words about salt and light.

worship Break!

With that in mind…I’ll move on with Titus, as it applies to US!

coming up:

But first, we’ll finish with Paul’s purpose for the letter, and Titus…who was he?
And then, the beautiful prayer he prays so often….

Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

Got Questions provides a detailed explanation of The Roman’s Road.
Billy Graham’s version of the Plan of salvation

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Naomi’s Heart Ministries
Obed’s House Ministries
Project Based Missions, Global
The son of a friend will be interning with CRU – previously known as Campus Crusades for Christ. If you’d like to support someone I can vouch for in this area, please consider going to Matthew Plant’s donation page.
Compassion

Itty Bitty Bible Study – Habakkuk 3b finale

My thoughts for the Itty Bitty Bible Study group on Facebook. (join if you’d like to get these in fb!)

The first verse is explained in various versions (as obtained via Bible Hub) and on got questions.

Habakkuk 3 Amplified Bible (AMP)
God’s Salvation of His People
3 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, set to [a]wild and enthusiastic music.

Habakkuk 3 Living Bible (TLB)
3 This is the prayer of triumph[a] that Habakkuk sang before the Lord:

Habakkuk 3 World English Bible (WEB)
3 A prayer of Habakkuk, the prophet, set to victorious music.

In my research, no one really knows, but it sounds like the variations of worship, praise and prayer that we all see today in the variations of worshipers!

I’m going to do chapter three a little different than usual. I’m going to just list the verse, and add some cross references that come to mind. This chapter sounds so completely relevant to today, and the second coming of our Lord (Matthew 24). See if you agree.

Habakkuk 3 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Habakkuk’s Third Prayer
3:1 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. According to Shigionoth.[a]
2 O Lord, I have heard the report of you,
and your work, O Lord, do I fear.
In the midst of the years revive it;
in the midst of the years make it known;
in wrath remember mercy.

Some verse, then my verses. Do you agree? Do you have some to add?

Isaiah 43:2
Deuteronomy 31:8
Jeremiah 42:11

Matthew 24:22 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
22 Unless those days were limited, no one would[a] survive.[b] But those days will be limited because of the elect.

Psalm 85:6-9 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
6 Will You not revive us again
so that Your people may rejoice in You?
7 Show us Your faithful love, Lord,
and give us Your salvation.

8 I will listen to what God will say;
surely the Lord will declare peace
to His people, His godly ones,
and not let them go back to foolish ways.
9 His salvation is very near those who fear Him,
so that glory may dwell in our land.

Back to Habakkuk 3

Description of our great God:
3 God came from Teman,
and the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah
His splendor covered the heavens,
and the earth was full of his praise.

Psalm 48:10
Psalm 72:19
Psalm 113:4
Knowing Jesus has a compilation of verses about the earth being filled with His glory!

Isaiah 6:3 New International Version (NIV)
3 And they were calling to one another:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”

Praise Break!

Back to Habakkuk 3

4 His brightness was like the light;
rays flashed from his hand;
and there he veiled his power.

Matthew 24:27
Isaiah 30:30

Luke 17:24 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
24 For as the lightning flashes from horizon to horizon and lights up the sky, so the Son of Man will be in His day.

Revelation 1:12-20 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
12 I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me. When I turned I saw seven gold lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was One like the Son of Man,[a] dressed in a long robe and with a gold sash wrapped around His chest. 14 His head and hair were white like wool—white as snow—and His eyes like a fiery flame. 15 His feet were like fine bronze as it is fired in a furnace, and His voice like the sound of cascading[b] waters. 16 He had seven stars in His right hand; a sharp double-edged sword came from His mouth, and His face was shining like the sun at midday.[c]

Do you see the similarities? Not to mention that Jesus is the light of the world! I love seeing Jesus in the Old Testament tying together both testaments!

John 1 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Prologue
1 In the beginning was the Word,[a]
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
2 He was with God in the beginning.
3 All things were created through Him,
and apart from Him not one thing was created
that has been created.
4 Life was in Him,[b]
and that life was the light of men.
5 That light shines in the darkness,
yet the darkness did not overcome[c] it.

Habakkuk 3

5 Before him went pestilence,
and plague followed at his heels.[a]

“Things followed him”… not? I don’t think this means that pestilence and plague were part of God’s presence. I think this is part of the whole concept that where the holy God is, that which is unholy just trembles and dies! On the other hand, this also sounds very similar to the judgments in Revelation for His coming again to judge the living and the dead.
I’ve written a quickie guide to Revelation from the end to the beginning.
If you want to look up the judgments, start at Revelation 6.
There are many warnings in the Bible of judgement, both in the current lifetime of the prophet/writer, and in prophetic nature for the future. It is a part of the Christian’s theology.

Habakkuk 3

6 He stood and measured the earth;
he looked and shook the nations;
then the eternal mountains were scattered;
the everlasting hills sank low.
His were the everlasting ways.
7 I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction;
the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble.

Zechariah 14:4
Psalm 73
End times verses, Matthew 24. PureFlix has compiled a few, as has Open Bible.

Back to Habakkuk 3

8 Was your wrath against the rivers, O Lord?
Was your anger against the rivers,
or your indignation against the sea,
when you rode on your horses,
on your chariot of salvation?

This is Habakkuk asking God questions.
What is being said here? Why is a chariot of salvation being called when he’s going forth pouring out judgement?
Salvation for those in the midst?

This brings to my mind the discussions about when the rapture is, when the tribulation is, and where are all the believers during any of this. If you checked out the above collections of verses for end times, you know that this sounds very much like some of the judgments in Revelation! I’m not qualified to write much about this, but there are those who are, and they do not agree! All about God is one place I like to go to for some answers. My belief lines up with a Keith Green quote – “pray for Pre, Prepare for Post” as in, no one knows the hour or day, so be prepared!

My looking at the various scriptures, of which I do not have the space to list here, I am preparing for mid trib rapture. Why? That’s what I see when I look at the whole of the end times verses. Also, it’s what I see as how God works with his children…He saves them in the midst of the storm! My other reason, how terrible will it be for those that are not preparing for any true persecution to find out that they are in the first three and a half years of the tribulation, not raptured out before hand as they had been taught, and completely ill prepared to stand for God in the midst of the horrors that, well, honestly, are going on every where else in the world but here in America. The Bible warns that many will fall away and hearts will grow cold. How many are falling away because the prosperity doctrine does not work for them? How many fall away because it’s been preached that they will be healed in this life, and they continue to suffer, or lose a child, or what have you? Why won’t God answer their prayers? and the spiral starts. Be prepared! And we can rejoice if we are raptured before the tribulation!

Back to Habakkuk 3

9 You stripped the sheath from your bow,
calling for many arrows.[b] Selah
You split the earth with rivers.
10 The mountains saw you and writhed;
the raging waters swept on;
the deep gave forth its voice;
it lifted its hands on high.
11 The sun and moon stood still in their place
at the light of your arrows as they sped,
at the flash of your glittering spear.
12 You marched through the earth in fury;
you threshed the nations in anger.

Still sounds very much like His last campaign on the Earth to separate the sheep from the goats. Just read the various passages listed herein.

Back to Habakkuk 3

13 You went out for the salvation of your people,
for the salvation of your anointed.
You crushed the head of the house of the wicked,
laying him bare from thigh to neck.[c] Selah
14 You pierced with his own arrows the heads of his warriors,
who came like a whirlwind to scatter me,
rejoicing as if to devour the poor in secret.

There’s a verse about the end times enemies turning upon themselves and hiding. They did so many times in Old Testament battles. One such is Gideon in Judges 7:17-22. Also 1 Samuel 14:20, and 2 Chronicles 20 .

The key for believers to remember is this… the children are saved, in the midst of the judgement. Remember the three Hebrew children, and Daniel in the lions’ den, and Joseph in the pit, and then the jail, and then raised up to deliver the world as they knew it! I discussed this in IBBS Habakkuk 2

Psalm 46:10-11 New International Version (NIV)
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Habakkuk 3

15 You trampled the sea with your horses,
the surging of mighty waters.

16 I hear, and my body trembles;
my lips quiver at the sound;
rottenness enters into my bones;
my legs tremble beneath me.
Yet I will quietly wait for the day of trouble
to come upon people who invade us.

This is in light of the scripture shared above that except the day be cut short even the very elect would fall away. Here are some verses about our responsibility and our comfort for the end times.

Isaiah 54:17 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
17 No weapon formed against you will succeed,
and you will refute any accusation[a]
raised against you in court.
This is the heritage of the Lord’s servants,
and their righteousness is from Me.”
This is the Lord’s declaration.

Isaiah 41:10 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
10 Do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be afraid, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you; I will help you;
I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand.

Luke 10:19 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
19 Look, I have given you the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy; nothing will ever harm you.

Ephesians 6:10-20 is our responsibility to be prepared for battle, remembering this:

Ephesians 6:12 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
12 For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.

Romans 12:19 with Proverb 20:22

Psalm 37
Who better to fight for us than the God of all Creation?
Jesus is the prince of Peace…Psalm 23 goes nicely here.
As Psalm 46:10 says, Be Still and know that I am God!

Back to Habakkuk 3

Habakkuk Rejoices in the Lord
17 Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
19 God, the Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the deer’s;
he makes me tread on my high places.

No matter what happens around us we need to rejoice in the Lord and joy in the God of our salvation because He is the strength of our heart and He does make our feet like Hinds feet that walk on high places!

My Joy blogs –

a year ago I wrote Joyful Joyful about my decision to choose joy.
a Quick read about Joy from my Advent series.
I also have written about my struggle with depression, and how I’ve had to choose joy. One such blog is Oil of Joy, my testimony.
Another is Whose Joy am I responsible for, an addition to my joy journey.

Why am I talking about Joy in the midst of talking about end time events? I defined Joy for myself several years ago:

Joy is not dependent upon the things going on around me. It depends upon the Joy that is within me –

Another point of view is that

Happiness comes from Happenings, but Joy comes from Jesus.

If we depend on things around us to determine our joy, we will be sadly disappointed, if not depressingly despairing.
If our Joy is based upon Jesus residing in us, no one, NOTHING can take that from us, and we will have the Love of God within us, and the Peace of God sustaining us! Remember the first three fruit of the Spirit are listed as Love, Joy, and Peace! These are gifts to us from our heavenly father because HE KNOWS what’s going to happen! Let’s thank him!

Praise Charts has a list of various Christian Songs to praise the Lord and give Him thanks.

Here’s my praise Break!

Final bit of Habakkuk:

To the choirmaster: with stringed[d] instruments.

Remember that in all of things, we should worship. Worship is our greatest weapon!

Patheos has written a collection about verses to ward off the enemy.

Let me know what you think about this!
~~~

Got Questions provides a detailed explanation of The Roman’s Road.
Billy Graham’s version of the Plan of salvation

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Naomi’s Heart Ministries
Obed’s House Ministries
Project Based Missions, Global
The son of a friend will be interning with CRU – previously known as Campus Crusades for Christ. If you’d like to support someone I can vouch for in this area, please consider going to Matthew Plant’s donation page.
Compassion

Itty Bitty Bible Study – Habakkuk 3a

My thoughts for the Itty Bitty Bible Study group on Facebook. (join if you’d like to get these in fb!)

IBBS Habakkuk Introduction
IBBS Habakkuk 1
IBBS Habakkuk 2

Habakkuk 3 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Habakkuk’s Third Prayer
3 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. According to Shigionoth.[a]

2 Lord, I have heard the report about You;
Lord, I stand in awe of Your deeds.
Revive Your work in these years;
make it known in these years.
In Your wrath remember mercy!

Please read all of Habakkuk 3 – but for now, I want to continue some thoughts from the previous posts.

To review:
In IBBS Habakkuk 1, we discussed that sometimes bad things happen to discipline us. that is not always the case.

Sometimes, it’s to test us…(though we are told not to blame God for our temptations!

James 1:12-15 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
12 A man who endures trials[a] is blessed, because when he passes the test he will receive the crown of life that God[b] has promised to those who love Him.

13 No one undergoing a trial should say, “I am being tempted by God.” For God is not tempted by evil,[c] and He Himself doesn’t tempt anyone. 14 But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desires. 15 Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.

There are those that fall because of their own lusts…and they need Psalm 38

The truth is, that there are those that are refined by the fire, and that refining has a higher purpose!

I discussed those who experienced a higher purpose with the refining fire. The question is, do we realize that God uses EVERYTHING to cause us to grow into the fullness of Christ?

Does God discipline his children?
I believe the answer is yes.

Job 33:16-25

Job 5:17-18 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
17 See how happy the man is God corrects;
so do not reject the discipline of the Almighty.
18 For He crushes but also binds up;
He strikes, but His hands also heal.

Proverbs 3:11-12 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
11 Do not despise the Lord’s instruction, my son,
and do not loathe His discipline;
12 for the Lord disciplines the one He loves,
just as a father, the son he delights in.

Psalm 94 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
12 Lord, happy is the man You discipline
and teach from Your law
13 to give him relief from troubled times
until a pit is dug for the wicked.

Revelation 3:19 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be committed[a] and repent.

1 Corinthians 11:28-32 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
28 So a man should examine himself; in this way he should eat the bread and drink from the cup. 29 For whoever eats and drinks without recognizing the body,[a] eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 This is why many are sick and ill among you, and many have fallen asleep. 31 If we were properly evaluating ourselves, we would not be judged, 32 but when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord, so that we may not be condemned with the world.

Deuteronomy 8:5 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
5 Keep in mind that the Lord your God has been disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son.

2 Chronicles 6:27 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
27 may You hear in heaven
and forgive the sin of Your servants
and Your people Israel,
so that You may teach them the good way
they should walk in.
May You send rain on Your land
that You gave Your people for
an inheritance.

Hebrews 12:5-6 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons:
My son, do not take the Lord’s discipline lightly
or faint when you are reproved by Him,
6 for the Lord disciplines the one He loves
and punishes every son He receives.[a]

Jeremiah 31:18 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
18 I have heard Ephraim moaning,
“You disciplined me, and I have been disciplined
like an untrained calf.
Restore me, and I will return,
for you, Lord, are my God.

2 Chronicles 7:14 King James Version (KJV)
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

There’s a difference designated…those who are God’s people,and those who are not.

Job 27:8 For what hope does the godless man have when he is cut off,
when God takes away his life?

None…because those that Love the Lord have the hope of living out eternity with God in His Kingdom.

Eccl 8:12-14
12 Although a sinner commits crime a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I also know that it will go well with God-fearing people, for they are reverent before Him. 13 However, it will not go well with the wicked,and they will not lengthen their days like a shadow, for they are not reverent before God.14 There is a futility that is done on the earth: there are righteous people who get what the actions of the wicked deserve, and there are wicked people who get what the actions of the righteous deserve. I say that this too is futile.

As I said above, Psalm 38 is a cry for repentance. Those that Love God, and are wanting to please Him, know when they have sinned, and they cry out. There is now no condemnation…but there is conviction!

Romans 8 King James Version (KJV)
8 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Read the rest of Roman’s 8 to find our what the child of God’s position of sin ought to be.

The question IS who is righteous and who is unrighteous in God’s eyes.

To point that out we just need to list a bunch of scriptures about righteousness versus unrighteous. Google gives options. I’ve linked and posted a few above.

Or, we could utilize Ray comfort’s method for determining if we are good enough to make it into heaven.
Or my version of his questions:

Or we could just settle with the scripture

Romans 3:23 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
23 For all have sinned and fall short of the[a] glory of God.

with

Romans 6:23 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

It is only in Christ Jesus that we are considered righteous. There is no room for pride or elitism.

And since sacrifices in the Old Testament were the foreshadowing of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, trying to live your life according to all the rules of the Old Testament, and then confessing your sins and having faith in the sacrifices, that was what was considered righteous back then.

The thing is, the concept of grace and mercy is far misunderstood today.

Grace is getting that which you do not deserve and
mercy is not getting that which you do deserve.
Got Answers has a great explanation of the difference.

We all deserve the wages of sin which are death.
We all can embrace the gift of God which is eternal life by falling upon The Mercy Seat that had the final sacrifice of Christ’s blood applied.

I’m often disturbed by how many Christians look at God as a Santa God. Only providing good things and never asking us for anything in return.
Jesus himself gave some very clear commands!

Mark 12:30-31 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.[a][b]
31 “The second is: Love your neighbor as yourself.[c] There is no other command greater than these.”

That doesn’t sound like he wiped out the Ten Commandments, or any of the other laws and Prophets as guides for how we should live!
What He wiped out is that we will not have to answer for being Human and failing.
We will have to answer for a lack of faith,
for lack of enduring to the end,
for a lack of holding on,
for a lack of continuing in well-doing,
for not walking in those works for which we were created.

Now, salvation is based on Believing in the Lord Jesus Christ and having him being the Lord and Master Of Our Lives.
There are plenty of verses that say that there are rewards for those who have their heads chopped off for the kingdom.
Or for those who have lost all things in this world for Christ, or for those who…???
Yet, that isn’t always the requirement.
AND they are NOT the REQUIREMENT for salvation. They are the EVIDENCE!

The Bible says that those who teach are held to a higher standard than those who are ignorant. Something for which I am very aware.

I find it hard dealing with the physical and mental issues the God has allowed to continue in my life.
I find it hard to be joyful in the face of discouragement,
to be patient in the face of an ongoing trial, or
to be gracious to someone who has hurt me over and over and over possibly more than 70 times 7.

What I’m saying is, sometimes, when I get a little too comfortable in my life, I need the Lord to get my attention and if that is his disciplining hand to remind me that I am his child, I will say thank you for that!

What does this have to do with Habakkuk?
In Habakkuk’s day, being taken to Babylon was God’s disappointing hand to a people who had become too comfortable and we’re turning their backs on the one who gives them life.
God was promising Habakkuk that there would come a day that there would be judgment and that the joy of the people would be restored.

I’m going to answer that question, and discuss Habakkuk 3 in IBBS Habakkuk 3b.

In Itty Bitty Bible Study Galatians 1:1-10, you can read about how quickly the believers fell away!
In Itty Bitty Bible Study Galatians 2:11-21, you can read about Paul’s perspective on how Grace and a sinful life relate!

Itty Bitty Bible Study Galations 5 talks about how we can become UNentangled from sin!

Itty Bitty Bible Study Ephesians 1:2-6 talks about WHY Jesus did what he did.

In Itty Bitty Bible Study Ephesians 1:15-23I talk more about the WHY. What is it that Paul is praying for us? How to overcome the world, through Christ.

I know there is a lot of scripture in this blog.
I know there is a lot of reference to additional blog posts.
The thing is, in my world, there is only one truth…ONE TRUTH…and that is the Word of God.
Nothing I say can set you free…only the SON can set you free!

John 8:31-36
This is Jesus speaking! BIBLE!

John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

My prayer for you is that through Habakkuk, and all studies of the Word of God, you will be set free, and know The Prince of Peace!

Got Questions provides a detailed explanation of The Roman’s Road.
Billy Graham’s version of the Plan of salvation

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Naomi’s Heart Ministries
Obed’s House Ministries
Project Based Missions, Global
The son of a friend will be interning with CRU – previously known as Campus Crusades for Christ. If you’d like to support someone I can vouch for in this area, please consider going to Matthew Plant’s donation page.
Compassion

Itty Bitty Bible Study – Habakkuk 2

My thoughts for the Itty Bitty Bible Study group on Facebook. (join if you’d like to get these in fb!)

IBBS Habakkuk Introduction
IBBS Habakkuk 1

Habakkuk 2

In IBBS Habakkuk 1, we discussed that sometimes bad things happen to discipline us. that is not always the case.

Sometimes, it’s to test us…(though we are told not to blame God for our temptations!

James 1:12-15 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
12 A man who endures trials[a] is blessed, because when he passes the test he will receive the crown of life that God[b] has promised to those who love Him.

13 No one undergoing a trial should say, “I am being tempted by God.” For God is not tempted by evil,[c] and He Himself doesn’t tempt anyone. 14 But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desires. 15 Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.

There are those that fall because of their own lusts…and they need Psalm 38

The truth is, that there are those that are refined by the fire, and that refining has a higher purpose!

Habakkuk is not happy with the answers by God in the first chapter…

Habakkuk 1:13 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
13 Your eyes are too pure to look on evil,
and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing.
So why do You tolerate those who are treacherous?
Why are You silent
while one[a] who is wicked swallows up
one[b] who is more righteous than himself?

He decides to:

Habakkuk 2 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Habakkuk Waits for God’s Response
2 I will stand at my guard post
and station myself on the lookout tower.
I will watch to see what He will say to me
and what I should[a] reply about my complaint.

Here’s a few of the clarifications that God gives in Chapter 2, for what His purposes are:

Habakkuk 2
8 Since you have plundered many nations,
all the peoples who remain will plunder you—
because of human bloodshed
and violence against lands, cities,
and all who live in them.

11 For the stones will cry out from the wall,
and the rafters will answer them
from the woodwork.

13-14 Is it not from the Lord of Hosts
that the peoples labor only to fuel the fire
and countries exhaust themselves for nothing?
14 For the earth will be filled
with the knowledge of the Lord’s glory,
as the waters cover the sea.

16 You will be filled with disgrace instead of glory.
You also—drink,
and expose your uncircumcision![i]
The cup in the Lord’s right hand
will come around to you,
and utter disgrace will cover your glory.

Bottom Line?

Habakkuk 2:20 But the Lord is in His holy temple;
let everyone on earth
be silent in His presence.

God sees us, even in the midst of darkness!
Here’s some examples:

Daniel and the Three Hebrew Children

Daniel 1 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
6 Among them, from the descendants of Judah, were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 7 The chief official gave them other names: he gave the name Belteshazzar to Daniel, Shadrach to Hananiah, Meshach to Mishael, and Abednego to Azariah.

Daniel and the three Hebrew children and many others were taken away in Babylon and they were made eunuchs, which to be very graphic and specific means they were neutered. Everything that they understood from their religion was taken away from them and they had a reason to cry out like Habakkuk!

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
Daniel 3

The three Hebrew children were thrown into the fiery furnace, because they would not bow down and choose fleshly comforts in exchange their lives.

Daniel 3 – their declaration of faith.
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we don’t need to give you an answer to this question.
17 If the God we serve exists,[f] then He can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He can rescue us from the power of you, the king.
18 But even if He does not rescue us,[g] we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.”

The rest of the story is that they were not delivered from the fiery furnace, but another walked with them who was like the son of God. later in the Bible we find out it was the pre incarnate Christ that walked with them and protected them from the fire while they were in the furnace. Those that were unrighteous and had been trying to destroy the righteous Hebrew children, thought they had one, and those that cranked up the fire were actually swallowed with the heat. The three Hebrew children were pulled out. When they were not consumed, Nebuchadnezzar declared praises to their God, and freedoms to serve their own God!

Dan 3
28 Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, “Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent His angel[m] and rescued His servants who trusted in Him. They violated the king’s command and risked their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I issue a decree that anyone of any people, nation, or language who says anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will be torn limb from limb and his house made a garbage dump. For there is no other god who is able to deliver like this.” 30 Then the king rewarded Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

Would that have happened if the Three men had not endured this fire?

Daniel in the Lions den.
Daniel 6
Daniel was recognized as being a very gifted leader, and he actually served under a couple of the leaders of his day. And then there were those people that set him up that he should not pray to any God other than Darius. Not only did he continue to pray, it says he opened his window, and knelt by his window to pray to God. Daniel didn’t go into hiding!

It horrified the king that he had been duped to put this law into effect and he worried about Daniel being thrown into the lions den. The rest of that story is the unrighteous thought they were winning the day as they threw Daniel in, but God sent the angel of the Lord to keep the Lions from eating Daniel. So the righteous was pulled out of the Lion’s Den and the unrighteous were thrown in afterwards.

The end of this chapter has Darius, not a Hebrew, God worshiper, giving God, Yahweh, YHWH, Jehovah, praise!
Daniel 6:25-28

Would that have happened if Daniel had not endured this trial?

Jesus and Judas

Judas was one of Jesus’s top 12. Judas was given the responsibilities of finances. He went out with the others and apparently was able to do the same Miracles that the others. If he didn’t, whoever he was sent out with would come back and say

“yeah well whenever we go with Judas he just can’t do anything! I have to do all the work!”

The thing about the story at the Last Supper was that no one had any idea that it was Judas that was going to turn in Jesus.
So we have the Last Supper and then some very ugly days of thinking everything has gone wrong and that the wicked have won!
We, as Christians, know that the rest of the story is that on that third day Jesus rose from the dead and some days after that He rose to sit beside his father and to intervene, and to pray on our behalf. They didn’t have this Bible from which to draw strength!

If Judas had not betrayed Christ, there wouldn’t have been the crucifixion and there would not have been the days where everyone questioned their loyalty to Christ.

There are others!

Moses on the back side of the desert – or he would not have experienced the burning bush!
Paul in prison – Purposes for his suffering were to spread the gospel!

I’ve shared this testimony before and some of my stories specifically in IBBS Jonah, but it fits here as well.

My life was rough, but there’s many who had lives worse than mine. I had a very, very difficult ability in pushing for things or believing things that I believed were God’s call for me because I had no one in my life that actually was hearing God’s call and following it. I didn’t know how to embrace God’s calling!

So when I was told to go to Ohio State University for art and music and English, because of varying scholarships for the different schools, I told God He didn’t know what he was talking about, I wasn’t good enough for college. I joined the Navy. I want to get this very clear. I joined the United States Navy in direct opposition to what I knew God wanted me to do. At the time, I was attending churches, I was attending youth groups, I was attending Bible study. My life had gotten very rough in my senior year of high school, and I could not see any way that I could go to college. So I decided (I DECIDED) that I should go in the Navy to get an education and to learn a trade and to serve my country. Also to be clear, I don’t think the serving my country was where I was wrong. Where I was wrong was knowing God’s direction for me, and having probably half a dozen Bibles and even more Bible studies available to me to tell me how to hear God’s voice, and I told God no. I TOLD GOD NO! that is the error, the mistake, the sin. In Jonah, I talk about what happened.

If you look at Moses and the burning bush and God telling him that he is being sent to deliver his people, Moses says “I can’t speak send somebody else!”

If we look at Jonah, which I did in itty bitty Bible study about Jonah, Jonah said “no I’m not going to Nineveh!”

In both of these guys’ lives, God used some very interesting techniques to get their attention. We all know Jonah was thrown over the side of the boat and was swallowed by a fish and was spit up on the shores of Nineveh.

What did God use for Moses? Well for one his brother Aaron showed up having walked all the way across the desert and he finds Moses whom the Pharaoh wanted Dead! There’s also the little thing where Moses is almost being killed on his way back and God speaks to Zipporah who circumcises her sons and throws the foreskins at Moses and says “a bloody husband out art.”

If there was any doubt of the seriousness of God’s call for Moses or Jonah, that would get their attention.
Me, well, I ended up paralyzed from the waist down after a fall the third day of boot camp. I still struggle with the physical ramifications of that choice! Kind of like Jacob walking with a limp because he wrestled with God.

There is a history book that we had when our children were being homeschooled that shared how history when looked at from above from the big picture, can be seen as the varying ways God uses the wicked to orchestrate his greater plan.

Providential History
disclaimer – I do not get any benefit for sharing an amazon link.

One such example is Nazi Germany and the extermination of Jews.
If there had not been such a horrid Event that was documented by photographs and newsreels, the global mentality would not have been such that they would have the outcry to create the nation of Israel. The nation of Israel being reestablished is a crucial point in the Fulfillment of the end time prophecies. The whole aspect of what was done to the Jews was horrific. I don’t know what the spiritual status was of the Jews in the way that we know by God’s word back in the time of Saul and David and Solomon and Josiah and Hezekiah. But I do know that this one event caused sympathy for this one nationality and everyone agreed to the creation of the nation of Israel.

Why does God allow evil? Rabi Ravi Zacharias explains this so well in his answer to Gun violence.

Another of his messages is How could an all-powerful, all-loving God allow evil to exist?

For me, there are two key verses…

Habakkuk 2:4 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
4 Look, his ego is inflated;[a]
he is without integrity.
But the righteous one will live by his faith.[b]

and

Habakkuk 2:20 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
20 But the Lord is in His holy temple;
let everyone on earth
be silent in His presence.
But the Lord is in His holy temple;
let everyone on earth
be silent in His presence.

In honor of the three Hebrew children, I’m going to put Even If by Mercy Me here again.

And this is a reminder for us!

The history of this hymn story is huge.

Got Questions provides a detailed explanation of The Roman’s Road.
Billy Graham’s version of the Plan of salvation

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

Naomi’s Heart Ministries
Obed’s House Ministries
Project Based Missions, Global
The son of a friend will be interning with CRU – previously known as Campus Crusades for Christ. If you’d like to support someone I can vouch for in this area, please consider going to Matthew Plant’s donation page.
Compassion

The Wildberry Patch

Be Engrafted into the VINE to produce Eternal Fruit

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