‘Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.’ The Apostle Paul, writing to Timothy, is very concerned to instruct his young disciple how to deal with false teaching and corruption - especially financial corruption - in the church in Ephesus.
Stir up the gift of faith
Stir up the gift of faith. The Apostle Paul writes, 'I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.'
Don't shipwreck your faith
“Fight the good fight, hold on to faith and a good conscience - because some have rejected these and shipwrecked their faith.” Chapter 2 begins, “I urge then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good and pleases God our Saviour, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the Truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus.” Paul makes it quite clear that the end goal of our prayer is Salvation! So often we get away from the basic truth of the Gospel, which is to bring men to Salvation.
Sons and daughters of God
People ask me, who is your successor? My answer is, I have no successor! I haven’t finished my job yet, and I won’t quit until the job is finished! But more and more young pastors and leaders are coming to me for help and advice; I want to encourage others to follow in my steps, and do as I have done for the last 73 years in full-time ministry. That’s why I have chosen Paul’s first letter to Timothy - whom he describes as his ‘true son in the faith’ - because I want to talk to you as MY true sons and daughters in the faith.
Reconciliation and Transformation through Christ
The Hope of Glory
'...give joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of His holy people in the kingdom of light. For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.' (Colossians 1.12-13, NIV.)
We receive an inheritance when somebody dies: Jesus died, and we inherit everything He had! Everything God had in Jesus – we inherit! If I were to die right now, my family gets everything I possess. And literally that’s what happens to us in Christ. We don’t have to die to inherit it, it’s something we enjoy in life
Our hope is in heaven
For all believers there is the wonderful hope of heaven; from this assurance springs the faith and love we express in this life. Whatever we are going through today, our hope is not down here, OUR HOPE IS IN HEAVEN. We’re not expected to be wealthy down here, we’re not expected to be living necessarily in comfort. My real home and your real home is the FUTURE. I feel that somehow the Church has lost sight of the key element of our faith. OUR HOPE IS IN HEAVEN – NOT HERE!
Chosen to be a son of God
God has chosen you to build His house here on earth. No, it is not a physical building, this 'house' we build is to reveal God's Glory and Majesty to an unbelieving world. God says to King David in 1 Chronicles 28, 'Solomon your son is the one who will build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father.' This chapter highlights how amazing our relationship with God is, He calls us His sons and daughters
Effectiveness of a powerful faith
Faith has been the motivation behind my life! Right from the beginning I’ve wanted to please God. When I received the Holy Spirit aged 15, I knew 1 Corinthians 12 says there are nine gifts, and Paul says choose, covet the best gifts… I can pray in tongues ‘more than anybody’, I can prophesy. But the one gift I wanted more than any other was the gift of faith.
Revival and Persecution
Revival and Persecution arrive together. What caused the early Church to expand beyond Jerusalem? How did this Pentecostal Fire 2000 years later, reach you and I? The persecution of the early church caused the greatest missionary revival ever seen. Without this persecution, the early church would’ve stayed in Jerusalem, instead it compelled it to go into all the world.