In the End, There’s Only Jesus. Earlier this week, I wrote a post titled, “No Support, No Problem!“ In that post, I referenced 2 Timothy 4, where Paul writes to Timothy about being deserted (Acts 25-26). And Paul ends this discussion on being deserted by focusing Timothy on the Kingdom. “The Lord will rescue me…
Why Are Lions So Important? Paul writes to Timothy: “16 At my first defence, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. 17 But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all…
God Is Always There. Near the end of 2 Timothy 4, Paul writes to Timothy about a time in His life when he was completely deserted. At a moment where his very life was held in the balance, no one came to his defence. And yet, God and God alone stood in the gap came to Paul’s defence…
God’s Plan To Rescue Orphans. In 2004, Nicole and I were able to travel to Peru and spend a month there. For the first week of our trip we stayed with a missionary family, serving in a desolate district located outside of Lima, known as Cieneguilla. The missionaries were building an orphanage in this district, and…
It All Comes Down To Expectation. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 states, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” In Western Christianity, we have a dozen Bibles available to us at any given moment: A couple in our home, one…
How Can We Know For Sure? A few days ago I asked the question, “Why do followers of Jesus need the Bible?” With all the self-help material that’s been collected and is being written at a feverish pace, is the Bible still a resource worth picking up? Most Christians would say, “Absolutely!” but do we know…
When Biblical Truth Is Being Altered. Let’s say we’re in a situation where Biblical truth is being shifted and debated to the point where the church is at risk. We know we must take a stand and we’ve prepared ourselves spiritually to take that stand. But how do go about taking that stand? What should a stand for…
What’s the point of speaking up? When alternate teachings and debates enter into the church, why bother saying anything at all? Why should we take a stand when Biblical truth is being altered or ignored? Look at 2 Timothy 2:14-18. “14 Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarrelling about…
When Do We Draw the Line? I was travelling on a plane recently. I found myself sitting beside a man who wanted to make small talk. Soon enough, he asked what I did for a living? I told him that I pastored a church in Whitehorse. His eyebrows rose. Throwing out the “P” word usually leads…
Investments of Faith From Multiple Sources. A couple of days ago, I wrote about the investments of faith that our ancestors and grandparents have placed into us. But let’s remember that before they were grandparents, they were parents. “5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice…
Look To the Future. As Paul sits down to write his second letter to Timothy, we get a sense that he’s in a contemplative state. He’s in prison, knocking on death’s door, and deeply misses his pastoral apprentice, who’s become like a son to him. “3 I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors…
A Snapshot of 2 Timothy. Over the past couple of months, I’ve been studying, preaching on and posting from 1 Timothy. I hope you’ve enjoyed it and learned as much as I have. Today, we move into Paul‘s second letter to Timothy. In the first 5 verses, Paul gives this introduction: “1 Paul, an apostle of…