Archive for month: September, 2023

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is 1 Timothy 2:1-7.  Let’s go!

1 Timothy 2:1-3 (NIV) 
1 I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone– 
2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 
3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior,

On verses 1-3:  It is good and pleasing to God when we devote ourselves to prayer. In fact, when you read Paul’s letters, a running theme is his devotion to prayer (see for example Ephesians 6:18-20; Colossians 4:2-4; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; 2 Thessalonians 3:1-2; and Philemon 1:4-6).  These verses are a reminder that we ought to devote ourselves to prayer for everyone including for those in authority.

Notice what Paul describes in verse 2 as the result of praying: “that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness” (v2).  In other words, when we bring our requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving before God (v1), the result is that we’re more able to live a peaceful, quiet, godly and holy lives (v2).  Ever wished for more peace and quiet in your life?  Pray.  A life of prayer pleases God (v3).

Hi GAMErs!

Today we begin the book of 1 Timothy.  1 Timothy is a letter written by Paul in approximately 63-66 AD to his spiritual son Timothy.  At the time, Timothy was leading a large church that Paul helped to start in the city of Ephesus.  So Paul writes this letter to Timothy to give Timothy some guidance on how to effectively lead the church in Ephesus.  Today’s passage is 1 Timothy 1:1-11.  Let’s go!
 
1 Timothy 1:1-2 (NIV)
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,
2 To Timothy my true son in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

On verses 1-2:  In these two verses we see the 3 friends you can’t live without, 3 friends that every Christian needs.  First and foremost, we all need Jesus Christ as “our hope” (v1) and “our Lord” (v2).  Second, we all need a Paul, a pastor and spiritual father in our lives who teaches us God’s Word and models what it means to follow Jesus.  Third, we all need a Timothy, someone younger in the faith than we are and whom we’re leading to Christ and investing in.  Do you have a Timothy in your life?  If not, it’s time to find one to invest in.

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 21:1-25.  Let’s go!

Judges 21:1-4 (NIV)
1  The men of Israel had taken an oath at Mizpah: “Not one of us will give his daughter in marriage to a Benjamite.”
2  The people went to Bethel, where they sat before God until evening, raising their voices and weeping bitterly.
3  “O LORD, the God of Israel,” they cried, “why has this happened to Israel? Why should one tribe be missing from Israel today?”
4  Early the next day the people built an altar and presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings.

On verses 1-4:  The Israelites weep bitterly before God when they realize that one tribe of Israel, the Benjamites, is nearly extinct.  In verse 3 they ask, “O LORD, the God of Israel, why has this happened to Israel? Why should one tribe be missing from Israel today?”  According to scholars like Daniel Block from the New American Commentary, the tone of the Israelites’ questioning of God is one of accusation.  In other words, rather than seeing how their actions resulted in this heart-breaking result, they blame God.  Isn’t that so like us humans to do?  We make a mess of our own situation and then we blame God for the mess.

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 20:33-48.  For context, we’ll start at verse 29.

Judges 20:29-48 (NIV)
29  Then Israel set an ambush around Gibeah.
30  They went up against the Benjamites on the third day and took up positions against Gibeah as they had done before.
31  The Benjamites came out to meet them and were drawn away from the city. They began to inflict casualties on the Israelites as before, so that about thirty men fell in the open field and on the roads–the one leading to Bethel and the other to Gibeah.

On verses 33-48:  The Benjamites made this mistake:  they were so intent on defeating the Israelites that they directed all or most of their soldiers out of their home base of Gibeah and into the open field, leaving their own city of Gibeah vulnerable.  Little did the Benjamites know that the Israelites had other troops waiting for the city of Gibeah to be left alone so that the Israelites could ambush it from different directions.  This would lead to the Benjamites losing both their city as well as the war they were fighting outside of it.