Piece 2: Breastplate

Ephesians 6.14b "and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS," Righteousness is a right standing relationship with God. It is an essential characteristic of a Christ follower because it is the evidence that we are living for God. Righteousness means that there is nothing separating us from God, nothing is keeping us from going to Him, and nothing is keeping us from hearing Him. Righteousness is essential.

The breastplate is a crucial piece of equipment for a solider. It was made of metal and covered a solider front and back, from neck to thigh. This piece offers protection of most of the vital organs in the body. It allows the solider to attack without fear of injury.

Righteousness gives us protection for battle. A life that is righteous can stand up against any accusation and prove it false. A life lived in a right relationship with God has nothing to hide, and can proudly display all of it's deeds before anyone without fear of something being seen. Satan cannot accuse a solider of God, because that solider is covered in His righteousness.

Even though the breastplate covers the whole torso of the solider, it's main function is to protect the heart. The heart is essential to life, without it blood cannot flow through the body. The heart is also the organ we associate with love and relationships. The breastplate, righteousness, is there to guard our source of life, and to protect our ability to build relationships.

The righteousness of God covers us and clothes us for battle. We come to the righteousness of God through the truth of God. Fasten the belt around your waist, then cover yourself with the breastplate. The truth will not be believed unless it is shared from a righteous life. Righteousness is an essential part of the armor, it allows us to march boldly into battle, unafraid of any attack the enemy may hit us with. Strap on the breastplate and prepare for battle.

Peace be with you

Piece 1: Belt

Warriors don't go into battle unprotected, they wear armor. We are engaged in a war against an evil force, and our armor must be spiritual if we are going to withstand his attacks. God has provided us with armor that that we can stand firm against the devil. Each piece is significant.

The first piece of the armor of God is the Belt of Truth. Ephesians 6.14a "Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH,". When we hear the word belt today you probably think of a strait piece of leather that wraps around your waist to hold up your pants. I used to have a plastic play set of the Armor of God when I was little. In it, the belt was a simple thing, very similar to a belt today. But the belt was very inaccurate to what Paul is talking about.

A Roman solider would have a belt, but it wasn't a belt like we think of today. Back then it was heavy leather, and it looked like a skirt. If you've seen the opening seen of the movie Gladiator you've seen this item. The belt was an important piece of the armor. It would wrap around the soldier's tunic and hold it in place giving him freedom to move. Likewise it also would be the place that his sword was hung from. The belt is crucial.

But the belt did more than just free up movement and hold the sword. The belt offered protection. The belt was designed to protect a soldier's reproductive organs. The belt is important.

Our belt is Truth. Truth frees us, and it allows us to move because we are no longer held in the bondage of the lies of sin. Truth is found in the Word of God. John 8.31-32, "So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, 'If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.'"

Truth sets us free, but more importantly, truth is how we spiritually reproduce. We can only make new believers by passing on the truth of God, found in the Bible, to them. We must guard the truth, we must stand upon it and live by it.

Satan is the father of lies, John 8.43-44, "Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies." The only way we can hear from Jesus, the only way we can know what He is saying to us, is to be surrounded by truth. We must wrap the truth around us.

Truth is where preparing for battle against Satan starts. We must know the truth before we can stand against falsehood. Pour yourself into the truth which is found in the Word of God, devote yourself to it, and prepare for battle.

Peace be with you

Warrior's Armor

The Bible is full of war stories and images of soldiers, weapons, and battles. There is a reason for this, we are engaged in a war that has been going on since the beginning. Satan, in his attempt to over throw God, began a war that is still going on. The Earth is the battle field, and there are no civilians. All of us are on a side whether we know it or not.

It's a war where the winner and loser has already been determined, but that isn't over yet. The tide of the war turned and victory was assured by an old rugged cross and an empty tomb cut out of a rock; the D-Day event of history. The death and resurrection of Jesus sealed the victory of good, but the war is still not over.

Those who have joined the side of Jesus have done so willingly and deliberately, no one can do it by accident. But those who have enlisted in the army of God don't go into battle unprotected. No warrior marches onto the battle field unequipped. Some are better equipped than others based on years of service, commitment to the cause, and resources available, but all are equipped.

With God as our general the same equipment is available to all of His soldiers, but it's usage depends on each troop's commitment and discipline to training.

Ephesians 6.10-13, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm."

God has given us armor. And it isn't like the armor Saul gives David in 1 Samuel 17, which doesn't fit and is untested. It's armor that is custom made for each of us. Armor that we are given to train with, to learn how it functions, to learn how to use it in combat. It's armor that will protect us and enable us to be victorious.

God has given us armor, let's put it on, let's train with it and keep it ready for combat.

Peace be with you

Servant Warriors

Very often I think about weapons and warriors, I'm a guy. If I wasn't a pastor my dream job would be US Navy SEAL, the most elite commandos in the world. That wasn't God's calling on my life, at times I'm grateful, but there are still times my heart longs for the adventure and the battle. I really wish I had served my country after high school, but again that wasn't what God had in mind. My wife constantly reminds me that if I had enlisted I never would have met her, and for that fact alone, I'm glad I didn't.

The Navy SEALs fascinate me, but there are ancient warriors that I love as well, my favorite are the SEALs of the ancient world, the Spartans. These men were some of the toughest human beings ever to walk the planet. They lived and breathed battle. I wasn't able to get to Sparta when I was in Greece (sadly), but talking with a friend I learned that there really is nothing there. There's a statue of Leonidas, the King at the time of the Battle at Thermopylae (a location I did get to go to), but that's really all that is in Sparta as I've been told. There is no art, no architecture; they didn't have time for it because it didn't relate to combat and training for battle.

There are a few material things in life that I really want. One of them is a Spartan shield. I've been looking for over a year now, and I found one on the internet a few weeks ago that is full size and looks authentic. I showed my wife and told her, someday I'd love one. The reason is threefold. One is that it's awesome, I'll be honest there. Second, we're in a war against evil, and all warriors need a shield, so why not have the greatest shield ever made. Third, is the reminder of how no Christ follower is to go it alone.

The strength of the Spartan army was in the phalanx. In this formation the warriors stand side by side, and their massive three foot shields not only protect them, but their brother next to them. One of the greatest shames for a Spartan was to lose his shield because without it there could be no phalanx, one weak spot and the whole thing falls apart. The church is similar.

I'm taking a two week break from John to look at the idea of joining the work in the second half of the story of the woman at the well. God has a work that He has invited us to share in. He's enlisted us as soldiers in the war Satan has waged against Him (2 Timothy 2). He's not only asked us to join Him, but He's also equipped us for battle. He's given us the Bible to prepare us (2 Timothy 3) as well as armor to protect us (Ephesians 6). But He's also given us gifts to serve.

1 Corinthians 12 tells us that there are many different gifts that all come from God. There is one body of Christ that has many different members, each with a unique function. When each part functions properly, the body is strong and healthy, the body is able to grow. But when part of the body doesn't function as it was made to, there is sickness and growth is hindered.

In a church there are many ministries, and there are many people with a passion of different ministries. The pastor isn't passionate about everything that goes on, and the pastor isn't able to do every job that needs to be done, though some try. We need the other people of the church, the other parts of the body, to fulfill their functions and serve others. We need the other warriors for Christ to pick up their shields and stand beside us to fight the battle with us.

Our focus must be on building the Kingdom. If something we do doesn't help it to grow we need to set it aside. The Spartan's focused on war, and they were the best, the SEALs are the same way. The church must focus on building the Kingdom because nothing else matters.

I'm not saying we have to spend all our free time in Church, not by any means. Take vacations with your family, go out with friends, build those relationships, and in them set an example of what a Christ follower is. That is helping to build the Kingdom. In our relationships show love for others, Jesus said that's how people would know we are His (John 13). Let all that you do be for the Glory of God and for the expansion of His Kingdom.

God has given each person at least one Spiritual gift. No one has all of them, and that's why we need each other. But since we have a gift, we must use it.

Romans 12.6-8, "Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness."

We are servant warriors. Let us use our gifts to serve so that we can build the Kingdom, and join in the victory over Satan.

Peace be with you

The Church is to Serve

Last week my wife and I went door to door to promote a community outreach event the church is putting on next Friday. I was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt with a bunch of colorful fliers. People would answer the door, barley open it, or open it, step outside, then close it again. I’d tell them my name, introduce my wife, and then tell them I was a pastor. Their faces showed discomfort and honestly a little anger and skepticism.

I wasn’t there to evangelize by telling them that if they didn’t repent they’d burn in Hell, but I think that’s the idea people have when you tell them you’re from a church. I had one guy tell me he wasn’t interested as soon as I said the word "church", and closed the door before I could say “Have a nice day.” A lot of people probably had the same thought but were kind enough to listen.

People seemed very hesitant, and then we told them why we had come, to invite them to a free community event. Immediately their faces changed. There was relief. They were open and receptive to the invitation. People were excited that that was why we were there. We weren’t looking for anything from them, we didn’t have any words of anger or condemnation, we simply had an invitation to an event for the family.

People are open to that. My mentor has said more times than I can remember, “Separation of Church and State is never an issue when the church gets down on its knees with a basin and a towel and says, ‘How can we serve you?’” That statement is normally preceded with, “No one ever became a follower of Christ because they lost an argument; people become followers of Christ because they are loved. People are loved into the Kingdom.”

We have been blessed with an incredible message of hope and love. Why have we turned it into a message of fear and anger? We are to show love; Jesus said that is how people would know we were His followers (John 13.35). We are to serve; Jesus said that if He, our Lord and teacher, washed the feet of His disciples then we ought to wash the feet of others (John 13.14).

If Christians would live up to the name they carry then the church would be able to be the church it was called to be. If the church would be the body of Christ filled disciples who lived with love flowing out of them, the response from people when you told them you were with a church would be different. We’re here to love, we’re here to serve. Why have we missed that? Why are we refusing to do that?

One of the biggest failures in this area happened in the Late 1890's in South Africa. A young man from India had been studying the Bible and was very seriously considering becoming a follower of Christ. He found a church in the area and went on Sunday morning. When he arrived he was refused entrance because of his race, and was threatened that if he didn't leave he would be thrown down the steps. After this incident Gandhi never again considered becoming a Christian. What would have happened to India if that church had been the church it was called to be?

Who knows when someone who will have an impact like Gandhi will come into our path. Will they see Jesus in us, or will they respond as Gandhi did, "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ."

Peace be with you

Removing the Footholds

Over the last two months I've thought a lot about the different ways Satan gets a grip on our lives. And as I've looked at each one my thought has been turning it into a sermon at some point in the future. For that to happen you have to be able to tell people how to prevent Satan from getting these footholds.

It's not easy, it requires intentional effort, but honestly that shouldn't surprise us. This is a war we're involved in, with a real enemy who prowls like a roaring lion. My wife and I recently watched The Ghost and the Darkness. It's based on a true story about two lions in Tsavo that killed railroad works for the pleasure of killing. Satan is like that. He prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5.8) simply because he enjoys it. There is a line in the movie that says, "The devil has come to Tsavo."

In the movie they were intentional about guarding against the lions. They took every measure possible to keep the workers safe and kill the lions, and eventually they do kill them both, but along the way many are killed. Some ignore the instructions, and some just get caught in the path of a deadly enemy who attacks as they sleep. That's how Satan works, he attacks when our guard is dropped; he comes when we are asleep, that's why Peter says to be of sober spirit and on the alert.

As I've been working through these I've tried to see ways to overcome them. Many of them can be overcome by intentional actions. For greed, selfishness and pride, give things away, serve others. Ignorance and apathy can be over come by intentional study, by intentionally looking for opportunities to put your beliefs into action. Anger we can work on overcoming by simply forcing ourselves not to give a reply when our emotions are high, it's difficult but doable.

But then there are ones like fear, doubt, and anxiety which are more difficult to do something to overcome them. These ones I think lead to the rest of them, we use the other footholds as defense mechanisms to protect ourselves from these ones. We build on a bad foundation, and the whole thing comes crashing down on us. Some of these can't be fixed, and honestly none of them can be removed from our lives without the grace of God.

Over the summer I read a book that I've wanted to blog about. I started writing about it two or three times, but each time God wouldn't let me finish it, He wouldn't give me the words to write. But now He's giving me the green light. The book was Walking with God by John Eldredge. In it he talks about the journey he took with God throughout the different seasons of a year. His point in writing is that we can really hear from God, we can really talk with Him. And in it he talks about things that keep us from being as close to God as we could be.

At one point he talks about praying against specific things, and I think that's where removing the footholds of the devil begins. Pray against them. Pray specifically against Anger, Anxiety, Fear, Pride, Greed, Selfishness, Ignorance, Doubt, and Apathy. As you pray tell them that they have no place in your life, that they aren't welcome. And as you pray against them pray that God will fill the space. In place of Anger, pray for Love. In place of Anxiety pray for Peace. In place of Fear, pray for Boldness. In place of Pride, pray for Humility. In place of Greed, pray for Generosity. In place of Selfishness, pray for Selflessness. In place of Ignorance, pray for Wisdom. In place of Doubt, pray for Faith. In place of Apathy, pray for Passion.

The Bible says that if a space vacated by a demon isn't filled with God, it comes back with seven friends who are worse that it is (Luke 11.24-26). It isn't enough just to get rid of the foothold for Satan, we have to replace it with a platform for God. God isn't just going to put the platform in place for us, that would be too easy and it wouldn't last. Instead He gives us the building materials, and He works along side with us to build the platform. We'll have the opportunity and the choice of which characteristic we exhibit. And the more we exercise something, the more instinctual it becomes.

We have two choices in our lives, be ruled by Satan, or submitting to God. Satan will come in and take over, God will lovingly lead us. God will never force Himself on anyone, that isn't how He works. If you want Him, you must choose Him, He's already chosen you.

John 10.10a, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;" Don't let Satan have control of your life, he'll destroy it. He is the thief. If you let him get a foothold, then he will kill you. Instead, let Jesus fill you with life. John 10.10b, "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."

Peace be with you.

Part 9: Apathy

"So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth." Revelation 3.16

The word apathy does not occur in the Bible. It didn't show up in the English language until the 1600's. But it is an attitude that is seen here in the New Testament with the Church of Laodicea, as well as with a well known prophet in the Old Testament.

The word for lukewarm is chliaros, and it is found only here in the Bible. It is used metaphorically for the church in Laodicea, which is located in present day Turkey. Six miles to the North of Laodicea are the ruins of the city of Hierapolis, a place still famous today for it's natural hot springs. The mineral water has medicinal use. The cliff faces, that are visible from Laodicea, are covered with white calcium deposits. I have a small bottle of water from hot springs that is now lukewarm as it would have been when it got to Laodicea.

Eleven miles to the south is the city of Colosse, a place with many springs that provided cold, refreshing, pure drinking water. But by the time it got to Laodicea and mixed with the calcium rich mineral water from Hierapolis, it too was lukewarm and useless. It was no longer refreshing and because of the calcium would make you want to vomit.

Lukewarm water is no good. The attitude of the Laodiceans toward the Gospel was lukewarm, it was indifferent. They had no interest in spreading the Gospel or living by it's standards. They were a wealthy city, famous for wool which made inexpensive textiles, and eye salve that was shipped around the world. But because of their indifference Jesus calls them poor, blind, and naked in Revelation 3.17. Indifference in a synonym for apathy.

In English apathy is defined, "absence or suppression of passion, emotion, or excitement; lack of interest in or concern for things that others find moving or exciting." It is indifference, neutrality, and it has no function in the use of Christ. People have taken the hot or cold from verse 16 to mean spiritually on fire or spiritually dead, but that isn't the case. Hot and cold water both have their functions and their uses. One is good for healing, the other for refreshing, both are good, but lukewarm water is useless. Jesus uses us in different ways based on our calling and giftedness.

Apathy hurts us, it causes God to find someone else to do the task we have been called for, but it also hurts others and puts them in danger.

This morning I was reading an article from Rabbi Melanie Aron on apathy in the Bible. She said that the best example of apathy in the Bible is Jonah as he boards the ship headed to Tarshish. As the ship leaves port and heads out to sea, Jonah goes below deck and falls asleep. As he sleeps God sends a storm. The sailors are terrified. They begin to pray to their gods and to throw the cargo overboard in an attempt to save themselves. The captain finds Jonah and wakes him up telling him to pray, Jonah knows that he is the cause of this, he knows he can stop this storm, but remains silent.

Jonah 1.7-10, "Each man said to his mate, 'Come, let us cast lots so we may learn on whose account this calamity has struck us.' So they cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. Then they said to him, 'Tell us, now! On whose account has this calamity struck us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?' He said to them, 'I am a Hebrew, and I fear the LORD God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land.' Then the men became extremely frightened and they said to him, 'How could you do this?' For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them."

Jonah was a prophet, his job was to proclaim the word of God to the people. God told him to go to Nineveh, and Jonah refuses. He doesn't care about them being saved, he is indifferent about the mission God has given him to do, and his apathy not only gets him thrown into the sea and eaten by a giant fish, but it puts the lives of others in danger.

Apathy is a strong foothold of the devil. With apathy we have no desire to do anything, we approach situations with the attitude of someone else will do it. "I don't need to pray for them, someone else will." "I don't need to do that, someone else will take care of it." Apathy is a firm foothold for Satan because it pushes off responsibility, it takes no action, and leaves a task to someone else. Apathy has no place in the life of the Christ follower.

Jesus told us in Matthew 28.19-20, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." The command is to be active, to go, to make, to baptize, to teach. It is not to sit around waiting for heaven letting everyone else get their hands dirty for Jesus. We are all called to get off the bench and into the game, out of the barracks and into the war.

Refuse to useless to the Kingdom, take away the foothold of apathy, and join the battle.

Peace be with you

Part 8: Doubt

"Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, ' You of little faith, why did you doubt?'" Matthew 14.31

For the past week and a half I haven't been able to stop thinking about doubt, as much as I've tried. I'm ready to be done with the Footholds series, but I have to add this one.

Doubt in English is defined, "to be uncertain about; consider questionable or unlikely; hesitate to believe." The Greek word used in Matthew 14.31 is edistasas which comes from distazo and means, "to doubt, waver, or hesitate" It is uncertainty as to which way to take. There are two options, but it can't decide which way to go. It is uncertain when the choice should be obvious.

In Matthew 21.21 we see doubt again, "And Jesus answered and said to them, 'Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, "Be taken up and cast into the sea," it will happen.'"

The word for doubt used here is diakrithete which is from the word diakrivo and in this context means "to hesitate, be in doubt, doubt." It refers to a lack of faith, not a weakness of it. It says faith, trust, belief, is absent and instead there is doubt. Nothing can be accomplished when there is no trust in the power you are calling out to.

Doubt is a foothold of Satan because it is the opposite of faith. It is hesitant instead of decisive. It wavers instead of being certain. It is blurred instead of focused. When doubt enters, faith is absent. When there is no trust in God, when there is no belief that God has the power to do all things, Satan has a firm grasp on us.

Satan wants us to be filled with doubt. Doubt in our selves, and doubt in God. That was the tactic he used in the beginning. In Genesis 3 he said, "has God said,..." trying to get Eve to question the word of God. He focused on the negative and the prohibition, not on God's generosity and love. When we start to question what God has said, we start to question God. When that happens doubt enters our mind, Satan gets a grip.

To combat doubt we must strengthen our faith and fill our minds with the truth of God. God has given us His word through the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus lived life as God would, setting a model for us to imitate. God has given us the incredible gift of the Bible, His written word. In it He shares His heart with us. We must fill our hearts, souls, and minds with the truth that fills the pages of Scripture.

The Bible tells us in Psalm 119.105-112, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. I have sworn and I will confirm it, that I will keep Your righteous ordinances. I am exceedingly afflicted; revive me, O LORD, according to Your word. O accept the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD, and teach me Your ordinances. My life is continually in my hand, yet I do not forget Your law. The wicked have laid a snare for me, yet I have not gone astray from Your precepts. I have inherited Your testimonies forever, for they are the joy of my heart. I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes forever, even to the end."

Joshua 1.7-9 says, "Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

God has told us how to stand firm in faith and have no doubt, we are to meditate on His word, it is to be our guide. It will show us the right path to take. It will remind us constantly of God's love and power. Fill your mind with the truth of Scripture, and remove the foothold of doubt from Satan.

Peace be with you

Part 7: Ignorance

"As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance," 1 Peter 1.14

The word for ignorance in Greek is agnoian. No matter how it's used it refers to a lack of knowledge, training, or information, but depending on the context it can be either willful or unavoidable.

Ignorant is defined, "lacking in knowledge or training; unlearned; lacking knowledge or information as to a particular subject or fact; uninformed,unaware; due to or showing lack of knowledge or training." Ignorance results from a Christless life.

The Gentile world was haunted by the unknowability of God. The people believed that there was a God, but that He was unknowable and had no interest in humans. Philosophers felt that He couldn't be found, and even if you did happen to discover Him, you wouldn't be able to explain Him. Without Christ there is no help or hope to know God.

But Christ has come. Paul talks about this in Acts 17.23 "For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you." The days of feeling our way our of ignorance are over. We no longer have an excuse not to know God because Christ has come and has revealed God to the world.

Knowledge is available now. We live in day where we have a new website every few seconds, back then it took months to get a copy of something Paul would have written. But as soon as I finish this post, it will be available to people on the other side of the world. Never has the Gospel been more accessible than it is today. It has never been easier to share Jesus with people than it is today. And yet there are people who don't know about Jesus.

Many people feel that they don't know enough about the Bible to share. Something I have found is part of it is that Christians are some of the most ignorant people in the world. We always pull the faith card, thinking I don't have to have an answer because I just believe it. That isn't good enough, and it isn't an excuse.

2 Timothy 3.16-4.2, "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction."

1 Peter 3.15 says, "but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;"

Faith isn't an excuse to be ignorant. We have been given the Word of God, more today than at any other time in history. We have the opportunity to read the most brilliant minds that have ever tried to interpret the Bible and understand God, and yet so many of us remain ignorant to the knowledge we have at our finger tips. There are atheists who study constantly for something that is a lie. They have no respect for the answer, "I just have faith." We as Christ followers must refuse to be ignorant. We have Christ, and therefore have no excuse for ignorance.

(This has gotten so far off of where I originally intended it to go)

Satan uses ignorance for his purpose. If the people of God are ignorant then our message isn't respected because we don't know why we believe, we just do. We can't be ignorant because there is no excuse for it. Knowledge is ours for the taking. Anything we want to know we can find in five seconds. Ignorance is a foothold of Satan because it is a refusal to learn, it is a refusal to be informed, and I think it's far more common than we realize.

Don't let Satan have this foothold in your life. Refuse to be ignorant. Jesus came to show us what God is like. He came to end the mystery of the character and nature of God. He came to show us how God would live life and how God intends for us to live. Jesus wasn't ignorant, and if we claim His name, then we have no excuse to be either.

Peace be with you

Part 6: Selfishness

"For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing." James 3.16

I have to add this one in to the list. As I was studying 2 Timothy this word kept jumping out at me. It's closely related to greed, and therefore a perfect foothold for Satan. Selfishness is similar to greed, but where greed is the unquenchable thirst for wealth and possessions, selfishness seeks personal prestige, admiration and respect. And in many cases, selfishness is a greater temptation than greed.

Selfish in English is, "devoted to or caring only for oneself; concerned primarily with one's own interests, benefits, welfare, etc., regardless of others: characterized by or manifesting concern or care only for oneself"

The Greek word is eritheia and is translated at rivalry. It carries the idea of gathering a following to promote and support your views and ambitions. I think many times we use the word selfish incorrectly in place of greed today.

Where greed is focused on financial gain, selfishness is focused on popularity and self-advancement. It's the desire for influence and recognition. Selfishness does whatever it has to do in order to take care of itself. It spares no relationship, no dignity, it drives people apart, and Satan thrives in it, because Satan is selfish.

Philippians 2.3-4 says, "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others." We are to do nothing selfishly, we are not to look out simply for ourselves, but for others. James told us that were selfish ambition is there is no unity and evil. Those are the things Satan strives for. Jesus said a kingdom divided cannot stand (Matthew 12.25), Satan is trying to divide the Kingdom of God by dividing His people. Satan tries to get us to look out for ourselves so that we're too busy to unite and advance God's Kingdom. But God's Kingdom cannot fall, and He wants His children to advance it, so He told us how to be unselfish.

Philippians 2.5-8, "Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

Jesus came to earth to show us how God would live life as a human. He came to set an example for us to follow, to imitate. Jesus is the model of unselfishness. He gave up Heaven, and came to live on earth so that He could die a horrible death in our place. God, perfection, became sin and a curse for us to be free. Our response should be humility and gratitude, advancing the Kingdom out of love and thankfulness.

Satan wants us to be selfish, because in selfishness we isolate ourselves and advance ourselves over God. Selfishness is a foothold that Satan was the first one to take a hold of. He is the first selfish being that existed. Do we want to follow his example or the example of Christ?

Peace be with you

Part 5: Greed

"Then He said to them, 'Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed;'..." Luke 12.15a.

Greed, "excessive or rapacious desire, especially for wealth or possessions." It's a desire that is never satisfied and always needs more. It never gives but hoards everything. It is the exact opposite of the Christian life style.

The word used in Luke 12 is pleonexias and it's translated as covetousness. This word means, "inordinately or wrongly desirous of wealth or possessions; greedy." It's a desire for more, and it has no place in the life of a Christ follower.

In Luke 12 Jesus warns us to be on our guard against every from of greed, and then tells the parable of the rich fool. Ephesians 5.3 says, "But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints;" We're told in the first two verses of the chapter to imitate God, and to walk in love as Christ did. Greed is in no way to be associated with us because it cannot be associated with God.

Greed has no place in our lives because it causes us to focus on wealth and possessions rather than on God. It ruins our lives. I think of Gehazi in 2 Kings 5. He's the servant of Elisha, probably in a role similar to what Elisha had with Elijah. In 2 Kings 5 Naaman comes to Elisha with leprosy, and Elisha tells him how to be healed. After the healing takes place Naaman returns and offers Elisha a reward, but he refuses to take it. Gehazi goes after Naaman and lies to receive part of the reward. He had a bright future, possibly as Elisha's successor, but greed cost him not only that, but also his health and the health of all of his descendants. 2 Kings 5.27, "'Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your descendants forever.' So he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow."

Greed has no place in the life of those who seek to serve God. 1 Timothy 6.10 says, "For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." Earlier in 1 Timothy 3 Paul gives a list of the characteristics of Church leaders. In this list it says, "free from the love of money." Hebrews 13.5 says, "Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “ I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,”

Colossians 3:5 states, "Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry." Greed amounts to idolatry. Jesus said in Matthew 6.24, "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth." If we aren't serving God we're serving an idol.

There is nothing wrong with wealth or having nice things. I think Christians miss this point. Wealth is not evil, money is not evil. The love of money is evil, devotion to wealth is evil. The issue is not having wealth and possessions, but when that wealth and those possessions take the place of God and our desires are not for God but instead for more wealth. If our thirst is for God then it will be satisfied, Jesus talks about this in John 4. But if our thirst is for wealth it's like drinking salt water, the more you drink the thirstier you get. Wealth is never satisfied, greed is never satisfied. It's the perfect foothold of the devil because it keeps demanding more.

We cannot serve God and money, we cannot love both of them, Jesus said so. So which is it God or money? Generosity or greed? It's ok to have wealth, just use it humbly for the glory of God and for building His Kingdom.

If greed is a foothold that Satan has in your life, then I want to turn to the solution Jesus gives to a rich young man seeking eternal life. He's seeking God's quality of life, a life that is lived for the glory of God. Jesus says to Him, "One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." In the parable of Luke 12, we are told to be rich towards God, and that we don't have to worry because God will take care of us.

I close with Psalm 37.25, "I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."

Be generous, refuse to love and serve wealth and give the devil the foothold of greed in your life.

Peace be with you

Part 4: Pride

1 John 2.16, "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world."

Pride is the first and oldest sin. We read in Isaiah 14.12-14, "How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’"

Satan, or Lucifer as he was called before his fall, wanted to be God. He was not humble enough to take his place as an angel and joyfully serve God. Instead he tried to take the place of God. His pride caused him to lose his place in heaven, and his opportunity to serve and worship God.

Pride caused the fall of man. Genesis 3.4-6, "The serpent said to the woman, 'You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.' When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate."

Adam and Eve, saw the opportunity to become more than what God had designed them for. They were deceived and lead into the same sin that Satan fell with, pride, and the desire of wanting to be like God. Wanting to advance themselves over God.

Pride in English is defined as, "a high or inordinate opinion of one's own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc." The Greek word is alazonia and directly translated it means "vainglory". This is excessive elation or pride over one's own achievements, abilities, etc;"

It is pride, boastfulness, arrogance. It is seeing yourself as worth more or deserving more and better than everyone else. You see yourself above everyone else. You look down on others. I don't remember where I read this, "when you're looking down on everyone else, it's impossible to look up at God." Pride is taking the place of God.

We see this word several times in the Old Testament, the Hebrew word is ga'on and it's used as an antonym for humility. We see it several times in Proverbs.

Proverbs 8:13, "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverted mouth, I hate."

Proverbs 11:2, "When pride comes, then comes dishonor, but with the humble is wisdom."

Proverbs 16:18, "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling."

Proverbs 29:23, "A man’s pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor."

Each time it talks about how God hates pride, how pride leads to dishonor, destruction, and humbling.

Pride opens the door for Satan because it removes the need for God. Anything that removes the need for God is going to give Satan a foothold. We only have two options, serve and exalt God, or don't. If we choose not to, we, by default, choose to serve Satan. Anything that is not of God is Satan's.

In pride we take God's place from Him in our lives. We see no need for Him, because we can't see Him as we look down on everything else. Instead our intelligence, our abilities, our past achievements take His place. Our lives are not lived to the glory of God, but to the glory of self. We just live, we don't live fully alive. I've quoted this many times, "The glory of God is man fully alive." If we aren't living for the glory of God, then we live for the glory of Satan.

Pride leads to destruction as we read about in Proverbs. God hates pride because it takes the place that only He can occupy. As I've been writing this I've been thinking about Psalm 46.8-10, "Come, behold the works of the LORD, Who has wrought desolations in the earth. He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariots with fire. 'Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.'"

I think of Job 38.3-5, "Now gird up your loins like a man,and I will ask you, and you instruct Me! Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding, who set its measurements? Since you know. Or who stretched the line on it?"

God calls for humility, Jeremiah 9.23-24, "Thus says the LORD, 'Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,' declares the LORD."

Humility is how we serve God and others, Philippians 2.3-8, "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

We are to be humble, not proud in ourselves. We are to look at ourselves modestly and not arrogantly. We are to be proud of God, to boast about the greatness of God. Pride in God will keep us from pride in ourselves. Jesus set this example. Satan tried to get the foothold of pride in the life of Jesus, look at the temptation in the wilderness. But Jesus refused to allow Satan to have any access into His life. Jesus removed the foothold of pride, and so must we.

Jesus set the example, let's imitate Him.

Peace be with you

Part 3: Fear

"I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid" Luke 12.4a.

I'm sure many of us have heard that the Bible says 365 times don't be afraid, one for each day of the year. I was curious so I did several searches, and I can say with some confidence, that that is a made up statistic. After playing around with different wordings I have only been able to find 118 places in the Bible telling us not to fear. Regardless, it's a lot. God tells us over and over again not to fear, not to be afraid, not to tremble, not to let our hearts be troubled, not to be dismayed or fainthearted. I think He tells us over and over because this is the foot hold that most controls us. I think this is the foothold that leads to all the other footholds. I think fear is at the root of everything bad.

In English, fear is defined "a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid." Fear controls us. Fear leads to worry and anxiety. Fear can lead to anger. Fear can cause ignorance and apathy. Fear could lead to pride as a defense mechanism, and fear could lead to greed. Fear is at the heart of so much, I would say that it's the strongest and largest foot hold that Satan can have. And I believe that is why God tells us so many times not to fear.

The word for fear is Greek is phobos, it means fear, terror, trembling or concern. It is fear caused by intimidation of an adversary. It's a negative emotion that controls our lives. Fear keeps people from so many things. How many things have you not done because of a fear? Fear keeps us from living our lives to the fullest, St. Irenaeus said, "The glory of God is man fully alive." God created us not to be in fear, but to live lives of adventure to His glory. We were created for life not fear.

When we talk about fear however, you can't simply address the negative side. As many times as we are told not to fear, we are given instructions about fear we need to have.

Luke 12.4-7, “I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him! Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows."

God is able to destroy our souls. If our physical lives are ended that is the worst that any physical force can do to us. We have no need to fear men, animals, or natural disasters, because the only thing we can lose is physical life. And according to Paul in Philippians 1.21, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." Instead, we are told to fear God, because after this life is over, God has the authority to cast our souls into Hell.

This aspect of fear is different though. This is not fear out of terror, but fear out of reverence. It is respect not simply of God's power, but for His holiness. God has the authority to cast us into Hell not simply because He has the power to do so, but because He is so Holy. He is the Judge who has committed no crime, the only one worthy to judge. He is perfect, and no imperfection can stand before Him. That is what we fear in God. And again, it is not out of terror. God is not waiting for us to mess up so that He can punish us. God does not desire for any to perish, 2 Peter 3.9. God cares for us.

Luke tells us that five sparrows are sold for two pennies. Matthew said that two sparrows are sold for one penny. If you spent an extra cent you got not only the four you had paid for, but an extra one thrown in that wasn't given any value. This fifth sparrow wasn't forgotten by God, and we are worth more than many sparrows. God has numbered the hairs on your head. God knows you, you're never just a face lost in a crowd to God. He knows your name and everything about you, and He cares for you.

Joshua 1.9, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Psalm 46.10-11, "Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold."

Psalm 56.3-4, "When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me?"

God cares for me, so what can man do to me? God cares for you, what can man do to you? What do we have to fear? Satan will use fear to control us. I believe that this is his firmest foothold because it is so deeply rooted.

Wesley said, "Give me 300 people who fear nothing but God and hate nothing but sin and I will set this world on fire." Fear nothing but God, He is Holy so we fear Him out of respect for His holiness and power. He is the only one we need to fear. Respect God, trust Him, and fear nothing but Him, and pull Satan's firmest foothold our from underneath him.

Peace be with you

Part 2: Anxiety

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Philippians 4.6, the second foothold of the devil is anxiety.

The word used here is merimnate and it means to be anxious or solicitous. Anxious in English is, "full of mental distress or uneasiness because of fear, danger, or misfortune; greatly worried; solicitous." Solicitous is a word I had never heard before. it means anxious or concerned.

As I looked at both of these words in the Greek we see that the word functions both as a noun and a verb. As a noun it means "to draw in different directions; distract." As a verb it means, "to be anxious about, to have a distracting care." In this we can begin to see how this is a foothold of the devil.

Anxiety, or worry, leads to distractions. We aren't fully focused when there is something distracting us. When we're worried, or anxious, our attention isn't fully present on what we are doing. English says that this is mental distress because of fear, danger, or misfortune. It is being greatly worried. All of these things are negative, showing that I'm not fully focused on God, that I'm not trusting God.

God says in Philippians 4, "Be anxious for nothing" He says don't worry, don't be anxious, don't be distracted, don't fear anything. Instead of those things focus on Me. Praise me with thanksgiving. Pray to Me, talk with Me. And He gives us a promise when we do those things. "And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4.7-9.

God says that when we aren't distracted and are focused fully on Him, His peace will guard our hearts and minds. Verse 8 is a list of characteristics that are true of God and only God, our focus is to be on those things, and when we dwell on them, and live them out, the God of peace is with us. When the God of peace is with us, the Peace of God is with us.

This isn't just any peace, it's God's peace. It's peace that passes all comprehension. Comprehension is the capacity of the mind to perceive and understand. It's the power to grasp ideas, the ability to know. God says that His peace is beyond comprehension. It's beyond the power of the human mind to grasp and also to produce. It is peace that is only possible from focusing on God. His peace is so great, so incredible, and so overwhelming, that the only way to receive it is to focus fully on Him. It is peace that doesn't make sense because it comes at times in our lives when there shouldn't be peace. It is the peace that God gives us when we hear the word cancer. It is the peace that God gives us when September 11th happens. It is peace that is unexplainable apart from God.

God says don't focus on anything but Me, because that takes your focus off of Me. If your focus isn't on Me Satan can get into your life. Don't take your focus off of God, because when we do that, even for a second, we drop our guard. 1 Peter 5.8-9, "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world." My mind goes back to the Spartan phalanx, one weak spot in the wall of shields, and the entire thing falls apart. We have a real enemy, the devil, and he is searching for someone to devour, we can not afford a single distraction because he is a hungry lion looking for a straggler to pick off, looking for a weak spot in the phalanx.

God warns us and says "Be anxious for nothing" instead pray. When we pray we are in a conversation with God. If you are actively engages in a conversation with someone you have to be focused on them. In prayer we are to be engaged in a conversation with God, sharing our requests, praising Him and thanking Him, and letting Him talk, letting Him speak to us. When we are focused on God we aren't distracted by anything because we know that God is with us and that He can and will handle any situation that comes. I don't have to worry because I know that as the poem Footprints in the Sand says, "My precious, precious child, I Love you and I would never leave you! During your times of trial and suffering when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."

When we are focused on God, trusting God, our anxiety is gone. When I am fully focused on God and I am surrounded by His peace, through the blood of Jesus Christ, guarding my heart and mind, my emotions and my thoughts, I have no distractions, no worry, and Satan has lost this foothold.

Peace be with you

Part 1: Anger

"Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity." Ephesians 4.26-27 (NASB).

I want to begin this study of the footholds of the devil with the verse people immediately think about when they hear that phrase. The first foothold I want to look at is anger.

We have this verse in Ephesians 4. It tells us first to be angry, but in our anger not to sin. It then says that our anger needs to be dealt with, and that we must deal with it before the sun sets. Be angry, but don't sin, and don't be angry for long, deal with it.

In this verse the word anger appears twice. In English it's the same word, anger, meaning "strong feeling of displeasure and belligerence aroused by a wrong." But the New Testament wasn't written in English. In Greek there are two different words used here. The first word is orgizesthe. This word is any natural impulse, desire or disposition. It was originally the strongest passion or emotion that people had. It later came to signify anger specifically.

Anger is a strong emotion, it can do both good or harm depending on it's source and guidance.

In this case we are told to be angry. We are told to feel this strong emotion. Jesus did in John 2.13-22 when the Temple had been turned into a marketplace. He makes a whip out of cords and drives out the sellers and over turns the money changers tables. This is righteous anger, anger that is good, anger that is angry about the right things. Jesus is not taking revenge for some wrong that has been done against Him, He never does, not even for the cross. Anger is good when it is motivated by righteousness, when it is used to protect the things of God. We have to be careful with taking this too far though, or we could end up with something like the Crusades, and the killing of people in the name of God.

Orgizesthe an active emotion, and it can easily lead to revenge. But in revenge we sin. God says "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay." (Romans 12.19b). Revenge is never good when it is taken by humans. Revenge is never justified for humans. I know this is hard to accept, there are people that I would love to hand out vengeance to for things they have done. I am allowed to be angry about the things that they have done, but it is not my place to take vengeance, that belongs to God. It is my role to hand them over to God, and to trust that He will deal with it in a way that glorifies Him. I must not desire for them to suffer, but for the will of God to be done in their lives. This is difficult at times.

God doesn't say don't be angry, He created us with a wide range of emotions, anger being one of them, but anger for the right reasons, angry at the right things. And in my anger I am not to sin. I am not give in to the desire for vengeance, because it is not mine to take. That belongs to God. Anger that leads to vengeance destroys relationships. It destroys our relationship with God. When I am focused on taking revenge, on getting even, my focus isn't on God. When my anger is focused on righting a wrong through building the Kingdom, for example, being angry about millions of children dieing each year from hunger and preventable diseases, and therefore I sponsor a child to help end the problem, then my anger is righteous. When my anger causes me to stand up for the Kingdom in a way that is Bionically grounded and leads to the Glory of God, like Jesus in the Temple, then my emotion is righteous.

"Be angry, and yet do not sin;" there's the first part. Secondly, "do not let the sun go down on your anger," here we have another word, parorgismoi (long o at the end). In the King James version this word is translated as wrath, which in English is "violent anger; strong, stern or fierce anger; deeply resentful indignation." The Greek word is a stronger form of our first word, it is anger that is provoked to wrath. It is provoked to violence, to vengeance, if it isn't dealt with.

The Bible say, don't let the sun set on anger that is being provoked into something bigger. If it isn't dealt with right way it becomes out of control. The longer we wait to deal with it, the harder it becomes to deal with. If we allow it to take root and grow it begins to rule our lives. It guides the things we say, the way we act, the way we think. It destroys relationships because walls begin to be built and bullets begin to be fired.

Both of these words for anger are emotions that we must be in control of. We must never take revenge for a wrong, we must not allow our anger to be able to take root and fester. Either of these situations gives the devil his foothold. Taking revenge takes my focus off of God, it allows Satan to have an opportunity to damage a relationship, or several relationships for a long time, if not forever. If anger is allowed to stew unchecked, he can move in and begin to build walls. Relationships are destroyed because a situation is not dealt with.

Anger that is not controlled is never good, so how do we control it? Romans 12.9-21,

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord. “BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

We control our anger by building relationships. If our relationship with God is strong and healthy, He will be our focus. Our desires will be for Him and His Kingdom. My anger will not be over trivial things that do not matter but over things that have eternal significance. When I am wronged, as difficult as it may be, I will be able to hand the situation over to Him. I will be able to receive healing and to offer forgiveness, desiring that the will of God will be done.

I build and strengthen my relationships with others, I love people. I let my love be genuine, I bless those who persecute me, I wish them well, not harm, and this can be difficult, but we are told to live at peace with all men as much as it depends on us. I don't take revenge, I don't focus on evil, but on good. I serve my enemy and take care of him if he has a need. I overcome evil with good. I show love, I live for the glory of God.

We overcome anger through relationships. Satan wants us to be alone, alone we are weak, alone we are defeateable. But together we can not be overcome. Together we form an impenetrable wall, my mind thinks of a Spartan phalanx, all the warriors stand side by side with their shields overlapping, protecting everyone. Relationships protect they don't destroy. Relationships are crucial, and anger destroys them.

Don't allow the devil to destroy your relationship with God or with those closest to you by giving him the foothold of anger.

Peace be with you.

Footholds of the Devil

"and do not give the devil an opportunity." Ephesians 4.27 in the New American Standard Bible. The New International Version says, "and do not give the devil a foothold." While the King James Version says, "Neither give place to the devil." To really get at the meaning of this word, to get the correct translation, we have to go back to the original text.

The word in Greek is topon which is a form of the word topos meaning, "place, opportunity, position, room, space, dwelling, or seat." Every translation of the Bible has this word correctly translated, we are told not to allow Satan into our lives. We can't give him an opportunity to enter our lives, we can't give him a chance to get a grip.

As I look at the different translations of this word I think about what they mean. Place, room, space, and dwelling are very similar. At my parent's house I had a room. It was my space to unpack, to live. At college I had a dorm room, a dwelling place where I could set up and work on projects. We aren't supposed to let Satan have this space in our lives. When we let the devil have a place in our hearts he is able to unpack his equipment, he can work on projects and begin his work at destroying our relationships.

When I think of the word position, my mind immediately goes to a battle, and a place of strategic advantage, like a hill top, or a cliff face looking over a beach as enemy troops attack. Position is a strong hold that is easy to defend and difficult to attack. When we let the devil in, he immediately goes to the hill top and sets up his base. Once he's there it is difficult to get him out because he has a well defended position. From there he can pick his targets and take them out at will.

Seat is a word that is close to my heart. A seat is at a table, you occupy one as you have a meal. The best times to build relationships are at meals, because everyone has to eat. Everyone will come into the kitchen, not everyone will get to your living room. A seat requires an invitation, you invite someone to join you at the table for a meal. At the table you sit and talk as you enjoy a meal. You share stories and deepen relationships. If we allow Satan into our lives we've invited him to the table. He's a dinner guest who monopolizes the conversation and ruins the evening.

Don't allow Satan to have an opportunity to unpack in a room. Don't allow him to have the opportunity to climb the hill and set up his base. Don't allow him to have the opportunity to ruin relationships by taking over a meal. When we allow him into our lives we've given him all of these opportunities, and once he's there he begins his work of destroying our relationships.

As I look at this I think about the different ways we give Satan a foothold. In Ephesians it says that Anger can become a foothold. It's the only place the word is used, but it's not the only foothold. Philippians tells us not to be anxious, Anxiety or worry, is another foothold. There is Fear, the Bible tells us to "Fear not" dozens of times, because fear is a foothold of the devil. Pride is another one, along with Greed. In talking to my wife she mentioned Ignorance, and I thought of Apathy. All of these give Satan on invitation to the table, and all of them lead to broken relationships with others and with God.

Over the next few weeks I want to look at each one, and the scriptures that talk about how they destroy our relationships and therefore our lives. As we look at these, it is my hope that we can remove them form our lives. Some of them have positive qualities that we need, but Satan tries to corrupt them so that he can work. Others are fully negative and have no place in our lives and we need to do away with them.

God created us for relationships, and if we allow Satan to have a foothold he will begin to destroy them. So let's look at these so that we can remove the footholds, and keep Satan out.

Peace be with you

Theme of the Year

Today I was sitting at the local coffee house going over some stuff for Sunday night. I'm doing a brief look at 1 Timothy before we start Mere Christianity. This week is chapter 5 and 6. As I began to look at the blog I wrote a few weeks ago a word hit me, relationships. As I thought about it, that word has been hitting me a lot recently. I wrote it at the top of the page next to 2011.

I began to think about last year, the word for 2010 was "Christlikeness". Everything I studied, preached, read, focused on that. This year I've realized that the word is "relationships". It's a fitting topic really seeing as how I just got married.

I'm seeing the importance of relationships more and more. I'm seeing how so much of the Bible's teachings are about relationships. I shared some of this in my 1 Timothy findings. Now as I begin my next study this word has come to the forefront again.

Right now I'm at the beginning of a study on the different "footholds" of the devil. If you've read Ephesians you're familiar with 4.26-27, "Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity." (NASB) The NIV has the word "foothold" in place of opportunity, but I'll get into that more in the near future. Anger that leads to sin or that is allowed to stew is not the only foothold of Satan, and again my current study is looking at several of them.

The thing that I've noticed this year is that relationships are what life is all about. God said in the beginning, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;" God exists in relationship, He always has. We are made in the image of a relational God. He created us to exist in relationship with Him, but also with each other. "Then the LORD God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.'" Genesis 2.18.

Satan hates God and everything He has done. His sole purpose is to attack God in a vain attempt to defeat Him. If everything is based on relationships, then that is the thing sin attacks the most. The first result of sin is death. Death is separation from God, it is a broken relationship with God. Secondly we see that sin attacks the relationships of humans, predominately the marriage relationship.

The foundation of society is the family, and the foundation of the family is the marriage. If a foundation is weak, then the entire structure is unstable. If the relationship between God and man is broken, then every human relationship is unstable because there is no foundation. If a marriage is weak, then the family is unstable, and if the family is unstable, society cannot function.

Look at America today and you'll see exactly what I'm saying. Our society is full of divorced parents, single mothers, pregnant teenagers, and broken families. Our society is full of corruption, filth, financial trouble and tolerance. We are waiting to fall apart because we have no foundation. Sin has done it's job, and it's been able to because we've given Satan an opportunity.

Jesus came to restore relationships. He came to die to pay the price for sin so that our relationship with God could be healed. He came to lay a new foundation for us to build on. He showed us that God is approachable and that He desires this relationship with us. He showed us how to live in relationship with others. Jesus came to model life to us in every way.

Life is about relationships. We weren't made to live in isolation, but in fellowship with our Creator and our fellow creatures. When we live in relationship with God and each other the foundation of our world is strengthened. A strong foundation will not give the devil a foothold.

Peace be with you

Desires of your Heart

My wife and I got back from Branson, Missouri very early this morning. We spent the first week of our marriage in the "Christan Vegas". It's funny how we ended up in Branson. My aunt and uncle let us use their time share and the only thing available last week was Florida or Branson. Neither of us are big on Florida, so we opted for Missouri.

Over the last week I've learned a lot of things. I learned that sales tax is really high in Missouri, 9.6%. I learned that Indiana has really high gas prices, close to $0.20 more per gallon than Ohio. I learned that 5 hour energy really does work. I learned that every country radio station between Canton, Ohio, and Branson, Missouri plays the same 12 songs over and over. And I was also reminded that God provides.

Janette and I got to Branson planning just to do some inexpensive things, and a lot of free hiking. On Monday, our first full day in Branson, we got invited to a sit in on a time share pitch, the company knowing we weren't going to buy, and they gave us very inexpensive passes to two of the attractions there. Later in the week we had another invitation to another time share company that gave us free passes to another attraction. It was stuff we had been interested in, but couldn't have afforded.

One of the things we got cheap tickets to had a pre-show with a juggler. Part way through the show he had a kid come up on stage and was trying to teach him how to juggle. It ended up being part of the act. The kid was a world famous juggler, and the guys step son. It was really neat to see. But as the juggler was introducing his step son and talking about how he had started juggling it hit me. God gave this kid a talent to throw several objects in the air and catch them, and then He gave him a step dad to help him develop that talent.

I look at how Janette and I ended up in Branson. My aunt had given us a book with over 2,000 resorts to choose from, and said "Pick". Our first choice had been Williamsburg, Virginia, followed by either of the Carolinas, Branson was no where on our list. Early last week I had the news on looking for the local weather, and I saw hurricane Irene moving towards Florida, Janette and I both were really glad we both had no desire to go there. As the week progressed and Irene moved up the east coast, into the Carolinas and Virginia, it hit me, God sent us to Branson so we could have a full week together, away from everything.

Planning a wedding is stressful, and I didn't even do much. We had been looking forward to this past week for months. Getting away from everything, having our phones turned off, just being together. We would have hated for that to have been cut short. We wanted last week together, it was a desire of our hearts, and God gave it to us. We didn't get it at first, but now we see, God provided.

I look back over the past year, August 2010 to August 2011, and it's been an unbelievable twelve months. Last year at this time I had no idea that I would be married to my best friend and the senior pastor of a church in just twelve months. Both of those things have been the desires of my heart for years, and God gave them to me.

Psalm 37.4 says, "Delight yourself in the LORD;and He will give you the desires of your heart." Janette and I have really made that our verse, because it's the only reason for our story. That same Psalm says in verse 25, "I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread." As I look on the desires of my heart that God has given me, and I begin to look at the uncertainties of the future I simply need to remember verse 25, the righteous will not be forsaken. Anyone with a right standing relationship with God will not be forsaken. God will provide.

One thing I forgot to mention when I first posted this is somthing I didn't realize until I was leaving the office yesterday. When we walked out of the second time share pitch we were told that one of the things that we were being given for our time was a free two night stay at one of eight other resorts owned by the company. One of them was Williamsburg, Virginia, the place we had originally wanted to go. God provided a week in Branson, and trip to Williamsburg. "Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart."

Peace be with you

The Cross at the Beginning

As I've been reading and studying about the first miracle, I've found that this is so much more than Jesus simply saving a young couple from the embarrassment of running out of wine.

The water into wine is an incredible miracle. Initially I thought it was simple gesture of grace to save a young couple from the embarrassment of failing to plan for a wedding celebration. But this is Jesus we are talking about, when does His life ever stop at a simple gesture of grace? This miracle goes so much deeper, and it points to Him as the Lord and Savior of mankind.

The six ceremonial jars were there for cleansing, according to Jewish law. The water in them was to fulfill the Old Covenant. The Jews had to wash their hands before eating, and to be really clean, in between each course of the meal. The water was there to keep the law. Jesus takes that water that would be used in repetitive washing for continuous cleansing, and He transforms it into the wine that satisfies and allows the celebration to continue.

"Old covenant water became new covenant wine. Jesus came to exchange the Mosaic law for the higher law of love. He takes the ceremonial water that enslaved the people to the legalism of the law, and turns it to wine allowing them to celebrate the grace and power of God. Jesus’ cleansing blood is the wine that satisfies forever. Christ fulfills the requirements of the law, He shed His blood to free us from the law, so that we may live lives not concerned with following the rules, but lives focused on glorifying God. 'Christ transformed temple-cleansing water into eternal-saving wine.'” (Holman New Testament Commentary)

This miracle, this simple act of grace, points to the greatest act of grace that has ever been demonstrated. As Jesus stood in the corner watching the trusting servant hand a glass of water, (remember the text tells us the servant drew out some of the water and handed it to the head waiter, and then it became the wine) He probably reflected on the purpose of His presence on earth. There at the very beginning of His ministry He is confronted with His mission. Here at the beginning He is reminded of the death that He will die in three years. He has come not go abolish the law, but to fulfill it so that the people could be freed from the condemnation of the law. The only way to do this was the cross. There at the very beginning, He saw it, and He continues knowing that this path lead to Jerusalem, and in Jerusalem, to Calvary. The cross was there at the beginning.

This is the mindset He goes into His earthly ministry with, knowing that He would face death. But at the same time He sees the joy of the celebration that the wine has provided by allowing the celebration to continue. And in this I think there was encouragement, His death, His shed blood, the wine of the New Covenant, would bring about the greatest celebration that the universe has ever known.

Peace be with you

To the Brim

We're working through the Gospel of John, this week I'm not preaching due to getting married, so I'm trying to take advantage of the time and get a week ahead on sermon prep. Each week the sermon writing process begins with repetitive reading of the text, and writing down things I notice, questions I have, insights that God gives me. My mentor told me, "Don't make the mistake of consulting commentaries too soon. Once you look at one, you don't know what is you and what is someone else."

The next text I'm working with is John 2.1-12, the first miracle of water into wine. It takes place at a wedding in Cana of Galilee, fitting for my current life situation. Reading the text several times I noticed the three words at the end of verse 7.

"Jesus said to them, 'Fill the water pots with water.' So they filled them up to the brim."

Mary, it's thought that she was possibly the wedding coordinator since she is handling the issue of no more wine, tells Jesus of the issue. She then tells the servants to do whatever He says. There are six stone water pots that each hold twenty to thirty gallons of water. And then Jesus says, fill them with water. They do, they fill them to the brim. They put as much water into these jars as they can. They give Jesus as much as they can for Him to work with.

They had no idea what Jesus would do, John 2.11 tells us that this is the first miracle Jesus has ever performed. Three years later they would have expected something like this, but not now. Now He is just a simple carpenter from Nazareth. He hasn't fed the 5,000 yet; He hasn't healed a leper or restored the sight of a blind man. He hasn't driven out a demon or given a dead man back his life, right now He is just a man who said, "Fill these with water."

The servants didn't hold back, they filled them to the brim. Getting water wouldn't have been easy, they would have had to either take the water pots to a well, or get water from the well in a smaller jar and carry it back several times to fill these pots. Regardless, it's a lot of work. But they don't slack off, they don't hold back. They put as much water as these pots will hold in them.

How often do we go to the brim? With our time, how often do we make God a priority and truly focus on Him during our prayer and devotional time? With our money, do we give exactly what God requires to the cent,($231.73 an example), or do we fill it to the brim?

God always does His best. We read that the wine Jesus makes is the best wine. We see this with every miracle. Jesus always does the best. People who receive healing and healed fully. When Jesus makes food to feed the multitude, there is extra left over to provide for His followers. Jesus went to the cross and died there. He took the beating, carried the cross, and hung on it for hours. Jesus always fills the water pot to the brim. Why don't we? Why do we hold back form the one who has given us so much?

When Jesus says "Fill this pot" fill it to the brim. Give Him your best, He deserves it because He always gives us His best.

Peace be with you

Broken Glass

One of my hobbies I discovered by accident. In Mount Vernon where I went to college there is a river that flows past the edge of campus. At the beginning of my senior year I asked one of my brothers if he wanted to go wading with me on Saturday morning. It became an event we would do every couple weekends just to escape for a while.

On one trip we got to a small island in the middle of the river and I noticed a large chunk of green glass. I don't know how it forms or what it comes from, but I refer to it as kryptonite. I found a few pieces like it, and then began to notice other pieces of glass, most of them green and brown from old beer bottles, but there are clear pieces and different shades of blue as well. Some are old bleach bottles, others are old medicine and tonic bottles. Sometimes you find an intact bottle, other times, pieces that have some how been compressed and shaped into incredible shapes. Other times it's just fragments with no special shape at all.

Over the years I've gotten good at finding the pieces. Sometimes you can be fooled by leaves on the bottom of the river or algae growing on rocks. I still get fooled on the occasion, but it happens a lot less then when I first began. I love wading for glass. The pieces have been carried by the river and the edges are now smooth so you don't have to worry about cutting yourself. I never realized I'd still be doing this two years later, I thought I'd collect some, and put it in a jar. I've now got five jars.

Two weeks ago I took Janette. It was nice to get away and just have some time completely away from everything. She got pretty good at finding the pieces. And I noticed that she picks up the pieces I intentionally leave behind. The old dishes that are solid white or solid blueish green. I don't want them because the light doesn't shine through them, but she loves them, so they get placed in the jar. I love that I have a girl who loves wading with me.

On this last trip I took I began to really think about the glass. Though the edges aren't sharp they are at times rough and jagged. Sometimes they are half buried and covered in dirt and mud. Occasionally you find the mouth piece of a bottle and it has a crayfish living in it, or a few rocks that have gotten wedged in. The pieces of glass are just like us.

There are different colors, different shapes, different sizes, each one is unique. But all of them have something in common. They are all pieces of broken glass that have ended up in a river. Glass doesn't belong in the river. It shouldn't be dirty and buried in the dirt. It should be clear so that light can shine through it. It should be collected and displayed.

Our lives have been broken by sin. The river of sin has dragged us far from where we should be. It has covered us and buried us in the mud so that we can't escape. That's not how we were made to live. God comes, and he picks us up out of the river. He cleans us up, and then He displays us so that His light can shine through us into the darkness of the world.

When I first started collecting glass I had thoughts of polishing each piece until it shined. That proved to be a harder task than I imagined, so each piece gets cleaned of the dirt, but a lot of the time there is stuff on there that won't come off. There is evidence that it's been in the river. Sin scars us. I've written about scars. They tell where we've come from, they tell where God has rescued us from. Scars are important, and scars are beautiful.

We are all like broken glass buried in the river of sin. But God is wading through the river pulling out the pieces that call out to Him. He takes them, and cleans them up, and then they display Him to the world. They display His love, His forgiveness, His grace and His mercy. Each of us is a piece of broken glass. But each one of us is beautiful and desirable to God. He wants every piece in the river.

Peace be with you

Let Me Handle it

"Come, behold the works of the LORD, who has wrought desolations in the earth. He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariots with fire. Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold." Psalm 46.8-11

This is a verse I've been reading a lot over the last few years. It's my go to verse when I visit people in the hospital. It focuses on the power of God. It tells us not to worry, and that we don't have to fight the battle because God has taken away all of our weapons. He tells us that we simply need to know that He is God, that He will be exalted. We simply need to let Him be God and lay humbly at His feet.

Why do we struggle with this? The God who spoke the universe into existence, and maintains it says, "Let me handle your problems." He says, "I want your problems. I want them so badly that I'll list my resume to you, then I'll take away all of your tools, and then at that point I'll tell you to stop and simply sit and watch me work. Just let me handle it." And we don't let Him why?

There has been an issue in my life for a few months that I've been trying to deal with. It's caused trouble in so many ways. Over the past few months I've thought of ways to deal with it, some of them would be appropriate and some probably wouldn't be. But to all of them I keep hearing God say, "Let me handle it." Why don't I let Him?

I think there's something about being a guy that makes giving up a situation difficult. It gets even harder if you're a human guy. We like control, even when we only think we have it. We as men, love to fix things, we even try to when we know that we have no idea what we're doing and have no clue where to start. We insist that we can fix it, and most of the time we end up making it worse. That's what happened with me. Right from the beginning, God said, "Don't do it, let me take care of things." I failed to listen, and I made it worse.

It wouldn't have ever become a problem if I had simply listened right at the beginning. If I had simply been obedient. Now here it is months later and I feel that I'm just now beginning to get back to the point of peace that I had before it began. The chaos, stress, and anger that has been caused could all have been avoided had I simply remembered what God said, "Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

When God says, "Let me handle it" let Him handle it. Before any issue ever comes He's seen it coming for thousands of years. He's been waiting for it and is ready to deal with it. The way He'll handle it is for His glory, and if it's for His glory that means it's ultimately the best possible solution for us. Having been there and disobeying, I can tell you it isn't worth it. When God says, "Let me handle it" trust that He will, then sit back and just watch Him work.

Peace be with you

1 Timothy 6

Paul begins this final chapter by talking about another relationship, that of slaves and masters. He says that slaves who are believers should honor their masters so that God and the Gospel are not discredited. If slaves were to rebel Christianity would have been despised as a source for uprisings, Paul works to stop this problem before it begins. Paul wants nothing to be taken away from the Gospel.

He then moves into the centrality of the message of Jesus. If anyone proclaims a different gospel in the church, they are said to be conceited and know nothing. The Gospel of Jesus is the foundation of the church. If that is not what is held on to, we have nothing. Those who proclaim a different gospel are trying to create disunity in the church, they are trying to crack the foundation by bringing falsehood against it. If there is no foundation there can be no unity, with no unity the church can't survive. Paul says, Jesus and His Gospel are the truth, and they are central to the church.

The message of the Gospel brings us to Godliness. As we live out the teachings of Jesus, as we follow the example His life set for us, we become more Christlike. In this there is great gain. It isn't necessarily in financial abundance, but in contentment. Christlikeness comes with the satisfaction of being content in who we are to Christ, knowing that we will be taken care of. Paul said it in his letter to the Philippians, "Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." (4.11-13) That is the gain of Godliness, contentment, peace, freedom from worry, it is great gain.

Paul then moves into his closing words for Timothy. His focus here is on encouragement. He calls Timothy a man of God, and he tells Him to flee from unrighteousness and to pursue the things of God. He is calling his focus back to the foundational relationship with God. He is telling him to focus fully on this relationship, to fight for it, to live it out for the glory of God. Paul tells him to guard what has been entrusted to him. Timothy is to guard the Gospel and his ministry. He is to guard the relationships he has been given.

The first letter from Paul to Timothy.

Peace be with you

1 Timothy 5

This chapter begins with instructions about our relationships with others. "Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather appeal to him as a father, to the younger men as brothers, the older women as mothers, and the younger women as sisters, in all purity." Remember, relationships are how we accomplish the goal of our message, love. Paul tells us how we are to relate to people of all ages and both genders so that we can accomplish the goal of love.

Paul then moves on to a section that can be confusing. He talks about widows and how to go about deciding which ones the church has a responsibility to help. I honestly believe that this is a good way to determine how to help anyone in need. The emphasis really isn't put on the church, but on the family. There is an obligation for family to help its own members. If the family who are believers fail to take care of the other members of their family, their own blood relatives, Paul says that they are worse than unbelievers. How can a so called Christian family neglect the care of a grandparent?

When there is no one to help, when there is no family to step up and do what they are called to do, that is when the church needs to step in. Primarily we must take care of our own, the members who are part of the Family of God. But as the body of Christ, and since we need to have good standing in the community, we should strive to help with any need we are able to. The reason the family is called to take care of it's own relatives, aside from being the right thing to do that God has commanded, is so that the church can focus fully on giving help to those who have no family to take care of them.

The passage then moves on and talks about how the church is to care for, and protect, it's pastors. I have been blessed with an incredible church board that has my back. I don't have to worry about an attack because I know that they are standing beside me ready to take it on with me. They are a true blessing, and I thank God for them. Along with this, Paul warns Timothy not to put people in church leadership too quickly. I know what it is like to have needs in ministry, there aren't enough people to do everything that needs to be done, and I don't possess the time, energy, or skills to pour into each ministry. But that doesn't mean we grab the first willing person. In chapter 3 it says that an overseer isn't to be a new convert. Just because a person is in living for Jesus, doesn't mean that they are ready for church leadership. People need to grow and mature before they lead the flock. People need to be trained and tested, before they are given leadership roles. We share some of the responsibility for those we place in leadership, so we need to do this carefully with discernment.

Paul then takes a moment, in a side note, like a thought he just had, and it shows his heart for Timothy. He tells him to drink a little wine for his stomach. This shows that Paul isn't just interested in Timothy the pastor, but in Timothy the person. He cares about Timothy's health. We've seen, and will see in chapter 6 that he is concerned with Timothy's own walk with Christ. He takes the time to invest in his life and show that Timothy isn't just filling a pulpit, but that he wants to make sure Timothy is doing well in all areas. I remember a conversation with my own mentor when I was a youth pastor in Michigan. He asked me about my sleep, my diet, my exercise, and my prayer and devotional life. He wanted to make sure that I was taking care of myself, that I wasn't neglecting my own health, both physical and spiritual, for ministry. We must take care of ourselves before we can take care of others.

Paul ends the chapter by going back to his previous thought before his side note to Timothy. He says that no deed will be concealed. Some sins are seen others aren't. But sin will all be seen as sin, and in the same way every good deed will be seen as a good deed. Things that are not good deeds cannot be concealed. That's chapter 5.

Peace be with you