1In my thirtieth year, in the...

1In my thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. - P94

4I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north—an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal,

5and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was human,

6but each of them had four faces and four wings.

- P94

7Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze.

8Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. All four of them had faces and wings,

9and the wings of one touched the wings of another. Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved.

- P95

13The appearance of the living creatures was like burning coals of fire or like torches. Fire moved back and forth among the creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it.

14The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightning.

- P95

10Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a human being, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle.

11Such were their faces. They each had two wings spreading out upward, each wing touching that of the creature on either side; and each had two other wings covering its body.

12Each one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went.

- P95

In the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin, the word of the Lord comesto Ezekiel the priest. Ezekiel sees a windstorm coming out of the north withflashing lightning and a brilliant light.  - P95

Four living creatures appear, each withfour faces and four wings. They move straight ahead, going wherever thespirit goes. Their appearance is radiant, like burning coals of fire or torches. - P95

Ezekiel begins his book with an autobiographical tone that contrasts with the way other prophets begin their works. He offers a literary journey of narratives, oracles, and visions, and it all begins with a note indicating that the vision is told from Ezekiel’s personal experience. His readers have a sense of his perspective as he situates himself in a particular time and place. - P96

Ezekiel’s authorial style reminds us of our own lives of faith. God fulfills His sovereign plan, but He does so through individual people. - P96

We are not just spectators; we are woven into God’s story. Let us remember that in our faithfulness to the Lord, each of us contributes his or her personal story to His grand plan. - P96

Ezekiel‘s detailed vision is compelling. He sees a windstorm in the form ofa massive cloud surrounded by light, representing the glorious presence ofGod. Four heavenly creatures come from its fiery center, traveling straightahead as they follow the spirit. The imagery is intimidating, but by showingHis fearsome presence to Ezekiel, God also indicates His care for His people.  - P96

He is sending a message through Ezekiel because He loves them. Thevision reminds us today that we serve an all-powerful and glorious God,
and we should not take His love and grace for granted.  - P96

May we be gratefulfor His care and be diligent in heeding His commands as He guides us intheshouldway wego. - P96

Dear God, thank you that I am personally a part of Your divine story. I am grateful for the privilege of serving an all-powerful and glorious God. - P97

Help me to be faithful in fulfilling my role in Your great plan. In Jesus’ name, amen. - P97

Remember that you are the light of Christ, and displaying God‘s love andcompassion is often a compelling aspect of the gospel message. Sometimes,
it is good to meet a person regularly, actively listening and thoughtfullyresponding to any questions. Praying for the Spirit‘s guidance is helpful asyou do this.  - P97

Sharing your testimony of how Jesus became important to youcan also be inspiring to others. Finally, inviting a person to church can bean effective way of demonstrating the gospel. If you know the person well,
you can also mention that it is an excellent opportunity for the two of youto spend more time together doing something you deeply value. - P97

11But you, man of God, flee f...

11But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.

12Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

- P90

14to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,

15which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords,

16who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.

- P90

17Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

18Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.

19In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
- P91

Paul urges Timothy to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance,
and gentleness. He must fight the good fight of faith, take hold of eternal life,
and keep the command until Jesus Christ appears.  - P91

The rich must not hope inwealth; they must hope in God and be generous. Timothy is to guard whathas been entrusted to him and avoid godless chatter and false knowledge. - P91

Paul tells Timothy to flee from what false teachers and lovers of money do and to instead pursue the good things like righteousness, faith, love, and gentleness. - P92

We, like Timothy, are to pursue these things, living out the eternal life that began when we made what Paul calls the "good confession," meaning our gospel testimony. - P92

Our testimony is built on the one that Jesus made before Pilate: Jesus Christ is King. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. When we proclaim Christ’s kingship, we are publicly declaring our faith in Him. - P92

Our faith is not just knowing that He is King but that He continues to live as King. Let us fight the good fight of faith and continue to flee sin and pursue righteousness. - P92

Paul concludes his letter by instructing Timothy about what to teach richbelievers in particular.  - P92

He is to remind them not to place their security inmoney. Wealthier believers are expected to do good and be rich in gooddeeds. They should readily share their riches. Some of us are more focusedon financial security than spiritual security. Let us be reminded of Paul‘swords and recognize that the riches of good works are far better than worldly riches.  - P92

If our hearts are fully committed to God, we will find ourselvesstoring up treasures that matter in the coming age rather than the temporary treasures of this life.  - P92

We will be focused on blessing others rather thankeeping what we have for ourselves. - P92

Heavenly Father, You have given me all that I have, including my finances and my salvation. - P93

Help me to accept both with gratitude, prizing Your gift of salvation and stewarding Your financial provision well. I give You my heart and make You my treasure. In Christ’s name, amen. - P93

"God did not decide to be a being who is supremely valuable, supremely beautiful,
supremely interesting, supremely admirable, and supremely enjoyable. He is who heis. That is what he is."- John Piper - P92

5and constant friction betwee...

5and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.

6But godliness with contentment is great gain.

7For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.

8But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.

- P87

9Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.

10For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
- P87

When reading these verses about slavery, it is important to understand that the situation during the days of the Roman Empire was very different from our general understanding of slavery. This passage addresses the difficulty of how Christians should interact when there is a social hierarchy in the relationship. - P88

Today, we may find ourselves working for people who are believers, but that does not mean that we should take advantage of the relationship. - P88

We should continue to serve each other well, regardless of our social status. We remember that, ultimately, we are all working in service to the Lord. Each of us is called to be faithful in our work, showing our respect for God as we show respect and care for one another. - P88

We should continue to serve each other well, regardless of our social status. We remember that, ultimately, we are all working in service to the Lord. - P88

Each of us is called to be faithful in our work, showing our respect for God as we show respect and care for one another. - P88

Dear Lord, the world offers many distractions and temptations that pull me away from You. More than anything else, I want to be satisfied with pursuing godliness. - P89

Help me to fix my eyes on You so that I might look more like You each day. In Your name I pray, amen. - P89

Slaves should consider their masters worthy of full respect, and they shouldnot disrespect believing masters. Those who do not agree with the teachingsof Jesus are conceited and understand nothing.  - P87

They think godliness is ameans to financial gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For webrought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. - P87

Paul wants Timothy to teach the value of godliness over the pursuit ofwealth. Some think that godliness is a means to financial gain, but Paulexplains that godliness itself is a great gain.  - P88

A healthy church is one that isfocused on Christ, but the love of money can derail a church, distractingbelievers and plunging them into destruction and all kinds of evil.  - P88

We maybe tempted to look for security in our bank accounts and possessions, butPaul warns of the allure of these temptations.  - P88

It is easy to wander from thefaith when we pursue money rather than God. May we be satisfied to havegodliness with contentment, which is a far greater investment for now andfor eternity. - P88

"[God] owns a hundred percent of our possessions, but he graciously enables us tosteward itScott Marshall - P88

Spending money-even when we do so unwisely-makes us feel free and powerful,
at least for a moment. We naturally love this feeling, and that is why we often turnto money when we should turn toward God. Cut all non-essential spending for aday, and resolve to be comforted by God alone.
- Pastor Sam An - P89

17The elders who direct the a...

17The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.

18For Scripture says, "Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain," and "The worker deserves his wages."

19Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses.

- P82

24The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them.

25In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden forever.

- P83

Elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor,
especially those who preach and teach.  - P83

Accusations against elders require twoor three witnesses, and elders who are sinning must be rebuked in public asa warning to others.  - P83

Paul urges Timothy to keep these instructions withoutfavoritism. - P83

When leaders are committed to serving with integrity and humility, churches can flourish. Paul knows the importance of laying this foundation for the young leader, Timothy. - P84

He provides three principles: honor elders who serve, especially if they teach and preach; maintain high standards of holy living for the leaders; and avoid playing favorites. These principles help the church maintain a healthy environment where faith can flourish and lives can be transformed by the gospel. - P84

When elders lead the church with integrity, it builds trust, and believers can honor and respect those who lead. - P84

When there is no favoritism, cliques and factions are less likely to develop and divide the church. We should all work to create a healthy church family. - P84

Dear God, I want my church to be a healthy church, one that is free from favoritism and strives to maintain physical and spiritual health. - P85

Keep me free from the entanglements of sin. May I instead be focused on good deeds to build up Your kingdom. In Jesus’ name, amen. - P85

Paul continues to offer practical guidelines to Timothy, He emphasizesthe importance of maintaining purity and avoiding sin, which can haveobvious consequences in the moment or ones that appear much later.  - P84

Paulalso encourages Timothy to look after his physical health, which affects hiswork for the church. Our physical and spiritual health is important, butthis does not mean that we should be judgmental when others falter orfail.  - P84

None of us are perfect, but because of God‘s grace, we experience Histransforming power. Instead of sinning against God and His people, we canfocus on good deeds that build up His kingdom and continue to be diligentin maintaining our physical and spiritual health. - P84

As we strive to live with integrity, let us avoid hypocrisy in our own livesand lean on God‘s grace as we pursue godly living and allow Him to cleanseus from the inside out. - P85

1Do not rebuke an older man h...

1Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers,

2older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.

- P78

Paul instructs Timothy to treat older men as fathers, younger men as brothers,
older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters. The church mustcare for widows truly in need, who have no family left to provide for them.
Those who do not provide for their relatives are worse than unbelievers.
Younger widows are advised to marry. - P79

16If any woman who is a believer has widows in her care, she should continue to help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION

- P79

Paul encourages Timothy to treat everyone in the church as if they were family members. This is a model for us to follow as we interact with other believers, who are members of the same spiritual family. Some people may speak harshly to their family members, but we are to care for one another in the church and treat everyone with respect regardless of age or gender. When we see believers as fellow members of God’s family, we tend to treat them differently. - P80

We have a familiarity and loving connection with them. We are willing to do more for a family member than we might do for a stranger. We should treat each other like family because we are family, united in Christ for eternity. - P80

In the early centuries, widows were vulnerable to economic and physicalharm. Without the financial support and protection of a husband or otherfamily members, widows were easily taken advantage of. They could fallinto poverty or worse.  - P80

Paul makes clear that the church is to support andcare for the vulnerable and needy. When we help believers in need, weare doing God‘s work. Those who are able to care for their own familiesare encouraged to do so without demanding more assistance from thechurch. This allows the church to focus their resources on those who havethe greatest need. In this way, the most vulnerable receive all the love, care,
and support the church can provide. - P80

Heavenly Father, I am reminded of how important it is that everyone in Your family is treated with respect and receives Your love - P81

I confess that I sometimes struggle to see my spiritual brothers and sisters as family. Help me to love them as Jesus does. In His name I pray, amen. - P81