Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Daily Bible Study Links – Wed. 8-31-2011


Daily Bible Study Links – Wed. 8-31-2011
Today’s Daily Bible Study:  


Today’s Study

Wednesday – Daily Bible Study – 2 Timothy 2:10 – What is the price and what is the benefit  


Prior studies of the past week:
Tuesday – Daily Bible Study – 2 Timothy 2:9 –  What is worth suffering anything for 
Monday – Daily Bible Study – Isaiah 1:29 –  What could be your ultimate embarrassment 
Sunday – Daily Bible Study – Psalm 11:6 –  Describe Gods policy for the wicked
Saturday – Daily Bible Study – Psalm 11:5 –  Describe the three categories of suffering 
Friday – Daily Bible Study – 2 Timothy 2:8 –  What should our Christian memories begin with 
Thursday – Daily Bible Study – 2 Timothy 2:7 –  What is your first obligation in learning 


Daily Bible Study E-Books
(For your e-book reader or computer)
Revelation  /  Psalms / 1 Timothy / 1 Peter




Important links:
Main Daily Bible Study web site:  http://www.DailyBibleStudy.Org  
Daily Bible Study Library:  http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/library.html
Daily Bible Study News on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/jneelyranch 
How to prepare for your daily study:  http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/how-to-prepare.html
Two Year Bible Reading Plan:  http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/biblestudy/two_year 

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2 Timothy 2:10


Copyright Ó 2011 J. Neely
2 Timothy 2:10

10 Therefore [dia] [touto] I endure [hupomeno] all things [pas] for [eklektos] the elect's [eklektos] sakes, [dia] that [hina] they [autos] may [tugchano] also [kai] obtain [tugchano] the salvation [soteria] which [ho] is in [en] Christ [Christos] Jesus [Iesous] with [meta] eternal [aionios] glory. [doxa] KJV-Interlinear

10 For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory. NASB

For this reason, because of the things that Paul has just said and has been saying for some time now, he is more than willing to suffer, not for believers per se, or those who have already believed, but for those who are ‘elect,’ or better stated, for those who are still unbelievers, but will one day believe in Christ and thus obtain salvation.

The word for may obtain, ‘tugchano,’ means future potential.  Of those who have not yet believed, but may yet still believe.

In eternity past, God looked down through the tunnel of time and saw all who would believe.  Thus, by their faith, they are called the elect, or those who have elected to believe in Christ.

But no person has believed in Christ unless or until they have first heard the gospel.  Otherwise, they would not have anything to believe in unless they first hear of it.  You cannot believe in something that you know nothing about, or have never heard of.

There are some who believe that evangelism is not necessary because they believe that God has already chosen those who will be saved, and rejected others who He decided will not be saved.

That of course runs contrary to all that God represents.  God wants all to believe, but all will not. 

Paul preaches and lives and suffers by his association with Christianity, because he wants others to hear the gospel, and thus believe in Christ.  If the elect were already determined, then what purpose would there be for faith, for belief, for history, or even for mans free will to make decisions?

That would also imply that there is no need to obey Gods mandates, or make any kind of effort to live the spiritual life, let alone an honest life. And of course that would mean that no one would need to be responsible in life.

But such is not the case. 

The spiritual life teaches one to study, to learn, to grow and to be responsible, because we are all going to be held accountable before Christ.  Unbelievers for their choice in refusing to believe, and believers for their choices regarding their daily life.

Your life too, has an impact on history whether you know it or believe it or not.  Most all of us are nobodies in history.  And as far as the world is concerned, being a nobody, means that you are a nothing.

However, we have had numerous studies that point to your individual worth to God.  That this world, in fact this whole universe was created in order to sustain humanity.  This universe belongs to God, and therefore to Gods family and to no one else. All blessing comes into this world because of believers.

Whether the believer lived long ago or will live in some future generation makes no difference.  God maintains and sustains history for the sake of the elect – all who have or will believe in Christ, throughout history.  And as such, your belief has an impact on history.

Likewise, your life probably has an impact on someone else in this world as well.  Whether they be family or neighbors, children or friends or even distant acquaintances, your life will make an impression on others for better or for worse.

Even countries have an impact on history and people from other countries.  Our USA is the wealthiest nation on the earth, despite the many political and economic difficulties that exist from time to time, both now and in our history.  We are the destination of choice by most of those people around the world who will leave their country.

And despite the many attempts to make our country into a non-Christian nation, we still have very deep roots in Christianity and thus most of the prosperity, most of the innovation, most of the technology in this world, originates from here.

Certainly we ship our manufacturing of products overseas, and that too is a blessing to others overseas, but it is merely the assembly of things invented here.  If things were never invented, then a lot of people throughout the world would not have jobs.

But, of all of the countries in the world, of all of the products in the world, of all of the reputations of countries in the world, which country stands out above all else?  And as such, which faith stands out?

And that final answer as to faith is Christianity.

So, regardless of your personal views of yourself, you have an impact on history.  Perhaps more so than you realize.  And yet no one in this world will ever know your name, nor know your face.

But for the sake of salvation for innumerable numbers of people in history, for the sake of glory (all blessings after salvation even into eternity), for the sake of all that God offers each one of us, offerings that exceed the imagination, then any suffering or inconvenience or insult or injury we might experience during our short life on this planet, is well worth the price paid now, for blessings for ourselves, and opportunities made available to others.

For the blessings in Christ far, far, far exceed the small nuisances we will have in this life.

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Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Daily Bible Study Links – Tues. 8-30-2011


Daily Bible Study Links – Tues. 8-30-2011
Today’s Daily Bible Study:  


Today’s Study

Tuesday – Daily Bible Study – 2 Timothy 2:9 –  What is worth suffering anything for 


Prior studies of the past week:
Monday – Daily Bible Study – Isaiah 1:29 –  What could be your ultimate embarrassment 
Sunday – Daily Bible Study – Psalm 11:6 –  Describe Gods policy for the wicked
Saturday – Daily Bible Study – Psalm 11:5 –  Describe the three categories of suffering 
Friday – Daily Bible Study – 2 Timothy 2:8 –  What should our Christian memories begin with 
Thursday – Daily Bible Study – 2 Timothy 2:7 –  What is your first obligation in learning 
Wednesday – Daily Bible Study – 2 Timothy 2:6 – What is first and who is last  


Daily Bible Study E-Books
(For your e-book reader or computer)
Revelation  /  Psalms / 1 Timothy / 1 Peter




Important links:
Main Daily Bible Study web site:  http://www.DailyBibleStudy.Org  
Daily Bible Study Library:  http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/library.html
Daily Bible Study News on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/jneelyranch 
How to prepare for your daily study:  http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/how-to-prepare.html
Two Year Bible Reading Plan:  http://www.dailybiblestudy.org/biblestudy/two_year 

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2 Timothy 2:9


Copyright Ó 2011 J. Neely
2 Timothy 2:9

9 Wherein [en] [hos] I suffer trouble, [kakopatheo] as [hos] an evil doer, [kakourgos] even unto [mechri] bonds; [desmon] but [alla] the word [logos] of God [theos] is [deo] not [ou] bound. [deo] KJV-Interlinear

9 for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned. NASB

Throughout history, people have suffered through insult and injury. 

As sinful humanity, we are all guilty of sin and therefore with fault of one sort or another. Those who think they are somehow above sin and faults, are fools at best.

However, when we are wronged, or when we perceive to be wronged, we get upset and want revenge or satisfaction or something like that.  We want those around us to know that we are being harassed unfairly, and so we make a big dramatic deal about the insult, whatever it is.

But we need to remember Jesus who went to the Cross.  He was born perfect, lived perfect, and had no faults or taints or flaws of any kind whatsoever.  And yet he was charged unfairly, whipped unfairly, spit on unfairly, cursed unfairly, gossiped about unfairly, mocked unfairly, ridiculed unfairly and on and on and on go the unfair behaviors of humanity against Him.

And yet He complained not even once.  Why?

Because He was greater than those who insulted Him. 
His life was greater than the insults that were thrown at Him. 
His purpose was greater than the opinions of those who insulted Him.
His accomplishments were greater than the plans of humanity.

And so it is with Paul.  He was imprisoned.  He was not a perfect person by any means.  Before being a Christian, he was a murder and a conspirator against Christians. Some might say that his past finally caught up with him.  But such was not the case.

Christ died for his sins just as Christ died for all of your sins and mine.

Once saved, your sins are forgiven, expunged, scrubbed out and forgotten.  So at the moment of your salvation, your past is wiped clean.  But after salvation, you are still expected to live a perfect life (all of us fail at that), and then confess when you fail (most of us do not do that unfortunately), and otherwise grow up in your spiritual life.

With each confession, your sins are scrubbed away and forgotten, by God. 

The world is however another matter.

People gossip and malign and are prejudiced and so forth.  The criminal system has to run its due process course if you have committed some crime.  But otherwise, within your spiritual life, your life is between you and God and no one else.

So, let the petty accusations fall off your shoulder, and look to something that is far greater than getting even or getting mad.

Do not engage in retaliation, do not engage in vindictiveness, do not return insult for insult.  These things, these reactions gain you nothing and lose you potentially everything.

So do not fall for the tactics of the world, which is trying to sucker you into running your own life.

As a believer in Christ, you are royal family.  You are greater than anyone in this world.
As a believer your life is greater because you have eternal life, and that is something worthy and greater than any life this world has to offer.
As a believer, your purpose is greater than anything this world, or anyone, has to offer.  No one can match that which God offers.
As a believer, your accomplishments are greater than anything or anyone can accomplish in this world. Your spiritual advance to maturity, creates in you, not only perfection, but completion, and rewards that far exceed the imagination.

What you possess is worth far more than all that exists in the world, and insults and injuries whether they are legitimate or not, are irrelevant, and should be dealt with accordingly.  Ignore them, for they cannot harm you in any way.

God has a plan for your life.  You have His very own personal plan for your life.  God designed it specifically for you, such that you can have the greatest life imaginable.

You will never get anything close to it from this world. 

What the world can do for you, is offer a small pile of doggie doo-do.  What God offers amounts to a solid gold mountain the size of a galaxy.  There is no comparison between the two.

Therefore suffering the insults and injuries of this world is nothing when compared to the goal that lay before you in heaven.

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