Yes, It's "Double Money"

"Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine."
(1 Timothy 5:17, From Today's Epistle Reading)

I have never had a problem with receiving tithes and offerings from people, because I have always, "labor[ed] in the word and doctrine," and, I might add, prayer.  Allan Vincent once said, "Prayer is hard work."  Anyone who has ever been serious about praying knows what he was talking about.

First of all, one of the descriptions of the Greek word for, "rule," means "protector or guardian, to give aid, care for, give attention to."  What a great description of our "Head Elder," and, "Chief Shepherd," Jesus, and, what a sobering reminder to elders, "who rule....!"  Secondly, the word for, "labor," in our text means "intense desire, great trouble, grow weary, tired, exhausted with toil or burdens, bodily labor," yes, you read right, "bodily labor."

The cynics in the world (and in too many churches) think that a pastor, preacher/teacher does not engage in "work," especially, hard work.  So many people are practicing "communists"-- if a man's fingernails are not dirty, he doesn't do real work.  It is pathetically amusing to me that politicians' reference to "hard working families" is always the clock punching, coal digging, factory worker.  I guess the rest of us are just lazy good-for-nothings.  Well, sorry to those folks, but the Bible begs to differ.  We elders who, "especially... labor in the word and doctrine," are just as much "hard working" as those who dig the coal, work the auto assembly lines, and drive those big rigs, and, horror of horrors to most people, we are, "worthy of double honor."  And, yes, you guessed it; the word for, "honor," here means "a valuing by which the price is fixed."  Hmm-- I guess I should be getting double pay. 

People will pay very good money for what they want and what they value.  What and whom do you value today?

Father, in Jesus' Name, thank You for the privilege of a life of, "labor in the word and doctrine."  Amen.
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When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"

Hebrews 12:2

"If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed." (1 Timothy 4:6)

The word translated, "nourished," means to "nurse, feed, rear, bring up, train up, nurture."  Metaphorically, "to educate, form the mind."  My Dad and Pastor, Kenneth Barnette literally provided such nourishment for me.  Now some might call this brainwashing.  I surrender; my brain needs washed. 

Notice, "A good minister of Jesus Christ," is the person whose nourishment is, "in the words of faith and of the good doctrine," not in pop religious psychology, what-sells religion, or political/church correctness.  The Timothy Epistles tell the servants of Christ to, "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God"-------------- not to men.  I have yet to find a popular prophet in the Bible.  Yet what so very many humans long for is acceptance, especially those who deny they do.  Yet approval and acceptance of flatterers will not nourish you and me.  One may feel "satisfied" for a period, but will be left emaciated, severely malnourished. 

Feed continually in, "the words of faith," and, "the good doctrine."  The nourishment here is Jesus Christ, Who declared, "I am the bread of life.  He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."  If such, "words of faith and...the good doctrine," is your nourishment, those around you will find nourishment in your wake. 

Father, in Jesus' Name, thank You for the "natural whole food" in Jesus Christ.  Amen. 
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When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"

Hebrews 12:2

My, "Therefore"

"And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied." (Acts 19:6)

The nineteenth of the first month of the quarter and I am in Acts 19.  Just passing on my "food."

I know that some who receive my devotionals do not "believe in" speaking and praying, "with tongues."  Some say it's not rational.  Of course it's not "rational."  How much of the Bible is "rational" to our limited, very finite minds?  "For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?  Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God."  If that is true, then the only way I can fully continue in, "the things of God," is to fully continue in the Holy Spirit, not my very, very limited understanding of how I, you, the nations, the universe "works." 

On December 29, 1969, Sarah was home with Andrew when I took Stephen to the hospital for tests.  It was a five hour wait.  I found a phone booth, no, literally, I got in a phone booth and for that five hour time I was powerless, weak, fearful.  I could do nothing but pray in my Spirit in the Holy Spirit, what our text refers to as, "they spoke with tongues."  You know that six months later, Stephen was gone from us.  The pain is no less today than it was then.  I have apparently not gotten the message that "time heals."  For me it does not.  But there is keeping and sustaining power in the Words of God.  "Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation."  This is that of which our Lord Jesus spoke when He said, "'If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'  This He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given...."  I shudder to think where I would be today if not for the sustaining, keeping power of the, "God-Breathed," Word.

Someone once said that "all glory is fleeting."  So is joy.  It does not take a whole lot to rob us of joy.  But nothing can take, "with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation."  Life's desperations will go a long way into changing one's theology.

Father, in Jesus' Name, without you I am nothing than what a man once said, "a lonely creature in the universe, doubting [my] mastery even of my own environment;" therefore, I give draw from the only source of life---- You.  Amen.  

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"

Hebrews 12:2

"Run Swiftly"

"Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you." (2 Thess. 3:1)

There is a sense of urgency here in Paul's writing.  The phrase translated, "run swiftly," speaks "of persons in haste, of those who run in a race, of doctrine rapidly propagated, by a metaphor taken from runners in a race, to exert one's self, strive hard, to spend one's strength in performing or attaining something."  The "word occurs in Greek writings denoting to incur extreme peril, which it requires the exertion of all one's effort to overcome." (Whew!)

For those of you who are following my New Testament reading schedule, I read one chapter in the Gospels and 2 in the Acts through Revelation portion.  I do, however, split the latter, reading one chapter in Acts-Ephesians, and one in Philippians-Revelation; hence, the reading of our text the other day.  It brought a renewed sense of urgency in reaching the world and exhorting, warning, and encouraging the Church.  It also quickened the urgency to be "on the ground" in Berlin, Jerusalem, and Washington, DC, as well as "intense" Bible reading and the corresponding "prophetic" praying, prompted by His Words.  This is my call, my service to you, the Church, "the Kingdom of Our Lord and of His Christ," and the world.  If it sounds a little presumptuous, I don't think so.  When Wesley said, "the world is my parish," it was not ego which drove him to say that; it was the Lord Jesus Christ, the command of His Words, and a world "in sin and error pining."

To those of you who support us on a regular basis, I want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts.  Ours is not a popular service in the Church.  It doesn't seem to produce "tangible evidence" of "success"-------- but it does!  Everything in the Bible says it does.  When I pray over a meal I always think of Paul's statement concerning the food we eat, "It is sanctified by the word and prayer."  Can we realize how many people and nations we pray for are, "sanctified by the word and prayer?"

Father, in Jesus' Name, how I do so very much need You and Your Words.  Without them I am lost; without them, and Him, "The Word of God," Your only revealed Son, Jesus, I am absolutely nothing.  Amen.

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When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"

Hebrews 12:2

John 17-- "Formal Aggrement or Harmony Between People or Groups"

"Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another.  And so Barnabas took mark and sailed to Cyprus." (Acts 15:39)

This passage is often used to justify "differences of opinion," denominations, and the plague of church splits which has ransacked Christendom over the centuries and America, particularly over the last 40 years.  For me, it is just another way of expressing the principle of a people not under authority, "every man did what was right in his own eyes."  It reveals the American philosophy of "you do your thing; I'll do mine."

I am not claiming to be above this.  I am claiming, however, that I want nothing to do with this.  This is not the Blessed Trinity's Heart.  If I want to be as David, "a man who had God's heart," then I read, pray, declare, and live Jesus' prayer in John 17, "that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me..., that they may be one just as We are one," literally, "made into a unit," or "union, concord."  People say this automatically happens when we all get saved.  I don't believe it.  It is integral to, "work out your salvation." 

The word which scholars use to describe the Greek word in our text, "concord," is an interesting word.  It means a "formal agreement or harmony between people or groups, grammar agreement between words, in gender, number, case, person, or any other grammatical category that affects the forms of words.  Music chord that is pleasing or satisfactory in itself"--- would be an interesting study for marriages and churches.

Father, in Jesus' Name, grant all the grace you can for me to walk in this with my Fellow Followers of Jesus Christ.  Amen.
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News, Commentary:   www.apf327.blogspot.com    

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"

Hebrews 12:2