I’d Rather Have Jesus
Many people are familiar with the song “I’d Rather Have Jesus”. Originally a poem composed in 1922 written by Rhea F. Miller. The tune of the song was written by George Beverly Shea after his mother left the poem on the piano in their home. The message this song portrays is quite compelling and powerful and yet I have to wonder, can this really be said of us in America? Somehow American Christians have gotten the American Dream confused with the will of God to the point that many assume religion is simply another element of the dream itself. We have our stuff, our health, our money, our insurance, our retirement, and our religion. Notice these things appeal to our security. We feel most secure when we’re healthy, wealthy, and...
Transformed Church (Part 4)
View previous posts: 1 Timothy 1:1-2, 1 Timothy1:3-11, 1 Timothy 1:12-17 This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme. – 1 Timothy 1:18-20 At the end of Chapter 1 Paul restates his charge to Timothy that opened his letter, “…remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies…” – 1 Timothy 1:3-4. As previously stated...
Transformed Church (Part 3)
View previous posts: 1 Timothy 1:1-2, 1 Timothy1:3-11 One of the single greatest concerns in the early church was the expression of the truth of the Word of God being lived out in the lives of believers compared to the ever increasing voices of confused Christians and false teachers. What a person believes effects how a person behaves. If someone is confused or believes in what is false, their behavior will reflect this. For instance, Paul writes to the confused people in the Corinthian church because they were dealing with division, abuse of the sacraments, disorder during worship services, theological heresy, and moral laxity. In Corinth their disunity stemmed from arrogance and self-centeredness that was prevalent in culture but incompatible with...
Transformed Church (Part 2)
View previous posts: 1 Timothy 1:1-2 “As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.” – 1 Timothy 1:3-4 Godly transformation culminates in a proper understanding of the truth of God’s Word. Paul recognized the dangerous results of false teaching within the church which is why he urged Timothy to remain in Ephesus to deal with the false teachers who were teaching “different doctrine”. False teaching comes in many different forms and it can be both intentional or unintentional. It could be...
Transformed Church (Part 1)
I’m taking the time to do a study on the Book of 1 Timothy. I don’t know how long it will take me or how much detail I will eventually put into this project, but I have made the decision to make it available on my blog. This first post is simply an introduction to the study. I’ve chosen the title “The Transformed Church” because I believe a true church is a group of people who have experienced a realistic and noticeable transformation in their lives through the saving work of Jesus Christ in the hearing of the gospel. The transforming work of the true gospel leads to godliness. A church whose primary purpose is to “Be Holy, As I Am Holy” is a church whose goal is to bring glory to God. It is the transformation...