Some Essentials

 

I love the Bible. It is God’s word & it is the foundation of our faith & the authority by which we live. The Bible is not a rule book, it is a book of books that reveal to us who God is, how He works, who we are & what He has called us to do. It is a guidebook how we are to live in relationship with Jesus in this world. In 2 Timothy Paul gives Timothy some essentials in living in relationship with Jesus & service to Jesus.

 

2 Timothy 1:2 says, “To Timothy, my beloved child in the faith; grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.”

 

Paul tells Timothy to find his strength in the grace of God. A Christian’s relationship with God begins with grace, not works. God freely gives salvation, forgiveness, & the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit to everyone who believes the gospel about Jesus. These are gifts from God & Paul reminds Timothy to fan into flame the gift of God that had been given to him. Just as with Timothy, these are gifts from God. They are not something earned. We find our strength that we need to get through life’s storms. It is by grace through faith that we receive all that we need from God.

 

Raise the Roof & Remove the Walls is about beginning with grace, living by grace, & going into eternity by grace.

 

2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.

 

Faithful ministry is built upon God’s word. The Bible is inspired, God-breathed. The Bible is without any error. The Bible is capable of equipping every believer for the work that God has for us to do. We need to hold fast to the truths in the Bible. We need to study the Bible, believe & obey the Bible, & share the truths in the Bible.

 

Raise the Roof & Remove the Walls is about believing & obeying the Bible & using it as the authority by which we live.

 

2 Timothy 2:22-24 says, “So flee youth passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil.”

 

Character matters in ministry. It is not enough to simply know & teach the Word of God. One must live it. Our walk has to match our talk.

 

Raise the Roof & Remove the Walls is about living out through the empowering of the Holy Spirit the character of Jesus.

 

2 Timothy 3:12 says, “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

 

Faithful ministry requires endurance in the midst of suffering. Anyone who desires to serve the Lord faithfully will face oppression & persecution in this life. We must see the bigger picture & know that our suffering will bring God glory when we are suffering for righteousness.

 

Raise the Roof & Remove the Walls is about enduring suffering as we serve Jesus & share the gospel.

 

The Bible is God’s personal message to each of us revealing who He is, what He can do, what His will is. It also reveals who God says we are & what God says we can do.

 

Raising the Roof & Removing the Walls,

Joe