Pastor Mikes Daily Devotion Friday October 10, 2014 1 Thessalonians 3:1–2, Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it good to be left in Athens alone, and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith, It has been said that, if you want to lead, you must first learn to follow. Timothy was a man who was being groomed to continue the ministry when Paul no longer could. Tradition tells us that Timothy became an effective leader, and was even martyred for his faith. In our section of scripture today, we have an example in Timothy that we would do well to mimic. Paul describes Timothy as a brother. The context in which Paul uses this term goes a little deeper than what we would use to describe a fellow Christian. Paul wanted the church to know that this was a man who served side-by-side with him. Timothy was tried and tested in the work of ministry, and was valuable for the work that God wanted to do. Paul then described Timothy as a minister of God, and our fellow laborer. In the church today we can have the perception of a minister as someone who is to be served. But what the church needs is more ministers who have a heart to be a fellow laborer. A minister back then, as today, is to be a server, one who executes commands. Jesus told us that the greatest in His kingdom would be servants of all. The result of the ministry of such a person would be someone who would establish you and encourage you concerning your faith. This is a person who will enter into the lives of others who are in the midst of hardship, meet them at the level where they are, and lift them up. Those being ministered to will be strengthened to stand firm in their Christian life during times of trial. Who is there in your life that the Lord wants to send you to, so that they would be ministered to? 2 Corinthians 6:4, But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses,
Posted on: Fri, 10 Oct 2014 14:12:20 +0000
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