Guest 2 Timothy 1:7

The guest is Karen Batts from Illinois sharing her comments from 9/6 Bread Box devotion. "Receiving your Bread Box today (9/6/11) I am stirred to add comments."

II Timothy 1:7
When Paul wrote this letter to Timothy... Paul's situation had changed drastically! He is now in prisoner in Rome and was facing certain death. This was very dark times and hour for Paul.

Yet Paul had great concern about his brother in the Lord... Timothy! Not on himself! Paul wanted and prayed for success of the Gospel ministry to be encouraged... knowing that Timothy is timid, suffered from physical ailments and was tempted to let other people take advantage of him and not assert his authority as a pastor.

In verse 6 Paul reminded Timothy that he had imparted to Timothy the spiritual gift that he will need in his ministry. The Laying on of Hands was a common practice in Paul's days... Verse 7 that God in no way gave us anything to fear about! We have the Spirit of Power, to Love and to Have Self Discipline.

Today! The Holy Spirit and laying of hands has a powerful effect! And it is a gift of God to us and Paul reminded us in the Holy Spirit, we gain talent, training, experience and power! God personally tells us that we have the Spirit of Power, to Love and the Power to Have Self -discipline. What a wonderful power tools coming from God!

What encourage me is that Timothy didn't need to add any more lesson to his learning from Paul...He was already ordained by the elders and received an enabling gift from God when the elders laid hands on him. He only need to STIR UP what he already had inside his life and spirit. This was learned in I Timothy 4:14 which said "Neglect not the gift that is in thee." He needed just to stir it up! Paul was confident of the genuineness of Timothy's faith. The Spirit within him would give all the power needed for the ministry. He could not ask for any more!

Today, Stir up the gift that God has given to you... Be a blessing to your elders leaders and show that God is still doing mighty things that we are still learning/seeing each time we are together. Show the Spirit of Power, to Love, and Power to Have Self-Discipline being cultivated in our Deaf World today. Use them! And Develop them in the ministry wherever God puts us in.

Be Stir up! Be in Power! Be in Love! And finally Be in Self-Control. Go for it!

Karen Batts