The halfbaked Bard

Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it, will become more and more ungodly. 2Tim:2:16 Refraining from harsh painful words, that hurt others is a godly advise. Here is a step further. Useless, harmless, godless chatter will make you more and more ungodly.  Unnecessary loose talk will take you nowhere. Talk with a purpose always. Use words, what you really mean. Have a discussion which is worth it.  Your words, let it reflect who you are - a child of God. An ambassador of God. Royal priesthood. Heir of God. Talk like a prince, not as a commoner. Do not blabber. Be men and women of substance - by having a solid content in your words. Talk to each other about things which do really matter.  But for that you need to have that content in your heart.

2Tim:1:14 Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you - guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. As he talks about salvation as a deposit, Paul emphasizes on guarding it. Nurturing it. Watering it. Taking care of it. Allowing the Holy Spirit, the friend who lives in us to make it grow. Praying to the Holy Spirit. Let the Holy Spirit lead you further to higher grounds. How is your relation with the Holy Spirit? How often do you pray to the Holy Spirit? The undisputed presence of the Triune God. How well do you know your friend? Guard your salvation with the help of the Holy Spirit. Fill your mind with the things of God. Not of this world. Image credit:  https://www.allamericanstatewidesecurity.com/laguna-beach/

2Tim:1:9 Who saved us and called us to a holy life - not because of anything we have done but because of His own purpose and grace. Salvation is the Lord's doing. Not something that I have gained Salvation is a calling to a holy life A life holier than yesterday Salvation is given; a gift Not earned as a salary. Undeservedly given  For we do not deserve Him Because of our rebellion We deserved only eternal hell For all our good deeds Are filthy rags before Him We only deserved punishment  Salvation is for His purpose His glory; His grace And for our good He has been kind. It is His doing. Image credit: https://www.christianity.com/wiki/salvation/can-a-christian-lose-salvation.html

2 Tim: 1:7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. Why are you afraid, O my soul? The Spirit of the Almighty God is on your side and dwells within you. Why should you be afraid and concerned about the future? As long as the Spirit of God is with you as your Friend, your Advocate, and your Parakletos, you need not fear. Why should you be afraid of the principalities and powers of this world? The One who is in you is more powerful than the one who is in the world. Why should you be timid or feel unloved? The Spirit of God, the Spirit of unending Agape love, has loved you and called you His beloved. Why should you be afraid of old bad habits returning? The Spirit of self-discipline and the good Lord is with you. Image credit: https://screenrant.com/inside-out-movie-bill-hader-interview/

1Tim:6:20 O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Each of us have been given these entrustments. It can be family; it can be privileges and opportunities; it can be blessings in this world; or knowledge or insight from God;  it can be your job; it can a good habit.  Whatever you can think of- it is a gift from God entrusted to you. Guard it. Value it. Cherish it and take care of it with utmost thankfulness and seriousness. When you think of people, who do not have what you have, it fills you with gratitude to God. And you take care of it with seriousness; without a careless attitude. That will take away the routine mundane boredom to deal with it. Contentment is the key to gratitude. The truth to realise is - that you have been given. That you have been gifted. The reality is that all you have is not what you deserved. Therefore do not take these lightly. You have been just kept as a steward, not as an owner of what you "have". A steward does not deserve....

But to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 1 Tim: 6:17 Putting hope in riches is futile. But putting hope in God, who is our provider, is not. He is Jehovah Jireh. He, out of His eternal riches, shall not only provide for our needs but also for our enjoyment. He will, for He has promised. He is true and will not lie. If He has said that He will provide, then He surely will. We have to trust Him and put our hope in the person that He is. Image courtesy: https://stock.adobe.com/search?k=fishing+net

The charge given to a younger brother - something personal. 1 Tim:6:11-16 - Flee from all these - love for money. - Pursue - righteousness, Godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness - Fight the good fight of faith - Take hold of eternal life to which you were called. Image credit: https://www.asurion.com/connect/tech-tips/iphone-wont-charge/

But Godliness with contentment is great gain.  1Tim:6:6 Contentment is being happy with what you have. Contentment is the opposite to greed; covetousness; dissatisfaction; wanting for more. Godliness coupled with contentment is great gain. A surity that God would provide for all my needs. An assurance that God would supply all my needs according to His riches and glory. That He is Jehovah Jireh and I need not worry about my needs. He will take care. This will also help you to give. Like the widow who put the two copper coins which is all that she had. Knowing fully that her God would provide. Cheerfully we can give. Whether in surplous or in nothingness. Knowing for sure that God loves a cheerful giver, we can give happily. Knowing for sure that He would give back, in good measure, pressed down, shaken together.  And finally you will be free from greed. It starts well - planning, money orientedness, ultimately leading to compromising on many important things just t...

Keep yourself pure. 1 Tim:5:22 This world around you is full of sin. Keep yourself pure. Do not give a foot hold to the devil. For the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion to see whom to devour. Resists him. Stand firm in faith. Both keeping yourself pure and standing firm in faith resisting the devil are active efforts. You have to consciously work hard to keep yourself pure. It is a choice. Image credit; https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/male-lion-on-the-prowl--170292429633466449/

Éteindre is the French word which means to extinguish or to snuff out. 1Tim:4:12 Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young. To the youth - it is often labelled that you being young, you are not allowed to express your opinion. You do not know much and therefore you keep quiet. But if others see there is consistency in display of God's wisdom in your speech, in your life, in love, in faith and purity, will they be able to snub you? Will they be able to snuff you out? Will they be able to shove you off? Absolutely not! Desire and ask for Godly wisdom in your speech, in your life. Seek and you shall receive. That is the key to respect that you desire. Let your words be deep in His wisdom. Even if a little, let your opinions matter. You cannot formulate respect by your choice. That has to come naturally. That will come only if you season your life with ( infact that's the main ingredient) Godly wisdom. Then no one would be able to look down on you. Rat...

That we have put our hope in the living God. 1Tim:4:10 This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance, Paul says. That we have put our hope in the living God. He is not a dead god. Who was part of history or myth and had a weak bone which men could find out to finish his story. He is God who became man to deal with the root problem of man, died as a sacrifice for the penalty of sin which man should have faced. His story doesn't end there. He was raised from the dead because of the sinless perfect life He lived. Because He was blameless, death ( which is a consequence of sin) could not hold Him or defeat Him. Yes He was raised from the dead - this is a trustworthy statement - scientifically and historically proven. He lives even now, for He is eternal. He sits on the right hand side of the eternal King, Father God and intercedes for us. This is the hope that we talk about. That we are praying to a living God. Jesus the only living mediator for us. All other s...

Godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 1Tim:4:8 Godliness is God orientedness. It is bringing God in every equation. It is trusting in God in every situation. That is the real fear of God, which is the beginning of wisdom. That will bring promise both for the present life and for the life to come. It makes life simpler. In the middle of tumultuous waves, it brings peace. For the creator, sustainer God is with you in the boat, then why worry! God is with you, is the greatest promise you can have. Are you with God?

For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. 1Tim:2:5 The eternal King; Immortal; Invisible; Only God chose to become a man, so that He could be a mediator between God and man. Not that God could gain anything. But man could benefit everything. So that man could be saved. Out of His love to man He did this Himself. He gave Himself as a ransom for all men. He did not consider equality with God as something to be grasped, to be claimed for His own. He made Himself nothing taking the very nature of a servant. Only He could stand between the Holy God and mankind and intercede, because only He has done this. The Lamb who was slain alone is worthy. The man Christ Jesus. Image courtesy: https://lommen.com/things-to-consider-when-selecting-a-mediator/

1Tim:1:17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God be honour and glory forever and ever. Amen. Eternal. Not created. The Alpha and the Omega. The Beginning and the End. Who exists from time immemorial to time endless. Immortal. No death. Nor does He succumb to decay. Not defined by rules of the end. Who exists beyond. Invisible. Not the age old concept of God is there in everything. Not even the unseen guest of our home. But the omnipresent. He is the Only God. To Him be the honour and glory forever and ever.

Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk. 1Tim:1:6 About false teachers - who want to be teachers of the law but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm (v:7). Equally true for the common man like me - a warning that God endorses, not to be involved in myths (v:3), endless genealogies (v:3) and meaningless talk (v:6). Guard your tongue. Interestingly in James where it talks about taming the tongue, the instruction is again to the teachers, that they would be judged more strictly. Why these unnecessary gossip? A gossip is always a gossip; no matter how hilarious it sounds, no matter how informative it looks. Why indulge in meaningless conversations? Let your words be filled with grace, bringing glory to the Almighty. Let it reflect His character. Let it be a source of encouragement to a wandering one who will be plucked out of the very gates of hell. Let it be a signpost for a backsliding one. Let it be filled ...

And as for you, brothers never tire of doing what is right. 2Thess:3:13 Doing right might cost you. Might bring you loss. But never compromise. The Lord loves righteousness. And this is how we show our love to this righteous God. To pursue righteousness. Even in the smallest way. It might look infinitesimal. Especially in comparison to the consequence otherwise. You might lose your job. You might lose your precious relations. Your good will amongst your friend circle might be tarnished. But still never tire of doing what is right. Pursue righteousness.

If a man will not work; he shall not eat. 2Thess:3:10 Work hard. Whatever is entrusted to you. Be it physical labour or be it a white collar job sitting in the AC. Be it studying or be it organising things. Be it a small thing that you take up or a bread winning job. Be genuine and hard working. An idle man is not deserving of any wages. An idle man is complacent and proud. An idle man is discontented and dissatisfied. Where as a hard working man is grateful for what he has got. He knows that he has got in his plate is not something he deserves. Let money not be the motivation factor too, for working hard. Whatever you do, do it for the glory of God. So wash your plates genuinely. When you clean the table and set near your room, let God's name be glorified. As unto the Lord, may you do it. When you treat a patient or build a house or develop a programme or play the fiddle, let it be genuine, let it bring a smile on Jesus' face, let it bring glory to the Father. Not ...

2Thess:3:3 But the Lord is faithful and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. The Lord is faithful is a promise. That He will not change. His love to you is like the crab bite. He will not leave you nor forsake you. The Lord is faithful is an assurance. Of the truth. Of the reality. That God is for you. He is on your side. Not that He has no other option, than to side you. But His earnest love and compassion is the reason. The Lord is faithful is a relief. On the truth, which will never change. He will never change. If He has promised, He will stick to it. No matter what. He is not like the shifting shadows. If He has promised, He will do it. 1Thess:5:24. The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it. It is this rock solid God who says - I will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. He will strengthen. He will give you all strength. He will enable you. He will equip you. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  He will protect...

May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. 2Thess:2:16 Jesus Christ Himself and God the Father encourage you. The Holy Spirit is called the encourager. The Triune God is on your side to encourage you and strengthen you. With eternal encouragement He has encouraged you. How much more will He encourage and enable and strengthen you. Is it big enough that He won't be able to handle? Not at all. All situations He will enable. He will strengthen. He will equip. He will encourage. Encouragement is not just emotional support. Encourage is to equip you with courage to face. Like David the shepherd boy, facing Goliath. Like the nation before the Red Sea. The Lord will encourage and strengthen you. Image credit : https://www.istockphoto.com/tr/foto%C4%9Fraf/thumbs-up-black-and-white-gm187248717-27686382

From the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through the belief in truth. 2Thess: 2:13 God chose you to be saved from the beginning. It was not a split second thought that He had to save me. For He doesn't change like shifting shadows. He had beforehand itself plans to save you. Even before you were formed in your mother's womb. Even before the foundations of the earth was laid. Isn't that wonderful. That's God saw me from the beginning. That He was mindful of you always. Image credit: https://www.flaticon.com/free-sticker/before_6723260