We begin reading a new book today; the book of Hebrews and hope to conclude this in the next 7 days. Fisrt off, Hebrews was likely not written by the apostle Paul or any of the apostles, the writer likely heard Jesus and the other apostles directly (Hebrews 2:3). The book was also likely written during the period when the emperor Nero persecuted and killed Christians for games and sport. He favoured Judaism over Christianity and so the writer sort to encourage the believers and especially those who were considering converting to Judaism to escape persecution (Hebrews 12:2-4). In chapter one, we see that Jesus, the Son, radiates and expresses the glory and character of God. In other words, it is the Son we look to if we want to see or understand the Father. "The Son radiates God's own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honour at the eight hand of the majestic God in heaven." Hebrews 1:3. Outside Jesus, you can't see or know the Father. Secondly, the Son holds everything in the universe together, they are sustained by him. Now you might understand better why demons and devils tremble at the mention of the name of Jesus. Thank you Father for giving us Jesus. Halleluyah!

The book of Philemon is one of those books you are wondering how come they are part of the Bible. However, the book, though short has loads to teach us. If there is one lesson I take from reading Philemon, it is the kind of person a Christian should be and the kind of relationship they should have with those they consider their subordinates. Talking about Philemon Paul said; " I always thank my God when I pray for you, Philemon, because I keep hearing about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God's people. And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ. Your love has given me much joy and comfort, my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God's people." Philemon 1: 4-7. Philemon was known for his love, kindness and generosity, he was well spoken of by outsiders. He was likely a rich person because he owned a slave, Onesimus, but he wasn't known for that, he was know for his generosity at treating others well. Added to that, Paul also commended Philemon that people were talking about his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I want to be a Christian like Philemon.

Devoting oneself to doing good will be the focus of our discussion today. Paul wrote; "this is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good. These teachings are good and beneficial for everyone." Titus 3:8. The trustworthy saying Paul was referring to can be seen by reading from verses 3 thriugh to 7 where Paul tells Titus that we must be humble ourselves to remember that we were once foolish and disobedient, despite that, God sent Jesus to save us. He washed away our sins, gave us the new birth and capped it all by pouring his Holy Spirit on us. All of this happened not because we deserved it or were righteous but because of God's grace and mercy. As such, when we remember this, every believer is inclined to do good themselves and to love others just as God first loved us. I agree that; doing good can be risky. You are prone to being taken advantage of. Doing good to others sometimes will require that we be vulnerable and allow ourselves to be used and cheated. It is actually because of this uncertainty that some Christians decide they will only do their good when it is safe. But just think about it; what if Jesus only died for those he was sure would accept him? Did I literally hear someone say that would be terrible! Of course it would. Jesus died even for those who will use and throw him away. He loved us not because we were good. Never forget that. As such, doing good must come from the same mindset. While there will always be a risk of being used and cheated when we do good, we are children of our father in heaven, and so we must devote ourselves to this honourable and rewarding task. You will succeed.

Titus was one of the most exceptionally gifted and dedicated persons that worked with Paul. He was Paul's go to man to go start or finish a work and in especially difficult situations. As he leads the church in Crete, Paul gives him a few advise; "everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are corrupt. Such people claim they know God, but they deny him by the way they live." Titus 1:15-16. Like they say; "it is usually a matter of the heart". Whether you are talking about those who are pure or those who are corrupt, the determining feature is their hearts. If Titus or anyone else at that wanted to help, better to address the heart than the results they are producing. When the heart is pure, the lens from which it sees is purity and love. When the heart is corrupted, the lens it sees through is shaded often corrupting all it touches.

"All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work." 2Tim 3:16-17. Paul tells Timothy the purpose of the Word of God, the scriptures and what they should do in our lives. But first of all, he tells him the origin of scriptures, it is inspired by God. Tbe Bible isn't written simply by a group of men and women who just felt like it, no, God himself inspired them to write down the very words of scripture. Why? To teach us what is true. That way, we are able to tell what is right from what is wrong. The scriptures will also correct us. You can't tell right from wrong outside the scriptures. Finally, Paul says God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. The way I understand it, the Bible has all I need to be ready for each day. The Bible has all I need to win every battle. Read your Bible every.

Paul uses the illustration of a soldier, an athlete and a farmer to help Timothy understand his call. First, he says that every child of God must know who they've put their hope and trust in; "that is why I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return." 2Tim 1:12. It is unbecoming for a Christian to act like they are ashamed of Jesus or to be reluctant to put their trust in him. Every soldier, athlete and farmer understands this principle of trust. A soldier trust the government he or she is representing. The farmer, even though does not have the power to make the seed germinate and grow, in trust tills the ground and plants the seeds in absolute trust in the one that rules over the seasons. An athlete also trust in discipline and hardwork and that both will come in handy on the day of competition. For the believer, our confident trust must be in God, the one who upholds all things by the word of his power. The God of all flesh. "Soldier don't get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them. And athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules. And hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labour." 2Tim 2:4-6. Why? Because they have in trust, put in the hardwork and effort. My charge to you today is; "Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth." 2Tim 2:15. You will succeed in Jesus' name.

"Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses." 1Tim 6:12. In the kingdom, there are good fights and there are not so good or outrightly bad ones. Every fight outside fighting to uphold your faith is not a good fight. Fighting for selfish ends, fighting so no one takes you for granted or that your ego is not bruise is not a good reason to fight. Fighting to defend self outside fighting to uphold your faith is a no. Prioritize, concentrate on the fight for your faith. In the same breath, Paul also says; 'hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you". I don't know about you, but this scripture is a departure from what a lot of people preach and teach about eternal life, why should Timothy, a believer, hold tightly to what he already has when he can't lose it? Reading verse 12 from various translations leaves us with the same feeling; take hold of, lay hold of, seize the, grabbing hold of (ERV, DARBY, Message, NCV), they all communicate a feeling of deliberately holding on to something you can lose. Can believers lose their faith or eternal life if you want to make it more controversial? The answer is, Yes they can. I have said that to understand the application and understanding a doctrine is trying to communicate, always first trace its origin in the Old testament and how it is applicable there. Then checkout its application as it relates to Jesus and the New testament. Applying this simple principle, we note whether there were people in the Old testament who began in God and then lost their faith? The answer is, countless. The children of Israel in the wilderness proved that. Also, we have Jannes and Jambres and the sons of Kohath who rebelled against Moses. Both Samson and David also showed that but for their repentance, they could have lost their relationship with God. Forward to the new testament. We note first of all in the life of Jesus, we see Judas Iscariot whom Jesus personally selected but who completely fell from grace. After Jesus passed on the baton to the apostles, we see several people like; Hymenaeus and Alexander 1Tim 1:20 who started out even as ministers but shipwrecked their faith because of greed. The simple answer is, it is possible. As such, it is our duty to hold on to what God as given us in terms of our salvation and duty, and not be like Esau who exchange his birthright for momentary pleasure.

"Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them. Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecy spoken over you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you. Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your task so that everyone will see your progress. Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you." 1Tim 4:12-16. These advices are so rounded, they cover the key areas every believer should pay attentionto getting results. I know reading the Bible or scriptures is now out of fashion but that's a big mistake. You want to grow in faith and know God better? Then read your Bible daily. I also love the part where Paul says to throw yourself into your tasks so everyone will see your progress. He is not talking about eye-service here but total commitment. Give all your task as a believer 100% of your attention. You will not have the time to do all you want to do, as such, you have to prioritize and your faith and love walk have to be part of the items at the top of the list. Lastly, Paul says to keep watch on how you live and on your teachings, unbelievable. I feel like he is saying we should examine ourselves constantly to check if we are still ground and on the right path. That might seem humbling for someone who wrote half of the New testament but I think that is the goal. Don't make assumptions, check and make corrections where necessary. You will succeed in Jesus name.

Paul left Timothy, a young man at this time, to pastor the church in Ephesus on his way to Macedonia. If I had to put them in chronological order, I would put the Ephesian church ahead of the church in Thessalonica in the order of difficulty to handle. A riot once broke out in this city after Paul preached and taught in there for two years and people began to burn their magic spell books, destroyed their idols of the Greek goddess Artemis and stopped worshipping her altogether. Paul had to be sneaked out of the city because the riot was violent. It was to this church that Timothy was being put in charge of. His age was obviously also a problem, he was a young man pastoring a church of older mean and and women. And so, Paul writes to him like a son and gives him various advises to help him pastor and lead his flock. "The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure hear, a clear conscience, and genuine faith." 1Tim 1:5. Paul gave Timothy the three sole purpose for the work that he is doing preaching the gospel; it is so that believers will be filled with love that comes from sincerity, a clear conscience and genuine faith. And so Paul advises him; "Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked." 1Tim 1:19. Cling to, hold on to, your faith in God, why? Because it was going to be tested. Timothy's faith was tested, ours will be too. Many things will come to question whether your faith in God is genuine or even if it is a first-hand experience of God; is your faith walk towards God yours or someone told you? Paul says, cling to your faith. He also says to keep our consciences clear because someone people, whether unwittingly or deliberately, violate their conscience. Your conscience is the voice of your own spirit. The Lord will usually speak to your spirit and your conscience is how you hear him. It might simply be a prompt, a nudge in the right direction or a prompt for us to do something. The conscience is violated when it is deliberately and consistently disregarded. Paul says; don't do it, keep a clear conscience at all times.

In last chapter of second Thessalonians, Paul focuses on prayer so let's use today's devotional to pray for one another. "Finally dear brothers and sisters, we ask you to pray for us. Pray that the Lord's message will spread rapidly and be honoured wherever it goes, just as when it came to you." 2Thess 3:1. We pray this morning for one another and that the gospel of Jesus Christ will be honoured in every nation where it comes to. We pray for everyone spreading and preaching the gospel that you Lord will strengthen them and open doors of nations to them in Jesus' name. "Pray, too, that we will be rescued from wicked and evil people, for not everyone is a believer." 2Thess 3:2. We pray Lord that you protect everyone reading or listening to this, that you yourself will defend and protect them from every evil and from wicked people in Jesus name. "May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ." 2Thess 3:5. Because none of us have a full understanding of God, we pray Lord that you will lead each one of us into a full understanding of who you are in Jesus name. Help us know you better and better in Jesus name. Final prayer point for today; "now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all." 2Thess 3:16. Lord give each one of us your peace in every area of our lives in Jesus name. I pray you will keep us all from trouble and from danger in Jesus name.