1 Timothy 4:16 – Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Today, in this fourth and final part of this series, we come to the ultimate aim of the instruction given and the work to be done; SALVATION, first for yourself, and secondly for those to whom you minister. And these final instructions begin by dealing with self. When Paul wrote to “take heed unto thyself,” he was writing to the whole man; spirit, soul, and body, to “look well to yourself.” While we know and fully believe that Jesus is Lord, that Jesus is the healer, that Jesus is the provider, that Jesus is the Word made flesh, and that Jesus is the perfect outshining of the Father, Paul speaks first here of “self.” Here’s the point. Suppose you were a lifeguard at a swimming pool. How many people could you save if you can’t swim? Or if you are in terrible cardio-vascular condition? Or if you had some crippling disease that greatly restricted your mobility? If you don’t look after your own temple, how will you be able to serve and look after the temples of others?

Remember that Holy Ghost has been sent as our “Helper.” He is NOT the One we watch while He does it. You’re the one who must give proper attention to your physical body, who must study and strengthen yourself intellectually, who must make life’s decisions based on Biblical knowledge that you gain through study, reading, personal discipleship by continuing in the Word, and Biblical submission to those over you in the Lord. And this, of course, leads directly into your personal responsibility for “rightly dividing” God’s Word. Once again, Holy Ghost is your Helper; He is NOT going to do it FOR you.

And why are these instructions given? What is the purpose of our obedience to them? Salvation in its fullness, first for yourself, and then for those who hear you. You can’t impart what you don’t have.

Manna for Today – 1 Timothy 4:13-16; Proverbs 4:20-23; Romans 12:1-3; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; John 8:31-32; Romans 8:26-29; 2 Timothy 2:15

1 Timothy 4:15 – Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Here, in our Text for Today, we begin with a strong word of admonition – “meditate.” Sadly, the Biblical art of meditation upon the Word of God has been lost to many believers. Part are the reason for its loss is a lack of teaching from the pulpit on meditation, what it is, how to do it, and what it produces. I am convinced that many more believers would engage in this powerful spiritual art if only they knew what it can produce in their lives, and the supernatural manifestations the Lord could bring about in and through them that would result by engaging in its regular practice. I am also convinced that there is an inherent fear within the body of Christ to avoid activities in which the world uses a Biblical term, or one similar to it. For instance, many believers shrink back from the Biblical art of meditation because the world and false religions engage in transcendental meditation. Don’t fall prey to such fear. What the world offers is, at best, only a counterfeit of the real thing, and meditation upon the Word of God is the real thing.

The Amplified Bible makes this so clear is saying the believer should “practice and cultivate and meditate upon these duties.” The “duties” are all those things directed in 1 Timothy 4:13-16. Note, too, you should give yourself “wholly to them.” That means carrying them out with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, for in so doing, you are demonstrating your love to the Father through you obedience to His Word. This is NOT some half-hearted effort, or something into which one enters occasionally. This is complete commit-ment and a daily process just as needful as your “daily bread.” In fact, this is the place from which much of your “daily bread” will come.

And finally, note God’s reason for this. He wants EVERYONE to see you profiting in life as you follow Him, EVERYONE seeing the benefits of following Jesus. God wants to show you off; to brag about you.

Manna for Today – Joshua 1:6-9; 1 Timothy 4:13-16; Psalm 1:2; Psalm 77:12; Psalm 119:15; 1 John 5:3;

1 Timothy 4:14 – Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Anyone who is alive at this moment has SOMETHING in them that can be used to glorify God and build His Kingdom. And for the Christian I must make that statement even more emphatically. There is SOME-THING in you, given you by the Lord by some means set forth in His Word, direct impartation, laying on of hands, prophecy, or direct word of revelation by Holy Spirit, that He desires to see you use for His glory and the upbuilding of His Kingdom.

Now here is your command, not from me, but from the Lord today. I simply exhort you according to the Word of the Lord, that you “neglect not that gift that is in you.” That element that is in your, that gift, that talent, that assignment; there is within you an anointing for that gifting or purpose, and Holy Spirit is watching for you to expose that anointing to Him through your desire to use that gift in a manner pleasing to the Father. The purpose of that anointing is to teach you how to properly use that gift for the greatest possible glory to Father. Therefore, DO NOT NEGLECT that gift.

My dear fellow Second Miler, you are God’s “peculiar treasure.” He has made you so. There is not another like you on the earth, nor in His Kingdom. You are completely unique. Father has prepared and ordained good works that have been ascribed to you since before the foundation of the world, and it is His desire that you work, accomplish, and fulfill those works for His glory and for your own blessing and reward, not only in this life, but in the world to come. It is His good pleasure to give you the kingdom, make you rich, and add no sorrow to it. And He desires you to reign in this life in the kingdom He has given you in victory as a king and priest, in all things bringing honor to Him, exalting the Name of Jesus, and giving liberty to Holy Ghost within you. Once again, DO NOT NEGLECT THAT GIFT IN YOU!

Manna for Today – 1 John 2:20-27; Deuteronomy 6:5; Proverbs 3:1-6; Deuteronomy 14:2; Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 2:9; Ephesians 2:10; Luke 12:32; Proverbs 10:22

1 Timothy 4:13 – Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

In our Text for Today, Paul admonishes his son in the faith, Timothy, to follow a certain regimen of activities that is anchored in the Word of God. When Paul wrote this, he was not only Timothy’s spiritual father, but his elder in the Lord and mentor. Paul was instructing Timothy in the steps he should follow as a man of God until he (Paul) could come and work with him directly, possibly imparting to him some additional spiritual gift or anointing. Every man of God today needs a similar relationship with some other man of God for those same purposes. But Paul’s primary focus was what Timothy needed to do to keep himself on track until Paul came to him. Herein is a great Biblical truth for every member of the body of Christ today, not just those in five-fold ministry.

As a child of God, you are anointed and gifted by the Lord for some particular purpose in the body of Christ. You should pursue that purpose, discover it, develop it, and determine to use it for the glory of God. And that should be your determined goal until Jesus (not Paul in this case) comes for His church of which you are a part. It begins and ends with a strong and determined focus upon the Word of God, and all that lies within the whole process is for the glory of God. Once again, you may not be called to the five-fold ministry, but you have certainly been set forth by Holy Spirit as a able minister of the New Covenant. To that end, dear reader, I implore you to give yourself to the Word of God. Read it, for there is blessing in reading alone. Study it to show yourself approved unto God, not for God’s sake, but that those to whom you minister may recognize the favor of God upon you. Meditate upon it to observe to do it, and thereby prosper and have good success. Use the Word as your source of exhortation, thereby producing faith in hearers and not empty hope and false dreams. Build your doctrine upon it, firmly and soundly, rightly dividing it, so you can bring true healing to the body of Christ, and not find yourself overcome by the religious mind’s cunning craftiness. Until He comes, light your path with God’s Word.

Manna for Today – 1 Timothy 4:13-16; 1 Corinthians 4:16; 1 Corinthians 11:1; Hebrews 6:12; Ephesians 5:1; 2 Corinthians 3:6; Joshua 1:8; 2 Timothy 2:15