Category: 2 Timothy

True North

~ Steve Vandop ~ 1 Comment

Most people are familiar with the designations of north, south, east, and west that are represented on a compass, but did you know a compass doesn’t point to true north? True north is where the lines of longitude converge in the geographic north pole. A compass (depending on where you are on the earth) locates the magnetic north which is approximately 500 kilometers away from the geographic North Pole. A compass works by magnetic force and can be affected by a variety of different factors, weather, other magnetic forces, and metal objects. 

What is your compass in life? Where is true north for you? 

This past week as I was reading scripture, I asked myself these same questions. 2 Timothy chapter 3, and particularly verses 16 and 17 inspired me to look and think about how God’s word to us is like a compass, but one that points to true north. These verses read, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

As followers of Christ, the Bible should be the compass or guide that we follow in life and faith. Paul, in his second letter to Timothy gives some instruction on how scripture (our compass) functions. First, he establishes the direction we receive comes directly from God himself, speaking to its authenticity and usefulness. Following this foundational truth Paul breaks down some of its usefulness for us. Teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness; while each one of these tasks is important, correcting was one that resonated with my thoughts of direction and being on a pathway to our true north destination. 

All of scripture points us in one direction. Think about all that happens in scripture, both in the Old and New testaments. Imagine for a moment that all of scripture, the many events that take place are the longitudinal lines on a map, they all converge in one place, at the foot of the cross with Christ and ultimately with our father in heaven. 

Like finding the point of convergence of true geographic north with a compass, our life and faith will need some course correction along the way. Often when we read these verses in 2 Timothy we have an outward focus, we use scripture to teach, rebuke or correct others. What if we applied the charge of correcting to our own life? There are forces at play in life that can easily pull us in directions that keep us from reaching our final destination of true north. 

Course correction is common in any form of navigation so why wouldn’t it be important for our life and faith today? While wrong turns in life are sometimes difficult, they are some of the best times in life that help us correct our course of direction.

We have been given the words of scripture to be our compass in life and faith, we have also been given a guide. As we stand at the foot of the cross and live a life that honors Christ, he equips us with the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit. The word of God (our compass) and the Holy Spirit (our guide) work together to help us reach our true north destination. As we apply the word of God to our lives and listen for his voice for direction in life there is no greater power that can knock us off course.

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The Three C’s of Gospel Communication.

~ Steve Vandop ~ Leave a comment

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There are so many ways that we can educate ourselves about the art of communication. A quick Google search will list a variety of websites that gives us information like this: “The Three V’s of Communication” (visual, vocal and verbal), “The Three Dimensions of Communication” (miscommunication, attitude and mindfulness) and “Three Dominant Styles of Communication” (passive, aggressive, and assertive). All these tools can be helpful in understanding how to communicate effectively but when it comes to the gospel message the Apostle Paul in his letter to Timothy gives us some great keys to communicating this life changing message. I will call the them the Three C’s of Gospel Communication.

Christ – “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead… This is my gospel, for which I am suffering.” (2 Tim 2:8,9)

Confidence – “But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so through me the message might be fully proclaimed.” (2 Tim 4:17)

 Courage – “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. (2 Tim 1:7)

Without Christ, the gospel message would not exist. Knowing, trusting and participating in the absolute truth of the reality of Christ’s birth, death and resurrection is essential to communicating its significance and its transformational power. When we put our full confidence in Christ (knowing he is standing beside us) our lives become rooted in His word. With confidence, we can stand firmly on the promise that he will never leave us or forsake us. He works in us so that the message of his word will be proclaimed. We are given the power of the Holy Spirit through Christ and the confidence we put in Him. Sharing the good news of the gospel takes courage, a power that we alone cannot produce. God, through his son Jesus Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit gives us the courage (power) to stand against the forces of evil that work so powerfully to try and put a stop to the proclamation of the message of the gospel.  Through Christ, confidence and courage the message of the gospel will continue to be spread.

What if the Shoe Doesn’t Fit?

~ Steve Vandop ~ 1 Comment

 

Shoe fitHave you ever tried to wear a pair of shoes that didn’t fit properly? If they are too small your toes get a throbbing, aching pain in them from being jammed (no pun intended) together. If the shoes are too big, they will constantly rub on the back of your heel eventually causing you to get a blister. When it comes to shoes there is nothing better than a comfortable snug-fitting pair to keep your toes and heels intact.

The pastoral letters of First and Second Timothy hold a wealth of information for the training and encouragement of leaders today. Paul was writing to Timothy, his protégé, passing down instructions on how church leaders were to be shaped. 2 Timothy 4:5 offers up some heavy hitting instructions for Timothy and for us, “But you [Timothy, Steve, insert your name here], keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry”. A part of Paul’s charge to Timothy here was “to do the work of an evangelist”. Is this who you are? An evangelist? I have devoted a considerable amount of time over the past couple of years to understanding God’s call on my life. When I consider my gifting, my abilities, I don’t “fit the shoe” in the role of evangelist. So how can I take this verse, this charge, and apply it to my life? I appreciate Eugene Petersons translation of this verse in the Message, it reads, “keep the message alive”. You or I may not be called to be an evangelist but we are called to be witnesses, men and women that live a life that honors God and reflects his love and compassion to those around us.

We only have to read a few verses into the book of John to understand that he was a “witness to the light”, A witness who testified to “the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth”. (John 1:14b) You or I may not be the person who is called to “go and tell” (the evangelist), it may be that we are the ones to say “come and see” (the witness). Please don’t get me wrong and think that I am dismissing the role of the evangelist like I would a pair of old worn out shoes. The role of the evangelist is critical in the advancement of the kingdom of God. What I am saying is, if the “shoe doesn’t fit” find a pair that does (discover the gifts that God has given you) and do everything you can to “keep the message alive”. Let your life reflect God’s love, be a witness to the Good news of Jesus Christ, be the one who says, “come and see”, this is what the Lord has done for me.