MERRY MONDAY BY PARRIS- Painting by W.H.D. Koerner,
“O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called” 1 Timothy 6:20
You have to learn to love the writings of the Apostle Paul. A true Christian can’t stay in the Psalms for ever, nor the Old Testament and even the precious gospels will get watered down if you stay in them all your life. At some point you have to swallow your pride, flesh, and tackle the Pauline Epistles. They will tear you up! But you just have to love first and second Timothy where you will hear the heart of Paul reaching out to his son in the faith. Second Timothy was the last book Paul wrote before he was beheaded in Rome. To those that don’t know, Timothy was martyred while being the overseer in Ephesus years later. I guess you could say, he kept the charge! Wow!
All of us are commanded to “keep that which is committed to thy trust”. For we have been given a rich treasure that has been put into earthen vessels. We cannot let any man steal our crown nor allow others to wrestle it from us.Yes, thieves and robbers, vain babblers, and oppositions will certainly meet us at our doorstep. Yet, we have been given a sacred trust, something we have been given from another and in essence have become the guardians of it. It is the precious Gospel of Jesus Christ. In the message bible, it translates- “Guard the treasure you were given, guard it with your life!”
Years ago, if one would have walked into the White House while George W. Bush was president you would have seen a amazing painting. In Bush’s book, “ A Charge to Keep” he states, this painting “epitomizes our mission”—“When you come into my office, please take a look at the beautiful painting of a horseman determinedly charging up what appears to be a steep and rough trail. This is us. What adds complete life to the painting for me is the message of Charles Wesley that we serve One greater than ourselves.”
Let’s recite this old hymn together by Charles Wesley-
“ A charge to keep I have,
A God to glorify,
A never-dying soul to save,
And fit it for the sky.
To serve the present age,
My calling to fulfill:
Oh, may it all my pow’rs engage
To do my Master’s will!
Arm me with jealous care,
As in Thy sight to live;
And O Thy servant, Lord, prepare
A strict account to give!
Help me to watch and pray,
And on Thyself rely,
Assured, if I my trust betray,
I shall forever die.”
I can only pray America will remember her charge…..