1 Timothy 5: Caring for Family and Maturity

Caring for Family and Maturity

Paul gives instruction for how the church ought to operate. There are things in here that I have seen people try to burden the church with, but the family should be the first to tend to a family member's needs before the church. Paul says those that do not provide for their family are worse than unbelievers (1 Timothy 5:8). Paul refers to true widows. Upon further reading from Dave Guzik, true widow meant a widow without children. If she had children, then they should help their mother out. And the part comes up that some may consider sexist, but I think it speaks more to a generalization of younger women during this time than an application for all young women at all times. But on the flip side, I know many people who say in their later years that they had to grow up from who they were when they were younger, which is what it seems like Paul is referring to here in verses 11-15. He says not to enroll/take financial care of younger widows as they have the opportunity to get married again and won't need the help as much as older widows would. But in verse 13 Paul basically calls out the young women for going from house to house (sleeping around), gossiping and being nosy. Paul wants what's best in God's eyes that shows the church to be in good standing.
 

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Romans 7: Released from the Law

Released from the Law

Since we have committed ourselves to following Christ and have accepted him as our Lord and Savior, we are no longer bound to the expected rigid perfection of the law. The Law is not about grace or love, it is about complete or incomplete. It is about did you or did you not. While we are free of the law, we are not free to sin as we did prior to following Christ.

The example Paul uses to describe this idea is marriage and widows and being an adulteress. The old way of living has to die to us in other words we have to become widows so to speak to our old way of living. And we cannot be linked to the old way while trying to be with the brand new similarly to a woman who is married cannot be with another man until her husband is deceased or she would be an adulteress. It is one or the other, not both. One leads to death and the other redemption with God (Romans 7:1-6).

Paul also recognizes that he wants to do the right thing in his mind, but his body want to do the wrong thing. Paul knows that the flesh wants to do the wrong thing and it is the Holy Spirit that leads us to do what is right in regards to loving God. For all those who think they can just be good people and that is all it is, then why can't good people be good all the time? If they themselves possess that ability then they should never get it wrong and no one should ever be upset with them because they are always doing the right thing. Since I (Kingman) am not a good person I know that I need the Holy Spirit to guide me to do what is godly as apart from the Holy Spirit my flesh also wants to say thing and do things that I know are not of God (Romans 7:7-25).

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Mark 12:44- The Widow's Offering

The Widow's Offering

At first read of Mark 12:41-44, I was thinking that the message was pretty simple, but upon reading it again and thinking about it, I see something else. Capital F type of Faith and Capital O type of Obedience.

I see her full dependence on God. Obviously, being a widow, she was not married, so she could not be depending on a husband to bring in more money. But, when you give your last as an offering that is full obedience and dedication. You are not saying "God you can't have this because I need this" you are saying "God take this as I give you my full trust."

I also see capital H, Humility. All the other people who were giving out of their abundance, meaning they could have given more. She gave her last.

It makes me think of the things that we hang on to  and do not want to let God be in charge of. Is it our money or our relationships? Maybe it is a job that we know we is not spiritually healthy for us and we let it  affect us because the money is good or good enough.

When will we stop hanging on to what we want and start giving it to God and seeking what He wants from us? The time is now.

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