Good morning. For God has
not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind – what a
Segway! As you've heard before, we have nothing to fear but fear itself. When
we put our eyes on the problem and not on God, then we do get afraid. The
shadow of our problem makes it look bigger than it actually is. The power that
is within us is able to overcome any obstacle that comes against us. How do you
get an aggressive dog to listen to you when he grows up? You have to start when
it is a puppy. You have to take control of the obstacle before it becomes an
obstacle. Then you won't fear because you know it for what it really is. Sound
mind can also be translated sound judgment. We all need that 24/7. If you fear,
then you will not exercise sound judgment. Do not be ashamed of the testimony
of our Lord, or of me His prisoner; join with me in suffering for the gospel
according to the power of God. If we are ashamed of Him, He will be ashamed of
us. Father thank You that the reader does not have a spirit of fear; but rather
of power, love, and a very sound mind! Heal him/her quickly of any illness or
affliction.
Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me
Good morning. Paul then gives a list of a lot of things that he has gone through as an apostle. I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. There could be many people that you listen to either in church or through the Internet or other means; but there was only one person (as a general rule it was a person) that lead you to Christ. Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me. He was saying that just like a child imitates his or her father, they were to imitate him. He says that again seven chapters later. Since it is easy to forget some things about people we have not seen in a while, Paul says that he sent Timothy to them to remind them of his ways which are in Christ, just as he taught everywhere in every church. Some have become arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. I shall find ou...
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