OUR DAILY BREAD : LIVING TESTAMENT

[cimi]

March 13
Wednesday


LIVING
TESTAMENT

READ:
2 Timothy 2:1-10
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Remember that Jesus
Christ, of the seed
of David, was raised
from the dead
according to my gospel.
__2 Timothy 2:8
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Watchman Nee was arrested for his faith in Christ in 1952, and he spent the rest of his life in prison. He died in his jail cell on May 30,1972. When his niece came to collect his few possessions, she was given a scrap of paper that a guard had found by his bed. On it was written his life's testimony:

"Christ is the Son of God who died for the redemption of sinners and was resurrected after three days. This is the greatest truth in the universe. I die because of my belief in Christ__ Watchman Nee."

Tradition says that the apostle Paul also was martyred for his faith in Christ. In a letter written shortly before his death, Paul exhorted his readers: "Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel, for which I suffer trouble....; but the Word of God is not chained" (2 Tim. 2:3-9).

We may not be called upon to be martyred as witnesses to the reality of Christ__as millions of His followers through the centuries have been__but we are called to be a living testament of Jesus' work on our behalf. No matter the outcome, from a heart of gratitude for God's gracious gift we can tell others what Jesus has done for us. __Dennis Fisher

`````````````````The Christ of God to glorify,`````````````````
`````````````````His grace in us to magnify;```````````````````
``````````````His Word of life to all make known__`````````````
````````````Be this our work, and this alone. __Whittle``````````
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Let your life as well as your lips speak for Christ.

*****************Today's Bible Reading __ 2 Timothy 2:1-10******************

1 You therefore, my son,
be strong in the grace that
is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the
things that you have heard
from me among many
witnesses, commit these to
faithful men who will be
able to teach others also.

3 You therefore must endure
hardship as a good soldier
of Jesus Christ. 4 No one
engaged in warfare
entangles himself with the
affairs of this life, that he
may please him who
enlisted him as a soldier.

5 And also if anyone
competes in athletics, he is
not crowned unless he
competes according to the
rules. 6 The hardworking
farmer must be first to
partake of the crops.

7 Consider what I say, and
may the Lord give you
understanding in all things.

8 Remember that Jesus
Christ, of the seed of David,
was raised from the dead
according to my gospel,

9 for which I suffer trouble
as an evildoer, even to the
point of chains; but the
Word of God is not chained.

10 Therefore I endure all
things for the sake of the
elect, that they also may
obtain the salvation which
is in Christ Jesus with
eternal glory.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

In our reading today, we see how those who oppose the gospel
have a different view of spiritual truth. Paul's gospel was "that
Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead" )v.8).
Ironically, this wonderful news of fulfilled prophecy and salvation
was thought by opponents to be false. Yet, for this message Paul
suffered (v.9). But the apostle took courage in the intrinsic power of
the gospel, recognizing that "the Word of God is not chained" (v.9).