Pastor Mike Impact Ministries

Paul turns his attention directly to Timothy and gives him a very personalcharge.   Listento 1 Timothy 1:18: "This charge I commit to you, son Timothy,according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them youmay wage the good warfare." Now, remember that Timothy was a youngpastor who had been entrusted with some tremendous responsibilities. And Paulknew that ministry w...

Today, we've come to what I believe is one of the mostwonderful declarations in all of Paul's writings. In fact, if someone were toask me to explain the purpose of Jesus Christ coming into this world, I couldhardly find a better verse than the one we're studying today. Listen to 1Timothy 1:15: "This is a faithful saying and worthy of allacceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the...

1 Timothy 1:12: "And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who hasenabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry." Now, think about who's making that statement. This is the Apostle Paul, oneof the greatest missionaries and preachers in the history of Christianity. ButPaul never forgot where he came from. He understood that everything he hadaccomplished for the Lord...

Now,beginning in verse 8, Paul explains the proper purpose of God's law. Listen to 1Timothy 1:8: "But we know that the law is good if one uses itlawfully." Now, that's an important statement! Paul isn't saying thatGod's law is bad. Quite the opposite. He declares that the law is good! Theproblem wasn't with the law. The problem was with those who were misusing it. You...

Today, we're continuing our study through the wonderfullittle book of 1 Timothy. Yesterday, we saw how Paul encouraged Timothy toremain faithful to the truth of God's Word and to protect the church from falseteaching. But today, Paul takes us a little deeper. He reminds us that sounddoctrine is not simply about knowing what is right. It's also about living in away that honors the Lord...

Yesterday we began Paul's first letter to Timothy with hisbeautiful greeting: “Grace,mercy, and peace.” Today, in verses 3 and 4, Paul immediately gets to one ofthe main reasons he had left Timothy in Ephesus. Listen to his words: “AsI urged you when I went into Macedonia—remain in Ephesus that you may chargesome that they teach no other doctrine, nor give heed to fables and endlessgenealogies...

For the past two days, we've introduced Paul's first letterto Timothy. Today we're ready to open the letter itself. Paul begins: “Paul,an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the LordJesus Christ, our hope, To Timothy, a true son in the faith: Grace, mercy, andpeace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.” There is a lotpacked into those two verses....

Today I want usto think about why these letters are so important for the times in which welive.   Pauland Timothy were living in a world that was anything but friendly toChristianity. Before we go any further, it might help us to understand wherePaul was when he wrote these two letters. When Paul wrote 1 Timothy, he wasfree and traveling, probably writing from Macedonia, while Timothy wasministeri...

Forthe next several weeks, Lord willing, we're going to walk together through twovery special books of the New Testament— 1 and 2 Timothy .   Theseletters are especially meaningful to me personally. Timothy was a young manwhom the Apostle Paul had taken under his wing and helped prepare for ministry. Paul eventually entrusted Timothy with tremendous responsibilities in thechurch. And many year...

Paulusually dictated his letters to someone who wrote them down for him. But as hecame to the end of this letter, Paul took the pen himself and wrote theseclosing words in his own handwriting. He says: “The salutation of Paulwith my own hand.” There was a special reason for this. Earlier in thisletter, Paul had warned the Thessalonians not to be deceived by a letter thatsupposedly came from him. I...

Today we are nearing the end of our journey through 2Thessalonians. Here in chapter 3, Paul deals withthe practical responsibilities of living the Christian life while we wait forJesus to return.   Butnow, as Paul begins to close this letter, he gives them a beautiful word ofencouragement. Listento 2 Thessalonians 3:16: “Now may the Lord of peace Himself give youpeace always in every way. The Lord...

Yesterday we closed with the wonderful encouragement of 2Thessalonians 3:13: “But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doinggood.” Today Paul continues with verses 14 and 15, and he deals withsomething that is not always easy— how do we respond to a fellow believer whorefuses to obey the Word of God?   Paulwrites: “And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note thatperson and do...

“For we hear that there are some who walkamong you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. Nowthose who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ thatthey work in quietness and eat their own bread. But as for you, brethren, donot grow weary in doing good.”   Paulsays that some of the believers were “not working at all, but arebusybodies.” There is an inte...

Apparently,some of the believers in Thessalonica had misunderstood the teaching concerningthe return of Christ. They knew Jesus was coming again, and evidently some ofthem had decided that since Christ could return at any moment, there was noreason to continue working. They had stopped fulfilling their normalresponsibilities and had become dependent upon others to provide for them. Paulsays that i...

Today we continue in 2 Thessalonians chapter 3, and I want tobegin with five words from verse 3 that I believe every Christian should holdclose to his or her heart: “But the Lord is faithful.” YesterdayPaul said: “Not all have faith.” Then immediately he says: “Butthe Lord is faithful.” People may disappoint you. People may fail you. Peoplemay make promises and break them. Even people we love some...

“Finally,brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and beglorified, just as it is with you, and that we may be delivered fromunreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith.”   Welcometo Pastor’s Chat. Today we begin the final chapter of 2 Thessalonians. Andafter all the tremendous truths Paul has shared about the return of Christ, hebegins chapter 3 with a very personal...

Today we come to the final three verses of 2 Thessalonianschapter 2. And after everything Paul has taught about the future, he givesthese believers a very simple command: “Therefore, brethren, stand fast.” I love that. Paul doesn't tell them to panic. He doesn't tell them tohide. He doesn't tell them to spend all their time trying to figure out everydetail of prophecy. He says: “ Stand...

For several days we've been looking at some very seriousprophetic truths in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. Paul has talked about rebellion,the man of sin, Satanic deception, and people who reject the truth. Butbeginning in verse 13, the whole tone changes. Paul says: “But we arebound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord.” Ilove those words: “Beloved by the Lord.”   Af...

Yesterday we looked at one of the most sobering statements in2 Thessalonians chapter 2. Paul said that people will be deceived because: “theydid not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” Today,verses 11 and 12 tell us what happens when people persistently reject God'struth. Paul writes that because of their rejection: “God will send themstrong delusion, that they should bel...

Welcometo Pastor’s Chat. Today we continue our journey through 2 Thessalonians chapter2, looking at verses 9 and 10. Yesterday we saw that the coming lawless one,whom I believe to be the Antichrist, will ultimately be destroyed by the LordJesus Christ at His coming. But before Paul tells us more about hisdestruction, he tells us something about the source of his power. Verse 9 saysthat the coming...

Today we continue our study of 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, andwe're going to focus primarily on verse 8. In the previous verses, Paul hasbeen describing a coming world ruler whom he calls “the man of sin,” “the sonof perdition,” and now in verse 8, “the lawless one.” Fora period of time, which I personally believe will be in the 7 Year Tribulationafter the rapture of the church, this man will e...

Inverse 5 he asks: “Do you not remember that when I was still with you Itold you these things?” I find that verse interesting. Remember, Paulhad not spent years with these believers. His time in Thessalonica had beenrelatively brief. Yet while he was there, he taught them about the return ofChrist and the prophetic events surrounding it. That tells me that Bibleprophecy isn't something we shou...

When it comes to Bible prophecy, therehas always been the danger of deception and speculation. Through the yearspeople have predicted dates for the return of Christ. Others have confidentlyidentified particular individuals as the Antichrist. ButPaul says: “Let no one deceive you.” Our confidence must alwaysrest in what God has revealed in His Word. Paul goes on to say that the Daywill not come unl...

Today we begin the second chapter of 2 Thessalonians, and weare entering one of the most interesting and, at times, difficult propheticpassages in the New Testament. So as we go through this chapter, we're going totake our time. There are some things in these verses that Bible-believingChristians have interpreted differently through the years. We don't need to beafraid of that. Where the S...

Aftertalking about the glorious return of Jesus Christ, Paul brings everything backto the way we should live today . That's an important principle. Bibleprophecy isn't given merely to satisfy our curiosity about the future. What webelieve about tomorrow should affect the way we live today. Paul says: “Whereforealso we pray always for you.” Once again we see how important prayerwas in Paul&...