2 Timothy 1:12: Learn To Suffer

Presented to Swift Current Corps of The Salvation Army,
23 October 2011, by Captain Michael Ramsay

2 Timothy 1:12: That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.

Today’s message (sermon/homily/preach) on 2 Timothy 1:12 is entitled ‘Learn to Suffer’. ‘Learn to Suffer’ is motto of a Scottish Clan. Anyone know which clan? Clan Duncan: John Duncan, I did a little bit of research into your clan in preparing for today.

The Clan motto is ‘Learn to Suffer.’ Did you know that 2 of the early kings of Scotland were Duncans: One was Duncan I and do you know who was the other? Duncan II. Duncan I obtained the throne through murder and Duncan II lost it the same way. The Duncans would learn to suffer. The Duncans historically weren’t so good at choosing the winning side in important battles. They supported the victorious Robert the Bruce in his wars and received benefits from that. But later they supported Charles I, who was defeated, murdered and his country conquered by Cromwell’s Puritans. In supporting the losing side in this war, the Duncans would learn to suffer. They later supported Bonnie Prince Charlie in the Jacobite revolt and then they really learned to suffer, suffering all the consequences that come from launching an unsuccessful revolution. Most of the Duncan lands were even taken from their family. They indeed learned to suffer. And as Romans 5:3,4 says, I am sure it helped build their character.

Today we are looking at 2 Timothy 1:12: “That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.”

We are going to pull out a few things from this verse...

read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2011/10/2-timothy-112-learn-to-suffer.html

Deuteronomy 8: The Next Generation Thanks The Lord

Presented to Swift Current Corps of The Salvation Army
Thanksgiving Sunday, 09 October 2011
By Captain Michael Ramsay

Today in Deuteronomy we are dealing with Exodus: the Next Generation; the children of the children of Israel whom God delivered out of Egypt. In our text today, we are getting close to the point where they have the opportunity to cross into the Promised Land. We read last week how their parents’ generation about 40 years before came passed this same spot in the wilderness and beyond. They were on the precipice of the Promised Land where they could eat, be satisfied and be saved from their desert wanderings but they rejected God’s salvation and so they spent the next 40 years wandering around the wilderness. These were the parents of this generation before us today in Deuteronomy 8 today. They rejected God’s promise and so died outside of God’s promise (Deuteronomy 2:19-46, Numbers 14, Hebrews 4). They have now passed on. Their leader, Moses, himself, has only has a few months left to live. And most of this book of Deuteronomy is a collection of his last words to the Hebrews before he perishes along with the rest of this generation (and his children’s generation; Moses was 80 when he began the exodus from Egypt.) outside of the Promised Land.[1] This book is thus very important.

Chapter 8 reminds us of an important three-part truth that is important for us on this Thanksgiving Sunday.

read more:  http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2011/10/deuteronomy-8-next-generation-thanks.html

Barak the fearful?

Exerpt from Judges 4, Numbers 14: Salvation, Take it or Leave it. Presented to Swift Current Corps of The Salvation Army, 02 Oct. 2011 by Captain Michael Ramsay

 

We read from Judges Chapter 4 earlier where Israel’s leader, Deborah instructs General Barak, in the name of the LORD, to lead the troops into battle against their oppressors.[3] Instead of simply saying ‘Yes ma’am’ to Deborah and ‘Yes Lord’ to the Lord, Barak sounds a little like a scared elementary school student and he says instead to Deborah, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go” (Judges 4:8; cf. Exodus 4:13, Judges 6:15, Jeremiah 1:6). It reminds me of a summer or two ago when my daughters were younger and one of them accidentally threw a ball or something in the neighbours’ yard. I told her to just go ring their doorbell and ask if she can go into the yard and get it back. She looked scared stiff. She -in a moment of panic- said, ‘No, only if you go with me!’ General Barak when God through the Prophetess Deborah, Israel’s judge, tells him to run an errand for God, he says, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.”  Now I told my daughter when she attempted to give me this ultimatum that she could take her sister with her to ask our neighbours for the ball and the two of them went hugging and grasping each other for support, with me watching, to our next door neighbours’ house to retrieve their ball. Judge Deborah similarly has mercy on this timid general, Barak, and says that she will go with him.[4] She doesn’t have quite as much mercy as I did with my 7 or 8 year-old daughter at the time though; nor should she. Barak, in his fear to go into battle without Deborah holding his hand, wasn’t just questioning Deborah’s order; he was questioning God.[5] In response: “‘Very well,’ Deborah said, ‘I will go with you. But because of the way you are going about this, the honour will not be yours, for the LORD will hand Sisera over to a woman.’ Then Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh” (Judges 4:9).

This is important. Glory was there for Barak: he could take it or leave it. But regardless of Barak, God still delivered the people of Israel from their oppressors, just like He said he would do. Even though Barak did not show faith and faithfulness, God was still faithful and He delivered His people unto salvation. But because Barak was more afraid of men than of God, he did not receive the full reward that he otherwise would have received (cf. Deuteronomy 31:6; Numbers 14; Joshua 1:5; Romans 3:3,4; Hebrews 13:5-6; 2 Timothy 2:13).

This brings us to our parallel passage in Numbers 14....

 

read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2011/09/judges-4-numbers-14-salvation-take-it.html

 

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[3] But cf. Dennis T. Olsen, The Book of Judges (NIB II; Nashville: Abingdon, 1998), 778-783.
[4] Cf. Robert Jamieson, ‘CHAPTER 4: Judges 4:1-17. Deborah and Barak Deliver Israel from Jabin and Sisera’. Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible. Available on-line: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/jamieson/jfb.x.vii.iv.html?scrBook=Judg&scrCh=4-4&scrV=0-0#x.vii.iv-p0.1
[5] John Wesley, “Explanatory Notes on Judges 4”. Cited from Christ’s Notes Bible Commentary (Cited 26 September, 2011). Available on-line: http://www.christnotes.org/commentary.php?b=7&c=4&com=wes