Women

Titus 2:4-5
"that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed."

Here are some more "good things" that Paul is asking the church to teach.

It is in some women's human nature to stop loving their husband and children. The majority of divorces in America are currently initiated by women. But a godly woman prays and the Holy Spirit helps her love for her husband and her children to grow deeper and deeper with time.

Paul also tells the women to not gossip, to be pure, that their first duty is to take good care of their homes, to be good and to listen to their husband.

All of this instruction is so that God's Word may not be mocked. Our hypocrisy affects others.

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Today I was working in the nursery of Beth's history co-op and holding a 2 year old boy in my lap. As he sucked his thumb and relaxed in my arms while I sang, I was so reminded of Paul. An overwhelming emotion came over me as I relived him as a 2 year old sucking his pacifier. And the tears flowed.............. Maybe that is why grandchildren are so precious. One realizes that tomorrow they are grown and away at college, so one doesn't fret the small stuff, but can appreciate each moment.

What To Teach At Church

Titus 2:1-3
"But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience, the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things"

This is what is to be taught at church-

Sound=healthy and doctrine= what you believe . So Paul is saying that the elders are to teach things that will help people to be healthy spiritually. The older men are to be serious, respect the things of God, self-controlled, have a healthy faith, and be VERY patient and loving with the young people!!!

The older women (Beth elbows me hard when Dad mentions them! that teaser- well I guess I am getting old) are to be reverent and not tell lies or gossip about people. They are to be teachers to the younger women of good things.

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The other day when Beth was saying that she wanted to make a marble cake for our party, she mentioned that we would have to find some marbles to put in it. Upon further investigation, it turned out that Anne had convinced her in days gone by that "marble" cake was named for it's real marbles and she had believed this ever since!

Titus 1:14-16
"not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth. To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work."

The Jews had managed to add false doctrine to the O.T. with things from the surrounding cultures including baal worship. Some of the Jewish fables were preserved in the Apocrypha. One must be careful of mixing popular culture into their Christianity.

Paul is writing about people who are in the church but their consciences no longer function. Their warning system doesn't work. They think that they are doing good, but in reality their works are disqualified.

We talked a bit about how one comes to be in this situation with an unworking conscience. Josh mentioned that unconfessed and repeated sin can lead to a seared conscience.

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Yesterday we were flooded twice! When B. and I got home from walking at the mall, the basement bathroom had a layer of muddy water all over it. So I promptly cleaned it all up. Then when I laid down for my quiet time, the skies broke open and the downpour was so extreme that I thought that I better check the basement again. The window well was totally full. I called Dad and he says to bail it out so what does stupid me do? Try to open the window and create another muddy flood. Bailing from the outside worked much better. I felt like Pooh and Piglet in the Windsday story. Dad came home and rescued me.

Sunday's messages

Gary B. spoke at Sunday School and church today and I just wanted to share a few of the things that he said.

This past week, with the passing of Gary's father-in-law, Gary saw God's hand in many of the details. He shared that we need to realize on a daily basis that God's hand is upon us, orchestrating circumstances. We need to look for His part and pay attention or we will totally miss it.

"Plans that we make for ourselves outside of God's will, will not be very effective."

In S.S. Gary taught us about the Bible city of Ceasarea that has been recently excavated. The blueprint of the city has been drawn and three places referred to in the Bible have been discovered.

The theater has been totally uncovered from sand and in it a plaque was found with the inscription "Pontius Pilate Tiberius Ceasar Governor of Judea". Never before had the words "Pontius Pilate" been uncovered and some "Bible scholars" doubted the authenticity of the Bible in reference to him.

They also found Herod's palace and some writing on a mosaic referring to the room of the guards. The Bible mentions that Paul was taken to these guards.

Plus the harbor has been outlined, the same harbor where Paul would have sailed through to enter and leave the city.

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This morning, as I was trying to hurry Beth along because I had an eye appt., I said,"Beth, I should time everything for you so you can get ready for college life where you live by a clock (Paul's comment). So............ 5 minutes to get up, 5 minutes to dress, 5 minutes for breakfast....."

She quickly responds, " and 5 minutes for math, and 5 minutes for piano!!!!" (she thinks she is so clever)

Taking Care of Things

Titus 1:10-13
"For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain. One of them, a prophet of their own, said, "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons." This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith"

The elders are supposed to talk to these people so that they change. The two kinds of people mentioned are deceivers- those who purpose to trick others, and idle talkers- those who say dumb or silly and unthoughtful things. Looking to build up their own egos, they use others for dishonest gain. These kind of people need to be rebuked by the leaders in the church so that their behavior is stopped.

Conviction

Titus 1:9
"holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict."

We talked a lot about the word "convict" and went to Jn 16:8 and Acts 2:36-37 to look at more places where the Holy Spirit has the ministry of convicting us of sin. Because of the Holy Spirit, people will feel sorry for their sin and desire forgiveness and want to escape hell. In Acts, the people were suddenly convicted while listening to Peter's sermon.

So what does "convict" mean? It means that the elders will be able to show people where they are doing wrong, and be able to explain it to them. Getting people to change requires the ability to teach and point out what the Bible says which is contrary to how one may be presently living. The conviction actually must come from the Holy Spirit.

It is important that the elders do this using "sound doctrine". "Sound" means firm, right, strong, whole, uncracked. They must know doctrine, and know what the Bible teaches. We should use sound doctrine to witness to people, and remember that we are not doing the convicting, but the Holy Spirit is doing it.

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Can't wait to see Cyrano!!!!!!!!!

Stewards

Titus 1:7-9
"For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict."

O.K. Don't blame me if this post doesn't make sense. As the entire devotions was a LOTR analogy, I may be in trouble. I admit it- though shamefully- I live in this house and married my husband (or should I say he married me) and I am NOT a LOTR's fan.

Here goes, I will try, though the names probably won't even be spelled correctly.

A steward is in charge of keeping the kingdom together until the king comes back. We had to examine all of the biblically listed character traits in Devethor's life, the steward of Ghondor. Was Denethor blameless? (i missed this one)/ self-willed? yes/quick-tempered? yes/ given to wine? no/ violent? no/ hospitable? yes/ lover of what is good? yes/ sober-minded? yes/ just? yes/ self-controlled? yes (this exercise was lost on me, so I cannot elaborate)

Stewards who do not believe that the king is coming back don't do a very good job looking after the kingdom.

The reason we need elders is so that they can contradict false teaching.
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Monday night when we sat down to dinner, the boys were bemoaning the fact that all of those freshly baked cookies, etc. somehow disappeared out of the house. How could that Anne-girl DO such a thing? Pass out her treats to starving college students in a far away town called Purcellville? Unbelievable says J. No one does that.

Leading the Church

Titus 1:6
"if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination."

Paul is giving us the minimum qualifications for an elder. He is to be blameless, which means he is not in any gross sin (crime, involved in a public scandal, etc.) He must appear as a righteous man to those around him. Also, he is to be the husband of one wife, staying married to his first wife. (This seems to exclude women from being elders.)

His children are to be believers, not involved in any gross sin, such as drinking or immorality, and not disobedient to authority.

A man first learns how to love his wife and raise his children, and then can be qualified to take care of the church.

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Today when B. and I were taking a walk around the lake at Rio, she spots a "circular" door and very excitedly asks me, "Ooh, can we go through the revolting door? Please, please, please?"

After correcting her terminology, we proceeded to try it out. I must have gotten that look on my face because as I was cracking up, she turns to me and says, "You're not going to put that on your blog, are you? A. will read it and tease me. You know how she loves to tease."

Elders

Titus 1:5
"For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you"

Why did Paul leave Titus in Crete? To appoint elders. It is very important to have these men in the church. Now Titus wonders how to pick them. Paul says that something is lacking. What is lacking are the elders.

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The other day J. was reminiscing about the tag game that y'all played at our park your entire childhood. He couldn't think of the name of it, though it was his favorite game. He kept calling it "Mulch" and no one could think of the name of that game!!!!!!!!! After several minutes, someone, I think Dad, came up with it...Gravel!!!!! I decided that you need a play gym at PHC to play tag on and release all of your anxieties.