So that you will not Grow Weary and Lose Heart

Hebrews 12 starts off by encouraging our walk in Christ.  When we follow Jesus, many times we get discouraged.  So many of us think when we decide to follow Jesus...all of our troubles will just melt away.  But the truth is that we will still face trials.

So what is the encouragement?  Think of following Jesus as a marathon race....to finish you must persevere."And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith."  And when you run this Christian  race....throw off all the sin that entangles you and makes you stumble....and focus your vision on our Savior Jesus Christ.

If Jesus is our focal point.... that should give us great encouragement!!!! Why?  Jesus put forth far more effort than what we put forward, ^"In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood."

By Faith __________

Hebrews 11 is often referred to as the "Roll Call of Faith."  Ever been involved in a roll call in school or in the service?  They call your name and you raise your hand or say, "here."   The purpose...is to take attendance.

The author of Hebrews is reminding his Jewish audience about the "Heroes of Faith" from Jewish history. It ends up being a "who's who" of the Old Testament.  And what makes them special?  Is it faith? Yes.  So what is faith?  Verse 1 tells us, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." 

Turns out it is more than just faith...it is faith in God.  Verse 6 says, "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

So here goes the roll call...."Abel...Enoch...Noah...Abraham...Isaac and Jacob...Joseph..Moses’ parents...Moses...Rahab...Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel...then after this specific roll call...there were tons of people who were commended for being poor, persecuted and tortured for their faith in God.

Then after this rousing reminder of God's faithful followers we are thrown a curve ball with this statement,  "These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised."  So what's the deal????  If God promised... why did they not receive?  answer:  "God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect."

I am going to let you think this one through for yourself....but it has to do with Jesus returning for us.....and them.   Wow...a better promise for us...and them.

The Law is Only a Shadow of the Good Things that are Coming

Hebrews 10 starts off with a very interesting statement..."The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves."  The word "shadow" speaks loudly to me. If you think about it...a shadow is just a reflection of an object or person. It is not the object or person.

So what is this passage saying about the Law?  It is saying that the Law is not God...it is just a reflection of God.  His word tells us much about God...and God speaks through His Law...His word.  But it is not God Himself. The illustration was a good reminder in Biblical times and it is a good reminder today.

We tend to latch on to earthly things...good things...and confuse them with God Himself.   We hang onto religious traditions, church buildings, preachers, crosses, religious symbols, Bibles and worship them as if they are God themselves.  These thing are just shadows of the living God....not the reality of God.

These things can be good....but God is so vastly awesome...these thing do not even compare. Take for instants the example of earthly sacrifices: "It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins."  This old covenant act was just a "shadow" of the new covenant which was superior: " ...we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."

So what is the lesson?  Jesus has done for us what we can't do for ourselves.  We constantly wrestle with confusing earthly shadows of Jesus...with Jesus Himself.  Let  us hold on to Jesus...not His shadow. Put your hope in the "real thing."

Without the Shedding of Blood there is No Forgiveness

God is a Holy and Righteous God....do not be fooled....only blood will cover sin. "In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness."

But under the first covenant...the blood of bulls and goats covered sin... but not forever. So Jesus came to save us by His death on the cross.  The blood of  Jesus....the sinless, blameless son of God...was given for our sins....and He satisfies sin forever. "But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself."

The last line of Hebrews 9 states the great hope we have in Jesus: "and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him."   Have you put your hope in Jesus?  He is more than a tool to clean us up from our sin.  He is God's son who loves us so much...He wants us to live with Him forever...and that is good news!!!!

I will be their God, and They will be my People

In Hebrews 8 it says that God has established a new covenant on "better promises."
I have listed below a summary of "why" it is better than the old covenant:

The Old Covenant: Priest, earthly men...offered up gifts and sacrifices according to the law in made-made tabernacles to forgive sins

The New Covenant: Jesus, Son of God died once for all our sins & who now sits in heaven at God's right hand...forever.

The logic is that everything about the new covenant is better than the old covenant.  Jesus is better than earthly priests. His life's blood is a better sacrifice than the blood of bulls and animals.  Heaven is better than earthly tabernacles. We have God's Spirit in us...the law is still present...but we are not ruled by the law!

God accomplished through the new covenant a way for us to be His people...despite our flesh.  This is what he wanted all along...He simply wants to be our God...and us to be His people.

"Instead of the I will put my laws in their minds
and write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people. "
(this passage is actually from Jeremiah in the Old Testament)

Simple enough...but like the people of the old covenant...we naturely want to go our own way...instead of God's way.  The same thing was going on in the old covenant....We want to to be our own God...we want to be our own person.

It's time to surrender our way to God's way..Jesus has paid our way with His life's blood and is interceeding for us at the Father's side.  We don't have to work our way into heaven...we just have to surrender and realize we are His children. As His children, God gives us His Holy Spirit to guide us and direct us in His way.

“King of Righteousness...King of Peace"

Who is this priest Melchizedek? Is he God himself?  Is he a real historical priest?  Evidently scholars have been theorising over this for years.  I am not sure that who he is as important as what he does.
..."resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever."  Jesus is out of this line...the line of Melchizedek....not the blood line....but the order of devotion to God.

Jesus... "has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life."

Jesus is our high priest that is our advocate before Our Father God...forever....this is why he is superior to other priest before him. Whats the big difference?   "living forever."

"Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself."

Hallelujah.....what good news....this is our Jesus...our savior...our high priest...in the order of  Melchizedek.

An Anchor for the Soul

The main thrust of Hebrews 5 & 6 is that Jesus...God's Son is our "great high priest"...who has given his life for us...who has risen from the dead...then ascended into heaven to sit at God's right hand.

Then at the end of chapter 6, we get to an unusual statement : "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure."  An anchor is a great illustration for the "Hope" that is in us in Jesus.  An anchor is the heavy object thrown over from a boat/ship to hold it in a particular place.  The anchor's job is to securely hold the boat in place during winds and storms.  So how are God's promises like an anchor for our souls? His promise are true..because God is truth.   Because we can trust God...we can trust His promises to us. God promises us eternal life if we believe in Jesus.  When we hold on these truths... they hold us securely in place. They hold us firmly and securely in place in life. In life's storms...we are "anchored" firmly in place...knowing we will retain our position when the storm has blown through.

The hope that we have in Jesus for our souls...is our firm and secure anchor!

By This Time You Ought to be Teachers

Are you growing in your relationship with God?

Or are you comfortable with just drifting through life...not growing?

This was a problem that the author of Hebrews is addressing with his congregation....and it is the same problem that has perplexed preachers ever since.  They pour out their lives telling the people how to follow God and even more time encouraging them to actually get out of the pew and follow Jesus.

In Chapter 5 of Hebrews...the author is pouring his heart out about this awesome Jesus...the Son of God...and our great high priest....but his audience is not eager to hear, "We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand."

He goes on to assert, "In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!"
A slap in the face...or a valid fact?  You have been a Christian so long...but you don't seem to be interested in growing. You have sat in that same pew so long....if you had pursued Christ...you would by now be able to be able to understand God's truth and teach others the same.

And then he finally brings out the metaphor: "Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."   Now he gets even more abrasive...you guys are a bunch of big ole babies....immature babies.  You don't know Christ...you don't follow Him.
If you really were serious about following Christ...you would be His disciples...trained and disciplined in His word.

How does this teaching hit you today?  Are you able to teach about Jesus Christ?  Or do you still have on your Christian diaper?  Grow up and chase after Christ...He loves us and wants us to grow in Him.

For the Word of God is Alive and Active

"For the word of God is alive and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.  Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. "

Hebrews 4:12-13 is one of the great comments about the importance of the Holy scriptures. Lets break it down:

For the word of God is alive and active. God's words...His communication to us...is alive...this is a living document!  God will interact with you when you read His words...His inspired communication.  He has breathed life into this text that is different from anything you will ever read! He speaks through the Bible.

Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.  The double-edged sword was the sharpest instrument known in Biblical times.  Readers in that day would have been familiar with this type of cutlery.  It was sharp enough and strong enough to cut through not only flesh...but bone also. So this metaphor would have made a point.  God's word is able to cut through our thoughts and attitudes....It cuts through everything false down to the truth.  God show us ourselves before Him with His word.   His word reads us... as we read His word!!!!!

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.   Somehow we think we keep secrets from the God of the Universe.  How silly we are! Nothing ...No thing is hidden from God.  He uses His sword...His word...to cut down into our lives...to reveal our sin to us.  We can't hide anything from Him. He is merciful to us by showing us our shortcoming so we may repent and follow Him.  His grace is sufficient for us.  It is His word that convicts us of sin and encourages us to sanctification.

Next time you sit down to read the Bible....know that the words you are reading...are more than just text. It is God's Holy Word....Living and Active....able to give you life...eternal life. Let God communicate with you...talk to Him...listen to Him. Let Him guide you and lead you...follow Him, today.

Fix Your Thoughts on Jesus

Holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling...

The author of Hebrews (probably Paul) is writing to his fellow Jewish Christians....but the letter should also speak to us as Christians today.  The original intent was to remind the Jews of their long awaited Messiah...Jesus...and to encourage them not to return to their "religious traditions" which had gotten them in trouble with God.

So let's read as if he were talking to us....because...God can speak to us through this passage.

What are the two bottom line points?
1. "fix your thoughts on Jesus"    this is always the point to remember...If we will get our thoughts off of ourselves and the world...it would solve most of our problems.  Jesus is the builder of the God's house...the Church and He is Faithful !!!!

2. "do not harden your hearts"  This passage appears 3 times in just a few paragraphs.  Why is it important?  Jews would have known the history of their forefathers coming out of Egypt and the 40 years of troubles and heartache.  Even though God was taking care of them...feeding them manna...providing miracles...the Israelites were grumbling, quarreling..complaining against God.
God was so angry over this type of offense He said, "So I declared on oath in my anger,
‘They shall never enter my rest'."

Are we guilty of the same "hardening of our hearts"?  I am thinking we so quickly forget the blessing that God bestows on us ...and we complain, grumble and rail against God. Remember how America turned back to God on Sept 12, 2001?  Now where are we? It did not take us long to return to our business and abandon our "safety net."(reminds me of the Isrealites)   I think we have forgotten God as a nation.  We need to repent, humble ourselves and return to God....TODAY...." as long as it is called “Today,”  We do not need to be arrogant thinking we are bullet-proof and can repent on our timetable... Return to God TODAY!!!

Held in Slavery by their Fear of Death

Does death frighten you?

Many, if not most, people are afraid of dying. Some people fear being dead, while others are afraid of the actual act of dying.  Many are afraid of illness or pain associated with dying.  Others are terrified that their children might die before them.  Whatever portion of "fear of death" people have...it is clear that most of us have it...some are consumed with it to the point they let it control their lives...their decisions.

The second chapter of Hebrews starts off by saying, "We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away."  We are encouraged to pay careful attention to who Jesus is...do not take this lightly...examine this Jesus  very carefully...and find out what He is all about.  Why?  He is the Son of God.  He holds the key to life.  We need to know Him so that we will not let the Salvation he offers us...pass us by!!!!

But the part of this passage that really jumped out at me was when it was written in v2:14-15, "so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death."

Jesus has suffered death on a cross to rescue us from the grip of sin and death.  Are you hearing this???You are free from death and it's power.  And if we are "free" from it...that means there is no reason to fear death.  Does that cause you to live life differently?  Know that the grave can not hold you...that is awesome news....we will live with Jesus eternally as long as we believe and trust in Him.

I like the illustration on death I heard from a sermon. The pastor said that death was like a gigantic truck headed toward you.  If you were a non-Christian...you got hit by the truck.  But the Christian just got hit by the "shadow" of the truck.   Only the shadow of death will cover us....and then it passes over us. What freeing news...good news!!!! 

In These Last Days He Has Spoken to us by his Son

Yesterday I was in the Atlantic Ocean watching the power of the waves crashing to shore.  I had just read today's chapter...Hebrews 1, "In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways..." Standing in His ocean makes you feels small...and it helps us realize how big God is....  I felt a glimpse of the "largeness of God."  He speaks to us in "various ways." One way is through His marvelous creation...nature.

God has been communicating with His creation/ man...since the beginning.  How did God speak to us after the "Fall of Man"(Adam and Eve)?  He spoke through His creation...nature.  In Psalms 19 it is written:

"The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world."

This passage tells us that God reveals Himself to everyone through His nature...sky, ocean, rocks, trees, flowers, babies...you name it....God is speaking through His creation to His children.

Next, God began to speak through the Prophets.  Then He sent His son, Jesus to earth, "but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son."

How does God speak to us today...in 2011? 
1.He still speaks through His creation...nature.
2.He speaks to us through other Christians/ the Church
3.He speaks to us through prayer
4.He speaks to us through His word

In all the above methods God uses to speak to us.. ..He speaks through His Holy Spirit.
In all these ways He declares His glory through these methods of communication.  He communicates the glory of who He is....to us.  He sustains this communication through His word. If you do not hear from God...you need to slow down and tune in to the still small voice of His Holy Spirit.

No Longer as a Slave, But Better than a Slave

So who is this guy Onesimus...in Philemon 1?

Onesimus is a slave...probably a runaway...who has been mentored by Paul and also who has taken care of Paul while in prison.  So why is he the subject of this letter by Paul to Philemon?

Paul is trying to persuade Philemon to do the right thing.  Take him back!!!!  Paul has really gotten to know Onesimus in their time together...and Paul is vouching for Onesimus.

So Paul finally gives Philemon the ultimate challenge..."So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me." That's right...if you believe in me (and you owe me, big time...remember???) then you need to swallow your pride and take this former slave back in...not as a slave...but as a brother.

Unproductive Lives???

Is your life productive from a "Kingdom Prospective" ?

Paul tells us in Titus 3 that good works are part of God's plan for our lives....."to be ready to do whatever is good." In fact Paul stresses this point, "I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone."

Are you focused on yourself and your family?  You might have a self focus and not be helping others.
Most good works...have to do with helping others.  If we help others...we are, doing what is good....
and that is why Jesus died for us...so that we do good works!!!!

Jesus Christ, Who Gave Himself for Us

In the second chapter of Titus, Paul is teaching several goups of people in the church....old men, young men, young women, old women and slaves.

I noticed that "self-control seems to be a theme. Go back and look for yourself how many times Paul mentions this word.  So what is self-control?  Do you have self-control in your life? Are there areas of your life lacking self-control?

When we follow Jesus, we start showing greater and greater self-control.  That is that we start saying "no" to our worldly desires...and start showing self-control...discipline in our lives.  We start living life by says "yes" to what Jesus wants us to do.  Many blow this away by saying "we are under grace ...I just need to be myself".   Actually this is incorrect!!!!  We are no longer our own.  Jesus has bought us with a price.  He has shown the ultimate "self-control" by submitting to death on a cross.  Now he says we must die daily to "self."

What area of your life is out of control? Weight, prejudices, drugs, lust, pornography, pride, laziness, some bad habit?   Jesus has died so that you now have the "power" to say "no"....this is where self-control starts.

Appoint Elders in Every Town

Paul is writing his "true son in the faith," Titus to instruct him in some left-over church business. Paul had been through this region...but had failed to established leadership in each town. He gave this task over to one of his star pupils, Titus.  So in this letter Paul restates the qualifications of the elder so that Titus will choose and train the correct leadership.

 An elder must be:
1) blameless, not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain
2) faithful to his wife
3) a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. 
4) hospitable
5) one who loves what is good
6) self-controlled
7) upright
8) holy
9) disciplined 
10) He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

These qualifications hold true for leadership in the Lord's church today!!!!

They Will Turn Their Ears Away from the Truth

Paul gives great advice to Timothy as he closes out his second letter.  Paul in writing to the young preacher, gives him advice on his audience and his message.  Basic he tells Timothy not to tell the people what they want to hear.  (We see this happen so much these days in the political arena.  Politicians take polls...then tell the voters what they want to hear to obtain their vote.  Quite a "slime-ball" tactic....but it happens every day.)

Paul knows that not many people really want the truth.  Why is this?  It is our sin nature welling up in us.  Tell us what we want to hear so we don't have to change our ways...so that we can gratify ourselves. So we gather around us teachers, students, coaches, players, bosses, employees and others that will tell us "our version" of the truth.  And it makes us feel so good.

Paul charges Timothy to stick to the truth of the word...."Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction."
Basically he is telling him to give his listeners what they need instead of what they want.  It would be the equivalent of a doctor telling his patient the truth that the person needs surgery to remove a cancer...instead of telling them what they want to hear...."you are going to be just fine letting that cancer grow in your body....you will be fine."

As Christians we need to "listen up" to the truth that Paul is preaching to this young preacher.
We are all preachers/evangelist...whether we want to be or not.  It is our responsibility as Christians to spread the Gospel and disciple our "brother and sisters"...just like Timothy was doing.  So lets heed Paul's advice..." keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry." 

 Paul is telling us what we need to hear.

All Scripture is God-breathed

We are in the last days!  How do I know this?  Paul gives Timothy an exhaustive list of people's behavior during these "terrible times" in verses 3:2-5..."People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power." Sounds like our society...doesn't it?  

Paul goes on to say that these people..."are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth."  So now we can identify these people...so how are we to react to these people????   Paul commands Timothy to, "Have nothing to do with such people."

Wow,  that seems sorta harsh when reading with our politically correct glasses on...  but note that he is really talking about "religious folks", not "the lost" sincerely seeking a Holy God.  ("having a form of godliness but denying it's power")....some"religious folk" listen to a bunch of sermons...but it never effects their behavior!!!! ("always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth")

Paul winds this up with a final charge to Timothy. Instead of hanging around with people who "claim" to be Christians...but act like the devil.....stay in God's Word, instead.  Immerse yourself into the Holy Scriptures which are our direct marching orders from God. God will speak to you through His Word and it will be useful for every good thing in life.  That's a promise!!!! Listen to the beauty of His God Inspired Word, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." We can trust God's Word....because it is direct from the heart of our loving and merciful Father God....breathed into our very souls by His Holy Spirit.  Remember: We shouldn't just read the Bible...we should let the Bible read us!!!!

God’s Word is Not Chained

Even though Paul had suffered very much and was persecuted....he wanted Timothy to know that Jesus was not held back by his limitations or by anything else.  His word is not diminished or held restrained by our weakness.  In fact He was not even confined by death or the grave, "Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead..."

The Word of God is not constrained either. "But God’s word is not chained." I once heard a statement by a famous preacher along this same line of logic.  He said, "We just need to release the lion of Judah."
Wow what a visual.  Jesus does live and act through his Word.  His Word is like a great lion unleashed. His Word is never chained down or confined. It is too powerful.

So Paul tells Timothy to be careful with his words ....not using cultural conversation (Avoid godless chatter)...but reminding his listeners with the Word of God.  He encourages Timothy to be a real "workman/ craftsman/laborer with the Word....and handle the very Words of God with care and attention to detail. Later in the chapter...he says not to argue the minor points of the bible among Christians...stick to the Gospel...the freeing "Word of Truth." There is God's power in His Word....so  unleash the "Lion of Judah" !!!!!

The Promise of Life that is in Christ Jesus

"Fan into Flame"

Paul is again writing to his mentee, Timothy.  Paul and Timothy had shared life and ministry together.  They had a special bond as brothers in Christ.  Paul was writing to further instruct Timothy in the Lord.

Faith seems to be the overarching subject of this first chapter of II Timothy.  Paul starts off by reminding him of his Christian heritage, "I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also."

Then he encourages Timothy to continue to grow in his faith..."I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God." I love this metaphor of fanning a spark into a flame. If you have ever started a fire from small bits of kindling... you get the picture.  When you blow oxygen or fan the sparks....it really accelerates the fire. In the same way you would get a fire going...Paul wants Timothy to fan his faith into a full-fledged fire....that right...."on fire for the Lord".

I want to encourage you to fan your faith into flame !!!!  Don't be satisfied to be "luke warm" in the Lord.  Let the Holy Spirit set you on fire.  Let your faith burn bright in the marketplace....illuminating the way for others.

Godliness with Contentment is Great Gain

Paul winds up his letter with some financial advice to his mentee Timothy about godliness and handling finances.  He starts off by saying, "For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it." That is the same as saying..."You can't take it with you!"

Paul reasons that if you have the basics....food and clothing....you ought to be content.  Chasing money will only be a trap leading you into all kinds of trouble and ultimately leading to destruction.

So what is Paul's financial advice?   Flee from being rich!!!! 

What???? That doen't sound like sound financial advice.  Run away from being rich...instead...pursue righteousness.  That's right...pursue God and don't be eager for money. And finally Paul gives his best advise...."don't put your hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. "

If you can't take worldly wealth with you...why should we spend all of our energy and efforts pursuing financial gain? So Paul, the ultimate financial planner....gives us good sound advise:
1. Flee from financial gain
2.Be content with the basics
3.Pursue Godliness.

Widows Care 101

In I Timothy 5... Paul gives a pretty exhaustive list of who should care for widows.  It is like the master teacher is giving the church the class notes for Widow Care 101. On further examination we find that Paul is really instructing his followers on which widows to help...and which not to help. So lets unpack these four paragraphs.

It seems that the widows fit into four different groups:
1. Widows over 60, who have been faithful to their husband, and who are well known for their good deeds-    -these ladies are on the church's list to help-
2. Young widows who lives for pleasure-  not on church's help list...they should re-marry
3. Widows with living kids or grandkids  - their own family should provide care
4. Widows living in Christian homes-  Continue to do this to remove the burden of care from the church

Why was Paul spending so much time on the care of widows?  God wants us as Christians to care for them. God is concerned for the care of the "least of these"... like the widow and orphan.... in fact in James 1:27 it says, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."  God wants us to serve and love others...He loves us and knows that we will receive more blessing than we are giving...when we watch after these widows.  Enroll now in Widow care 101....it's biblical.... you will be blessed beyond your service.