Bible & Prayer Nuggets 0304

Aglow for Christ: Keep the inner Fire Burning

Bible Nugget 0304 [2 Timothy 1:6-7, KJV]

 ⁶Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.

 ⁷For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

[2 Timothy 1 v 6-7 (Amplified)], translates it as follows:

6That is why I would remind you to stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of, and keep burning) the [gracious] gift of God, [the inner fire] that is in you by means of the laying on of my hands [with those of the elders at your ordination].

    7For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.

This scripture reminds us of  the enormous potential on the inside of the man or woman whom God has called on a mission. Timothy accompanied Paul in many missionary journeys and witnessed the mighty things accomplished in the ministry of Paul to the gentiles.  Being a Greek (Timothy’s father was Greek, and his mother Jew), Timothy was circumcised by Paul for the sake of peace to please the Jews who knew that Timothy’s father was Greek, despite the young Timothy’s exemplary character. The story is told in  Acts 16:1-3.

¹Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:

 ²Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.

 ³Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek.

 For his mixed parentage, Timothy was taunted in childhood, an experience which could alter a person’s personality adversely.  Paul no doubt remembered the timidity of Timothy in their missionary journeys and was now reminding Timothy through this epistle that, having become a Christian, Timothy had a greater power on the inside of him. The power that resided in the inside of Timothy was the power of the Holy Ghost, and Timothy had a double portion of that Power as a Minister of God.