Today's Passage - 2 Timothy 1:1-2

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english 2 Timothy 1:1-2     Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, to Timothy, my dear son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.     Paul mentions his ministry in these verses: First, he is an apostle by the will of God. To become an apostle is not something you can become if you want to, and no one can bestow on a person the title of an apostle. He must be called by God. Unless a person clearly knows his calling is from God, otherwise it is impossible to bear the responsibility of being an apostle. 2 Corinthians says he worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times he received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times he was beaten with rods, once he was pelted with stones. Reading this list we can understand that without God's calling, Paul cannot experience all these things and not lose heart and be discouraged. But rather Paul is filled with hope.     Actually, any person who follows the path of full-time ministry must have God's calling. Having God's calling means this person has confidence and reassurance from God and his heart will be like a blaze of fire, and nothing will hinder him. Understanding God's will and following his will are very important. In pre-marital counseling I will ask both sides whether they clearly know this marriage is God's will. Maybe some people think this is superfluous. But after getting married when they encounter many difficulties, both sides can remember the time when God called and confirmed. So no matter how great the current difficulties are, they can overcome them and courageously move forward.     Next, Paul is an apostle by the promises of the life in Jesus. The Lord's apostle not only must face various labors and toils, but more importantly his heart must have the true motivating power, which is love. A person can have labors and toils, but if he doesn't have love, he can't continue to persevere. Paul not only have God's calling but also is personally someone who meets God face to face. He understands and experienced the love of the Lord. The love of the Lord became the motivating power within him. The promise of Jesus in his heart became his glorious hope. A person who serves the Lord must have experienced the love of the Lord. If on the path of serving the Lord you feel discouraged and lose hope or even feel no one understands you, what you need to do is not to rest, but rather it is to come before the Lord and once again think about his love and let the love of the Lord once again surround you. Only in the love of the Lord you can be renewed again and again. Are you feeling tired and weary? Come back before the face of the Lord!               Pray with Pastor Tong           Dear Lord, I pray especially for those who are discouraged in serving you. May the love of the Lord surround them. By the victorious name of Jesus, I rebuke the spirit of depression within them. I ask you to touch and renew their heart and spirit and get back to run the race once again. I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen!