February 22, 2023
You’ve Got to Stir Up the Gifts
My beloved child, Paul was trying to encourage his spiritual son Timothy who was in the middle of a catastrophic battle. He was a pastor where thousands of people who were believers were being slain – martyrs beheaded for holding on to their beliefs and faith in Me, the Lord Jesus Christ under the Roman throne of Nero. The same antichrist spirit you see today was active then persecuting believers. The devil was furious because I had been raised from the dead, so Satan was releasing his anger and rage of hell to destroy the Church. Many people were fleeing and going back to pagan worship to save their lives, or so they thought. A crisis always reveals what is in you!
The persecution revealed that many believers were not truly committed to Me – when the rubber met the road, they would turn tail and run back to what they once knew. For this reason, you are neither hot nor cold, I will spew you out of My mouth declares the Lord. (Revelations 3:15-17) Are you truly committed to Me as Your Savior? Timothy was observing that many in the Church and even some in leadership were not as committed as they appeared and were going back to their old ways and even pagan worship. (2 Timothy 3:1-7) People he thought he could count on were gone. It was a challenging time for Timothy!
There were times Timothy felt inadequate, overwhelmed, and timid in his assignment. Paul wrote him a letter instructing him to stir up the leadership gifts within and he reminded him of the day he laid hands on him and commissioned (ordained) him for ministry. (2 Timothy 1:6) All Timothy needed to do was fan the flame of the God-given gifts he possessed and so do you! He had to stir up the gift of God inside and be instant in season and out of season. (2 Timothy 4:2) Today I encourage you to fan the flame within you! You have God-given gifts you possess, and no one else can do what you are destined to do. Stir up the gifts I have given you for I am serving you your marching orders – it’s your time and your season so fight as a good soldier! (2 Timothy 1:6-7)
