03/28/2013

• T&M ARE YOU AN 'AMATEUR' OR A PROFESSIONAL

  And if a man also strives for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. 2 Tim 2:5

  It is a fact that hardships nearly always reveal level of a person's commitment to Yahvahosha Messiah. When everything is going well and there are no challenges, it's easy to serve Yahvah. But when things get tough and people are faced with hard decisions, this is a golden moment when the real level of their commitment revealed--when they have to decide, WILL I REMAIN FAITHFUL IN THE HARD TIMES? You can be certain that if a flaw exists in their commitment to Yahvahosha, difficult episodes in life will bring that defect to the surface.
  

  In the former Soviet Union, I heard many people who paid a very high price for their faith in Yahvahosha Messiah. The rulers of that past time sent many believers to prison; deported others to slave labor camps; and incarcerated still others in psychiatric hospitals, where they were treated as mental patients, because they believed in Yahvah. The Soviet leadership found all sorts of ways to disdain, humiliate and mock believers for being different. It was therefore a very serious matter to believe in Yahvahosha Messiah, requiring a life commitment.
  

  In 2 Tim many people were defecting from the faith because hard times had come. Staying faithful to Yahvahosha meant they might face persecution, beatings, imprisonment, or even death. Before the persecution commenced, the Assembly at Ephesus was growing rapidly. But now it was declining as the newly arrived adversities exposed the genuine level of people's faith.
  

  In the midst of these trying times, Paul wrote to Timothy about the attitude that is essential to survive difficult times. Although Paul was making a statement, he was also asking a  very pointed question. He said, "And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully."
  

  The word "strive" is the Greek word athlesis, which always describes athletic activities or sporting events. It also notably depicted professional athletes. As time passed, it expressed the idea of any event in life that demands one's labor or sweat and tears. It indicated exertion, efforts, and commitment. It could refer to either physical exertion or mental exertion.
  

  Just as in our world today. there were both amateur and professional athletes at the time Paul wrote this letter. If someone was an amateur, he wasn't a serious contender and would not participate in the harshest competitions. However, if he was a professional athlete, he was committed that he was ready to compete no matter how intense the opposition or how difficult the circumstance. This is the idea Paul is conveying when he used the word athlesis in this verse.
  

  Paul was in essence asking
  

  Are you an amateur who serves Yahvah just for fun?
  

  Have you committed yourself to go all the way, regardless of the fight that ensues?
  

  Are you serving Yahvah only because it's popular and enjoyable for the moment?
  

  Are you a professional that is willing to pay any price, undergo any kind of hardship, bear up under any pressure, and endure it all until you come out the winner?
  

  Are you really committed?
  

  WHAT KIND OF BELIEVER ARE YOU TODAY, FRIEND? ARE YOU A PROFESSIONAL, OR ARE YOU AN AMATEUR?
  

  PRAYER: I PRAY THAT YOU SEE ME AS A PROFESSIONAL, AND ONE WHOM IS GOING ABOUT TELLING OTHERS ABOUT YOU AND THAT YOU CAN SAVE THEM. I PRAY THAT I AM NOT AN AMATEUR AND NOT A GOOD WITNESS FOR YOU, NOR DOING THINGS AS YOU WOULD WANT ME TO DO. I PRAY THAT MY LIFE WILL BE PLEASING TO YOU AND THAT YOU WILL BE PLEASED WITH WHAT I DO FOR YOU. THIS I PRAY IN THE NAME OF YAHVAHOSHA MESSIAH. HALLELUYAH! Bro. Doc
  

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