“INSPRIATIONS” Lesson 174

Do you have an inspiration? Yes? Then praise the Lord! No? Then let us see if we can find one for you! According the Bible Dictionary, inspiration means ‘to breath into’ referring to the claim that oral or written discourse is prompted by the Spirit. Literary critical theory recognizes that not just the writing of the bible text but also the reading and interpretation of the text are performed within the context of the spirit-inspired faith. I may be misusing the word ‘inspiration’ but for the sake of this study, inspiration will mean a person or persons, including the Holy Spirit.

You may reach back in time and bring up an inspiration from long ago or remember one from yesterday but all should have someone to turn to when you need to be up-lifted. The writers of the Scriptures had an inspiration, and He is called the Holy Spirit of God. We too have this helping hand of the Holy Spirit to guide us to the truth of the gospel (John 16:12-15). We of course have the Bible to prove that Jesus was the Christ so that we can fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel to all that we reach (Eph. 6:19). Timothy’s inspiration was the Apostle Paul who encouraged him and prayed for him. He thanked God for Timothy and was persuaded that faith lived within him. He reminded Timothy to fan the flames of this faith, pushing him gently, or as gently as Paul could push, to not be ashamed to testify about our Lord. Notice that Paul did not brag on Timothy for anything he had done but assured him that God had saved him for His own purpose. Although Paul was in prison when writing to Timothy, he wanted Timothy to follow the pattern of sound teaching that he had received not only from Paul but from his mother and grandmother. He mentioned that Onesiphorus was ashamed of his chains at one time but went on to say that he had prayed for God’s mercy on him. This sentence seems to just be thrown in out of nowhere but I think that Paul was teaching Timothy forgiveness plus a lesson on being faithful to God, telling him to present himself to God as one approved. If we have been approved by God then we must obey the commandments (1 Cor. 7:19b), do not think too highly of yourself (Rom. 12:3) and boast only in the Lord (1 Cor. 1:31). Now there are a lot of lessons in that one little sentence, but you see Paul was running out of time so he was passing the baton, so to speak, and like Elijah to Elisha, he was passing his anointing on to Timothy (unless noted, all scripture taken from 2nd Timothy). This is the kind of inspiration we all need. A Paul in our lives to push, encourage and teach us to be prepared in season and out of season. A Paul to pray for our needs, thanking God for us as he did for the people in his letters!

Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James writes a short letter to the believers in Christ. He is urging them to fight for the faith that “was once, for all, entrusted to the saints. The mission of this letter was and is to warn Christians that there are indeed false teachers in the world and in the churches. If we have someone in our lives with the gift of discerning the spirits, they can ‘put us onto’ the ungodly by searching out their beliefs, their acts and their words. Jude admitted that the ones to which he was speaking already knew what he was telling them but just wanted to remind them. We, too, need an inspired person to remind us from time to time to be on guard not to follow the ones that have taken the way of Cain. Jude describes these as “shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind, autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted, twice dead. They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame, wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever”. Now if it were a fact that the false teachers would ‘stand out’ like these descriptions we would have no trouble spotting them, would we? However, the fact is that they look and act a lot like Christians; therefore, we must build ourselves up in our faith lest we fall into temptation with them (Gal. 6:1). The Lord is coming to judge everyone and to convict all the ungodly of all the things they have done and said. These people need an inspiration! Could it be you? “Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear, hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh”! This is the kind of inspiration I want in my life; someone that cares enough to snatch me from the fire if I should unknowingly get too close to the flames. ( scripture taken from Jude unless otherwise noted).

John inspired his friend Gaius, whom he loved in truth to continue in his faith. It gave John great joy to hear from others that Gaius was walking in the truth of the gospel that I am sure John had taught him. In the one page letter of 3rd John the elder as he refers to himself, packs a powerful message against gossip, back-stabbing and imitating what is evil. In his 2nd letter he warns against taking anyone into your house that does not bring the teachings of Christ the risen Savior. Intertwined in both books are the encouraging words to his friends with up-lifting praises and blessings of God’s mercy and peace. Peter inspires those who have received faith to escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. In a non-judgmental manner he encourages these people to add to their faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control and other godly qualities to keep them from being ineffective and unproductive in their knowledge of our Lord. Peter understands that they already know all of these teachings but stands ready to remind them so that they will not fall. He too, is nearing the end of his earthly ministry in his tent of a body and is making every effort to see to it that they remember the miracles that he eye witnessed of our Lord Jesus Christ. Do you have someone that has gone on to meet the Lord that made such an impression on you in your spiritual walk that you remember their teachings of what kind of person you should be? Were their words so clear and uplifting that you continue to look forward to the new Heaven; the home of the righteous?

James was a servant of God that spoke to the scattered among the nations. His letter covers a wide range of sins including pride, prejudice, hypocrisy, worldliness, the unbridled tongue and apathy. This may not seem like encouraging words but reading every word James wrote we will find, as did the scattered Jewish Christians, a strong understanding of our union in Christ. Their trials, desires, relationships, prayers, compassion, patience and faith are all shown to have a place in their worship of God in their ministry to others. We too should count it joy when we have trials since it is through our trials that testimonies are birthed and through testimonies we become an inspiration to someone.

Jesus was the greatest inspiration of the New Testament, healing, cleansing and teaching what His Father had given Him authority over and encouraging all He touched (Matt. 8:1-16, John 8:28-29). Jesus told the ever present and accusing Pharisees that He had authority over the Temple Laws because; “one greater than the Temple is here” (Matt. 12:6). He is still here and still the greatest inspiration we will find. However, if you are one of the millions that need something tangible to give you inspiration then find someone that is filled with the Spirit and just sit back and watch for awhile. You cannot help but have the anointing and the excitement rub off on you. Ask them to pray for and with you, soaking up all the wisdom and knowledge you hear. Do not be shy to ask questions about the bible that you have doubts about and read along with these ‘elders’ who study daily. Keep in mind that an elder might not always mean ‘older’ but one that is mature in the knowledge and wisdom of the gospel (Phil. 1:9-10, Titus 2:1-8) for the lack of knowledge will destroy you (Hos. 4:6).

“I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another” (Rom. 15:14) so why not use this knowledge to be an inspiration to someone else and call on someone else to inspire you and lift you up (James 5:13-16). The inspiration of the Holy Spirit lives within you, the inspiration of Jesus Christ walks beside you and the inspiration of a ‘touchable’ person may be sitting beside you in church. Believe, love and be filled with inexpressible and glorious joy of your salvation that even the angles are in awe of (1 Pet. 1:10-12). Get inspired!