When God is your Defense
°° When God STANDS at your DEFENSE, you’ll emerge STRONG °°
••Apostle Paul writes 2nd Timothy while in prison, a second time in Rome, awaiting to be tried.
“At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone DESERTED me. May it not be held against them. v17–BUT the LORD STOOD at MY SIDE and gave me STRENGTH, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth.”
(2 Timothy 4:16-17 NIV)
“The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (2 Timothy 4:18 NIV)
“You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes. (2 Timothy 1:15 NIV)
••Paul was in chains because of the gospel:
“This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. BUT God’s WORD is not CHAINED.
(2 Timothy 2:9 NIV)
••He knew his time of departure was near:
“As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.”
(2 Timothy 4:6-7 NLT)
“Do your best to come to me quickly, for DEMAS, because he LOVED this WORLD, has DESERTED me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.(2 Timothy 4:9-11 NIV)
••Alexander was a THORN in Paul’s ministry. He had faked conversation, but was a MOLE who was financing Paul’s arrests & saboteurs.
“Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done.” (2 Timothy 4:14 NIV)
••Paul from prison recalls how he was arrested in Ephesus and separated from Timothy. Timothy really cried to see Paul taken back to prison a second time.
“I long to see you again, for I remember your tears as we parted. And I will be filled with joy when we are together again.
(2 Timothy 1:4 NLT)
“May the Lord show mercy to the household of ONESIPHOROUS , because he often REFRESHED me and was not ASHAMED of my CHAINS.” (2 Timothy 1:16 NIV)
••When everyone had deserted Paul, the household of ONESIPHOROUS often visited him in prison and refreshed him••