2Timothy 1:16
"The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain:"
There is no doubt that the Apostle Paul emphasized not being ashamed. Seven times throughout the Pauline epistles you will see that Paul announced he was not ashamed. Before Paul was saved, he was not ashamed of his beliefs. When he got saved that strong belief system caused him not to be ashamed of Christ.
Acts 23:35
"I will hear thee, said he, when thine accusers are also come. And he commanded him to be kept in Herod's judgment hall."
The trial of the Apostle Paul was sadly mishandled. It was mishandled by the Apostle Paul himself by prematurely appealing his case to Caesar, and it was mishandled by many of the men who were considered judges. When you read about the trial of the Apostle Paul, you can see very early on he should have been released due to a lack of evidence. Yet, through this trial you can learn some valuable lessons on how to handle disputes and grievances between two parties that can lead to proper judgment.
Romans 16:17
"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them."
Years ago my wife and I drove to a meeting in the Midwest. We arrived on Saturday afternoon and were supposed to meet the pastor at the church. When we arrived, across the street from the church were some youth partying in their front yard. My wife and I had not been there long when we heard a gun shot ring throughout the neighborhood. I happened to see at the sound of the shot a young man fall to the ground. I quickly ran over after looking to be sure the shooter was not around to find the young man had been killed.
Ephesians 5:16
"Redeeming the time, because the days are evil."
Time is one of the most precious commodities a person has. Once it is gone you cannot get it back. Sadly, most people don't make the most of the time they have. Time is wasted, and many people regret not using their time wisely in the later years of life. God gives us advice on how to make the most of our time.
1 Corinthians 16:9
"For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries."
An open door usually means there is no obstacle. As I write this devotional, I'm sitting at the desk in my office with the door open. That door being open means that anyone can come through at their will. That door is open because I opened it and welcomed my family in.
1 Corinthians 3:3
"For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?"
Dealing with strife can be one of the most stressful things. Proverbs 17:1 says, "Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than an house full of sacrifices with strife." A home that is filled with strife is a home that has no joy. A church that is filled with strife is a church where its members endure. Those who deal with strife oftentimes will do anything to get away from it. Many Christians quit church and serving God because they just don't want to deal with the drama and strife at their church. I have talked to many people who have told me the reason they don't go to church is because of the strife at their church.
James 1:22
"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."
The responses towards the preaching of God's Word varies with every individual. Throughout the years of my ministry, I have watched people respond, some good and some bad. You would think every Christian would want to respond properly towards God's Word for in It is the "power of God unto salvation." (Romans 1:16) In this chapter of James, we see there are several responses toward the preaching of God's Word, some are beneficial but others are detrimental to the Christian.