WATCHWORD:
I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he comes to set up his Kingdom: 2 Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. 3 For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will reject the truth and chase after myths. 5 But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you. 2 Timothy 4:1-5
Meditation:
Preach?
When you read scripture and you come across the phrase, “Preach the word”, do you have a “WHAAAT!” kind of reaction? You know, like, I have not been called to preach, that is not my calling, that is nothing that I am able to do.
Sometimes when we are confronted with the difficult, when we claim that we aren’t qualified, we are ignoring the fact that our Lord has equipped us in many subtle ways to be messengers of his Word. Messenger, one who shares a message, maybe not preaching, but simply living His message. You don’t originate the message, but you have been given the message throughout your life. When you embrace Christ as Lord and Savior, it is reflected in the way you live your life, you are, thus, sharing the message of Christ.
There is a difference between sharing the message of Christ and preaching. A Preacher is one who received the call of God and is determined to use all of his/her energy to represent God’s Word. When it comes to sharing the message, God takes us beyond our own limited aspirations and talents of our lives, and molds and shapes us for His purpose, whatever that may be.
The purpose of Pentecost was not to teach the disciples something but to make them the incarnation of what they represented so that they would literally become God’s message. Before we can become God’s message to others, His Word must be real in us. When that has happened, we draw closer to the imitation of Christ in our lives, and, therefore, the Message.
So, in a sense, if we are living as Christ in all we do and say, we are sharing His message to others. Therefore we are preachers, small ‘p’, of the Word. Amen.
Bulletin Board:
At a recent pastor’s retreat each minister in attendance was asked the following question: “How many people does it take to change a light bulb?” The answers were as follows.
- A Presbyterian Pastor responded, “None. If God wants the bulb changed, he is sovereign and will do it himself without human effort.”
- A Charismatic Pastor replied, “None. The bulb doesn’t need to be changed. We should pray that it be healed.”
- A Pentecostal Pastor said, “None. We simply need to cast out from the bulb the demon of darkness.”
- The Fundamentalist Pastor stated, “None. We shouldn’t even enter the room because we need to keep ourselves separate from all darkness.”
- A Baptist Pastor responded, “None. If we allow physical contact between a person and the bulb it might lead to dancing.”
- A Lutheran Pastor, simply asked, “Change? Whatever for?”
- The Wesleyan Minister replied, “None. If we just show the bulb its need, it already possesses the power to change itself in.”
- A Non-Denominational Pastor said, “None. We don’t want to make the bulb feel unwanted or uncomfortable.”
Closing Prayer:
Dear God, at the start of each day, help us to recognize you above all else. Enlighten the eyes of our heart that we might see you, and notice how you’re at work through our lives. Give us wisdom to make the best choices, fill us with a desire to seek after you more than anything else in this world. Let your Spirit and power breathe in us, through us, again, fresh and new. Thank you that you are greater than anything we may face in our day. Thank you that your presence goes with us, and that your joy is never dependent on our circumstances, but it is our true and lasting strength, no matter what we’re up against. We ask that your peace lead us, that it would guard our hearts and minds in you. We ask for your grace to cover our lives this day. We love you Lord…we need you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
