Proclaim The Message

 Greetings to  you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

     Second Timothy 4:2 says, “ Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”

Our first  ministry after college was at Trinity Baptist Church in Christiansburg, Virginia.  During my time there, I had the opportunity to work with the pianist, Jenny Spain.  She did a cross stitch of the above verse of Scripture and gave it to me.  It  always hung on the wall, first  in my official office at the church and then in Mostoles, Spain and then in every office or home in the churches in which we served.  To me, it was a reminder and an exhortation of what my purpose as a Christian was in all of the things in which we would find ourselves in the years to come.  I been up all night bowling, all night roller skating, although not very well, eating pizza at midnight and in all of these situations, the gospel was preached.  If there was a church function, we had a time in the Word of God.

Adam Clarke says of this passage, “ Be urgent whether the times be prosperous or adverse, whenever there is an opportunity; and when there is none, strive to make one. The Judge is at the door, and to every man eternity is at hand! Wherever thou meetest a sinner, speak to him the word of reconciliation. Do not be contented with stated times and accustomed places merely; all time and place belong to God, and are proper for his work. Wherever it can be done, there it should be done. Satan will omit neither time nor place where he can destroy. Omit thou none where thou mayest be the instrument of salvation to any.”  The story of the cross stitch becomes an opportunity.  The memory of how to plow a field, becomes an opportunity.  The sailing through the Straits of Magellan becomes an opportunity.  In fact, every conversation can be used to preach the Gospel.  Some may reject the preaching or teaching of the Word of God and in that case you go on to find the one that is hungry for the Word of God and you pour out your heart with everything that you know.  I ask questions of almost  everyone I know like where are  you from?  What  is your family like?  Did you ever go to church? Are you Baptist or Cathlic or Jewish?  It was dark in the hospital one morning and I asked the Phlebotomist  if she was a Christian?  It was Easter time and I wanted to say, “He is Risen.”   There are plenty of people that want to hear the message and God puts them in your path every day.  You and I are those who have received the exhortation just like Timothy.  “Preach the Word.”  Praise God today for the message that He has given to us.