Preach the Word part 2

287 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 4:2, Preach the word! This then is the charge that Paul has passed down to Timothy, right from the mouth of God the Father and God the Son! This is the charge to all pastors who follow in the sandals of Timothy! Preach the Word! The word preach here is to be like a town crier, “Hear ye! Hear Ye! Hear ye what? Hear ye the Word, the logos, the Divine expression! Hear ye the message that God has given to the town crier to proclaim! That message is centered on Christ who is the Divine expression. To preach the Word is to preach Christ, for He is the Word! Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.! Therefore the town crier, the called preacher, must stick to the pages of Scripture, because you will find Christ in the text! Luther said this about preaching, “The word is not dead wisdom but is finally a personal word which must be personally preached and personally heard. Instead of thinking about casual connections we should think instead about the mystery of preaching, in which man (the preacher) and man (the audience) and God the speaker and God the enabler (namely the Holy Spirit) all work to make this miraculous event happen!” Isa 55:11, puts it this way, “ So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. Have you ever considered that right preaching is a miracle waiting to happen? How would that knowledge change the pastors approach to the pulpit. How would that knowledge affect the approach of the hearer of the sermon? Pastor, come to the pulpit expecting a miracle! People, come to church expecting the same! 1Pe 4:11 says, “ If anyone speaks, let it be as the words of God.” No wonder Luther once said, “O how frightened I was at the sight of the pulpit.” He understood the sacred charge given to Him! Don't preach ABOUT the Word, for God will soon become distant, rather present Christ as He is presented in these pages! Ever present and personal, ready to touch the heart of the listener where it needs to be touched! Ready to perform a miracle!

The Unchained Word of God

220 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 2:9b, “but the word of God is not chained.” If something is chained, it is restricted, it can only go so far and no more. It has limits! I remember some neighbors of our several years back. They had a dog and he was kept on a chain in their backyard. You could clearly see the boundaries of how far that dog could go because the grass was worn down in a perfect semi-circle. It's like the devil, he has been on a chain ever since Jesus arrived on the scene and began his ministry on earth. This chain restricts the devils activities to our world. He can go no farther! He no longer has access to heaven as he did in the days of Job. He no longer has God's ear! He rants, raves, accuses, torments, us here on earth, but God is not listening to his accusations because Jesus wiped the slate clean with his sacrificial death and subsequent resurrection! The devil knows his time is short and getting shorter every day and so he rages with ever increasing intensity. But, here's the Good News, God's Word is not chained! It has free reign on earth and in heaven! It is as stated in Isa 55:11, “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” God's will is done on earth as it is in heaven, because His Word, unlike the devil, is unfettered! It is this Word that Jesus used to put the devil in his place when he sought to tempt Jesus in the wilderness. Jesus replied three times with the unchained Word of God when He said, “It is written!” Set your mind on things above beloved, for it is the Source of the unchained Word of God. This Word has the power to bind and loose as Jesus said in Mt 18:18 "Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.' The Word of God is not chained, and by taking it in and trusting it by faith, you will experience true freedom in this life and forevermore!