Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Be ready

Be Ready
2 Timothy 4:1-5 
1I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His coming and His kingdom: 2herald and preach the Word! Keep your sense of urgency, stand by, be at hand and ready, whether the opportunity seems to be favorable or unfavorable. Whether it is convenient or inconvenient, whether it is welcome or unwelcome, you, as preacher of the Word, are to show people in what way their lives are wrong. You are to convince them, rebuking, correcting, warning, urging, and encouraging them, being unflagging, inexhaustible in patience, and teaching. 3For the time is coming when people will not tolerate sound and wholesome instruction, but, having ears itching for something pleasing and gratifying, they will gather to themselves one teacher after another to a considerable number, chosen to satisfy their own liking and to foster the errors they hold, 4and will turn aside from hearing the truth and wander off into myths and man-made fictions. 5As for you, be calm, cool, and steady, accept and suffer unflinchingly every hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fully perform all the duties of your ministry. [AMP]

Paul was at the end of his earthly ministry when this He wrote this. He wrote to Timothy to encourage him. Paul told him to be steadfast in the faith. More than that, he exhorted him always to be ready to minister in the name of Christ, whether by acts of service and mercy, or the harder side, by rebuking, correcting, and warning others.    

Be always ready to preach Christ and Him crucified is what Paul taught Timothy and what he teaches us. Do not think today is your day off. Today may be the time when Jesus puts a person in your path who needs ministering services. If you mentally unplug from the ministry, you choose not to be an instrument of His service on the day that person most needed the kind touch, encouraging word, or the teaching of Christ. Be prepared in everyday; “keep your sense of urgency.”

Always walk with God in mind so you do not walk right by God's purpose for your day. When the time comes, be it a good time or not, lookout for the person whom God brings into your path. Be the shining light for God to this loved child. You never know when he or she may become closed to the love of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Do not delay in telling them about God’s love for them because it is your “day off.” “Speak in season and out of season.” (1 Tim. 4:2 [KJV])