Holy Boldness

 "Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching." 2 Timothy 4:2...."A blind world needs us to stand, to fight, and to pray." Chris Tiegreen

On the surface, I'd say most every professing believer, and especially pastor/preachers, agrees with the above Scripture....in theory. I say in theory because the cost of actually living it out can be huge.

Most church folks will say they want a good preacher, one who preaches the word. But do they really? If a preacher is committed to preaching the word then it must be the WHOLE word, and that means preaching words, His words, that can cut, burn, and pierce. Scripture says His word pierces us in our innermost being. To preach His whole word means that there is no topic that's off limits as concerns the state of whatever culture the church finds itself in. To preach His whole word means that someone, perhaps many someone's will be offended. Many of them will be influential, especially financially. Many of them will likely seek to exercise that influence on some level. When that happens, will we still be committed to boldly preach His whole word?

Next, we're exhorted to do so whether "the time is favorable or not." That means that the cost of proclaiming His full truth is not only dangerous and costly within the church, but within the culture as well. In this day, proclaiming what His word says about all the darkness raging and growing everywhere around us can bring great trouble. Many pastors and churches have already been threatened by the government for stances they have taken against blatant evil because the surrounding culture no longer considers it evil. They consider it normal. When there is nothing favorable to proclaiming His truth in the culture, will we still proclaim it?

Next, we are exhorted to do it all with patience and love. Anger is growing in every segment of society, including a large part of the church. The need is desperate for prophetic voices that boldly proclaim truth, confront sin, and expose darkness, but do so in His patient love. That means persisting in it when it appears that no one is listening. Someone once told me that as a preacher, I needed to have a warm heart and a cool head. I still need that. May God raise up a generation who have that trait.

Last, Chris Tiegreen exhorts the church to intercede for this ever darkening and dying world. To stand in the gap for it, to fight for it, and to pray without ceasing for it. Everything is at stake. The soul of a nation and nations, and the souls of billions. May God raise up in this hour, prophets, pastors, teachers, and believers everywhere who will fight for the soul of their nation and its people and for the soul of the church and His people. Jesus asked if when He returned, would He find faith on the earth. May He find us standing, fighting, and praying when He returns. If I should still be here when He does, may He find me doing so as well. With all my heart.

Blessings,
Pastor O