datethewordtest

Tag: Jan 16

  • Unashamed Of The Gospel

    Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”

    In describing the apostle Paul, one has to use the phrase “UNASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL.” For a person who attacked the gospel as a believer, he became one of the greatest ANNOUNCERS and DEFENDERS of the gospel. While some were OFFENDED by the gospel and others who considered the gospel a FOOLISH fable Paul never backed down from proclaiming the life-saving message.  While there are many verses that the Apostle Paul could have for his life verse, I tend to lean toward Acts 20:24 as it conveys his full dedication to sharing the gospel.  Acts 20:24 says, “But none of these things move me; nor do I, (Paul) count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”  He was never going to be ASHAMED of the gospel! 

    We might ask why. What could cause a person to be so dedicated and passionate to the level of being willing to die for this message?  I think the rest of the verse gives some good answers.

    The Apostle Paul said he was not ashamed of the gospel because it was the POWER OF GOD to bring salvation to everyone who believes.   The word POWER comes from a Greek word that we get DYNAMITE.  The gospel is the death burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and is powerful to CHANGE a person’s life on earth and change their eternal destination.   It has the power to CLEANSE a filthy sinner of any and all sins, to cancel the penalty of sin, and the power to BREAK the BONDS of sin.   

    Furthermore, the Apostle Paul was unashamed of the gospel because of the PEOPLE it was available to as he wrote it was the power of God unto salvation to EVERYONE who believes.   EVERYONE! While the message of the gospel is exclusive, it is also inclusive, as it is for anyone and everyone.  It is exclusive in that it is the only message that when believed gets a person into heaven.  As Acts 4:12 says, “There is no other name given under heaven whereby men may be saved.”  Jesus made it abundantly clear that He was the way the truth and the life and that no one comes to the Father except by Him. (John 14:6)  But it is also inclusive as it is a message for anyone and everyone anywhere.  As John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the WORLD that He gave His only begotten Son that WHOSOEVER believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  

    Continue Strong sharing unashamedly the gospel,
    And remember to DATE THE WORD

  • The Refresher

    2 Timothy 1:16 “The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain;”

    There are nicknames like the Enforcer, the Terminator, executioner, or Mountain Man to express the toughness of a person.  We do not think of “Refresher” as a tough person but as the Apostle Paul is launching into his second letter to Timothy, he expresses his gratefulness for a man named Onesiphorus who made a huge difference in his life by REFRESHING him.  I am nicknaming Onesiphorus the refresher because he refreshed Paul as he was in prison and was not afraid or ashamed to be around the Apostle Paul.  

    What does it mean to be a refresher?  

    A look at the word “refreshed” in Greek reveals it has the idea to blow cool air.   Like when you skinned up your elbow and your mother blew on it.  It has the idea of coming into the house from the yard and feeling the cool air of the air conditioner.  The Latin word for refreshed is (are you ready) “refrigeravit.”   I think you are smart enough to see the English word refrigerator.  Have you ever come in on a hot day and stuck your head in the refrigerator and felt that cool air?  It was so refreshing.

    Onesiphorus came to Paul and was like a breath of cool air.  He was like a drink of cool water.  His ministry of refreshment revived Paul. 

    You can be like Onesiphorus and have a ministry of refreshing that can revive weary souls.  All around you are people on a journey and the journey is taxing – sometimes vexing.  The work is so hard they are ready to give up, yet you show up and through a variety of actions refresh their soul.  And let’s not minimize showing up.  Paul commended Onesiphorus in verse 17 for seeking him out.  The verse says, “But when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously and found me.”   Paul was refreshed by Onesiphorus showing up!

    You can refresh someone by speaking or sending notes of encouragement. To encourage is to put courage back in a person.  In I Thessalonians 5:14 we are to encourage the fainthearted.  Proverbs 12:25 says, “Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad.”  Proverbs 25:11 says, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”  You can say the right word at the right time and your words will be priceless. 

    You can refresh a person by reminding the discouraged soul who God is and what God has done in the past can help a person hold onto the promises of God.  In Deut. 7:17 Moses wrote, “If you should say in your heart, ‘These nations are greater than I; how can I dispossess them?’ — 18  “You shall not be afraid of them, but you shall remember well what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt:

    Think of ways to be like Onesiphorus and take action today refreshing someone. 

    Continue Strong as a refresher,
    And remember to DATE the Word