Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. —2 Timothy 4:2
The New Testament epistles were not written like lessons for a Sunday school curriculum. They were written as letters to people like us who were at times going through very difficult situations. When we as a church hear about the conflicts that caused the writing of 2 Corinthians or discover the drama that is the background of the letter to the Hebrews, we begin to identify with the people of the New Testament, not just with the exhortations to them. Not only does this make the New Testament come alive, but it also gives the church a sense of connection with those who began the race. The church as a prophetic community must realize that we are a continuation of what they began. We must feel that connection. The torch has been passed so many times that it is easy to lose sight of the fact that we are running the same race they started. Their leg of the race has been completed, and they have now gathered at the finish line to cheer us on. The church is the living testimony of the prophetic purpose of God in history.
{ PRAYER STARTER }
Holy Spirit, help me to understand the heart and emotions of those early Christians who became Your servants. Let me feel connected to them, and give me a heart that desires to separate myself to You just as they did.
The church is a prophetic community
that is to preserve and proclaim
accurately the Word of God.
