• Welcome
    • Purpose
    • Statement of Faith
    • Prayer Request
  • My Apology
  • TESTIMONY
    • English
    • Chinese Translation
    • Dutch Translation
    • French Translation
    • German Translation
    • Italian Translation
    • Portuguese Translation
    • Russian Translation
    • Spanish Translation
    • Turkish Translation
  • READY OR NOT...
  • My Story - Videos
    • My Life Story Video - "In His Own Words"
    • Video Interviews
    • Written Interviews
    • Son of Hope Gospel Tracts
  • Journal
    • 2023 >
      • *January 2023
    • 2022 >
      • January 2022
      • February 2022
      • March 2022
      • April 2022
      • May 2022
      • June 2022
      • July 2022
      • August 2022
      • September 2022
      • October 2022
      • November 2022
      • December 2022
    • 2021 >
      • January 2021
      • February 2021
      • March 2021
      • April 2021
      • May 2021
      • June 2021
      • July 2021
      • August 2021
      • September 2021
      • October 2021
      • November 2021
      • December 2021
    • 2020
    • 2019
    • 2018
    • 2017-2005
    • 2004-2003
  • Updates
  • For Parents, Teens, and Students
    • General Advice for Parents
    • Advice For Troubled Teens
    • Stopping Teen Violence
    • School Projects
    • Jailhouse Interview
    • A Letter to David from Youth Minister Dan Bailey
    • Suicide is Everyone's Business
    • What is Prison All About?
  • For Satanists
    • A Letter to a Satanist
    • Satan's Bible
    • Famous Satanists' Last Words - Quotes
    • Carl Sartor's Story
    • A Satanist Has a Vision
    • Jailhouse Interview
  • A Letter to a Soldier
  • Ministry Tools
  • Jesus Christ, the True Treasure and Pearl of Great Price!
  • Insights and Miscellaneous
    • A Letter to North Shore Baptist Church
    • Parole Hearing Transcript 2016
    • He Knows Your Name
  • Inspirational Testimonies
  • Friends
  • Contact
  • Welcome
    • Purpose
    • Statement of Faith
    • Prayer Request
  • My Apology
  • TESTIMONY
    • English
    • Chinese Translation
    • Dutch Translation
    • French Translation
    • German Translation
    • Italian Translation
    • Portuguese Translation
    • Russian Translation
    • Spanish Translation
    • Turkish Translation
  • READY OR NOT...
  • My Story - Videos
    • My Life Story Video - "In His Own Words"
    • Video Interviews
    • Written Interviews
    • Son of Hope Gospel Tracts
  • Journal
    • 2023 >
      • *January 2023
    • 2022 >
      • January 2022
      • February 2022
      • March 2022
      • April 2022
      • May 2022
      • June 2022
      • July 2022
      • August 2022
      • September 2022
      • October 2022
      • November 2022
      • December 2022
    • 2021 >
      • January 2021
      • February 2021
      • March 2021
      • April 2021
      • May 2021
      • June 2021
      • July 2021
      • August 2021
      • September 2021
      • October 2021
      • November 2021
      • December 2021
    • 2020
    • 2019
    • 2018
    • 2017-2005
    • 2004-2003
  • Updates
  • For Parents, Teens, and Students
    • General Advice for Parents
    • Advice For Troubled Teens
    • Stopping Teen Violence
    • School Projects
    • Jailhouse Interview
    • A Letter to David from Youth Minister Dan Bailey
    • Suicide is Everyone's Business
    • What is Prison All About?
  • For Satanists
    • A Letter to a Satanist
    • Satan's Bible
    • Famous Satanists' Last Words - Quotes
    • Carl Sartor's Story
    • A Satanist Has a Vision
    • Jailhouse Interview
  • A Letter to a Soldier
  • Ministry Tools
  • Jesus Christ, the True Treasure and Pearl of Great Price!
  • Insights and Miscellaneous
    • A Letter to North Shore Baptist Church
    • Parole Hearing Transcript 2016
    • He Knows Your Name
  • Inspirational Testimonies
  • Friends
  • Contact
AriseandShine.org

February 2009

Preach the Word

2/28/2009

 
Preach the Word; be instant in season,
out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort
with all longsuffering and doctrine. 
II Timothy 4:2


The apostle Paul told his young student and spiritual son, Timothy, whom he was instructing on how to be a good pastor, to "preach the Word" of God. Timothy was to do this whether his audience wanted to hear it or not...
 In addition, the Lord Jesus Himself commanded His disciples to "go into all the world" to explain the gospel to those who are lost. This was to be the church's main mission. That those who have already received Christ as Savior would tell others of their need to repent from sin and to place their faith in Jesus for salvation. But to a large extent the church seems to have forgotten her mandate.

I'm stating this now because of a letter I received from a friend who lives in a small southern city. He told me that a "spirit of suicide" appears to be taking hold of his community. He asked me to pray about it, too. Surely an increase in the number of suicides, and an increase in the number of those who are battling depression is to be expected, I think. With a worsening economy and both the government and media constantly presenting messages of gloom to the public, it should be of no surprise that many are frightened, sad, and even suicidal.

Yet the Bible lets us know that Jesus is the Light of the world. He is our hope. Furthermore, Christ has promised never to reject any one who comes to Him. As it says in the Scriptures, "All that the Father gives to Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out (John 6:37 NKJV)."

So now is the time, I believe, for the church to refocus upon her primary calling. This being to preach the gospel to those who have yet to call on the name of Jesus Christ, and who have yet to become His disciples.

Likewise, Jesus is a helper to the depressed and suicidal. I know this to be true. For when I was in such a state of mind to where I, too, was thinking of taking my life, Christ reached out to me. He sent another prisoner to tell me that he cared for my soul. And this made all the difference.

D.B.

Comments are closed.

    Author

    David Berkowitz
    Copyright © AriseandShine.Org

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly