God's Word is not Chained II

2 Timothy 2:1-13 Paul is writing from a Roman prison to Timothy, his disciple whom he has left in Ephesus as a pastor in the church there. I'm sure that most of these things that Paul is telling him, he has heard before, but when you're on the front lines, you need to be reminded often. When one is among those who are antagonistic or indifferent to the Gospel, you are on the front lines. When your goal is to rescue those who don't even know they need rescuing, you are on the front lines. Paul says to Timothy in verse 2 that he needs to find those that he can teach what he has seen and heard from Paul with the purpose in mind that they will be competent and motivated to teach others as well. One can sense an urgency in Paul's letter, when he warns about getting off track in "civilian" affairs. Our prime directive is being engaged in the Father's affairs touching people for Jesus. The power that makes the whole thing work is, that although people can be imprisoned and put in chains, "God's Word is not chained." It is God's Word that reveals truth, it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes. It is the truth that sets us free. It is the lamp for our feet, and the light to our path. It opens the way to relationship with the Father through Jesus His Eternal Son. Prison is a geographical place. It means that you cannot go to other geographical places as you might choose; but God is there, and if His Word is in you, it can be uttered by voice, by pen, by attitude, by behavior, etc. As you "speak" His Word by any means, God is there to speed it on its way. God said, Isaiah 55:11 "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." Saying God's Word may cost, but it will accomplish God's purpose."