Observations:
I asked myself what is the Apostle Paul exhorting Timothy to do?
I loved how Timothy is being exhorted to do 6 things:
1. Preach the Word with great patience and careful instruction.
2. Be prepared in season with great patience and careful instruction.
3. Be prepared out of season with great patience and careful instruction.
4. Correct with great patience and careful instruction.
5. Rebuke with great patience and careful instruction.
6. Encourage with great patience and careful instruction.

Observation/Interpretation:
I asked myself what are we to do with the Word of God?
I loved learning the 5 things we need to do with the Word of God:
1. Be prepared in season to preach the Word of God with great patience and careful instruction.
2. Be prepared out of season to preach the Word of God with great patience and careful instruction.
3. Correct using the Word of God with great patience and careful instruction.
4. Rebuke using the Word of God with great patience and careful instruction.
5. Encourage using the Word of God with great patience and careful instruction.

Interpretation:
I asked myself why is it so significant that the Word of God is emphasized in all 5 situations?
It is so signicant that the Word of God is emphasized in all 5 situations because regardless of whether the Word of God is popular or unpopular, it needs to be used continuously to correct people's lives when their lives deviate from the Word of God, to rebuke people's lives when their lives deviate from the Word of God, and then to encourage people's lives using the Word of God. It is so interesting that in all these situations, the Word of God is to be used with great patience and careful instruction whether it is popular with people or unpopular with people, whether it is being used to correct, rebuke, and encourage.

Interpretation:
I asked myself why are correct, rebuke, and encourage used in that order when preaching the Word of God?
I believe it is because when people are going astray, we need to point out their sin to them by correcting them not with our own words but pointing them to the Word of God. It is does not matter what we think is right or wrong because when we leave it to human will, right and wrong can become relative too. What is right for one person could be seen as wrong for someone else but when we use the Word of God, there is no relativism but only what is absolute when it comes to correction. Correcting someone means pointing out their wrong to them using the Word of God and not our own means. It is not enough to point out their wrong and leave it there. But, we have to rebuke them using the Word of God in the hopes that what we are correcting will lead to a change. In other words, we are to let them know that it cannot be done again because the Word of God says so. If it was left there, it would be so sad so it is exciting to know that we are never to just correct and rebuke people, but we are to encourage those same people with the Word of God. How awesome it is that we are asked to do it with great patience and careful instruction. That means it won't always be easy but the preaching of the Word needs to continue to change lives and influence lives with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Implications:
I asked myself what are the implications for my own life?
I need to use the Word of God every single day to influence lives by engaging the culture in all its ethnic diversity so the Standard is raised high for biblical living. The Word of God needs to be the Pittsburgh Standard for living, the Pennsylvania Standard for living, the U.S Standard for living, the North American Standard for living, and the World Standard for living so in all, it will be the Biblical Standard for living. I cannot just use the Word of God when it is popular only but when it is unpopular too. I cannot use the Word of God only when it is convenient to use but also when it is inconvenient to use. But most of all, I need to use the Word of God to first and foremost correct and rebuke myself when my standard of living devaites from the Word of God. It is wonderful to know that God's Word not only corrects and rebukes but also encourages. I also need to use the Word of God to correct, rebuke, and encourage others in my sphere of influence when they deviate from the Word of God so their lives can be changed. This can only happen when the Word of God is preached and put into practice by Proclaiming the Truth and Living the Truth.

I ask you now dear friend, how do you handle the W.O.R.D in life?
Dear friend, when you hear 'Preach the Word', the first thing that may come into your mind is that you are not a preacher and that is for pastors, priests, evangelists, teachers, etc to do. You are not necessarily wrong in that assumption but you are not also correct in that assumption. You can preach the Word by living out your life according to the principles of God's Word that others can notice a difference in you compared to others. When they see your life, they will be pointed to the Word of God when you live it out. You can also handle the Word in life by sharing the Word of God with others to raise the standard of living to a biblical standard.  It does not always have to be from a church pulpit but it can be through writings, through Bible study, etc. Whatever way it is, the Word needs to be used whether it is popular or unpopular to correct, rebuke, and encourage with great patience and careful instruction. You can do it friend with the Lord on your side.

Let me tell you my story. One day years ago, I decided to bravely write a column for the Pitt News on homosexuality and how Jesus could heal homosexuality. The editors decided to use the title, "With love, homosexuality can be cured." The column was written with love using the Word of God but using the Word of God to address homosexuality and healing was not popular on campus. I found out that I broke the record for the number of letters to the editor and also 7 Pitt News columnists wrote what seemed to many as Anti-Ramesh columns. I was also told that I was the most hated person on campus. Did that stop me from using the Word of God to write columns? Of course not! Because I believed the Word of God has the answers to every struggle of life and living, I continued to write Evangelistic columns to influence lives with the principles of God's Word. It was not a popular thing to do but I continued to do it and was blessed to have the favor of the opinions editor not to censor my columns through the years. I also loved to read the Pitt News Advisor, Harry Kloman's feedback on these columns. Now, I continue to use Pittsburgh Standard to influence lives through the Word of God. Even though the content of the columns was unpopular, the readership must have been popular at the Pitt News. I share this with you to let you know that I handled the Word of God in season and out of season, when popular or unpopular, when convenient or inconvenient to correct, rebuke, and even encourage. You can do that too! You never know what could happen. Even as I wrote that column on homosexuality, I was also a staff volunteer with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.  My student executive team decided we needed to have a panel discussion so it was announced all across campus: 'Homsexuality and Christianity': Is there a compromise? Pitt News Columnist Ramesh C. Reddy against homosexuality vs. Pitt News Columnist Michael Mazza for homosexuality. There was standing room only for the event. Whatever I did, I did it with great patience and careful instruction showing the love of Christ. What was most touching was when the leaders of Rainbow Alliance showed up for the event and told everyone that they do not agree with my views but they felt loved by me. God's Word is about love to love the sinner and hate the sin.

Even now that is how the Word of God needs to be handled by me and all. It is the Word of God that changes lives. You can handle the Word too and change lives around you. May you let the Word of God change you first and foremost and use it to change others remembering Word Of Redeemer Delivers.

"Word of Redeemer Delivers!" (W.O.R.D)/"How do you handle the W.O.R.D in life?"

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you so much for your Word. Preaching the Word is so important to you because lives can be changed by the power of Your Word. Thank you Lord. Oh Lord, you let us know that Your Word needs to be preached in season and out of season, when it is popular and when it is not, when it is convenient and when it is not, that it can be used to correct, rebuke, and encourage with great patience and careful instruction. Help us to do that daily so Your Word can be the Pittsburgh Standard for living, Pennsylvania Standard for living, U.S Standard for living, North American Standard for living, and the World Standard for living. Help us to make that a reality by handling Your Word how you want it to be handled. Please help us Oh Lord God of our Salvation. Deliver us and help us please. We need you Lord to overcome our sin. Thank you for your Blood shed on the cross of calvary to deliver us and save us when we turn to you. We acknowledge you as our Lord and Personal Savior inviting you into our heart. Thank you so much Jesus! Thank you that you have heard our prayers and answered us. In Your Name I pray Jesus! Amen!