50 Days of Wisdom

The apostle Paul gave Timothy a command in 2 Timothy 4:2, "Preach the Word." He also says in 1 Timothy 3 that all pastors, overseers, and elders are to be skilled in teaching and preaching. We are called by God to preach the Word skillfully. That's our calling. But Paul also adds when to "Preach the Word." He says, "in season and out of season." That means preaching the Word is to be done all the time. Why? Because of the danger of the seasons. He is saying that savage, dangerous, and perilous times will come to threaten the truth, the gospel, and the Church. The first and most prominent season of danger that was thrust upon the church began in the fourth century by the Roman Catholic system. It was called Sacramentalism. Salvation was accomplished by automatic ritual. The church became a surrogate Christ, and you connected to the church and the system rather than a personal relationship with Christ. Sacramentalism became the enemy of the true gospel of grace and faith and was the instrument of the persecution and execution of true believers. It wasn't really until the Reformation in the sixteenth century that the back of sacramentalism began to be broken. Then in the eighteenth century, the second great epoch in the church was called Rationalism. Rationalists assaulted Scripture and denied its miracles, its inspiration, the deity of Christ, and the gospel of grace in the name of scholarship and human reason. Human reason became God. And every educational institution of any history across the world has been infested with rationalism, which discredits the Bible. That was followed in the nineteenth century by Orthodoxism. That's when mass printing of Bibles began, and people got them in their hands, but it didn't seem to matter. Their orthodoxy was dead, cold, and indifferent. They lacked zeal, and their spirituality was either nonexistent or shallow. Then came Politicism, where the church became politicized and preoccupied with political power. It developed the social gospel and liberation theology. And then we come into the twentieth century, around 1950, and the next dangerous season was Ecumenism. They were more interested in unity than doctrine. They said, "Let's all be one, and let's not divide over these doctrinal issues." Sentimentality became the issue. They began to tolerate evil and disdain doctrine, and the legacy of that was the lack of discernment. In the 1960s came the dangerous season of Experientialism. That's when psychology captured the church, and it got into narcissistic navel-watching. They were all concerned about whether we could bump ourselves up the comfort ladder, get more successful, and make more money. So they developed a man-centered and needs-based theology where personal comfort became the goal. Then in the '90s came Mysticism. That's where you could believe in absolutely anything. Then came Pragmatism, which basically says appropriate means for ministry are defined by the people. Just take a survey, and the people will tell you what they want, and then you give it to them. Truth became a servant of what works, as expository preaching was viewed as something folks no longer wanted, so the church decided that the key to effective ministry was image or style rather than content. Then came Syncretism. They said all religions worship the same God. Therefore, if you worship one of them, you'll get to heaven. Paganism then invaded the church in the form of feminism. And so it goes, just one dangerous season after another. The dangers never come and leave; they just come, stay, and accumulate, and with it a lack of discernment and a disdain for doctrine. Most of Christianity really doesn't care. But we do. And it takes some very skilled men to "Preach the Word," because of the danger of the seasons. Repent and believe! GTY.org (80-180) – Five Reasons to Preach the Word

Today's Wisdom

Day: 980

July 25, 2026

woman in white sweater reading free ebook

About Us

The Mark Paul Ministry dedicates itself to providing free Christian eBooks that inform and empower readers. Discover and download free ebooks and articles compiled by the Mark Paul Ministry, as well as experience the power of faith through authoritative expository preaching.

Grace and peace,

My name is Mark Paul from Wauchula, Florida, and like the Apostle Peter said in 2 Peter 1:14, "I know that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent." Consequently, my goal is to leave a legacy that will continue to advance the kingdom of God long after I have departed. In other words, bear fruit for eternity. And by simply reading and sharing my free eBooks, you too become contributors to the advancement of His kingdom. Thank you for partaking in this endeavor, and I look forward to greeting you on heaven's shore.

The Truth in Love,

Mark Paul - Servant of God

Now grant, O Lord, that when the souls who read these books cast their eyes upon these lines, their minds may be illuminated and their consciences convinced and awakened, that they may see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and be converted so that You may heal them. Amen