Serving the Lord with Gladness

Today I was reminded that no matter the circumstances of our lives, our stresses or responsibilities, WE Christians have the message of hope. The Angels came to the lowly shepherds and said the Greatest News they’d probably ever heard

FEAR NOT!...Today, in the city of David a SAVIOR is born.

During this Advent Season we think about the hope that came on that first Christmas morning. Yet, we think about the HOPE to come when Jesus returns to judge the living and the dead. This is where my mind and heart have been for a while now and I can’t shake it: WE have the message of HOPE for the world. In my own neighborhood I have friends who have never stepped foot in church, whose own children did not know the real history of Christmas and who that little baby was lying in the hay. I should not have been astonished because we have lived in a non-christian country for a while, but it still shocked me. How could they NOT know about Jesus? How could they NOT know the real meaning for Christmas: Jesus, the Savior was born who would live and die for their sins, be buried and on that third day, the first day of the week, rise again with power, majesty, authority and glory having crushed our greatest enemies of sin, death and the devil.

Now, to what I was thinking about today: Proclamation! PROCLAIM the Gospel of Jesus.

Now! Today! To your friends, family, neighbors and coworkers. WE Christians are the ONLY people with a message of HOPE in a world lost, destitute, spiritually dead and under the judgment of God. So, this message of hope brought to my memory an old song, written by Steve Green from the early 1990’s (oh, I know I just dated myself). The lyrics are powerful and reminded me that to my neighbor or around the world, we are to proclaim this Good News of the Greatest Hope ever given to dirty rotten sinners like me, like you. Jesus is the One who IS HOPE and changes our lives and removes us from under the judgment of God to be adopted into His own family. So, here are the lyrics and you can listen while you read along:

(https://youtu.be/7XLlXx6mGNY)

The Mission

There’s a call going out Across the land in every nation A call to those who swear allegiance to the cross of Christ A call to true humility, to live our lives responsibly To deepen our devotion to the cross at any price Let us then be sober, moving only in the Spirit As aliens and strangers in a hostile foreign land The message we’re proclaiming is repentance and forgiveness The offer of salvation to a dying race of man Chorus: To love the Lord our God Is the heartbeat of our mission The spring from which our service overflows Across the street Or around the world The mission’s still the same Proclaim and live the Truth In Jesus’ name As a candle is consumed by the passion of the flame Spilling light unsparingly throughout a darkened room Let us burn to know Him deeper Then our service flaming bright Will radiate his passions And blaze with holy light

Powerful right?!! While the Christian is an alien and a stranger who lives in a hostile foreign land, we are also ambassadors of the Great King of kings. We have the message of repentance and the forgiveness of all our sins and we alone offer them HOPE: life to dying men, women and children.

If you’ve been keeping up with the Apologetics class (offered FREE each Monday on Zoom), whether Apologetics Together or Creedal Apologetics (which we’re in the middle of) you know I am passionate about proclaiming and defending the faith. But, as an introvert (I know, that’s shocking some of you), I trust God to get me out of my own comfort zone to tell others. Friends, those outside of Christ, are dead men/women/children walking straight into eternity under God’s judgment and they need not end up there. WE have the message of hope. We have the Truth that Jesus lived, died, was buried and rose again for the forgiveness of their sins.

In a world where fear consumes many, you have been offered the great opportunity to serve Your King, Jesus, and bring them the Word of Life, the Gospel and the only True Hope this world has.

May each of us trust the Lord to help us open our mouths (He promised he’d fill it if we’d just open our mouths) and tell everyone around us the glorious message that Jesus came to give us life and that life more abundantly. May we all burn to know Him more and tell others about the One who came, who’s announcement was FEAR NOT, I bring you new of GREAT JOY! That’s our message in this world shaking with fear and foreboding.

Christian, YOU have the privilege of serving Jesus by serving your neighbor in the best way: Proclaim the Good News of Jesus to them today!