Sharing the Good News!
Isn’t it good to know that God our Father, the creator of the universe, the maker of the heaven and the earth and everything in it including you and me, loves us? He loves us so much that He sent His one and only son Jesus Christ to come live with us, to show us the Way back home to heaven, the place from which we are came? And He desires a deep relationship with each and every one of us. No matter what family we came from, or what we have done in the past, God stands ready for us to come back home to him.
Scripture:
“Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus.” – Luke 15:1
Observation/Application:
Jesus came to save the lost, to heal the sick, to give the blind sight, to help the lame walk again. The Pharisees and others used to ridicule Jesus because he ate with sinners and tax collectors. – (Luke 5:30) And when questioned, Jesus answered, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” – (Luke 5:31,32)
In Luke chapter 15, Jesus tells 3 parables about something that was lost. First it was the lost sheep. The second was about the lost coin. And the third was about the lost son. In all 3 cases, Jesus taught us that he should rejoice when something lost is found. And that is exactly why Jesus came, to save those who were lost. True he spent a lot of time with his disciples, so that he could teach and train them. But Jesus brought them along with him as he worked to fulfill his purpose. He brought them with him and showed them the way as he shared the Word of God and made disciples.
As Christians, this is a very good lesson that we can still apply today. Do we let our faith shine as we walk through life so that others will be drawn to the love of the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ? Are we so hung up in our own lives that we forget about those who are suffering and hurting and lost? Are we judgmental of others who are professional sinners, or does our heart yearn for the lost?
There is nothing more important than spending time with the Lord through prayer and time in the Word. Jesus modeled this behavior for us as he often went off to pray and spend time with God. And that is how we keep ourselves healthy and refreshed. But let us not forget that there are billions of people out there who are lost, and hurting, and in desperate need of Jesus. Let us pray for God to reveal what we can do to help take part in this critical mission of sharing the Good News – the Word of God.
Prayer:
Dear heavenly Father, thank you for your Word today. Fill us with your love and wisdom, so that we can draw others to know you. Fill us with your Holy Spirit. Strengthen us when we are weak. Give us peace, and hope, and rest. Let us feel your Presence Lord. Help us to know that you are always with us. Cast out the enemy that is in our minds, and in our bodies. Refresh us, heal us, make us new. We thank you for all that you have done, and declare your Promise in our lives. We declare healing, restoration, courage, strength, hope, peace, joy, love, understanding, promotion, favor, and supernatural blessing over our lives Lord. And we give you all the honor and glory, in Jesus mighty name. Amen.
Image courtesy of: Templestream
Photo By Templestream