Song: To God be the Glory
To God Be The Glory ( Royal Albert Hall, London) - YouTube
Prayer:
Gracious God,
We are recipients of your great love and the good news of your gospel in our salvation. Enlighten the eyes of our heart that we may see, that we may know what is the hope to which you have called us: the hope of eternal life. May our hearts burn with the words of the Great Commission — so that we make disciples of all nations.
We pray that you open doors in all areas which our lives intersect. May you pave the way for the conversations we will have. We pray that you would open doors in our workplaces, schools, leisure activities, and our relationships. Make us aware of opportunities to bear witness to the greatness, the glory, and the goodness of our Saviour. Give us a boldness to walk through these doors and proclaim the hope of redemption in Christ and the promise of eternal life, for the glory of Your name and for our good.
As Colossians 4:2-4 tells us, may we “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving; and pray for us also, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison, that I may make it clear, as I ought to speak.”
Amen.
Taken from discovergrace.com
Song: Go forth and tell
Reading: Letter to the Romans, chapter 10, verses 8 to 15.
Song: We’ve a story to tell to the nations
We've a Story to Tell to the Nations - Harvest - YouTube
When did you last turn the television on and hear anyone say “We have good news!”? The media always seem to like the bad news, whether it about war, weather, or someone having a party that they weren’t supposed to have! Currently we are facing grave situations in the Ukraine, Afghanistan, not to mention the places in the world where there is still great trouble, but they seem to have slipped down the list of newsworthiness at the moment.
Generally, the press do not focus on good news.
In the aftermath of the pandemic which has affected most of us, there has been chaos in many countries; pressure on health care services, pressure on businesses, mental anguish for owners and operators on businesses, and many others.
People need hope.
Christmas seems a long time ago, and yet it is still important.
The shepherds were the first hearers of the Good News; that the Saviour was born, and they reacted with great joy. They went and told others.
This event is still good News for the world. It is relevant. It has impact.
Someone won the lottery, and was asked what it meant to him. “It was good news.” he responded, but now I’m surrounded by people wanting money, and constantly being invited to fundraising events. Perhaps it was at best a mixed blessing.
Paul asked, “How can they hear?” This requires, not just preaching, but sharing. Sharing of the news about the Saviour, about how he can change lives, about how he can have an impact.
In many circles, the bible is seen as old hat, old fashioned and irrelevant. People will admit to using it to press flowers, or even prop up the leg of an uneven piece of furniture! But the reality is that it is Living and Active. Name another book that is living and active.
Paul says that the message is “Sharper than a two edged sword.” Now, I have never experienced a two edged sword, and I don’t particularly want to, but I don’t doubt that it has impact.
Have you ever looked at you feet and said how beautiful they are? I certainly haven’t. But Paul quotes Isaiah and says that feet of the one that proclaims Good News are beautiful. We all need to know what it is to share the Good News.
If a surgeon were confronted with a patient, and knew the correct procedure to cure them, would you expect the4 surgeon to keep quiet? No, of course not. You would expect that the patient would be told about the necessary treatments, and prescriptions. The same is true for us. We are expected to proclaim the Good News.
God can work through tragedies and difficult situations. At the start of the pandemic, a magazine called “Hope” was produced. So far, over 400 000 have been distributed, along with many new testaments. A special edition of the new testament was produced for key-workers, which includes a section on where to find help in different situations that the reader may be in.
We never can anticipate the opportunities that God will present us with to share the Good News. The bible is a powerhouse with ability to transform.
But first, we need to ask what the bible is to us. Is the bible our steering wheel or our spare wheel? Someone once said that reading the bible regularly is like pouring water into a sieve; the sieve doesn’t hold the water, but it is kept clean!
We need to place this powerful word wherever we can, especially in the traffic ways of life.
God’s word has impact. We may never see the results of what we do, we can do things for years and not know how we have affected people. But, we sow the seed, and God provides the increase.
In the UK, there is an organisation called “Good News for Everyone” which seeks to provide scripture for people in various situations. If you want to know more about them, look at Good News For Everyone (formerly Gideons UK) (goodnewsuk.com)
Song: Thine be the glory
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