Hey, have you Heard the GOOD NEWS !!!!
Zephaniah 3:14-20, Isaiah 12:2-6, Philippians 4:4-7, Luke 3:7-18
Key Reading Isaiah 12:2-6 CEB
2 God is indeed my salvation; I will trust and won’t be afraid. Yah, the Lord, is my strength and my shield; he has become my salvation.” 3You will draw water with joy from the springs of salvation. 4and you will say on that day: “Thank the Lord; call on God’s name; proclaim God’s deeds among the peoples; declare that God’s name is exalted. 5Sing to the Lord, who has done glorious things; proclaim this throughout all the earth.” 6Shout and sing for joy, city of Zion, because the holy one of Israel is great among you.
Isaiah is talking about salvation with God and his strength from God. Jesus the water of life will be our Salvation. We are charged with proclaiming God’s name and that of Jesus to the World. As the Mission statement of the UMC says: The mission of the United Methodist Church is to “make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”
Over the years I have had to trust in God for his strength, guidance and shield. Strength for me when my father died unexpectedly. I had just spoken with him an hour before he died; I was 17. God was our shield in all the schools I attended for nursing and then for my last career as a Cardiovascular Perfusionist (this is used in Open Heart Surgery). To attend that school, I had to leave my family and move to another city for a year and commute on weekends. My wife Melanie depended on God’s shield as she had all the weight of the family on her shoulders that year.
I have spoken of many of these moments of my life and others just to let others know of the greatness of God. I would shout to the world if I could that Jesus is my Savior and God is my shield. May my life help make Disciples for Jesus Christ to transform the world.
During this Advent season let us say to all we encounter of our Strength and Shield is God and that Salvation is through his son Jesus Christ. That Jesus will return again to claim all his people.
As in Martin Shaw’s hymn “With a Voice of Singing.”
With a voice of singing declare ye this, and let it be heard, Alleluia.
Utter it even unto the ends of the earth.
The Lord hath delivered his people, Alleluia.
O be joyful in God, all ye lands,
O sing praises to the honor of his name, make his praise to be glorious.
Let us pray:
Our Father makes me an instrument for all the world to know. Help me make Disciples through the Good News of Jesus Christ and through my story to transform our World. May the Holy Spirit be with me all the days of my life. In Jesus name, Amen.
Fred Herr
Certified Lay Servant
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