Herald of Good News

“Go on up to a high mountain,

    O Zion, herald of good news;

lift up your voice with strength,

    O Jerusalem, herald of good news;

    lift it up, fear not;

say to the cities of Judah,

    ‘Behold your God!’

Behold, the Lord God comes with might,

    and his arm rules for him;

behold, his reward is with him,

    and his recompense before him.

He will tend his flock like a shepherd;

    he will gather the lambs in his arms;

he will carry them in his bosom,

    and gently lead those that are with young.” (Isaiah 40:9-11 ESV)

In the New Testament we read that we who are of genuine God-gifted and God-persuaded faith in the Lord Jesus are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that we may PROCLAIM (preach) the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness (sin) into his marvelous light (Jesus Christ, truth, righteousness). (1 Peter 2:9)

And we read that we are the SALT of the earth and the LIGHT of the world, so we are those who are to preserve and to hold on to the truth of the Scriptures and who are shining the light of THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL to the people of the world. So we are not to let our salt lose its taste nor are we to hide our lights under a basket or a bushel, but we are to put our lights on a stand so that it gives light to all. But this is not to be just with our lips, but with our lifestyles which give evidence to the truth of what we are saying. (Matthew 5:13-16)

And we read the instructions which Jesus gave to his disciples, and if we are of genuine faith in the Lord Jesus, then we are his disciples. And he told them to GO and to MAKE DISCIPLES (of Christ) of people of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, TEACHING them to OBSERVE (obey) all that the Lord had commanded. And he told them that they would be his WITNESSES to the ends of the earth. (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8)

And then we read, “How beautiful are the feet of those who PREACH the GOOD NEWS!” And “Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are WHITE FOR HARVEST. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.’” And (Jesus speaking) “Whoever believes in me will also DO THE WORKS that I do”. (Romans 10:14-15; John 4:31-38; John 14:12)

And “Whoever says he abides in him OUGHT TO WALK in the same way in which he walked.” And “For this YOU HAVE BEEN CALLED, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might FOLLOW IN HIS STEPS.” (1 John 2:6; 1 Peter 2:21)

So, you see, we are all here for a purpose, and that purpose is to serve our Lord Jesus Christ in doing what he has called all of us to do in being his witnesses, and in sharing the truth of the gospel, in making disciples of Christ of other people of all nations, and in doing the kinds of works that Jesus did, and in following in his footsteps in walking in like manner as he walked when he lived on this earth. We are to be his representatives to the people of the earth in living the lives he designed us to live and then in sharing with them his gospel message so that they can know him, too.

But we need to make certain that we are following what the Scriptures teach with regard to how we are to live, as his followers, and that we are sharing the gospel that Jesus and his New Testament apostles taught, and not this modernized version of the gospel which has been altered and diluted in order to appease human flesh and human consciences so that they can go on living in sin convinced that all their sins are forgiven, and that heaven is secured for them when they die, but regardless of how they live.

For Jesus said that if anyone would come after him, he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin we will lose them for eternity. But if for Jesus’ sake we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow him in obedience, then we have the hope of eternal life with God. For he also said that not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those DOING (obeying) the will of God (Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).

And God’s grace, which is bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce (say “No!” to) ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s return. And genuine belief in Jesus Christ results in us being crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. So sin is no longer to reign in our mortal bodies to make us obey its desires, for if sin is what we obey, it leads to death. But obedience to God ends in eternal life with God (Titus 2:11-14; Ephesians 2:10; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14).

So, the encouragement for all of us here is that we should all be those who are following our Lord in obedience in holy living and that we are no longer making sin our practice. We should be walking in our Lord’s footsteps in going wherever he leads us and in doing whatever he commands that we should do, as his followers. And then we should be witnesses and we should be sharing the truth of the gospel with the people of the world by how we live, in practice, and by sharing what Jesus and his NT taught us in what salvation from sin looks like and what a true Christian should look like, too.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Peter 1:15; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

As the Deer 

By Martin J. Nystrom

Based off Psalm 42:1

As the deer panteth for the water

 So my soul longeth after You

 You alone are my heart's desire

 And I long to worship You

You alone are my strength, my shield

 To You alone may my spirit yield

 You alone are my heart's desire

 And I long to worship You

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZv3jzOTE70

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