The Gospel Spoken

Here we are in Louisville, KY and we are so close to getting settled in. Just one more week (Lord willing) and we should have all of our books, tools, and even the kitchen utensils within our nice new apartment. You never really know what you have and how much you need it, until you have to live without it. Take, for example, flower vases. I own them, but because I left them packed in my storage unit when we moved into our temporary apartment, they are entirely useless to me. So although I have a lovely silk floral arrangement to brighten the spirits of all who enter my house, it sits hidden away on top of the refrigerator in a pile because my vase is still packed away in storage. This is a great picture of our lives too!

I was saved from a life of rebellion and pride. In my heart I practiced and delighted in every evil way. I was destined for wrath and judgement and, quite frankly, if I had continued down the road that I was on, I probably would have ended up in a hopeless life filled with desperation. But the amazing thing is that while I was living this awful, self-centered, repugnant life, Jesus opened the door and walked into my life bringing with Him His wonderful life-giving light and the Holy Spirit to change me and quicken my heart and soul! He opened my eyes to see the good news that Jesus died for my sins and actually took them from me and bore them (every filthy one of them!) upon His own pure body! He filled my heart with love for this gracious God who would leave the beauties of Heaven to live a humble servant's life, so that He could purify me and make me His bride and present me holy and blameless to God the Father who's plan this was from before time! He died the perfect death, satisfying the penalty for my sins, and rose from the dead three days later because God the Father accepted Jesus' sacrifice as good and right and perfect. Then He went back up into Heaven and He is getting a special place ready for me there, so that I can live there with Him someday! And Jesus says that He didn't just do this for me, but that He did it for every one who believes on Him! This is the best thing to ever happen to me. In fact this is the biggest most valuable treasure that I could ever possess!

Yet... all too often I pack up this treasure in a cardboard box and stuff it into the back of my "storage unit" where it collects dust and is entirely useless. Just like my lovely flowers that are just waiting to show forth their beauty and bring a smile to those who will see them, so too this "gospel of the glory of God as seen in the face of Jesus Christ" is ready to burst forth and bring life and light into the lives of people that God has providentially put in my life. But just as I hinder the "work" of beautiful flowers by not displaying them, so too, I hinder the work of the gospel by not speaking it! God's word says in Romans 10: 17 "So faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of Christ". It says that God will effectively work out His will through the speaking of His word in Isaiah 55:10-11 "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it." Just as God sent Isaiah with a message to His people, He has sent us with a message of hope to the world. God will save! God will redeem! What a wonderful message of joy and reconciliation we have within our hearts! And what a shame when we store it up and do not display it's beauty for all to see. We must speak the good news so that people will hear and will be changed by the Holy Spirit and come to Jesus!


Oh that the Holy Spirit would cause us to be filled with boldness and that the overflow of the joy that we have in knowing Jesus as our Savior would fill our lives and our mouths everyday, so that God's magnificence is displayed through us; and in others as well!