6 Therefore My people shall know My name; Therefore they shall know in that day That I am He who speaks: 'Behold, it is I.' "
7 How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, "Your God reigns!"
8 Your watchmen shall lift up their voices, With their voices they shall sing together; For they shall see eye to eye When the Lord brings back Zion.
We are called to be proclaimers of God's truth - we are His ambassadors, and we are called and empowered to speak God's principles, to live and proclaim God's Word. When Biblical truth is spoken into a difficult situation, there is the potential for solutions to occur. When prayer is directed at breaking down barriers, the power of God is released in order to bring God's desired outcome. We are the bringers of hope, and our desire should be to minister that hope, wherever the Lord sends us.
After being tempted in the wilderness, Jesus began His teaching ministry. He went to Nazareth to
teach in the synagogue, and we find this narrative in Luke chapter 4:
18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."
20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.
21 And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."
COVID-19 has certainly forced the Church to adapt in so many ways. And, where there have been barriers to in-person worship; services have taken a variety of forms, including online services and other special programs, drive-in services, and in-person worship with social distancing. Churches have been finding ways to be involved in serving the needy in their communities and ministering to the needs of their parishoners. And, as we are working our way through it, we are continuing to realize that Christ is the head of the Church and He is showing Himself to be faithful.
A church leader in Kenya named Paul Macharia, from All Saints' Cathedral in Kiambu County has been intent on sharing Christ's truth, according to a story on the Voice of America website. He has a ministry that has been called, "B2B," which stands for "balcony to balcony.”
The article relates:
The report states, "The service appears to have taken on an aura of hope..."
+++++
After being tempted in the wilderness, Jesus began His teaching ministry. He went to Nazareth to
teach in the synagogue, and we find this narrative in Luke chapter 4:
18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."
20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.
21 And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."
COVID-19 has certainly forced the Church to adapt in so many ways. And, where there have been barriers to in-person worship; services have taken a variety of forms, including online services and other special programs, drive-in services, and in-person worship with social distancing. Churches have been finding ways to be involved in serving the needy in their communities and ministering to the needs of their parishoners. And, as we are working our way through it, we are continuing to realize that Christ is the head of the Church and He is showing Himself to be faithful.
A church leader in Kenya named Paul Macharia, from All Saints' Cathedral in Kiambu County has been intent on sharing Christ's truth, according to a story on the Voice of America website. He has a ministry that has been called, "B2B," which stands for "balcony to balcony.”
The article relates:
Each Sunday he hits the road delivering his sermons to scores of people in apartment buildings.
Macharia relishes the reception he has received, telling the Associated Press it would not be possible if people didn’t invite his mobile church into their communities.Macharia said, "It has been beautiful seeing children coming together for worship services..."
The report states, "The service appears to have taken on an aura of hope..."
Think about that - we each, as believers in Christ, have that potential to bring an "aura of hope." Even in the midst of pandemic or protest, we can have a distinct position - to be purveyors of hope in Christ.
That's why our presence is so key in the current social upheaval - hope is described in Hebrews 6 as an "anchor for the soul," and our culture needs to be anchored in Biblical principles regarding social relationships, with a foundation of love and service. It's more than just reforming social structures, although that can be helpful where there is true injustice - we need the transformation of hearts in order to see true reform take place.
I believe the Scriptures provide the prescription to address the problem that we are seeing, especially in our cities - but social programs that have been tried for decades are not producing results. One could say we need a new approach. What if ministers who are devoted to following Biblical truth met with governmental leaders, business leaders, and other influential people in our communities to craft workable solutions?
Paul Macharia realized Christ is the cure, but he wasn't content to stay in his home during the COVID-19 crisis in Kenya. He went to the streets - balcony to balcony - and called out to people, proclaiming, "Christ is the answer." We're here for a reason, and we can reflect the call of Christ and issue the call of Christ.
I believe the Scriptures provide the prescription to address the problem that we are seeing, especially in our cities - but social programs that have been tried for decades are not producing results. One could say we need a new approach. What if ministers who are devoted to following Biblical truth met with governmental leaders, business leaders, and other influential people in our communities to craft workable solutions?
Paul Macharia realized Christ is the cure, but he wasn't content to stay in his home during the COVID-19 crisis in Kenya. He went to the streets - balcony to balcony - and called out to people, proclaiming, "Christ is the answer." We're here for a reason, and we can reflect the call of Christ and issue the call of Christ.
No comments:
Post a Comment