The Joyful Evangelist

Posted by Michael A. La Framboise on Sunday, August 23, 2009 Under: Meditations

Isaiah 52:7-10 (NKJV)
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!"...
  Break forth into joy, sing together...
For the LORD has comforted His people,
He has redeemed [them].
  The LORD has made bare His holy arm
In the eyes of all the nations;
And all the ends of the earth shall see
The salvation of our God.

That fall day, as he penned his last written words from a cold prison cell, he told his son in the Faith: “Do the work of an evangelist” Paul knew well the words of Isaiah who described in vivid and glorious poetry, the ministry of an evangelist; he had even quoted these verses in the context of evangelism, when he wrote his Gospel treatise to the Church in Rome. These prophetic words give us the key to true evangelism, and as he wrote Timothy, the apostle no doubt had them in mind.

How beautiful the feet of an evangelist! He joyfully comes bringing the good news of peace, that there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. He gladly shares the good things of the Lord who has blessed us with every blessing and chosen us in His Son. He proclaims that salvation has been assured for those who will receive it, for God is not willing that any should perish.
 
How beautiful, how precious, are the footsteps of one who goes about confidently comforting the broken-hearted: “Your God reigns”, He is in control, and He is your redeemer!
The evangelist comes with a song in his heart and praise on his lips, encouraging others to give thanks to the Lord, “Break forth into joy, sing together!

What fills a person’s heart with such joyful love? This simple truth: The Lord has made bare His Holy arm, in the eyes of all the world, which he loved so very much! The Lord Jesus humbled Himself, allowing Himself to be stripped and beaten... “He laid bare His holy arm” to be pierced and nailed to the tree! This is how we know what true love is, because He laid down His life for us; we love because He first loved us. We bring good news of peace, because peace was brought to us; we share of His goodness, because He has been good to us; we proclaim salvation, because He has saved us; we comfort others, because we have been comforted; we sing, because He is worthy of our praise!

Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, that’s why an evangelist is such a joyful steward of God’s grace, because he spends time in the presence of the Lord where there is fullness of joy. The joy of the Lord is the strength of an evangelist! The very word “evangelist” means, one who brings good news, and by implication, he brings the news joyfully! That’s why the angel said to the shepherds on that first Christmas night, “Behold, I bring you good news of great joy!"

Evangelism is a work of joy; may the Spirit rekindle our joy!

In : Meditations 



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