GO LIGHT THE WORLD!

SCRIPTURE

Colossians 4:2-18 (NRSV)
Declaring the mystery of Christ

Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving. At the same time pray for us as well that God will open to us a door for the word, that we may declare the mystery of Christ, for which I am in prison, so that I may reveal it clearly, as I should.

Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone.

Tychicus will tell you all the news about me; he is a beloved brother, a faithful minister, and a fellow servant in the Lord. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts; he is coming with Onesimus, the faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you about everything here.

Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, as does Mark the cousin of Barnabas, concerning whom you have received instructions - if he comes to you, welcome him. And Jesus who is called Justus greets you. These are the only ones of the circumcision among my co-workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you. He is always wrestling in his prayers on your behalf, so that you may stand mature and fully assured in everything that God wills. For I testify for him that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas greet you. Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters in Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. And when this letter has been read among you, have it read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you read also the letter from Laodicea. And say to Archippus, "See that you complete the task that you have received in the Lord."

I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.

DEVOTION

Today we are reminded of the importance of bathing our GOOD NEWS efforts in prayer! So often when people approach the work of evangelism (e.g., sharing the GOOD NEWS) they have good intentions, but no prayer to back them up!

Prayer is how we access the power of God! As we pray in agreement with God’s heart--and will—for the people of the Earth, God opens up the windows of Heaven, supernaturally equipping us with all that we need to successfully communicate the Gospel to others!

Do you have family, friends, co-workers, or neighbors who need to experience the GOOD NEWS in their lives? Do you have a heart for a specific ethnic or cultural group in your community? Do you have a desire to reach children, youth, men, women, veterans, the disabled, or any other social group within society?

If so, I believe that God has given you this desire with the expectation that you will act upon it! But, before you get to work, take a moment to pray, asking God how you can be most effective in your witness!

I love Paul’s admonishment to “devout yourselves to prayer and keep alert in it with thanksgiving [in your heart].” Anything that we seek to do for God needs God’s stamp of approval!

Spirit is so wise! When we pray the Holy Spirit will give us the wisdom, understanding, discernment, and love necessary to bring GOOD NEWS to those in need! Spirit will give us the energy, creativity, and resources to get the job done! Spirit will give us the patience, endurance, and fortitude to never give up or become discouraged when the going gets tough! Spirit will set us aflame as a light unto the world!

We just can’t share GOOD NEWS without the power of the Holy Spirit backing us up! Spirit gives us the ability to communicate that God loves the world so much that God gave Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our sins and gift us with eternal life!

If Spirit does not anoint our words they will fall on deaf ears or hardened hearts! Paul states, “Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone.”

Wow! This is great advice! It is my prayer that each of us will heed it in such as way that all of our neighbors will come running asking us, “What must we do to be saved?!”



ANNOUNCEMENTS

If you would like to put all of your hope in Jesus today, please visit my blog entitled, “Putting All Your Hope In Jesus” located at
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/04/putting-all-your-hope-in-jesus.html

If you have additional questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, "Come to Jesus"
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/come-to-jesus.html

Pastor Yolanda is now publishing another blog entitled, “A Spoken WORD” in celebration of Holy Hip Hop, Gospel/Christian Rap and Spoken Word. Please check it out @ http://aspokenword.blogspot.com/

You are invited to follow Pastor Yolanda on Twitter www.twitter.com/PastorYolanda

Good News has now added a Prayer Ministry. http://www.kindlejoy.com/groups/goodnews

You are invited to leave comments or questions regarding today’s devotional. These comments are public.

EACH ONE--REACH ONE! To share GOOD NEWS with a friend please click the "Share With Friends" button to the right!

Thanks for reading and please come again. Pastor Yolanda extends a very special welcome to all of our friends reading outside of the United States of America! We are honored that you are sharing with us today.

From Pastor Yolanda's blog http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com

WHO WILL BE A WITNESS FOR MY LORD?

SCRIPTURE

Time After Pentecost - Lectionary 11
Mark 4:26-34 (NRSV)

The parable of the mustard seed

He also said, "The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come."

He also said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade."

With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.

DEVOTION

This summer I’ve been doing a little gardening. I don’t have very lofty goals, but I’m doing my best to bring some color, flower, and shrub to the soil around my home.

One of my greatest challenges has been to contain the weeds growing around my little gardens! It is appalling how many days I have spent attempting to weed out the dandelions, only to wake up in the morning to discover more than have taken their place.

My goodness! How does this happen? It seems these little dandelions are very tenacious! They put down their roots, spread across my grass, blow seeds all across my lawn (sometimes with help from my daughter) and they grow, grow, grow no matter what hardships might befall them!

I rip them out by their roots; others sprout up the next day. I spray fertilizer in their faces, they stubbornly cling to life. The rains fail to come and the ground dries out, and still they lift up their faces to the sun, as happy as they want to be!

Oh, that Christians could be like dandelions or like mustard seeds--stubborn, tenacious, joyful, and committed to our mission in the world (smile)!

I like to imagine that God is the sower and we—as bearers of the GOOD NEWS message—are the seed.

When we “hit the earth” we ought to be about the business of sharing the GOOD NEWS message that God loves us so much that God gave Jesus to die upon the cross to save us from our sin and gift us with eternal life.

No matter what obstacles besiege us, we ought to be steadfast in our determination to live out our mission and call on the Earth. We ought to stubbornly, tenaciously, and joyfully attend to the work of telling people that God loves them, Jesus died for them, and Spirit wants to fill them with God’s joy!

Like dandelions—or mustard seeds--we are called to be gracious, but tenacious. I have never heard a dandelion apologize for being a dandelion. The dandelion does not excuse its behavior or apologize for its mission, it just grows, grows, grows, by any means necessary!

Now that I think about it, I respect the dandelion. It is doing what God created it to do! My only prayer is that as Christians we would learn the lesson the dandelion is teaching us today. We are invited—and instructed—to bring the good news message to every person living in our neighborhoods!

Now do not despair if some of your neighbors don’t appreciate your “dandelion evangelism!”

What we do as bearers of GOOD NEWS may seem insignificant to some, but it is not insignificant to God! God appreciates each and every effort you put forth to share the Name--and Love--of Jesus with others!

Our evangelistic efforts to bring GOOD NEWS to those who have not heard, forgotten, or lost their way affects eternity! As we introduce people to Jesus, and help them to put all of their hope in Him, we become partners with God in the greatest service ever rendered!

Sometimes we may think that our faith is too small to share with others; but we are not correct! Even if you only have faith the size of a mustard seed, you have enough to tell somebody that Jesus saves and He saves to the utmost!

Unlike dandelions, everybody needs love! Everybody needs forgiveness! Everybody needs to be in right relationship with God! Everybody needs eternal life in the Heavens!

As we share our faith, we are bringing a GOOD NEWS message that will change people’s lives, families, communities, work places, and world!

Will you be a dandelion today?

Holy One, thank you that you have given me good seed—and made me good seed—for the fertile fields of human hearts! Help me to share the GOOD NEWS message that You love us and gave Jesus to die for us, all to save us from our sin and gift us with eternal life! This GOOD NEWS has taken root in my heart and saved my soul! Help me to partner with you as we plant this same seed in the hearts of others. I love you and I want others to love you too. Please help me stubbornly, tenaciously, joyfully, graciously, humbly and gently share Your Love with others! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Congratulations to the people who have recently put all of their hope in Jesus! We celebrate your re-birth-day and promise to hold you in our prayers!

If you would like to put all of your hope in Jesus today, please visit my blog entitled, “Putting All Your Hope In Jesus” located at
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/04/putting-all-your-hope-in-jesus.html

If you have additional questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, "Come to Jesus"
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/come-to-jesus.html

Pastor Yolanda is now publishing another blog entitled, “A Spoken WORD” in celebration of Holy Hip Hop, Gospel/Christian Rap and Spoken Word. Please check it out @ http://aspokenword.blogspot.com/

You are invited to follow Pastor Yolanda on Twitter www.twitter.com/PastorYolanda

Good News has now added a Prayer Ministry. http://www.kindlejoy.com/groups/goodnews

You are invited to leave comments or questions regarding today’s devotional. These comments are public.

EACH ONE--REACH ONE! To share GOOD NEWS with a friend please click the "Share With Friends" button to the right!

Thanks for reading and please come again. Pastor Yolanda extends a very special welcome to all of our friends reading outside of the United States of America! We are honored that you are sharing with us today.

From Pastor Yolanda's blog http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com