Be the Gospel!

Over the last month, as I studied the beginnings of the Gospel message that Jesus brought to this earth through the story of His birth and childhood years, I was continually drawn to the simple sincerity of the lead characters in the play!  The individuals that we followed throughout our daily Advent Calendar were not just playing parts, but they were living and breathing, active participants of the message of hope that Jesus introduced to the world.

They weren’t  just acting out their perspective parts, they WERE the gospel!  When the people around them saw them living their lives, they saw the Good News of Jesus Christ in action in their hometown.  When Isaiah foretold of the ministry of John the Baptist in Isaiah 40:3-5/Luke 3:4-6, he declared that John would “Prepare the way of the Lord” and “Make his paths straight!”  Then he went on to describe just how he would do it so that “Every valley would be filled.  Every mountain and hill would be leveled.  The crooked ways will be made straight (and that) the rough roads will be made smooth.” (God’s Word ©)

John’s teachings and lifestyle acted as a catalyst for the people to get them thinking once again, about the possibilities of a coming Messiah.  He did what he did to get the everyday folks turned back to the things of God.  As I thought on this today, I reflected on how this is the same calling that each of us has been called to accomplish as sons and daughters of the living God.

The ideal of not just being a believer in the message of hope that John told of, but to “Be the Gospel” rang aloud within me!  It would seem that our very way of life, and our intrusion into the lives of those with whom we come into daily contact with, should be a reflection of His glory and should spark an interest in the things of God within them who might not have normally see a personal need for God in their lives.

That’s what John (and Jesus, for that matter) did!  He gave those who listened to him a reason to start making a way for Christ in their lives.  That reason is what caused those around John to start preparing the way for Him in their hearts.  It is what started their personal plowing of the roads, the making of straight paths, the filling of valleys and the leveling of the mountains and hills that had been constructed in the lives!

“Be the Gospel.”  What does that entail?  How does one become who God and His Word say that he is?  Is it even possible?  Well, according to the Word it is… as every God fearing individual talked about from the beginning of the story in Matthew chapter one through Revelation twenty-two, in some respect, became a living and breathing, active participant and image of the greatest hope known to mankind!

I believe that this is the word that the Lord has given me to talk about in 2014: “Be the Gospel!”  What a calling!  What an adventure in faith!  What an honor!  Are you up to it?  I think that I am!  So put on your seat belt and get ready for the ride (and best year!) of your life!  Have a great first week of 2014!  Stay in tune to His Word, and keep asking yourself… “What am I EXPECTING today?”