Celebration

Tonight, I helped a friend throw a graduation party for her son who just graduated from high school. Everyone was in a jovial mood. The kids played all kinds of games. My friend's son just beamed with pride over his accomplishments. The food tasted wonderful. The decor was festive. It was a night to remember.

We throw parties. We play exciting music. We spend hours decorating for important events. We celebrate. But I'm reminded of the verse in Luke 10 that says, "There is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” When a person accepts Jesus, the angels celebrate. I don't think we can even imagine the beautiful, awesome sight of the angels rejoicing!

There is nothing more exciting in the Christian life than seeing someone put their faith and hope in Jesus Christ. But so often, I believe we settle for much less. It's easy to get wrapped up in church attendance, neighbor initiatives, and Bible study. None of that is bad, but God has so much more for each of us as we journey through our Christian lives. Christianity is signified by joy and victory. Recently, my dad was in the hospital. My dad's eyes filled with tears as he told me about leading two of his nurses to faith in Jesus Christ. What a victory! What cause for celebration!

It's not easy to present the Gospel and tell someone that their sin will result in eternal punishment. However, God has commanded us to to tell the world of His salvation, and His commands come coupled with His enablement and power. In Acts 8, we see that the power of the Gospel resulted in much joy! "Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was much joy in that city."

Sharing our faith is not just a command; it is an absolute privilege to be an ambassador for the King of Kings. So, don't miss the party! Join the angels in their celebration of lives transformed by the Gospel.