Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - WordAction - The Foundry Publishing House of Kansas City, Missouri, United States - The Global Church of the Nazarene for Wednesday, 17 January 2018 "God’s Ambassadors" by Jonathan Twitchell - Isaiah 27:1-13Isaiah 27:1 On that day Adonai,
with his great, strong, relentless sword,
will punish Livyatan the fleeing serpent,
the twisting serpent Livyatan;
he will slay the sea monster.
2 On that day, a pleasant vineyard —
sing about it!
3 “I, Adonai, guard it.
Moment to moment I water it.
So that no harm will come to it,
I guard it night and day.
4 I have no anger in me.
If it gives me briars and thorns,
then, as in war, I will trample it down
and burn it up at once;
5 unless it takes hold of my strength,
in order to make peace with me,
yes, to make peace with me.”
6 The time is coming when Ya‘akov will take root;
Isra’el will bud and flower,
and fill the whole world with a harvest.
7 [Adonai] will not strike Isra’el,
as he did others who struck Isra’el;
he will not kill them,
as he did the others.
8 Your controversy with her is fully resolved
by sending her [into exile].
He removes her with a rough gust of wind
on a day when it’s blowing from the east.
9 So the iniquity of Ya‘akov is atoned for by this,
and removing his sin produces this result:
he chops up all the altar stones like chalk —
sacred poles and sun-pillars stand no more.
10 For the fortified city is alone,
abandoned and deserted, like the desert.
Calves graze and lie down there,
stripping its branches bare.
11 When its harvest dries up, it is broken off;
women come and set it on fire.
For this is a people without understanding.
Therefore he who made them will not pity them,
he who formed them will show them no mercy.
12 On that day Adonai will beat out the grain
between the Euphrates River and the Vadi of Egypt;
and you will be gathered, one by one,
people of Isra’el!
13 On that day a great shofar will sound.
Those lost in the land of Ashur will come,
also those scattered through the land of Egypt;
and they will worship Adonai
on the holy mountain in Yerushalayim.
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In order to properly represent a president or ruler, an ambassador must have a clear picture of the goals and objectives of the one they represent. Is the ruler and more interested in free trade or a military alliance? Human rights issues or disarmament? Without knowing the answers to those sorts of questions, ambassadors are unable to do their job.
The apostle Paul tells us that we are Christ’s ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20). Consequently, we must understand the priorities of the kingdom. If we aren’t intimately familiar with what God is trying to accomplish, we will never be able to fulfill our calling as God’s representative. Paul clarifies God’s priorities by writing, “We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.”
God’s primary objective is reconciliation with the world. Isaiah tells us that instead of waging war against the enemies, God desires that they would make peace and find their refuge in Him. As the people of God, our posture should not be combative or exclusive, but one of peace and openness.
The gospel is good news for all people, and it is our sacred calling to proclaim it!
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Hymn for Today: "We've a Story to Tell to the Nations" by H. Earnest Nichol1 We've a story to tell to the nations,
that shall turn their hearts to the right,
a story of truth and mercy,
a story of peace and light,
a story of peace and light.
Refrain: For the darkness shall turn to dawning,
and the dawning to noonday bright,
and Christ's great kingdom shall come on earth,
the kingdom of love and light.
2. We've a song to be sung to the nations,
that shall lift their hearts to the Lord,
a song that shall conquer evil
and shatter the spear and sword,
and shatter the spear and sword.
Refrain: For the darkness shall turn to dawning,
and the dawning to noonday bright,
and Christ's great kingdom shall come on earth,
the kingdom of love and light.
3. We've a message to give to the nations,
that the Lord who reigneth above
has sent us His Son to save us,
and show us that God is love,
and show us that God is love.
Refrain: For the darkness shall turn to dawning,
and the dawning to noonday bright,
and Christ's great kingdom shall come on earth,
the kingdom of love and light.
4. We've a Savior to show to the nations,
who the path of sorrow has trod,
that all of the world's great peoples
may come to the truth of God,
may come to the truth of God.
Refrain: For the darkness shall turn to dawning,
and the dawning to noonday bright,
and Christ's great kingdom shall come on earth,
the kingdom of love and light.
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Thought for Today: “Here is the message that he sent to the sons of Isra’el announcing shalom through Yeshua the Messiah, who is Lord of everything.(Acts 10:36).
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Please pray: For the development of Christian leaders in Moldova.
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