I Bring You Good News Of Great Joy…

Luke 2:9&10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”

The method for getting the word out has changed many times over the years. First it was word of mouth.  Then as written language evolved is was passed in printed form.  The advent of the telegraph accelerated transmittal. Radio and then television helped information transmittal further leap the physical boundary of sheer distance.  And then the internet happened!  Now we share information with our BFOFs (best friends on Facebook) and tweet our followers on Twitter so that all know instantly what is going on in our lives or what even we are thinking.  There’s so much information out there. But really, how much is worth sharing?

One of the biggest challenges we as Christians face today is how do we most effectively share the good news about “The Good News.”  It used to be a simple question with limited possibilities for answers. Read the bible, attend church.  That was as simple as it could get for modern man up until the advent of lets’ say, for the sake of argument, radio.  Radio was the first big leap in quick and somewhat distance independent, mass communications.  Television added a visual element, and it had similar qualities as far as speed and distance leaping capabilities.  Now we could have a choice in where or when we attended “worship services.”  And we Christians had to adjust.  Church by television created some wonderful, and some really bad opportunities for the word of God to be shared with the masses.  While we have seen many good people in television ministries, we have also seen our share of those who forget who is being served.  Now we have the internet and social networking to embrace. These are very powerful communication tools that cannot be dismissed as simple distractions and therefore a waste of time.  They represent the biggest leap forward in communications capabilities we have seen to date.  Our church leaders are looking into how we can share the good news in a corporate sense using social networking. But we, you and I, also have an opportunity. And I would dare to say a “Great Commission” obligation to share that same good news in a manner we have never had before.  How do we use our time when social networking?  Is it a waste of time, or do you salt it with opportunities to reach out and share?  Personally I have been amazed at how effectively information is shared and how people band together using social networking. In my circle of friends are an amazing collection of strong believers, and unbelievers. Each gets the same information from me. I cherish the opportunities to share the Gospel with all. Be it simply words of kindness & encouragement or sharing a devotional or bit of scripture.  We all need to take the opportunities that present themselves in whatever manner they are presented as we go about our lives.  We all can bring good news of great joy to all that we encounter wherever we encounter people in our lives.

PRAYER: Lord of all things visible and invisible. We are given opportunities to share Your love for all mankind each and every day. Help us to see clearly the opportunities that are present in the myriad of ways they are presented to us. Guide is in fulfilling Your will for all mankind. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.