Hosanna Restoration Church

In the past, we have seldom seen a portrayal of Jesus that would make us think there was anything glad about what He was doing. And yet scripture tells us that He went everywhere bringing glad tidings of the Kingdom of God. What do you do when you are glad? What picture do you get of someone who says they are glad or happy about something? Things that make us glad are things that lift us up and give us pleasure. So, Jesus went everywhere giving people news that lifted them up and gave them pleasure.

When he healed people it made them glad. When He delivered people it made them glad. When He fed thousands it made them glad. When they were glad it in turn provided an opportunity for others around them to be glad. Only God knows for sure how many others are affected by the spreading of each glad seed.

So let me ask, “does thinking of the Lord and the Kingdom of God make you glad?” When I say the kingdom of God, I am not talking about when you get to heaven. I mean do you get glad just thinking about the Lord? When things come against you, do you turn to Him to get strength and allow His joy to put you over rather than allowing circumstances to put you under?

It seems that often times people would rather talk about how bad times are and about everything that is wrong. But does that really help? All we do when we get caught up in that is declare how successful the devil is at his job. He gets way more praise than he should, and unfortunately it is often Christians who are as guilty as anyone of joining in.

You know, times were not so good when Jesus was spreading the message of gladness. The people were oppressed, over taxed, many were slaves, and well things just were not all that good. And yet in God’s eyes it was a perfect time for Jesus to go around spreading the news of how good His kingdom is.

If it was true then, it is certainly true now! What could be better than spreading the glad tidings of the goodness of God? There is more than enough reporting in the world of the bad things going on. As Christians, we have some glad things to talk about. As we spread the glad tidings, it seems that God should do now what He did then and confirm those glad tidings with signs following. In a world where people become more hopeless everyday, we have in our mouths words of life and hope.

Most of us have sung the chorus that says, “He has made me glad”! Are taking it out of the building and into the world around us. Are we revealing the glad tidings of the Kingdom of God? (The righteousness of God, the Joy of the Lord, and the peace of God that passes understanding) Do you feel that? How sweet He is!