Celebrate!

"Look, there on the mountains, the feet of one who brings good news, who proclaims peace! Celebrate your festivals, Judah, and fulfill your vows. No more will the wicked invade you; they will be completely destroyed" (Nahum 1:15 NIV).

For all who think that we should not "celebrate" certain events in our lives--The Word gives us the right to celebrate "our" festivals. That means that we can have "festivals" that are not necessarily determined to be the "festivals of the Lord" as enumerated in the various ordinances.

Today, we can hear the chains breaking as the shackles fall--we are released from the bondage of thinking we cannot celebrate--birthdays, holidays, and other commemorative events. If we are spiritual Judah--a tribe who praises The Lord at all times--we have no need to slink away from celebrating the births of loved ones or any other of "our" festivals that do not dishonor God.

We also have a hope--that if we continue to promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ--we will have peace because we will no longer need to be concerned with the wicked who shall be no more!

The wicked are those who "refuse to acknowledge God" and choose to live a life that is totally immersed with selfishness. The wicked are not concerned with justice and lawfulness; they are consumed with lawlessness and wanton destruction of everything that is of God!

If all who proclaim to believe and trust God would share the Gospel of Jesus Christ--what a wonderful world we would have to abide in peace. If all who proclaim to believe and trust God would release their fears of rejection and apathy--more people would have an opportunity to "see" what an awesome God we serve! If all who proclaim to believe and trust God would love all with whom they come into contact--the world would know love and not hate.

In Christ--there are no denominations or separate religions--we are all one in Christ Jesus when we believe and trust God in all our ways and acknowledge Him in all we do.

When we--who say we know and have a relationship with God--know we have done all we can to promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ--we can rest assured that we have reason to celebrate and no need to fear retribution from God because we do. Celebrate! It's time for us to let the world know--who we are and how much God loves!