Abed_nego2
Servant of the Lord
Matthew 28:19, 20, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age"
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Jesus' last instructions to His disciples before He ascended to His Father was in relation to witnessing. Acts 26:18 says, “Open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light”. Luke 15:10 tell us of the outcome of our witnessing for the Lord, “There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” If the blood of Christ has saved you, you have been commanded by our Lord to go and tell others about God’s love, mercy, grace, joy, and peace that only comes from knowing His Son Jesus Christ.
In John 9, the man healed of blindness testified clearly what had happened to him: “Though I was blind, now I see (John 9:25). During Jesus short public ministry of about three years, He spent many hours teaching and healing people one at a time. Although the Savior preached to multitudes in Galilee and Judea and was often surrounded by a great crowd, He was never too busy to minister to men, women, and children one-to-one.
One day when a house at Capernaum was filled with people eager to hear the Master’s words (Mark 2:1-12), He stopped to give attention to a sick man who had been let down through the roof. On another occasion, Jesus singled out a man of short stature who had climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Him. Jesus stopped, looked up, and said, “Zaccheus make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house” (Luke 19:5).
__________
Sometime ago I read an article about a janitor at the University of Arizona who was a devout believer, who longed for his son Michael, to put his trust in Jesus Christ, as he had done. Michael recalls his father lovingly pleading, “Take Jesus as your Savior!” Michael, a well-educated engineer, was moved by his father’s plea, but asked his dad to give some reasons why he should trust Jesus. His father had little education and could only say with tears, “All I know is that He is who He says He is. I love you and want you to know Him too.”
My friend, a simple, heartfelt testimony of our personal faith in Christ can be a powerful witness. However, no matter how educated or uneducated we are, we have the Scriptures, which tell us that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. While writing this devotional, I was reminded of Peter, who told believers they should always be ready to give a reason for their hope in Christ (1 Peter 3:15). In the book of Acts, we read about the Spirit-empowered witness of Stephen and Paul (Acts 6:9-10; 24:24-25; 26:24-28). Every believer in Christ is part of His great commission. What Jesus told His disciples in Acts 1 also applies to all who have trusted Christ as Savior. We are His witnesses and therefore we must speak and live so that others will glorify Him when they hear our message and see our faith in action.
__________
Closing thoughts:
I’m mindful of the apostle Paul who had an opportunity to witness to a governor, a king, and other prominent citizens (Acts 25-26). We don’t know the results of his witness, but the apostle Paul was faithful where God had placed him. When you’re concerned for the spiritual needs of others and God opens a door of opportunity, any place is the best place to share the gospel; whether it’s on a corner street, at work, or in a king’s palace, or through web sites such as this one.
If the Lord has opened the eyes of our understanding so that we believe in Him, we can only humbly thank Him for His grace and mercy. Because we have done nothing to merit God’s grace and mercy, we need to keep praying that our Creator will do for unbelieving skeptics what He has done for us. If He has rescued you from eternal death, ask Him to use you as His instrument in telling others of the One (Jesus Christ) who gives new life and asks that He will, “Open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light.”
__________
God gave us a message to share - Don’t keep it to yourself.
__________
Jesus' last instructions to His disciples before He ascended to His Father was in relation to witnessing. Acts 26:18 says, “Open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light”. Luke 15:10 tell us of the outcome of our witnessing for the Lord, “There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” If the blood of Christ has saved you, you have been commanded by our Lord to go and tell others about God’s love, mercy, grace, joy, and peace that only comes from knowing His Son Jesus Christ.
In John 9, the man healed of blindness testified clearly what had happened to him: “Though I was blind, now I see (John 9:25). During Jesus short public ministry of about three years, He spent many hours teaching and healing people one at a time. Although the Savior preached to multitudes in Galilee and Judea and was often surrounded by a great crowd, He was never too busy to minister to men, women, and children one-to-one.
One day when a house at Capernaum was filled with people eager to hear the Master’s words (Mark 2:1-12), He stopped to give attention to a sick man who had been let down through the roof. On another occasion, Jesus singled out a man of short stature who had climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Him. Jesus stopped, looked up, and said, “Zaccheus make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house” (Luke 19:5).
__________
Sometime ago I read an article about a janitor at the University of Arizona who was a devout believer, who longed for his son Michael, to put his trust in Jesus Christ, as he had done. Michael recalls his father lovingly pleading, “Take Jesus as your Savior!” Michael, a well-educated engineer, was moved by his father’s plea, but asked his dad to give some reasons why he should trust Jesus. His father had little education and could only say with tears, “All I know is that He is who He says He is. I love you and want you to know Him too.”
My friend, a simple, heartfelt testimony of our personal faith in Christ can be a powerful witness. However, no matter how educated or uneducated we are, we have the Scriptures, which tell us that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. While writing this devotional, I was reminded of Peter, who told believers they should always be ready to give a reason for their hope in Christ (1 Peter 3:15). In the book of Acts, we read about the Spirit-empowered witness of Stephen and Paul (Acts 6:9-10; 24:24-25; 26:24-28). Every believer in Christ is part of His great commission. What Jesus told His disciples in Acts 1 also applies to all who have trusted Christ as Savior. We are His witnesses and therefore we must speak and live so that others will glorify Him when they hear our message and see our faith in action.
__________
Closing thoughts:
I’m mindful of the apostle Paul who had an opportunity to witness to a governor, a king, and other prominent citizens (Acts 25-26). We don’t know the results of his witness, but the apostle Paul was faithful where God had placed him. When you’re concerned for the spiritual needs of others and God opens a door of opportunity, any place is the best place to share the gospel; whether it’s on a corner street, at work, or in a king’s palace, or through web sites such as this one.
If the Lord has opened the eyes of our understanding so that we believe in Him, we can only humbly thank Him for His grace and mercy. Because we have done nothing to merit God’s grace and mercy, we need to keep praying that our Creator will do for unbelieving skeptics what He has done for us. If He has rescued you from eternal death, ask Him to use you as His instrument in telling others of the One (Jesus Christ) who gives new life and asks that He will, “Open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light.”
__________
God gave us a message to share - Don’t keep it to yourself.
