God's Witness

"Lord, the Lord Almighty, may those who hope in You not be disgraced because of me; God of Israel, may those who seek You not be put to shame because of me"- Psalm 69:6 (NIV).

You wonder if the silence of so many Christians is the fear of saying or doing the wrong thing? Let the Biblical scholars debate the evidence in Scripture, let highly educated preachers sway congregations from the pulpit, and let trained missionaries who know the language and culture of the people go to the foreign mission fields. You might make a mistake and become a stumbling block to someone needing salvation; worse, an embarrassment to God. Witnessing is not by your power. The Holy Spirit will help you: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses" (Acts 1:8a). The whole world will hear of Jesus, whether you witness or not. Jesus said, even if you remain quiet, the stones will cry out (Luke 19:40). Pray, as the director of music did in today's Scripture, and trust God's word to enable you. Embrace that you are God's witness.  

Just Say "No"

"For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age"- Titus 2:11-12 (NIV).

As a child, were you ever asked the following: "If everyone jumped off a cliff, would you jump off too?" That age old question is relevant in this present age. Our world is full of all kinds of temptations, but Christians must learn to discern truth from falsehoods and respond appropriately. The evil one will continue to try to deceive you. He'll use false teachers, perform wonders, and lead you down the easy path (Matthew 24:24). That easy path will take you straight to the cliff's edge. In the beginning, he deceived Eve, who convinced Adam to join in her in jumping off the proverbial cliff (Genesis 3:1-7). Scripture says that in the end of days, Satan will try to deceive whole nations, adding to his army, numbers like sand on the seashore (Revelation 20:8). Stay close to Jesus. The grace of God will teach you to say "No" to Satan's lies and to stay away from the cliff. 

But What About You?

"But what about you?" He asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "God's Messiah"- Luke 9:20 (NIV).

In the movie, the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy defeated the wicked witch of the west by throwing a bucket of water on her. The witch's last words were, "Who would have thought a good little girl like you could destroy my beautiful wickedness?" I imagine the devil melting away, similar to the wicked witch's water baptism, each time we tell others the reason for our joy; each time we tell others we believe Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah. We too are baptized, not by mere water, but by the blood of the Lamb of God. That baptism is pure grace and mercy to quicken us in love and to service. Scripture attests that the devil is defeated by the blood of Jesus Christ and by our testimony (Revelation 12:11). Jesus has done His part. The devil is waiting on your response to Jesus' question: "Who do you say I am?" So "What about you?" Take part in the victory. The devil will say, "Who would have thought a person like you could destroy my beautiful wickedness." 

Show Progress

"Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God"- Hebrews 6:1 (NIV).

Sometimes parents and schools have to make the best decision for an elementary school child who hasn't shown the expected progress. Do they promote him to the next grade, so he can move up with his classmates, or keep him back a year until he is ready? Friends, let me tell you, there is no such thing as "social promotion" when you stand before God. If you continue to remain in a lifestyle of sin, repent, sin, repent, you are crucifying the Son of God over and over again, subjecting Him to public disgrace among those who know you as a Christian (Hebrews 6:6). We are meant to show progress, to produce the crop of fruit intended to bring God glory (v.7). Grow and become mature in Christ by studying His word, seeking Him in prayer, joining other believers, go...live a life that will show progress.   

The Title Remains

"...and asked, "Where is the One who has been born King of the Jews? We saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him"- Matthew 2:2 (NIV).

King Herod was upset to hear that the wise men from the east were looking for the King of the Jews. He was king of the Jews and he wasn't about to be unseated from his exalted position!  Yet, even though Herod took drastic measure the title remained. Each of the four Gospels say that the title, King of the Jews, was etched in an inscription nailed above Jesus' head on the cross. Then it was the Jewish leaders who were offended, they were the highly exalted leaders of the Jewish people, and asked Pilate to remove the title; but to no avail; the title remained. The title still remains. At the name of King Jesus, every knee shall bow, just as the wise men knelt before the infant King, just as His disciples knelt before the risen King, so shall we all one day kneel before the King of kings. The title remains. 

The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved

"One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to Him"- John 13:23 (NIV).

Being designated as a 'disciple whom Jesus loved' is a treasured endearment; and it's yours. Your heart longs to accept this, but an accusatory voice within keeps reminding you of your past mistakes and the sins that keep you stumbling along in this world. Being a confessed sinner means you still need Jesus; you still need a Savior...just as the disciple John did. This is the disciple whom Jesus loved: John asked Jesus for preferential seating alongside Jesus in His kingdom (Mark 10:37), he had enough of a fiery temper that Jesus called him a "Son of Thunder" (Mark 3:17), Jesus rebuked him for his attitude when a Samaritan village didn't welcome Jesus and John asked Jesus if He wanted him to call fire down from heaven and destroy them (Luke 9:54) and John wanted others to stop casting out demons in Christ's name because they weren't part of their group (Mark 9:38). John was a sinner in need of a Savior, just as you are; accept it. That truth means you are also a disciple whom Jesus loves; believe it.