The movement of the message

Matthew 4:12-17 / Mark 1:14-15 / Luke 4:14-15 / John 4:43-45…

The news spreads, and when great things are happening, great crowds will come admiring. Yet the gospel that comes from God is a message that must be turned to, not just with ears and excitement, but with heart and soul. It is not something that can be simply admired, like so much of the sentimental, humanistic, “oh isn’t that lovely” type of thing we see so prevalently today.

Outside your regular church world and into areas of great darkness Jesus will sometimes take you (Isaiah 9:1-2). When you enter into that darkness, the dream in you (Colossians 1:27) is the hope of the light that dawns. The kingdom of God had arrived with the presence of the King. Jesus was the long awaited Messiah; He is the Christ, Jesus IS the good news of the gospel. It is He who saves sinners. You are the movement of His message (Romans 10:9-17).

What does your arrival bring? What does your life announce? Is it simply, “follow your heart”, “be a good person”, “just reform a little and it will be okay”, or, “as long as you are sincere you will have eternal peace”? If so your life does not shine the truth! If yours is the Christian life then your life is the message of “repent and believe”, not in yourself or your own faithfulness, not in the goodness of man, not in some other way to be reconciled to God, but only this: repent and believe the gospel.

What message moves you? You are a royal priest and an ambassador for the kingdom of God. The king will at once come again. When people encounter you, do they know the kingdom is at hand? Or are you the herald for humanism?

“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©

Share and share alike

Luke 3:19-20…

Herod did a lot of despicable things, but imprisoning John the Baptist was the sin icing on the devil’s food cake, as it were. People who don’t know God might not mind that you are talking rough about sin, unless and until it is their sin. You can hear all sorts of complaints about the cooking, until it gets right into your own kitchen. Then it gets a little too personal for them, and it might get a little too painful for you.

People who have authority over you, who are not of the kingdom of God, can and sometimes will use their position to try and put you out of commission, as it were. They might at times hear you gladly (Mark 6:20), but know that those who are reproved by your righteous lifestyle (Ephesians 5:11) will turn on you if they listen to the devil in their ear (2 Timothy 3:12). Even your former peers might join in (1 Peter 4:4).

This is your call, not just to share Jesus, but to share along with Jesus. You must share the truth of the Savior (Matthew 5:11-12). You must also share the test of the suffering (Philippians 1:29, 3:10 / 1 Peter 4:12-13). But you will also share the touch of the Spirit (1 Peter 4:14).

In our relationship with Jesus, be ready to share and share alike. He feels your pain (Hebrews 4:15). Are you ready to feel His (1 Peter 4:1-2)?

“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©

The real reason

John 4:39-42…

People can get excited about our experiences, especially when they seem so real to us that we lose all inhibition in sharing it with anyone and everyone. It is a powerful witness when someone actually radiates conviction about what they are saying to you. Jesus exposes us, and we go and expose Him. We are lit up and on fire, and we use all the heat we can to bring people to the Light that has found us.

Now some people won’t care about that and they might dismiss you as a raving lunatic. Others, out of curiosity, will go and see for themselves what all the fuss is about, even if just for a laugh. However, there are people who know you and they will pay closer attention, especially people who know that you are the sort that usually hides their faults (and that’s all of us, by the way). They will be eager to see just what all the commotion is about. They will see a real change, and want to see for themselves if this is the real deal or not. When they meet Jesus for themselves, the word they began to believe because they believe in you will become most real to them.

They believed because of his word. It is not your words or your experience that makes them trust Jesus. This can get them to the table but only the real Word will get them to eat. Hearing about change in your life is one thing, experiencing it firsthand is the best thing. The real reason people believe Jesus is that they have fallen into the well, too. Bring them to the well of His Word, and pray that they will hear His call in the bottom of their souls.

“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©