Telling The World About Jesus

Monday, 2016-12-13

Scripture

Bible Reference: John 1:6-9

Bible Text:  6 There was a man named John, who was sent by God. 7 He came to tell people about the light. Through him all people could hear about the light and believe. 8 John was not the light. But he came to tell people about the light. 9 The true light was coming into the world. This is the true light that gives light to all people.

Bible Translation: New Century Version (NCV)

My Take

Not only was Jesus born through miraculous means, but God also miraculously created a forerunner to tell the world about the Savior that was to come, and his name was John. I believe that God also created others to share the responsibility in John’s absence. If you haven’t guessed already, I believe those partners of John are you and I. No, I didn’t make an error in what I said. I didn’t mean the pastors and preachers and evangelists. I really meant those of us that are saved, filled with the Holy Spirit and prepared spiritually to share the love story about Jesus with those that He loves and that we should care about. There are many stories about John and the extremes he went to in accomplishing his responsibility. I wonder if others who know us, know that we are recipients of the most precious gift of all. I wonder if they know and recognize that because of God’s promise of eternal life, that we are making every effort to convince our family and friends of their need for this Savior of ours! Friends, John was the forerunner of Jesus, and we are the forerunner of His return. The dark world that we  live in today is so full of sin and evil in so many ways, that there appears to be no ‘light’ at the end of our ‘dark tunnel’. My desire is to see the light of Jesus blot out the darkness and get the attention of our friends that are so enveloped in darkness, so that they may surrender to the lordship of Jesus, the ultimate Light of the world! But how will they know if we don’t tell them? Like John, we have a responsibility to tell about the Light of the word, Jesus!

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You for using a humble servant of yours to show me the Light of the world! Thank You for being my Savior and my Lord, especially in this dark world in which I live. I am convinced from our scripture today that we are to be partners with John and humble servants of Yours, and to share that Light with all those that we come into contact with. Lord, may your Light shine through my readers and I so that the world may know and believe. I ask these things knowing that there are many that each of us know personally who need You, the Light of the world! Amen!

Footnote

If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!

What Precedes the ‘THEN’?

The Holy Bible (The Contemporary English Version – Isaiah 58:8,14 and 59:1-2): 8 Then your light will shine like the dawning sun, and you will quickly be healed. Your honesty will protect you as you advance, and the glory of the Lord will defend you from behind.

14 Then you will truly enjoy knowing the Lord.

59:1 The Lord hasn’t lost his powerful strength; he can still hear and answer prayers.
2 Your sins are the roadblock between you and your God. That’s why he doesn’t answer your prayers or let you see his face.

Thoughts: This reading in Isaiah really impacted me today, and I would encourage you to read both chapter 58 and 59 so you could see the scope, and the happenings from which Isaiah prophesied. God got my attention to think about the things going on in my life that might need to be attended to before he would bless me with the things after the ‘THEN’ mentioned in verses 8 and 14. Based on this scripture, here’s where I believe God wants to bless those that take care of the sinfulness that comes before the ‘Then’:

  • The light of Jesus would shine brightly through us to touch the life of another (vs 8);
  • Quick healing would occur in our physical and/or spiritual lives (vs 8);
  • Our honesty/integrity would be solidified to impress the lost for Jesus (vs 8);
  • Our lives would be so filled with Jesus that His glory would overwhelm us and act as our defense (vs 8);
  • We would truly enjoy knowing the Lord (vs 14)!

Friends, these things are very applicable to each of us. In fact, in 59:1-2 we are told to stop trying to blame God for unanswered prayer, for our sins are the roadblock. I believe that this affirms what precedes the ‘Then’; what needs our attention before we could expect to receive His rich blessings. So friends, as I have been challenged this morning, I will also challenge you. Please talk to God, seek His forgiveness for the hindrances in your life, and then ask Him to speak very clearly and openly to you through these chapters. See what He has to say to You. By using the contact information in the footnote, I would love to hear back from you on how God spoke to you in this passage! Better still, reply to the blog on my website so others may also be blessed by your response. It could be in totally different ways to how He spoke to me, for He knows what each of us need in our lives and will meet our needs! God loves you friend, and He wants to shower you with His blessings so that you may go on to be His loyal and effective representative!

Prayer: Lord, I am constantly amazed by Your Word and how I can find such truth and relevant direction each day for my Christian walk and witness. Thank You for giving us a glimpse of Yourself and Your mighty works! I’m sure that there is much to clean up in my life before I could be purely used by You in Your service/ministry, for a holy and righteous God cannot reside in a sin-infested soul. Father, this requires strength far beyond anything that I am capable of, but in faith I come before You asking for forgiveness of my sin and asking that you replace that ugly void with the sweet aroma of Your grace. I badly want to get beyond the ‘THEN’ and see Your will being fulfilled through me for Your glory and to affect the lives of unbelievers so that they too might follow You. I Need You Every Hour of every day oh Lord. Please impact the readers of this devotional today for a closer walk with You, is my humble and sincere prayer dear Lord, for it is in Your name and for Your sake that I ask, with a thankful heart, AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to blogger.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!