pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: testify


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Son of God

Reading: John 1: 29-34

John the Baptist operated from outside the traditional corridors of power.  He was not a Pharisee or a Sadducee or any other type of official religious person.  John lived a life of simplicity and sparsity.  He dressed very plainly, ate locusts and wild honey, and lived in the wilderness.  One day he simply showed up and started preaching about repentance and living according to God’s ways.  People soon came to see the deep connection John had with God that revealed itself in how he lived and in how he preached.  Many people came out to hear John.  Many were moved and were baptized in the waters of the Jordan, symbolizing cleansing and a commitment to more holy living.

By the time Jesus came by to be baptized, John had a lot of followers and had developed a lot of credibility from his preaching and lifestyle.  John was popular but had always claimed a lesser role since the beginning of his ministry.  When the Pharisees questioned who he was and what he was doing, he quoted from Isaiah, saying he was “preparing the way for the Lord”.  He went on to say he was unworthy to even untie the sandal of the Lord.  Even with droves of people coming to see him, to hear him, and to be baptized by him, John remained true to his calling.  Even though jealous religious authorities came to question him, he never claimed any credit or power.  John never lost focus on his ultimate mission.

So when Jesus approached, John declared, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world”.  John testified about Jesus’ baptism, stating, “I saw the Holy Spirit come down from heaven” when he baptized Jesus and goes on to identify Jesus as the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.  This section concludes with John’s testimony: “I testify that this is the Son of God”.

John was popular.  John was drawing a good crowd.  John knew his purpose: to point people to Jesus, to prepare the way.  John used his popularity and authority to declare who Jesus was.  John wanted them to know Jesus.  May we, like John, seek to reveal Jesus to those in our lives so that they too can come to know the Son of God, the Savior of the world.


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Preach and Testify

Reading: Acts 10: 34-43

Peter opens today’s passage with an important statement, with one of the significant learning and understanding shifts in the early, early church: “God does not show favoritism”.  It is a shift away from a small, select ‘chosen people’.  Instead, Peter tells us, God is willing to accept all who fear God and who do what is right.  When the church came to understand that God is for all, the whole world became the mission field.  It was not just throughout Judea that they were called to bring the good news, but out into the entire world.  People of all races, ethnicities, cultures, nationalities, religions, ecenomic classes, social classes… must hear the good news.  This philosophy of accepting and welcoming all is the essence of Jesus’ ministry and is foundational to many of our churches today.

Peter then goes on to give a brief summary of Jesus’ ministry: bapitzed by John, anointed with the Holy Spirit, did good and healed, died on a cross, rose from the dead.  After the resurrection, Jesus returned and commanded “us” to preach the good news and to testify that all who call on Jesus as Lord will receive forgiveness of sins.  Again, Peter chooses words like ‘everyone’ and ‘all’ – anyone is welcome to hear the good news, to profess Jesus as Lord of their lives, and to receive forgiveness of their sins.

In the last few verses of chapter eleven, the people Peter was preaching to are overcome by the Holy Spirit, speak in tongues, and are baptized in the name of Jesus.  The power of God entered that situation and welcomed some new members into the family.  The command to preach and Testify is our command as well.  To tell the good news and to share the story of what Jesus has done in our lives is our great commission as well.  We accomplish this call with words, actions, deeds – whatever it takes for others to come to know Jesus Christ.

Today, may all of us who call on Jesus as Lord share the good news of Jesus Christ with any and all we meet.


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Tell the Story

Reading: Luke 17: 11-19

Ten lepers cry out to Jesus, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us”!  Ten lepers are healed as they head off to show themselves to the priests.  Ten lepers believed that Jesus could heal them.  Ten lepers went to the priests to be deemed “clean” so that they could re-enter the society they had been banned from.  What a joy they must have felt to hug family members, to see friends again, to be able to go to the temple!

We too have cried out, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us”!  We cry out to Jesus for mercy, forgiveness, healing, relief from situations and circumstances.  We too cry out in hopes that Jesus will indeed grant us mercy, pour out forgiveness, bring us healing, …  We want to experience Jesus’ power in our lives.  Many times we do experience Jesus’ touch or restoration or intervention.

When we do experience Jesus responding to our cries, how do we respond?  Do we respond?  Are we so grateful that we are rid of that affliction or situation or circumstance that we leap back into living life?  Or are we so naive that we think it was something we did to change our plight?  Or are we simply ungrateful?

It is essential that we not only recognize that Jesus Christ has answered our cries, but that we also tell the story.  We must testify to God’s hand at work in our lives so that others can find hope in their lives.  We must add our story of healing or forgiveness or… to the bigger story of God at work in our world.  Others need to hear of how we experienced Jesus’ power in our lives.  Our testimony may be but a small part of God’s huge story, but someone needs to hear how God is at work in our life.  It may be many someones.  May we tell the story. 


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Tell the Story

Reading: Act 5: 27-32

In today’s passage Peter and the apostles witness to their personal experiences with Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit.  They are not relaying a second hand story or something they read about.  They testify to what they have experienced personally.  When Paul witnesses to the power of Jesus Christ to change a life, he does not tell the story of Peter, but he tells of his own encounter with the living Christ on the road to Damascus.

For us, we too are called to share the story of Jesus.  Our commission is to make new disciples and surely a part of this is by personally sharing our story.  Our story is not Peter’s or Paul’s or someone else’s from the Bible.  Our story is our personal experience with Jesus.  It is our unique witness as to how Jesus has changed our life, how He has led us through a trial, how He has freed us from sin or addiction.  Our own story tells others how Jesus has made a difference we cannot live without through a personal relationship with Him.  Our story is powerful because He is powerful.  Our story of Jesus’ work in our lives can lead others to seek Him as well.

When God brings someone or a group of people our way, He has a purpose in it.  Something in our story will connect with someone in our audience to draw them in, to make them curious, to nudge them a little closer to a decision for Christ.  The Holy Spirit will then work through our witness to change lives.  But we have to provide the fodder, we have to plant the seeds.  May we know our story of Jesus so that we can share our story each time God presents us with an opportunity to witness for Christ.


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Even Then

John the Baptist preached repentence in preparation for the coming of Jesus.  John spoke the truth and ended up in prison, soon to be killed.  Jesus too went forth proclaiming the good news in spite of the opposition He faced.  Peter, Paul, Luke, and many others did the same in spite of Jewish and Roman persecution.  The New Testament is full of examples of proclaimers of the good news.

We too are called to proclaim the good news.  Just look – we have lots of fine examples to follow.  But these folks are the ‘greats’ of our faith.  They are not little old you and me.  By golly, there were all called by God and/or spent time with Jesus.  Wait – that’s us too.  We are called by God, empowered by Jesus through the presence of the Holy Spirit, tasked with spreading the good news of Jesus Christ.

Sharing my faith is just fine on Sunday morning or in my small group.  At Youth group?  No problem!  Here in the early morning at my kitchen table?  You bet!  But what about with the man down on his luck that stops me on the sidewalk?  And how about when two groups at church are disagreeing over some issue or choice?  Even when a fellow believer seems to be a bit wayward?  Yes, in all cases we are called to be sharers of the good news and to live our lives following Jesus’ example.  He IS with us in those times when we are uncomfortable and in those times when we need to share a hard word.  May we receive His power this day to do His will in our world.

Scripture reference: Mark 1: 14-15