Witness

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Matthew 12:30 Are You For Or Against Jesus?

“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” Matthew 12:30

In order for any business to be successful, all of the workers must work in unity. If every worker does what he wants, the way he wants and when he wants, nothing will happen successfully. There will be division, which will cause a loss of production and eventual destruction.

Working together for a common goal can produce amazing results. Those who work together for the common goal and working in unity and not against each other.

After being accused of working by the power of demons, Jesus tells them that there must be unity and that anyone is not with Him is against Him and scatters.

When Jesus came to the earth, He did not come with ten thousand different goals on the agenda to be accomplished. He came with only one goal. That one goal was to seek and save those who are lost. Jesus came to gather together all who are lost in sin and give them eternal life.

Just as in the workplace, there are many who have their own individual agendas, people in the church have their own agendas. Some are just focused on building a large program, or the perfect worship service, or to have the fanciest building, or some other temporary goal.

Many churches and believers have lost focus of the one goal that Jesus had–to seek and save the lost. Believers who are not seeking to find the lost are against Jesus and just building their own temporary kingdom. They are not working with Jesus, but against Him.

The methods of reaching the lost are as numerous as the stars in the sky, but every believer must have that focus. Either they are gathering or they are scattering.

As you live your life with a belief in Jesus, you must ask yourself if you are with Jesus or against Jesus.

Look at your life and see whether your focus and goal will match up with the focus and goal of Jesus or not. Do not find yourself as the one who is against Jesus and scattering, even though you are claiming to be His follower.

Work in unity with Jesus to reach the lost in this world. At some point, someone took the time to reach you for Jesus, do the same for someone else as you work with Jesus.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Savior; that you will know the goal Jesus has for your life; that you will seek the lost with Jesus; and that you will be a witness for Jesus to all you meet.

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Matthew 11:4 Report What You Hear And See

Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see:” Matthew 11:4

Everyday people are asking questions about what is going on in other places. They are asking questions about people and situations to know and understand better.

No one can be in every place all the time, other than God. So people need to hear from others about what is occurring. This can occur when people who see and hear what is happening are willing to talk about it and pass on the information with no bias or changing of what they heard and saw.

John the Baptist’s sent his disciples to find out if Jesus was the one they were expecting to come or not. Jesus told them to go back and report what they had heard and seen.

God is always working, doing things in the lives and around the lives of every person on the earth. Not everyone can or is willing to see or hear what God is doing.

Yet, there are people who are questioning whether God is real or not. They hear some information about Jesus, but are also hearing information about the Islamic god, Buddhist gods, Hindu gods and more. Some realize there appears to be conflict of truth and want to know what is real.

The eyes and hearts of believers have been opened to know that Jesus is real. They have seen and heard things to make God real to them.

When this has occurred in their lives, it gives them a prime opportunity to talk about what they have heard and seen. During those times when a person is questioning who God or Jesus is, the believer can talk about what he has heard and seen personally.

Once people hear about Jesus, they can make their own choice as to whether to follow Him or not.

You have seen and heard God do things in your life and around your life. Instead of keeping that information to yourself, be willing to share it with others.

This is being the witness that Jesus commanded every believer to be.

There are people in this world that need to hear what you have heard and seen to be able to make the choice to believe in and follow Jesus. Do not be the one that is silent and does not allow them that opportunity, but report what you have heard and seen.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Savior; that you will tell others what you have heard and seen of God; that you will be the witness God wants you to be; that God will draw others to Jesus through your testimony; and that God will use you to build His kingdom.

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Matthew 4:19 What Are You Trying To Catch?

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” Matthew 4:19

Millions of people are out looking to catch their next big break in life. They are looking for the financial breakthrough or freedom from bondage to debt. Some are looking forward to catching the next big promotion, to find the right spouse, to find the right job, to purchase a house or something else.

While some will find their catch, many will have to keep on searching for the elusive ‘fish’, the satisfaction or purpose in life.

Jesus calls a couple of brothers that are fishermen to follow Him. He tells them that He will now send them out to catch people.

Catching fish can be difficult or near impossible for some people. One throws a line into a water, that he cannot see in, and hopes that a fish will see the line and bait, and will bite it. Some people catch fish for eating, while others catch just for the sport of it. With either reason, both are temporary events.

Jesus changed the focus of fishing for temporary things to fishing for people. The world is full of all kinds of people who need salvation. They are in need of a real life that is not temporary and has eternal purpose.

The only way people can gain an eternal perspective is for a believer to cast a line of witness to them and draw them in to knowing Jesus.

As Jesus came to this earth, His entire purpose was to catch people and save them from the grips of sin and death. Every believer, the ones Jesus caught, have that same mandate upon their life. As a believer they are to go out and catch some people for the kingdom of God.

Just as there are billions of fish to be caught, there are billions of people to be caught for Jesus.

You must ask yourself what are you fishing for in your life. Do not fish as the world fishes, just for temporary pleasures of this life, but fish for what lasts for eternity–people.

All around you are people who are needing to eat the word of God and be saved. You have the bait that they need to catch them for God. Instead of hoarding it to yourself, use God’s word to catch people for Him and build His kingdom.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Savior; that God will reveal your purpose in this life; that you will catch people for God; that God will give you the bait to catch people; and that God will use you to build His kingdom.

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Hebrews 6:7 Are You Producing A Crop?

Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. Hebrews 6:7

Farmers work very hard in order to get a crop that produces enough for themselves and for them to sell. One of the things that a farmer desires is rain to come, so that the things planted may grow abundantly. Without the rain, there is no production of anything.

However, even with the rain, sometimes all that grows are thorns and thistles, not giving the farmer the desired crops.

The writer talks about the land that has received rain and produces a good crop is blessed by God.

People are just like the land. God pours the rain of His Holy Spirit into their lives to grow some good crops. Just like on the fields of the earth, the rains come at different times and different ways, producing different results.

Often people receive the rain of God’s word in their lives, but only produce thorns and thistles. They do not go out a share the gospel message with others or they continue to live in ignorant, sinful ways.

Many in the church are unable to tell of a recent time in which they have grown in the Lord or sowed into the lives of someone else God’s word.

Every believer is a part of the crop of God’s kingdom. God’s word is being poured out into one’s life. The rain of His Holy Spirit is being poured out each day, allowing the person to produce fruit in alliance with His Holy Spirit.

God expects each plant to produce fruit. This fruit is a changed life that is bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit and fruit of bearing witness of who Jesus is.

As a believer, you are also a plant in God’s kingdom that is expected to grow fruit. God is raining in your life His presence and word so that you may change, grow and produce more fruit for His kingdom.

Ask yourself if you are producing God’s fruit in your own life and in the lives of others.

Do not allow yourself to go back to producing the sinful fruit of this fallen world, but produce the life-giving, life-changing fruit of God, that wells up into eternal life.

Is your land producing today?

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Savior; that you will be filled with God’s Holy Spirit; that you will change to live according to God’s ways of living; that you will produce a crop in your life for God’s use; and that you will produce a crop in this world to build God’s kingdom.

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2 Thessalonians 3:1 Need For Speed

As for other matters, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. 2 Thessalonians 3:1

Watching television, people will see hundreds of advertisements. Once in a while there will be an advertisement that says that it is urgent that one acts upon some sale. It is only for a very short limited time. The message is pushed hard to get it out to as many people as possible, as quickly as possible.

The reason for the hard push is to get results in a higher number of sales. The more people who hear it, the more who will make the purchase.

As Paul finishes this letter, he tells the people to pray that the gospel message he is presenting may spread more and more rapidly and that people will honor and accept it.

As important as it is for businesses to get the message out for a product they sell, there is a message that believers have that is even more important. The message of the gospel of Jesus is one of life and death importance.

Across the world there are approximately 256 people born every minute. At the same time, there are approximately 120 people dying in that same minute. None of those who are born and the majority of those who die have never heard of the salvation Jesus provides.

People are dying for all eternity because they do not know the truth.

Every believer has the truth and it needs to spread across the globe more and more rapidly. Since it is a matter of life and death, it cannot travel too fast.

The two things believers can do to stop the problem is to pray and to spread the gospel message as much as possible. God does not want anyone to perish.

Someone took the time to share the gospel message with you. As a believer now, you must take the time to share that same saving message with others.

Pray that God will show you ways to spread that message faster. Pray that God will raise up more workers to spread that saving message more. Pray that God will stir more hearts to accept Jesus as their Savior.

As thousands of people are being born and are dying every minute, how fast are you working to get the message of Jesus out to them?

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Savior; that you will desire to spread the gospel message of Jesus to the world around you; that you will know the urgency of being a witness for Jesus; that you will pray that God will draw more people to Jesus; and that God will use you to save more lives from eternal judgement.