Telling it Like it is

What do you think of when you hear the word witnessing? It is easy to think of it as a planned activity, or even an event or program. I have been thinking about it quite a bit lately. Our church (Believers Fellowship) has declared the next 12 months The Year of the Gospel. I have been reading encouraging and challenging posts at Kelly's Korner.

I have also read about it in Luke. We see three examples of 'witnessing' that are definitely not a planned activity, event, or program. It is just people talking about what God has done in their lives. They simply tell what they know.

In Luke 2 angels appear to the shepherds in the fields, and the shepherds go to Bethlehem and see the newborn babe, the Savior, who is Christ the Lord. But they don't just experience it themselves; they talk about it to others. Verse 17 says, And when they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. Verse 20 says, And the shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them. The shepherds were eager to speak out of all that they had seen and heard. We need to do the same.

Later in Luke 2 Mary and Joseph brought the child Jesus to the temple to fulfill the customs of the Law, and one of the people they encounter there is Anna. She gave thanks to God for this newborn Messiah, and she (v. 38) continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. We need to continue to speak of Him to those we come in contact with as well.

In Luke 8 Jesus heals a man who had been possessed by a legion of demons. This man wants to accompany Jesus, but Jesus sent him away, saying, Return to your house and describe what great things God has done for you. God had done great things for every Christian. We need to be faithful to speak of Him to others.

Let's pray for one another, that we would be be bold and faithful in following these examples.