Tag: witness

The Life was Made Manifest – 2025 Day 22 (1 John 1)

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Read through the Bible in 2 years: Proverbs 22, 1 John 1

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.”
– 1 John 1:1-3 ESV

According to the Wordsmyth intermediate dictionary, manifest means, “clear and unmistakable to the eye or mind; plain; obvious.”

In His great mercy God sent His own Son in the flesh,
making the invisible God manifest among man.

Sometimes it might feel like God is hiding, but the truth is that even though we can’t see the invisible God, we can see Him clearly, unmistakably, plainly, obviously in what He has made. (Romans 1:18-23) Additionally, we can know Him through the testimony of men like John who were eyewitnesses to the flesh-and-bone Jesus, His life, His crucifixion, and His resurrection.

It is the foolish who say in their hearts that there is no God. (Psalm 14:1) Let us not be fools, thinking God doesn’t see us or hear us. He does.

Today we can still read the eyewitness testimony of John who did see and hear and touch the risen Lord, so that we can have fellowship with the body of believers, and with the Father, and with His Son, Jesus Christ, knowing God intimately and personally.

Heavenly Father,

Thank You so much for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ in the flesh that mankind could see Your glory manifest. Keep us from the pride that tempts us to think that You cannot see us or hear us, that You are hiding, that You are blind and deaf to our sinful words and deeds.

Help us to be humble and to seek Your face, searching Your Word of Truth diligently and faithfully .

We pray that we will have genuine, intimate fellowship with the body of believers who are alive today, and we pray that we will have fellowship with Jesus Christ who is our Savior and our Lord. Help us to live surrendered lives, walking by faith and not by sight.

To the glory of Jesus Christ, the Resurrection One. Amen

Click here for more information on reading through the Bible in Two Years.

The Witness of the Word – 2025 Day 4 (John 4:46-5:47)

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Read through the Bible in 2 years: Proverbs 4; John 4:46-5:47

"You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life." 

John 5:39-40 ESV

When the official’s son was healed, the official himself believed and so did his whole household. Oh how I pray that my whole household will be saved!

Before healing the lame man, Jesus asked him,
“Do you want to be healed?”

We might think it a silly question, and yet how often would we rather return to our vomit and our pigpen. We say we want to be healed, we say we want to forsake our sin, but do we? Father, help us to want to want to follow You!

These Jews searched the scriptures because they wanted to find eternal life in them, yet it was those very scriptures who testified to Jesus Christ, the long-awaited Savior. How many people are warming pews, listening to the Word preached, week after week and year after year, yet they refuse to bow the knee to the Messiah?

So many people and events testify to the deity of Christ. John the Baptizer who came to make the way straight for Jesus, the Father’s own voice from heaven (Mark 1:11), the prophecies He fulfilled, the miracles Christ did during His life and especially the miracle of His resurrection, and yet people refused to believe and be saved.

Sounds like people today. The Jews were seeking glory from one another, rather than seeking glory from God, and I’m afraid we are, too.

Heavenly Father,

What an honor to call You Father. You have created each of us by Your will. You are worthy to receive all glory and honor and power (Revelation 4:11). I am not Your equal. No one is. I am not God and I never will be God. Rather, I have been created in Your likeness and for Your purposes, that You might be glorified in me and through me. Help me to be humble. Help me to search the scriptures faithfully and rightly, with a pure heart and a pure mind.

I want to know You more, that I would love You more and be more like You.

Make me a faithful witness like the Samaritan woman at the well that we read about yesterday, bearing testimony to others of the saving power of Jesus Christ. Help me to be Your faithful servant, doing Your will and Your work.

I pray that my whole household would believe. I pray for each of my children and their spouses and children. I pray for my parents and my sister and her family. I pray that they would see You in me and that they would search the scriptures faithfully for themselves.

Like some people believed after hearing the Samaritan woman’s testimony, but many more believed after hearing Jesus for themselves, I pray that many would listen to Jesus with their own ears and be saved.

In the powerful name of Messiah Jesus, my Lord and Savior, Amen.

Click here for more on “Reading through the Bible in Two Years”.

Believing from a Testimony … Believing from the Word – 2025 Day 3 (John 3:1-4:45)

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Read through the Bible in 2 years: Proverbs 3; John 3:1-4:45

“Many Samaritans from that town believed in him (Jesus) because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me all that I ever did.’ So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.'”
John 4:39-42 ESV

Heavenly Father,

Please make me truly wise. I don’t want to merely read Your Word to grow in knowledge about You like someone researching the life and times of C.S. Lewis or Albert Einstein. I want to know You – personally, deeply, mightily. I want to sit at Your feet and drink deeply of Your lifegiving Word. I want to worship what I know, who I know.

I need insight and understanding and instruction. I need my mind renewed. Here I am. I want to see and taste that You are indeed good.

I want Your springs of living water to flow in me and through me. Help me to decrease, and You to increase, in my life. I want to be about my Father’s business. Make me a true worshiper, worshiping you in spirit and truth and helping other to know You, too.

Help me to be one who welcomes in the outcast, who notices the forgotten and neglected, who has to go through Samaria because there’s someone there that You want me to meet. I pray that my eyes will be open to the people in front of me, and that my ears will be open to Your voice prompting me, “This is the way, walk in it. This is the one, talk to her. These are the words, say them.”

Lord, I’m asking You to encourage my Chinese brothers and sisters. Help them to know that you see them and hear them and know them. Help them to dig into Your Word and find pearls of great worth, gold of great price, and diamonds of great value. We want You to be our greatest joy.

Father, help me to help others to sit at Your feet day after day and be transformed by the reading of Your Word. May my food be to do Your will. Send me to accomplish Your Work to the glory of Your Name.

In the Name of Jesus Christ who is my only Lord and Savior. Amen.

Click here for more on “Reading through the Bible in Two Years”.

It has seemed good to me

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I love the idea of being a witness for Christ. It is one topic that I can get super hyped up talking about. What a privilege it is to be able to publicly testify of God’s mighty works!

So, here I am just studying Daniel 4 once again and here it is: Nebuchadnezzar, after being humbled and then restored, is compelled to DECLARE the awesome works of the Lord.

“It has seemed good to me to declare the signs and wonders which the Most High God has done for me.” Daniel 4:2

What has the Lord done for you? Today or 7 years ago?