5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.” (Exodus 19:5 – 6, New International Version)
1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us—2 so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. (Psalm 67:1 – 2, New International Version)
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20, New International Version)
Theme: Discipleship
Context:
As reflected in your comments yesterday, we are prone to forget the things God has done for us. So, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit we should use tools God has provided to counter forgetfulness. Living as disciples of Jesus in community is one of the powerful tools we have. Thanks again to all who provided comments!
From our observation of the discipleship journey of the Children of Israel, we have contemplated how idolatry, obstinacy, community, and memory relate to our discipleship journey. Our final topic for the week is testimony. Making a connection between the discipleship journey of the Children of Israel and the responsibility they had to represent God to other nations is more challenging than the other topics we have discussed because Bible scholars have debated how active Israel was as a witness for God to other nations. Despite the debates, it is clear that God cared deeply about how Israel represented Him to the nations. This observation should sharpen our focus on the fact that Jesus cares deeply about how His disciples represent Him. Our role as disciple-makers is an awesome privilege and an awesome responsibility. Our testimony matters!
Bible Passages:
Our Scripture passages today highlight the importance of the testimony of the Children of Israel, and the importance of the Great Commission for disciples of Jesus. Please prayerfully read the passages and consider the questions below.
Questions:
- How would you describe the amount of focus you put on how you are representing Jesus (e.g., do you naturally think of yourself as an ambassador of Christ)?
- Why are Bible study and prayer essential to being a good representative?
Sharing your thoughts could be a big help to someone else. Please leave a comment on the blog.
March 22, 2024 at 7:25 am
Bible study and prayer are essential to being strengthened in the inner being by the Holy Spirit to walk in obedience to Jesus Christ. In this way we can be God’s representative here on earth. We will not achieve perfection yet, but we can give people a glimmer of what the Spirit-led life looks like. At times I come to conscious awareness that I am a representative of Christ, particularly when confronted with an upsetting situation in a public setting, remembering that I am a Christian, I temper my response so as not to make a spectacle of myself. Remembering I am a Christian I try to resist back biting when I am tempted. So yes, that sense of representation is with me as a silent witness to my daily machinations.
March 22, 2024 at 8:06 am
I become hyper vigilant especially when I’m in pubic to display the characteristics of being a child of God. For instance I try to show love and patience when dealing with others especially in difficult situations, I had a situation the other day at a self check out store where I thought an item was wrung up and had to call the attendant who eyed me as if I was trying a fast one so I had to tell him absolutely not as a child of God would I steal or need to steal to bring shame to my family and Gods kingdom. I’m also very aware when I’m home that my children/family would be convinced through my actions of the relationship I have with Christ but this is harder with people who you’re around 24/7.
Arming myself with Gods word and prayer is vital to be able to represent. How can I love or be patient or kind in my own strength. Only through God’s power can I be bold enough to share His message in the face of opposition. Only through the Spirit’s working will I choose to love the unloveable.
March 22, 2024 at 8:43 am
I think being a wife of a Japanese diplomat gave me lots of opportunities to witness to others and be an ambassador of Christ. But being so transparent person and with imperfections , I will admit I also struggle at times to control my feelings like when I get upset, sad, disappointed since there will be times you will also meet toxic people whose goal is to ruin or destroy you no matter what you do.
What I mean is from my experience living in different countries, you cannot avoid but meet people who will not like you no matter what you do. It’s just a fact that you cannot please everybody. Aside from being transparent and sincere person I am also very straight forward. The good thing is I know where to go and ask for forgiveness, for help and guidance, and that is to the Lord who gives me strength and wisdom to face challenges along the way.
Without the Lord’s love, provisions, grace and mercy I won’t be able to witness to others.
My way of witnessing God’s faithfulness to me and His unconditional love for me is visible through my actions like I try to make my guests really special when I invite them at home. I try to be inclusive as much as possible, accepting everyone as they are, and making sure they are comfortable with me. When I do my duties and responsibilities as a wife of government official who is to serve in the community ,or in the specific country the Lord has placed me and my husband, I always rely on this verse: Colossians 3:23 – “whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” This verse is my weapon against all disappointments and trials while performing my work and witnessing at the same time. If you know who truly is your master who gave you the purpose for existence on this earth, I think witnessing to others would come out easy. Knowing who controls you or who really is the in charge of everything is the key to an effective witnessing because humans can fail us but not our sovereign God.
March 22, 2024 at 10:35 am
There are things I don’t do (steal, lie, etc.,), and I know it’s because of the influence of being a child of God. So there’s a certain level of focus on how I represent Jesus.
Bible study and prayer are essential, as they are the “reminders” of how we are to live as representatives of Jesus.
March 22, 2024 at 12:12 pm
I am not as aware as I should be about how my actions, spoken words and unspoken represent my testimony. But I have found when I am in communion and communicating with Christ, the prompting of the Holy Spirit makes me more aware. I have been on the verge of saying something that was inappropriate and felt the nudge of the Holy Spirit to be quiet or to consider my words. A friend of mine reminded me years ago to always let my countenance be my testimony. It’s hard, but it’s wise council