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[ We ] Christians are Called to Witness… Mark 16:12-18
12After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country. 13And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them. 14Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. 15And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 17And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
The Road to Emmaus !
Here is JESUS -- Risen, ( Hallelujah ) -
and straightaway encouraging HIS disciples.
We ( Christians ) also need to encourage each other as well.
Luke Chapter 24
11 And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.
12 Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.
13 And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem [about] threescore furlongs.
14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened.
Stick with The Man with 'the plan' !
Which of course is JESUS CHRIST. Encourage each other.
or as the Apostle Paul put it:
1 Thessalonians 4:18
Wherefore comfort one another with these words. Matthew
Chapter 13
1 The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.
2 And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
When I was a little kid, my Dad used to tell me the story of Johnny Appleseed. I used to wonder what the heck he was talking about. I just listened... It wasn't until I was an adult before it 'hit me' ! Spreading the gospel - the great Commission !
GOD - throughout yours and my life, has ( always ) been building you / me up, strengthening, and encouraging,
in ways you probably never imagined. And lo and behold --
here you are, stronger, informed, with JESUS teaching and leading the way !
Only The LORD can make the crooked paths straight, and that is what HE does. HE straightens them for us, so we can go and become a witness to others.
Isaiah Chapter 40
1 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins.
Isaiah 45:2
I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:
Keep planting those 'seeds', keep on witnessing to others !
Matthew 9:32-38
32As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil. 33And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel. 34But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils. 35And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 36But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. 37Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; 38Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.
This IS our job. We [ are ] those labourers ( laborers ).
We are to be out gleaning the fields for The LORD.
HE straightened the paths, HE broke and plowed the fields.
Those who came before us have sowed seeds.
( We ) need to continue sowing ( witnessing ). Some seed's take, some do not... We can't make the crooked straight, but HE -
GOD, can. This again, is "THE GREAT COMMISSION" ! John 15:2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
Day by day we learn -- We apply what we learn, and share with others who witness and to others who have not yet known The LORD.
A seed goes through quite a process, in order to grow.
It already has contained within itself, all the information it needs
to become what it will be. It first has to be crushed -
Then watered & nurtured. GOD does the rest !
GOD started the whole process. GOD sought us 1st ! HE made us in HIS own image - we ( are ) HIS children, *( natural & adopted.) The Gentile branches grafted into the family of Abraham becomes part of the family of GOD. Romans 2: 27-29. 27 And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfill the law, [ judge thee ], who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law? 28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. *("not in the letter" -- the 'letter' is the law, by the way.) Then in 1 Cor. 7: 19 it reads: Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God. ”Paul says that the Gentiles were without hope, alienated from the common-wealth of Israel,strangers from covenants of promise, having no hope, and without GOD in the world, ”but were made nigh by the blood of JESUS CHRIST the MESSIAH. — Ephesians 2: 11 to 13. The blood of JESUS CHRIST brings them into these promises, a promise of life eternal. *Romans 2:12“ For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;” Jew and Gentile alike will be judged, each by the method (proper) to his case; the Jew by the written Law against which he has sinned, the Gentile by the unwritten law of conscience against which he too has sinned. The mere hearing of the Law will bring no exemption to the Jew; (and, on the other hand), -the Gentile, who, at the dictates of conscience, acts as if he were subject to law, shall have the full benefit that law can give him. In fact, his conscience is to him a law. He undergoes precisely the same conflict of self- condemnation and self-acquittal as one who has a written law to refer to. All this will be done, this strict measure of justice will be applied, at the last great day of judgment. The Jews thought themselves a holy people, entitled to their privileges by right, while they were yet un-thankful, rebellious, and unrighteous. But all who act thus, of every nation, age, and description, must be reminded that the judgment of GOD will be according to their real character. And though the branches of man's disobedience are various, they all spring from the same root. ( sin is sin. ) It is contrary to GOD. But in true repentance, there must be hatred of former sinfulness, from a change wrought in the state of the mind, which disposes it to choose the good and to refuse the evil. (When we change the state of the mind, [renewing of the mind] -- then heart can be changed. Ezekiel 11:19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: 1 John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.
Now it's up to ( us ) to seek HIM and to help others seek HIM. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Romans 1:13-19
13 Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles. 14 I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. 15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
Acts Chapter 26
20 But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and [then] to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
21 For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill [me].
22 Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:
23 That Christ should suffer, [and] that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles. Joshua Chapter 24 20 If ye forsake the LORD, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good.21 And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve the LORD.22 And Joshua said unto the people, Ye [are] witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the LORD, to serve him. And they said, [We are] witnesses.23 Now therefore put away, [said he], the strange gods which [are] among you, and incline your heart unto the LORD God of Israel.
