Eyewitnesses Question Less About Unknowns

[S] John 5:10-13 --
 ¹⁰So the Jews were saying to the man who was cured, "It is the Sabbath, and it is not permissible for you to carry your pallet." ¹¹But he answered them, "He who made me well was the one who said to me, 'Pick up your pallet and walk.'" ¹²They asked him, "Who is the man who said to you, 'Pick up your pallet and walk'?" ¹³But the man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away while there was a crowd in that place. 

[O] Neither the healed man nor the Jews knew who the healer was that said, "Pick up your pallet and walk" but their responses were different.  The healed man's unknown was not as important because he experienced and witnessed himself what Jesus did to his own life whereas the Jews focused on who allowed this man to carry the pallet breaking the law of Sabbath.  The focus of an eyewitness is what was witnessed, not about other what if's while the focus of those who did not experience the action is the unknowns because they lacked the personal experience.  The Jews were merrily going about with their feast unable to look into this gathering place of the sick, blind, withered, and lame and so they were unaware of this 38 year old invalid's need or healing that took place which had made him a new person filled with joy and hope.  Isn't this the picture of my own life where once I used to be the spiritual invalid before Jesus came and told me to "pick up my pallet (old way of crippled life) and walk"?  And after that experience now I am to let others know how great it is and how they also need to be made whole again.  But the questions I'll get often is "Who is this guy who told you so?  I don't buy it unless I see it myself."  I wish I could have more and more people to experience this wonderful transformation in their own trapped lives.

[A] How am I letting others see the pallet I'm carrying which is the sign of how my life had transformed from before and now.  How I don't need to rely on things other than God as the crutch to sustain my life.  This comes and goes in waves, but I need to be more consistent about letting those close to me know about my witnessing of what Jesus had done in my life.

[P] Dear Jesus, thank You for healing me from my spiritual immobility.  Would you guide me and give me the confidence which comes from deeply experiencing Your word in order to represent Your power of transformation in my life with others around me?  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Becoming Eyewitnesses of His Majesty

[S] 2 Peter 1:16 --
 ¹⁶For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.

[O] Jesus came into this world as a physical human being, born as a baby and grew up just like each of us.  He isn't someone without origin, a mythical character who came and gone but He worked with people just like us to pass on the message of His purpose and He left behind the eyewitnesses who could not sit still but to proclaim His majesty throughout generations leading up to now.  Today, we are those eyewitnesses and unless we are witnessing His majesty right in our own lives, there won't be much to proclaim.  The beauty of it all is that this isn't some cleverly devised story that just got passed on from one generation to another but it's about a real future reality of our Lord Jesus Christ powerfully returning to continue and complete His original purpose of coming to earth as the baby Jesus.

[A] Being a follower of Christ is much more than reciting what you learned about Jesus Christ.  It needs to be aimed at the power of His coming back and how much I can testify His majesty based on daily witnessing of His majesty.  I need to meditate more on His majestic aspect especially during this time of Christmas where it can get boiled down to just being a little baby.

[P] Dear Jesus, come and take the center seat of my heart and allow me to be a strong witness for Your majestic power of Your coming back to lead us home in Heaven.  In Your name.  Amen.

What You See is What You Tell

[S] Acts 22:15 --
 ¹⁵'For you will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard.

[O] God's call to Paul was to be His witness -- tell others about he's seen and heard.  This is about being the conduit of what Jesus is doing.  This is not about doing things on Paul's own efforts.  It's much like the power cord that you plug in an electrical device to the wall plug.  The power cord itself does not have any power because it's just a conduit of the A/C power drawn from the wall plug.  Paul's job was to be that conduit carrying the power of Jesus in the form of witnessing what he's experienced.  If he had no experience then he'd have nothing to witness about.  Likewise, if I have not seen or heard anything from our Lord Jesus, then there is nothing for me to testify or pass on the power.  It'll be like plugging in the power cord into a dead wall outlet.

[A] As much as I like to be a witness for Jesus, if I don't see or hear anything from Him, then there would nothing to pass on.  So, I have to seek to experience His works or miracles (what only God can do) in my every day life in order for me to be the witness for Him; otherwise, I will have nothing to witness about despite my sincere desire.  Ask Jesus to show me His power in action right in my ordinary life.

[P] Dear Jesus, please let Your power be present around me and give me the ears to hear and eyes to see what You're working on.  I want to be the witness like Paul who can pass on Your wonderful power.  I desire for Your wonderful power to hang around my life every day.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.