Being like John

Luke 1:76-79: 76) “And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, 77) to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, 78) because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven, 79) to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

          We as believers must be like John the Baptist, proclaiming the love and forgiving grace of Jesus, and just as our lives have been changed by the power of Christ, others need to hear of, and experience, that change also. “And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous----to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Luke 1:17 (NIV). So we pray for strength and boldness, to speak to others about Jesus. And through our continued study of His word, we gain the knowledge to share His word, and the power contained within, with those who are searching and lost. “No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” Jeremiah 31:34 (NIV).

          For both the believers and non-believers that verse can be so spiritually liberating. Because, “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth, (1 Peter 2:22) we can believe what is written here. We can whole heartedly know that God was being truthful when speaking to Jeremiah. Because Jeremiah repeated those words to the people of Israel! We can go out in confidence, then, that the Lord will be with us, giving us the words to say, in order that He is heard by those who need to hear.

          So as we, “go out,” leading lives led by Jesus, by the ways we have studied, there will be a light radiating out from us. The light of His glory that is in our hearts. Others will notice how we treat them because they will see the difference between the world’s way and our way, which is really God’s way. Others will notice how the world speaks and how we speak because the words of the world will bite, sting, and hurt. Our words, seasoned with the Holy Spirit, will sooth, lift up, encourage, and heal because of the light that comes from those words will be a Light of healing, mercy, grace and forgiveness. “But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves.” Malachi 4:2 (NIV). “The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” Romans 13:12 (NIV).

          So the light that comes from within us, the Holy Spirit, will be seen by others and the gentleness of God’s word that comes out of our mouths will draw others to Him. Their hearts will be drawn to Him, through us, because they will feel comfort and peace that Christ is giving them through those words. They may be worried about their past, not realizing that Christ has forgotten them due to what He accomplished by dying on the cross. So by coming to the Light, in us, they are coming to a person that will speak words to them, given by Jesus Himself, and if they are ready, they will come out from behind the shadow of death. They will not allow the wall Satan has put between the hearts and Jesus, to stand in their way any longer. Christ will honor us, because we have fearlessly followed His commands, followed His leading that we have felt in our hearts, and spoke the truth to them. “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” Isaiah 9:2 (NIV).

          So we use God’s words to guide and direct those who come to the path that God has directed us to show them. Because our hearts have been changed due to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we follow the teachings of our Lord and Savior that He has shown us through our study of His word. We look on others through the eyes of Him who loves ALL HE HAS CREATED!! Our over whelming desire is to share not only our testimony, but what God lays on our hearts, every day, to express to others. Christ gives us the insight to ask questions of others, not to pry but to initiate some type of conversation. They know that by opening their hearts, that we will earnestly listen and not condemn so they will be at peace to confide in us. So by sharing the inner peace which overflow within us they will possibly allow that peace to enter into the open the door of their hearts. The door Christ is knocking at, and by letting Him in they will experience His transforming love and know that He accepts them as His children so they can now share in the inheritances awaiting them in heaven. Christ Jesus will also give them peace in their hearts during the violent storms and negative circumstances in their lives. The peace that comes from hearing God’s voice when the world is screaming all around them. The peace that comes through the power of His word which will be the foundation their prayer life is set on. “The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace;” Romans 8:6 (NIV). “For the kingdom of God in not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,” Romans 14:17 (NIV).