Wednesday: A Witnessing Faith Is a Growing Faith
Activity is a law of life. In order to be healthy, our bodies need consistent exercise.
Image © Krieg Barrie from GoodSalt.com
Every organ, muscle, and tissue is strengthened and invigorated through exercise. When we neglect exercise, our immune system is compromised, and we become more susceptible to disease.
Something similar happens to us spiritually when we do not exercise our faith through witnessing. The words of Jesus, that “‘“it is more blessed to give than to receive”’” (Acts 20:35), work themselves out in our own spiritual lives. When we share God’s Word with others, we grow spiritually. The more we love Jesus, the more we will desire to witness of His love. The more we witness of His love, the more we will love Him. Sharing our faith strengthens our faith.
What does Jesus’ miracle of multiplying the loaves and fishes teach us about the sharing of our faith? John 6:1-11.
The more that we give away our faith, the more our faith multiplies. This law of multiplication is a divine principle of spiritual life. Give and grow, or withhold and wither. Jesus increases our faith as we share it with others, even if our faith is quite small. As we share Jesus (the Bread of Life) with spiritually hungry people around us, it multiplies in our hands, and we end up with more than we started.
When Jesus began, He had five loaves and two fish. After five thousand people were completely satisfied with their meal that day, Jesus had more left over than when He started. There were still twelve baskets remaining.
Jesus’ instructions to His New Testament church are too clear to be misunderstood. He declared, “‘Freely you have received, freely give’” (Matt. 10:8, NKJV). Witnessing is the gentle breeze that fans the sparks of revival into Pentecostal flames. When witness and service do not accompany a revival of prayer and Bible study, the flames of revival are extinguished, and the embers soon grow cold.
It’s true, isn’t it? The more that we witness, the more our faith grows. What has been your own experience with this crucial spiritual truth?
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i never thot that evangelism is tha greatest need of a christian growth
My gift isn't evangelism, but every now and then I find myself saying spiritual things to strangers, and I am always astonished at their reactions, and I sprint into thanksgiving for what Jesus just did.
One of my favorite things is meeting with Christians for the purpose of discussing the scriptures and sharing insights one with another. This is what fellowship means to me, not just getting together to visit, like at a meal after service when Christ isn't the center of the conversations.
Discussing scripture with anyone seems to stir up the Spirit. I read and see something new and I can't wait to call my best friend to tell her what I learned, and many times she catches things that add to the news and we both become excited at what He's showing us.
Faith in action is all about sharing our trust in God with others.
Healthy Living beings breath unconsciously, and without effort. Whenever we breath with effort something is wrong with us, possibly our life is being threatened, so also is evangelism and witnessing. I believe it should be a habit and our way of life. Whenever we become deliberate about it, we may fall into the danger of trying to show off. It should be something we do not know that we are doing. People would just know us by our life that witnesses. Even when it makes people uncomfortable, we cannot help it because it is what makes us who we are. We need to aspire to this level of life of witnessing.
Partially, I agree with you.
Being a witness for Jesus is most of the time more effective by what people hear and see us do then what they see and hear us say. And especially when our words match our deeds.
I consider my self a Healthy Living being, but I do not consistently breath unconsciously. My work consists of sitting at a desk with a computer. My usual breaths are shallow. But every few minutes I find myself having to consciously take a deeper breath because I feel the need for it.
Therefore I am under the conviction that witnessing for Jesus is both conscious and unconscious effort. I see it as when you obey the "thou shalt not" part of the commandments, you are unconsciously witnessing for Jesus(and every one who is dead obeys them also). But practising the "thou shalt", like the 4th commandment requires conscientious effort during the 6 days and conscientious effort abstaining from creativity/labor during the 7th day.
Speaking out for Jesus, in my mind, is a conscientious effort.
It seems like the more we exercise it strengthens our bodies so it is with our faith. Faith without works is not faith, it's dead. Faith that works is living, healthy, and strengthens our spiritual lives and our connections with our Maker.
This can also be connected to our tithes and offerings, when we return that which is required and give a portion above and beyond God blesses us, we do not know how it can be but our funds go much further. Well, it is the same with our faith as we share and exercise it, it multiplies, how can we lose that which we share. for it is in sharing that we receive the benefits.
First and fore most we need to understand that witnessing is a privilege and an honor of representing Jesus to the world. 2 corithians 5:20 says "....we are ambassadors for Christ..." It is a real privilege for anyone to be an ambassador for a head of nation or even just representing a head of state on an occasion. So for one to be an ambassador S/he has to always share the good news about what S/he is ambassadoring.
Therefore to be good ambassadors of Christ calls us to always pray, study God's word and encourages us to depend on Christ hence enabling us to continuosly grow in faith.
May God bless every one who is and wants to be an ambassador of Christ.
The two Revivals and Reformations
As Seventh-day Adventist If there is to be a revival we must first see and accept that that we are spiritually dead, the word revival means to recover consiousness, To come back to life, Flourish again, To become active. And that will need a miracle
Who can truly say that we have experience the above, sadly we have remain deceived believing that we are in good spiritual condition and that peace and spiritual prosperity are in all our churches, although we are plainly told of our real condition by the Lord himself though the scriptures, by unbelief in how God see us, we have charge the all mighty with lying to us and misrepresentation of our character
The way that I see it is ,God can only help those that are hot our cold if they repent and buy the gold , white raiment and eye slave, If not the lukewarm are self-doomed to remain wretched (unhappy), and miserable (troubled), and poor (in need of truth), and blind (benighted), and naked (without the righteousness of Christ), and consequently to reject the words: "I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich;...and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see." Rev. 3:17, 18. but being luke warm there is nothing that God can do for us . Not even our prayers will be heard
Our last lesson was about major and minor prophets ,but we never saw the effect of the Only Two Revival and Reformation that was successful in the pass . one the in Josiah days and the next in the days of Zechariah, Haggai ete.
We have grown in numbers only (fuel for the fire?) while we say and do all manner of evil to one another in the name of the lord, out of the old world there was only eight saved , it was only the children that left Egypt that enter the land, maybe the revival and reformation is a type . the one of Josiah was in the first month the month of the passover , those that did not apply the blood, the same as us who have accepted the three angels message, we must apply the blood.
The revival of Josiah took place in the first month, the month of the passover
The revival of Zechariah, Haggai and Nehemiah took place in seventh month , the feast of the second harvest.
The first month for us is in revelation 14 when God gather’s the first fruit of the harvest due to the real revival in the church after which under the angel of revelation 18 during the loud cry, every member that are of the first fruit will be filled with the Holy Ghost to carry the message to all the world. This period will represent the revival of Zechariah, Nehemiah and Haggai revival in the seventh month. When all the year’s crops are gather in.
The whole system of types and symbols was a compacted prophecy of the gospel, a presentation in which were bound up the promises of redemption.
The Blood on the door post. Ex12;13
On the night of the Passover, there was death in every dwelling where there was no blood on the door post, and in every stall of beasts.
The reason for all the ceremonies of the feast were types of the work of Christ. The deliverance of Israel from Egypt was an object-lesson of redemption, which the Passover was intended to keep in memory. The slain lamb, the unleavened bread, the sheaf of firstfruits, represented the Saviour.
My hope is at or before the end of this lesson there is a decided change for the better.
And that a real revival and reformation will take place. Then shall the end come
To be a witness always is daily praying, read the Bible and speak to the people about that you read.
Pass time with Christ every day.
Praise be to God for giving us such a lesson. The lesson teaches about our growth in the spirit and also witnessing the love of Jesus Christ. We are blessed alot because not every one has such opportunity to learn what God has given to us. The more we witness the faith the more we grow in the faith. Meaning, faith and witness are inseparable, we witness the faith that we have.
The caption for today is obvious; without witnessing your faith cannot grow spiritually. Look; you have prayed, you have studied and meditated; what is left? Remember SMS (Study,meditate and share.) Do not sit down and say to yourself that you want to be familiar, and well vested in the Bible before you witness and share. The little that you understand, share. And through that you will discover more. If you sit down the little that you have will wither. Even if you cannot speak like Angels or preach like Paul, you can tell the love o Jesus. The law is simple; Give and Grow or Withhold and Wither.
How dose one witness? It's being who you are with out pretense,knowing that we are not perfect beings.Not thinking more highly of your self than you ought. To me it living by the golden rule.And tring to live a life acceptabe to our Lord.
Hi John,
It seems to me that living according to the Golden Rule is the foundation of witnessing, and sometimes it can be a silent witness if observers clearly know that you are a Christ-follower. But I don't believe it's "witnessing," per se. (I think this kind of statement can be used to excuse oneself from actively witnessing.)
Of course, truly living the Golden Rule would mean that we would take every opportunity to tell others about God and what He can do for them, wouldn't it? If that's what you mean by living the Golden Rule, I agree with you. 🙂
On the other hand, if you mean just living your own life and generally being kind, without speaking of God, it is like showing up at court as a "witness" and not saying a word. What kind of witness would you be?
Likewise, I believe it does take verbal communication to witness. We need to testify of what God has done for us, but it will do no good, or perhaps even harm, unless our character matches our testimony. And, when opportunity arises - as it will for anyone who truly wants to witness - we are to teach the truth about God. The "Great Commission" wasn't given just to the disciples or "professional" Christians such as pastors and evangelists. It was given to the church as a body. And the "teaching" part is something all of us can do in little ways or big ways. (See Matt 28:18-20)
Aloha:
I needed to make a comment on Inge's remarks; I just agree with everything u say. We so need to read and re-read Math 28:18-20; He not only spoke to the disciples but to all who love Him and believe His word per as written.
May the Lord move each one to reach one as he/she is led by the spirit.....
Keep the good fight of faith.
I want to believe that faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God, but then according to Romans how then will this word be heard if there is no one to preach this word.It is only by witnessing to others are people going to hear the word and have faith and in the same vein we the witnesses strengthen your faith. Revival is the result of this witnessing and in your witnessing we grow to love the word(Jesus)and proclaim its goodness through the Holy Spirit which gives strengh and confidence to witness.
God's word tells us that everything is possible with faith but faith without actions is dead..Our faith is therefore meaningless if we keep it to ourselves without acting in any way to evangelise and testfy to others the benefits we have received frm God and the ways He has changed our lives for better. Our purpose in this world is not to get lost in darkness but to be light to others so that they may find way through us.