2005-03-29 - Tears

Revelation 7:17, "For the Lamb in the center of the throne shall be their shepherd, and shall guide them to springs of the water of life, and God shall wipe every tear from their eyes.

There are many ways we can witness our faith in salvation which is found in Jesus Christ. One way was demonstrated by a man named Mr. Knill several years ago. He was trying to witness. In fact, he was trying to distribute gospel tracts to soldiers. He was met by a man who cursed him and said to the other soldiers, "Make a ring round him, and I will stop his tract distributing once for all," and then he uttered curses and oaths at Mr. Knill, who could not escape. Mr. Knill simply burst into tears.

Years later, when Mr. Knill was once again preaching in the streets, a man came up to him and said, "Mr. Knill, do you know me?" "No, I do not," said Mr. Knill, "I don't know that I ever saw you." "Do you recollect the soldier who said, 'Make a ring round him and stop his tract-distributing,' and do you recollect what you did?" "No, I do not." "Why, you broke into tears, and when I got home those tears melted my heart, for I saw you were so in earnest, that I felt ashamed of myself, and now I preach myself that same Jesus whom once I despised."

There is a sense in which this is an example to us. It is an example of how we ought to do all we can to communication the importance of individual forgiveness. It is an example of the almost lost art of earnestness. There are many who care about those who are without Christ, but there are few who fall under the category of being earnest. Being earnest means we act, live, and speak as if the persons very soul hangs on their response to our message of hope. We strive until we reach the point that we do not know what more we can do, and then we look for new avenues, new approaches, and ways to share Christ.

We are the messengers of God's mercy. 2 Corinthians 5:20 tells us that we are ambassadors for Christ. As Christians we are instruments of God's grace. At the close here I would like to reflect back to the early church. In the early church every man was a missionary, and every woman was an evangelist. But consider how the church of God grew. If we want the gospel to go forward in this world and have the influence that it's power deserves, let us do all we can to live faithful lives and share freely with those we come in contact with.

Soli Deo Gloria,
T-

tim@cfdevotionals.org
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