Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional "Can I Get a Witness?" Tuesday, 25 March 2014 - Read 1 John 1:1-5

Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional "Can I Get a Witness?" Tuesday, 25 March 2014 - Read 1 John 1:1 That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we saw, and our hands touched, concerning the Word of life 2 (and the life was revealed, and we have seen, and testify, and declare to you the life, the eternal life, which was with the Father, and was revealed to us); 3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us. Yes, and our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 And we write these things to you, that our joy may be fulfilled.
5 This is the message which we have heard from him and announce to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
We declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.--1 John 1:3 (NRSV)
While a pastor in Three Rivers, Michigan, I became good friends with one of the other pastors in our community. Over the 18 years I ministered in that community, he and I exchanged pulpits often. On other occasions I was privileged to hear him preach. After making a particular point he would say, “Can I get a witness?” He was saying, “Is there someone who agrees with me?” Perhaps that is the essence of witnessing — agreeing with Jesus by sharing with others the experiences we have had since we turned our lives over to him. This includes the good, bad, and ugly experiences that we all have during our lives; Jesus has been with us through them all. In his defense before King Agrippa, the apostle Paul told of how he persecuted believers and then later how God had chosen him to “bear witness to the lowly and the great” (Acts 26:22, ceb). Thomas Aquinas once stated that when you want to convert a person to your view, you go over to where he is standing, take him by the hand, and guide him. You don’t stand across the room and shout at him. This is what we need to do: take the hands of those around us and guide them to the love and salvation of Jesus Christ.
The Author: Derl G. Keefer (Wisconsin, USA)
Thought for the Day: Who around me needs to be guided to Christ?
Prayer: Dear God, open our hearts to those around us who need to hear the good news of your love and eternal life. Amen.
Prayer focus: For courage to witness
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