Word for the day by Christian Forum

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Proclaiming Life – St. John’s Witness

Bible Reading:   1 John 1:1–4

Key Verse: We proclaim to you that we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete. (1 John 1:4)


DEVOTION

As we spend time on just the opening words of John’s first Epistle, we are able to read that he goes straight to the core of Christian faith. That is the personal encounter of the Word of Life - Jesus Christ Himself.  He proclaims that we have heard It, we have seen It and touched this is not based on theory, rumor or most importantly secondhand account. He has heard Jesus speak in small groups and large crowds, seen His Miracles and His glory, and touched our Risen God and Savior Himself. He establishes the root of his relationship with Jesus and how deep and personal it is.

John also shows confidence in the manner in which he speaks. It is with clarity, assurance and power he reflects on his relationship with the Word of Life.  He also says he isn’t doing this just to fulfill his calling and Jesus’s commission for his followers, but also, it’s to make his own joy complete! John is telling us true joy comes from spreading the gift of life to others by proclaiming it, sharing it, and seeing others brought into its fullness.

Four challenges that St. John is presenting here are; Are we proclaiming the life we have encountered in Christ? How real and vibrant is our relationship with Jesus that we can’t do anything but proclaim? In this noisy world of ours can we be the voice of clarity and confidence? How do we stop being the voice of opinion rather than the voice of witness? Do we believe our own joy comes from being a witness of the Word of Life?

 

PRAYER

Dear Lord, help me to tone down the voice of this world and stop being a messenger rather become a witness of your Glory, your power and you being the Word of Life. Thank you for your Word. Give us the wisdom to understand St. John’s boldness and confidence and embody his need to proclaim the Word of Life. Complete our joy, Lord, as we live as witnesses to Your glory. Amen.


Thought for the day

True joy flows from a real encounter with Christ—let your witness be bold, clear, and rooted in relationship, not opinion.
                                                        
Teena Mathew
St. John's MTC, NY

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