Take a selfie. What do you see? Who do you see?
It’s interesting that God chooses to reveal His nature through imperfect people. He always will, and He always has. He chose messengers to embody and to reveal His message.
Amazing is this grace. Awesome is the responsibility. Joyful is the privilege.
We are stewards, entrusted ones, and great is His investment in us. He invests His love and grace into us in order to flow through us.
Notice, He didn’t say we would do witnessing, but we would be…and be His witnesses.
A witness: a person who has seen, heard, or experienced something: to have personal or direct cognizance of a fact, a situation, an event or a person.
A witness is one who attests, authenticates, testifies (to), vouches (for), one who certifies as true. A witness is one who sees, declares what they have seen, heard and experienced.
The Disciples were experiential witnesses.
When is the last time you had an experiential connection to Whom you believe?
1John 1:1-3
He was the Light, the Revealer. The disciples walked with Jesus for three years; at the end they still didn’t understand. They saw and heard what Jesus said and did. They saw His compassion, His anger, His love, His friendship, His power, and were soon to see His agony, then His glory.
Bottom line if we really see, behold, and experience Jesus, we see, behold and experience the Father’s love.
Scenario:
Last discourse with the disciples. A last meal. Last words of encouragement. Last action before the cross… Washing the disciples feet. Last command… Love well.
Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am?
Jesus often went to a garden in the Mount of Olives to talk to His Father .
It was His custom… He went to the Mt. of Olives… He would leave crowds, slip away, spend time alone in His Father’s Presence.
When we pray for someone we reveal the love and care of our Father.
When we encourage someone we reveal the love and the care of our Father.
We in a very real way reveal the Father’s nature.
Our good deeds reflect the Father’s love.
For a couple of years I prayed daily. “Jesus, you reveal the Love of the Father, please reveal the love of the Father to my heart.” I also prayed, “Father, no one can come to Jesus unless you draw them. Father please draw me closer to Jesus.”
I was expecting an encounter that would come upon me and give direct revelation of the love of the Father. I thought the revelation would come during my worship time, or my prayer time or at a special meeting.
Recently, I’ve had several people stop me and thank me for praying for them. One lady told me I prayed for her over a year ago and she has had no pain or issues since. Amazing!
I marvel, “Wow! Father I see your nature. I see your love. You loved her so much that you met her need abundantly beyond all we could ask or think! You are truly a loving Father.”
God’s love for me was revealed not by some mysterious experience, (I’m all in for those) but by her need being met through an answered prayer… through me. He reveals His love as I serve someone, or when I stop for the one. Sometimes He reveals His love as I encourage someone with prophetic insight or by giving a gift to someone.
The message is the messenger. The messenger is the message. If you are in doubt, take a selfie.