Tell Them - Mark 5:19

Mark 5:19       Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” (NIV)

            When I first became a Christian, I wanted to tell the whole world about Jesus, but my biggest problem was how to communicate my faith to my family and friends. They knew everything about me – the good, the bad, and the ugly – so convincing them that I had changed was an uphill task. They watched me go from a heavy drinking alcoholic to becoming a fervent disciple of Jesus. I guess they thought that all I was doing was replacing one form of addiction with another, which to some degree was actually true. It took years for them to accept that my faith was truly a life-changing experience for me, but I don’t think it had any real influence over their own individual spirituality.

            At the end of the Gospel story, when Jesus heals the demoniac (Mark 5:1-20), the healed man asks to follow Jesus and go with Him. Christ, however, did not let him. Instead, Jesus wanted the man to go back to his own people and tell them the story of his miraculous cure. In other words, Jesus was giving him a mission to spread the news about God’s mercy and grace in a region that had actually rejected Jesus. It would be an uphill task because the man’s people would remember him as a deranged lunatic, so it would take years for his story to be accepted.

            We all love our families dearly, as well as our closest friends. Sharing our faith with them can sometimes be a hard thing to do, but it is a worthwhile mission. We never know what long-term affect our faithfulness to Christ will have with the kinfolk around us. So long as we love and cherish them, our faith may have a positive influence on their own lives. We just have to keep praying and persevering without being self-righteous, condemnatory, or over-bearing. As Jesus Himself said, “Tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you.”

Point to ponder

How do I communicate my faith to my family? Do I show them love, mercy, and grace?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, bless our families and friends with Your love and goodness. Help us to cherish and support them, so they may see that our faith in You is both compassionate and encouraging. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Today’s image is one of John’s drawings called “A New Earth.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: New Earth.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. You can view the church’s website at www.erinpresbyterian.org.

Bible devotions: 84 Million - Exodus 1:12-13

Exodus 1:12-13          But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites and worked them ruthlessly. 

Sometimes when people are oppressed because of their faith, they grow in numbers. Christianity in China is a good example of this. In 1949 when the Communists took control of China, there were only about 500,000 Christians in the nation. After persecuting the church for more than sixty years, how many Christians are there in China? 84 million.

It appears that when Christianity is backed into a corner and almost annihilated, it finds a new way out and grows. Perhaps at some future point in our decadent and deviant Western society, we will see a real re-emergence of the church because Christians will once again stand up for their beliefs, instead of embracing the culture which is causing a passive church to wither and decay.

Long ago, the Egyptians used a form of genocide in an attempt to wipe out the Jewish community in their midst. It didn’t work because God’s will could not be thwarted by mere politics, no matter how powerful the leader of the Egyptians appeared to be. Moses was predestined to be born and become a great leader of his people. God desired this, so human wickedness would not prevail.

In years to come, missionaries will be sent from Africa and Asia, India and China to Europe and the Americas in order to reclaim churches and Christians for Christ. God’s work will not be undone and Christ’s words will always endure. Our role in our churches today is to be faithful to God’s Word and serve Christ truly, even when it is unpopular. If we do that then a people yet unborn may be reclaimed for Christ and His Kingdom.

Questions for personal reflection

Has my faith grown in times of adversity? Have I personally shared my Christian beliefs with the upcoming generation?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, all over the world people are praising Your Name and believing in Your Words. New churches are springing up in hostile areas and Your mission is being accomplished across this planet. Help us to strengthen our faith, in the good times as well as the bad. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to make a comment or ask a question of today’s message, please send him an email to traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is another of John’s 2012 Advent drawings simply called “Advent.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8063/8192865892_9d85b325b4_b.jpg