OUR DAILY BREAD: JUST BE YOURSELF

[cimi]

June 22
Friday

JUST BE
YOURSELF


READ:
John 9:1-25
_________________________

You, who once were
alienated and enemies
in your mind by wicked
works, yet now He has
reconciled.
__Colossians 1:21
____________________________

For those of us who don't have the spiritual gift of evangelism, the word witness can stir up some unpleasant memories or paralyzing anxieties. In fact, I've sometimes felt like a complete failure when I tried to follow methods that were designed to make witnessing easier.

Jim Henderson, author of Evangelism Without Additives: What if Sharing Your Faith Meant Just Being Yourself? has made the subject less threatening for me by suggesting another way of thinking about the subject. Instead of using someone else's words or story, he suggests "just being yourself."

In courtrooms, second-hand testimony is not allowed because anything other than a first-hand account is unreliable. The same is true spiritually. The authentic story of the work Christ has done in our lives is the best testimony we have. We don't need to doctor it or dramztize it. When we tell the truth about Christ's power to save us and keep us from sin, our testimony will be credible.

If the thought of taking classes or memorizing plans has kept you from witnessing, try a different approach: be yourself! Like the blind man Jesus healed, simply say, "Though I was blind, now I see" (John 9:25). __Julie Ackerman Link
____________________________________________________________

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~THINKING IT THROUGH~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Write out your personal testimony of when you received Jesus as your Savior. Try including what your life was like before, and what it's like now.
____________________________________________________________

If you want others to know what Christ can do for
them, tell them what He has done for you.


****************Today's Bible Reading __John 9:1-25**************

1 Now as Jesus passed by,
He saw a man who was
blind from birth. 2 And His
disciples asked Him,
saying, "Rabbi, who sinned,
this man or his parents, that
he was born blind?" 3 Jesus
answered, "Neither this
man nor his parents sinned,
but that the works of God
should be revealed in
him."...

6 When He had said these
things, He spat on the
ground and made clay with
the saliva; and He anointed
the eyes of the blind man
with the clay. 7 And He said
to him, "Go, wash in the
pool of Siloam" (which is
translated, Sent). So he
went and washed, and came
back seeing.

8 Therefore the neighbors
and those who previously
had seen that he was blind
said, "Is not this he who sat
and begged?" 9 Some said,
"This is he."

10 Therefore they said to
him, "How were your eyes
opened?"

11 He answered and said,
"A Man called Jesus made
clay and anointed my eyes
and said to me, 'Go to the
pool of Siloam and wash.'
So I went and washed, and
I received sight."...

24 So they again called the
man who was blind, and
said to him, "Give God teh
glory! We know that this
Man is a sinner."

25 He answered and said,
"Wherher He is a sinner or
not I do not know. One
thing I know: that though I
was blind, now I see."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

In John's gospel, the miracles Jesus performed are often signs
authenticating His Messiahship. Isaiah prophesied (29:18;35:5; 42:7)
and Jesus affirmed that giving spiritual and physical sight to the blind
is a Messianic activity (Matt. 11:15). The healing of the blind man in
John 9 is one evidence that Jesus is indeed the Son of God. __SKT