Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Enthusiasm”
Our Bible verse for today: “Now you are the body of Christ, and individual members of it.” 1 Corinthians 12:27 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “Make God visible to others.”
When Jesus was physically here on earth in a human body, the people around Him could see Him, hear Him, touch Him, and know Him as a flesh and blood human being. But Jesus isn’t here in that way anymore. In His place He has left the church. He has placed His Holy Spirit in the hearts of all those who follow Him, and through the guidance and the power of the Holy Spirit, in the lives of those Christians, Jesus continues to live and breath and move and work in this world. He lives in and through us and collectively, we the church, are known as “The Body of Christ”.
In his book, “Finding God in Unexpected Places” author Philip Yancey tells the story of a woman named Joanna whom he met in South Africa in 2004. Joanna had a ministry that involved going into the worst and most violent prison in the country to conduct Bible studies, worship services, and to offer Christian counseling to the prisoners. This prison was so bad and so violent that the prisoners was kept locked in their cells twenty-three out of twenty-four hours a day.
It was a dangerous place for an attractive young woman but she went in faith, trusting the Lord to protect her. She brought a message of forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God, and the prisoners responded enthusiastically. The Bible study groups and worship services were packed and after only one year, the number of violent assaults in that prison went from 279 down to 2.
When Yancey interviewed her and asked her to explain the remarkable success of her ministry in such a troubled and violent setting she responded, “Well, of course Philip, God was already present in the prison. I just had to make him visible.”
She just had to make God visible for them. They couldn’t see the Spirit of God, but they could see the Spirit of God living, breathing, and working in and through Joanna, and that made all the difference.
You too can make God visible to others. Jesus can and will use your hands and feet, your smile, your eyes, your words and your actions, as His own. He will accomplish His work through your body, and people will be able to see Him in and through you.
If you only will, you can make God visible to others. Now that’s something to be enthusiastic about. I encourage you to make God visible to someone today.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 