John 20:31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

This whole chapter is so loaded with dearly loved verses that at first I had no idea where to start writing, but then this verse echoed all the more strongly in my heart. Everything about Jesus is wonderful and worth telling, and the motivation for telling is exactly what John says here. As Paul said, how can people believe in someone of whom they know nothing? (Romans 10:14) That’s why Jesus commissions all who have encountered Him as witnesses, (Acts 1:8) empowering them with His spirit to fulfill that commission. Some just speak, some write as well, but all are to live out their encounter with the living God who loved them so much as to give Himself on the cross for their sake. As Peter declared to the Sanhedrin, “We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:20)

This is of course the reason and motivation for my life. It is perhaps more obvious for me than for some others because I am a pastor, but it is my desire and my conviction that every believer should live to give glory to God by proclaiming what He has done for them. We use so many excuses for not sharing Christ, but none of them are any more substantial than tissue paper dropped in strongly agitated water; they simply can’t stand up. My job is to train by word and example so that each believer in my care may be equipped to do that for which God has created and called them. (Ephesians 4:12) Everyone’s gift set and life context is different, so no two people are to serve God identically, but everyone is to serve in glorious fellowship with our Creator, loving and being loved by Him and letting His love flow through us to those around us. When we have tasted that, even to a small degree, then we desire that others join us in this supreme blessing, and we too speak and write and act so that others too may believe. I am here to reproduce myself as a disciple of Christ, and I must never forget it.

Father, thank You for Your incredible grace. Thank You for the YWAM team being here and for the ministry they have done. Thank You for the remaining days we have together. I pray that every one of Your purposes would be fulfilled, today and each day, so that Your family may grow by leaps and bounds, for a mighty harvest for Your pleasure and glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!