Jesus

When I was a little girl I can remember going outside early every Saturday morning when I lived in Rhode Island and I would preach to my dog, Zonia, and her puppies. I would try to do it just the way I had seen the children's pastor do it in children's church. I would pace back and forth and pause every so often, putting my hands on my hips and staring right into the eyes of each squirmy, crawling, little puppy. I would tell them the story of Jesus and how He came to earth to die for all people. I would get so excited that my voice would get louder and louder. Then, once I had preached all that I wanted to, I would go sit on my swing and sing songs. What did I sing? You know, I really don't know. I would just make up songs about Jesus and God and angels. I loved to sing. I dreamed of one day being able to preach in front of real people. I would get so excited and lost in that dream that there was no doubt in my mind that it was going to happen. As a little girl, I had no idea what it even meant to be a pastor or to preach. All I knew was that if I was going to preach, I wanted to tell everyone about Jesus.


While I was living in Rhode Island, I attended a Christian school. Yeah, I had to wear the uniform and all. I can remember that every morning we all had to line up and your class had to go in to the chapel and sit in their assigned row. My favorite part was when we got to do the pledge of allegiance. But, we didn't just get to pledge allegiance to the American flag, but to the Christian flag and the Bible too. Every time I recited those words to the Christian flag and the Bible, I would put my whole heart into it. "I pledge allegiance to the Bible, God's holy word. I will make it a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path..." To say those words meant that I had to MEAN those words. It wasn't about the book. It was about what the book stood for and whose words were in it.


As Christians, we are all called to preach. We are all called to share the gospel. If we don't even know the words that are in the Word of God, then what gospel are we preaching? Are we telling others what we "think" will save them? If we truly grasped what a gift the Bible is and really knew what it says, then this world would be different. America would be different. Yet, look around. There are so many denominations and they can hardly get along. We all choose to take what we want or have been taught from the Word of God. Yet, we miss out on EVERYTHING that it is trying to tell us. We worry so much about how to reach the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. But, really, our message is far from being that. We are afraid of what people will think. We are afraid to talk about the only one who can save. How can we be a witness for Christ without sharing with everyone that we come in contact with who He is? As a little girl, I understood this more than I do even now. I wanted to preach about Jesus. I didn't want to preach about The Father's Love, Signs and Wonders, Moses, Jonah, Joshua, David .... I wanted people to know who JESUS was. I knew that was the most important message that could ever be given. When Jesus ascended into Heaven, what did the disciples preach on? Jesus and His kingdom! They understood the importance of the message to the point that they gave their lives for it.


When I was five years old someone told me the story of Jesus. That is when I gave my life to Him. No other story would save me. No one else had given His life to save mine because He loved me. My reaction to Jesus was all because of learning the truth. How can we expect the world to act any less?

Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
2John 1:3