In a sense, we as Adventists see ourselves in the role of John the Baptist. The herald of reform and repentance sought to prepare the way for the first coming of Jesus; we, as a movement, see ourselves doing the same for the Second Coming.
Read prayerfully Luke 1:17. How do these words capture our message?
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The heavenly Father has turned the hearts of His children back to Himself and has turned the hearts of His children to each other through the Cross of Christ. The Elijah message pleads with families to believe this incredible good news (2 Cor. 5:18-21; compare Eph. 2:11-18) and to be people filled with grace as His Spirit yields a harvest of love in them.
The world needs desperately a demonstration of unselfish caring, lasting commitment, and unswerving devotion to God. By God’s grace Christian families can provide such a demonstration. Yet, we must remember that the message we have for the world is also for ourselves. Until the principles of gospel, of unity, of love, of self-sacrifice are made manifest among us, especially in our own families, we will be powerless to share this message with others. All the eloquent sermons, all the logic and biblical presentations, aren’t enough: The world needs to see manifest in our lives, especially in our family lives, the repentance, the turned hearts, the love, and the commitment we preach about. Just as John the Baptist had a power that changed lives and made his preaching effective, we can do the same through the grace of God, but only to the degree that we are willing to cooperate.
We are, through Jesus, part of the family in heaven (Eph. 3:15). Thus, whether we are a family of one or more, we are called to be witnesses for the God we profess to serve, and nothing can make our witness more effective than to show the world what a family, regardless of its size, can be through the power of the gospel.
| What can you do, in a special way, to show those closest to you, whether immediate family or someone else, that you love and care about them? |
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