Be My Witness

February 5, 2006

Dear Friend of Mary Craig Ministries,

Jesus Christ is coming again in power and great glory, but many do not really believe it. Every eye will see Him, but most are not looking for His appearing. The Day of the Lord is coming, but people do what they want with no fear of God. Jesus is coming with clouds, clouds of strength and might, and with a great cloud of witnesses, but some sleep and others fail to keep their lamps filled with oil. Jesus is coming as a refiner’s fire, in resurrection power, and to judge the quick and the dead, but some hold to reincarnation and really don’t get it that it is appointed unto man once to die and after that the judgment. So what do we do until He comes?

Just before Jesus went to the agony of the cross, He met with His disciples. He was very serious. He gave them a new commandment, to love one another as He had loved them. He said they couldn’t follow Him at that time, but they would follow Him afterwards. He told them to believe in Him. He was going to prepare a place in His Father’s house, and so, if He went He would come again and receive them unto Himself. The reason for this was so that "where I am, there you may be also." (John 13.31-14.3)

For the interim, Jesus gave His disciples and all disciples since a great commission, to go and make disciples of all nations…(Matthew 28.18-20; Mark 16.15-18; Luke 24.46-49; Acts 1.8)

It is not for you to know the times or the seasons,
Which the Father has put in his own power. But you
Shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is
Come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto Me
Both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria,
unto the uttermost part of the earth.
(Acts 1.7, 8)

Witnessing is a "being" thing. It’s something you are as well as something you do. The language of your life speaks volumes about the God you say you worship and serve. The message of your daily choices demonstrates just whose messenger you are. No matter what you write down on some personal mission statement, your actions—where you go, who with, and what you do—demonstrate your true passion and perceived purpose. What and who you truly love become evident in what you embrace, value, cling to, and trust.

Jesus is coming again and until He comes, every disciple can be His witness by giving attention to the following admonitions:

1. Hear and heed the Scriptures. 2 Timothy 3.15-17
2. Be instant in season and out of season, enduring affliction as you fulfill your calling. 2 Timothy 4.1-5
3. Fight the good fight, finish the course, and keep the faith while loving His appearing. 2 Timothy 4.7, 8
4. Remain faithful. 1 Timothy 1.12, 19
5. Remember the Lord’s death and proclaim it. 1 Corinthians 11
6. Anticipate Christ’s return. 1 Thessalonians 4.13-18
7. Labor in love. 1 Thessalonians 1.1-10; John 17.4; 1 Cor. 15
8. Watch and be sober. 1 Thessalonians 5.1-11
9. Watch and pray. 1 Thessalonians 5.12-28
10. Warn, comfort, and support others with patience. 1 Thess. 5.14
11. Hold fast to the good; to sound, healthy, correct doctrine; to the faithful word, to your profession of faith, to Jesus’ name, to a life of repentance. 1 Thess. 5.21, 1 Timothy 3.9, 2 Timothy 1.13, Titus 1.9, Hebrews 4.14, 10.23; Rev. 2,13, 25; Rev. 3.3, 11.
12. Look for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ by denying ungodliness and worldly lusts and living soberly. Titus 2.12-15
13. Rejoice in hope. Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 15, Colossians 1.27, 2 Thess. 2.16; Titus 3, 1 Peter 1
14. Persevere and overcome. Ephesians 6; John 6.33; Romans12; 1 John 5.4; Rev. 2.7, 17; Rev. 3.21
15. Meet with other believers and don’t isolate yourself. Hebrews 10

Of course all of this takes grace. Of ourselves we do nothing. We must decrease and He must increase. Only in Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit who is the Spirit of Grace can we be witnesses unto Jesus Christ. We begin by making Him truly the Lord of our lives and trusting Him in all things to will and do His good pleasure in us.

I do want to stress meeting with other believers. Hebrews 10 presents Christ’s once for all time sacrifice. It speaks of our boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way. It exhorts us to draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. It encourages us to hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering. And then this:

And let us consider one another to provoke unto love
And to good works: not forsaking the assembling of
Ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but
Exhorting one another, and so much the more, as you
See the day approaching.
Hebrews 10.24, 25

Why? Because, Hebrews says, if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there’s no more sacrifice for sins, only a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation. Repercussions loom for treading under foot the Son of God and counting the blood of the covenant an unholy thing. It is an insult to the Spirit of grace. Instead of casting away our confidence, we are to have patience to the end of receiving the promise.

The good fight consists of our own struggle against sin and getting the victory over unbelief (we believe in Jesus, but we struggle to believe Jesus sometimes) and the struggle over truth, finding and holding to sound, healthy, correct doctrine. It is a fight of faith to the finish to keep it. And we need each other. We’re waging war against the enemies of Christ and of our own souls. We need each other to keep us on track, to stir us up, so we can "one another" one another. Love doesn’t exist in isolation, unless of course we limit it to self-love. Love needs an object.

By this shall all men know that you are My disciples,
If you have love one to another. John 13.35

The mandate of missions is to bring people of every nation, tribe, and tongue to the worship of the one true God. We seek to do this at MCM, having taken the gospel to more than 60 nations and to all seven continents over the past 12 years. We have a mission team going to Mozambique, and we need your help! We want to take three large suitcases of clothing and (very small) toys for children there in an orphanage. We want to take at least $500 to the orphanage. We want to help this nation. AIDS killed over 2 million Africans in 2005, and will kill more this year. AIDS orphans abound, and children suffer who never asked to be born in such deplorable conditions. We are called to Mozambique. It is part of fighting the good fight of faith--the fight to preserve truth and promote justice, the fight to overcome the enemies of Christ in His Name, by His grace, and for His glory. Think of the possibilities.

We could not pursue the calling of the Lord without continual support, both spiritual and financial, from people like you. Please consider your gift to MCM and be a part of bringing people to help and hope in Jesus. You will be blessed!

Until He comes,

Mary Craig

P.S. Go to www.marycraig.org for the latest. We have a new scripture perpetual calendar available online…Enjoying God for Life. Order from our catalog section using PayPal. Worship with us 4:30 p.m. Sundays, at Craighouse®, located in the Pompano Plaza at 114 E. McNab Road, Pompano Beach, FL 33060. Visit www.craighouse.org for a map and more events and Bible studies. Reach MCM at 954-491-7270. Be blessed! We love you!

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts:
And be ready always to give an answer
To every one that asks you a reason of the
Hope that is in you with meekness and fear.
1 Peter 3.15

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