Our most recent presentation was to a group of students in a chapel service of the Tri-State Bible College North Campus in Akron, OH. The service went well, and afterward we enjoyed great, friendly fellowship. Dr. Alicia Malone, who is the Vice President of Student Affairs, wrote to us in a letter afterward, “You and Emerson radiate as ‘the light of Christ’ would have us to do as we work in the vineyard. The general consensus from the student body and the leaders of the church was very positive…” Her remarks were indeed kind, but to tell the truth we were likewise encouraged and blessed by the students attentive listening and enthusiastic questioning,

Two days after that event, we were invited to share with a family their Thanksgiving dinner along with three additional friends and three international students. The night was filled with fun, joy and lots of sharing which seemed to shrink the world's distance from thousands of miles into a distance we could see and reach. Some saw and heard things they had never heard before.

“Wow, what is this? How does a can stuck into it keep turning, and then the lid is opened? I never saw it before?” “Oh, it is called ‘electric can opener.” And that was something that he had never known before. 

“Does your country have a holiday celebrating and giving thanks like we do in the States?” “Not exactly, but we do have another…” Again, here was a fact that someone had never heard before;

“Friends, I can share my journey with you. A long time ago, I was a student coming to this state for study. One day, I met this Jesus, who is the Christ and Living God. I knew I had found the greatest treasure that was beyond everything I was looking for.”

Curiosity to ask and learn from each other while we are trying to build a friendship is natural for a human being, especially when the curiosity crosses different cultures. Making friendships not only takes effort, time and energy, but also it requires lots of love, patience, understanding and respect to build a solid relationship with a person who begins as a stranger but becomes a good friend. While thinking on this, I realized that learning this lesson is a life-long journey. Everyday I meet strangers who may become friends; this is a normal experience. Yet, I also have to ask myself a more eternal question and evaluate my relationship with my dear Lord Jesus at this moment. Am I willing to cultivate the best friendship I can with Him regardless of so many things I still cannot comprehend about His kingdom? Do I know Him more each day? Am I getting closer to Him through further submission to His lordship?

John 1:5-17, tells us that John the Baptist was a witness to the true light—Jesus Christ – but also was the Apostle John, the writer of the book, who testified to His grace.

 ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. ⁶ There was a man sent from God whose name was John.  ⁷ He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe.  ⁸ He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. ⁹ The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.  ¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.  ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.  ¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—  ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. ¹⁴ The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. ¹⁵ (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”)  ¹⁶ Out of his fullness, we have all received grace in place of grace already given.  ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

During this Advent and Christmas season, I sincerely ask you please to join my prayer that every Christ-follower would boldly be a witness to the One who is Lord of lords and King of kings by sharing personal testimony with those who have never seen or heard.

Above all, may He have praise and honor and glory and power forever and ever, because

HE came, so we can know the Everlasting Father;

HE spoke, so we can hear the Truth through this Wonderful Counselor;

HE did signs and miracles for the needy, sick and poor, so we can know this Mighty God;

HE lived a godly life, so we can follow Him;

HE died, so we can be forgiven and reconciled to the heavenly Father through this Prince of Peace;

HE was raised from the dead, so we can be saved through this Savior;

As a Forerunner, HE entered the inner sanctuary and became a High Priest sitting down at the right hand of the throne of the

the Majesty in heaven, so our prayers can be heard and we have hope for eternity and His second coming.

 

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)