Verse of the Day 8/9

Verse of the Day 8/9

Philemon 6

New Revised Standard Version

I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective when you perceive all the good that we may do for Christ.

Today's verse comes from the short, seldom referenced book of Philemon but the truth of it can move mountains and reach millions.

I closed yesterday's post with the song "Each One, Reach One".  If we put this into practice and share our faith you may never know how many people can actually be reached through Christ working through you.  We may not be super evangelists, but who knows about the one that comes to Christ as us being His instrument?

My wife and I recently visited the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte NC.  It was very uplifting, encouraging and challenging to see all that the Lord did through Him sharing his faith with the world.  He drew crowds into the millions in some of his evangelistic events.  Today's verse was one that was highlighted in the tour.  But now, for those who haven't heard it before we'll take a step back.  Have you ever heard of Edward Kimble?  He was a Sunday School teacher who encouraged a young man to come to his class and he ended up receiving the Lord. 

Greg Laurie writes, "

Edward Kimble was a shoe salesman who worked alongside a guy named Dwight. Edward shared the gospel with Dwight, and Dwight accepted Christ. It was 1858, and Dwight's last name was Moody. We know him as D. L. Moody, who was one of the greatest evangelists in history.

Years later when Moody was preaching, a pastor named Frederick D. Meyer was deeply stirred, and as a result, he went into his own nationwide preaching ministry. On one occasion when Meyer was preaching, a college student named J. Wilbur Chapman heard him and accepted Christ. He went out and began to share the gospel, and he employed a young baseball player named Billy Sunday. Billy Sunday ended up being the greatest evangelist of his generation.

When Billy Sunday preached the gospel in Charlotte, North Carolina, it was such a great meeting that he was invited back. But when he couldn't be there, Sunday recommended a preacher named Mordecai Ham. Ham went to Charlotte and preached, but not many people responded to his invitation to accept Christ. But on one of the last nights, a tall, lanky boy who worked on the local dairy farm walked forward. Everyone knew him as Billy Frank, and we know him today as Billy Graham.

So Edward Kimble reached D. L. Moody, who touched Frederick Meyer, who reached Wilbur Chapman, who helped Billy Sunday, who reached businessmen in Charlotte, who invited Mordecai Ham, who ultimately reached Billy Graham. And it all began with the simple witness of Edward Kimble.

My prayer for you today that the sharing of your faith may lead someone to Christ.  Who knows what could happen if you share your faith with in leading a Sunday School class, a Bible study, with the youth group, or with a neighbor or family member.  Think of the millions impacted through the Holy Spirit working through Edward Kimble and his willingness to share his faith.

Blessings, 

Mike 

 

Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,

in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV

Philemon
New King James Version

Greeting
1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,
To Philemon our beloved friend and fellow laborer, 2 to [a]the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philemon's Love and Faith
4 I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, 5 hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, 6 that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in [b]you in Christ Jesus. 7 For we [c]have great [d]joy and [e]consolation in your love, because the [f]
hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother.