A Devotional by Pastor Cesar Castellanos

Today’s Bible Verse

“God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.”

Acts 17:27

The Most Valuable Quest

Two disciples of John the Baptist were shocked by the words of their leader, who seeing Jesus pass by said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” This declaration stirred their curiosity so they hurried in order to reach Him. However, they did not say anything to Jesus; they simply followed behind Him. Apparently they had already walked a long way when Jesus stopped and asked them, “What do you want?” What a great question! Some people follow Jesus without a purpose in life. They do so just to ease their conscience. Some follow Him to get benefits from Him. Some do so to feel they belong to a religion. But Jesus wanted to know the reason why these two men were following Him. Their answer, “Where are you staying?” This was very interesting. If He is the Messiah, we want to know where He lives. Jesus thought this was something normal and He said, “Come and see.” Once they saw the place where He lived they were pleased and they stayed with Him the rest of the day (John 1:35-39). In this is the way Jesus began to form His team. He went on to add Phillip, later Nathanael, afterwards Matthew and the others, until He had gathered His twelve disciples.

Whenever a person has a personal encounter with Jesus, there is not even the slightest doubt in his mind. He experiences a total conviction that the Lord is the true God. After meeting with Jesus, Philip found his best friend Nathaniel and he told him, “’We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’ ‘Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?’ Nathanael asked. ‘Come and see,’ said Phillip” (John 1:45-46).

In other words, Phillip tells his friend, “Check it out for yourself,” knowing Jesus is a personal and unique experience. After my conversion, I looked for my friends to tell them about my experience, but they were reluctant and skeptical. I realized that every attempt to convince them was in vain because they thought they were losing a friend and should fight not to lose me. They would talk to me about vices and pleasures, but I told them, “Imagine that someone is invited to a big dinner where he can find the best food. After leaving the banquet really satisfied he finds some friends with a paper bag full of crumbs. The friends offer him the crumbs thinking it is a great meal. That is what you are offering me. Thank you but I’m not going to exchange my banquet for some insignificant crumbs.” That day my friendship with them came to an end.

Something to Think About

Doctor Billy Graham shared this anecdote: One night, a drunk man was looking for something on the sidewalk below the streetlamp. He was clambering unsteadily around, touching the floor and grabbing the streetlamp from time to time as a support. Suddenly a passer by asked him if he had lost something. He answered, “I’ve lost my wallet.” The pedestrian offered to help him find the wallet, but he couldn’t find it either so he asked the drunk man again, “Are you sure you lost it here?” “Of course not,” said the drunk man, “I lost it a block away.” “Why don’t you go and look for it over there?” asked the other man. And the drunk man answered with a response full of logic, “Because there are no streetlamps down there.” It is important to seek, but it is useless if we don’t seek where there is light, because we will be just groping in the dark.

It is important for us to understand the following:
• We can only know Jesus by divine revelation.
• The Christian faith is not inherited or received by flesh and blood. It comes directly from making a choice to believe in Jesus Christ.
• We must openly confess that Jesus is the Son of God.
• Christ is the Rock upon which the whole foundation of the Church rests.
• We become living stones in the temple of God, that is the Church.
• Our faith grows firm on the Rock, which is Christ.

Prayer

“Dear Jesus, I thank You for finding me. I know that You found me like You found Philip. You found me when I was so lost and far away. You saved me by Your grace when my feet were stumbling with no direction. Thank You because I know You are my Savior. Thank You because when I invited You in, You came and took over my life. Thank You for planting me in Your Church and for making me an instrument of blessing in Your hands. I love You Jesus. Amen.”

Declaration

“The promised Messiah looked for me, found me and now lives in my heart.”

Today’s Bible Reading

• Old Testament: Isaiah 3-5; Proverbs 19:1-14
• New Testament: Luke 20:41-47; Hebrews 1:10-14