BEING A LETTER FROM CHRIST
Herve Fleurant

John 15:5-8

God's plan is for us to remain in him and for his word to remain in us, and for, together, great things to happen. Sometimes we think that the God of the Old Testament is different from the God of the New Testament. Here God says that his word must remain in us. Let us see what the Old Testament says.

Deuteronomy 6:4-7
God has always been concerned about our hearts. He wants his word to be on our hearts.

1. BECOME A LETTER FROM CHRIST

2 Corinthians 3:2,3
This is the reason that God wants for his word to be on our hearts. When God's word is on our hearts, it changes us and we become a letter from Christ. When God's word is on your heart, you become different. Your goals and your dreams become different. Then, when people look at you, they see Christ in you. They see God's message in you.

Galatians 5:22,23
This is what should be written on our hearts.

Q. Is this written on your heart?
Q. Is this what is inside you?

These are the things which when people look at you they should see. The only person who can put this on your heart is Christ. Then, when you have this, people don't see you by your tribe, race or professional training. Instead, they see Christ in you. That is what Christ meant when he said that we are the light.

Leaders come and leaders go (just as the Taliaferros and Fleurants came to Africa but then had to leave), but Christ stands forever, and that is who we are to share.

In difficult times - and here in East Africa we are constantly faced with difficult times - we need to be different and not react to things and events the way everyone else does, so that we continue to be a letter from Christ. When you are a letter from Christ, people can tell the difference between you and others.

Q. Can people still tell the difference between you and others?
Q. Are you using the opportunities that God gives you through the challenges of life to be a letter so that Christ can say things through you to other people?

The word of God is amazing. It never changes and will never let you down. It always accomplishes the purposes that God had set for it. You can always trust the word of God because the word of God stands forever. Hold to that, and you will continue to be a letter from Christ.

2. DON'T DELETE THE LETTER

Luke 11:24-28
God has been writing things on our hearts as we have read our Bibles, heard lessons at midweek services, listened to sermons, etc. But when we stop reading, the message fades, just like the ink and writing on the kind of fax paper that was originally used with fax machines. As the message fades, other things come in and replace it. As a result, we reason and act like the world. That is because we have allowed God's word to be deleted from our hearts. We end up being "angels" at church but "devils" at home, because the Word isn't there any more.

Leaders come and go, but the word of God stands forever. When the Word is on your heart, no one has to tell you to use your difficulties and challenges to reach out to people and do other good, because the Word tells you to do that already.

We have all been through hardship, some more than others, but God has never failed us, and he is not about to do so now. God has always been faithful to us and now we need to be faithful to him. Let the word of God do what it is meant to. Let it live in you and change you, and then, speak! Say something.

If we remain in Christ and his words remain in us, we can ask whatever we wish, and it will be given to us. "This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." (John 15:8) We cannot do that if the Word is not written on our hearts. That is the only thing we have. That is our anchor.

Let is be written on our hearts so that it can do what it is supposed to do, and produce what it is supposed to produce, in our lives and then in the lives of many others.

Let your light shine in your city, in your country, wherever God takes you in the future. Let your light shine that the glory may be given to God and God alone.