Title: Being a witness
Scripture: Acts 1:8
Date: November 21 2009
Last Updated: December 12, 2009
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." - Acts 1:8
I'm not here to convince people to come to God, that it what the Holy Spirit does. I'm to be a witness, a channel through which the Holy Spirit speaks through me to shed light to others as instructed in Acts 1:8. I can speak to someone's mind, but only God can speak to their heart and spirit.
Acts 1:8 says "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." This verse tells us to go out, to be a witness to people locally (this is our Jerusalem), to be a witness beyond our community (this is out Judea), and beyond that to reach out to people of different cultures and languages (This is our Samaria).
Go beyond our cultural and language barrier to share Jesus, to be a part of one family, for one kingdom, for one church, of one language, of one culture, of one value, for one God. We may speak different languages now, but in heaven, we will speak the same language.
It's good that people see that we are not perfect, because the message of Christ is for those who are not perfect (which is every human being that has ever lived)(Luke 5:27-32). But we will be perfect in eternal glory. But they must see a transformation, a progress, a change that God is working in our lives. And we will only live this transformation when we have the Holy Spirit. My life, my actions, my speech, my values, sacrifices and love will speak for me, to others. I don't need fancy words, just evidence of God working in my life. They will see why they need Christ, to change, not they themselves, but to allow God to change them. We can say what we want but our lives speak of who we are. Live the values of God. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. (2 Peter 1:5-9)
Let Jesus' light shine through us. He wiped away our sins, our stains, and our shame so that people can see Christ through us. Don't let anything cover that light.
A big exchange was made when Jesus died: He took all our sins and gave us His righteousness so that we can be justified and made right in the sight of God. Let others know that this is available to all those who come to Christ, who let Him change them, and those who will follow Him forever.
I am not the Way and I do not claim to be the Way; I'm just here to show the Way. Jesus is the Way, He is the truth we are all searching for, He is life breathed to us, and He is the light that will guide us through the dark. It is only through and by Him that we will find and have access to God. (John 14:6)
Don't follow me, follow Christ. Just promise me that we can walk together.
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