Ye are my witnesses

As Jesus was about completing His earthly ministry and relocating to Heaven, He began to give further instructions through the Holy Spirit to His chosen apostles for the great task ahead (Acts 1:2). This was the period the Bible describes as Jesus last 40 days on earth. During that period, Jesus began to give intensive lectures about the Kingdom of God to His chosen disciples.

With about one day to go or most probably on the very day of His ascent, Jesus gave His last recorded words to the apostles, as written in Acts 1:8. The final words of a person’s life seem to command a little extra respect, no matter how much they talked in life. The proof that Acts 1:8 was the very last words of Jesus to His disciples was that immediately after Jesus had spoken those words, He ascended into Heaven before their very eyes (Acts 1:9).

Jesus said to His disciples that they would be His witnesses to the entire world, after they had received the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). “Ye shall be my witnesses” was the original intention of Jesus Christ for those who follow Him. The Greek word for “witness” is “martus” or “martur”, which means to affirm that one has seen or heard or experienced something. Each of the Gospels ends with a commission to witness for Christ (Matthew. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:47-48; John 20:21).

The sole reason why the power of the Holy Spirit was given was for witness. While the disciples were closely crowded in a room, sharing a meal with the risen Christ, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit. The power for witness is purposeful: “You shall receive power; . . . you shall be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8, NKJV). But today, countless other eccentric activities have eclipsed the sole reason the Holy Spirit was given.

The vocation of being witnesses for Christ is not an admonition, but a command from our Master, Jesus Christ (Mark 16:15). It is very instructive to note that you cannot win souls for Christ without the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said to His disciples, “No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house” (Mark 3:27).

The need for power was one of the three components of Jesus very last words to His disciples. The disciples had earlier proved the limitation of their power during the arrest of Jesus, as the Bible recorded that all the disciples left him and fled (Mathew 26:52). They had proved that depending on their strength, wisdom, courage, experience and exposure was of very insignificant help.

How could they get into this phase of the ministry in their Master’s absence without requisite power? The power required for the success in soul winning venture is the power of the Holy Spirit and not merely physical power, rhetorical power, academic power, professional power, political power, military power, financial power and other classifications of power. You don’t use all these classifications of power and many more to wrestle against Satan because they will all fail. Why would Today’s Nugget:

The power for witness is purposeful.
Prayer: Lord, fill me with your Holy Spirit for witness.
Prayer lines: 09078154261.
E-mail: aggospelbell@gmail.com
Rev. Pastor Ejikeme Ejim, Ag.General Superintendent, Assemblies of God Nigeria