RECEIVE POWER AND BECOME WITNESS
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has
come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all
Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8 NKJV)
This is one of
Jesus’ last messages to His disciples before He ascended to heaven. It is a
short but powerful message: to receive power and become witness! How can we
embrace this message of Jesus?
1.
Receive Power to Become Witness
Jesus knows that after His departure, the disciples can only serve
effectively if they are equipped with power, in the original language dunamis means power, ability to perform
miracles. So that just as Jesus’ ministry was accompanied by miracles, the
disciples’ ministry would also be accompanied by miracles.
Power can only be obtained if the Holy Spirit comes upon the
disciples. Meaning that they must be baptized by the Holy Spirit and always
live in the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Receiving the baptism of the Holy
Spirit and power is not for us to show off our might and become arrogant, but
we have a task and responsibility to bear, which is to become the witnesses of
Jesus.
Being a witness means to testify what we have heard, what we have
seen and what we have experienced with Jesus. How Jesus redeems and saves us,
how Jesus heals us, how Jesus delivers us from economic crisis, family problem,
and the power of the darkness. As simple as that! Being a witness of Jesus
doesn’t require intricate theological and apologetic knowledge that actually
leads us to empty arguments that cause quarrels.
2.
Witness with Power
In order to be an effective witness, Jesus gives us a mighty power
(dunamis) through the Holy Spirit. Therefore, for those of you who have been
baptized by the Holy Spirit with the initial sign of speaking in tongue, don’t
hesitate to use the power that the Holy Spirit has given you.
As a witness of Jesus, we will do the following
things:
a. Set the captives free
b. Heal the brokenhearted
c. Open the eyes of the blind
d. Proclaim the greatness of God’s power
Just as what Christ did during His ministry on earth:
“The Spirit of the Lord is
upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has
sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and
recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to
proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Luke
4:18-19 NKJV)
But what we need
to remember is that everything we do is for Your glory, not my glory! Because
there are many servants of God whom God used mightily at first, but then they
fall after a while. Why? Because they are doing it for my glory (their own) and
not Your glory (Jesus)! If we always do it for God’s glory, we will continue to
be used by the Lord. Amen!
