Witnesses!

Witnesses!

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Acts 1:8 KJV

Context:

Jesus had fulfilled the purpose for which he was sent as man to earth. He had died and resurrected, sealing our salvation from sin and securing eternal life for us. Here he was, speaking to the disciples for the last time while on earth, laying down the specific assignment that disciples must be engaged in. He does not leave us without guidance as to what he expects from us; we are not called into uncertainty or indecision, but he has made it very clear what he wants from us. Do I know why I have been saved and spared? Have I taken time to sit before God to ask for clear direction on his purpose and plan for my life in these end times? 

The assignment is such that flesh and blood cannot successfully carry it out. I need the help of the One who owns and commissions the assignment in order to successfully carry it out. The world will emphasise on strength, knowledge, ability, connection and influence, but when it comes to the things of the Spirit, you need another kind of supply if you are to succeed. The world has tools for the work it inspires, and in the same way, the Spirit has tools for the work that it inspires. You cannot interchange the tools; these are parallel lines that can never meet, no matter how long you draw them or how hard you pull them. What work am I engaged in or pursuing at the moment? Do I even know the tools I need for the assignment I am on at the moment? 

Message and Response:

The one and only important tool for the work birthed by the Holy Spirit is the Spirit Himself and all he represents. As ordinary as it may sound, for all who have experienced the Presence of the Holy Spirit, you know that there is nothing you can achieve without his help. The work of the Spirit is so complex that it can defeat man's best intentions. How can I seek the Holy Spirit, and then try to finish his work by my own strength and wisdom? How do I begin an assignment from the Holy Spirit, and then try to finish it in my own way? That is why Jesus asked the disciples to wait in Jerusalem. They were not to try and start anything until the power of the Holy Spirit came. 

It is that power that is the source of all possibilities for a disciple. That statement makes it clear that it is only a disciple who can draw on that power. It does not matter how good it looks on you, or what people around you say: if you are not a child of God, what you have is not the Holy Spirit. Yes, miracles can still happen; after all, what makes miracles possible is not me, but the power of God. God will honour his name, but the vessel may be dumped at the end of it all. I need the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, if I am to achieve the work that has been laid out for me. 

That presence and power are not for me to glory in, but to do the work that has been assigned. What is that work: to be a witness. A witness does not have to argue his or her position, but to simply state the things that have been seen, felt, touched, tasted or smelt. When my account is straight, it does not matter how much the opposing counsel tries to trip me up. I am a witness, called to testify of the great things that I have experienced on a personal level as a disciple of Jesus. 

Power will not come without the Holy Spirit. The power is not for personal glory, but for the work that is birthed and sustained by the Holy Spirit. The work must start where I am right now. I am to be a witness for Jesus in the place I have been planted now. I am not a witness to the drama of the world but the truths of Jesus as laid out in the Word. I cannot be a witness to anything that is contrary to the Word of God. Is my life aligned with the Word of God? Can God trust me with his Spirit and the power he gives? I must remember that with great power comes great responsibility too. God will always demand an account for whatever it is that he has given me. If he calls me as his witness, it means he has an obligation to show me the truth. As his witness, I am speaking of my personal encounter, not what I heard another person say. Do I have that personal encounter? If I do not, I have nothing to witness about. 

And the journey will start where I am now, but it will spread beyond where I am right now. Where is my Jerusalem now? Do I want to impact the world, yet have no good reputation in my present location? Am I all about a good impression outside, yet have no personal encounter to speak about as a witness? God will start with where I am now, but he will not keep me on the same spot. I may remain in the same location, but He will never leave me the same way, as long as I depend on the Holy Spirit for the work that is ahead. Who is inspiring my present assignment, and who is the focus for that which is ahead? May the Holy Spirit be my constant companion and help, as I look ahead to the great and mighty things that are ahead. His time I'd favour is here.