Acts 1:8 KJV
[8] 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 Judæa, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Yesterday, we considered the last words of Jesus, before the promise of the Holy Spirit was made. Today's reflection is the actual promise of the Holy Spirit, and the words here are critical to all that we can hope to become and achieve in God's kingdom. One of the principles by which God operates, and by which He is made known, is power. One of the best definitions of power available online (Oxford Languages) is: 'the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behaviour of others or the course of events'. This power is not the type that coerces or forces itself on you; it is first and foremost a power that you have to recognise and submit to. It is also not a power that one can acquire by right, might or wealth, but it is given on the basis of submission and redemption.
It is equally key to note here that Jesus was still speaking to His disciples, not the crowd. The audience defines the benefits. Power here is the kind that looks like its origin or source. Power here must reflect God, because its assignment is to promote the message of God's kingdom. It must therefore reflect the attributes of God's kingdom. It is also a power that is needed for the assignment that has been given, as we read yesterday. Even if you do know the words, how would you determine the right words for the right audience, without help? How would you know the needs of the dying world around you, if you do not get insight and revelation that can only come from the power that is promised? If I will be the type of witness that God intends, I must be the representative that His presence and power can back up; after all, that is the reason why eyewitness acounts are accepted in courts, and not hearsay.
This is a work that cannot thrive on hearsay, but on the evidence of eyewitnesses. You cannot give what you don't have, and you cannot compel another to see a point of view that is not yet personal to you. Men can speak of many things from the bible, because words are cheap, but it takes one who has had an encounter with the Holy Spirit to know the mind of God and to speak as He directs. The message must start from where I am, even as God takes His Word around the world. All who know and have Him speak of Him from where they are, and the knowledge and Word of God will grow and abound. The assignment is to be a witness to Jesus, not to myself or anything I may have to offer. When Jesus is lifted up, He will draw men to Himself. Can He count on me? Can He count on you? God's time of favour is here.
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