Acts 1:8 AMP
[8] But you will receive power and ability when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be My witnesses [to tell people about Me] both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth.”
Jesus had risen from the dead, and appeared to His disciples. He had spent time with them, charging them up not to forget the work that had been committed into their hands, and as the Omnipresent God, also promising them His ever-abiding presence. As always, we are reminded that God does not demand from me that which He has not first supplied sufficient grace for. If He commands it, be sure that He will back it up and support it to success. The assignment was and is simple: go and tell other people about me. Share the personal encounters you have had of me, let your life show off the love you have received from me, and trust me to do the rest.
Generally, power is defined as 'the capacity, ability, or authority to do something, act in a particular way, or influence others. In this context, Jesus is promising those who are His own the ability they need in order to influence other people. I note that this power has nothing to do with muscles, but simply with the inner calm and assurance that only God can give. I note also that the world has its own versions of power too, but the right kind of power comes from the Holy Spirit, who is the third person in the Trinity. He does not seek to draw the wrong attention, but His presence in a man's life cannot be ignored or denied. Do you have the right power?
As the verse above also makes clear, this power is required before you dare to work for the source of this power. This work is to be done on God's terms, not mine. The work is His, not mine. The targets of the assignment also belong to Him, not me. The message that has been committed into my hands is about Him, not me. All I bring is my surrender and availability. Do not presume that years of experience, or high church titles, count as anything important. I reflect on this: why was it power that is emphasized after the Holy Spirit comes on me? It is because that is what drives me to do what I could not normally do. This is God at work.
When the Holy Spirit has come, the whole world becomes the target. It starts from home, where people who know me personally and directly can be inspired by my life. That is who a witness is: s/he directly speaks about what has been seen, heard, touched, tasted, or personally experienced. This is why courts do not rely on hearsay, no matter how strong it looks like. This is the power of a witness too: you get to speak about what you know, not just what someone else tells you. The world, starting from my Jerusalem, is waiting for my eyewitness testimony. The ends of the earth must hear it. Are you available? Am I? God's time of favour is here.
