Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
As we begin a new month and a new theme, we focus on the foundational truth – once we become believers the Holy Spirit inhabits us and dwells with us. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit and it is the Spirit within us that empowers us and guides our steps. We are never alone. He is with us always and helps us in all the ways we need it.
Before Jesus ascended He instructed His disciples to go to Jerusalem and wait. He knew they would need the guidance and power of the Spirit to enable them to do their work, HIS work, throughout the lands. It is through the power of the Spirit that we have the words to speak when sharing the gospel with others. We become a witness to others, testifying to what we have experienced and the goodness of God in our lives.
The power the first disciples received wasn’t to bring about political gain or to end military conflicts in their region. It was the Spirit inhabiting them and transforming them. And through this transformation power they were able to share the gospel and lead hundreds of people to Christ that first day. And that same Power that filled them is available to you and me.
“I have redeemed you,” God says in Isaiah. “‘You are my witnesses,’ declares the Lord, ‘and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he.’” we read in Isaiah 43:1 and Isaiah 43:10. Each one of us is a witness. No one can deny the story you have, the story of your faith and you relationship with God. As witnesses, we are commissioned to go forth and share, to make disciples of all nations, and that starts with telling our own stories.
Today, and throughout the month, try to find someone you can share your story with. Make the effort to reach out to someone and show them the power of God working in your life and all He is guiding you to do through the Holy Spirit. Be willing to be used. Be the conduit through which the Spirit flows, flowing from deep within you and pouring out onto others. Acts 1:8 doesn’t say try to be a witness – it says you WILL be a witness to all ends of the earth. And it begins with a willing heart that is ready to be guided and used.
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