Topic: Ye Are My Witnesses [Thursday 10 December, 2015]
Memorise: Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. – Isaiah 43:10
Read: 1 Kings 18:36-39 (KJV)
36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.
37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.
38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.
Bible in One Year: Psalm 105-106; Hebrews 13
MESSAGE:
A witness is an observer, who having witnessed the occurrence of an event, gives a full and accurate account of what happened. God emphasises the role and importance of witnessing. He has also given detailed instructions about the conduct of witnesses, whether in evangelism, legal processing or in general affairs of the church. In several passages of the Bible, God repeatedly called on us to be His witnesses (Isaiah 43:12b, Luke 24:48). Mostly importantly, Jesus in Acts 1:8 said this to His disciples:
“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.”
This confirms that one of the roles of the Holy Spirit is to equip and empower the Body of Christ for the purpose of witnessing. Therefore, witnessing is a major assignment of the Church. The role of Christians as witnesses is not limited to our immediate community; rather it extends to the uttermost parts of the earth.
Why is witnessing so important that God lays so much emphasis on it? First and foremost, it is to prove Him as the only true God who created all things by His wisdom and determines the course of all things (Acts 17:24-28). Whenever God says “ye are My witnesses”, it is to prove Him as a covenant keeping God who always brings His words to pass in the life of His people (Numbers 23:19). The emphasis on witnessing is also to prove that human disobedience is always as a result of unbelief and unwarranted stubborn rebellion. So, we are to constantly testify or witness about sin and righteousness to ourselves as believers, and against the ungodly people of this world (Isaiah 59:12, Mathew 24:14).
Finally, the emphasis on witnessing may also indicate a systematic build-up of evidence against those who refuse to accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Jude 1:15 reveals that heaven will present convincing evidence against the ungodly on the day of judgement. Be warned, Jesus is coming soon!
Prayer Point: Father, I surrender all to You today, please wipe away all evil reports that testify against me, and help me to live holy from this day onward in Jesus name.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer’s Ministries.
iOpenHeavens is the electronic version of the Hard Copy. The Open Heavens devotional application is available across all mobile platforms and operating systems: iOS, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Windows Mobile and PC. Click HERE to DOWNLOAD Daily Open Heavens Devotional from January to December 2015.
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