"Being an extrovert isn't essential to evangelism...Obedience and love are." -Rebecca Manley Pippert
Today I am reading about the Great Commission. The Great Commission are the last words and instructions of Jesus to His apostles and to us as Christians. As I was reading, a very interesting fact came up. "In the final giving of the Great Commission, Jesus does not tell them what to do (evangelize) but what to be (witness.)
Here is the verse: "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the Earth." (Acts 1:8 NKJV)
Jesus never said to go out and evangelize, He said to go out and be witnesses. People often say; "Well, he was speaking to the apostles here, right? I mean, I am just an ordinary person, not a preacher or evangelist." But I like to point out the last point of this verse, and I know Jesus was looking right into our eyes when he said the last part; "...and to the ends of the Earth."
Do you know that in the legal sense, the word witness means "telling what you have seen and heard with consuming passion." It is from the Greek word "martus" which is where we get our word for martyr. We should be delighted and ecstatic on telling the word of God, and go so far as dying to do it. God told us to be witnesses to people. Through our actions, our words, our ways.
Tell what you have heard people. Show people what you have experienced. When you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, you might have gone through an emotional experience, or maybe not. Not everybody shows emotion after becoming a Christian, but I do know one thing you experienced...the entering of the Holy Spirit. Everybody feels it when they become a Christian. Why not share this with everybody? Why do we not go out and PROCLAIM from the mountain tops what we have done?
My goal is to be a "witness" for God through my actions and my words. God has called me to be a witness in Acts 1:8 and I want to be obedient to Him.
-James
6 comments:
Excellent post, James. I, too, share the goal of being a "witness" for God through my actions and words. Have a blessed weekend!
I love your opening quote. I also found the word "witness" being related to our word "martyr" very interesting. In America we're so blessed. At this point in time we need not worry about dying for Christ...but living for Him...being a witness. Thanks for sharing!
Awesome!!!!
Amen James! Terrific word! Your right - we're on the same tract! Must run in the family!
Hi James;
Perhaps that is the great problem we have today, that all those so called Christians go out and proclaim from the mountain tops what THEY have done.
I’m certainly not interested in what THEY have done, but rather what Jesus has done.
Paul
Keep going James, we strive to live for Him, but we must finish well too. I am a fellow blogger: Jimkillebrew.blogspot.com
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