Open Heavens 10 December 2015:
Thursday daily devotion
YE ARE MY WITNESSES
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
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.
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