“And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ”- Acts 5:42 (NIV).
All over the world judicial systems thrive on witnesses. In order for evidence presented before court it must be corroborated otherwise it is just hearsay. This is where a witness becomes handy. Indeed, one of the jobs of a defense attorney is to cross examine a witness on the stand, and find if his recollections holds water. Sometimes false witnesses are thrown out of court because their testimony is dubious.
If a witness is called to take a stand and refuses to speak; the judge will most likely throw him out. A witness must talk. Further, a witness cannot be forced. He must do so willingly; if court finds testimony was given under coercion it is bound to ignore it as lacking authenticity. If a court system later finds that one’s being witness was based on the promise of some reward, that might also jeopardize one’s testimony.
In Christian life we find many of those principles holding as well. First, all believers are called to be witness of the savior Jesus Christ. One of Christ’s commands to his disciples was, “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
You cannot be a witness for Christ without going out to share the truth, as is the case with the court system. Further, your testimony can also be attacked, which is to mean that every Christian witness must be firm with the truth he holds.
However, unlike our courts, for Christians, God has clearly in advance promised a reward for those who go out and witness their salvation in Christ. Luke 12:8-9 says, “I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. But whoever disowns me before others will be disowned before the angels of God.” The point here being we should never be shy of being witness for Christ, of which a huge reward awaits us.
Prayer for today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, how I thank you for the call of being a witness to the truth of salvation in Jesus Christ, of which I pray you enable me to do so ever joyful through the power of the Holy Spirit, this I pray in Jesus’s name.
Related upcoming events
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28/04/2024 - 29/04/2024 All day"The Lord is my shepherd!" (Psalm 23:1)
Psalm 23 of David is perhaps one of the best prayers ever written, with nuggets and inspirations, of benefit to us since and
ever before. “The LORD is my shepherd, “David begins.” I lack nothing” (vv 1). What is it that you lack? In his life David had started out as a shepherd, and he knew very well, that a shepherd’s job is to watch over his sheep, feed and water them, and since the Lord is our shepherd, we his sheep shall lack nothing.Verse 2 -3 says, “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.” This exactly what a good shepherd does; he takes his sheep to the best fodder, ensuring that his sheep are well fed and rested. When the sheep are restless the good shepherd is troubled. Our God desires and is pleased when we are at peace.
Sometimes we may all find ourselves going through a storm. In Verse 4- 5, David says, "Even though I walk through the darkest valley I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” The Christian life is not without difficulties, but here David points us to God as our comforter and deliverer. We always have the staff of prayer to lean on.
In Verse 5, he writes, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” In his tumultuous life, David had to battle with many enemies, ranging from King Saul, to foreigners and members of his own family. He knew a lot about betrayal. And, we too, may face enemies no less, from those that oppose us in our workplace for their ambition’s sake, to those who are not pleased because of the Gospel we preach. Yet here, just as David, we are assured that victory is on our side- this is why our cup overflows.
“Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever” (vv 6). The one who walks with God has a fresh smile ever, for God is with him. The blessings of God are with him wherever he goes.
Prayer for today: Lord Father God of Abraham,
maker of heaven and earth, as David prayed in Psalm 23, may I not be troubled, for you are my shepherd ever watching over me and your goodness goes ahead of me!
