“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).
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. Also, if court finds that one’s being witness was based on the promise of some reward, that might be construed as a bribe and risks being ignored.
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 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
-
17/05/2024 - 18/05/2024 All day“And I in righteousness I shall see your face; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with seeing your likeness” (Psalm 17:15)
One of the defining aspects we see in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ is that He began the day with prayer. “Very early in the morning while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35). As he was always surrounded by crowds and after such a busy day before of preaching and engaging the Pharisees in debates this must have been a therapeutic moment for Christ when he would have some good time to himself.
But there was also more. For Jesus being away in a secluded place would also mean a chance to pour out His heart to God, meditate in quietness, plan for the day ahead and listen to the Father. Jesus must have looked up to this moment every day knowing its benefits. Conversations with His Father must have been real and intimate, bringing a certain soothing and uplifting of His spirit. You do not wake up and stick to something on a daily basis that is a drag – this must have been his best time of the day!
Martin Luther the leader of the protestant reformation is reputed to once have said, “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.” Here is the point. In the olden days before the arrival of locomotive transport those who were setting out for a long journey on foot had to start early with the first cock crow before the punishing sun came out. One of the things they had to start with also was a good meal, which was fuel needed to give them energy through the long walk to their destiny.
There are no rules about waking up to pray as first thing- or even saying prayer at a defined hour of the day. God is everywhere and ever with us. He is accessible at any time of the day. But there is something special about prioritizing our lives that the first thing we do is to talk to God. Just like the early traveller we need fuel, for the long day ahead!
Prayer for today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, what a joy and privilege to make time at the start of any day, talk and hear from you, for the power I need through the day, this I pray in Jesus’ name!
