You Shall Be Witnesses

"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

In Joshua Chapter 2, before leading the Israelites into the Promised Land, Joshua sent two men to spy out the land. They thought their job was to spy, but really it was to witness. Upon entering Jericho, they hid in the house of a harlot named Rahab - an unlikely sanctuary. But Rahab's heart was ready for God. She told them that the inhabitants of the land were "fainthearted" after hearing about the victories of the Israelites thus far. She confessed her belief and begged for her household to be saved. So they agreed to spare her family if she would let down a scarlet cord from her window as a sign. Since harlots usually painted their windowsills red, the cord would have formed a cross. What a beautiful picture of witnessing and salvation. Rahab is honored in James 2 and Hebrews 11 as an example of faith. Not only that - she is in the lineage of Jesus. God works in such unexpected ways.

The first act of Israelites in the Promised Land was not one of war, but of witnessing. Yes, they would have to fight and conquer sin in the land, but God was revealing His heart for the people there. He knew who was open and ready to receive His truth. It wasn't by chance that the spies came to Rahab's house. It was God's design. So too, we have to understand that the primary purpose of the Holy Spirit's power in our lives is for witnessing. We will be blessed with greater joy and intimacy with God, but there is a bigger picture.

Jon Courson says it well..."The power of the Holy Spirit is like electricity. It won't enter something from which it can't exit. We want the power of the Holy Spirit. The question is, will there be a place for it to go? When we witness, the power of the Spirit surges through us. There is unbelievable joy in sharing the gospel. A lot of believers go from meeting to meeting looking for some "Holy Ghost high" because they're not witnessing. They go to this convention and that seminar - and the high lasts for a week or two. But after that, they're back in the wilderness because the Holy Ghost was given for the sole purpose of empowering us to share with the Rahabs around us the Good News of the gospel. When we say, "Lord, I'm tired of wandering in the wilderness," He baptizes us in the Jordan and empowers us to be His witnesses. When we say, "I want to share the plan of salvation with my secretary. Empower me," or "I want to talk to my buddy about You, Lord. Make me bold," we'll be empowered in ways we could never have imagined. How long has it been since you've shared the gospel, the plan of salvation, the scarlet cord with someone who's not a believer? By faith, receive the power to be a witness. Awaiting you is a land of milk and honey, fruit and abundance. And you get there by going in as a witness. It's time to cross over the Jordan into the Promised Land of the Spirit-filled life. Come join us on our journey."

Personally, I am very challenged by this lesson. Witnessing has never been my strong suit. But it's not about my strength; that's why I need the power of God's Spirit upon me. God's heart is not to condemn us for our failures, but to convict, empower and release us for His name's sake. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed trying to figure out how to witness to people. But if I'm waiting on the Lord and walking with Him throughout the day, it won't be something I have to figure out. I just need to be prayerful and responsive to the opportunities He provides.

I'm reminded of a song lyric which says something to the effect of "I could live for God's kingdom if I weren't wrapped up in mine." That seems to fit here. When I'm wrapped up in "my kingdom" - my desires, agendas, problems, etc., I'm not receiving God's power and aware of what He's doing around me. Lord, purify my heart and give me a single-minded focus on Your kingdom.