“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

These were Jesus’ last words before he ascended to heaven, because as it reads in the very   verse: “After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight” (Acts 1:9)

My takeaway from this is that we will be witnesses, so it is important to understand exactly what this means. My understanding of what a witness is has come from all the legal dramas on television. Someone sees what has happened (the witness) and is called to testify in court. With just a few exceptions, the witness must testify if subpoenaed; and the witness must tell the truth, or they will also be charged with a crime (perjury). In fact, the first instance of the use of the word “witness” is in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:16): “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor” This is from the King James. Other translations read: “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor” (NIV), or simply “You must not lie” (TLB).

It’s interesting to note that the word “martyr” originally meant “witness” in the sense of testifying as to what has been witnessed. In this case, witness is a verb rather than a noun. And only in the Christian era did it become associated with persecution because of one’s witness, or testimony. What naturally follows from this is that a martyr must believe what they have witnessed to be true, or they would not risk their life for their testimony.

So where am I going with all of this? Most of you have participated in the Sharing the Gospel Training. (If you haven’t, please make it a point to sign up.) In this training, we make a strong point that sharing our own testimony is usually the most effective way to share the gospel—to witness to others. What was our life before we accepted Christ, how did we come to the decision, and (most importantly) what has our life been since accepting Christ. The reason for sharing our testimony is the opportunity to introduce others to Christ. We should be intentional about looking for opportunities to share.

Stay with me: In the context of Sharing the Gospel, it has occurred to me that an even more effective way to start a conversation or turn it to the topic of the gospel could be to lead off with something God has done in your life recently—a blessing you have received, a comfort or peace you have experienced, or a trial that God has brought your through. Not only does recalling these situations strengthen our own faith, but they can also strengthen the faith of others or even lead them to faith in Christ. They can be major events, or small seemingly insignificant ones. This type of witnessing is related to the command to give thanks IN all things, and it is a way to keep God in our thoughts and speech more regularly.

So, this is my challenge to you: be intentional about remembering what God has done for you throughout your life and be ready to share it with those who God places in your path. And most importantly, remember that you have the power of the Holy Spirit living in you (Acts 1:8).

“Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me” (Psalm 66:16.)

In Christ,

Judy