And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 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 1:7,8
Jesus’ last words in red to His disciples were these great words. While He has already died at Calvary, He hadn’t yet ascended to the Father. He actually spent 40 days on the Earth after resurrection which is astounding to me in itself. As He is leaving, He comforts His disciples with these words. He is sending the Holy Spirit in place of Himself. He states that they will receive POWER to be His witnesses to the ends of the Earth.
So much can be shared on this verse and the content surrounding it. I just wanted to close the words in red this month by challenging us to receive the power of Holy Spirit to be Jesus’ witnesses in the earth. Regardless of where we are and what we are called to do, we need the power of Holy Spirit to live rightly, to seek Jesus fully and to tell others of His great love.
In this day, they were going to be the first to be filled with Holy Spirit and go out with the testimony of Jesus Christ crucified and raised from the dead. It was important that their old selves “died” so to speak and were empowered with boldness to proclaim this truth. Many would die for their faith, but did so at the gain of many coming to know Christ. You and I are reading this today because these disciples went and shared the truth of the gospel.
In one moment we see Peter who had been full of shame and had weeks earlier rejected Christ become full of boldness and proclaim the gospel and thousands get saved! We see John who went to the foot of the cross later on become the revelator who beheld Jesus in a way no one has. It’s amazing how these men and women went from followers to bold witnesses simply by receiving Holy Spirit. They yielded themselves to Him and obeyed the words in red.
Likewise for us to become witnesses for Him, we must receive the Holy Spirit. We can’t depend on our own ability to walk out Jesus’ commands and testimony of the gospel. We must lean upon a power that is higher than ours. Holy Spirit who knows and understands the ways of God and the Son. The One who leads us and guides us in all truth. The only way we can walk in total truth and share this to the ends of the earth is abiding with the words in red and receiving the greatest gift that could be given to us. Jesus wants to abide with you and I forever. Not just in eternity, but in the here and now while we are on this earth. This world needs to hear His truth and the dark areas need His light.
Will you receive power from the Holy Spirit? Will you share the words in red with the world?
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