Witnesses have a testimony

So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!” (Acts 1:6-11)

Has the time come? I think many might be asking that question more frequently these days than in previous days. We see 'signs' of things that were prophesied as 'foreshadowing' the return of the Lord, but we don't necessarily know the day or the hour. Anyone who tries to tell you they know the exact time, location, or events that will usher Christ's return to this earth is a liar! Scripture clearly says it is not for us to know those specifics - we are just to be watchful and ready!

The main thing Jesus wanted his disciples (followers) to know is that they wouldn't be powerless as they awaited his return. They would receive power, not like anything they had previously experienced, and they were to use that power to live as examples of his grace, telling all men about him. Isn't it so like us to be 'standing around' just waiting for something to happen? We might just be 'staring into space' waiting for God to do something, but he tells us to stop our 'staring' and get busy! Be witnesses - both in the way you live and in the words you speak. 

Witnesses have a testimony to give. In the court system, they don't call forward witnesses because they look good. They have something to tell that others need to hear. Their testimony will lead others to make decisions based upon what they hear. I am not a proponent of the 'turn or burn' folks that stand on street corners during rush hour traffic. I am a fan of those who live in such a way that others take notice of the difference in the way they act, how they treat others, and how they refuse to compromise their values when there are so many choices to do otherwise.

We might think we are 'powerless' to make a difference in this world, but that isn't what Jesus promised all those years ago. He said we would receive power - the Spirit of God indwelling us, giving us both the power and the authority to use that power in this hurting world. Invite Jesus into your life and ask for the Spirit of God to endue you with such power - you won't receive anything less than his fullness and his presence. Just sayin!