Acts 1:8:” 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.”
The meaning of the word Jerusalem can be analogically compared to our surrounding/self. This means the Lord wants us to expand starting from ourselves before expanding out. He wants us to prepare ourselves to have the integrity, character, and love of Christ.
We must first be an example in our personal lives and families. Remember Joshua’s leadership. When he was chosen to replace Moses, he fulfilled everything only to obey the Lord’s command. Joshua had such great faith and integrity that he was bold enough to say to the Israelites: “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15b). This statement had assurance because Joshua knew that he will do as he says.
As Christians, the Lord wants us to be witnesses that have a righteous life and are a blessing for others. Our lives must reflect the character and love of Christ. To become a witness, it means that we don’t hide our faith, values, and righteousness of Christ. Instead, we reveal them through our actions, words, attitude, thinking, and decision. Matthew 5:16: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Joseph is an example of a witness that showed his values and faith when he worked as a slave in Potiphar’s house and when he was held captive in the prison. Such a condition that was oppressing did not change his values and faith. It is unfortunate that these days, many Christians’ faith and values are determined by nonbelievers, wrong communities or the problems they are going through. In these evil times, we must have a firm foundation of the Word of God so that we can maintain a strong faith and the biblical values in the midst of the world that is becoming more sinful.
Don’t just stay still, but start to expand yourself to become a witness of God. Start by having your life be an open Bible for everyone to see so that wherever we may be, we become a light in the dark.
May the Holy Spirit always help and guide us to be witnesses of Christ from Jerusalem, Judea, Samarian until the ends of the earth. Amen. God bless.
Source: hs/Publishing Team, IBC Church