NO BIBLE NO BREAKFAST DAILY BIBLE REFLECTIONS AND MORE

EMPOWERED TO WITNESS

SCRIPTURE READINGS
ACTS 2:1-21
ROMANS 8:22-27
JOHN 15:26-27, 16:4-15

REFLECTION
Pentecost day was traditionally celebrated by the Jews fifty days after the Passover. Pentecost comes from the Greek word for fifty. It was a festival of bringing the first fruits to the Lord and also commemorating the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai. Jews and proselytes Jews from different places come to Jerusalem to observe the day. It was this day that God chose to start or birth the church by the outpour of the Holy Spirit which has become known as the day of Pentecost or Whit Sunday. The theme for this year’s Pentecost Sunday is “Empowered to Witness. To witness means be given power or authority to preach the Good News. What, then, is the Good News? The summary of the Good News is, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16).

Dear friend, Jesus acknowledged the fact that the truth He taught His disciples about Himself and His salvation ought to be sustained by His disciples and also transcend generation to come, therefore, He assured them of the gift of the Holy Spirit who will be the source of empowerment for the disciples to witness, preach the truth or the Gospel. “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father —the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. ²⁷ And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.” (John 15:26-27). He continued, “when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. (John 16:13-14). The promise of the empowerment of the Holy Spirit was fulfilled, “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. ² Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. ⁴ All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (Acts 2:1-4). The “other tongues” were not incomprehensible language, they were languages that other people who were not Jews could speak and understand. The importance of this gift of the Holy Spirit was to to empower the believers to witness to the world about God, therefore the people exclaimed “we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” ¹² Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” (Acts 2:11-12). Indeed, when we rely on the Holy Spirit as a church or a fellow ship of believers, we shall be empowered to witness to all people of other languages and cultures. The empowerment of the Holy Spirit also came with boldness or courage to witness. Peter and the other disciples, who had hitherto been timid or fearful, were now made bold and empowered by the Holy Spirit to preach, therefore ” … Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. (Acts 2:14) Peter preached and we are told “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. (Acts 2:41). Indeed, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26). Dear friends, all we need to do is to avail ourselves by saying to Jesus ““Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8) and we shall be empowered to witness to the glory of God. Are the men, women and youth in our congregations ready to completely and selflessly avail themselves to be empowered to witness by the Holy Spirit? How can we be empowered to witness if we keep giving excuses with our businesses, employments, education and other engagement of this world? God desires true worshippers, for Jesus has said “… a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. ²⁴ God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23-24) Are you are a true worshipper, who has been empowered to witness? Jesus again admonishes us that “By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” (Matthew 7:16-20)

Again, when we avail to ourselves to be empowered to witness by Holy Spirit, He helps us to overcome our weaknesses and intercedes for us. Paul greatly encourages us when he wrote, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. ²⁷ And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” (Romans 8:26-27). It is for this reason Jesus assured us ” … the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26) We are not alone in our struggles and human weaknesses even as we avail ourselves to be empowered to witness. The Holy Spirit is with us to strengthen us to overcome every human weakness and temptation that may work against our calling to serve the Lord. Let us always rely on the Holy Spirit through prayer and faith even as we go about our daily plans and ministrations for the Lord.

In summary, we have discovered that when we avail ourselves or respond to our the call of the Lord, we shall be empowered by the Holy Spirit to witness. Again, the Holy Spirit helps us to overcome our weaknesses and intercedes on our behalf. May the Holy Spirit continue to empower us to witness in generation and beyond. Amen.