Empowered

November 7th

Today's Bible Reading

Empowered Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” The power of the Spirit leads us to proclaim the gospel by the Spirit. Where there is no power there is no proclamation. There is no question that Christians are command and commissioned to share Christ. Jesus called us to make disciples. He challenges us as His disciples to be witnesses of Him. All are commissioned, but not all comply. Powerless followers forgo proclamation. On our own we would probably not propagate the gospel. Sure if asked we would tell them. But left to ourselves it is unlikely. Taking the initiative to tell others isn’t really our thing. Jesus must have know that. That is why he told them of the power for proclamation. The person of the Holy Spirit is proclamation’s power. The Holy Spirit is evangelism's essential element. Filling with the Spirit leads to faithfully sharing. Where there is no Spirit there is no sharing. It was upon receiving the Spirit that they responded by sharing. It was His spiritual power that enabled them to proclaim in power.

Every believer has that same power for proclamation as these early believers. The Holy Spirit indwells every Christian. His power is in us. We don’t have to wait for His presence, we already have it. Thus, our hesitation to herald the gospel is not because we lack power. He is here. He is positioned. His power is accessible. He has made us already ready to witness. He is available when we are. So the problem is us. We hinder his power. Jesus said we will receive power “when the Holy Spirit comes upon you”, then we shall be witnesses. We must be filled with His power to proclaim in His power. By faith we must trust that as we proclaim the gospel He will fill us with His power. We must be filled with the Spirit to faithfully share the gospel. Power proceeds proclamation. Today ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with power to be his witnesses wherever you go, in your Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth.