Scripture: Acts 1:8
Rather, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
Thought for the Day: Jesus tells his disciples how they will be his Martus. We translate this Greek word as witness, but it looks a whole lot like our English word for martyr. Most of us find it challenging to be witnesses for Jesus, but a martyr is a different level of commitment. In these situations and most of the New Testament, the word probably means something a bit closer to witness or one who provides an accurate account. At the same time, we cannot ignore the fact that we are giving witness to a man who was a martyr, and in his ministry, he told us how we could be his followers if we chose to take up the cross. This is all to say that if your definition of witness consists of warm and fuzz experiences only, then you may not be pushing yourself as far as Jesus would have you push. As a pastor, I recognize how my actual witnessing is pretty tame. Now don’t just go looking for discomfort for the sake of discomfort, but listen carefully to the Spirit’s call.
Prayer: Make me your witness, O God, as I desire to respond to the invitation put forth by Jesus – an invitation to those first disciples and to each of the following generations including this one. Amen.
