“. .. therefore you are My witnesses,” Says the LORD,
“that I am God”

Isaiah 43:12

Dearly beloved in Christ,

I greet you in the sweet name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our God foretells what is yet to happen and protects us from disaster, redeems and blesses us. There is no other such God. For this, we are made to bear witness. The Lord God who leads us with His righteous hand wants us to be His witnesses.

Once I was asked to pray for the marriage of a son in a family. I prayed with the words the Holy Spirit put in my mouth about their would-be daughter-in-law. That made them very happy. I also told them about the impending struggles. I told them that when the marriage was arranged, there would be a fire accident in the house. Therefore, I advised every one of them to fast and pray. The thing that was foretold happened at the time the marriage was arranged. But nothing serious happened as they had prayed. They remained witnesses to the fact.

Jesus Christ who underwent sufferings and died for our sake was risen up by the Lord God. Peter said, “This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. . . .Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:32,36). Further, it is stated in 1 John 1:1-3: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life —- the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us —- that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.” The Lord Himself says in Rev. 22:20, “He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Let us be prepared to meet as He says, “Behold, I am coming as a thief. . . .” (Rev. 16:15). Either He comes or we die. In either case, we have to be prepared to meet Him.

Nebuchadnezzar the king writes, “To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you. I thought it good to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has worked for me” (Dan. 4:1,2). Today it is good for us also to declare to others about all the good things the Lord has done in our lives. That would be glorifying the Lord. When we do that, it would pave the way for others to know about the love, power, and blessings of Jesus Christ and come to Him.

BLESSINGS OF WITNESSING

1. PROTECTION

“My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.” Daniel 6:22.

Daniel thus declares the act of the Lord. The Lord protected him thus because he was a living witness to the Lord. Daniel was brought as a slave to that country. He was not given to lust. He would not let himself be tainted with the food of the king. Three people were chosen to be rulers of the kingdom and Daniel was one of them. The King made him the chief administrator of all the wise men of Babylon. The others were jealous of him and wanted to find fault with him to accuse him and remove him from authority. As he was loyal, they couldn’t find any.

To accuse others is the work of the devil. In Genesis 3:4,5, we read how the serpent cheats Eve: “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” This false accusation is made to make her eat the fruit of the forbidden tree. In Rev. 12:10, Satan is described as “the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night.” This devilish attitude makes us blind to our own big faults, but makes us see the small faults in others. Blaming is seen within the family between husband and wife, between parents and children, and even between children. In the workplace, one worker blames the other. As a result, they lose their peace.

Jesus Christ makes it clear: “Judge not, that you be not judged” (Matt. 7:1). We read in John 8:4 about a woman caught red-handed in adultery. But Jesus Christ accused the accusers. Let us know this and act.

In Daniel’s case, they schemed against him and he was caught in the act of seeking the Lord in prayer. He was put into a lions’ den. But the lions could do no harm to him as he was blameless. But when the accusers and their family members were thrown into the den, the lion tore them and broke their bone even before they reached the bottom.

Dear Brother/ Sister, the Lord God who guarded Daniel who was honest in the place of his work from the mouths of lions and also from those who plotted against him will surely protect all those who are honest.

2. Perfect Grace

“And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.” Acts 4:33.

We are to witness about the rising of Jesus Christ from death. Everyone knows historically that Jesus Christ came to this earth. This is a historical truth that has been accepted and, therefore, history records chronologically years as BC and AD. So the birth and life of Jesus Christ is a historical truth never questioned. The very fact that I live also attests to the love of Christ and I bear witness to that. He said that He would be present in the midst of just two or three gathered in His name. He remains so as He was, is and will be forever. Because of the grace He showed me I am alive. With this experience, I bear witness to the fact that Jesus Christ is risen. On all those who proclaim the power of the risen Lord, there would be His great grace.

Grace is the mercy shown to those who do not deserve. Because of this grace, He protects us from struggles and tribulations and leads us soundly. This grace is very essential. We are not destroyed only because of this grace.

Once one brother was returning home after the worship at church. It was a few miles away. On one side of the road there was a deep pit and on the other side there were roads and shops. The roads were covered with snow. The car lost control and was heading towards the pit. The brother who was driving the car could not stop it. It was about 500 to 600 foot deep pit. The car rolled and rolled and came to a stop in the pit. Then it began to catch fire. There were many watching at it from the roadside. The fire service came to assist them. The fire got extinguished all by itself. But the brother and his wife were standing without any wounds by the car. This family which was involved in the Lord’s ministry was protected and saved from the accident where escape was quite impossible. This is the work of the grace of the Lord. As you testify to the risen Lord who works wonders and is alive, you would have the grace. Let us have grace upon grace and bear witness to Him.

3. Bringing Others to Christ by Telling What He has Done

“Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.” And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him. So it was, when Jesus returned, that the multitude welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him.” Luke 8:39,40

When Jesus Christ came to Gadarenes near Galilee, there came a naked man who was possessed by the devil for a long period. He never stayed in a house. His dwelling was among the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!” As Jesus Christ had commanded the demon to leave him, he said so. Nobody could control him. Even though he was chained, he pulled it apart and was driven to the wilderness. He was possessed by a number of demons and therefore he said his name to be ‘a legion’. The demons sought permission from Jesus Christ to enter into the herd of swine. Jesus gave permission and they entered into the swine. They went into the sea and got drowned. The man from whom the demons had left came to his right mind and was clothed, and was sitting at the feet of Jesus Christ.

When the demon leaves a person, he becomes normal with right sense. He gets transformed into a blessed state of wearing good dress and sitting at the feet of Jesus Christ. There is a total change in his nature. He desires to be with Jesus. Because he told the people of the place about what Jesus did in his life, they were prepared to accept Jesus Christ happily, when He came there again.

4. Bringing Others to Christ by Telling What He had Said

“The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” Then they went out of the city and came to Him.” John 4:28-30

The Lord Jesus Christ came and sat at the well of Jacob as He was tired. Then a Samaritan woman came there to draw water. In this situation, He began to do personal evangelism. The Sermon on the Mount is like mass evangelism. In those days, the traditions of the Jews were completely different from those of the Samaritans. There was the sense of inequality among people of different traditions. When the heathens who gathered in the house of Cornelius were anointed with the Holy Spirit, the Jews were surprised. Read Acts 10:46. Traditional practices are hurdles for us to come to Christ. In this passage, Jesus Christ breaks traditions and teaches her how we should worship the Lord in spirit. It also teaches unity among believers. Jesus Christ revealed her sins and she made her His missionary. When we desire deliverance from our bondage, He reveals our sins to help us set right our deeds. We read about it in Hosea 7:1. A woman thus transformed made the people of the place come to Jesus Christ with her call. She also believed in Jesus as Christ.

Thus, witnessing helps us to live without any harm and to have more grace from the Lord. It also enables us to receive those who do not know Christ and to bear witness about Him. Witnessing helps to bring an entire village to Christ.

WHO CAN BEAR WITNESS?

1. The Delivered

  “Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.” And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him. So it was, when Jesus returned, that the multitude welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him.” Luke 8:39,40

Jesus Christ  delivers a number of people from the clutches of Satan. The Bible says, “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36). The same Jesus Christ lives even today. He delivers people from the demons and gives a sound life. He is ready to give you such a delivered life.

Once a family which came from Sri Lanka wanted me to pray for them as they were greatly disturbed by their problems. Their brother left the family at night by breaking open the doors and returned home in the morning with bleeding wounds. I wanted to pray for him for three days by keeping him in our house. I sent them away. He stayed back remained with me. On the second day the Lord revealed the problem in his life and delivered him. At nights he wounded himself and a spirit made him drink his own blood. I saw that in a vision and prayed for the spirit to leave him. It left him. He came to his right senses. Through that family the Lord opened the doors of ministry in Sri Lanka. His witness helped many to come to Christ. We could also go and do ministry there till date. Deliverance helps in turning many to righteousness.

Deliverance from fear, diseases, curse, and witchcraft makes us witnesses for Christ.

2. Those who are with Christ

“And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.” John 15:27

Those who were with Jesus Christ became His witnesses. They have taught us through the Bible many things. John the disciple of Christ writes in his first epistle: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life —- the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us —- that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:1-3). Thus the disciples who were with Him became His witnesses.

Even though Peter was uneducated, people could identify him from his boldness of talk that he had been with Christ. Yes, because they had been with Him, they imbibed some of His traits and their love for Him made them bold enough to declare the truth with full assurance. They saw all the miracles He worked with their own eyes. They were astonished. They became witnesses for Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ called them to be His witnesses.

Once I heard the testimony of a minister. It was astonishing to me. He could play musical instrument very well. He was making all efforts to enter into the field of cinema by training himself well. Many came to a servant of the Lord for prayer, while he was ministering there. There came a man who did not possess one of his hands. When the servant of the Lord prayed for him, the hand grew. Seeing this, he committed himself to the Lord. He could see the transformation in the life of a man who was with the servant of the Lord. This wonderful testimony made him offer all his talents for the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. He saw a miracle and became a witness.

3. Those Who Witnessed the Power of the Lord

“Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God!” Daniel 3:28

King Nebuchadnezzar had made a huge gold statue of ten cubits of height and six cubits of width. He set it up in the plain of Dura and invited all the officials and men in important positions to come to the inauguration of the statue. They were to worship the statue. Otherwise, they would be put into a furnace of fire.

In those days the Jewish youth, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who were brought there as slaves and were serving in important positions did not worship the statue. The Chaldeans who watched them accused them before the king. The king called the three youths and directed them to worship the image when the musical instruments were played. They were threatened that if they failed to do so, they would be thrown in to the burning furnace. But the three youth remained united and firm in their stand that they would not worship it. They said: “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up” (Dan. 3:16-18). Their reply made the king angry. The king gave instruction to increase the heat of the furnace 7 times, and then to put the youth into it. Those who took the youth there were instantly burned.

But they could see a fourth figure along with the three youths in the fire. They were roaming in it with no harm. The king saw what happened and called the youth to come out of the fire. He found that the fire could do no harm to them. Their hair and dress were not affected. Even the smell of fire was not there. Then the king decreed that no one shall speak amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego “because there is no other God who can deliver like this” (Dan. 3:29).

The faith of the three youths helped to reveal the power of the Lord and was a witness to others.

4. Those Filled with the Holy Spirit

“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.” Acts 1:8

After His resurrection, Jesus Christ encouraged His disciples to do His ministry. They declared boldly about the risen Lord Jesus Christ. He also asked them to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit. Then they will be strengthened, empowered to be His witnesses. Thus they waited and received the Spirit and proclaimed about Jesus Christ in the midst of opposition. Today we too will be strengthened and empowered by the Holy Spirit to be His witnesses with boldness.

He will deliver us, reveal our sins and transform us to call others to Christ when we remain with Him and are filled with His Spirit.

May the Lord bless us!

In the service of Christ Jesus,

Bro. C. Ebenezer Paul.