There are things that God will ask of you that will stretch you beyond natural limits. The comfort we have is that He is the same as He has always been and so we know that He will always provide and equip us with the means to accomplish what He has asked of us. Sometimes He gives grace to endure, sometimes He provides the means to perform, often He provides the Power/authority to do what He has called you to do. It is folly to try to execute a divine assignment outside of divine provision.

In Act 1:8 Jesus said “ you shall receive Power after the Holy Ghost has come upon you”. The Holy Ghost is the enabling force God has graciously made available to all who believe and accept Christ as Lord. In this regard you can consider Him, the seal of authority that God places on His own. His presences means that we no longer operate as mere men but rather as sons of God. We operate with authority and power because we are not alone.

The measure of the power you access is determined by how open you are to receiving the Holy Ghost. Some are only willing to give him limited access to their lives and by that measure they never experience the full range of power available. Others embrace Him wholly and their lives are a sign and a wonder to all.

Everything God does is purposeful. It’s instructive that the power Christ spoke of was to enable us be a witness for Him. The purpose of witnesses are twofold to inform and influence. A witness’s evidence often sways the court. They influence the outcome of cases and are powerful tools for both the defence and at the prosecution. Christ in this verse was teaching His disciples that the task ahead was not one that could be executed without power. The places He would send us to Jerusalem, Judeah Samaria and the ends of the earth typifies systems and structures of this age. In all the places where we are led be it within a gathering of believers, or systems of these world that do not recognise God we are called to be witness of Christ. This means we are given authority but we are also under authority! Everywhere I go I am under authority to be a witness and I am empowered to engage everyone I encounter to inform and then to influence, but not of my own, but rather through the indwelling Holy Spirit!

If the disciples who walked with Christ and lived with Him needed power to be witnesses because they would be met with unbelief. If their firsthand accounts were not enough and signs and wonders needed to follow, how much more now? You and I need to allow the Holy Spirit have full reign over our lives if we are to be effective witnesses for Christ. The ask is great but the one who sent us is greater!

Reflection Point

Have I allowed the Holy Spirit to have full reign in me, am I walking in the fullness of the power available? Do I recognise that I am empowered for each and every encounter I have to be a witness for Christ and to be a witness!