subpoenaed as a witness
"These are His witnesses now before the people." —Acts 13:31
Throughout Acts of the Apostles, the Lord repeatedly commands us to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8; 2:32; 3:15; 10:39; 13:31). Now that we are more than halfway through the Easter season, it is appropriate to ask ourselves whether we have obeyed the Lord's command to be His witnesses. Hopefully, we have done this throughout our Christian lives and even more intensely in this Easter season.
If you were subpoenaed as a witness by a human court, would you obey? If not, you would face contempt of court charges. Each Christian is subpoenaed daily and even more frequently to witness for Jesus. If we refuse to obey, we face not contempt of court charges but contempt of God charges. We must obey and witness.
The Lord insists on this because He loves us so much that He died on the cross for us and He wants all to be saved by His death (see 1 Tm 2:4). To be saved, we must accept Jesus as our Savior, Lord, and God. Those who have already done this are called to witness for Jesus and invite others to accept Jesus. Witnessing for Jesus is an essential part of God's plan. If we love Jesus and people, we must witness for Jesus.
Prayer: Father, send the Holy Spirit to give me the power to witness for Jesus (Acts 1:8).
Promise: "No one comes to the Father but through Me." —Jn 14:6
Praise: St. Pancras was baptized at age fourteen and beheaded for being a Christian.
Reference: (You are invited to attend our Forty Hours Devotion and Family Campout, June 16-18, at our Discipleship Center. For information or to register, call 937-587-5464 or 513-373-2397 or visit www.presentationministries.com)
Rescript: †Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, December 1, 2016
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