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: The more Joan trusts in her Lord, the more she is able to witness for Him and the more she is able to trust.
Reference: (To grow as a disciple and be a strong Christian witness, you may be called to "come away for a little while." Presentation Ministries offers Summer Discipleship Retreats. For information or to register, e-mail retreats@presentationministries.com or call 937-587-5464.)
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Giles H. Pater, October 17, 2002
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, October 21, 2002