I believe that God has also chosen you and me to be His witnesses today. Just as the early disciples were called to testify of the greatness of God, we too have been chosen to declare what we have seen and experienced of His transforming power.
God still transforms lives today
If you are a believer, you too are called to be a witness, just as Peter, John, and the other disciples were. As Acts 10:39 reminds us, we are witnesses to what Jesus has done. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God still transforms lives today, and He invites every believer to testify to His saving grace and His mighty power.
God works healing miracles through you
In Acts 9, Peter encountered a man named Aeneas who had been paralysed for eight years. Recognising his need, Peter did not anoint him with oil or lay hands on him. Instead, he simply declared, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed.” Immediately, Aeneas got up. There was no gradual recovery, no delay; the healing was instantaneous. The miracle demonstrated the power and authority of Jesus Christ working through His servant.
Following God's instruction
Looking back over my life, I can see how the Lord has ordered my steps. He has given me specific instructions and sent me to particular places. The evidence lies in what followed. My first overland journey to Jerusalem opened my eyes to the suffering of the underground Church behind the Iron Curtain. From that point onwards, at every stage of my life, I was acting under the Lord's direction. Time and again, God did exactly what He had promised.
The Holy Spirit will change your life
What happened on the Day of Pentecost was not a one-time event. Again and again, throughout the later chapters of the Acts of the Apostles, we read of people receiving the Holy Spirit. Each time, there was a remarkable transformation. They were filled with a new dynamic power, and it became unmistakably clear that the Holy Spirit had changed their lives.
Miracles confirm the Gospel
One truth I can never escape is this: the miracles recorded in the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles were the evidence that confirmed the truth of the message.
Acts 8:6 tells us what happened: "The people with one accord gave heed to those things which Philip spoke, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did." They didn't just hear Philip's words – they saw the power of God at work. The message and the miracles went together.
The Holy Spirit is given to all Believers
The outpouring of the Holy Spirit recorded in Acts chapter 2 came upon the 120 believers, but there is absolutely no question that God's intention was never to limit His Spirit to that small group. The same Holy Spirit was given for all believers, empowering ordinary men and women to live as bold witnesses for Christ.
Full of faith and the Holy Spirit
God honours obedience
All were healed
Pentecost was only a beginning
What happened on the Day of Pentecost can and should happen today. It was not a one-time event that ended with the first disciples; rather, it was the beginning of the Spirit-empowered life of the Church throughout this age. The evidence, demonstration, and confirmation of who Jesus is continues through the work of the Holy Spirit in His people.
Transformed and empowered by the Holy Spirit
From Pentecost to the Second Coming
Just as the disciples saw Him ascend into heaven, those who are alive when He returns will see Him come again in the same visible and glorious way. Until that day, the Church has a mission: to continue the work of Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit, faithfully witnessing to Him until He comes again.
The last instruction of Jesus
In Acts 1, Jesus spoke to a group of ordinary, imperfect men – including Peter, who had denied Him only weeks before. Yet Jesus made them an extraordinary promise: "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you." In other words, the Holy Spirit would transform their lives and empower them to fulfil the ministry He was entrusting to them.
The key to the Power of Jesus
The Power of the Resurrection
The power of our faith is rooted in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We do not speak enough about the resurrection. At Communion we remember His death and celebrate His resurrection. At Easter we proclaim His victory over the grave. But the heart of the Gospel is this: God raised Jesus from the dead! Everything we believe, everything we preach, and everything we hope for rests upon that glorious truth.
The Power of Personal Testimony
In the Church, we need to return to the power of personal testimony. There is too much religious preaching and not enough declaring what the Lord has done in our own lives. People need to hear the evidence of God's transforming power. In my own ministry, I make it a priority to share testimonies of all that God has done.
Declare the Word of God with boldness
In Acts 4, the religious leaders were astonished by two things: first, the miracle that had taken place; and second, the boldness of Peter and John. It is time for us to stand with that same boldness and declare the truth we know. The leaders recognised that these ordinary men had been with Jesus – and that made all the difference.
The Power of the Holy Spirit
Living in the Power of the Holy Spirit
When we receive the Holy Spirit, we receive power from God, and that power is meant to be demonstrated. What I sense today is that much of the Church is not living in that power or demonstrating it to the world. So, I would ask: if you have received the Holy Spirit, what difference has it made in your life?