Acts 1:8
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
A couple of weeks ago John and Carrie Smith shared their story with FBCG. They shared how God brought them together and led them through a process of spiritual growth to the point where they have committed themselves and their children to full time missionary service (John is a pilot) with Wycliffe Bible Translators in Papua, New Guinea. They shared how God has been teaching them to look for opportunities to share their faith with others whenever the opportunity arises. John recently shared the following story with me.
John said he had a friend at work named “Bill” who approached him one day when he observed John reading his Bible while on break time. Bill was not a believer and was quite skeptical about both the Bible and John’s faith as a Christian. Bill even went so far as to identify himself as an atheist. But over time John and Bill had a number of conversations about Christianity, the Bible and other world religions and it became clear to John that Bill was seeking the truth about God.
John and his wife Carrie began to pray for Bill and looked for opportunities to share Christ with him in ways he could understand. After a number of months of these kinds of spiritual conversations, John and Carrie felt that Bill was very close to making the “leap of faith” but still needed something more to convince him.
But then John and Carrie learned that Bill had taken a new job that was going to move him to Tampa, Florida – which would end their frequent conversations. So John and Carrie asked Bill if they could pray with him, asking God to put someone in his life in Tampa who could continue to help him with his questions about faith. Bill agreed and they prayed.
A few days later Bill called John and Carrie from Florida. He told them that God had not waited until he arrived in Tampa to answer their prayer. A woman sat in the seat next to him on the flight and took out her Bible and started to read. In the conversation that ensued she shared with Bill many of the same truths that John and Carrie had been sharing with him over the previous months. Bill figured this was no accident and shortly after that flight he opened his heart to Christ!
In Acts 1 Jesus said: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Notice two things: that Jesus promises that we will receive power from and through the Holy Spirit; and notice the purpose of that power – to enable us to be witnesses!
Now, we know that the power of the Holy Spirit is ours through faith in Christ. We know that the Spirit assures us of our salvation and produces the “fruit of the Spirit” in our lives. We also know that the Holy Spirit gives each one of us certain gifts to be used to serve others and build the church. But Jesus wants us to know that the Spirit also empowers us as individuals and as a church to be his witnesses in the world!
Do you have a “Bill” in your life? Would you be willing to ask God for an opportunity to share the truth and love of Christ with that person – in word or deed? Imagine what could happen if each one of us reached out like that to just one person this year!
Thank God for the gift of his Holy Spirit and ask him to empower you to be his witness!
Pastor Brian Coffey
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
A couple of weeks ago John and Carrie Smith shared their story with FBCG. They shared how God brought them together and led them through a process of spiritual growth to the point where they have committed themselves and their children to full time missionary service (John is a pilot) with Wycliffe Bible Translators in Papua, New Guinea. They shared how God has been teaching them to look for opportunities to share their faith with others whenever the opportunity arises. John recently shared the following story with me.
John said he had a friend at work named “Bill” who approached him one day when he observed John reading his Bible while on break time. Bill was not a believer and was quite skeptical about both the Bible and John’s faith as a Christian. Bill even went so far as to identify himself as an atheist. But over time John and Bill had a number of conversations about Christianity, the Bible and other world religions and it became clear to John that Bill was seeking the truth about God.
John and his wife Carrie began to pray for Bill and looked for opportunities to share Christ with him in ways he could understand. After a number of months of these kinds of spiritual conversations, John and Carrie felt that Bill was very close to making the “leap of faith” but still needed something more to convince him.
But then John and Carrie learned that Bill had taken a new job that was going to move him to Tampa, Florida – which would end their frequent conversations. So John and Carrie asked Bill if they could pray with him, asking God to put someone in his life in Tampa who could continue to help him with his questions about faith. Bill agreed and they prayed.
A few days later Bill called John and Carrie from Florida. He told them that God had not waited until he arrived in Tampa to answer their prayer. A woman sat in the seat next to him on the flight and took out her Bible and started to read. In the conversation that ensued she shared with Bill many of the same truths that John and Carrie had been sharing with him over the previous months. Bill figured this was no accident and shortly after that flight he opened his heart to Christ!
In Acts 1 Jesus said: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Notice two things: that Jesus promises that we will receive power from and through the Holy Spirit; and notice the purpose of that power – to enable us to be witnesses!
Now, we know that the power of the Holy Spirit is ours through faith in Christ. We know that the Spirit assures us of our salvation and produces the “fruit of the Spirit” in our lives. We also know that the Holy Spirit gives each one of us certain gifts to be used to serve others and build the church. But Jesus wants us to know that the Spirit also empowers us as individuals and as a church to be his witnesses in the world!
Do you have a “Bill” in your life? Would you be willing to ask God for an opportunity to share the truth and love of Christ with that person – in word or deed? Imagine what could happen if each one of us reached out like that to just one person this year!
Thank God for the gift of his Holy Spirit and ask him to empower you to be his witness!
Pastor Brian Coffey
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1 comment:
Excellent story of faith.
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