Acts 1:4 - 8

4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." 6 So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 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."

God loves the world. He loves the world not because there are righteous things in the world or because the world did something to please God. The only reason that God has to love mankind and not to remain a spectator of people’s misfortune is that everyone living on earth should go and live in hell eternally because of our sin. There is no way to get out from hell besides His love. The undeniable evidence of God’s love for mankind is that He, the Word came to the earth as flesh (Philippians 2:5-8).

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, coming to this world and suffering till shedding blood and dying on the cross is God’s absolute expression of love for mankind, the evidence. However, the world tried not to acknowledge Jesus Christ the Son of God, and it even brought Jesus into suffering by misunderstanding to the end.

When He was in agony, being nailed on the cross, He even had pity on people who inflicted the torture on Him and prayed to God for them to be forgiven their sins. Since no one ever knew this great love of God, without fear they determined to kill the Son of God.

Pilate, the governor, certainly knew that Jesus Christ had no sin to be crucified on the cross but he allowed the people to crucify Jesus. This tells clearly about the really horrible scene.

At that time, since cross was a symbol of curse, someone who was crucified on it was cursed which was undeniable evidence. If it was revealed that someone had been together with a cursed person, then they also would be treated as cursed. So, it was impossible to defend someone who took up the cross.

Even the family of someone who was crucified should be cursed together and could not live. Therefore, the reason for killing Jesus Christ by crucifying at that time was the devil’s trick which was to make Jesus be erased from people’s memories.

The Lord let His disciples know this fact first. He said that the Holy Spirit would teach about His name when He comes (John 14:26), He would guide them into all truth (John 16:13) and they would say that He is the Lord (1 Corinthians 12:3).

Therefore, the Lord said that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," (1 Corinthians 12:3) and people would know Jesus Christ only by the Holy Spirit (John 15:26). Only the Holy Spirit is the absolute defender who defends the cross of Jesus Christ.

Therefore, Jesus Christ said to His disciples that they will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on them; and they will be His witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Jesus made everyone touched by the Holy Spirit to be His witness. Churches can be revived when it is fulfilled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit made disciples who hid and prayed in upper room, to preach the gospel courageously in Jerusalem where the followers of Jesus were caught and put into jail.

The Holy Spirit used the disciples, and still uses people touched by Him as witnesses of Jesus Christ.
Churches and church members should be moved by the Holy Spirit to be witnesses of Jesus to many ruined people who still misunderstand Jesus Christ.

We all should be witnesses of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit then we should minimize the number of ruined people who are about to go to hell by letting them to understand Jesus in right way, and keeping their souls from the way to ruin.

Let us be witnesses of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit!
2013.5.12