RELIABLE WITNESSES

When someone is prosecuted in Court, legal representation, an alibi, and reliable eye-witnesses are employed to establish the accused's innocence. Until an accused's innocence has been established 'beyond reasonable doubt' people are often sceptical or unbelieving of his or her innocence, especially if circumstancial evidence seem to be against the accused even though the law states that a person that be innocent unless his/her guilt has been proven beyond reasonable doubt.

In this age, there are many sceptics, agnostics and atheists who, looking at the world and the events taking place in modern society, allege that there is no God, and it would seem that even God needs witnesses to prove that He Is and that He is who He claims to be!

This may sound strange indeed, but we find that the Word of God actually appoints us to act as His witnesses:

            "You are my witnesses," says the Lord, "and my servant whom I have chosen, that
             you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was
             no God formed, nor shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me
             there is no saviour. I have declared and saved, I have proclaimed, and there was
             no foreign god among you; therefore you are My witnesses," says the Lord, "that I
             am God. Indeed before the day was, I am He; and there is no one who can deliver
             out of My hand; I work, and who will reverse it?" Isaiah 43:10-13

How do we know that He is God?

Truly, I think that God's works, the creation, all creatures and those works called "acts of God" have been seen by all, believers and unbelievers alike during the recent past. Acts which no one else could have performed; which no one can reverse, the extent of which no one could have predicted or forestalled! Deeds that no human could have accomplished or copied! Deeds that required and displayed the awesome supernatural power of such force and magnitude as to put the fear of God in all men.

              "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being
               understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so
               that they are without excuse... " Rom. 1:20

God's supernatural power is not only displayed in deeds of great destruction, but often in a gentle, quiet, unobtrusive manner and, then again, at times in spectacular ways for the benefit of those who call on His name.

Think about the parting of the Red Sea; the provision of manna in the desert; Daniel in the lion's den, the feeding of the 5000, the resurrection of Lazarus from the dead, and much more recently, in our own country, the peaceful transition from apartheid during the 1994 elections, and even more recently, the 60 000 South African men congregating for prayer in Kwa-Zulu Natal! Miracles quietly displaying supernatural power if we can but recognise it as such with our spiritually blinded eyes!

"You are my witnesses..."

Yet, to me, the biggest miracle of all is seeing the wholistic tranformation in the life of a sinful, lost person turning to God and allowing the Spirit of God to take control of his or her life.

In the book of Daniel, chapter 2, we read the account of how king Nebuchadnezar demanded the impossible from the magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and the Chaldeans. Not only were they to tell him the interpretation of the dream that he had, but also the dream itself, failing which, they would all be killed!

Daniel, known to the king to be serving the one true God, received the dream and the interpretation from the Lord and stood before the king as the one and only reliable witness of the Lord's supernatural power, thereby not only saving the lives of his three friends as well as his own, but seeing the king praising Almighty God. Why did God choose to reveal the secret to Daniel? Because Daniel prayerfully remained His witness in dire circumstances!

Today, we face many dire situations, when unreasonable demands are facing us, even in our own country... living behind security fences, feeling unsafe and insecure because of the terribly high crime rate... people expected to eke out a living somehow in the face of the economic recession; the very high food prices... the high unemployment rate, the high petrol and elecricity prices...

What does God expect from us in these traumatic circumstances when we face there unrealistic demands? What are we to do?

Be My witnesses...

             "And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying: "All authority has been given to Me in
              heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing
              them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them
              to observe all things that I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even
              to the end of the age." Matt. 28:18-20

Go, be My witnesses...

              "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall
               be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the
               earth." Acts 1:8

               "And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God
                has given to those who obey Him." Acts 5:32

Thank You, Lord God, that You are still "I Am"; You are still the One and Only God, that all authority still belong to You, Jesus, and that Your Spirit is still with us always, even to the end of the age; that even as we prayerfully witness for You, Your will shall always be done on earth as it is always done in heaven and that your Word shall not return to you void and empty.

Thank You also that we will have a reliable Eye-witness before the throne of God, to testify that the price for our salvation has indeed been paid in full.