A teaching by Rev. Barbara Williams, President of the Ministry of the Watchman International
Week of March 6-10, 2023
MONDAY
Then Jesus said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
Luke 24:46-49
This is a familiar scene. Jesus instructs His disciples. What a blessing it is to have The MASTER’S ATTENTION. The disciples had many such opportunities, but this will be their last one with the Resurrected King of Glory. Will they make the most of this opportunity, or will they once again, like so many other times, only hear what they want to hear.
We are like that, you know. We have the great Comforter, the Holy Spirit dwelling inside us, and yet we live in fear, insecurity and turmoil. Yet Jesus calls us to be witnesses.
He tells the disciples that He has accomplished all that the Scriptures have said about Him. He says it was necessary for Him to suffer, die and rise on the third day in order that remission of sins for all mankind would come into the earth. Then He declares the most remarkable thing… that we—His church, believers in Him—would become equipped to go into all the world declaring that this great gift is available to all.
If you are in need of healing, there is good news! Proverbs 4:20-22 SAYS:
My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
So there is life and health in God’s word. Since God’s word is medicine, we must take it like we would a prescription. I suggest three times a day, like you would your food. Remember, healing is the children’s bread. Consider this your “dose” for today. Remember, read, and meditate three times a day the following:
Rx: Jeremiah 33:6 ~ Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security.
“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
2 Timothy 2:15
If you’ve never studied the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, we invite you to join us as we read through the Bible in a year. Read and meditate on these chapters this week:
March 6: Exodus 17, Luke 20, Job 35, 2 Corinthians 5
March 7: Exodus 18, Luke 21, Job 36, 2 Corinthians 6
March 8: Exodus 19, Luke 22, Job 37, 2 Corinthians 7
March 9: Exodus 20, Luke 23, Job 38, 2 Corinthians 8
March 10: Exodus 21, Luke 24, Job 39, 2 Corinthians 9
March 11: Exodus 22, John 1, Job 40, 2 Corinthians 10
March 12: Exodus 23, John 2, Job 41, 2 Corinthians 11
TUESDAY
Then Jesus said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
Luke 24:46-49
With Jerusalem as the starting point, Jesus commands all that believe in Him to go forth ATTESTING TO, TESTIFYING AND DEMONSTRATING His great love and power to all that would believe. He tells those assembled that repentance and the remission of sins must be preached in His name.
Jesus is the Lamb of God, and He was manifested to take away our sins. (1 John 3:5). This is good news, and this is our testimony. It is this goodness that leads to repentance. As good witnesses, we are to live in a state of continual repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. In doing so, we turn our backs on the world system and all that it stands for.
Are you a witness today, right where you are? The disciples began in Jerusalem. That is a good starting point for all of us.
WEDNESDAY
Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things.
Luke 24:46-48
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
Where is your Jerusalem? Jerusalem was the place that Jesus loved, but it gave Him a really hard time. Jerusalem was the place where He was crucified. He spoke several curses on the city of Jerusalem, because they would not repent and receive the free gift of forgiveness of their sins.
Jerusalem was Jesus’ adopted home because of the temple that was located there. He spent many hours preaching, teaching and healing the sick in Jerusalem. The religious tried to throw Him off a cliff once in that town. Jerusalem was a place of mixed experiences… great triumphs, then tragedies, then triumphs again.
Is there a Jerusalem in your life? For all of us, it is our home. Jesus always allows us to begin with the places we love best. We should desire to be witnesses in our Jerusalem. Jerusalem means “city of peace.” Whether there is turmoil or strife there, Jerusalem is called to be a place of peace for us if we will be witnesses there. If we will share Jesus with those in our immediate surroundings, God will send us to the uttermost parts of the earth with His message of repentance and the remission of sins.
THURSDAY
Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.
Luke 24:49
And being assembled together with them, Jesus commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
Acts 1:4-5
The promise of the Father is the Holy Ghost. Jesus knew that the people were in no condition to be His witnesses at the time of His ascension. He was newly resurrected, and had to show Himself to many witnesses. As He ascended into heaven, He left the world with the instructions that we call the “Great Commission.”
We are commissioned as ambassadors of the “New” or “Heavenly” Jerusalem. We carry a message of hope to all hurting, suffering humanity. We are called to be empowered to witness and testify that Jesus is alive and that He desires fellowship with His people. We must have the power to live this message as well as preach it.
When we receive the promised baptism of the Holy Spirit, we receive a new heavenly language, as well as the power to live set apart and holy as vessels for the Lord. This is the purpose of the power from on high… to make us witnesses. If we are not witnesses, we are not using the promised power. Often we have used this power to make others feel inadequate and not as powerful as we have.
Let us endeavor to use the power from on High for its intended purpose—to heal the sick, cast out devils and preach the power of the resurrected Lord of Lords. Are you a witness today?
FRIDAY
Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Jesus, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 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 1:6-8
We never know what time we may be called upon to witness. The Word admonishes us to be ready in season and out of season. Sometimes we don’t feel much like a witness for Christ. If we are on the telephone with a bothersome sales person, it does not seem as though we could have much to say about the Lord. We’re much too busy trying to get rid of the pesky person. Could that be one of the times that the Father has placed in His hands?
Perhaps you have a boss facing surgery. He needs prayer and he needs to know Jesus as his Healer. You don’t want to seem like a religious fanatic, but could that be one of the times that the Father has placed in His hands?
Being a witness means testifying under oath when called upon. We are under an oath and a promise as believers. The oath is sworn in Jesus’ blood that His words are true. What He promises He will do. Don’t ever be afraid or ashamed to testify about Him. He is well able to perform what He tells you to speak about Him. Be bold in your witnessing today. His testimonies are sure. He is a God worth witnessing about.
If you are under the power of the Holy Spirit, you are under oath. Testify.