The testimony of God’s love is expressed in all of creation so that all of mankind could know Him. His Word is the second aspect of this and in that we can know God and also tell others. The Son of God revealed the fullness of the Heavenly Father in His whole being, His Words and His works. Mankind was created to be a witness of God, each one to himself and also to other human beings. God’s glory is visible everywhere, yet man is blind to this and neither lives accordingly nor tells others.
Why should we witness? Every moment of life is a witness of what we believe in, our attitude, character and our works. How we live or behave is based on what we learned over the years. Right from birth, the values that we see in our family, our surroundings and what our parents teach, gets registered in our mind, heart and soul. This becomes the sum total of the basis of our whole beings while our experiences over the years get added to that. Whether we like it or not, we become witness to some aspect of the natural as well as the heavenly. However, having been made in the ‘image and likeness of God’, though that is clouded by our fallen nature, there is an inherent desire in every human being to know God. In some this desire to know God starts early in life, in others during the later years, while a few continue to live under the control of the devil, far from God. Thus, the lives of some reflect godly ways and in others satanic life-style. Those who seek God are touched by the Holy Spirit, led to a group of other believers and learn about the Divine ways. In this aspect of life, there is no neutral ground, for those who do not turn towards God, oppose Him in various ways.
Daniel and his three friends were taken captive to Babylon from Judea, at a very young age. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon instructed his officials to select some Jewish children for training to serve the kingdom (Daniel 1:1-20). They were to be provided all food from the king’s table but Daniel decided that ‘he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies’. They had vegetables and water instead of wine and other things. After ten days, when they were examined, ‘none (in the whole group) was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Michael and Azariah’ and they were chosen to serve in the king’s court. Nebuchadnezzar directed all people to bow down to the gold image he had got made and placed in a public place. The three friends, renamed as Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego, refused to bow down and were thrown into the fiery furnace bound hands and feet (Daniel 3:16-29). Then the king saw that there were four people moving about free in the fire, for God not only untied their bonds but was with them to protect them. When they were taken out not a hair of their heads was touched by fire nor was there any smell of fire on them. The king praised the God of Israel with a decree that anyone saying anything against their God will be put to death. The testimony of Daniel and his three friends through their life-style, influenced the minds of those who did not know God.
God has always revealed Himself to mankind to enable them to know and follow Him and lead others also into His presence. The psalmist urges all human beings, and not only the Israelites to ‘Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise’ (Psalm 100:4). We thank God not only for what we receive from Him but also for choosing and blessing us to be Our God and helping us to know Him. We praise Him for His love, mercy and grace given to us continually in every moment and situation. In this manner we praise God but also tell others what He has done in our lives. We are equipped by Divine power and authority to rule over other created beings and are thus partners with God in administering to His creation. This in itself becomes our acts of witnessing before others the love and care of God towards all created things. The normal act of an individual telling others about the ways he has been helped by an unseen force is witnessing and the one who does not do so is expressing ingratitude towards the Provider.
If we do not recognise God’s hand in our lives, then we are exalting our own selves for our success and even this life. Lord Jesus commanded all believers to ‘shema’, listen, understand, meditate upon His words and obey (Mark 12:29-30). This is what Moses had also told the Israelites, ‘Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength’ (Deuteronomy 6:4-5). God’s expression of His love is first in His creation, then His Word to let it all align with His will and finally the act of redemption, through the sufferings, death and resurrection of His Son, Lord Jesus Christ. A love that is not expressed is not love in its true sense.
How do we express our love for God without living as per His Word and telling others about Him and His love? Thus, witnessing for and about God is what the Saviour Lord commanded, to ‘go and make disciples and baptise them’ (Matthew 2:19-20). When we start making efforts towards this, His promise of being with us ‘always, even to the end of the age’ gets fulfilled. We cannot have the blessing without doing what we are supposed to do.
Witnessing in the face of great opposition – First God saw the darkness over the empty and void earth and then revealed the glory of His light (Genesis 1:2-4). With light, darkness must get automatically removed but God separated the two. In the night of suffering the light does not go anywhere, but we have to search for that. Thus, light can only be diligently sought in the darkness or the darkness exists for light. Also pain is there for healing, even when no answers are available. The answers to all this earthly chaos cannot be found in the light only but through earnest seeking God in those circumstances. When we boldly face the challenge of darkness, in actual fact we choose light or to turn to God and we understand the true purpose of that darkness.
When God breathed into us the breath of life, His aim was to create a being separate from all else. We are not chosen by God to be here to do the ordinary but to achieve what others feel is impossible. Lord Jesus has given us authority in His name, ‘to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy (the Satan), and nothing shall by any means hurt you’ (Luke 10:18-19). Our enemy is not some weak and foolish creature as he is depicted in various caricatures. He was created as ‘the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty’ (Ezekiel 28:12-15). He was in the presence of God as a covering cherub and perfect in his ways. A believer living in the authority of God’s promise and filled with ‘power and self-control’, is supposed to ‘move the mountains’ of all evil. He is equipped to not only face and defeat these forces of evil in God’s power but also tell others about Him.
Apostle James, the brother of Lord Jesus and head of the first Church in Jerusalem, has taught, ‘My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials’ (James 1:2-3). All trials and opposition come to afflict a believer with the express permission of the Lord, for He is in control of everything. When Saul was chosen by God to be His blessed Apostle Paul, his suffering for the Lord’s name’s sake was also pre-ordained (Acts 9:16). All along his ministry, he suffered endless opposition from both Jews and Gentiles alike, even being stoned and left as dead. Despite all this he got up every time, praised God, moved forward and could encourage the afflicted. He has taught, ‘No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to mam’ (1 Corinthians 10:13). Thus, what we face is being repeatedly hurled at the believers in various other places. He further said, ‘but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able’. The strong and those who are weak physically, mentally, spiritually and morally, all face their trials as per the strength vested in them by God. In addition to this ‘with the temptation, (God) will make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it’. Stepping forward as a child of God, we are helped by reducing the scale of our opposition to our strength and a way of escape also is created beforehand. We bear His name as His children and God will not let His name be tarnished in our trials.
As members of the Gideons Ministry, we presented the Holy Bible to all members of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh assemblies. We were discouraged by many but the two of us moved forward and God was with us. MLA’s from all political parties received the Scriptures without any bad word, to the surprise of many others. When we move forward in faith to perform a task for God’s glory, He strengthens us and helps us in every way. We have presented the Holy Bible to the senior most religious and militant heads also in Srinagar. It is not that we were not afraid but we prayed, sought God’s help and moved on.
I do not say that there will be no suffering, but God will help us to come out of that. Lord Jesus has promised to witness those who confess Him before men here on earth, before His Father in heaven (Matthew 10:32-33). This is about seeking blessings for all such believers that are kept ready and stored up in heaven. But He will deny those who do not accept Him and talk before others about His Words and works. In this manner our name appears in heaven for eternal life.
Any battle is won or lost in the mind before it even starts. From thirty thousand fighters, the group with Gideon was reduced by God to only three hundred (Judges 7:1-15). Knowing about his fears, God commanded him at night to go into the enemy camp with his servant Purah. He went and heard one person interpret the dream of the other by saying, ‘This is nothing else but the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel! Into his hand God has delivered Midian and the whole camp’. God is fully aware of our weaknesses and His promise to never leave us is to help and hold our hand always.
Various ways of witnessing – God first created the Garden of Eden and after giving Adam dominion rights asked him to ‘tend and keep it’ (Genesis 2:8-15). In like manner God has placed each person in a particular family and place with the task of caring for it. With this comes the job of expanding the area of influence and that is our witnessing. Invariably, we tend to see the great achievements of others and then feel uncomfortable when we are not able to match that. Our garden is where we are and we have to care of it in that setting. Not everyone is trained to be a teacher or a miracle worker or in any other activity in the service of the Lord and His kingdom. A lady who supports our ministry called to thank us. Her logic was about four to five programs on TV every month, a daily verse with short explanatory notes and definite prayers is the best bargain for her contribution of one thousand to support this ministry. We never promise any blessings for supporting our ministry, for if God desires to bless you in any manner, He will definitely touch you. And if the Holy Spirit does not guide into such giving, I would say that do not give, for it will be wasted and bring no positive results.
God visited Adam and Eve in the Garden every evening but their sin pushed them out of God’s presence, out into the wilderness. The Israelites had the Tabernacle and the Temple with God’s presence in them. The creation process is described in the first 34 verses of the Holy Bible while the construction of the Tabernacle is ten times that number. When God creates something, He miraculously creates it all from nothing, easily. But when man attempts to create something for God with his human capabilities, it takes great effort. The redemption of mankind was done by the Son of God and His presence in us is easy for God. But when we try to do something as His witness before others, it takes great effort. That is why the Holy Spirit fills us with ‘power, love and self-control’ (2 Timothy 1:7). Since it is a difficult task, we need to first pray and seek God’s guidance. Moving with His presence and permission, all obstacles tend to disappear.
We bear witness to God first by telling others about what God has done for us and the changes that have taken place. Second, by being the light through the good deeds and words, that others may know the difference. Joseph was in prison for a false charge but when he was called to interpret Pharaoh’s dream, he said, ‘it is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace’ (Genesis 41:15-39). Listening to Joseph, even Pharaoh said, ‘Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?’ Third, including in our talk the Word of God to arouse the curiosity of the listeners to lead them to the Saviour Lord (John 6:63). The Words of the Scripture are ‘the spirit, and they are life’. We speak and sow the seed of the Word in their hearts and His Spirit lets it grow into faith. Four, carefully listening to God’s promptings to reach out to the afflicted and needy. Do not tempt people with promises of great gifts for they will take it and go, without any real result or God may not permit any miracles. Your fervent prayers can bring miraculous results. Witness and pray for the sick and the suffering as if looking after Lord Jesus. Five, seek Spiritual gifts to be a blessing to others. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are given ‘for the profit of all’ and we must use such blessings to help someone in need (1 Corinthians 12:7). We sow the seed of God’s Word in their hearts and God touches lives to lead them to salvation. But without our step of faith, the seed will not get sown.
There is no one way to suit every situation and we must seek the guidance of our Teacher within to help us choose the right way. We must remember Lord Jesus’ saying that ‘there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine persons who need no repentance’ (Luke 14:7). Let us join with other believers to bring great joy and celebrations in heaven through our efforts of witnessing for God and winning souls.
God sent His Son as Redeemer, Lamb of God, and not as a judge to save mankind from destruction. When we speak to others about what God has done in our lives, we are actually opening a door in their hearts and souls to know God. The words that we speak and every deed must be in line with the Word of God and His ways. We visit and meet people living in sin without joining them in their evil ways and that is our witness!
