Eyewitnesses

March 25th, 2024

In Acts 1:8, it states, “You shall be witnesses when the power of the Holy Spirit comes upon you.”

Whenever I encounter the term “witness,” my mind immediately draws parallels to the courtroom setting.

In the legal system, there are two primary types of witnesses:

  1. Expert witnesses
  2. Eyewitnesses

Expert witnesses, the first category, are typically hired to provide insight and analysis based on their specialized knowledge, even if they were not present at the scene.

The second category, eyewitnesses, directly observed the events in question.

The message conveyed in the Bible is that we are now eyewitnesses in our own lives.

But how can this be? We were not physically present during Jesus’ time on Earth, nor were we at the cross or the resurrection.

However, consider who was present: The Holy Spirit. Upon accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior, surrendering ourselves to Him, and inviting the Holy Spirit into our lives, we become witnesses.

Jesus resides within us, and the events of two thousand years ago are now echoed within us. Through God’s power, we experience death and resurrection through Jesus Christ.

As we undergo transformation from within, we become witnesses to God’s power. We witness His love, grace, mercy, and healing, whether physical or emotional, through the Holy Spirit’s presence.

This transformation makes us potent instruments for the Kingdom of God. As eyewitnesses who have encountered and witnessed God’s movement firsthand, we now have a powerful testimony and credibility, drawing others to Him.

Therefore, let us confidently share the message of God with others this week, knowing that we ourselves have personally witnessed and acknowledged the living God!

Priority Check: What Comes First in Your Life?

March 18th, 2024

As believers and God’s children, there is nothing more desired by Him than for us to walk in the victory provided through His Son, Jesus.

However, often people aren’t experiencing this victory or provision that God has made a way for.

This may be because the majority of people have shifted away from making God the number one priority in their lives and hearts.

Matthew 6:33 urges us, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.”

I believe Christians, and people in general, have grown somewhat impatient with God.

We have needs and wants in our lives, and instead of continuing to seek God and live out the righteous life He has called us to, we become impatient and prioritize our own wants and needs.

While waiting, we must remind ourselves to maintain faith. Waiting is an opportunity for faith and patience to flourish, during which we must rely on and trust in God.

The simplest way to trust and rely on God is by reminding ourselves of His goodness.

From the beginning, God made provision for humanity.

He created the heavens and the earth and everything in them before making man. Why? Because God wanted to ensure our care before creating us.

We must remind ourselves that we have a relationship with an all-knowing, loving, compassionate, and generous Father who desires nothing more than for His children to be cared for, to the extent that He even grants us the desires of our hearts.

However, God wants us to prioritize Him in our hearts. Not the things and desires that fight for first place within us.

When we seek Him, obey Him, and love Him, He delights in blessing us and providing for us.

So, remember, prioritize God first this week!

Abundant Life In Jesus.

March 11th, 2024

My friend Jim Marocco greets me every time with this question, “Mike, are you alive and praising Jesus?”

And I love this because it causes me to stop and remember, “Yes, yes I am.” Because not only are we alive physically by breathing, but we are also alive spiritually.

For once we were spiritually dead but came to life the moment we were born again. The old us has died, and the new man has risen. From the moment we became children of God, the very life of God filled us.

And God didn’t just “fix us up”; He made us NEW. A new creation. That’s something to praise God about!

Not only do we have the very life of God on the inside of us, that Zoe life which means the nature of God, but God promised us in John 10:10 that we would have life abundantly.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” – John 10:10

That word “abundant” there means more, greater, and exceedingly. We are promised an exceedingly greater, and more than type of life, but that life is only found in God and through God.

We encounter this life when we live a life of surrender and submission unto Him. When we make Him the Lord of our life and not just our Savior.

When we walk in obedience to His ways, He blesses us and provides for us. It doesn’t matter what the enemy tries to steal, kill, or destroy, because our God has made an abundant provision for it already.

Today, give praise to God for the very life He has poured into us and the abundant life He has made way for us to walk in.

Are You Fully Surrendered in Your Heart?

March 4th, 2024

In our current era, the need for spiritual awakening is evident, yet the laborers who wholeheartedly embrace God’s will are scarce.
God seeks those who surrender completely, not just reluctantly or halfheartedly.

There are three levels of surrender: unwilling surrender, half-hearted surrender, and complete surrender. You can actually say there are two counterfeit versions of surrender, but one true surrender.

When someone says yes but does the job grudgingly that’s an unwilful surrender, where complaints persist.

Half-hearted surrender is where effort lacks enthusiasm. They tend to say yes but not give their best.

A complete surrender is where one offers their all to God.

God desires wholehearted devotion, not just reluctant obedience.

He looks for those who do everything unto the Lord, no matter what it is or who’s around.

Those who lay down their life to, in return, find life through Him.

God wants your yes even when the request might seem hard and out of your comfort zone.

Surrendering isn’t just when you accept Him as your Savior but also when you make Him the Lord of your life.

Today, reflect on your surrender to God: are you unwilling, half-hearted, or fully committed?

Jesus calls us to surrender our ways and follow Him wholeheartedly, loving God with all our being and serving Him diligently in all we do.

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it” – Matthew 16:24-25

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” -Matthew 22:37

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” -Colossians 3:23-24”

Breaking Free from Limited Thinking: Embracing God’s Perspective

February 26th, 2024

It’s common to fall into a rut in our thoughts and actions, especially regarding how we perceive God’s will.

When change disrupts our familiar patterns, we often resist it because it challenges our preconceived notions.

Think of a rut as a grave with both ends knocked out.

In Acts 10, Peter’s encounter with God during prayer led to a profound revelation. While in a trance, God revealed a vision to Peter, instructing him to “rise, kill, and eat,” presenting him with animals considered “unclean” under Jewish law.

God was trying to give Peter a new altitude, attitude, and appetite.

Peter’s struggle to grasp the vision’s deeper meaning stemmed from his entrenched cultural beliefs about purity and cleanliness.

God sought to broaden Peter’s understanding beyond cultural norms to embrace His perspective.

Despite considering Gentiles unclean, Peter realized that Jesus’ sacrifice extended salvation to all who believed in Him.

Had Peter remained trapped in his limited thinking, he would have hindered God’s plan for him.

God desires to reach everyone and work through us to accomplish His purposes.

In Acts 10:28-29, Peter speaks to Cornelius saying, “Then he said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. Therefore I came without objection as soon as I was sent for.”

God took Peter to a new altitude in his way of thinking, gave him a new attitude about Gentiles, and gave him an appetite to reach all for the Kingdom of God.

Is God trying to show you something? Is He trying to change your way of thinking? 


Perhaps your case differs from Peter’s, but God may be calling you to embrace a new way of thinking.

Like Peter, respond with obedience, even amidst uncertainty, trusting that clarity will follow as you align yourself with God’s guidance.

3 Ways You Are A Witness For Jesus

February 19th, 2024

In Acts 1:8, the Bible states, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

The question arises: witnesses to what?

  1. The Message:

The message is the love of God. It’s about God’s profound love for the world, demonstrated by giving His only Son. This love extends to us, portraying God as merciful, kind, gracious, and caring. We should be sharing to others about such love He has lavished upon us all.

Secondly,

       2.    Witnesses of the Example, Jesus:

Our lives should mirror Jesus, impacting those around us. Living what we preach is paramount. We cannot proclaim God’s love without embodying it ourselves. Our lives should reflect a deep personal reverence and revelation of God, drawing people to Jesus.

And thirdly,

       3.    The Power of the Holy Spirit:

Living by the Spirit yields fruits of the Spirit.

Our lives produce either good or bad fruit, reflecting either the Spirit or the flesh. When people witness the fruit of the Spirit in us—peace, joy, patience, love—they are drawn to it, offering us the opportunity to be witnesses of the Holy Spirit. Additionally, signs, miracles, and wonders manifest through the authority Jesus has given us, and the Holy Spirit within us.

As Christians, we are called to be witnesses of God, His love, and the Holy Spirit. It’s part of our purpose on Earth.

This week, begin each day confessing, “I am a witness of Jesus.” Personalizing it by acknowledging your role in your community and home.

Embrace your identity as a witness of the holy and wonderful God.