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The Biblical Way to Bear Witness to Jesus
Jesus opened the book, and as we read in Luke 4:17-19 (KJV):
“He found the place where it was written,
Luke 4:18 KJV "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
Luke 4:19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”
This moment marked the beginning of His three-year ministry, before His Passion. Then, after His Passion, just before ascending to Heaven, Jesus delivered final instructions to His disciples. Among these were words remarkably similar to those He read in Luke 4:18:
“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me...” (Acts 1:8, KJV).
Before diving into further instructions found in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, let’s reflect on this. In Luke 4:17-19, Jesus read a prophecy from Isaiah about Himself. Over His ministry, He revealed His identity to His disciples and the world, as Luke records:
“Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God (Theos—the Supreme Divinity) did by Him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:” (Acts 2:22, KJV).
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Miracles as Divine Validation
It is significant that both Jesus and Moses were divinely approved, but in different ways:
• Moses was confirmed by the audible voice of God speaking from a cloud:
o “Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee forever.” (Exodus 19:9, KJV)
o “Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.” (Exodus 19:19, KJV)
• Jesus was confirmed by miracles and wonders performed through the power of God:
o “Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs...” (Acts 2:22, KJV).
Likewise, the early disciples were empowered by the Lord:
“And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.” (Acts 11:21, KJV).
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The Bible: A Book of Miracles
The Bible is filled with miraculous events! If you don’t believe in miracles, you may as well throw out the Bible—it is utterly miraculous! It is the Kingdom of Heaven manifested on Earth! Jesus, operating by the power of God, revealed salvation to the world. And in Acts 1:8, He calls us to do the same:
“But ye (YOU) shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye (YOU) shall be witnesses unto me.”
The Father Himself bore witness of Jesus:
“The works which the Father hath given me to finish... bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. And the Father Himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me.” (John 5:36-37, KJV).
(March 31st, 2025. Footnote added, as follows, by John Waterhouse: The works that the Father/Son/Holy Ghost does through us, reveals to the World that it’s Jesus working in us, because obviously we cannot do these things. It reveals that Jesus is Risen, and He’s alive, and it confirms the message of Salvation by faith in Christ Jesus’ death and resurrection. Without the Resurrection, there would be no salvation. It’s not us that does the works, but the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost that work in us, through us, upon us, and amongst us. The Miracles, signs and wonders prove to the world that the message we preach is Truth. Signs, Wonders and Miracles are necessary to save the World, as witnessed through Jesus and His original disciples.)
How did the Father bear witness? Once again, Acts 2:22 reminds us:
“Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs...”
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Bearing Witness Today
Jesus calls us to bear witness of Him. Should we not, then, expect to bear witness with miracles and wonders, as the early disciples did? Jesus Himself said:
“And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues...” (Mark 16:17, KJV).
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Bearing Witness Through Action and Faith
“They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.”
(Mark 16:18-20, KJV)
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The State of the Church Today
So, why is it that many churches today neither teach, preach, nor experience miracles and wonders? Is it possible that they resist the ministry of the Holy Spirit? Should Bible schools not teach everything that Jesus taught? Are we questioning enough of what we’re being taught in our churches?
These are critical questions we must ask ourselves. We are sheep—not slaves—and must be led according to the full, uncompromised Word of God. Our eternal life depends on the truth being taught in our churches. Shouldn’t we take this responsibility seriously?
The greatest deception of the past 2,000 years, I believe, has been the idea that the sheep should blindly follow their shepherds. Leaders must be held accountable not only for what they teach but also for what they choose not to teach. As the Bible warns:
“Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.”
(Matthew 15:14, KJV)
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A Call to Vigilance and Faith
Today, many churches have fallen into the trap of embracing new-age teachings for deliverance, including relying on psychology. This should raise Red Flags Immediately! Why? Because they walk by the flesh, not by faith.
As we continue in Scripture, we read further instructions from Jesus:
“All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
(Matthew 28:18-20, KJV)
Jesus, before His ascension, said:
“These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures.”
(Luke 24:44-45, KJV)
(May the Lord open our understanding today!)
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A Serious Responsibility
Why should these instructions concern us? Because each of us will be held accountable for what we do—or don’t do—according to His Word.
False doctrines, such as “Once saved, always saved,” have deceived many. For years, I myself believed it, until I delved into the Bible to truly understand what it teaches. Scripture says:
“He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.”
(Revelations 3:5, KJV)
We must take salvation seriously—not just our own, but that of the world. We are here for a purpose: to lead as many to salvation as possible. This is the primary calling for each of our lives. Every word, every thought, and every action counts, and we must repent of spiritual complacency. Our eternal salvation depends on it.
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A Call to Action
Thank you for taking the time to read this message. I encourage you to share your thoughts in the comment section below. If you have positive revelations to add, feel free to share them! With your permission, I’d be honored to include your insights in this blog, crediting your name, initials, or even your YouTube channel.
Blessings to you all.
John Waterhouse
Author of Book: “China Invaded By Heaven”
https://www.amazon.ca/China-Invaded-Heaven-John-Waterhouse/dp/149694058X
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