Iniutos ni Hesus sa lahat, na naniniwala sa Kanya at nagpasyang sumunod sa Kanya, upang maging saksi Niya. Gayunpaman, may isang bagay na kailangan mo, bago ka maging saksi ni Hesus. What do you need to be a witness of Jesus Christ in this world according to the Bible?
Hesus, the faithful Witness
Masdan, Ibinigay ko Siya bilang isang Saksi sa mga tao, isang Pinuno at Komandante sa mga tao. Masdan, Iyong tatawagin ang isang bansang hindi Mo nakikilala, at ang mga bansang hindi nakakakilala sa iyo ay tatakbo sa Iyo dahil sa Panginoon mong Diyos, at para sa Banal ng Israel; sapagkat niluwalhati ka Niya (Isaiah 55:4-5)
Maaari ko ang sarili kong sarili na wala: gaya ng naririnig ko, hinuhusgahan ko: At ang paghatol ko ay makatarungan (matuwid); Dahil hindi ko hinahanap ang sarili kong kalooban, Ngunit ang kalooban ng Ama na ipinadala sa akin. If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. There is another that beareth witness of Me; and I know that the witness which He witnesseth of Me is true. Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved.
He was a burning and a shining light (lamp): and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. Ngunit mayroon akong mas dakilang saksi kaysa kay Juan: para sa mga gawa na ibinigay sa Akin ng Ama upang tapusin, ang parehong mga gawa na ginagawa ko, sumaksi sa Akin, that the Father hat sent Me. At ang Ama mismo, na nagpadala sa Akin, ay nagpatotoo tungkol sa Akin. Hindi ninyo narinig ang Kanyang tinig anumang oras, ni nakita ang Kanyang anyo (form). And ye have not His word abiding in you: para kanino Siya ay nagpadala, Him ye believe not. Saliksikin ang mga banal na kasulatan; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: at sila ang mga nagpapatotoo tungkol sa Akin. And ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life (John 5:30-40).
Juan sa pitong simbahan na nasa Asia: Sumainyo nawa ang biyaya, at kapayapaan, mula sa Kanya na kung saan ay, at alin noon, at kung alin ang darating; at mula sa pitong Espiritu na nasa harap ng Kanyang trono; At mula kay Hesukristo, sino ang tapat na Saksi, at ang unang Anak ng mga patay, at ang prinsipe ng mga hari ng mundo (Pahayag 1:4-5)
Jesus was sent by His Father and came to the earth and was a faithful Witness of His Father and His Kingdom. Jesus could be a Witness of His Father because Jesus had laid down His own will and life. He was fully yielded to the will of His Father and obeyed His commandments.
Jesus loved His Father and spent a lot of time with His Father in prayer and the Scriptures.
Jesus spoke the truth
Huwag kang magpatotoo laban sa iyong kapwa (Exodo 20:16, Mateo 15:19, marka 10:19, Luke 18:20, mga Romano 13:9)
Jesus was a faithful Witness, who didn’t speak lies. He didn’t compromise to be liked and accepted by the people and gain followers.
Jesus spoke only the words of His Father and spoke what He had seen with His Father (John 8:38).
Jesus spoke the truth. He didn’t speak lies, which the people didn’t always appreciate.
Many people followed Jesus for the signs and wonders and became His disciples. However many didn’t like the words of Jesus.
The people considered His words hard and were not able to bear His words. The words of Jesus made them uncomfortable. Therefore they left Him (John 6:60-66).
And so everywhere Jesus came, Jesus caused a commotion. Because everywhere Jesus came, Jesus witnessed of His Father and His Kingdom and the signs and wonders of the authority and the power of God’s Kingdom, followed Him and caused a change in the lives of people and situations.
Hesus, the faithful Witness, and Saviour of souls
A true witness delivers souls: but a deceitful witness speaks lies (Kawikaan 14:25)
Kung bakit, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; Who was faithful to Him that appointed Him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house (Mga Hebreo 3:1-2)
Hesus, the faithful Witness, was sent by His Father and came to serve people. Gayunpaman, this didn’t mean that Jesus yielded Himself to the people and changed and adjusted the words of His Father and the standards of God’s Kingdom to the generation of fallen man. Jesus didn’t become a wishy-washy and weathercock, who bowed to the lusts, mga hangarin, and will of the carnal man and allowed the people to live in their sins.
Jesus walked after the Spirit in the authority of His Father and was not intimidated by people. He didn’t compromise and adjust His words, to what people wanted to hear. But Jesus stayed faithful to His Father.
Jesus kept preaching the truth and testified of the evil works. He did all the works in the Name of His Father and delivered many souls, from the power of the devil, which led to persecution and eventually death (John 7:7; 10:25, Mga Gawa 10:38, Mga Hebreo 5:7-8).
Jesus taught His disciples and gave them commandments
Pagkatapos ay binuksan Niya ang kanilang pang-unawa, that they might understand the Scriptures, At sinabi sa kanila, Sa gayon ito ay nakasulat, at sa gayon ito ay hinimok ni Kristo na magdusa, at tumaas mula sa mga patay sa ikatlong araw: At ang pagsisisi at pagpapatawad ng mga kasalanan ay dapat ipangaral sa kanyang pangalan sa lahat ng mga bansa, Simula sa Jerusalem. At kayo ay mga saksi sa mga bagay na ito. And behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you: ngunit manatili kayo sa lungsod ng Jerusalem, hanggang sa kayo ay mapagkalooban ng kapangyarihan mula sa itaas (Luke 24:45-49)
Ngunit tatanggap kayo ng kapangyarihan, after that the Holy Ghost is upon you: at kayo ay magiging mga saksi ko kapuwa sa Jerusalem, at sa buong Judea, at sa Samaria, at hanggang sa kahulihulihang bahagi ng lupa (Mga Gawa 1:8)
Jesus had spent much time with His disciples during His walk on earth. He taught them about the things of God and His Kingdom.
The disciples of Jesus knew the Word and they knew about the Kingdom of God. Gayunpaman, because they were not born again and therefore unspiritual, they didn’t understand everything Jesus taught them. Gayunpaman, that would change when they would receive the Holy Spirit.
After Jesus was nabuhay mula sa mga patay at ginastos 40 araw kasama ang Kanyang mga disipulo, Jesus opened their understanding so that they would understand the Scriptures. He spoke again about the Kingdom of God and gave His disciples commandments and promised them that He would send the promise of the Father (Oh. Mga Gawa 1:1-4).
What did the disciples need to be a witness of Jesus Christ and fulfill His commandments?
The disciples needed the Holy Spirit to be a witness of Jesus Christ and to fulfill His commandments. They needed to be endowed with power from on high.
After the disciples would receive the Holy Spirit, at dahil dun, receive power, they were able to be witnesses of Jesus Christ, ang Anak ng Diyos.
Just like Jesus was clothed with power, after His binyag, when the Holy Spirit descended upon Him and became a Witness of God the Father and began to preach the Kingdom of Heaven to the people and testify of their evil works and call the people of the house of Israel to repentance and remission of sins.
Although the disciples knew the Word, they couldn’t go out and be a witness of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of Heaven, until they would receive the Holy Spirit.
Dahil kung wala ang Espiritu Santo, they couldn’t walk after the Spirit, and reprove the world of sin, katuwiran, at ng paghatol. They would not be able to represent, Pangangaral, at dalhin ang kaharian ng Diyos sa mga tao.
As a witnesses of Jesus Christ, they would not be able to persevere and stand when persecution would arise, but they would succumb, fall away, or run away.
We saw this behavior when Jesus was arrested and everyone left Jesus. Even Peter denied Jesus, while Peter said, just a few days before, that he wouldn’t deny Jesus Christ and that he was even prepared to die with Jesus. But when the moment of temptation and testing came Peter didn’t have the power to bear the consequences of His relationship with Jesus Christ. When the people confronted Peter about his relationship with Jesus, Peter denied Jesus three times. Due to Simon Peter’s denial, he broke his relationship with Jesus and was (pansamantala) not His disciple (marka 16:7)
Sa kasamaang palad, we see the same phenomenon these days. Many Christians deny Jesus Christ to please and keep their family members, mga kaibigan, mga kakilala, mga kasamahan, atbp. satisfied and not lose them.
They’d rather break their relationship with Jesus Christ than break their relationship with them. (Basahin din: Inaamin mo ba si Hesus sa harap ng tao o tinatanggihan mo Siya?).
Ang kapanganakan ng bagong paglikha, na magkakasama ang Simbahan
The disciples received the Holy Spirit. Bilang isang resulta, they spoke in other tongues and preached the gospel in boldness to the people, at tinawag sila sa pagsisisi.
They began in Jerusalem and preached to the Jewish people, who were assembled from all over the world to celebrate the feast of the firstlings.
Although some of them considered the disciples foolish, about three thousand souls repented and were saved, when they heard the words of Peter and his testimony of Jesus Christ and the conviction of their sins by the Holy Spirit.
They immediately were baptized and received the Holy Spirit and became also sons of God (naaangkop ito sa kapwa lalaki at babae), who received power to be able to be a witness of Jesus Christ and preach the gospel.
The persecution of the Church
But while the Church grew and thousands of people, na kabilang sa Sambahayan ni Israel, repented and were born again and became members of the Church, persecution arose. Ang (relihiyoso) leaders of the House of Israel did everything they could to silence the witnesses ni Jesucristo; ang simbahan.
Some of the witnesses of Jesus Christ were taken captive and put in prison. They were put to silence, and/or found guilty and were killed. Oo, many Christians were killed because of their testimony of Jesus Christ and became a martyr because of Jesus.
Gayunpaman, dahil mahal na mahal nila si Jesus at naging bagong nilalang at tumanggap ng kapangyarihan sa pamamagitan ng Banal na Espiritu, lahat ng pananakot, Pag -uusig, at ang pagkamatay ng iba ay hindi nakakatakot, takutin, o pigilan sila.
Sila ay nagpatuloy at nagtiyaga at hindi lumihis sa utos ni Jesucristo na maging Kanyang saksi at mangaral ng katotohanan at tumawag sa mga tao sa pagsisisi., upang maraming kaluluwa ang maliligtas.
Napunta ang lahat ayon sa plano ng Diyos, maging ang pag-uusig sa Simbahan.
Maaaring mahirap itong paniwalaan at unawain sa mundo ngayon at sa modernong pananaw sa ebanghelyo, dahil ang modernong ebanghelyo ay nagtuturo na ang lahat ng negatibong bagay ay mula sa diyablo at na siya ang namamahala sa lahat ng bagay. But God is greater than the devil, na nilikha ng Diyos. He allows things to the glory and honor of His Name.
The message of the church caused persecution
When we read the Book of Revelation, then we don’t read all kinds of positive prophecies about the end times. The vials of the wrath of God and the seals, which were opened by the Lamb are not positive. Neither are the words, which Jesus spoke to the churches.
The words of Jesus were also hard and confronting words, calling the churches to repentance.
This is contrary to what is preached today and the false image that is created of Jesus, who is supposed to approve and tolerate everything, including sins, which Jesus hates in reality. (Basahin din: Kung paanong ang isang huwad na Hesus ay gumagawa ng mga huwad na Kristiyano’).
Jesus called the churches to repentance and if they would not listen and obey His words but reject His words, then Jesus would a.o. remove the lampstand and the Holy Spirit would no longer be present and the church would be removed from their position in Christ and no longer belong to Jesus Christ, but would be separated from Christ and the Father.
The persecution of the Church was a continuation of the persecution of Jesus
The persecution of the Church was a continuation of the persecution of Jesus Christ, Who was a faithful Witness of His Father and the Kingdom of Heaven.
As a result of the persecution, the witnesses of Jesus Christ were forced to leave Jerusalem and go to the cities around Jerusalem and to the rest of the world, upang ang mga salita ni Hesus ay matupad.
Pumunta sila at nagpatotoo tungkol kay Jesucristo at ipinangaral ang katotohanan at nagligtas ng maraming kaluluwa.
At kaya ang ebanghelyo ni Jesucristo at ang tawag sa pagsisisi at kapatawaran ng kasalanan ay ipinangaral ng matatapat na saksi ni Jesucristo., na nag-alay ng kanilang kalooban at ng kanilang sariling buhay at nagmahal kay Jesus at tumupad sa Kanyang mga utos hanggang sa kanilang kamatayan.
Ano ang kailangan mo para maging saksi ni Jesucristo?
Ang utos ni Jesu-Kristo ay hindi tumitigil ngunit nalalapat pa rin hanggang ngayon. Gayunpaman, kailangan mo ang kapangyarihan ng Banal na Espiritu para maging saksi ni Jesucristo sa mundong ito.
Dahil kung wala ang Espiritu Santo, hindi mo magagawang maging saksi ni Jesucristo. Hindi mo magagawang ipangaral ang katotohanan ng Diyos at saksi ni Jesucristo at tawagin ang mga tao sa pagsisisi at kapatawaran ng kasalanan, upang ang mga kaluluwa ay maligtas.
Kung wala ang Banal na Espiritu, hindi mo magagawang sawayin ang mga tao sa kasalanan, ng katuwiran, at paghatol. Hindi mo magagawang ilantad ang mga kasinungalingan at ang mga gawa ng diyablo at kadiliman at dalhin sila sa liwanag at sirain ang mga ito.
Kung wala ang Banal na Espiritu, hindi ka makakatayo at hindi susuko, sa kabila ng paglaban at pag-uusig ng mga tao.
Ano ang ibig sabihin ng maging saksi ni Jesucristo sa mundong ito?
Ang pagiging saksi ni Jesucristo ay nangangahulugan na inialay mo ang iyong sariling buhay. Hindi na ito tungkol sa iyong kalooban at kung ano ang iniisip mo, ngunit lahat ito ay tungkol sa kalooban ni Jesucristo at kung ano ang iniisip Niya. Si Jesus ay hindi interesado sa iyong opinyon, ngunit nais ni Jesus na maging interesado ka sa Kanyang opinyon at sumuko dito.
Pagkatapos ay sinabi ni Jesus sa Kanyang mga alagad, Kung may sinumang tao na sumunod sa akin, Hayaan niyang tanggihan ang kanyang sarili, At kunin ang kanyang krus, At sundan mo ako. Sapagkat ang sinumang magliligtas sa kanyang buhay ay mawawala ito: At ang sinumang mawawalan ng buhay para sa aking kapakanan ay hahanapin ito (Mateo 16:24-25)
Bilang saksi ni Jesucristo, isuko mo ang iyong sarili kay Jesucristo at paglingkuran Siya. Katulad ni Hesus na nag-alay ng Kanyang sariling buhay at sumuko sa Ama at hindi nabuhay ayon sa Kanyang sariling kalooban, ngunit ayon sa kalooban ng Ama.
Hindi ka saksi sa iyong sarili, ngunit isang saksi ni Jesucristo. Kaya't huwag mong ipangaral ang iyong sarili, ngunit ipangangaral mo si Jesu-Cristo.
Sinabi ni Jesus ang Kanyang narinig at nakita sa Kanyang Ama at ginawa ang Kanyang mga gawa at kaya namuhay si Jesus sa kalooban ng Kanyang Ama. Ang parehong naaangkop sa bawat saksi ni Jesucristo. Bawat saksi ni Jesucristo ay dapat magsalita ng Kanyang mga salita, Gawin ang kanyang mga gawa, at manatili at mamuhay sa Kanyang kalooban.
Ikaw amuling tinawag upang maging tapat na saksi ni Jesucristo
Kayo ay tinawag at sinugo ni Jesucristo upang maging Kanyang tapat na saksi sa mundong ito. Tinawag ka para ipangaral ang katotohanan; ang ebanghelyo ni Jesucristo sa lahat, na nabubuhay sa kadiliman at tumatawag sa kanila sa pagsisisi upang ang kanilang mga kasalanan ay mapatawad, at sa pamamagitan ng pananampalataya, sila ay isinilang muli kay Kristo at maligtas at makipagkasundo sa Diyos at magmana ng buhay na walang hanggan.
'Maging asin ng lupa'
