Acts 26:16-18, "But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me."

Paul is giving his testimony before King Agrippa, his wife Bernice, Porcius Festus, and others. He is in a court room setting defending himself from the lies and accusations of the Jewish religious establishment. It is amazing that many times the greatest persecution comes from people who are religious. Today, the Muslims, are the greatest persecutors of Christians on the planet.

Acts 26:16-18 are words of Jesus Christ spoken to the Apostle Paul while he was on his way to Damascus (to persecute Christians). Jesus reveals His purpose for appearing to Paul and speaking these words. It was to make him a minister and a witness (vs. 16). Let's take a look at these two words:

• minister, is the Greek Word "huperetes" which speaks of one who is a servant or under rower. One that would be found deep in the bottom of the ship rowing to keep it moving. We are all called to be God's servants. Many words are used to describe the life of the Christian and one of the most common is the word servant. Paul had chosen to become a "bond slave" of Jesus which is the Greek Word doulos. He made a choice to be bound to Jesus forever as His servant. We too need to be the bond slaves of Jesus Christ.

• witness, is the Greek Word "martus" which speaks of a spectator of something. A witness is one who tells what he knows to be true. We know that Jesus is God incarnate. We know Jesus lived a perfect sinless life. We know Jesus died for our sins, that He was buried, and rose again on the third day. We are to be a witness and tell others what we know to be true.

Now what is the reason behind being a servant and a witness for Jesus? It is to change the eternal destiny of others. Jesus spoke of the process in verse 18: "To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me (that is in Jesus).

Glory to God!!!! We can serve the Lord and witness for Christ so others can come to saving faith in Jesus. Will you be a servant and witness for Jesus? I trust this will be our lifelong passion.

Your Friend and HIS,

Pastor Abbott

MEDITATIONS

1.  Describe the efforts of a slave who worked as an under rower in a ship.  How can this be applied to the efforts you and I should put forth in our service for Christ?

2.  According to our devotion, what does it mean to be a “bond slave”?  Paul described himself as a bond slave.  How does this apply to your Christian life?

3.  We are not to be spectators in our Christian life, but we are to witness what we know to be true.  How would you describe your salvation experience to someone who is lost?

4.  What is the reason for being a servant and a witness for Christ according to vs. 18?