By Mr. Herman Wilson

From CAYMAN ISLANDS REGIONAL MISSION COUNCIL

WEEKLY UPDATE April 11, 2024

It may be said that Jesus’ appearances to His disciples
after His resurrection were to make known to them the
spiritual realities of His inaugurated kingdom. (cf. Luke
24:36b-48) Throughout His earthly ministry, He healed
the sick, raised the dead, and forgave sins, thus showing
the great depth to which humankind has fallen since the
glorious experiences in the Garden of Eden. Jesus’ post-
resurrection message is for us to focus on the way He
has paved for believers, the new humanity in Him. He
wants us to visualize the ultimate eternal, heavenly
realities and the beatific vision in a restored Eden. The
Apostle John, the author of the Book of Revelation, had
a preview of these realities. He wore the following:

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look!
God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he
will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God
himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe
every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’
or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things
has passed away.” 5 He who was seated on the throne
said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write
this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
(Rev. 21:3-5)

As believers anticipate these glorious future
experiences, we are called in the interim through the
written Word of God to be reignited for witness – to
engage in spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, which
is the power of God for the salvation of those who
believe (cf. Romans 1:16a). Jesus Christ gave us His
Great Commission as recorded in Matthew 28:18 – 20,
and this has been passed down to us since the Day of
Pentecost. The Apostle Paul wrote:

15 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the
gospel I preached to you, which you received and on
which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are
saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you.
Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 3 For what I
received I passed on to you as of first importance: that
Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that
he was buried, that he was raised on the third day
according to the Scriptures,(1 Cor. 15:1-4)

Romans 3:10-12, and 21-22 reads as follows:

10 As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even
one;11 there is no one who understands; there is no one
who seeks God. 12 All have turned away, they have
together become worthless; there is no one who does
good, not even one.”(Rom. 3:10-12)

21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God
has been made known, to which the Law and the
Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through
faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. (Rom. 3:21-22)
[cf. Luke 24:44-48]

We cannot have a relationship with God apart from
God’s righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ, which
comes about through witnessing.

We must always be mindful of the depth to which Jesus
Christ, the Son of God, descended for the sake of
humanity to elevate us to the eternal heights:

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider
equality with God something to be used to his own
advantage;7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking
the very nature of a servant, being made in human
likeness. (Phil. 2:6-7)

15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to
empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who
has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did
not sin. (Heb. 4:15)

21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that
in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2
Cor. 5:21)

17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold
together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church;
he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the
dead, so that in everything he might have supremacy.
19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in
him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things,
whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making
peace through his blood, shed on the cross. (Col. 1:17-
20)

In the Great Commission, Christ Jesus assures us that He
will always be with us to the very end of the age. (cf.
Matthew 28:20b).

The Scriptures remind us that believers in Christ are
partakers of the divine nature. On this basis, we should
therefore be inspired for witness as led by the Holy
Spirit. It requires studying the Scriptures diligently and
praying for enlightenment and confidence to
evangelize. We must seek to reignite our Christian
worldview by coming to a greater understanding of the
cosmic reach of the gospel of Jesus Christ. All authority
in heaven and on earth has been given to Him (Cf.
Matthew 28:18). In this spiritual context, Jesus Christ,
the God-Man, now reigns in heaven and on earth. He is
the King of kings and Lord of lords, and believers are
citizens of His growing, spiritual kingdom. Our
acknowledgment of this through the singing of
choruses such as ‘Reign in Me, Sovereign Lord,’ ‘All Hail
King Jesus, All Hail Emmanuel,’ and others should not
be mere custom but must be embraced as a concrete
fact for our meditation. We walk by faith and not by
sight.

Jesus Christ is transcendent and immanent, and
Christians have eternal allegiance to Him.

According to the Scriptures, many have been chosen
by God the Father before the creation of the universe and are yet to be called in time.
The gospel is the only means by which God calls
potential believers from the secular world to be
members of the Church, the Body of Christ.

Despite our finite knowledge, our thoughts of heavenly
realities should be motivated by what is revealed in the
Word of God.

Our praise and worship should be inspired by Hebrews
12:22-24 which states:

22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the
living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to
thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly,
23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written
in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to
the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 to Jesus the
mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood
that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. (Heb.
12:22-24)

The chorus ‘We Are Standing on Holy Ground’ is most
apt for engagement in this cosmic setting; spiritually
speaking, it is the place to which all believers have an
eternal invitation. By virtue of the mystical union with
Christ, believers on earth, by faith, participate in this
heavenly worship. Our role in extending this invitation
to others through witnessing is therefore paramount. As
the new creation in Christ, there must be a constant
awareness that the chief end of humanity is to glorify
God and to enjoy His presence forever. Others are yet
to be a part of this worshiping community of faith.
Regarding the eternal status of believers, the Apostle
John wrote the following:

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that
we should be called children of God! And that is what we
are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did
not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of
God, and what we will be, has not yet been made known.
But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like
him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope
in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. (1 John 3:1-
3)

Potential Challenges to Witnessing
It is important to acknowledge that there may be
challenges when it comes to being an effective witness.
These challenges might include a range of factors:

Shyness

• Perceived rejection

• Humiliation

• Failure to be articulate

• Lack of biblical knowledge

• Lack of faith

tAll hese potential shortcomings can be overcome
through the power of the Holy Spirit. Prayer, diligent
study of the Gospel According to Saint John, and the
memorization of Scripture are highly recommended.

We are saved by grace through faith, which is a gift from
God. It comes from hearing the message, and the
message is heard through the word about Jesus.

Although no one is perfect in this earthly life, Jesus has
told believers to let your light shine before others, that
they may see your good deeds and glorify our Father in
heaven. (cf. Matt. 5:16)

Our way of life is a form of witnessing, and through
divine providence, it has the potential to attract queries
from people influenced by the Holy Spirit.
Jesus said:

8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound,
but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is
going. So, it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John
3:8)

Let us be intentional bearers of God’s truths so that
others may embrace a true, eternal perspective on life.

Although we are not always enthusiastic, we should view
faith and feelings in context. We should be mindful of
the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual dryness
is occasionally perceived and is indeed an aspect of our
ongoing sanctification. However, as per Philippians
2:13, it is God who works in us to will and to act in order
to fulfill His good purpose. The Word of God is our
source of continual inspiration; it enables us to
persevere. Romans 8:28 states:

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good
of those who love him, who have been called according
to his purpose. (Rom. 8:28)

Bearing witness to Jesus is not optional. It is a
requirement for those who believe and are called by
Him. This is what feeds the flames of revival and growth
in our church. The power in each believer is the same
that God used to raise Christ from death and seated Him
in the heavenly realms (cf. Eph. 1:18-20). Be motivated
by the power of the Holy Spirit to spread the good news
of Jesus Christ and be messengers to others destined to
be members of His Church.
To God be the glory… Amen