“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

I believe there has been, and probably still is, a fair amount of scholarly debate on the power of the Holy Spirit. We know that the apostles were given special gifts to do the work they were called to do. They were healing the sick, driving out demons, and even sidestepping death (Paul and the snake), all due to the Holy Spirit within them. So why can’t we heal the sick with the touch of our hand today? I don’t know – but part of me thinks we still can. Thinking about those who worked long enough in the medical fields, we know that they have stories to tell – things that happen that can’t be explained by our current science or understanding. So while as interesting as this topic may be, these theological debates on “the power of the Holy Spirit” actually gets a more simple view in today’s scripture verse. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to His believers. And Luke restates this promise here in Acts 1:8 by quoting Jesus using the word “when” the Holy Spirit comes. Jesus didn’t say “if”, or “possibly” he said “when” the Holy Spirit comes you will receive power. What power will we receive (you may ask) well we don’t know exactly, but Jesus states that with the power of the Holy Spirit you “will be [God’s] witnesses.” And I think that in today’s world, much like it was in AD 70 for the apostles, witnessing for Christ Jesus does take power. Power to not be silent, power that could compromise your job, power to be open about your beliefs (whether they are popular or not). So today think about the following: Jesus promised the Holy Spirit; God always holds true to His promises; the Holy Spirit gives power; and with this power we are to be witnesses for Christ.