Today was my last Sunday preaching in Bristo Baptist Church. In looking at the Word of God I saw something I never noticed before. To get this, you need to know that in Greek the word for a ‘disciple’ is mathetes and that the word for a ‘witness’ is marturos.
It struck me that being a disciple is a distinct and different matter from being a witness: being a disciple comes first. Jesus called disciples at the beginning of His ministry. Jesus commissioned witnesses at the end of his ministry on earth.
But to make others disciples, we have to be witnesses. Literally, we have to be prepared to be martyrs. To be uncompromising in our allegiance to Jesus Christ.
As we enter into 2012, may God strengthen you as a disciple. But more than that, may He enable you pursue the holy and purposeful path that allows you to be a witness who will act as a beacon of life and hope for others around you.
