<TITLE>04. Par 41-50</TITLE>L-41 We're beginning tonight in this little short study of the Word of God. And while I do desire every believer to be in prayer, deep prayer, for me now... There's no man can open this Word of God. We can pull back the pages, but to open It takes the Holy Spirit. Man cannot do that. That's not our ability. John saw the Bible laying in heaven and said, "There was no man in heaven, nor on the earth, or beneath the earth, worthy to even take the Book, to open It, or to loose the Seals." And then he seen a Lamb, as It had been slain from the foundation of the world; He came and taken the Book out of the right hand of Him that set upon a Throne, opened the Seals, and loosed the Book, and opened It up to the people. And may He come tonight, and do likewise.

L-42 Jesus here was appointing His apostles for a qualification of the Holy Spirit before they were to go be witnesses. And my subject tonight is, "A Witness."
Now, in courts, a witness has to know something. Just anybody can't come in and be a witness. It's got to be somebody who knows something. And that's the way it is when we're witnessing for the Lord. It takes somebody who knows something.
So Jesus thought--said this, that before they could become His witnesses, they had to wait in Jerusalem until they were endued with power from on high, then they would be the witnesses all over the world: in Jerusalem, Judaea, Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.

L-45 In the courts there's two kind of witnesses that'll stand, that's eye or ear. Now, if you're setting in a room and look through a glass, and see an accident, your witness, your word's no good, because you were looking through a glass. You have to be right there close, to really know what you're talking about, before you can be a witness. You have to hear it, or you have to see it, before you can be a witness on a severe case in the courts.
You can't say, "Miss So-and-so told me, or Mr. So-and-so or Rev. So-and-so told me." He's a witness, but you're not.
So therefore, no man can exactly witness to the resurrection of Christ, only by the Holy Spirit. You have to be a personal witness yourself: being there, knowing something about it, knowing what you're talking about.

L-48 And God help us to see the day that when men will be just what they are. You know, I'm... I say this now with all respects. It isn't our city full of bootleg joints that's a hurting us. Here's what's a hurting us, more than ever, is people who are professing to be Christians and not living like it. That's the thing. See? They're not a correct witness.
They can't witness until they have an experience. And when they have an experience, then they become a witness automatically, because they're born again. And all of the things of the world, old things, have passed away, and all things have become new. Then you become a witness unto Jesus.

L-50 Jesus knew, before these apostles could ever go out and be a correct witness, that they had to experience what they were witnessing about. Wouldn't that be nice today, if every seminary did the same thing, if every Christian did the same thing? Would just come to church and say, "Now, I'm accepting Jesus as my personal Saviour. I'm going to stay right here till I get the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and then I'm going out to be a witness." See? Things would be different, don't you think so? We wouldn't have that loose, scattered testimonies.
People testify and say they're a Christian, and go out and live other lives. And the unbeliever comes in and sees that, he say, "Well, look at there. Is that the way they..." And the devil will always point them out too. You can just depend on that. He's a businessman. And don't underestimate his ability in his business realms, because he knows what it's all about.


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