Good men, the two verses below are the power and the root of everything that will happen in the book of Acts. Through the power of the Holy Spirit they will bear witness around the world about what they have seen and heard and felt regarding Jesus.
verse 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
verse 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.
But you will receive: This is one of the clear and true promises of God. All followers of Jesus have the Holy Spirit. The apostles had a different, unique kind of power. The could perform miracles and they could speak foreign languages.
power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you: We too have great power and great strength because we have the Holy Spirit. Amongst many things, the Holy Spirit is the great prompter in our life. He prompts us to pray, to read Scripture, to be holy, to do good, and to trust God. He prompts us what to pray for and to stick with prayer. He prompts us see things in Scripture and be convicted and encouraged by it. He prompts us to hate sin and to fear God. He prompts us to love kindness, love our enemies, to be patient and gentle. And He prompts us to keep trusting God, through thick and thin. Paul writes about this power in Ephesians 3:14-21
witnesses: This was their divinely appointed task. Be a witness to what they have seen and heard and felt. And this would be their super-power. The Holy Spirit would use their words and do mighty and lasting things with them. We have been given the same task. And we have the same super-power. Most Christians are timid about this. Start small. Believe in and trust that God is working with you and through you. Never underestimate that God has already been at work in people’s lives and has opened them to hearing who God is and what He has done in your life.
Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth: God is always far more at work behind the scenes than we realize. The Good News will spread by men and women being witnesses, and the Holy Spirit will be deeply involved with both the witnesses and the hearers every step of the way.
And when He said these things: These are the last instructions to the apostles. These are their marching orders and their job description.
He was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight: It is not a passing thing they witnessed this. It is one more way they witness something supernatural and jaw-dropping and memorable. The magnitude of this can be lost in how simply it is written. This miracle alone reveals the greatness and glory and power and wonder of God. These things are the root and joy and motivation of their witness.
These two verses are about Jesus. Yes, they are about the Holy Spirit. And yes, they are about their task to bear witness. But both are really about Jesus.
A very short and encouraging link
The Men's Bible Reading Idea 