Tag: Holy Spirit

Advent Day 5, We Have it All in Jesus

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As we ponder Christ in the past, present and future, we can be mightily encouraged by today’s scripture from 1 Corinthians 1:3-9. I have read it in various translations and like the Message as it is the clearest to me. The Apostle Paul was writing to the Corinthian Christians to encourage them in their walk with Christ so that they could endure the trials of their faith in their present culture. Corinth was a very large pagan city with many temples and shrines to various pagan gods. Their faith in Christ was definitely counter-culture and there would have been many temptations to return to their pagan ways.

3 May all the gifts and benefits that come from God our Father, and the Master, Jesus Christ, be yours. Paul begins by letting them know that all they have in faith comes from Jesus. The same is true for us today as without Jesus we would have nothing. I am so thankful Jesus came to set me free from the burden of sin so I can live in Him.

4-6 Every time I think of you—and I think of you often!—I thank God for your lives of free and open access to God, given by Jesus. There’s no end to what has happened in you—it’s beyond speech, beyond knowledge. The evidence of Christ has been clearly verified in your lives. We are so rich in Christ. We have access to the Father, the indwelling Holy Spirit and God’s Word to guide and direct our lives. Whom do you pray for in the faith? Do you remember your Christian friends, like Paul is doing? Yes, we pray for our unsaved friends to come to know Jesus and be freed from sin’s power in their lives, but what about those who know Jesus? Praying for the strengthening of the faith of our fellow believers is part of our job as fellow Christians. Whom will you pray for this season?

7-9 Just think—you don’t need a thing, you’ve got it all! All God’s gifts are right in front of you as you wait expectantly for our Master Jesus to arrive on the scene for the Finale. And not only that, but God himself is right alongside to keep you steady and on track until things are all wrapped up by Jesus. God, who got you started in this spiritual adventure, shares with us the life of his Son and our Master Jesus. He will never give up on you. Never forget that.

These are such encouraging words from Paul. He reminded them, and us too, that we are gifted by God in so many ways. We have salvation in Christ, the fruits of the Holy Spirit that will be evident in our lives as we mature in Christ and the Word of God to guide us. Romans 1:16-17 speaks of salvation, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” Galatians 5:22-23 explains the fruits of the Holy Spirit that can be manifested in our lives as we mature in our faith “ But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Jesus also sent the Holy Spirit to guide us in His ways. John 16:13 “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. “ God’s Word provides guidance as we seek to walk with Jesus each day, Hebrews 4:12 “ For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

We do indeed have it all in Jesus! Because He came to die on the cross for my sins and be resurrected to life, I can know Him and be used by Him to reach others. I am so thankful that Jesus came to redeem me and a future with Him gives me hope as I live in today’s world.

May your hope abound as you consider what you have today in Jesus!

Linda

Wrong Motives Revealed; Correction Required!

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Acts 8 continues with the story of what took place in Samaria with Phillip. Due to the persecution of Christians by Saul, Phillip had gone into Samaria to preach the good news. He found people receptive to the message, who welcomed his healing and many professed faith even unto baptism. One such Samarian was Simon, a local magician who had a following. When he saw and heard Phillip, he believed and was baptized. Acts 8:13 “Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.”

“Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” Acts 8:14-16 The Holy Spirit had come at Pentecost but had not been known to come upon others outside of Jerusalem. We will see the progression in Acts as witnesses venture out into the world. Acts 1:8 “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.”

Peter and John arrived in Samaria and began praying and laying hands on the new believers so that they would be filled with the Holy Spirit. When Simon witnessed this, he offered Peter money for this power. Peter’s response is decisive and swift, Act 8:20-25 from the Message, “Peter said, “To hell with your money! And you along with it. Why, that’s unthinkable—trying to buy God’s gift! You’ll never be part of what God is doing by striking bargains and offering bribes. Change your ways—and now! Ask the Master to forgive you for trying to use God to make money. I can see this is an old habit with you; you reek with money-lust.” 24 “Oh!” said Simon, “pray for me! Pray to the Master that nothing like that will ever happen to me!” 25 And with that, the apostles were on their way, continuing to witness and spread the Message of God’s salvation, preaching in every Samaritan town they passed through on their return to Jerusalem.” Peter saw Simon’s heart motives were not for worship or desirous of being indwelt by God’s Holy Spirit but for profit. He rebuked him and called for Simon to repent. Simon seemed to get the message but no repentance was evident in this passage only fear for what might happen to him.

How does this passage speak to us today? God will not be mocked or fooled by sweet words as He sees into our hearts. How does God do this? As here in Acts, his messenger the Apostle Peter called Simon up short on his actions and exposed his heart. We can become convicted by our Pastor’s message, a sermon on Christian radio or by the words of a Christian friend. We can also be convicted by reading God’s Word. Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” This is why it is so important to be in the Word yourself daily. God can and does speak to us, correcting our hearts and motives through the Bible.

Are you allowing yourself to be exposed regularly to God’s Truth? Are you willing and open to changing when He reveals to you wrong motives or desires? Growing and maturing in our faith is a life long process that needs attention daily. The Psalmist puts this into perspective for us: Proverbs 16:1-3 The plans of the heart belong to man,
    but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,
    but the Lord weighs the spirit.
3 Commit your work to the Lord,
    and your plans will be established.

Seek His guidance and perspective so that your life and deeds will be honoring to Him.

Linda

Do You Hear Yourselves? What Are You Thinking?

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Acts Chapters 6 and 7 focuses on the story of Stephen, a prominent leader in the Jerusalem church. Scripture describes him as “full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.“ The opposition arose against Stephen from within and from foreign influences and they decided to bring him up on charges of wanting to destroy the Temple and change the customs of Moses. In Chapter 7, Stephen gives his eloquent response to their charges. Actually, it is one of my favorites as Stephen gives a short concise review of the Israelites journey with God. He goes from Abraham, to Isaac and Jacob, to the selling of Joseph into slavery, Pharoah’s treatment of Joseph and God’s favor upon the family of Joseph. Later, he includes the 400 years in captivity in Egypt, Moses’ killing of an Egyptian and fleeing to Midian, God appearing the Moses in the Burning Bush and commissioning him to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt. He tells about the 40 years in the wilderness, conquest of Canaan, David as king then Solomon and his building of the temple. In Acts 7: 51-53 Stephen turns to the leaders and accuses them of persecuting the prophets and rejecting and killing the Righteous One. “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. 52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, 53 you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.” It was a valid complaint as they were calling themselves righteous and holy because they kept the ‘law’ but were actually hypocrites. Stephen’s forthright accusations were too much for the leaders and they called for him to be stoned.

As Stephen was being stoned, scripture gives us a glimpse of this scene, 54-56 “ Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. 55 But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

Scripture also records the presence of the Saul, later to be Paul the Apostle. Stephen’s words undoubtedly had an effect upon Saul. “7:59-8:1 “And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. 8 And Saul approved of his execution.”

Why does this story of the stoning of Stephen have such an effect on me? The accusations were false and he was innocent. No one likes to see the innocent punished. Stephen was learned and delivered his impassioned plea with eloquence and logical reasoning and yet he was rejected. One must always be aware and cautious of not responding to a ‘mobs’ mentality’ or just going along with the crowd. Jesus calls us to think and be wise and discerning. We are to test false teacher against the Word of God. We can never know how much of an impact Stephen’s testimony and death had upon Saul. I’m sure he remembered Stephen’s word and the look upon his face as he look upon God in heaven.

I encourage you to read these chapters again for yourself. Stephen’s words speak to us today.

Linda

Problem Solving at its Best!

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How do you go about solving problems? Probably you look at the issues and decide what is the priority for action based on Biblical standards. The demands on the disciples to preach and teach the word increased as more and more came to follow Jesus. It did not seem from Acts 6 there were enough workers to go around to both meet the physical and spiritual needs of the people. Acts 6:1 “Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.” It was the responsibility of the disciples to see to the needs of the widows. James 1:27 “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” Caring for the widow and orphans was a major priority. They also needed to follow Jesus’ command and spread the gospel. They had a great solution that was modeled by Jesus when he sent out the 12.

Acts 6:2-4 “And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” They were not just going to choose anyone but those that would act and reflect well and on the ministry and were believers filled with the spirit. Acts 6:5-7  “And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 6 These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.” Everyone was pleased with this division of authority. Verse 7 tells us the outcome, “And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.”

What I particularly like about this is the disciples did not get entangled in quarrels but rose above and looked at the needs. We should follow this example and look to the heart of the problem setting aside egos, desires, struggles to be incharge, etc. As a result, much was accomplished for the kingdom. The disciples remembered why they were there and kept Jesus center to all their needs.

May we remember this the next time we need to problem solve!

Linda

God Protects the Gospel Message

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If you want to be encouraged in your witness, especially when times are difficult and you are facing opposition, the story in Acts 5 will uplift your spirit and re-energized you! Acts 5:12-16 tell us that the apostles were continuing to spread the good news that Jesus is the Christ! As evidence of the power of the Holy Spirit within them through faith in Jesus, they were able to heal many and drive out evil spirits in the name of Jesus. Just as in Jesus’ day, this brought people seeking healing, peace, and wonder at the works they performed. The high priest and his associates did not like this. They were jealous of the attention the apostles were receiving and worried about their power with the people. Acts 5:17-18 “ But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy 18 they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison.” They thought that putting them in jail would be a public humiliation and would ‘get rid’ of them for awhile until the figured out what to do.

Acts 5:19-20 was God’s response to their actions. “But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 20 “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” 21 And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.” When the council met in the morning, they sent messengers to the jail to have the prisoners brought out. To their great surprise the men were no longer in prison but in the temple speaking about Jesus. They had the apostles brought to them and said, verse 28, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.”

Peter and the other apostles replied, verse 29, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

Now the leaders were furious and wanted them put to death. However, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, reasoned with the council in private. He wisely said if these men are of man, their efforts will pass away. We have seen this happen often enough before. If these men are of God, you will not be able to stop them. The council listened to him and the apostles were flogged and released.

Why does this story encourage me so much? I see the love and devotion, the fiery spirit of witnessing for Jesus in the apostles. They believed what they were doing was commissioned by God and ordered by Jesus. They knew that God would look out for them- in life and in death. I also see the hand of God protecting the ministry of these men as they speak out in Jesus’ name. God provided Gamaliel at the right place and the right time to reason with the council and the apostles were spared. God is always working behind the scene to move His Word and ministry forward. Isaiah 55:11 promises, “so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;     it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,  and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” We can be assured that God protects his Word and the message of Jesus will not be thwarted. Besides all of the above, I love that the apostles were let out of prison by angels. They did not ask for rescue but God provided!

Be encouraged by this story in Acts and let it assure you that God protects His gospel and will see that the name of Jesus is proclaimed.

Linda

3,000 New Believers, What now??

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What can we learn from the early days of the church? Peter’s speech at Pentecost is recorded in Acts 2. It was noted in verse 41 that 3,000 were baptized into their number that very day. What did they do to grow their faith both together and by themselves? How did they handle life after coming to know the Lord? Acts 2:42-43 gives us a glimpse into those early days filled with new believers. The Apostles had a preeminent place as they were the teachers. They had been with Jesus and taught filled with His Holy Spirit. They continued to perform miracles and the believers saw their faith in action. “ And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.” When it refers to breaking bread here, scholar suggest this refers to their practice of having communion which was demonstrated by Jesus in Luke 22:19-20.

Next we see that they were unified in spirit and action. They took care of one another seeing to each others needs. 2:44-45 “And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.” They let the joy of being with other believers spill over into their homes. 2:46-47 “And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” The result of sharing their lives and faith with one another and those they met was an increase in their numbers- people coming to know Jesus! The joy of Jesus was with them 24/7 and it produced results that glorified God.

What lessons can we take from these early believers?

  • Make sure that part of your day and week is spent with other believers learning more about Jesus.
  • Make it a habit to be in worship weekly, pray daily and study God’s Word.
  • Develop a heart for others and be open about giving to the needs of others.
  • Have others into your home with a generous heart.
  • Make it a habit to praise God often!

Are these easy? No! But looking to the early Christians and the Apostles as examples, we see the effects of their ministries. Without them, we would not be here as believers. Faith is to be lived and passed on! It is our commission from Jesus. Matthew 28:18-20 “ And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Be bold for Christ. e3He promised to be with us all the way!

Linda

Peter Speaks with Power

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Acts 2 starts with the arrival of the Holy Spirit. The miracle of the indwelling power of God within believing man was a world changing event. Those that were onlookers saw the flame, tongues of fire and hear their native languages spoken. Even in the midst of this, there were ones who did not believe. Peter took decisive action, empowered the Holy Spirit, he spoke to the vast crowd that had gathered. He was eloquent, persuasive and grounded in scripture as well as his personal experience with Jesus.

Acts 2:14-21 “But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: 17 “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
    and your young men shall see visions,
    and your old men shall dream dreams;
18 even on my male servants and female servants
    in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
19 And I will show wonders in the heavens above
    and signs on the earth below,
    blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
20 the sun shall be turned to darkness
    and the moon to blood,
    before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ Peter proceeded to explain that what was happening had been foretold centuries before by the prophet Joel. He reminded them that God had promised redemption for everyone who asks in verse 21.

Peter continued talk to them about what Jesus had done in their midst and what had happened to him. He incudes the words of David had said about the coming Messiah. Acts 2:22-35 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. 25 For David says concerning him, “‘I saw the Lord always before me,
    for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;
26 therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
    my flesh also will dwell in hope.
27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
    or let your Holy One see corruption.
28 You have made known to me the paths of life;
    you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’ 29 “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, 31 he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. 33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand,  until I make your enemies your footstool.”’ David knew that the Messiah would not see corruption but did not know how that would actually come to pass. Peter explains David’s words as pointing to Jesus death and resurrection and where He is now after his ascension.

Peter concludes his powerful sermon with therefore as all he has said before is true. He gives a call to repentance. Acts 2:36-40 “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” 37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”

Peter’s words were believed as Luke added verse 41 “ So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.” That has got to be one of the biggest crusades ever with 3,000 people coming to know the Lord Jesus! The early Christians must have been mightily encouraged by the response of unbelievers and fired up to continue witnessing for Jesus. When someone comes to know the Lord, it releases an energy to you and them that is unlike anything on earth. When you speak about the Lord, He empowers you and energizes you. This happens as he quickens His spirit within you. Think back on experiences you have had involving new believers. You can’t even contain the joy. I imagine that is just a fraction of what we will experience repeatedly in His presence.

May the joy of this passage stir you to witness for Jesus. Just the mention of His name will bring you joy!

Linda

Seeing God Provide

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In Chapter 1 of Acts before Jesus ascended into heaven, He told the disciples to go into Jerusalem and wait for the gift the Father would send them. He had spoken to them about the comforter or counselor that God would send, but they did not connect the dots. They did not know what to expect, but they knew they needed to be obedient. The result of their obedience was being in the right place at the right time to receive the Holy Spirit. I can’t even imagine what the scene was like and the overwhelming feeling of God’s presence and power with them.

Acts 2:1-4 ” When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

God’s timing was perfect. He knew that not only would they be gathered together but also many others would be present in Jerusalem. He sent the Holy Spirit at the exact time He knew others from many nations would be gathered as well. The Festival of Weeks, or Pentecost, was observed on the 50th day after Passover. For holidays like that, many traveled to be in Jerusalem from all over the known world. Acts 1:5-12  “Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” 12 And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” As we will see, later in the chapter, Peter sought to answer their questions.

As I read this portion of scripture, I am overcome by God’s goodness to them and to us. He answered their obedience by blessing them in a far greater way than they could have ever imagined. Tongues of fire and speaking in foreign tongues was not what these simple fishermen were used to or even thought possible. It left them amazed and increased their faith. Isn’t that what happens when God answers in a miraculous way? Our faith in Him increases and we desire to tell others about our marvelous amazing God.

What miracles has God performed in your life this week? I have one from just this week that shows God providential care for me and my grandson. He was making a quilt for his sister’s coming baby. We were kind of under a time pressure, most projects seem to be like that! We had spent a day cutting and another day piecing and needed one more day to do the quilting and binding. When it was finally done, I turned off the machine and he went to make a card for the gift. I got up maybe 15 minutes later and went back over to turn on the machine as I had to complete my project for his sister. I got an error message to clean the thread cutter. So, I did and then tried to get rid of the message. It had frozen the machine. I looked it up on YouTube and learned how to fix it, but it did not work. As we reflected, we praised God that He allowed us to finish the quilt and not be ‘stuck’ in the middle of binding or quilting. The next day I took my machine in and they were able to fix it, and it did not cost me anything- yet another provision.

I was blessed to see God at work in my life and His provision for us. I pray you have a moment, or even two!, this week where you can see God’s hand at work in your life. Be alert and looking for His provision in your life. Turn your Praises to Him!

Linda

Facing the World, Fearlessly!

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How do you reconcile your actions with your faith? It is one thing to read the books of theology and yet another to put them into practice. Acts is a book that seeks to show us how the disciples approached the hostile world without Jesus personally with them and the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives. In Acts 1 Luke introduces himself as the writer and in 16:10 he reveals that he is seeing these things happen as a companion of the Apostle Paul.  “And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.”

In the first chapter Jesus is still with them and He gives them a command and commission before ascending into heaven. Acts 1:4-8 “And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 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.” Jesus wanted them to wait for the arrival of the Holy Spirit, not be concerned about future events and to focus on witnessing and telling others about Him.

How often do we not want to wait on the Lord’s timing? We are anxious and think we know best. Prayer and patience are needed in abundance as we walk with Jesus. How often are we anxious about the future, how events will turn out, or what we need to do to be prepared for them? Jesus says we are not to be concerned about the how and when and focus on Him. It is hard to remember at times that there are things that are for God to know and only Him. We need to trust He will tell us what we need to know and when we need to know it. Lastly, Jesus had a job for them to do. It is the same job He has for us which is witnessing and telling the world about Jesus’ love and redemption!

This wonderful passage ends with then seeing Jesus being taken into heaven and their confrontation with two men in white; angels with a timely message. Acts 1:9-11 “ 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. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Are you still standing and waiting for Jesus to make things happen? We need to act upon what we know to be true. Jesus ascended into heaven, Jesus will return and Jesus has a job for us to do while we are here. God wants us up and about doing His work in the world. We are to be his hands and feet, mouthpieces, bearers of hope and love to a hurting world. Pray about what God wants you to do today and step out in faith. He promises to go with you, Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” No Fear! God promises to be with us and He is greater than anything or anyone we will encounter in the hostile world.

Linda

Awesome God, Filled with Character!

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Psalm 62 gives us a glimpse into the character of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. As you read you will see the psalmist highlight what the character of God is like.

Truly my soul finds rest in God; Refuge
    my salvation comes from him. Savior
2 Truly he is my rock and my salvation; Steadfast
    he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. Unshakeable

3 How long will you assault me?
    Would all of you throw me down—
    this leaning wall, this tottering fence?
4 Surely they intend to topple me
    from my lofty place;
    they take delight in lies.
With their mouths they bless,
    but in their hearts they curse. The psalmist is plagued by those that would seek to defeat him.

5 Yes, my soul, find rest in God; Refuge, place of rest
    my hope comes from him. Giver of hope
6 Truly he is my rock and my salvation; Savior and rock
    he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. Unshakeable fortress
7 My salvation and my honor depend on God; Savior, dependable
    he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Rock and Refuge
8 Trust in him at all times, you people; Trustworthy
    pour out your hearts to him, Accessible, listens
    for God is our refuge. Refuge

9 Surely the lowborn are but a breath,
    the highborn are but a lie.
If weighed on a balance, they are nothing;
    together they are only a breath. The psalmist find life fleeting.
10 Do not trust in extortion
    or put vain hope in stolen goods;
though your riches increase,
    do not set your heart on them. The psalmist finds worldly things unreliable.

11 One thing God has spoken,
    two things I have heard:
“Power belongs to you, God, All Powerful
12     and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”; Unfailing in Love
and, “You reward everyone Rewarder
    according to what they have done.” Looks at what we do, interested in me!

I pray that you find this list encouraging. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can know and trust the character of God and indwelling of His Holy Spirit. Jesus made that possible! Thank you Jesus. I love the words in Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Linda