Tag: Acts 1:8
Power to be Christ’s witness!
Scripture reading for November 5: Acts 1-4
I was saved as a teenager in a little country Methodist Church in rural Iowa. I gave my life to Jesus but did not know about the Holy Spirit or His work on my behalf. I went to college, got married and began to build a family and farming business, still unaware of His presence and power. I rededicated my life and my wife got saved in our mid-twenty’s and we began to hear about the Holy Spirit. The people we were studying the Bible with were different. They had power in their lives and were full of joy. The talked about being filled with the Holy Spirit and we heard some of them praying in a different language. We even heard them singing in other languages as they worshiped and it sounded like heaven!
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8
This experience began with a promise and command from Jesus right before He ascended into heaven. He ascended into heaven and two men dressed in white told the disciples that this same Jesus would come back in the same manner as He left them. They were to wait for the Promise of the Father as Jesus had told them! (Luke 24:49-53)
On the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2:1-4, the disciples were all together when suddenly the wind began to blow inside their upper room ! Tongues of fire entered and rested on each one and they all began to speak with other tongues and glorify God. They went out from that room empowered to speak in other languages telling the wonderful works of God to those in the temple. Peter stood up and preached and 3000 repented, were saved, baptized and told to receive this Gift of the Father! (Acts 2:38-41) The church was born and powerful witnesses are still spreading the Gospel throughout the world!
Let me encourage you to seek the Lord for this power. Simply ask Him to fill you with the Holy Spirit. (Luke 11:9-13) The Holy Spirit is our “Helper” sent from the Father to live in those who believe on Jesus Christ. (John 16:7-15) He takes the Word of God and reveals it to us. He is our Counselor. He convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. He is with us to strengthen us and enable to be a witness. We receive Him when we repent and are born again. We are filled with Him when we seek the Lord Jesus for that power. May God empower you with the Gift of His Holy Spirit! (Ephesians 5:18)
These signs accompany believers
Scripture reading for October 18: Mark 14-16
Mark’s Gospel tells of Jesus Christ serving, healing, casting out demons, and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom to His own people. Jesus particularly sought out those who were lost and willing to listen. He gathered disciples who would be willing to leave all, follow Him and learn His character and His ways. He is shown teaching them and then sending them out to practice what they learned. He would evaluate their work and encourage them as well as rebuking them when necessary. It is a Gospel of action: God in Jesus Christ acting to bring salvation to those who would receive it.
“He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” …”Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed His Word by the signs that accompanied it.” Mark 16:15-18, 20.
This Gospel’s closing words are a call to Jesus’ followers to continue the action of God. They were to wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit Who would give them the power that was needed to be His witnesses. (Acts 1:8) Then they were to go and preach the Word. As they preached, they were to act under the authority of the Name of Jesus Christ. In His Name supernatural signs would accompany the preaching of the Word. Demons would be cast out and sick people healed. People would be baptized in the Holy Spirit and speak with new tongues. The disciples would have supernatural protection from attacks of venomous snakes or people trying to poison them.
These first disciples obeyed and went their way, preaching the Gospel and praying for the sick and demon possessed. Jesus Christ worked with them and signs followed their ministry. If you are seeking miracles, signs and wonders, the best place to find them is when you obey God’s command to go and preach! Are you ready to act in faith and experience the supernatural? These signs still follow obedient disciples!
A new chapter of the Story
Scripture reading for April 6th: Acts 1
Key Scriptures: Acts 1:1-5 “In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when He was taken up, after He had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom He had chosen. He presented Himself alive to them after His suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 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; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. “”
The book of Acts is a continuation of Luke’s eyewitness account of the events and acts of the Holy Spirit through Jesus’ disciples following Jesus’ resurrection and ascension. He wrote these accounts to Theophilus, whose name means “lover of God”. He was a Gentile convert to Jesus and Luke wrote to give greater understanding to the Gentile church of how our Lord empowered witnesses to take the Gospel from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria and the ends of the earth. Acts is the historical record of the growth of the early Church after the Promise of the Father came upon them. This book has inspired believers throughout history to be filled with the Holy Spirit and allow God to use them to further His mission to reach the ends of the earth before Jesus returns. It records the acts of the Holy Spirit, mentioned over 50 times, through Jesus’ followers. In a sense, it is still being written until Jesus returns.
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 ends of the earth.”
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for sending the Promise of the Father, the baptism in the Holy Spirit to empower me and all Your disciples to reach the ends of the earth. Use me to add to the “acts of the Holy Spirit” in my life on earth and to multiply disciples who will take the Gospel of Jesus to the ends of the earth.
Acts 1:10-11 “And while they were gazing into heaven as He went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 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.”
Promise, power, preaching!
Scripture reading for April 5th: Luke 24
Key Scriptures: Luke 24: 44-49 “Then He said to them, “These are My Words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His Name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the Promise of My Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
While He was with His disciples, Jesus Christ had repeatedly explained the Scriptures and plainly told them of His coming death, burial, and resurrection on the third day. Now, after the resurrection, on the evening of the third day, Jesus met with His disciples and showed them His glorified body of flesh and bones. They were full of joy and amazement but struggled to believe it was really Him. Jesus then again explained everything about Himself from the Law and Prophets, opening their minds to understand. He explained the Gospel of repentance and forgiveness of sins that was for all nations and peoples, beginning with the Jews in Jerusalem. He declared them “witnesses” and told them to wait in Jerusalem until the “Promise of My Father” came upon them. This would clothe them with the power needed to fulfill His mission of reaching the lost 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 ends of the earth.”
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for fulfilling all the Scriptures, which are Truth. Thank You for Your amazing plan to reach the whole world with Your appointed “witnesses”. Fill me afresh with the Holy Spirit and power to do Your will on earth as in heaven! I open my mind and heart today to better know You through the Scriptures.
Acts 2:38-39 “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. 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.””