Daily Reading 1-13-17
Acts 1:1-5 New Living Translation (NLT)
In a world where so many people want to dismiss the reality of a loving Savior or reject a relationship with this living holy Friend, today’s passage made me smile. Especially verse 3; for 40 days Jesus demonstrated to the apostles he was actually alive. Jesus told the apostles what to expect and they still had difficulty receiving it as truth. Hallelujah! There is hope for us! Even though it is truth that Jesus lives and moves and has his being through willing hearts, we still find it hard to believe he is really alive, don’t we? Well, maybe the more difficult thing is not just believing, but humbly surrendering our lives to him and allowing him to live through us. That’s really the toughest part; it is the reason the Father sent the Spirit.
Acts 1:1-5 The Promise of the Holy Spirit
1 In my first book I told you, Theophilus, about everything Jesus began to do and teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven after giving his chosen apostles further instructions through the Holy Spirit. 3 During the forty days after he suffered and died, he appeared to the apostles from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God.
4 Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. 5 John baptized with[b] water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Prayer: I believe you are alive Jesus and that you desire to save me daily from the effects of this evil world. Help me to cooperate as you make me the daughter you planned from the beginning of time. In Jesus’ name. Amen.