Devotionals

Friends, we are going to wrap up the week and there will still be some discussion about the Spirit; only, now it is not just about your life in the Spirit, it’s about how all believers are bound together in the Spirit.

In chapters 1 – 3 in Ephesians, Paul teaches about the believers’ new status as the children of God: how we are forgiven, adopted into God’s Family, we are redeemed from the slavery of sin, loved by God, strengthened with His power, and we are recipients of the riches of Christ Jesus.

So, when Paul begins today’s passage with “therefore” we know that what he is saying comes in light of what he has already spoken (in chapters 1-3). Paul now urges us, as believers, to walk in a new way. He is connecting our faith to practice. He is basically saying of course you know the message of Jesus, now you need to also know the person of Jesus. Knowing Jesus, means we are able to get closer and closer to walking out our faith and putting it into practice. Also, we need to do this together, as the body (or church) of believers. This is our commissioned way of living as one body and one Spirit, in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 4:1-6 NLT
Unity in the Body

1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.

5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 one God and Father of all,
who is over all, in all, and living through all.

Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, for loving each of us despite our faults. Thank You for Your forgiveness. Help us, Lord, to be one united body in Your Spirit. Help us to be patient with one another, and to put our love for each other ahead of anything else. We ask this in Jesus’ Name. Amen

This week’s devotions have been heavily focused on the work of the Holy Spirit. It is very fitting as this week piggybacks on Pentecost, also as we finished up our study on the Fruit of the Spirit last night, and we all desperately need Jesus’ help each and every day through the work of His Spirit within us.

Earlier this week we were learning from the Apostle Paul’s ministry to the believers in Corinth, and today we will continue to learn from him through his ministry to the Ephesians and other churches within the surrounding area.

In chapter 1, Paul begins with a blessing and praise to God. He goes on to talk about our inheritance as believers, “And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.” (v. 13-14)

Paul goes on to thank God for all believers. He prays for our spiritual wisdom and insight so that we can grow in our knowledge and relationship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He wants our hearts may be overwhelmed with the Light of Christ, and for the darkness of this world to never overshadow that brilliant Light of Christ in us. It is by the Light of the Christ that we grow in the confident hope that God has so graciously given to those of us who call on Him and who He calls His holy people.

Ephesians 1:17-20 NLT

17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. 18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.

19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.

Prayer: Jesus, we continue to praise You for the work of the Holy Spirit in and through our lives. May You overwhelm each of us today with Your Light, and may it shine ever so brightly for others to be drawn to You. Help us to share Your message with someone today. We ask this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

Click here if you missed any of the last 9 Bible studies that focused on the Fruit of the Spirit

Friends, we are picking up from yesterday’s devotion and finishing chapter two of 1 Corinthians (v.12-16).

If you recall, the Apostle Paul is ministering to the believers in Corinth, and he is presenting the Truth about the work of the Holy Spirit. We know that a believer’s faith is based on Christ’s power through the work of the Holy Spirit, and that it is not based on human wisdom. The believers who are willing to allow the work of the Spirit will begin to understand the Truth, and those without the Spirit are limited to human reasoning. The Holy Spirit, in each of us, makes things possible to understand. We are told “Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.” (Col 2:8). Remember, there are spiritual powers that come from this world, and they are dark powers that belong to the enemy. You and I do not belong to him, we belong to Christ, and so we must connect to the living Spirit of Christ. The spiritual powers of this world are false, and they offer what appears to be resolutions, but those are temporary resolutions. The Spirit that you and I call on, the One that is housed within us, offers us great eternal wisdom that exists far beyond this earthly temporal realm and into the infinite heavenly realm. You and I are living for eternity now, and so we must continue to connect ourselves to the living Spirit of Christ at all times.

1 Corinthians 2:12-16 NLT

12 And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.

13 When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. 14 But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. 15 Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. 16 For,

“Who can know the Lord’s thoughts?
Who knows enough to teach him?”

But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.

Prayer: Jesus, we pray against the dark spiritual powers of this world. We pray for a revival of Your Holy Spirit within Your believers. May Your Church rise up, and when others witness Your Spirit operating within Your believers, may they too want to connect to You. We pray for more hearts to know You, Jesus. Help us to be vessels who bring hearts to You. Allow Your Helper to work through us as we speak of Your unending love. We ask this in Your Holy Name, Jesus. Amen.

June 06, 2022

Yesterday was Pentecost, and if you were not able to join us there is a link at the end of this devotion so you can share in a beautiful time of worship with so much insight on Pentecost and our Helper, the Holy Spirit.

In the Book of Acts, chapter two, we learn that on Pentecost Sunday, after Jesus ascended into heaven, His believers gathered together, and at once there was a loud sound from heaven (like a mighty windstorm) that filled the house. Flames (or tongues of fire) rested on each of the believers, as they were filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them the ability. (v. 1-4)

Friends, that same Holy Spirit is available to you and me today. I realize that the believers in Acts had a very physical experience, and they were all together at once when they received the Holy Spirit. But Jesus wants the same for us. Remember, He physically changed each of our lives when we came to Him through salvation, and as we grow in our commit to our relationship with Him, He graciously allows His Holy Spirit to grow and become more powerful within us. It is by the wisdom of the Spirit that you and I are guided in the ways of God, rather than by the ways of this world.

In today’s passage, the Apostle Paul provides us with a message of the Spirit’s wisdom. As he ministers to the church (believers) in Corinth, please remember he is also ministering to you and me, and don’t forget who Paul (Saul) was before he met Jesus. His life was completely renewed by the powerful work of the Spirit as he allowed it to forever change him and as he was willingly to continuously let its wisdom grow within him. Paul explains to the believers (and to us) how the Spirit matures within us, and it happens as we grow closer and closer to Jesus and as we become more and more disconnected from this world. We see today how God uses Paul to help other believers at different stages on their faith walk. He wants to do the same with you and me. But we must remember to allow the Spirit of Christ to operate in and through us so that the wisdom of God is revealed to others, and not our own human response because in our flesh (which is of this world) we have no power.

1 Corinthians 2:1-11 NLT
Paul’s Message of Wisdom

1 When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. 2 For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. 4 And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. 5 I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.

6 Yet when I am among mature believers, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world or to the rulers of this world, who are soon forgotten. 7 No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. 8 But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. 9 That is what the Scriptures mean when they say,

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no mind has imagined
what God has prepared
for those who love him.”

10 But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. 11 No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Help us to be more receptive to allow it to operate in and through our lives. Quiet the ways of this world within our souls and guide our souls to become one with the Spirit. Please impart Your wisdom to us as we guide others to Your loving arms. We ask this in Your Holy and precious Name, Jesus. Amen.

Click Here for Pentecost Sunday Worship: https://youtu.be/eE673WjNywA

Intro: Our passage today, is a continuation from our reading from yesterday. If you missed that devotional, please take time to read Galatians 5:16-25 before proceeding. When believers walk in the Spirit [guided] and remain filled with the Spirit [abiding in fellowship or oneness] the evidence of that relationship with God is revealed in the fruit of the Spirit that is produced in our individual lives. Fruit is the revelation of the believer’s faithfulness to the gospel promise. Believers are called to live in spiritual and moral excellence based on the Word of God; in this way we take a relevant biblical truth and make it a personal truth. Please don’t use our culture as a marker to govern your life; use the Word of God because it is the Spirit’s work to exalt the Word in our lives.

Sowing and reaping are true spiritual principles; but, sowing and reaping are also revealed in the laws of nature. A sweet friend of mine sent me a picture of her flourishing garden, yesterday, and it is clear that what she sowed into the soil was growing and will in time bring a harvest of good things. The same principle is true in the spiritual realm. When we sow to the Spirit, in time we will reap or harvest spiritual fruit. When we sow to our flesh, in time we will reap a harvest from our fallen flesh. Quite frankly, this law reflects the judgment of God who commands us [for our well-being] to sow to the Spirit. We should be quick to resist sowing to our fallen flesh, because we know evil hides in it. When evil is left unchecked—when we do not allow the Spirit to liberate us from sin—our condition to rebel against God just worsens. Our flesh gets stronger, because we have rejected the loving work of the Spirit within us.

This Sunday we celebrate Pentecost—a Greek term meaning The Feast of Weeks. Pentecost is significant in both the Old Testament, as well as the New Testament. In the Old Testament, seven weeks after Passover, the Feast of Weeks celebrated the end of the wheat reaping season when people brought the first fruits of that harvest to God. This feast foreshadows the coming of Messiah and His ministry. Every feast is symbolic of an important aspect of God’s plan of redemption through Jesus. In the New Testament, Christ’s last words of instruction to his disciples before he ascended to heaven was for them to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49). Jesus sowed into the Spirit, so we could all reap a harvest from the Fruit of the Spirit. As Christ foretold, the Holy Spirit descended as tongues of fire at Pentecost to fill the disciples with power from heaven (Acts 2:1-3). The Spirit is producing a harvest in us now according to the New Covenant. “In the last days God says, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. “In those days, ‘I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants—men and women alike—and they will prophesy” or release messages from God’s Word (Acts 12:17-18).

I hope we all realize the life Jesus died to bring us is the highest quality and most abundant life we can experience while we live in this fallen world (John 10:10). Don’t be dominated by your emotions or attachments to what God calls sinful desires. Live in the New Covenant promise and bear the Fruit of the Spirit. If God calls you out of sin, it is because he has something so much better for you. Trust him, because God is Good! Have a blessed weekend…

Galatians 6:7-10 NLT
7 Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. 8 Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. 9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. 10 Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the work of the Holy Spirit to help us produce righteous fruit. You are the First fruits offering, Jesus, and we thank you for sowing yourself into the lives of every believer. We are the first fruits of the Spirit and our lives are an offering to you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: In his letter to the Galatians, the Apostle Paul responds to false teachers in order to defend the authority of the gospel. The church in Galatia—occupied by law abiding Jews and Gentiles—is experiencing confusion and controversy. These Galatian believers are struggling to identify the difference between adherence to the religious law [legalism], being lead by their flesh, or being guided by the Holy Spirit into the liberating new life—faith in the gospel—made available by Jesus the Christ.

When Jesus broke through time and space to come to earth, the good news [gospel] announced the arrival of the kingdom of God. By the time the epistles were written, the gospel was revealed as faith in Jesus and what he came to accomplish with his life in order to grow God’s people for the kingdom. Jesus did not come to gather a group of polished religious performers; he came to take upon himself the judgment of God for the death penalty of sin, make believers right with God, and through faith set disciples free from sin through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Preceding our passage for today, the Apostle Paul has clarified the religious law cannot save anyone and that salvation comes through faith in Christ alone. Moving in faith by obeying the Word of God, as well as bringing a desire to please God and hear from the Holy Spirit is the right start to appropriating God’s power for overcoming sin. We need to walk with the Spirit and that requires continuous action as we obey the Word; this is how we live in the Spirit’s power.

As human beings with a fallen nature, we have conflicting forces working within us. We have the Holy Spirit who desires to help produce righteousness in our lives and it is in conflict with our flesh [human nature w/emotions] most of the time. These two forces are not equal in power. God’s power is supreme, but because God has given humanity free will, we can diminish the Spirit’s work in our lives when we give our demanding flesh authority. We can grieve the Holy Spirit when we do not desire his wisdom or hunger for righteous things. Living by the Spirit’s power is how we continue to crucify our flesh in this spiritual battle. Paul lets us know the kind of sin our flesh wants to produce in our lives. Overcoming sin is not something done to the believer but by the believer in the Spirit’s power—we choose to put to death the will of our sinful nature. We, too, have to make up our minds as to who will rule our lives. Praise God his grace is sufficient and his power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor 12:19).

Galatians 5:16-25 NLT Living by the Spirit’s Power
16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. 18 But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.

19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for giving believers the Helper for the spiritual battle we face each day with our flesh. Help me to pick up my cross and put to death any sinful desire that tries to take authority over your Word. I know each time I deny myself, I am closer to you and the life you have given me to live. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Rumors are everywhere; talk and opinions widely disseminated with no discernible source of truth. A rumor is basically gossip and the Bible warns against engaging in it (Pro 18:6-7). And, those who even listen knowing information is gossip then turn to pass it on are described as low in character (Pro 17:4).

Words can build up a person or tear him or her down; life and death is in the power of the tongue (Pro 18:21). Therefore, rumors are not harmless; a simple “oops,” “I’ll retract it later,” or “I’m sorry” doesn’t change the damage that has been done. Strangely our sinful nature likes sharing info that gets us a level of attention, but believers have the responsibility to speak wisdom and truth if we are going to open our mouths.

In our passage today, rumors have been circulating about the true identity of Jesus. Jesus listens to the disinformation and rumors, but spends no time responding to any of it. Instead, he turns to his disciples and asks a much more important question, “But, who do you say I am?”

This is the same question Jesus places before every human who hears about him; we will be judged by our answer. We actually answer Jesus’ question by how we live our lives every day. Do we honor and love God wholeheartedly? Do we look for the power to love our neighbors…even the difficult ones? If we really believe Jesus is the Anointed One, we will be confident in his ability and love to bring redemption, refreshment, resources, and restoration to everyone who wants to know the heart of God and live for his purpose. We will not doubt his sovereignty, authority, or power, because he has promised to be what we lack. Believers will declare Jesus is the Savior and the ruler of heaven and earth. Jesus is the Anointed One—he has the power to accomplish every task; therefore, we must stay connected to him. Peter declares the truth about Jesus. What do you say?

Luke 9:18-20 (NLT) Peter’s Declaration about Jesus
18 One day Jesus left the crowds to pray alone. Only his disciples were with him, and he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”

19 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other ancient prophets risen from the dead.”
20 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

Peter replied, “You are the Messiah [the Anointed One] sent from God!”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the anointing of your Spirit who empowers believers to know you, receive your revelation for life, so we can speak the Truth in love to others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

May 30, 2022

These daily devotionals are a time to grow deeper in relationship with the One who died for our freedom from sin. On this Memorial Day, may we take time to reflect on the lives of those men and women who have died while serving in the United States armed forces to insure our freedom. May the Lord bless their families and bless those men and women who continue to protect our American freedom. Thank you, to all military personnel for your selfless call to serve and to protect.

Before we just jump into today’s passage let’s take a moment and gain some context. So, earlier in Acts 16 we see that the Apostle Paul is out ministering with Silas. They reach Philippi, a major city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. There a demon possessed slave girl began to follow and taunt Paul day after day shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.” (v. 17) This was true, but you could imagine how well it was going over coming from what others saw as a sort of fortune-teller, and that was not the type of support that Paul and Silas needed. Finally, Paul says to the demon, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her” (v.18) and the demon instantly left the slave girl. This also did not go over very well, as the girl’s owner demanded the arrest of these missionaries. The magistrates (officers or judges of the religious law) did not like troublemakers, and so they had these men beaten and put in jail. Around midnight, Paul and Silas began to pray and sing in jail. God responded by shaking the prison with an earthquake that opened the doors and freed the prisoners. (v.25-26) Only, not one of the prisoners walked out, but the jailer did not know that and so as he was about to commit suicide because of the mess at the jail, Paul stopped him and led him to Christ. The jailer took Paul and Silas home with him for a meal, and there he cared for their wounds from the beatings. Later, the men baptized the jailer’s entire household and they all believed in God (v.31-34).

This brings us to today’s passage, where we see that the next morning the city officials sent word to the jailer to let Paul and Silas go. However, Paul was not willing to sneak out of town because he did not want the new church to be left under a cloud of suspicion. He told them that he was a Roman citizen, and he demanded a public apology for their unlawful acts. According to Roman law, Roman citizens, as both Paul and Silas were, could not be beaten and put in prison without a fair trial. We don’t know why Paul waited until this moment to mention this fact, but God certainly knew, and He used it.

The magistrates respectfully came to Paul and Silas, and although they did not do a public apology, they did escort them out of prison, and politely asked them to leave town. This satisfied Paul, as he was not looking for revenge, rather he wanted protection and respect for the church.

What Paul did is such an important lesson for us. Paul did not campaign for societal change in an unbelieving world. Rather, he worked hard to change the hearts of the people that Jesus brought within his path. Notice that not “all” of the people’s hearts were changed (like the magistrates), and Paul and Silas knew that was the case, and rather than organize a public demonstration (to prove their point), they quietly left. You and I have the opportunity each and everyday to share the Good News about the saving love of Jesus Christ. We must not focus on all of the darkness of this world because the enemy is busy. Rather, we need to be focused on how we are going to allow the Lord to work in and through us to change one heart at a time. Never underestimate where, when, and with whom God will use you. Do you think Paul and Silas thought God would use them to change the hearts of a demon possessed slave girl and a jailer? Probably not, but the connection between the two hearts is rather divinely placed when you stop and think about it. When one is saved it causes the men to be moved to another situation where they are then given an opportunity to present Christ to the other and he too is saved. We have to be willing and open to allow the work of the Holy Spirit to operate in and through our lives at all times to bring more hearts to the Kingdom.

Acts 16:35-40 NLT

35 The next morning the city officials sent the police to tell the jailer, “Let those men go!” 36 So the jailer told Paul, “The city officials have said you and Silas are free to leave. Go in peace.”

37 But Paul replied, “They have publicly beaten us without a trial and put us in prison—and we are Roman citizens. So now they want us to leave secretly? Certainly not! Let them come themselves to release us!”

38 When the police reported this, the city officials were alarmed to learn that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. 39 So they came to the jail and apologized to them. Then they brought them out and begged them to leave the city. 40 When Paul and Silas left the prison, they returned to the home of Lydia. There they met with the believers and encouraged them once more. Then they left town.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for saving each of us. Thank You for the men and women who serve to protect our American freedom. We lift up the families who have lost loved ones in service to our country. Please bless them, Lord. We ask You to help us to allow the Spirit to move freely within us so that we can bring more people to You. We ask all of this in Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

Intro: According to Scripture, the “heart” is defined as the core of one’s life; one’s entire emotional nature and understanding. The “heart” is the center of spiritual activity, but it is also at the core of operations in human life. Because of sin, broken and estranged is the human state of the “heart” apart from the restorative work of Jesus the Christ [Savior]. The “heart” is deceitful, desperately wicked, and [without God] is beyond cure [Jer 17:9]. That is why we must repent from evil and turn to obey, apply, and hide the Word of God in our “hearts” [Ps 119:11]. The Word helps us guard our “hearts,” because everything we do flows from it [Prov 4:23].

As a nation, we mourn the loss of 21 human beings killed on Tuesday in Uvalde, Texas. What caused this young man to rob, kill, and destroy these lives? According to Scripture, the underlying truth is deception and evil hiding in the “heart.” Sure, there may be more details about this mass killing that will be uncovered, but the fundamental issue that motivated this act is found in the godless state of the human “heart.”

In our passage today, the angel of the Lord speaks to the Apostle John who is reminding us the Lord will return suddenly and unexpectedly for his Church. For the people of God, we are to have no other gods but the Most High (Ex 20:3-5). We are to be loving God with all our hearts, soul [personality], and minds (Mat 22:37). May believers worldwide stay focused on obeying the Word and worshiping Yahweh as we proclaim now is the time to find salvation in Christ. We are beginning to experience a harvest of the “hearts.” If you have never done so, please invite Jesus into your heart…

Revelation 22:6-9 NLT
6 Then the angel said to me, “Everything you have heard and seen is trustworthy and true. The Lord God, who inspires his prophets, has sent his angel to tell his servants what will happen soon [suddenly].”

Jesus Is Coming
7 “Look, I am coming soon [suddenly]! Blessed are those who obey the words of prophecy written in this book [scroll].”
8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw all these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me. 9 But he said, “No, don’t worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers the prophets, as well as all who obey what is written in this book. Worship only God!”

Prayer of Salvation: Lord, I confess my sin against the authority of your Word and ask for you to forgive me. Please come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior. Holy Spirit take control of my life and walk with me each day. I want to taste your goodness and see the salvation of my mind, will, and emotions. Take the broken places and heal me with your perfect love. Help me to tell others about your gift of salvation in Christ. I worship you Almighty God; there is none like you! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro: Before we dig into our passage for today, we need to remember after Jesus’ resurrection he spent 40 days [revealing the spiritual truth of his living presence] with his disciples as he traveled around Galilee and back to Jerusalem. During this time, Jesus continues to manifest his supernatural power by revealing himself to two of his disciples on the road to Emmaus [Lu 24:13-32], suddenly appearing in rooms behind locked doors to more disciples [Jo 20:19], providing proof to Thomas a doubting disciple [Jo 20:27-28], initiating a miraculous catch of fish to seven disciples [Jo 21:6], restoring the disciple Peter from broken fellowship [Jo 21:15-17], and appearing to some 500 people to share about God’s forgiveness of sin by his sacrifice [1 Co 15:6]. Everything Jesus said and did, during this time, has been to assure all of his disciples that he is the fulfillment of the Old Testament [Tanakh] sacrificial system and the messianic prophecies—the manifested Truth.

In our passage today, before his ascension, Jesus opens the minds of his disciples so they can understand Scripture and the purpose of his life; to bring forgiveness of sins for all who repent” (Lu 24:47]. Before he leaves them, he wants them to have the wisdom to understand the steadfast love and faithfulness of God for salvation. Jesus wants them to be aware that evil and sin is what destroys life with God. Lastly, Jesus wants his disciples to anticipate the coming of the Holy Spirit who will bring the power to share this Good News. Jesus prepares and equips his disciples. He prepares and equips us to do likewise. God wants the world to hear and know the salvation he offers. Will you share in God’s faithfulness to tell those around you?

Luke 24:44-53 NLT
44 Then he said, “When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. 46 And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. 47 It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, [all people] beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ 48 You are witnesses of all these things.

49 “And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.”

The Ascension
50 Then Jesus led them to Bethany, and lifting his hands to heaven, he blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up to heaven. 52 So they worshiped him and then returned to Jerusalem filled with great joy. 53 And they spent all of their time in the Temple, praising God.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for preparing all believers and equipping us with the Holy Spirit and power. May we take your commission to share the Good News to heart and look each day for the opportunities that are provided. In Jesus’ name. Amen.