The Everyday Prayer

Re:Verse passage – Acts 1:8 (day four)

Looking at our passage this week in context, the disciples were still looking for a political leader to deliver Israel from their enemies.  Rather than turning inward to focus on their own nation alone, Jesus expanded their mission to reach the whole world.  It was a radical plan and without the power of the Holy Spirit, would have been impossible to accomplish.

In John 14:26, Jesus told the disciples that the Holy Spirit would teach them all things and will remind them of everything He had said to them.  Only the Spirit could change their narrow, nationalistic beliefs and give them a heart for the nations.

Has the Holy Spirit changed your heart and given you a heart for the nations?  Have you moved beyond your narrow perspective of restoring your own nation to sharing the Gospel with the remotest parts of the world?  God’s plan is still at work through the power of the Holy Spirit!

Re:Verse passage – Acts 1:8 (day three)

“…to the remotest part of the earth.”
The Spirit that will empower a worldwide revelation has been drawing close to the world since the beginning. “Now the earth was formless and empty…and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” As the accretion disk spun around the sun, as molten rock coalesced into a rocky sphere, as icy comets plunged into the young sky delivering water that gathered into seas, was the hovering Spirit contemplating that future time when the humans God made would see a new light and turn back to their Creator? The Spirit has been at this work a long, long time. He who moved across those ancient oceans will not stop until the earth “be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”

Re:Verse passage – Acts 1:8 (day two) ⁸ but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

Do you ever feel that you’ve been given an assignment that you are not equipped to complete? That is not the picture that this scripture paints for us. The promise is that you will receive power from the Holy Spirit. Our assignment includes a power that does not come from our own device. We cannot manufacture the work of the Spirit, but we are also powerless if we act without it. Take great comfort from this promise. I am indeed unequal to this Kingdom-sized task that the Lord has put before me, but we have been promised a comforter, and advocate, a Spirit that empowers Kingdom-sized results.

Re:Verse passage – John 1:29-34 (day six)

^“John testified saying, ‘I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him.’” Vs 32

The Holy Spirit was not a new concept to the first century Christians. A glance through the Old Testament will show us that the Holy Spirit was active from creation onward. All through the Old Testament, men and women of God would be filled with the Spirit to complete extraordinary tasks. Many judges, kings, and prophets had encounters with the Spirit of the Lord, but it was always temporary. Here John tells us that the Spirit remained on Jesus. This is a game changer. The unity of the Godhead and humanity in this instant insinuates a constant variable that will become the driving force for our Christian faith; the Omnipresence of the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ righteousness allows the Spirit to abide in Him, and through the cross and resurrection, we are covered in the same righteousness allowing the Spirit to abide in us as well.

Re:Verse passage – John 1:29-34 (day six)

He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. John 16:14

Last week I wrote that perhaps the greatest gift of the Holy Spirit is His gift of conviction. It’s true of course, but conviction of sin, among other of His gifts (i.e spiritual gifts), only serve His greater purpose:

I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ John 1:33

John’s testimony sheds light on the Holy Spirit’s most magnificent job, to manifest the glory of the Son! To put the spotlight on Jesus. To tell the whole world, “This is the guy!”

Makes me thankful!

Re:Verse passage – John 1:29-34 (day five). “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
These days, people don’t need to be convinced that the world is broken. We see it in the news. Something is wrong. We feel it in our souls. Something is wrong with us (humanity). The scripture continually points to sin as the root and cause of it all. We all have sinned. That is why we all feel the weight and burden of the broken world. That is why we don’t love and care for one another as we should. That is why we can name a thousand things that are wrong with us and the world. But there is good news!! God knows how big and how destructive sin is. That is why Jesus came. Look at the scope of Jesus mission- the sins of THE WORLD. All of it- the habits, hatred, failures, wickedness, idolatry, and selfishness. Jesus came to take it away through repentance and forgiveness.
Anyone want that today? Anyone need that today? Thank God for this good news!!

Re:Verse passage – John 1:29-34 (day four)

John’s assignment was to prepare the way for the Lord.  He was to give witness to others of the Messiah.  In our passage, John is being faithful and obedient to his call.  John knew Jesus was the Lamb of God because he had been told by God that when he saw the Holy Spirit descend and remain, that would be the seal of divinity.  It was the work of the Holy Spirit to seal Jesus’ identity.

We are also sealed by the Holy Spirit.  Ephesians 1:13 says, “In Him (Jesus), you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise.”  One of the greatest works of the Holy Spirit is sealing us for the day of redemption.  When we believe in Jesus, we have the faithful promise of God that we are forgiven and saved.  That promise is sealed…we are sealed…by the Holy Spirit!

Re:Verse passage – John 1:29-34 (day three)

“I did not recognize Him.”

What’s the difference between John’s lack of recognition and the lack of recognition among the religious establishment? It’s this: John was watching for evidence of God’s activity, regardless of whether that activity contradicted his own criteria for how a Messiah ought to present. In fact, John’s inner conflict between his closely held messianic benchmarks on the one hand and the evidence of Holy Spirit activity on the other hand prompted a later crisis of faith in John. Does what you identify as God’s activity just happen to follow the standards that you already hold dear? The witness of the Bible seems to be that the Holy Spirit’s movement will offend and even upend your sensibilities. That which those most qualified to know claimed could not possibly be of God was in fact exactly the opposite.

Re:Verse passage – John 1:29-34 (day two) I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God. vs 34

John’s words are the essence of evangelism. You may not be able to speak in huge theological terms, although study of theology is beneficial. You may not be able to quote every element of church doctrine, although a familiarity  with what your church believes is helpful. Your knowledge of scripture may be developmental at best, keep developing. What you do have is a personal relationship with Jesus. This is what you are called to share. In your conversations recognize that you are still learning, but never shy from your duty to tell people what you do know. Testify to what you have seen, how you have seen him work, who Jesus is to you. These things can not be taken from you.