By Mike Chaffin
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8
When we accept Christ as our Savior is that all there is? Are we to give our sins to God, ask Jesus into our hearts, and go about our daily lives as if nothing changed? The answer is an emphatic NO!
In our verse today Jesus told his disciples, and all who believe and receive, that Pentecost is coming. Jesus was going to heaven to intercede for us but promised, “He will never leave us nor forsake us.” He ascended and the Holy Spirit descended to fill every believer with the power to live the Christian life.
One of the abilities the Holy Spirit gives us is the ability to share Christ with others. We do that in many ways. Verbally we can share the gospel. Visually we live a life that draws others to Christ. Financially we support missionaries. Faithfully we pray for the lost. Lovingly we provide for the down and out, the hurting, and those in need.
A great old hymn called, “There is Power in The Blood” first stanza sings,
Would you be free from the burden of sin?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood.
Would you o’er evil a victory win?
There’s wonderful power in the blood.
The power of the Holy Spirit is ours to exercise. However, during our life we will be tempted to grieve and quench the Holy Spirit by our actions and sins. When you hear that still small voice calling you, remember there is power in you to overcome. Just ask.
Prayer: Thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Forgive me for grieving the Spirit when I turn away from you and fall into temptation. Fill me anew, refresh my soul with Spirit. I want to live for you. The flesh is weak, but you are strong. Your power makes all the difference. In Jesus’ name, amen.
To listen to Alan Jackson, sing There Is Power in the Blood, CLICK HERE
* There is a website that conducted a search for Bible verses. They compiled a list of the verses in order of the magnitude of hits they got in their search. Some of these verses qualify as ‘people’s favorites’, while others might be on the list because they are some of the most important and most teachable words of God.
