ascending – Revelations In Writing

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about Me everywhere – in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” – (Acts 1:8, NLT)

“But the Holy Spirit will come on you and give you power. You will be My witnesses. You will tell people everywhere about Me – in Jerusalem, in the rest of Judea, in Samaria, and in every part of the world.” – (Acts 1:8, ERV)

“Here’s the knowledge you need: you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. And you will be My witnesses, first here in Jerusalem, then beyond to Judea and Samaria, and finally to the farthest places on earth.” – (Acts 1:8, VOICE)

These were the last words that the disciples heard from Jesus before He ascended into heaven. His words were their assurance that they would be equipped for all He had called them to do. Incredibly, the same remains true today. For as we ask and wait on the Lord, He comes and equips us with the wisdom and power that we need to do what He has called us to do. No matter what we do as an occupation, we are each called to represent Jesus wherever we go and in all that we do. For me, I am acutely aware of my need for His Spirit to be with me. My own short-comings are evident, and without Him, I fall short every time. However, He is gracious and kind and is quick to forgive when we repent and ask for His help. This morning, one of our dogs, who is always up early and had already been fed and was watching out the window, while the other, who lounges longer, came upstairs to join us and was clearly ready to be fed. As I was preparing her food, Thor somehow pulled the calendar off of the wall and took it to his favorite spot and was starting to shred it. I was very frustrated and reacted in anger, and was yelling at him as I got him to drop it and get it placed out of reach. Of course I felt bad, and in a matter of moments, he brought his ball to me to toss for him, caught it, and then returned to his usual spot next to me on the couch with his ball. It was his way of saying he was sorry and that he was not upset with me for being angry. God’s love for us is even greater, and His desire is for all to come to know His love. As we seek Him and follow after Him, He equips us to make His love evident wherever we go. The more we love, the more His heart is made tangible to those around us.

The power to love,

is given to us;

as we seek the Lord,

to love like Jesus.

It’s by His Spirit,

we know God with us.

The more we know Him,

the more we should share;

the love He’s given,

and His tender care.

For it is through love,

that His heart’s made known;

through experience,

love’s seeds have been sown.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that Jesus’ final words before ascending into heaven were those that tell us we will be equipped and empowered by Your Holy Spirit to do what we are called to do. Thank You that for all that You ask, You also empower. Forgive us for the times that we react in our own strength rather than seek You to respond. Help us ever seek You to lead us in all that we say and do. Teach us how to answer the call that You have placed in our lives. Show us how to love one another in ways that make Your goodness and grace tangible. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You to lead us, guide us, equip and empower us so that we walk in Your ways and do Your will. Amen.

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. – Ephesians 3:17b-18

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