Live Empowered
Imagine God’s Spirit hovering over the face of the earth...
Everything is dark and without form until God breathes out the words, “Let there be light.” In an instant, everything changes. The light pierces the darkness and what was once invisible is now seen clearly. This is what God’s Spirit does. He is always near—bringing light to what was once covered in darkness.
The Holy Spirit is available to anyone who becomes a follower of Jesus, empowering them to live out the calling God has placed on their life. And what has Jesus called His followers to do? To love God, love others, and make disciples.
Jesus’ first disciples wanted Him to stay and restore the kingdom of Israel. But in Acts 1, Jesus hints that His Kingdom wasn’t what they were imagining. His Kingdom would continue throughout history by the power of the Holy Spirit and the continual testimony of His disciples.
The Holy Spirit is a gift from our heavenly Father that helps us live in a way that honors God and reflects His character. When we allow the Holy Spirit to shape us, He transforms the ways we think and act.
It’s the Holy Spirit who empowers us to make Jesus known throughout the world.
For this reason, living a Spirit-filled life requires intentionally when it comes to seeking God every day. It’s through purposeful time with Him that we discover how to make disciples. Then, as we go through life, the Holy Spirit will help us joyfully and boldly make Jesus known to the people He places around us. He will give us the insight, discernment, and courage we need to show His love to others.
So right now, take a few moments and thank Jesus for the gift of His Holy Spirit. Then, invite the Holy Spirit to come and change the way you think and act. Spend some time in silent reflection, and allow the Holy Spirit to bring to mind one or two people that you can share Jesus’ love with today.
Are You Ready?
The greatest measure of who we are and what we love is how we spend our time.
Where do you spend most of your time? Most of us spend the majority of it with family, at work, or on hobbies. All of those are important things that we should invest in. But Jesus says there’s another thing that we need to spend time doing.
There are a lot of different ideas people have for when Jesus will return, but ultimately, Jesus says that nobody will know the time and date. He will come at a time when we least expect Him.
So until He does come, He says that we should be ready. We tend to spend most of our time working on finding the right career, or pursuing certain relationships, or building wealth and possessions. And yet, none of those things will prepare us for when Jesus returns.
So what can we do to prepare?
The first thing is to put your faith in Jesus, by believing that He gave His life so that you could have eternal life. Next, commit to spending time with Him, confessing your ...