by Pastor Mark Jeske
It’s not as though the Son of God made his first appearance on earth
when he was born in Bethlehem. The Old Testament tells us of various
appearances of the “angel of the Lord” who spoke and acted like the
second person of the Trinity. And it’s not as though the Holy Spirit had
to wait until Pentecost to make his grand entrance. The Old Testament
is full of references to the “Spirit of the Lord.”
But here’s what changed 50 days (in Greek pentekostos means “50th”) after Easter: Jesus more than compensated his apostles for his absence by not only sending but outpouring a gusher of the Spirit upon the believers. Jesus told his nervous disciples a few hours before his arrest: “I
will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with
you forever--the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because
it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with
you and will be in you” (John 14:16,17).
You may think that on Sundays you go to church. What a concept that in fact you are the
church! Yes! Seriously! The Holy Spirit, the third person of the
Trinity, actually lives within you, creating and nourishing the faith
you need through the Word, changing your life to be more Christ-like,
maturing your understanding, and tuning you up to be all that he has
created you to be.
Loosening Up to Preach
Today's Bible Verse...
Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.
Thoughts on Today's Verse...
History
tells me it has been true! Faith trusts it will be true eternally!
Reverent silences, a pause in the hectic rush of our lives, reminds us
that it is true today.
My Prayer...
O Father in heaven, may your name be revered and held holy in my life and my world today. Your will be done, your reign on earth come with power and might and finality, just as it has already come in heaven. Through Jesus I pray. Amen.
The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware.
Today's Verse Illustrated
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