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▼ See a Sample of Today's Verse

I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles.

—Isaiah 42:6

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

God chose the Israelites to be his special nation. This wasn't because they were better or brighter than other nations. No, God chose them because of his love for Abraham so he could bless all nations of the earth through his chosen people with the Messiah, the Savior of the world. We know this Messiah. His name is Jesus, the light of the world!

My Prayer...

Father, I know you have blessed me with your salvation because of your great mercy, grace, and kindness. Please empower me as I commit to sharing your great blessings with others. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

▼ See a Sample of God's Holy Fire

Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

—Acts 8:38-40 NIV

Key Thought

When the Holy Spirit leads and guides God's servants, people come to Christ with great joy. Then the Holy Spirit can lead God's servants to new places to share the great news of Jesus, as Philip did after telling the eunuch about Jesus.

Today's Prayer

O Lord God, the Almighty God of every nation, tribe, language, and people, bring the joy of your salvation to our tired world and lead your servants to the people and places that are hungering and thirsting for your grace. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

▼ See a Sample of What Jesus Did!

When they arrived at [Jairus'] house, Jesus wouldn't let anyone go in with him except Peter, John, James, and the little girl's father and mother. The house was filled with people weeping and wailing, but he said, "Stop the weeping! She isn't dead; she's only asleep."

But the crowd laughed at him because they all knew she had died.

—Luke 8:51-53 NLT

Key Thought

The miracle that is described in the verses that follow is witnessed by just a few well-chosen people — mom, dad, Peter, James, and John. Why? Jesus didn't do miracles to show out, to raise money, or to garner a following of people who just wanted to see the miracles. Jesus did his miracles to demonstrate God's love for broken people. This time for Jairus and his wife was one of grief and heartbreak. It was also about to be a time of incredible joy and wonder. Jesus was not about to let the crowd dominate and hijack this moment from Jairus and his wife. However, to the chosen few, Jesus revealed that in his presence and power, death becomes only sleep.

Today's Prayer

Heavenly Father, give me faith to believe that, because of my faith in your Son, death becomes just a brief parting and not a permanent separation. In Jesus' name. Amen.

▼ See a Sample of Unstoppable!

One afternoon about three o'clock, [Cornelius] had a vision in which he saw an angel of God coming toward him. "Cornelius!" the angel said.

Cornelius stared at him in terror. "What is it, sir?" he asked the angel.

And the angel replied, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have been received by God as an offering!"

—Acts 10:3-4 NLT

Key Thought

God notices the good in peoples' lives, whether they are followers of Jesus or not. Those who are genuinely seeking truth will find it in Jesus. Those who knock on heaven's door will have it opened to them. Cornelius was a good man who sought the Lord. He cared for the disadvantaged. So, one afternoon, God sent a heavenly messenger (an angel) in a vision to Cornelius to let him know God heard the longings of his heart and appreciated his life of generosity. Goodness matters to God! Heaven notices hunger for truth. I hope you will join me in praying that all those seeking truth, God, and Jesus will find him in our day!

Today's Prayer

Our Father in heaven, open the eyes of all on earth who seek you. We rejoice when we hear that some in cultures that persecute Christians and confiscate Bibles have received visions of Jesus. We celebrate when we hear of people baptized in barrels in the dark of the night in places that are hostile to faith. We thank you, Holy Spirit, for all the ways you help the message of Jesus move beyond human attempts to limit that message. Now, I ask that you awaken those of us who have not had persecution or hardship and have taken the precious gift of Jesus for granted. We want to know you and find you because we know that you are not far from any of us. We seek you, Lord! Amen.

▼ See a Sample of Passion for Praise

I called on the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies.

—Psalm 18:3

▼ See a Sample of Quotemeal

"From time immemorial men have quenched their thirst with water without knowing anything about its chemical constituents. In like manner we do not need to be instructed in all the mysteries of doctrine, but we do need to receive the Living Water which Jesus Christ will give us and which alone can satisfy our souls."

—Sadhu Sundar Singh

▼ See a Sample of Morning and Evening

"Whom he justified, them he also glorified."

—Romans 8:30

Morning Thought

Here is a precious truth for thee, believer. Thou mayest be poor, or in suffering, or unknown, but for thine encouragement take a review of thy "calling" and the consequences that flow from it, and especially that blessed result here spoken of. As surely as thou art God's child today, so surely shall all thy trials soon be at an end, and thou shalt be rich to all the intents of bliss. Wait awhile, and that weary head shall wear the crown of glory, and that hand of labour shall grasp the palm-branch of victory. Lament not thy troubles, but rather rejoice that ere long thou wilt be where "there shall be neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain." The chariots of fire are at thy door, and a moment will suffice to bear thee to the glorified. The everlasting song is almost on thy lip. The portals of heaven stand open for thee. Think not that thou canst fail of entering into rest. If he hath called thee, nothing can divide thee from his love. Distress cannot sever the bond; the fire of persecution cannot burn the link; the hammer of hell cannot break the chain. Thou art secure; that voice which called thee at first, shall call thee yet again from earth to heaven, from death's dark gloom to immortality's unuttered splendours. Rest assured, the heart of him who has justified thee beats with infinite love towards thee. Thou shalt soon be with the glorified, where thy portion is; thou art only waiting here to be made meet for the inheritance, and that done, the wings of angels shall waft thee far away, to the mount of peace, and joy, and blessedness, where,

"Far from a world of grief and sin,
With God eternally shut in,"
thou shalt rest for ever and ever.

▼ See a Sample of Daily Wisdom

He whose walk is blameless is kept safe, but he whose ways are perverse will suddenly fall.

—Proverbs 28:18

▼ See a Sample of Praying with Paul

2 Corinthians 4:7-12

Dear Father, powerful sustainer,

Thank you for putting your treasure in a cracked clay pot like me so that it will be evident that the treasure is from you, the transcendent and powerful God, and not from me, the container.

Thank you for upholding all who serve you. When I am afflicted in every way, I am not crushed; when perplexed, I am not driven to despair; when persecuted, I am not forsaken; when struck down, I am not destroyed.

Reveal your immortality through my mortal body. May unbelievers see the glorious work you are doing in my life.

I come as your humble servant, in the name of your only Son. Amen.

▼ See a Sample of A Year with Jesus

Note from Jesus

Dear Disciple,

A new era began after My resurrection. On the day of Pentecost, I poured out the Holy Spirit first on My closest disciples. Then I poured out the Holy Spirit upon all those who responded to their message (Acts 2:38-39; Titus 3:3-5). The pouring out of the Spirit upon My disciples was done loudly and with no small disturbance. The apostles spoke about Me. People from many countries heard the message in their own languages. Yes, there were some skeptics — as there always are. Undeniably, something dramatic was happening. The words spoken by Peter and the apostles were powerful, but there was something more than convincing words touching the hearts of the people. My life, death, and resurrection were proclaimed. Conviction swept through the crowd like wildfire. Their yearning hearts cried out for relief from their rejection of the Messiah, their Lord and Savior — Me.

Peter let the crowd at Pentecost know that the same Spirit Who propelled this message past their defenses and brought conviction to their hearts was now available to them if they repented and were baptized. And many were immersed that day based on their faith in Me and turning their lives around to follow Me! Luke, the writer of Acts, described it this way:

Whoever made a place for his [Peter's] message in their hearts received the baptism; in fact, that day alone, about 3,000 people joined the disciples.

The movement of the Spirit in My disciples had begun and would sweep across the Mediterranean area in about thirty years. And you, My dear disciple, are a part of that movement that began at Pentecost. You are part of a movement centered on My death, burial, and resurrection. This gospel is proclaimed by people filled with the Holy Spirit. These people are built into a spiritual family that reflects my righteous character and gracious compassion. You can see that Luke emphasized all of this in his telling of the Pentecost story.

Please know that I long to do in your day what happened in that time long ago. Come! Believe! Ask for the Spirit's power to be at work in you, among your spiritual family, and with your efforts to bring the kingdom of God to the lost world around you.

Verses to Live

These verses talk about the birth of the new era of the Holy Spirit. Read through them a couple of times and then ask yourself if you have responded to the call of My gospel the way those early disciples did. Then open yourself to the work of the Holy Spirit in your day. I long to reanimate My people with grace and power. Don't let the power of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit, be dead in your day!

When the holy day of Pentecost came 50 days after Passover, they [the disciples] were gathered together in one place.

Picture yourself among the disciples:

A sound roars from the sky without warning, the roar of a violent wind, and the whole house where you are gathered reverberates with the sound. Then a flame appears, dividing into smaller flames and spreading from one person to the next. All the people present are filled with the Holy Spirit and begin speaking in languages they've never spoken, as the Spirit empowers them.

Because of the holy festival, there are devout Jews staying as pilgrims in Jerusalem from every nation under the sun. They hear the sound, and a crowd gathers. They are amazed because each of them can hear the group speaking in their native languages. They are shocked and amazed by this.

Pilgrims:

Just a minute. Aren't all of these people Galileans? How in the world do we all hear our native languages being spoken? Look — there are Parthians here, and Medes, Elamites, Mesopotamians, and Judeans, residents of Cappadocia, Pontus, and Asia, Phrygians and Pamphylians, Egyptians and Libyans from Cyrene, Romans including both Jews by birth and converts, Cretans, and Arabs. We're each, in our own languages, hearing these people talk about God's powerful deeds.

Their amazement becomes confusion as they wonder:

Pilgrims:

What does this mean?

Skeptics:

It doesn't mean anything. They're all drunk on some fresh wine!
As the twelve stood together, Peter shouted to the crowd:

Peter:

Men of Judea and all who are staying here in Jerusalem, listen. I want you to understand: these people aren't drunk as you may think. Look, it's only nine o'clock in the morning! No, this isn't drunkenness; this is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel. Hear what God says!

In the last days, I will offer My Spirit to humanity as a libation. Your children will boldly speak the word of the Lord. Young warriors will see visions, and your elders will dream dreams. Yes, in those days I shall offer My Spirit to all servants, both male and female, and they will boldly speak My word.

...

Everyone in Israel should now realize with certainty what God has done: God has made Jesus both Lord and Anointed King — this same Jesus Whom you crucified.

When the people heard this, their hearts were pierced; and they said to Peter and his fellow apostles:

Pilgrims:

Our brothers, what should we do?

Peter:

Reconsider your lives; change your direction. Participate in the ceremonial washing of baptism in the name of Jesus God's Anointed, the Liberating King. Then your sins will be forgiven, and the gift of the Holy Spirit will be yours. For the promise of the Spirit is for you, for your children, for all people — even those considered outsiders and outcasts — the Lord our God invites everyone to come to Him.

Peter was pleading and offering many logical reasons to believe. Whoever made a place for his message in their hearts received the baptism; in fact, that day alone, about 3,000 people joined the disciples.
(Acts 2:1-18; Acts 2:36-41)

Response in Prayer

Almighty God, do in our day what we heard that happened in bygone days. I long to see Your name glorified, Jesus' grace received, and the Holy Spirit's power bring thousands to salvation. I ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

▼ See a Sample of Spiritual Warfare

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: "They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever."

—2 Corinthians 9:8-9 NIV

Today's Prayer

Lord, I confess in the past that I have sought after an abundant life to use for my wants and my pleasures. I now realize that such a pursuit is little more than pure selfishness. Going forward from today, Lord, I want to be rich in good works. I want to make a difference in the world around me. I want to help people. I want to become known as a source of encouragement. And now, I know that this new way of life will be my focus. As I live this way, I know that You will give me all the things I need to accomplish this new way of living. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.