ACTS 1:8.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

TO PONDER

These are great words to open up the story of the book of Acts. If you have never read it all the way through before, I highly recommend it. It is basically the story of exactly how the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus disciples and some of the other early Christians to empower them exactly as Jesus had said he would, to be a powerful witness to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus in all the ends of the earth.

So what now? It would seem the job is not done yet - so where are the powerful acts of the Holy Spirit who has come upon us as a gift of God in our baptism, to empower us to live for him and bear witness to Jesus in all the world?

Look closely at the stories in the book of Acts and you will see that in almost every act or demonstration of the Holy Spirit's power, there is a person acting in obedient faith, trusting that they have heard the prompting of the Spirit and responding to that prompt, trusting that God would show up and make himself known in the situation.

The Holy Spirit is still here prompting God's people to the tasks he has prepared in advance for us to do. The job of bearing witness to Jesus through all the world. Maybe the reason we do not see so many 'demonstrations of the spirit' is because we have stopped doing the work he was sent to empower us to do?

PRAYER: Holy Spirit, please help me to grow in faith and trust that you can use me to draw people to Jesus. Please help me to see the ways that you use me each day to bear witness to Jesus in the things I do and the words I say. Amen

Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle.