WITNESSES
Today’s Reading: Acts 1-2
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion on the right-hand side).
David’s City is part of Jerusalem and is on the south side of the Old City walls.
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verse: Acts 1:8
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
We may consider Acts 1:8 the key verse, not only for this chapter, but for the entire book of Acts. Here we have Christ’s plan, His command to carry out the plan, and the power to carry out His goal to reach the whole world with the Good News of His salvation. We, as believers in Jesus, can easily be diverted from this first and foremost of Jesus’ instructions. We may be comfortable in our own salvation and cease to be concerned for the salvation of others. We may hide behind excuses such as, “I don’t know enough,” or “I need to understand the Bible better,” and by such means escape our Jesus-given assignment to be witnesses. Jesus told us clearly that all we need to enable us to share the Gospel is the power of the Holy Spirit. Ask Jesus now for the Holy Spirit to come upon all of us who read this blog. Begin to praise Jesus out loud as long as the volume does not offend others, and start witnessing to someone you meet. Remember, just seven weeks earlier, Peter could not witness to a waitress who gave him every opportunity to share his faith in Jesus. The power of the Holy Spirit and a willingness to acknowledge Jesus is all we need.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord Jesus, John the Baptist said of You, “He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” That’s me, Lord. I’m one of Your believers. I’ll open my mouth, make a sound, and You, Holy Spirit, as Acts 1:4 says, will give me utterance. I trust You to give me words that will communicate with You, Lord God (see 1 Cor. 14:1-6), and communicate Jesus to people. In Jesus’ Name I pray, and keep on praying until I experience Your Holy Spirit’s fullness, Amen! Amen!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
My son, David Reynold, chose the picture for today of the City of David, a part of Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit came upon 120 people who were in an upper room just at the top left of the picture. When they could no longer contain this powerful experience, they spilled out onto the streets, no doubt some of them into the City of David. I knew that the Holy Spirit came to live in me when I gave my life to Christ in December of 1951, but it was in June, 1952, that the Holy Spirit came upon me with power to witness. That July, I led a man in a prayer to receive Jesus. That August, I know without a doubt that God called me into “the ministry.” Not long ago, I visited a dying man and witnessed about Jesus. He had proclaimed himself an atheist. Soon after, my friend, Jerry, told me he visited him in the Kingston, Ontario, hospital just before he died. Jerry asked him about salvation. He said to Jerry, “Tell David not to worry, that’s all taken care of.”
Yours for being available to the Holy Spirit to win someone to Jesus today,
David
P.S. Whenever we’ve led a group to Israel, we’ve always celebrated Jesus’ death and resurrection in the Garden Tomb area (photos below)! Among other places in Jerusalem, we always visit St. Ann’s Church, built in the 11th century; it has the most amazing acoustics (click here for a video of our group singing, led by Norma-Jean).
God is good. I would request prayer for this coming Monday.
I will have a pacemaker inserted. Please guide the surgeon’s
hands and protection for travel during winter driving conditions.
Amen Selma. Father, in Jesus Name, guide the surgeon’s hands, and give him/her wisdom to accurately perform this procedure. May You strengthen Selma and give healing and strength in a short time. Amen. Blessings
Doreen, joining you in prayer for Selma.
May our Lord Jesus give her healing and peace of
mind. Our God is good and worthy of praise, Amen.
Agreeing with Doreen and Joyce in prayer for Selma’s pacemaker surgery. Heavenly Father, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and to the sanctity of the Holy Spirit, guide the hands of the surgeons on Monday as they operate on Selma. Be her strength and steel and surety. In your precious Name, we pray. Amen. 🙏✝️
He is risen. He is risen, indeed. Luke 24:34
Richard James Butt – Be My Strength (lyric video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzLtCjk-GZs
Amen. Lord, we know you are with Selma and will be with those Medical people who attend to her on Monday. Thank You, in Jesus’s Holy Name, for being with her.
I am agreeing with all the prayers for Selma, and adding that the weather will be favourable for her travelling for her surgery. 🙏🙏
I wonder if that Jerry mentioned above could have been Jerry Morgan?They were friends early in their ministries and used to jokingly compare attendance numbers,according to Jerry.Please pray for Jerry as he is battling serious health issues.He and his wife live in Madoc,On.
If One Day Is Too Late
There are no locks on His gates,
You are free to walk in with His Son.
He is patient as He awaits
For you,oh wayward son.
Now is always the right time,
For your next day is never assured,
And He forgives your every crime
When you make Him your Lord.
Adrift in a silent sea,
With no god to save you from your fate,
In blackness for eternity,
If one day is too late.
Down from heaven to free us,
When hell tried to kill this holy Child
The One the world knows as Jesus
Who left us all beguiled.
As He grew He learned to teach,
And told the elders how they err,
Then they came to fear His outreach
So trapped Him in their snare.
But this was what He came for,
To willingly die to save us all,
For such love He still has in store
For those saved from the fall.
GW(Bill) Marshall/15 Dec,2019
I just realized “Gerry Morgan” is not the one referred to by David because of the ‘G’.God bless
From Acts chapter 2:
“Brothers, what should we do?”
Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away—all who have been called by the Lord our God.”
Dear Lord God,
Forgive us of our many sins, wash us clean – whiter than snow – and help us do those.things You have given us to do. We long for Your transformation of us, making us more like You, Lord Jesus. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit and make us into loving, generous, and joyful Ambassadors of You, in Jesus’s great name, amen
Prayers also for Selma and all God’s children, servants, and workers throughout this world, this wonderful world God has made. Thank You, Father.
Amen Rob. Thank You, our Heavenly Father.
Amen to the prayers above. I join with everyone in prayer for Selma and for Gerry from Madoc
May God be with them and their team of health specialists and guide them with all treatments.
Send your healing spirit. Amen
Amen 🙏🏽
Amen 🙏🏽 to Rob’s prayer and for your prayer HJR for Jerry M.