Jesus is Stil With Us by Lane Jordan Burday
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere – in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him (Acts 1:8-9).
This past Sunday, Dr. Megan Fate Marshman spoke at our church and shared that this was Pentecost Sunday, a Christian holiday which takes place 50 days after Easter. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles of Jesus while they were in Jerusalem, celebrating the Feast of Weeks, as described in Acts 2-1:31.
Pentecost is also a Jewish feast, celebrated 50 days after Passover, known as Shavuot, when all those able to travel would come to Jerusalem to bring their harvest offerings. On the first Pentecost following Jesus’ death and resurrection, believers gathered in Jerusalem as Jesus had commanded them to do.
What a perfect time for God to send His Helper, the Holy Spirit, to His Apostles!
“On the day of Pentecost, all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability” (Acts 2:1-4).
When this occurred, the multitudes of Jews who were there for the feast came rushing to see what had happened, and Peter, now strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit, came out and shared the Good News of Jesus. And 3,000 came to Christ. The start of the church had begun!
The message that Dr. Marshman shared is the startling fact that Jesus is still with us as He was with the early church! That same power that God gave them is still available for us.
We just need to turn from our sins (repentance) and ask God to come into our hearts.
What a joy to know that Jesus is with us, He will never leave us, and He gives us a power the world could never know.
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Our latest devotional book, Treasure, was just named the “Best Christian Non-Fiction Book” by the Next Generation Indie Book Awards! If you have not purchased Treasure, it is not too late! Lane Jordan Burday and Lisa Burkhardt Worley, along with the POP Team, combined their talents to write the book, which is full of wonderful inspiration. You will be inspired by the messages, and receive daily treasure as God will speak to you through His Holy Spirit. To buy Treasure just click on the Amazon link that takes you directly to the page. https://tinyurl.com/2uj9sn5x.