Holy Spirit

Verse
Sent off on their new assignment by the Holy Spirit, Barnabas and Saul went down to Seleucia and caught a ship for Cyprus.

— Acts 13:4 MESSAGE

Thought
We can be run off. We can be sent out. But the real yearning on most of our hearts is to be propelled into the next phase of our lives by God's will and the Holy Spirit's power, as was the case for Barnabas and Saul. We don't want to strike out on our own, but we want to journey in the strength and power of the Lord. We want to...

 

Verse
While they [the Christians in Antioch]  were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."

— Acts 13:2 NIV

Thought
Worship, whether individually in our daily lives or assembled with other Christians, should propel us to mission. That result was true for Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1-8), and it was true for the church in Antioch. When we worship, the Holy Spirit of God is at work among us and...

 

Verse
Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius).

— Acts 11:27-28 ESV

Thought
Troubles were coming, yet the message Agabus delivered "by the Spirit" wasn't primarily about the coming troubles. His message was a call for the brothers and sisters in Jesus' family to get ready to help those in need (see the...

 

Verse
Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And many people were brought to the Lord.

— Acts 11:24 NLT

Thought
Earlier in the book of Acts, we meet Stephen, who is described as being "a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 6:5). Now Barnabas is described in similar terms. Ministry must be based on the work of God through us as we are gifted and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Our faith that God can do more than we can even imagine is crucial...

 

Verse
"As I began to speak," Peter continued, "the Holy Spirit fell on them [Cornelius and his household], just as he fell on us at the beginning. Then I thought of the Lord's words when he said, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' And since God gave these Gentiles the same gift he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to stand in God's way?"

— Acts 11:15-17 NLT

Thought
Breaking through prejudice and hatred is tough...

 

Verse
[Peter:]  "The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them [Cornelius' messengers]. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man's house."

— Acts 11:12 NIV

Thought
To Jewish Christians in Jerusalem, the apostle Peter had to justify why he went to the house of a Gentile and ate with him (Acts 11:1-3). Clearly, Peter went to share the good news of Jesus, but the sticking point was table fellowship with Gentiles. While this objection...

 

Verse
Then Peter asked, "Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they [Cornelius and his relatives and friends]  have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?" So he gave orders for them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Afterward Cornelius asked him to stay with them for several days.

— Acts 10:46b-48 NLT

Thought
Can anyone properly object when the Holy Spirit has clearly been involved? "No!" So Gentiles were baptized, and Jewish and Gentile Christian...

 

Verse
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message [on Cornelius and his relatives and friends]. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles.

— Acts 10:44-45 NIV

Thought
Jesus had promised his closest followers that the Holy Spirit would bring them power and enable them to be his witnesses to people all over the world (Acts 1:8)...

 

Verse
[Peter, to Cornelius and his relatives and friends:]  "This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel — that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. You know what happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee, after John began preaching his message of baptism. And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was...

 

Verse
Meanwhile, as Peter was puzzling over the vision, the Holy Spirit said to him, "Three men have come looking for you."

— Acts 10:19 NLT

Thought
Peter wants to know the meaning of his vision — read Acts 10 for the details of that vision. What he learns about the vision is shocking. But, the key to unraveling the mystery of the vision is that the Holy Spirit is getting Peter to help reach the ends of the earth with God's good message of grace. Jesus had both commanded his...