Holy Spirit

Verse
[The apostles to the church in Jerusalem concerning ministering to the widows:]  "And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility."

— Acts 6:3 NLT

Thought
Almost every religion defines spirituality a little bit differently. However, a follower of Christ defines authentic spirituality based upon a person having the Holy Spirit living within them. A true servant leader among Jesus'...

 

Verse
[Peter and the apostles before the Sanhedrin:]  "The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead after you killed him by hanging him on a cross. Then God put him in the place of honor at his right hand as Prince and Savior. He did this so the people of Israel would repent of their sins and be forgiven. We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, who is given by God to those who obey him."

— Acts 5:30-32 NLT

Thought
An incredible amount of truth is...

 

Verse
And Peter said, "How could the two of you [Ananias and Sapphira]  even think of conspiring to test the Spirit of the Lord like this? The young men who buried your husband are just outside the door, and they will carry you out, too."

— Acts 5:9 NLT

Thought
There is no conspiracy theory in the story of Ananias and Sapphira. It IS conspiracy. However, Peter puts their sin of conspiracy and lying into the context of testing the Holy Spirit. They apparently presumed that...

 

Verse
Peter said, "Ananias, how did Satan get you to lie to the Holy Spirit and secretly keep back part of the price of the field?"

— Acts 5:3 MESSAGE

Thought
This verse comes from the story of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11). They sold their land and gave some of the proceeds to the apostles. They conspired to make it seem that they gave the whole amount but kept back part for themselves — a premeditated lie to make themselves look good. The fact that they were deceptive and did...

 

Verse
After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they [the disciples]  were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.

— Acts 4:31 NLT

Thought
When I read the prayer these early followers of Jesus prayed when they were threatened (Acts 4:24-30 NIV), I am touched by several things. First, they acknowledge the sovereignty and power of God. Second, they recognize that the situation they face is the fulfillment of prophecy — they are...

 

Verse
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[Disciples praying after Peter and John were released from jail:]  "You [the LORD]  spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:

'Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?'"
— Acts 4:25 NIV

Thought
The disciples proclaimed that what was happening in their day was what God had spoken through his servant David by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The...

 

Verse
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers and elders of the people!"

— Acts 4:8 NIV

Thought
Not only did Jesus pour out the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:32-33), but the Spirit continued to inspire Peter and others to speak the message of God's grace and truth to the people. We must not underestimate the incredible truth that this simple verse proclaims. Just as God spoke through the prophets in ages gone by, he spoke through Peter and the...

 

Verse
And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself."

— Acts 2:38-39 ESV

Thought
The promised gift of the new movement of God prophesied in Scripture is the Holy Spirit. We often focus on the forgiveness of our sins, and clearly...

 

Verse
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[Peter, on Pentecost, quoting from Joel 2:]

"In those days I [God]  will pour out my Spirit
even on my servants — men and women alike —
and they will prophesy."
— Acts 2:18 NLT

Thought
Luke emphasizes in Acts that the coming of the Holy Spirit wasn't to just a select few leaders for a limited period of time. (Also see yesterday's Thought and Acts 2:17.) When the Holy Spirit came and began the...

 

Verse
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[Peter, on Pentecost, quoting from Joel 2:]

"In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams."
— Acts 2:17 NIV

Thought
So much hand wringing goes on to determine when the "last days" will occur. However, the prophecy of Joel 2 begins to be fulfilled in Acts 2. Therefore, the...