Holy Spirit

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 own 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 the Holy Spirit doing what Jesus promised in Acts 1:8 — the Spirit helps Jesus' followers reach the ends of the earth with God's good...

 

Verse

Things calmed down after that and the church had smooth sailing for a while. All over the country — Judea, Samaria, Galilee — the church grew. They were permeated with a deep sense of reverence for God. The Holy Spirit was with them, strengthening them. They prospered wonderfully.

— Acts 9:31 msg

Thought

I love the phrase, "They prospered wonderfully." This does not mean they were all "healthy, wealthy, and wise." This is what it means to prosper in the Holy Spirit sense of...

 

Verse

So Ananias went and found the house, placed his hands on blind Saul, and said, "Brother Saul, the Master sent me, the same Jesus you saw on your way here. He sent me so you could see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit."

— Acts 9:17 msg

Thought

Acts 9 tells the story of the church's greatest enemy becoming one of its most passionate leaders. No one could have expected this to happen, especially Saul of Tarsus — who becomes known as the apostle Paul after this experience...

 

Verse

When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.

— Acts 8:39 tniv

Thought

When the Holy Spirit leads and guides God's servants, people come to Christ with great joy and the Holy Spirit leads God's servants to new places to share the great news of Jesus.

Prayer

O Lord God, the Almighty God of every nation, tribe, language, and people, bring the joy of your salvation to...

 

Verse

The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it."

— Acts 8:29 tniv

Thought

As in the previous thought, we are reminded that reaching the ends of the earth with the Good News of Jesus is the Holy Spirit's work. Throughout the book of Acts, the Holy Spirit inspires, convicts, empowers, emboldens, directs, guides, and leads God's servants in sharing the story of Jesus throughout the world. In the book of Acts, we learn of four great cities that become the major...

 

Verse

When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit."
Peter answered: "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God."

— Acts 8:18-21 tniv

Thought

Simon's sin is obvious to most of us. His...

 

Verse
When the apostles in Jerusalem received the report that Samaria had accepted God's Message, they sent Peter and John down to pray for them to receive the Holy Spirit. Up to this point they had only been baptized in the name of the Master Jesus; the Holy Spirit hadn't yet fallen on them. Then the apostles laid their hands on them and they did receive the Holy Spirit.

— Acts 8:14-17 msg

Thought
Jesus had promised his closest followers that the Holy Spirit would empower them to...

 

Verse
But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God's right hand.

— Acts 7:55 nlt

Thought
Stephen had been chosen to serve widows because he was full of the Spirit. Stephen had spoken the truth of Jesus in the face of great hostility by the power of the Spirit. Stephen had warned those who opposed his words to not resist the Spirit like their ancestors before them. And now, when the...

 

Verse
"You stubborn people! You are heathens at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That's what your ancestors did, and so do you!"

— Acts 7:51 nlt

Thought
Stephen spoke with wisdom and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Yet he knew that there was great opposition to the Jesus he proclaimed and the truth that he spoke. He also knew that this was nothing new. God's own people had consistently opposed God's servants in every age even though those servant...

 

Verse
None of them could stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke.

— Acts 6:10 nlt

Thought
Stephen had been selected as one of the 7 special servants of the church in Jerusalem. He was chosen to help make sure the widows were properly given care. He was also chosen because he was full of the Holy Spirit, faith, and wisdom. The Holy Spirit within him not only helped him in his service to the widows, but it also empowered him to speak God's truth boldly. When...