Note before sharing the devotional: in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination on September 10th, and in the midst of the (admittedly unexpected) intense grief I've experienced, despite confidence of his salvation, I felt it was time to spend at least the next several days sharing recent Scriptural devotionals from my Bible app, YouVersion, with you. The call is to preach the Gospel. Honestly, I haven't been doing it that much lately. This is a first step of many to try to correct that. Life is short. At my current age, and in part because of the ups and downs of my health condition, I am far more aware of this truth than ever before. And yet, even now I still have been guilty of forgetting and taking life for granted. So here goes:
For your own sake, receive Jesus Christ as your Lord, King, and Savior. Ask Him to come into your heart. Dare to trust Him with your whole life, including every aspect of your life. He died for you. He died for me. He may not have technically been assassinated like Kirk was, but He was crucified, which, to find a modern Western society comparison, is very similar to being lynched. He was 100% innocent. He did not get a fair trial. When He was flogged, He wasn't just beaten severely; He had chunks of flesh ripped out of His midsection to the point where many of His internal organs were visible. And then He had to carry a rough, splintered, heavy wooden cross (equivalent to the weight of a billiards or pool table), all while also wearing a crown of thorns that was piercing His head all around. The Sanhedrin didn't care; the Romans didn't care. But He did it anyway. And the fact that He was still able to carry a heavy, splintered wooden object the size of a pool table goes to show that, as the Bible says, He did indeed lay down His life when the punishment of His Father in heaven, and the wrath of God on all humanity, was satisfied. Lesser men, if they had gotten flogged the same way Jesus had gotten flogged, would've died right then and there, and if not, they certainly would not have been able to carry a rough, rugged, splintered, pool table on their backs. They would've died trying. But Jesus didn't die then; He only died once He laid his life down upon knowing that God's wrath was finally satisfied, after three whole hours of abandonment after all the other punishments had been handed out. After all that was done, He rose again from the dead on the third day. He conquered death, so that you and I can live and have that eternal life. Most importantly, Jesus chose this path willingly because He loves you, and because He loves me. He wants you to be in heaven with Him for eternity (in other words, the best place ever, for a very very long time). But you have to reject sin, repent, turn to Him, and let Him be King of your life. And for some, this may require dying a death similar to Kirk's. But heaven awaits afterward, for all those who truly trust and surrender to Jesus totally and completely.
And part of that is reading the Bible and getting to know Jesus personally this way. As such, here is the devotional for today:
Imagine God’s Spirit hovering over the face of the earth...
Everything is dark and without form until God breathes out the words, “Let there be light.” In an instant, everything changes. The light pierces the darkness and what was once invisible is now seen clearly. This is what God’s Spirit does. He is always near—bringing light to what was once covered in darkness.
The Holy Spirit is available to anyone who becomes a follower of Jesus, empowering them to live out the calling God has placed on their life. And what has Jesus called His followers to do? To love God, love others, and make disciples.
Jesus’ first disciples wanted Him to stay and restore the kingdom of Israel. But in Acts 1, Jesus hints that His Kingdom wasn’t what they were imagining. His Kingdom would continue throughout history by the power of the Holy Spirit and the continual testimony of His disciples.
The Holy Spirit is a gift from our heavenly Father that helps us live in a way that honors God and reflects His character. When we allow the Holy Spirit to shape us, He transforms the ways we think and act.
It’s the Holy Spirit who empowers us to make Jesus known throughout the world.
For this reason, living a Spirit-filled life requires intentionally when it comes to seeking God every day. It’s through purposeful time with Him that we discover how to make disciples. Then, as we go through life, the Holy Spirit will help us joyfully and boldly make Jesus known to the people He places around us. He will give us the insight, discernment, and courage we need to show His love to others.
So right now, take a few moments and thank Jesus for the gift of His Holy Spirit. Then, invite the Holy Spirit to come and change the way you think and act. Spend some time in silent reflection, and allow the Holy Spirit to bring to mind one or two people that you can share Jesus’ love with today.
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.” Acts 1:8, NKJV
Prayer: God, You are faithful! Nothing is impossible for You because all authority is Yours. Thank You for giving me access to this authority through Your Holy Spirit. Thank You for allowing me to draw near to You. Please show me how to walk with Your boldness through life. Empower me to be a part of Your great mission to heal a broken and hurting world. In Jesus's name, Amen.