January 22-Meditating on God’s Word
Here is the passage for the week:
Acts 2:41-47, Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Praying the Word: “Lord Jesus, it is so encouraging to see how broadly the message was received during Peter’s first sermon on the day of Pentecost. Your church exploded into existence and became passionate in their devotion to You and their fellowship with one another. We ask that You would make this our story. May we be filled with such Holy Spirit wonder, joy, generosity, and worship. Help us to shed anything and everything that’s holding us back from being the glorious Body of Christ that You so much want us to be. Reveal anything within me, any thought, any attitude, or any action that’s keeping me from making Your body, the church, the glorious presentation it is purposed to be for Your glory and praise. Come Lord Jesus come. Come Holy Spirit come. Amen.”
January 23-Meditating on God’s Word
Write out the Scripture.
Acts 2:41-42, Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Observe what it is saying.
Peter’s Pentecost message was readily received and believed by many who had gathered in response to all the commotion in Jerusalem when the Holy Spirit descended. Something clicked within them, and they accepted that the message that Jesus had fulfilled Scripture and was the means to their salvation. As an expression of their belief, they were baptized just as Jesus had commanded in the Great Commission. But it didn’t stop there. They devoted themselves to what we would call the disciplines or practices of the faith that take our faith deeper and make it all the stronger. They also fulfilled the second half of the Great Commission when Jesus said, “teach them to obey everything I have taught you.”
Relate it to your life. (Connect how this Scripture speaks into your life today.)
If I have truly accepted the message, then I will joyfully devote myself to the practices of faith.
Do something. (Pray it. Live it. Act on it.)
“Lord Jesus, I gladly deepen my faith through Scripture, prayer, and fellowship. Amen.”
January 24-Meditating on God’s Word
Write out the Scripture.
Acts 2:43, Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.
Observe what it is saying.
The miraculous acts of Jesus were continuing through the apostles. Just as the miracles were not only meant to bring help, healing, and hope to the people in which they were performed, they were also meant to be signs that the Messiah had arrived and the kingdom of God had drawn near. This became the pattern of the early church as well. It was the revelation that through the Holy Spirit, Jesus was still present performing miracles authenticating the work of the apostles as an extension of his ministry. These empowered followers were supernaturally equipped so that this movement would continue as it had started. That’s why the church continues to see the supernatural through answered prayer, miraculous healing, perfect timing, insightful wisdom, inspirational words, and transformed lives.
Relate it to your life.
I should expect to witness and participate in the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit.
Do something.
“Jesus, I ask that You would fill our fellowship full of awe of Your glorious wonders. Amen.”
January 25-Meditating on God’s Word
Write out the Scripture.
Acts 2:44-45, All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.
Observe what it is saying.
Their whole mindset was transformed by the Holy Spirit. They saw themselves as a community of believers first rather than individual believers who occasionally came together as a community. They lived their new-found faith with the reality that the presence and power of Jesus was in their midst leading and directing their lives. They freely gave up their own stuff so others would have what they needed. They were radically generous which is a prized attribute of God. God’s grace is His limitless generosity unleashed to redeem us from sin and self.
Relate it to your life.
When I display such generosity with others, I know that the Holy Spirit is alive within me.
Do something.
“Jesus, as you were so generous with grace, may I be free to be generous with others. Amen.”
January 26-Meditating on God’s Word
Write out the Scripture.
Acts 2:46, Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,
Observe what it is saying.
Their devotion to meeting is astounding. They didn’t meet once a week but every day. They had a driving desire to learn more and more about their new faith. They were drawn to the temple so they could gather with others to pray and sit under the apostles’ teaching. Such activity is a mark of a growing disciple. They also enjoyed closer personal fellowship by meeting together in each other’s homes. They had a Holy Spirit affinity that compelled them to sincerely enjoy each other as they engaged in sharing their lives together through food and rich conversation.
Relate it to your life.
If I expect to be a growing disciple, then I will put myself in places to learn, worship, and fellowship with other growing Christians.
Do something.
“Jesus, give me the passion to grow in my faith as the first believers did. Amen.”
January 27-Meditating on God’s Word
Write out the Scripture.
Acts 2:47, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Observe what it is saying.
The new believers gathered together in homes joyfully as they gave praise to God. Another outcome of this joyous expression of faith was the larger community showed favor towards them. In these early days, it doesn’t appear they were being harassed but were being treated well by the general public. Because of their rich, joy-filled, generous fellowship, more and more people entered the faith. When we, as the church, are fully living as a Spirit-filled community of believers, the Lord chooses to bring more people into that fellowship to be saved and transformed by the Spirit. The church is so much more than a building, a service, or an institution. It is a dynamic community of believers who radically live out Jesus’ life on earth.
Relate it to your life.
I am responsible to offer my best to make the body of Christ a dynamic fellowship of believers.
Do something.
“Lord Jesus, make us into a Spirit-filled fellowship to advance Your kingdom on earth. Amen.”
Here is the passage for the week:
Acts 2:41-47, Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Praying the Word: “Lord Jesus, it is so encouraging to see how broadly the message was received during Peter’s first sermon on the day of Pentecost. Your church exploded into existence and became passionate in their devotion to You and their fellowship with one another. We ask that You would make this our story. May we be filled with such Holy Spirit wonder, joy, generosity, and worship. Help us to shed anything and everything that’s holding us back from being the glorious Body of Christ that You so much want us to be. Reveal anything within me, any thought, any attitude, or any action that’s keeping me from making Your body, the church, the glorious presentation it is purposed to be for Your glory and praise. Come Lord Jesus come. Come Holy Spirit come. Amen.”
January 23-Meditating on God’s Word
Write out the Scripture.
Acts 2:41-42, Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Observe what it is saying.
Peter’s Pentecost message was readily received and believed by many who had gathered in response to all the commotion in Jerusalem when the Holy Spirit descended. Something clicked within them, and they accepted that the message that Jesus had fulfilled Scripture and was the means to their salvation. As an expression of their belief, they were baptized just as Jesus had commanded in the Great Commission. But it didn’t stop there. They devoted themselves to what we would call the disciplines or practices of the faith that take our faith deeper and make it all the stronger. They also fulfilled the second half of the Great Commission when Jesus said, “teach them to obey everything I have taught you.”
Relate it to your life. (Connect how this Scripture speaks into your life today.)
If I have truly accepted the message, then I will joyfully devote myself to the practices of faith.
Do something. (Pray it. Live it. Act on it.)
“Lord Jesus, I gladly deepen my faith through Scripture, prayer, and fellowship. Amen.”
January 24-Meditating on God’s Word
Write out the Scripture.
Acts 2:43, Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.
Observe what it is saying.
The miraculous acts of Jesus were continuing through the apostles. Just as the miracles were not only meant to bring help, healing, and hope to the people in which they were performed, they were also meant to be signs that the Messiah had arrived and the kingdom of God had drawn near. This became the pattern of the early church as well. It was the revelation that through the Holy Spirit, Jesus was still present performing miracles authenticating the work of the apostles as an extension of his ministry. These empowered followers were supernaturally equipped so that this movement would continue as it had started. That’s why the church continues to see the supernatural through answered prayer, miraculous healing, perfect timing, insightful wisdom, inspirational words, and transformed lives.
Relate it to your life.
I should expect to witness and participate in the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit.
Do something.
“Jesus, I ask that You would fill our fellowship full of awe of Your glorious wonders. Amen.”
January 25-Meditating on God’s Word
Write out the Scripture.
Acts 2:44-45, All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.
Observe what it is saying.
Their whole mindset was transformed by the Holy Spirit. They saw themselves as a community of believers first rather than individual believers who occasionally came together as a community. They lived their new-found faith with the reality that the presence and power of Jesus was in their midst leading and directing their lives. They freely gave up their own stuff so others would have what they needed. They were radically generous which is a prized attribute of God. God’s grace is His limitless generosity unleashed to redeem us from sin and self.
Relate it to your life.
When I display such generosity with others, I know that the Holy Spirit is alive within me.
Do something.
“Jesus, as you were so generous with grace, may I be free to be generous with others. Amen.”
January 26-Meditating on God’s Word
Write out the Scripture.
Acts 2:46, Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,
Observe what it is saying.
Their devotion to meeting is astounding. They didn’t meet once a week but every day. They had a driving desire to learn more and more about their new faith. They were drawn to the temple so they could gather with others to pray and sit under the apostles’ teaching. Such activity is a mark of a growing disciple. They also enjoyed closer personal fellowship by meeting together in each other’s homes. They had a Holy Spirit affinity that compelled them to sincerely enjoy each other as they engaged in sharing their lives together through food and rich conversation.
Relate it to your life.
If I expect to be a growing disciple, then I will put myself in places to learn, worship, and fellowship with other growing Christians.
Do something.
“Jesus, give me the passion to grow in my faith as the first believers did. Amen.”
January 27-Meditating on God’s Word
Write out the Scripture.
Acts 2:47, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Observe what it is saying.
The new believers gathered together in homes joyfully as they gave praise to God. Another outcome of this joyous expression of faith was the larger community showed favor towards them. In these early days, it doesn’t appear they were being harassed but were being treated well by the general public. Because of their rich, joy-filled, generous fellowship, more and more people entered the faith. When we, as the church, are fully living as a Spirit-filled community of believers, the Lord chooses to bring more people into that fellowship to be saved and transformed by the Spirit. The church is so much more than a building, a service, or an institution. It is a dynamic community of believers who radically live out Jesus’ life on earth.
Relate it to your life.
I am responsible to offer my best to make the body of Christ a dynamic fellowship of believers.
Do something.
“Lord Jesus, make us into a Spirit-filled fellowship to advance Your kingdom on earth. Amen.”
Posted in Daily Devotionals