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Read: Acts 4:1-8

Listen: Acts 4

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8

Jesus commissions his disciples, but before he ascends, he commands them to wait in Jerusalem. Eager as they probably were, Jesus understands the challenges before them and asks them to pause. There is a gift he wants to give them. This gift, the Holy Spirit, will be the power they need to live out their mission. In Jerusalem, the Spirit falls on them like tongues of fire, and they can speak in languages they have never known. The whole crowd understands what is spoken in their native tongue. Three thousand people put their faith in Jesus and are baptized (Acts 2). The Holy Spirit fuels the mission that extends from that crowd “to the ends of the earth.”

Even those who physically walked with Jesus could not carry out his mission without the Holy Spirit’s power. We cannot muster the strength without him either. The moment we surrender our lives to Jesus, we are permanently gifted with the power of the Holy Spirit. As we mature in our faith, we surrender more areas of our lives to God. This submission opens the door to experiencing more of the Holy Spirit’s power working in and through us.

TODAY: Offer thanks to God for the Holy Spirit’s presence in you because of your faith in Jesus. Join Ada Bible Worship as they sing “All Hail King Jesus.” As you worship, ask God to help you submit all areas of your life to make Jesus your king.