O Lord, we love to do Your will!
Our heart’s desire is to glorify Your name!
Isaiah 26:8 TLB
Jesus said, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift My Father promised, which you have heard Me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days, you will be baptized with Holy Spirit. You will receive power when 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.” After He said this, He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid Him from their sight (Acts 1:4-9).
The Lord ascended the heights, leading many captives in His train. He received gifts for men, even those who once were rebels, and God will live among us here. What a glorious Lord! He Who daily bears our burdens also gives us our salvation. He frees us! He rescues us from Death! Psalm 68:18-20 TLB.
Seven weeks had gone by since Jesus’ death and resurrection, and the Day of Pentecost arrived. As the believers met that day, suddenly there was a sound like the roaring of a mighty windstorm in the skies above them and it filled the house where they were meeting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on their heads. And everyone present was filled with Holy Spirit and began speaking in languages they did not know, for Holy Spirit gave them this ability.
Peter spoke to the crowd who heard the sky rumbling above them, God said, ‘I will pour out My Holy Spirit upon all mankind! And anyone who asks for mercy from the Lord shall have it and shall be saved!’ God publicly endorsed Jesus of Nazareth by doing tremendous miracles through Him. But following His prearranged plan, let you use the Roman government to nail Him to the cross and murder Him. Then, God released Him from the horrors of death, and brought Him back to life again, for death could not keep this Man within its grip.”
“King David quoted Jesus, ‘I know the Lord is always with Me. He is helping Me. God’s mighty power supports Me. No wonder My heart is filled with joy and My tongue shouts His praises! For I know all will be well with Me in death. You will not leave My soul in hell or let the body of Your Holy Son decay. You will give Me back My life and give Me wonderful joy in Your presence.’”
“David wasn’t referring to himself. He was a prophet and knew God promised with an unbreakable oath that one of His descendants would be the Messiah. He was speaking of Jesus, and we all are witnesses Jesus rose from the dead. Now He sits on the throne of highest honor in heaven, next to God. And just as promised, the Father gave Him the authority to send Holy Spirit – with the results you are seeing and hearing today.”
“No David wasn’t speaking of himself, for he also prophesied, ‘ God spoke to my Lord, the Messiah, and said to Him: Sit here in honor beside Me until I bring Your enemies into complete subjection.’ Therefore, I clearly state to everyone in Israel God has made this Jesus you crucified the Lord, the Messiah!”
”Yes, I will tell you what to do! Turn from sin, return to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then, you shall receive this gift, Holy Spirit. For Christ promised Him to everyone who has been called by the Lord our God,” Acts 2:1-39 TLB.
Jesus had told His disciples, “The Counselor, Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I’ve said to you. Peace, I leave you, My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid,” John 14:26-27.
“Be on your guard, for there will be people who will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues. On My account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time, you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you,” Matthew 10:17-20.
So they went about preaching: When the time came for the kindness and love of God our Savior to appear, He saved us – not because we were good enough to be saved, but because of His kindness and mercy – by the washing away of our sins and giving us the new joy of the indwelling Holy Spirit, Whom He poured out upon us with wonderful fullness – and all because of what Jesus Christ our Savior did so that He could declare us righteous in God’s eyes – all because of His great loving-kindness. Now we can share in the wealth of the eternal life He gives us, and we eagerly are looking forward to receiving it (Titus 3:4-8 TLB).
“Yes, they were brought before the Council and told to stop spreading their propaganda. But Peter and John replied, “You decide whether God wants us to obey you instead of Him! We cannot stop talking about the wonderful things we saw Jesus do and heard Him say,” Acts 4:19-20 TLB).
“The psalmist tells us Christ returned triumphantly to heaven after His resurrection and victory over Satan, and He gave generous gifts to God’s people. Notice that it says He returned to heaven. This means He had first come down from the heights of heaven, far down to the lowest parts of the earth. The same One Who came down is the One Who went back up, that He might fill all things everywhere with Himself, from the very lowest to the very highest,” Ephesians 4:8-10 TLB.
Yes, Jesus entered into heaven itself to appear before God on our behalf! Hebrews 9:24 NLT. So, let us sing praises to the Lord! Let us raise our voices in song to Him Who rides upon the clouds! His name is Jehovah – oh, rejoice in His presence (Psalm 68:4 TLB).
Jesus entered into heaven where a river of pure Water of Life flows, clear as crystal from the throne of God and the Lamb. And there shall be nothing in God’s city that is evil, for His throne and the throne of the Lamb will be there, and His servants will worship Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be written on their foreheads. There will be no night there – no need for lamps or sun – for the Lord God will be their Light, and they shall reign forever and ever with Him! Revelation 22:1-5 TLB.
Because of what Christ has done, everyone who heard the Good News about how to be saved and trusted Christ were marked as belonging to the Lord by Holy Spirit. His presence within us is God’s guarantee that He really will give us all that He promised. The Spirit’s seal upon us means that God has already purchased us, and He guarantees to bring us to Himself. This is just one more reason for us to praise our glorious God (Ephesians 1:13-14 TLB).
Know the Scriptures clearly point out, “Cursed is everyone who at any times breaks a single one of these laws that are written in God’s Book of the Law.” Consequently, it is clear no one can ever win God’s favor by trying to do good by keeping the laws because God has said the only way we can be made right in His sight is by faith.
The prophet Habakkuk said, “The people who find life will find it through trusting God!” How different this way of faith – trusting, believing God – for through Jesus, He has brought us out from under the doom of that impossible system by taking the curse for our wrongdoings upon Himself. For it is written: “Anyone who is hanged on a tree is cursed!” Jesus was hung upon a wooden cross.
Now God can bless all nations with the same blessing He promised Abraham. Yes, all of us as Christians can have the promised Holy Spirit through this faith (Galatians 3:1-14 TLB).
Through our faith in Jesus, each of us is part of the one body of Christ. Holy Spirit fits us all together into one body. We are baptized into Christ’s body by One Spirit, and we all have been given this same Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13 TLB).
Yes, they preached and opened the Scriptures to explain the prophecies about the sufferings of the Messiah and His coming back to life and proving Jesus is the Messiah (Acts 17:2-4 TLB). So all would know, the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all mankind (Titus 2:11). For God not only wants everyone to be saved, but that everyone could get to know the Truth the Apostles learned.
There’s One God and only One! There’s One Priest-Mediator between God and us – Christ Jesus. The Lord offered Himself in exchange for everyone held captive by sin, to set them all free (1 Timothy 2:4-6 Message). And there is no difference – the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on Him, for “Everyone who calls on the name of Jesus will be saved,” Romans 10:12-13.
The Lord, the One Who makes the clouds His chariot! Who walks on the wings of the wind! Who makes the angels His messengers! His ministers flames of fire (Psalm 104:4 AMP). Who bowed His head and gave up His spirit, and said, “It is finished,” John 19:30.
Who said, “I am the Alpha and the Omega! I am coming soon! I am the First and the Last! My reward is with Me, and I will give to everyone according to what they have done! I am the Beginning and the End! Yes, I am coming soon,” Revelation 22:12-13,20.
This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance,
We have put our hope in the living God,
Who is the Savior of all mankind,
Especially of those who believe!
1 Timothy 4:9-10