Daily Devotion

Here we read of how Jesus came to His own when they were locked in the upper room. Here, certain great notes of the Christian faith are resonantly struck.

 

(1^st) it stresses THE REALITY OF THE RESURRECTION! The risen Lord was no phantom or hallucination. HE WAS REAL. The Jesus who died was, in truth, the Christ who rose again. Christianity is not founded on dreams of men's disordered minds or the visions of their fevered eyes, but on the One who, in actual historical fact, faced and fought and conquered death and rose again.

 

(2^nd) it stresses THE NECESSITY OF THE CROSS! It was to the cross that the Old Testament scriptures looked forward. The cross was not forced on God; I was not an emergency measure when all else had failed and when the scheme of things had gone wrong. It was part of the plan of God, for it is the one place on earth, where in a moment of time, we see His eternal love.

 

(3d) it stresses THE URGENCY OF THE TASK!Out to all men had to go the call to repentance and the offer of forgiveness. The Church was not to live forever in the upper room; it was sent out "into all the world."After the upper room experience, the worldwide mission of the church began. The days of sorrow were past, and the good tidings of joy must be taken to the world.

 

(4^th) it stresses THE SECRET OF POWER! They had to wait in Jerusalem until power from on high came upon them. The tongues like a of fire had to settle upon all them. This power from on high was to come upon all of them. There are occasions when the Christian may seem to be wasting time, as he waits in wise passivity. Actions without preparation must often fail. There is a time to wait on God and a time to work for God. The quiet times when we wait on God are never wasted, for it is in these times when we lay aside life's tasks that we are strengthened for the tasks that lay ahead.

 

Life Application: A closed, locked room filled with men who didn't know what was happening, suddenly became an equipping room for a new life, a Holy Spirit experience that will send them out into the world they didn't know existed. Modern names: Iraq, Iran, Turkey, India, Turkmenistan, Russia - and the list goes on!

 

Praise/Prayer: Dear Father, how exciting it is to be filled with the Holy Spirit and discover the anointing that comes with His presence. He has been my companion ever since I was a boy and my parents started attending a Spirit-filled Church. My whole life has been shaped by this wonderful gift. Thank You for giving me good pastors, teachers, etc. Amen!