Christ Church Daily Devotion Oct 16 2023

The Daily Devotion focuses on the book of Acts and Jesus' final instructions to his apostles. Jesus appeared to them after his resurrection and spoke about the kingdom of God. He commanded them to wait in Jerusalem for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Jesus emphasized that they would be his witnesses, spreading his teachings in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. The passage highlights the importance of being a witness for Christ and sharing one's faith. The personal worship option encourages thinking about how to effectively share Jesus with others and praying for the opportunity to do so. Welcome to Christ Church's Daily Devotion for October 16th, 2023. Today we will be reading from Acts chapter 1, verses 1 through 8. In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach. Until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command. 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 the Holy Spirit. Then they gathered around him and asked him, Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom of Israel? He said to them, It is not for you to do, no, the times or dates, for the Father has set by his own authority, 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. All of the recorded words of Jesus are important to his followers. They provide his teachings to us almost as if Jesus were talking directly to us. So we read and study them carefully. But the most important of Jesus' recorded words are the ones he speaks toward the end of his time on earth. Here he called his apostles to him and gave them his final instructions. I believe these instructions are meant for all followers of Christ, not just for those original apostles. The key instruction in this passage comes in verse 8, where Jesus instructs us to be his witnesses at home, in surrounding areas, in difficult places, and all over the earth. He emphatically says, You will be my witnesses. A witness must have seen, heard, or experienced something noteworthy. But the work of the witness is not complete until that something is articulated in a way that others can understand and believe it. I like to say that the absolute best, most effective witness happens when someone sees us doing something good and asks why we did it. That opens the door for us to witness, telling them how our faith in Jesus Christ shapes how we live. They will likely want to know more. Today's personal worship option, think about people you know well who have not yet accepted Jesus Christ. What would be the most effective way to share with them how much Christ means to you? Pray for the opportunity and courage to share that with them, the greatest gift you could give them.