Forgot your password? Create an account
  • Increase font size
  • Default font size
  • Decrease font size
  • default color
  • green color
  • red color

MabuhayRadio

Saturday
May 26th
Home Sections The Daily B.R.E.A.D. May 21, 2009 - Thursday Meditation (Holy Spirit & Great Commissioning)
May 21, 2009 - Thursday Meditation (Holy Spirit & Great Commissioning) PDF Print E-mail
User Rating: / 1
PoorBest 
Sections - The Daily B.R.E.A.D.
Written by Bobot Apit   
Monday, 18 May 2009 06:40
Feast of the Ascension

T his is the great commission which the risen Christ gives to the whole church. All believers have been given a share in this task – to be heralds of the good news and ambassadors for Jesus Christ, the only savior of the world. We have not been left alone in this task, for the risen Lord works in and through us by the power of his Holy Spirit.


Mark 16:15-20  [alternate reading: John 16:16-20]
 
A nd he said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. (16) He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. (17) And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; (18) they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will  recover." (19) So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. (20) And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it. Amen.



* Meditation by Don Schwager

W hy did Jesus leave his disciples forty days after his resurrection? Forty is a significant number in the scriptures. Moses went to the mountain to seek the face of God for forty days in prayer and fasting. The people of Israel were in the wilderness for forty years in preparation for their entry into the promised land. Elijah fasted for forty days as he journeyed in the wilderness to the mountain of God. For forty days after his resurrection Jesus appeared numerous times to his disciples to assure them that he had risen indeed and to prepare them for the task of carrying on the work which he began during his earthy ministry.

Mark ends his gospel account with Jesus' last appearance to the apostles before his ascension into heaven. Jesus' departure and ascension was both an end and a beginning for his disciples. While it was the end of Jesus' physical presence with his beloved disciples, it marked the beginning of Jesus' presence with them in a new way. Jesus promised that he would be with them always to the end of time. Now as the glorified and risen Lord and Savior, ascended to the right hand of the Father in heaven, Jesus promised to send them the Holy Spirit who would anoint them with power on the Feast of Pentecost, just as Jesus was anointed for his ministry at the River Jordan. When the Lord Jesus departed physically from the apostles, they were not left in sorrow or grief.  Instead, they were filled with joy and with great anticipation for the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus' last words to his apostles point to his saving mission and to their mission to be witnesses of his saving death and his glorious resurrection and to proclaim the good news of salvation to all the world. Their task is to proclaim the good news of salvation, not only to the people of Israel, but to all the nations. God's love and gift of salvation is not just for a few, or for a nation, but it is for the whole world – for all who will accept it. The gospel is the power of God, the power to forgive sins, to heal, to deliver from evil and oppression, and to restore life. Do you believe in the power of the gospel?

This is the great commission which the risen Christ gives to the whole church. All believers have been given a share in this task – to be heralds of the good news and ambassadors for Jesus Christ, the only savior of the world. We have not been left alone in this task, for the risen Lord works in and through us by the power of his Holy Spirit. Today we witness a new Pentecost as the Lord pours out his Holy Spirit upon his people to renew and strengthen the body of Christ and to equip it for effective ministry and mission world-wide. Do you witness to others the joy of the gospel and the hope of the resurrection?

“Lord Jesus, through the gift of your Holy Spirit, you fill us with an indomitable spirit of praise and joy which no earthly trial can subdue. Fill me with your resurrection joy and help me to live a life of praise and thanksgiving for your glory. May I witness to those around me the joy of the gospel and the reality of your resurrection.”



Supplementary Reading
God is my Strength

The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. – Exodus 15:2


S ome people who appear weak and feeble actually reveal God's strength. Though unable to see, hear, or speak, Helen Keller taught us by her life what it means to see without eyes, understand without ears, and communicated with limited speech.

All of us have weaknesses, shortcomings, limitations. Maybe yours is a physical infirmity or an intellectual limitation, such as a learning disability. Maybe you have an emotional weakness or even a mental health issue such as Alzheimer's or a bipolar disorder. Or, maybe you're challenged by something as simple as a weakness in math.

Regardless of the degree of severity of your weakness, God is stronger than your weakness. The more severe your weakness, the more God's strength will be revealed.

God is merciful and faithful. He will help you face your weaknesses head-on and overcome them with his strength!



* * *

What limitations, shortcomings, or weaknesses do you struggle with? How has God's strength helped you overcome these things in your life? Make a list of ways you've faced your weaknesses head-on in God's strength.

* * *
    
Note:  This excerpt was taken from the "Power for Life Daily Devotional"
GOD BLESS US ALL!

PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.


< Prev   Next >
Newer news items:
Older news items:
Last Updated on Thursday, 21 May 2009 06:11
 

Add your comment

Your name:
Your email:
Subject:
Comment (you may use HTML tags here):
MabuhayRadio Comments
Banner

Quote of the Day

"Ever wonder if illiterate people get the full effect of alphabet soup?"--John Mendoza

Pilipinas Tours