Verse of the Day 6/17

Through the Bible - Nehemiah 6-8, Acts 3:11- 4:22

 

Good morning,

Today we'll transition from the gospels to the book of Acts.  At the end of Matthew Jesus gave "the great commision, in John 21 Jesus commisioned the disciples with a breakfast on the shore.  The word for "dried fish" used would have brought images from the feeding of the 5 thousand and how miraculously the food was divided and spread.  Now they were to spread the gospel, but how would these men, this rag tag bunch be able to accomplish it.

For today's verse we'll go to Acts 1 where we read:

Acts 1:8 Amplified Bible  But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends (the very bounds) of the earth.
 The Holy Spirit would be sent and they'd receive His power.  I like the way the Amplified version inserts the words to help capture the meaning of the word "power".  Often we may feel innefficient in ourselves, that we lack the ability to accomplish the mission with our weaknesses.  He gives us the ability, efficiency, and might.  It all comes from Him and will flow through us.

Strong's Greek/Hebrew dictionary puts it this way:

dunamis (doo'-nam-is); from NT:1410; force (literally or figuratively); specially, miraculous power (usually by implication, a miracle itself):

KJV - ability, abundance, meaning, might (-ily, -y, -y deed), (worker of) miracle (-s), power, strength, violence, mighty (wonderful) work.
Be thinking of this power and how it is displayed as we move into and through the book of Acts, often referred to as the "Acts of the Apostles" but may better be thought of as the "Acts of the Holy Spirit."

 

Blessings,
Mike

mikevw@bellsouth.net
mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Acts 1 (Amplified Bible)

Acts 1

 ¹IN THE former account [which I prepared], O Theophilus, I made [a continuous report] dealing with all the things which Jesus began to do and to teach

    ²Until the day when He ascended, after He through the Holy Spirit had instructed and commanded the apostles (special messengers) whom He had chosen.

    ³To them also He showed Himself alive after His passion (His suffering in the garden and on the cross) by [a series of] many convincing demonstrations [unquestionable evidences and infallible proofs], appearing to them during forty days and talking [to them] about the things of the kingdom of God.

    ⁴And while being in their company and eating with them, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for what the Father had promised, Of which [He said] you have heard Me speak.

    ⁵For John baptized with water, but not many days from now you shall be baptized with (placed in, introduced into) the Holy Spirit.

    ⁶So when they were assembled, they asked Him, Lord, is this the time when You will reestablish the kingdom and restore it to Israel?

    ⁷He said to them, It is not for you to become acquainted with and know what time brings [the things and events of time and their definite periods] or fixed years and seasons (their critical niche in time), which the Father has appointed (fixed and reserved) by His own choice and authority and personal power.

    ⁸But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends (the very bounds) of the earth.

    ⁹And when He had said this, even as they were looking [at Him], He was caught up, and a cloud received and carried Him away out of their sight.