Verse of the Day 5/5

Verse of the Day 5/5

Acts 1:14   All these were continually united in prayer, along with the women, including Mary^[b] the mother of Jesus, and His brothers.  Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

In yesterday's post there was a debate that Jesus was asked to solve, the question had and either/or option.  Jesus chose neither, he didn't say who had sinned, rather he healed.  He was trying to open there eyes, to think out of the box, or in Jesus case out of this world.  In today's passage in Acts Jesus' followers were together physically, but more importantly spiritually and they went to a familiar meeting place united in prayer.

The HCSB translation begins with Jesus'  followers being continually "united" in prayer.  Other translations say they were "in one accord", "joined together" or "all agreed".  They all point to the same thing, unity.  They weren't looking for a debate but they were looking for direction and they were looking in the right place to find it.  The power of the Holy Spirit would come  upon them and once it did, power, power from out of this world came upon them and worked through them and continues to this day.  The gospel spread from that small group, across Jerusalem, Judea and eventually to the far reaches of the world.

This came upon them when they were united, had a similar focus.  It doesn't happen through argument.

Pastor Greg Laurie writes, " The book of Acts is the story of a handful of men and women who, by the power of the Holy Spirit, did not leave their world the same way they found it. They were ordinary people who, empowered by the Spirit, were able to do extraordinary things.....This was the beginning of a movement that continues to this day, because the book of Acts is the story of the life-transforming move of the Spirit of God changing the lives of those who encounter Him. Thus, it is an unfinished book."

We are all involved in new chapters of this unfinished book.  May we turn away from arguments and focus our prayers on what he would have us to do drawing upon the "life transforming move of the Spirit".


 "They agreed they were in this for good, completely together in prayer"  (v.14 The Message)

--   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,  in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV    

Acts 1:13-14The Message (MSG)

Returning to Jerusalem

^12-13 So they left the mountain called Olives and returned to Jerusalem. It was a little over half a mile. They went to the upper room they had been using as a meeting place:

Peter,

John,

James,

Andrew,

Philip,

Thomas,

Bartholomew,

Matthew,

James, son of Alphaeus,

Simon the Zealot,

Judas, son of James.

¹⁴ They agreed they were in this for good, completely together in prayer, the women included. Also Jesus' mother, Mary, and his brothers.