Psalm 27:1 – “The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?”

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, I was impressed with the reality of God and the purpose proposed by Jesus for the church.   In Psalm 27:1, as I read those words, what echoed in my heart was, “Have no fear; God is near!”   That began my journey today.  God’s presence brings God’s peace and power.

In Psalm 30:5, I realized that God’s discipline is momentary and is designed to bring a lifetime of fellowship and favor.   In Psalm 32:3-7, I recognized the physical consequences of concealing sin.  I saw the victory of repentance.

Then, in Acts 1:6-8, I was impressed with the urgency Jesus placed on receiving the power of the Holy Spirit.  They were focused on the restoration of Israel as a nation and as God’s earthly kingdom.  Jesus made it clear that He had a larger purpose: the salvation of the world.

The Holy Spirit drew me to the first message preached in the new church, as recorded in Acts 2:37-38.   Repentance was a central theme for John the Baptist, Jesus, and the disciples.   It all begins with repentance and surrender to God.  We die to ourselves so we can live to Him.

The command of Jesus was TARRY (wait) in Jerusalem UNTIL they received THE PROMISE of the Father, which would enable them to fulfill the mission – Be witnesses!  It meant preaching, teaching, and manifesting the very heart and nature of Jesus.

Signs and wonders opened the door to the message.  Jesus would say about His miracles, The Kingdom of God has come near you.

Like the disciples, we can focus on important things and miss the essentials.   A journey begins somewhere.  We desire the restoration of all things (Acts 3:19-21).  However, to reach that destination, we must start with the directive of Acts 2:37-40: repent, receive the cleansing of our sins, enter the family, be filled, and then begin the process of becoming.  We don’t start at maturity.  We become mature.

My heart is drawn to Acts 1:8 – “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the end of the earth.”

If we are IN Jesus and His Word (which is Him), we can ask and manifest Him.  He told us to pray for His Kingdom to come.  There is no kingdom without the king.  The message and answer is Jesus!

The song echoing in my heart is – “I Surrender All.”   If He fills our all, we become all He purposed and manifest Him to the world.

Remember, God did not give us a Spirit of Fear, but One of Boldness, Courage, and Sanity!