Jesus explicitly instructed His disciples before He ascended to heaven to preach repentance for the forgiveness of sins in His name to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem (Luke 24:47) And the Holy Spirit will come upon believers to empower them to fulfil this commission!

The power of the Holy Spirit brings wisdom, understanding, revelations, gifts, healings, miracles and so forth. The purpose is to help the Church become a blessing for all nations. The Church must never neglect this commission!

We know that the power of the Holy Spirit can bring blessings to both the Church and our personal lives. 

However, when we receive God’s blessings and become wealthy, it is also easy to fall into materialism and become worldly, leading to problems such as greed, workaholism, alcoholism, affairs, addictions and mental health issues.

If we are not careful, Christians will slowly neglect the commission given by Jesus Christ, and forget what He says: “You are in the world but not of the world.”

Be careful not to let God’s blessings make you neglect God’s commission.

God is a good God. He wants to bless us. He empowers us. But He does not want such prosperity, possessions, power and fame to replace Him as the god of our lives.

Believers must remember that we are merely God’s stewards, and all the abilities and authority are entrusted to us by God.

The purpose of our being empowered is to help those who are powerless, rather than abusing the power for our own benefit.

Jesus says that the Spirit of the Lord is on Him, empowering Him to proclaim Good News to the poor, freedom for the prisoners, recovery of sight for the blind and to set the oppressed free. (Luke 4:18)

Therefore, as the Body of Christ, the Church must be one without walls, reaching every corner of society. Wherever there is a need, we will go and meet it. Wherever there is pain, we will go and heal it.  

The Church must humble herself, deny herself, go the extra mile and be a servant to all, just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve. (Matthew 20:27-28)

Let’s pray together. 

Dear Lord, I pray that the Holy Spirit will fill every brother and sister and every church. Please empower us to bring the Father’s love and Christ’s salvation and healing to the nations. Whatever the cost, let us become a blessing to the nations.

All these we pray in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Reflect

1. Have you personally experienced the power of the Holy Spirit? How will you share this with your family, friends, colleagues and even strangers?

2. When you experience an unexpected blessing, what is the first thing you tend to do? How will you ensure that any blessing you receive will not only benefit you but God’s Kingdom purposes as well? 

3. Examine your priorities in life. What, if lost, will you grieve over? How far are you willing to deny yourself to obey Christ’s call? 

Pray

1. Pray for the courage and conviction to faithfully take the Gospel where God calls you to, whether as a goer or a sender. “Sympathy is no substitute for action.” (David Livingstone)  

2. Pray against discouragement or a lack of confidence, instead remembering that it is the power of the Holy Spirit that equips you for witnessing. “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

3. Pray to view missions and evangelism as a privilege and a joy. “If God calls you to be a missionary, don’t stoop to be a king.” (Jordan Groom)

Follow Salt&Light on Telegram, Facebook or Instagram for more of LoveSingapore’s daily devotions until August 9, 2024.