Supporters’ Extra: Get Up And Live
As always, a big thank you to you all for donating to keep this work of mine going. Here is an extra devotion, as a token of my appreciation.
Get up and do something, we said this week. Get up and seek Christ, share Christ, serve Christ. Get up like Peter with eagerness.
But today I want to read from Romans 6. It's a long passage, longer than I normally read in my devotions. But listen closely, or read along if you can, and see if you can spot how Paul compares Christ's resurrection with our own spiritual resurrection:
"What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? read or listen to this full devotion on my Patreon page here – for a monthly amount of your choice.
The baptism of the Spirit requires deep desire, earnest seeking, and complete consecration - but the Spirit is ready and willing, so don't keep putting it off.
Receiving the baptism of the Spirit requires complete consecration of your life to God and genuine faith in His power to transform you. Lay it all before Him today and ask Him to fill you completely.
The Holy Spirit is not a force or a ghost, but a person - the third member of the Trinity - who longs to soak into every part of who you are and transform you into the likeness of Christ. Open yourself fully to His work today.
Phoebe Palmer's life of service, hospitality, and teaching helped birth the holiness movement - proof that one ordinary woman's faithfulness to God's call can change history. Give thanks today for those who went before you, and ask God how He is calling you to do the same.
Paul's conversion didn't just make him bold - it gave him a deep, tender compassion for people that marks every page of his writings. Go into the world today as a Spirit-filled person, and let that same compassion shape how you treat those around you.
Paul's encounter with Jesus on the Damascus road converted him from a self-righteous persecutor into a humble follower of Christ. Have you truly been converted, or are you carrying on as you always have?
Barnabas didn't just open doors for others - he walked alongside them, investing in their growth and keeping them true to the Lord. Who in your life could grow deeper in faith with your encouragement?
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is available to every believer - not just the apostles, not just the early church. Ask God today whether you have truly been filled with His Spirit, and seek that fullness if you haven't.
Stephen's life was shaped and marked by his love for Jesus, raising the question of what is truly shaping your character today.
When Peter received the Holy Spirit, the fumbling and failures of his earlier years gave way to extraordinary fruit - bold preaching, miraculous healing, and remarkable courage. Examine today what fruit the Spirit has produced in your life, and ask God to fill you afresh.
Peter's cycle of failure and forgiveness was broken when he received the fire of the Holy Spirit - and the same transformation is available to you. Ask God today to fill you afresh with His Spirit's power.
Paul's vision in Romans 6 is breathtaking - a life died to sin and raised again in Christ. Ask yourself today whether you are truly living as a new creation, or still sitting in the old life that Christ came to set you free from.
Oswald Chambers had a passion for holiness. Remember today that the great message of the Bible is that we are called to holiness.
Excessive entertainment and earthly pursuits can rob us of spiritual joy and make us spiritually lethargic. Examine your leisure activities and ask if you could enjoy them with Jesus beside you, then commit to feeding your soul on things that glorify Him.
The church can run on external programmes and human energy, or it can run on the Spirit's power from within - and only one of those produces lasting fruit. Ask God today to fill you and your church with the inner fire of the Holy Spirit.