EXPAND TO READ: ACTS 19 (HCSB)
PERSONAL JOURNAL:
SIN (verses 2-4): I must confess that I was baptized twice as an adult since coming to faith on my own. The first time was, unfortunately, a baptism solely to do so alongside my wife and wasn’t of true profession of my faith through baptism. Please forgive me for this “show” of baptism and not doing it for true reasons. The second time I was baptized, although I was of sound heart and mind in my faith, I do not feel like I was fully committed to my faith at the time. The first one was about 8 years ago and the second one was about 5 years ago. I am not proud that I was not fully committed to glorify You and profess my faith in You publicly on that first baptism. I am not proud of the fact that even though my heart and faith was in it the second time around, that I did not fully commit to my faith through my thoughts and actions in this life. It wasn’t until about a year ago when I joined the Real Men 300 that I truly began to be serious in my faith. Since then, I truly have been blessed by all that the Holy Spirit brings to my life through wisdom, discernment, and good judgment. Thank You, Father, for the many chances You have given to me in my life.
PROMISE (verse 4): Although John the Baptist was baptizing people before Jesus’ ministry, he was clear to ensure people knew that someone would come after him and that is whom they should truly believe in for their faith and their baptism. A baptism with a focus on Jesus as our Lord and Savior brings us the Holy Spirit, which was not the case through John’s baptisms as those were repentance-based, not grace-based. This promise was fulfilled as Jesus came to us and was baptized by John. This promise was fulfilled through all the baptisms that ensued afterwards in the name of Jesus. This promise was fulfilled by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in all of us who truly believe with all that we are that Jesus came to life on this earth, walked an amazingly sin-free life, had a blessed ministry on earth, was crucified, die, resurrected, and then ultimately ascended to Heaven to sit alongside our God in Heaven! Thank You for the fulfillment of this promise, Father!
ATTITUDE (verses 2-5): These few verses offer so much for me to learn from. There are disciples that Paul comes across who were strong believers in their faith but were misled into believing that the baptism they received was the one true baptism for their lives. They were not taught about the baptism through Jesus nor were they aware of the Holy Spirit which is blessed upon us through that baptism. When Paul revealed this to them, they immediately went with Paul to become baptized in Jesus’ name and then received the Holy Spirit within them. I love this as my attitude reflection, because I often find myself being “stuck in my old ways” which has often caused me to not truly listen and embrace the teachings of those more knowledgeable in Your truth than I am. Help me to live my life in an understanding way that recognizes that I am not all-knowing in this life, Father. Help me to live in a way that always embraces Your truth over any of my habits or thoughts, regardless of whom that truth is revealed to me by. I must always be open to embracing Your truth as it is revealed to me, even if it’s from someone whom I have not know for very long, just as those in these verses.
COMMAND (verse 5): Your command is quite a simple one, but one that many have taken for granted or have done so for the wrong reasons just as I had in the past. Your command is to ensure we are baptized in the name of Jesus! This sounds simple, but even I failed at this the first time I was baptized since coming to faith, as I opted to get baptized in church in front of my peers because my wife wanted to profess her newly found faith through baptism and I wanted to support her in it by joining her. This is NOT what You have command us to do. You’ve command us to publicly profess our own faith in Jesus through a baptism in His name! Please help me to be better at following Your commands in the future, Father, so that I do not make these same mistakes as I have in the past.
EXAMPLE (verses 11-16): I find this example very profound, but WOW is it a powerful one! Several men thought that if they had simply used Jesus’ name to expel evil spirits from people that it would work in the same way that God blessed Paul to do so. It was obvious, however, that they did not truly believe in their hearts and fully accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. When they attempted to expel an evil spirit from someone, this demon responded back with “I know Jesus and I recognize Paul, but who are you?” The evil spirit could tell their heart was not with Jesus. The evil spirit could tell the Holy Spirit did not dwell within them. The evil spirit could tell that God was not with them in that because they were simply doing this for a show and not for pure, God-driven purposes like Paul was. The evil spirit essentially laughed at them and then lashed out at them because it knew they held no power. This is a prime example of how oftentimes we do or say things “in God’s name” when really we are doing it for our own selfish or fleshly reasons. Help me to be better at never going against the evil of this world without my full Armor of God on, Father. Help me to be better at fully embracing Your will for situations that arise in my life instead of going into those situations as myself. Help me to be better at truly representing You to the evil spirits of this world so that they do not pose they question to me “who are you?” I want them to know that I am a child of God and that the Holy Spirit dwells within me. I want them to know that You are almighty and powerful; that Jesus is my Lord and Savior; that there’s nothing they can do to me that can take any of that away from me because You are the Almighty on high and they are nothing compared to You!
*DAILY NOTE: Thank You for today’s lesson, Father. Thank You for the focus and wisdom You’re giving to me on a daily basis through my quiet times and conversations with You. Thank You for providing me with the clarity I need to truly understand what it means to live my life in a Godly manner for Your kingdom and not for my own fleshly desires. Thank You for providing me insight into spiritual discernment so that as I navigate through the trials this life has to offer, I know that You are with me to help me navigate the harshness of this world. Please continue Your works in me, Father, so that as I begin to renew my mind according to Your truth, I will continue to access the grace to live righteously as the Godly man You intended for me to be.
EXPAND TO READ: GENERAL NOTE FOR MY QUIET TIMES
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