Luke 5:24 (NLT)
Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”
Acts 9:34 (NLT)
Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you! Get up, and roll up your sleeping mat!” And he was healed instantly.
“Luke and Acts are two volumes of one long story, and in the second volume, the Book of Acts, Luke shows that the church continues much of what Jesus began. Jesus’ ministry in the Gospel of Luke serves as the model for ministry in Acts. By emphasizing that the same Spirit who empowered Jesus empowers his followers, Luke reminds us that Christ’s body has the same kind of empowerment Jesus had in his earthly ministry.” (Craig Keener, Gift and Giver)
Just as Jesus did in Capernaum and just as Peter did in Joppa, now we are called to be [your name] in [your campus/city]. It’s our turn now in 2021 to say to the Aeneas’ on our campuses “Jesus Christ heals you!” and to the Tabitha’s in our workplaces “Get up!” Because it is the same Spirit who empowers his church today, let’s believe and anticipate that the Lord will use us in extraordinary ways.
Prayer: “Heavenly Father, in humble obedience and dependence, may you use me to bring your death-to-life power to my family and friends. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”
Let’s worship to “Wellspring” by Leeland (click here)
-LL