Acts 1: To the Ends of the Earth

I love the Book of Acts because it serves as a sequel to the Gospel accounts, especially the Gospel of Luke. The first chapter begins with the resurrected Jesus preparing to ascend to heaven. Before he does, he says:

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

This promise would soon be fulfilled. Ten days later at the Jewish holiday of Pentecost, Peter would preach a sermon in Jerusalem that would launch what we now call the church. Over 3,000 joined and were baptized, the start of a new movement that would extend for the next 2,000 years around the globe as the world’s largest religion, Christianity.

Still today, those who follow Jesus are promised the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Triune God who empowers believers to live a life worthy of our calling. Francis Chan calls the Holy Spirit the “Forgotten God.” He may be right, but I would call the Holy Spirit the “Misunderstood God.”

The Holy Spirit enters the lives of Christians not only to empower our own lives, but to work through us as a force for good in this world. With the Spirit, we are called to take the message of Jesus to everyone who will listen–across the street and across the ocean, across the community and across continents.

Living a Spirit-controlled life involves submitting our plans to God’s plan, both in our personal actions and in our urgency to reach all nations with the love that has transformed our own hearts.

To the ends of the earth.

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Dillon Burroughs is the author or co-author of numerous books and is handwriting a copy of the New Testament in 2011 at HolyWritProject.com. Find out more about Dillon at Facebook.com/readdB or readdB.com.