Our Holy Propulsion // Acts 1:8

Today’s verse gives us the Gospel writer Luke’s promise of Jesus sending the Holy Spirit. The verse in its entirety reads, “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.” The idea here is Jesus told the disciples the Holy Spirit will be the wind in their spiritual sails that will take them to the ends of the earth to share the Good News of salvation through the forgiveness of sins. I think it’s important to note the directions given here where they are to go: Jerusalem is their immediate surroundings; Judea was the larger region; Samaria was the area no one wanted to go; and the ends of the earth was beyond anything they ever conceived.

The Beatles sang about needing love here, there, and everywhere. That’s basically what Jesus was telling His apostles, but He included the Samarian nugget that might have caught them off guard. Have you ever experienced a call to go somewhere you didn’t want to go and be with people you don’t like? This is essentially what Jesus was telling them. Faithful Jews and Samaritans had no love lost for each other. This means Jesus wants us to know we are all responsible for bearing the Good News in all places and to all people…not just the places and people we like or find familiarity. This is possible because of the Holy Spirit God sends to those who believe in Him as well as ahead of those on Jesus’ mission of hope.

Will you trust your life to the Lord today? Will you allow His Holy Spirit to be the wind in your spiritual sails, billowing them out in faith, hope, and love? Will you trust the Spirit to prepare your way and help those with whom you interact to receive you in the name of Jesus? It’s all within God’s power to propel you to places you could never imagine going and doing life with people you never thought possible.