Tagged: daily bread

“I bless the Lord Who counsels me.” –Psalm 16:7 God the Father is “great in counsel” (Jer 32:19), always guiding us in every situation. He counsels us by day and by night (Ps 16:7). “He has counsel in store for the upright” (Prv 2:7). God the Father has sent us Jesus, the “Wonder-Counselor” (Is 9:5). Jesus counsels us through His Word (see Ps 119:24), through direct personal guidance (see Is 30:21), and through the teaching ministry of His Church (see Lk 10:16). Jesus and the Father have sent us the Holy Spirit. The Spirit counsels us in practical ways. For...

“I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to guard them from the evil one.” –John 17:15 Savage wolves will come from within the Church (Acts 20:29) to distort the truth and lead astray “any who follow them” (Acts 20:30). As part of the persecution from these savage wolves, we will have to contend with the hatred of the world (Jn 17:14) and the rage of the devil against us (see Rv 12:12; 1 Pt 5:8). We definitely need to be guarded, and in addition to our guardian angels, the Holy Spirit has assigned people...

“As Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came down on them and they began to speak in tongues and to utter prophecies. There were in the company about twelve men in all.” –Acts 19:6-7 The twelve Ephesian men so readily gave their lives to Jesus and received the Holy Spirit because they had received John’s baptism of repentance (see Acts 19:3-4). At the first Christian Pentecost, Peter told the people to repent in order to receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). On the evening of the day on which Jesus rose from the dead, Jesus commanded His...

“As Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came down on them and they began to speak in tongues and to utter prophecies. There were in the company about twelve men in all.” –Acts 19:6-7 The twelve Ephesian men so readily gave their lives to Jesus and received the Holy Spirit because they had received John’s baptism of repentance (see Acts 19:3-4). At the first Christian Pentecost, Peter told the people to repent in order to receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). On the evening of the day on which Jesus rose from the dead, Jesus commanded His...

“He was lifted up before their eyes in a cloud which took Him from their sight.” –Acts 1:9 When Jesus ascended into heaven, He mounted “His throne amid shouts of joy; the Lord, amid trumpet blasts” (Ps 47:6). All the angels and saints were giving Jesus a “prostrate ovation” in recognition that He, the Lord of lords and the King of kings, had accomplished the plan of salvation. The apostles shared in this worship of the glorified and enthroned Christ, but they “had entertained doubts” (Mt 28:17). On the cross, when Jesus said: “It is finished,” His disciples probably thought...