As we rise to meet this new day, let us do so with a living hope – not the frail optimism that depends on human efforts and ingenuity – but rather the living hope God has graciously granted us through the resurrection of Jesus.

As we rise to meet this new day, we do so with resilience and faith that exceeds the simple motivation to survive.  We receive the resurrection power that causes us to thrive even under the harshest circumstances.

As we rise to meet this new day, we welcome the Spirit who stirs and quickens us with every breath and every step.  

As we rise to meet this new day, we receive the uncommon favor of our loving God, who will not allow the worst things to be the last things.

Sorrow, suffering, and death have not prevailed.  We rise – having been born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus. 

As we rise to meet this new day, let us do so with a living hope – not the frail optimism that depends on human efforts and ingenuity – but rather the living hope God has graciously granted us through the resurrection of Jesus.

As we rise to meet this new day, we do so with resilience and faith that exceeds the simple motivation to survive.  We receive the resurrection power that causes us to thrive even under the harshest circumstances.

As we rise to meet this new day, we welcome the Spirit who stirs and quickens us with every breath and every step.  

As we rise to meet this new day, we receive the uncommon favor of our loving God, who will not allow the worst things to be the last things.

Sorrow, suffering, and death have not prevailed.  We rise – having been born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus. 

Provisions find us, the protection covers us, peace pervades us, God’s promises pursue us, and the presence of God persists with us.  These are our birthright and our inheritance is secure! 

As we rise to meet the new day…

In this we rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials…

1 Peter 1:6

Good Morning, I love you all!

ihs,

just adam

After Jesus’ resurrection and before His ascension, He gave His disciples instructions to go and wait for the, ‘promise of the Father.’

After recounting to them all of what they encountered over His time with them, He told them to ‘stay in the city’ until they received ‘power from on high…’

‘Stay in the city,’ He said.

All who were present were witnesses to the teaching, the miracles, the passion, and now the resurrection.  Wasn’t that enough? Why must they wait? 

Perhaps Jesus knew the problems that lay ahead of them. Perhaps He knew what pressure they would face in the days to come.  Perhaps He knew the persecution they would have to endure.  

Jesus wanted His disciples to be prepared for what was ahead.  

The disciples would need more than just excitement to carry out the mission that was assigned to them.  They would need more than just the memory of what they had witnessed.  They would need a personal, life-changing, infusion of the Spirit’s power to not only start, but sustain their efforts.

How many times have we set out to do something without the necessary vision and power to see it through to the end?

I know there are many tasks, projects, and goals that I have pursued that began with excitement, but over time they fizzled out.  Sometimes it was because my great idea was just that, ‘my great idea.’  Other times, it was because I hadn’t appropriately assessed the cost of the project.  And then there were times when I just didn’t have the resources or the power to finish well.

Jesus would have no such thing for His disciples.  So, He told them to go and wait, to stay in the city, until their Helper arrived.

I can remember hearing old preachers say, ‘I can feel my help coming…’

In their own way and with the simplest expression they were signaling their need to rely on Someone beyond themselves, Someone beyond their strength, Someone beyond their giftedness – to sustain the work they were trying to do!

We would all do well to learn the same.  Wait, stay, be still until our Helper comes!  Wait, stay, be patient, don’t proceed until your power comes!  Then you will have not only everything you need to get started, but also everything you need to sustain your efforts, and to see things through to the end!

In the meantime, ‘Stay in the city!’

⁴⁹ And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”  

Luke 24:49

Good Morning, I love you all!

ihs,

just adam