As promised, Jesus sends His Holy Spirit to fill His followers so that they would be empowered as He was to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. They, and we, have all we need by the Spirit of Christ in us. Acts 2:1-41

The book of Acts details how Jesus continues to work through the power of the Holy Spirit in the lives of His followers. Jesus commands His followers to be His witnesses of the kingdom of God to all people in all places. And on top of that, He empowers them with His Spirit to live it out as well. Acts 1:1-11

As a result of surrendering to Him, we are made new creations. The old is gone. The new has come. Therefore, now we walk according to the newness of life that is in us through Christ.

The call to follow Jesus is the call to come and die. It is a total surrender of self in place of taking up His way. I cannot hold to myself and Him at the same time. Which will I take up?

Peace is longed for by all. But where does it come from in a world of unrest? God speaks through the prophet Isaiah to look ahead to a coming King, the Prince of Peace, who will bring real and lasting peace to a broken world.

Through our Lord’s death, God has poured out His boundless love for humankind. Christ is the ultimate expression of God’s character: that He is merciful, gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. His death showed the world's great worth, and how highly we should value not just ourselves, but also others.

We learn in Jonah 3 that God is patient, not willing for anyone to perish, but for all people to come to repentance. We see that take place as he addresses Jonah’s heart and as God uses Jonah to proclaim His Word.

Jonah is sinking down, to the bottom of despair, when he calls out to the Lord. And you know what?! The Lord heard and answered. The Lord delivered Jonah. But the deliverance was not safety - it was the removal of sin, the obstacle in between his relationship with God.

We are all like Jonah at times - running and hiding from God. But we cannot hide from God. Instead, God sees, knows, and pursues us, and all people, in compassionate, steadfast love. And it is only when we stop running & hiding that we will find the mercy, forgiveness, and abundant life God has for us with Him.

Whether we as Christians are to be humble is not really a question according to the Bible. It is a command. We are to put on humility. Among other Christ-like characteristics. But how? Doesn’t it sometimes seem impossible? Well, it is impossible on our own. But we're not on our own. We have Christ in us who enables and empowers us to walk in Him.