THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1

The Zero-Sum Game

SCRIPTURES: For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Acts 1:5,8.

And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. Luke 24:49

Salvation is the best gift to the world and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is the best gift to the church. The disciples had heard from John of the Baptism of the Spirit. Jesus had spoken to them of the Father, giving of the Spirit to those that ask Him, and of the Spirit of their Father speaking in them. And on the last night he had spoken of the Spirit dwelling in them, witnessing with them, having come to them to convince the world. All these thoughts of what this coming of the Holy Spirit would be were thus connected in their mind with the work they would have to do and the power for it. When our Lord gathered up all His teaching in the promise, \’Ye shall receive the power of the Holy Ghost coming upon you, and shall be my witnesses,\’ it must have been to them the simple summing up of what they looked for: a new Divine power for the new Divine work of being the witnesses of a Crucified and Risen Jesus.

In this business the devil must loose ground while the church and her witnesses gain the grounds. In the language of game theory, this win-lose relationship is called a zero-sum game. Remember if Satan wins he keeps souls in bondage!!

PRAYER

• Father, I worship you for the preserving power upon my life, be thou glorified in Jesus’ name.
• I confess all sins before you this day, cleanse and purify me in Jesus’ name.
• Lord, I ask for the grace to manifest the gifts of the spirit given to me in Jesus’ name.