Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

I'm Amy Boucher Pie, and I called our reading Drenched by the Spirit.

Author Scott McKnight shares how when he was in high school, he had what he calls

a spirit-drenched experience. While at a camp,

the speaker challenged him to enthrone Christ in his life by surrendering to the spirit. Later,

he sat under a tree and prayed, Father, forgive me of my sins. And Holy Spirit, come inside and fill me. Something mighty happened,

he said. From that moment, my life has been completely different, not perfect, but different.

He suddenly had the desire to read the Bible, pray, meet with other believers in Jesus, and serve God.

Before the risen Jesus ascended to heaven, he told his friends, do not leave Jerusalem,

but wait for the gift my father promised. They would receive power to become his witnesses in

Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria

and to the ends of the earth. God gives the Holy Spirit to indwell everyone who believes in Jesus.

This first happened at Pentecost. Today it occurs whenever someone trusts in Christ. God's Spirit

also continues to fill those who believe in Jesus. We too, with the help of the Spirit,

bear the fruit of changed character and desires. Let's praise and thank God for comforting

us, convicting us, partnering with us, and loving us.

The passage from Scripture for today's Our Daily Bread reading is from Acts chapter 1,

verses 1 through 8.

In my former book, Theopolis, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the

apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many

convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of 40 days and spoke about the

kingdom of God. On one occasion, when he was eating with them, he gave them this command.

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