Beloved,

As we reflect on the powerful journey from the Crucifixion to the Ascension and Pentecost, we are reminded of the deep spiritual practices of the early Church.

These were not simply events in history—but divine blueprints for our present-day walk with God.

[Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away. Acts 13-3]

Focus on God Above All

Fasting is the deliberate act of setting aside food or other comforts to seek God wholeheartedly. It shows seriousness and hunger for His will above physical needs. This keeps our spirit sensitive to His leading.

Worship and Minister to God

The word translated as “worshipping” (or “ministering to the Lord”) in Greek is leitourgountōn, which originally meant serving in a priestly or temple role. Isn’t it awesome that God has made us priests of the temple that He abides in.

A Spiritual Service

It means the disciples were offering spiritual service—prayer, worship, praise, and devotion—not for people, but directed to God.

Prepare for God’s Direction

Frequent times of prayer and fasting in our lives lead to godliness,  holiness and direction.

The Lord can lead us better when we build on these divine practices that the early church was birthed from.

To serve the Lord with prayer and fasting means dedicating time to worship, seek, and hear from God in a focused way, putting aside distractions, expressing dependence on Him, and being ready for His leading.

May You Pray:

Holy Spirit who lives in me, fulfil Your holy ways in me.

Holy Spirit who lives in me, teach me the holy ways to live.

Holy Spirit who lives in me, teach me to minister to the Lord as the early church did.

Holy Spirit who lives in me, draw me close to Christ the King. Amen.

 Bless the Lord. Keep going. Build your relationship with the Lord more each day, the rock on which we stand.

 [strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, ‘We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.’ So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.” Acts 14:22–23]

Beloved, 

One of the very first greetings spoken by the risen Lord to His disciples was:

“Peace be with you.”  John 20:19

On the evening of the resurrection, when the disciples were gathered in fear behind closed doors, Jesus came and stood among them and spoke those powerful words. It was not a casual greeting, but a deep spiritual declaration — a peace bought at a great price for us all.

“But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5]

The peace Jesus offers us is not the kind the world gives. It is a peace that was secured through the suffering of the cross — a divine transaction where our sin was exchanged for His grace.

All Believers Should Live in Peace & From Peace

As believers, we are not only called to live in peace, but to live from peace — the inner calm and assurance that comes from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” Galatians 5:22]

Greet One Another

It would be good to get into the habit of saying “Peace be with you.” as greeting to all especially the believers. We want to habitually keep the magnificent words and blessing of the real peace” only given in Christ, alive.

Peace be with you always!

May you all in this time of the ascension encounter the Lord through His Holy Spirit in a real and tangible way - taking you deeper into the depths of God.

May you always be carriers of His divine peace.

Then “Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

Bless the Lord.

[These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16.33

And when you go into a household, greet it. If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. Matthew 10.12

Beloved,

Even when we find ourselves in difficult circumstances, the answer is not always to flee—but to submit to the person, situation, or process, because the Lord is at work.

Hagar fled from Sarai’s presence after being treated harshly by her…

[Now the Angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur. And He said, 'Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where have you come from, and where are you going?' She said, 'I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai.'

Then the Angel of the LORD said to her, 'Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hand.' Then the Angel of the LORD said to her, 'I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude.'

And the Angel of the LORD said to her: 'Behold, you are with child, and you shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the LORD has heard your affliction.

He shall be a wild man; his hand shall be against every man, and every man’s hand against him. And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.'

Then she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said,

'Have I also here seen Him who sees me?'” — Genesis 16:7–13]

God Sees Us

No matter what we are going through, we can be sure of this: The Lord sees us. And He provides comfort through His Word:

[And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” — Romans 8:28]

Live from Victory

We’ve just come through the Easter season. The Lord has risen! These forty days after the resurrection were spent with His disciples, explaining the Scriptures and teaching them about the Kingdom of God.

We too can use this time to grow closer to the Lord.

Victory is not based on how we feel each day but on what Christ accomplished on the cross. This is the rock.

He has handed the baton to the Holy Spirit—to help us live our lives empowered by His presence each day.

Remember Each Week:

Thursday – The New Covenant: The institution of the Last Supper

Friday – His Crucifixion: Our sin laid upon Him; the debt fully paid

Saturday – His proclamation in the spiritual realm: Christ’s total victory

Sunday – Christ is Risen! Freedom from sin, death, and the devil. He has given us everlasting life.

Live with gratitude, thanksgiving, and praise each day.

Beloved, use every moment you can to strengthen your spirit over the flesh and deepen your faith.

We all have an incredible opportunity to walk more closely with God in 2025—don’t miss it.

Bless the Lord. Thanks be to our Holy God for sending Jesus Christ and opening our hearts to follow Him by the Holy Spirit.

[Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. Rev 1. 17-18]