Acts 7:44-50 - True Worship

Remember the charges brought by the Jewish authority against Stephen in Acts 7:13 was that he "...incessantly speaks against the holy place and the law." In his dealing earlier, Stephen debunked their misconceptions about Moses and the Law.

So In verses 44-50, Stephen focused on dealing with their third sacred cow,  the holy place, the temple. His point found in verse 48 was that, "God does not dwell in houses made with human hands"

Here we see that concerning worship, place was no issue with God. In fact, true worship is not confined to the temple. In the wilderness, the tabernacle was sufficient. Though it was built by human hand, it was a pattern given by God to Moses.

This tabernacle was brought into the land by Joshua and continued to serve as the sufficient house of worship. Although David's desire was to build God a dwelling place, it was Solomon his son who finally had it built.

But Stephen, quotiug Isaiah 66:1-2, proved  that God does not dwell in a physical temple made by human hands. God's original plan with regards to worship was not the temple but the tabernacle. Here, the third pillar of Judaism, the temple  was debunked.

At this point Stephen's speech ended. He had shown that he had not spoken against the Law of Moses. And his criticism against the temple was well supported by scriptures as he compared the tabernacle and the temple.

Stephen [oint was this: Israel as a pilgrim of God was free to worship God anywhere, where the Word was proclaimed. It was not confined to the temple.

Stephen had proven that the Israelites in rejecting the Messiah had failed to accept God's revelation given through the Scriptures. Their  rejection of the Messiah pathed the way for the evangelization of the Gentiles with the Gospel.  

This brings us to what the Lord told the Samaritan woman at the well of Sychar,  “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.... But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

What's  important in worship is the heart attitude we bring to God. Let's not offer up our praises, but our hearts are far away. No matter where we offer our worship to God, we must bring to the worship a heart of sincerity and reverence. This is far more important.
 

Acts 7:17-43 - Hope is found only in Christ

Luke earlier told us that God's activities in Abraham's life took place in Mesopotamia and Haran. The only plot of land that Abraham possessed was Shechem, a burial ground. Then for Joseph, God's activities in his life were down in Egypt.

Stephen's intention was to show that the activities of God did not just happen in the land of promise. In the life of Moses and his career, Luke again showed why the promised land was not the issue. For His activities took place in Moses' life outside of the land of Palestine.

Egypt was the land that Moses was raised in the early part of His life. In fact he was born there. He was educated and became a powerful man there. But in verse 25 we see Moses' own people opposed him.

His intention was misunderstood by them and he had to flee for his life, after killing an Egyptian for ill-treating one of his Hebrew brethren. This setback had delayed the redemptive plan of God for them.

Moses then stayed in Midian where he matured. It was not until forty years later that God called and commissioned him at Mount Sinai and sent him to lead the people out of the land of bondage.

Notice God called Mount Sinai "Holy ground." Holy ground has got nothing to do with physical land. Any place where a person encounters God becomes a holy ground. Do you have a holy ground in your life where you go to each day so that you can meet and encounter God?

Unwittingly the people's hearts had turned back to Egypt and chose rather the work of their hands. Hence, God gave them up and they went into exile in Babylon.

There is no denial that God's miracles in the life of Moses and the Israelites took place not within Palestine, but in Egypt, at the Red Sea and in the desert.    

The religious Jewish authority also exalted the law and venerated Moses. And they became the second sacred cow in Judaism which Stephen in his discourse, in verses 37-43, slaughtered.

Moses and the Law were just sub-plots in God's programs and working. Stephen showed that the hope of their redemption rest in Jesus Christ and not in the law of Moses. Stephen's discourse showed that Moses received the Law from God but even then the people of God were not willing to obey him.

The discourse also tells us that Moses prophesied the coming of a prophet like himself.  He was referring to Jesus Christ, the Messiah. He is whom the redemptive hope of the Jews lies. Herein the second sacred cow of Judaism was slaughtered. The Law of Moses could not save only the Messiah could!

The author of the book of Hebrews said that  Jesus Christ, our eternal sacrifice, had opened the door to a new and living way, where we can now approach the throne of God with confidence.

Let's be bold and come into His presence each day to find strength for the journey. Make the prayeful words of this chorus your resolve!

Into Thy presence I come
Not by the works I've done
But by Thy grace
And Thy grace alone
IntoThy presence I come


















 

Acts 7:2-17 -God's not confined

In response to the high priest's question, Stephen gave a long discussion beginning with the journey of faith of Abraham. He showed that he was well acquainted with God's Word.

It was the God of glory Who called Abraham out of the Ur of Chaldee, and promised to bring his people to a place where they could worship Him. However, God revealed that Abraham's children would be in a foreign land and in bondage for 400 years.

And God would bring them out of bondage to a place where they would serve Him. It was God Who gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision, and he became the father of Isaac whom he circumcised on the eighth day. Isaac then became the father of Jacob who fathered 12 sons.

Out of jealousy, Joseph, Jacob's favorite son was  sold into Egypt by his brothers. But God rescued him from all his afflictions and granted him favor and wisdom in Pharaoh's sight. So Joseph became his right hand man to govern the whole of Egypt.

When a  famine came over the land and food could only be found in Egypt, Jacob sent his sons to buy grain there. On their second visit, Joseph revealed himself to his brothers. And he also invited his father and family to join him in Egypt. A total of 75 of his family came and sojourned in Eqypt.

With the passage of time Jacob and his sons died. Shechem, which Abraham bought, was the only plot of land his children had at that time. However, we can see that the scheme of Jacob's sons only served to further God's plan.

Judaism as a system of belief had three pillars - the land, the law and the temple. Stephen in his discourse and defence would seek to debunk these sacred cows of Judaism with the teachings of Christ,.  

Stephen brought Abraham, Jacob and Joseph into his discourse to show that God's activity was not just confined to the geographical land of Israel. God spoke and blessed Abraham in Mesopotamia and Haran. He blessed Joseph in Egypt. And more of His activities outside of the land would be seen in Moses' journey.

Psalm 24 reminds us that the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. He is everywhere present. His activities can still be experienced today no matter where we may be. God is not limited by time, space or distance. No wonder David said, "Where can I go from your Spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence?" (Psalm 139:7).

Wherever we may be, remember to pause regularly to experience and connect with the Lord. He wants to guide us and direct us in the journey of life to accomplish His purpose.

Acts 6;:8-7:1 - Shining Witness

Stephen was probably a Hellenist, one of the seven deacons appointed to assist in the administration of the ration to the widows. His name in Greek means "a crown or a laurel which an athlete would receive on winning a race." 

What a fitting name for this first martyr of the church! Truly, the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church! His witness stands as a shinning example on how to live and serve the Lord.  Like the Lord Jesus, Stephen was described as full of grace and power.  

The word grace tells us God used him to show the people His riches. Stephen's life truly touched the people he ministered to. Even the Sanhedrin, who did not know the source of his grace, admitted that his face was like that of an angel. 

He was also full of power. God's power!  That's why he could perform great wonders and signs among the people.  He was a real great and powerful witness for the Lord.

The opposition he encountered came from the Synagogue of the Freedmen, meaning they were people or desendents of those who were no longer slaves. Being a Hellenist. the people he addressed were mostly from abroad, comprising "Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia," 

Notice Stephen was also full of wisdom. Hence the people who opposed him couldn't cope with his wisdom. And this wisdom, Luke tells us, finds it's source in the Spirit of God.

Disagreeing with his message, those opposers instigated men to report to the authorities and spreading lies about his teachings. Stephen was purported to have blasphemed against Moses and against God. The people, the elders and the scribes were so stirred up that they came and dragged him to face the Sanhedrin council.  

Like the trial that the Lord Jesus faced, they also put forward false witnesses against Stephen.  They came accusing  him of saying Jesus would destroy the temple and change the custom that Moses had handed down. 

The focus had now been turned on this bold  witness of the Lord. Vividly, we can imagine all eyes in that court were upon Stephen. In the centre of the court, he stood in the witness stand with his face glowing like an angel.  Nowhere else in the Bible is this comparison made.

Bear in mind that this was a mockery of a trial. On hearing the accusation, the high priest simply asked in Acts 7:1, " Are all these accusations true?"  

This Stephen shows us how to be an effective witness for the Lord. His was a life full of grace and wisdom. To share Stephen's effectiveness, we too need the  grace and wisdom that God would give to His witnesses.

John's Gospel tells us that grace and truth, the wisdom of God come only through a deep abiding in Christ. There is no substitute. We need Him. We need to stay  connected to Him. For it is out of His overflow that we all receive the fullness of His grace and truth.    

Acts 6:1-7 - Unity and Growth Prevailed

Chapter 6 begins by telling us that a period of unspecified duration had lapsed where the church kept on growing. There arose in the church problems concerning food distribution and other problems related to the supplies to the needy. The main issue that confronting the leadership of the church at that point was the issue of discrimination. The rapidly growing church was threatened by division.

Who were the Hellenist? And who were the native Jews?

The Hellenists were Jews that were born abroad and chose to speak common Greek. They could have also understood aramaic but for cultural convenience chose to speak Greek. For some reasons, the Hellenists preferred to return to Jerusalem in the last years of their life. The native Jews, on the other hand, were like the Twelve, born and bred in the land and they spoke Aramaic or Hebrew.

The population of the Hellenists grew and it became difficult to fully take care of their widows' needs in the usual food distribution. So they complained to the apostles that the widows of the native Jews were getting a better deal than theirs.    

The apostles, who knew their priority was to the ministry of the Word and to  prayer, refused to compromise on these. Calling the congregation of disciples together, they explained that it would be unwise for them to neglect their primary duties. They in fact should devote themselves to these primary duties. Wise move!

The Word and prayer are fundamental blocks for stability in the church. It would be foolhardy to neglect these primary, foundational and spirtual issues of church life. They are just as critical for any serious minded Christian who desires to grow in spiritual maturity and stability in his or her walk with God.

So the apsotles proposed that seven capable men be appointed to help with the administration details of the food distribution. The qualities of these seven to be chosen must be respected men of good reputation. They must also be full of  the Spirit as well as full of wisdom.

The seven chosen were probably a good mix of both Hellenists and native Jews. They were Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch. The seven chosen men were brought to the apostles to be prayed over, with the laying on of the apostles' hands.

Of the seven men chosen, Stephen was said to be full of faith and the Spirit. For from what took place in the next two or three chapters of Acts, we will discover that Stephen and Philip were featured a little more in the work of the Gospel. They are the kind of witnesses that the Lord needs for the advancement of the Kingdom. We should be inspired by their lives and like them develop our lives to be faithful, fervent and faith-filled witnesses of Christ.  

In verse 7, we learn that the word of God kept spreading and many disciples were added to the church growing population. Growth was rapid. The heart warming news was that a great number of those added to the growing believers  were priests, who had become obedient to the faith.  

Unity in the church must not be compromised. The harmony of the community must be  guarded and protected. This happens when both the leadership and members play their respective parts.

Leaders should not neglect the ministry of the Word and prayer. Capable and spiritual men of faith, wisdom and the Spirit must come forward to help with the running of the ministries. And everyone must seek to be responsible and accoutable to the mission that God had entrusted to us as a family.

We must seek the Lord and ask Him how we should play our part, not only for personal but also corporate growth.    

Acts 5:33-42 - God's plan cannot be thwarted

This passage records the third wave of attack that the apostles encountered. When the Sanhedrin heard what Peter had said, they went berserk. Verse 33 tells us that they intended to kill them.

Peter's words cut them deep. They were so angry that their rage could virtually be felt. Filled with murderous intention, they would have killed the apostles there and then, instantly.  What prevented  them from the violence were probably their fear of how the crowd might react, and also the timely and wise words of Gamaliel, a wise counselor.

Gamaliel was a Pharisee and a well known teacher of the law, and was also highly respected. The fact that they listened to him was amazing. Why? Because many on the council were Sadducees, a rival sect. They differed with Pharisees in some critical doctrinal beliefs.    

This wise teacher ordered that the apostles be sent out so that they could have a short consultation before deciding on how to deal with them.  With insights he counselled the council out of their murderous intention by citing two past rebellious groups, which fizzled out of the scene when their leaders died.

Obviously the two groups of rebels were known to his audience, although there are no records about them. One group was led by a Theudas, who was able to garner a following of 400 men. When he was killed the group dispersed and came to naught. The second group led by a Judas of Galilee had an unspecified following. They also came to naught when that leader perished.

Then Gamaliel brought their focus to the apostles and counselled that they be left alone.  He urged the council to exercise caution by taking  a cue from what happened to those two rebel groups.

Gamaliel told them that if the cause of the apostles was not of God, it would die of its own accord. But if it was, he argued, then the Sanhedrin could be  found opposing and fighting against God. And they could never prevail against God. How true!  So the council took Gamaliel's wise advice.

Calling in the apostles, the Sanhedrin ordered them to be flogged. Then they were released after being warned sternly not to speak in the name of Jesus again. They expected the apostles to be  frightened into compliance and be silent. But they were dead wrong!

Instead of feeling pain and leaving the court defeated and withdrawn, the apsotles went out  triumphant and rejoicing. Everyone of them felt so privileged to be counted worthy to suffer for the Lord.
Contrary to the desire of the Sanhedrin, the apostles went out and proclaimed the name of Jesus every day.  They proclaimed Him in the temple and they also proclaimed Him from home to home. In other words, Christ was declared publicly and openly, and Christ was also declared privately and within the confine of smaller gatherings.

The response of the apostles reminds us of what James said. "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:2-4).

We can also take a lesson from Gamaliel's advice. It makes good sense even for us today. There are problems that would take care of themselves. So we should not waste time by freting and worrying  about them unnecessarily.  We should instead just take steps to make sure that we stay connected to God. Only His plans and will for our life really matter.

What's more! Gamaliel's advice  also reminds us that we should never oppose what God is doing. Unlike the non-believers who would oppose the preaching of the Gospel, Christians could oppose God by living an ungodly life. We could oppose God's plan for our life by merely going through the motion of righteous living but having a conduct of wilful contradiction to His Word.

Acts 5:27-32 - Evangelistic Passion

The apostles were brought before the Sanhedrin council for the second wave of attack.  It was the high priest who started the ball rolling.  He accusingly reminded the apostles saying, “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.”

That was a loaded statement. He basically accused the apostles of two offences: (1) They had defied the order not to teach about the resurrected Christ. (2) They had placed the guilt of killing the Messiah squarely on the heads of the Jewish  authority. The implication of the council was  that the apostles had been duly warned, and they could be severely punished for defyng the order. 

But  how quickly they had forgotten that in Matthew 27:22-23, it was they who vehemently told Pilate,  "Let Him be crucified!" It was  they who together with the people, insistently told Pilate in Matthew 27:25, "Let His blood be upon upon us and our children!" 

Notice how bold Peter and the apostles were! The moment was tense. They could be punished for defying order. But the apostles were fearless. Peter, uncowed, and speaking on behalf of the apostles, declared that they must obey God rather than men. Bravo! That's the right thing to do. Obey God. Isn't that the heart's desire of every committed disciple?

The apostles stood up to the opposition fearlessly. They were bent on obeying their Lord. To them, it was more important to obey the Lord rather than men. What about us? Do we share this same sentiment? We should! Let's obey God!

The apostles re-iterated that Jesus had risen from the dead. Since it was to the Jewish authority that they were facing, Peter exclaimed that it was the God of their fathers Who had raised Him from the dead. Unflinchingly, He told the Sanhedrin council to the face, "...you had put (the Christ) to death by hanging Him on a cross." 

And he even told the council that the Lord Jesus is the One that God had exalted to His right hand. As Prince and Saviour now, Jesus Christ would grant repentance to Israel and also the forgiveness of sins.

They  boldly made known that what they had said were actual happenings that they had witnessed. The implication is this: "What we say are  truths, we did not concoct the story. These are not just imaginations of our minds. And they are neither fictions nor myths."

Furthermore, they assertively said that they were not the only witnesses. The third person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit, was also the witness. He attested to all that had happened as well. And it was God's intention to give this Holy Spirit to those who would obey Him.  

Peter and the apostles were totally focused on evangelism. They seized every  opportunity to share Christ. They would pay any price necessary to spread the message. Even when in the face of oppostion, their main concern was not to win an argument but to further the cause of the Gospel. 

To them every situation, no matter how unpleasant, was an evangelistic opportunity.What about us? We must also seize every moment to share Christ. Begin by thinking about our home situation and those we love. Can we find peaceful rest when these  loved ones are heading toward  a Christless eternity? Start praying and sharing about Christ with them!           

  

Acts 5:17-26 - The Unstoppable Message

Ananias and Sapphira's incident was an attack from within the community.  With wisdom and discernment from God, Peter dealt with it and contained the situation. As a result there were miracles and growth in the church.

In Acts 5:17-18, we see the first wave of attacks from outside the community. The high priest and the Sadducees were enraged and filled with jealousy against the apostles. The conflict was between the  servants of God on one side and the high priest and his associates, the Sadducees on the other.

The apostles were filled with the Spirit while the opposing camp were filled with jealousy. The  high priest at this point was Caiaphas. He must have felt the threat  to his authority. So together with his associates, he was bent on stopping it.

Earlier on Peter and John were the target. Now Luke tells us that all the apostles were arrested and placed in public jail. This was an indication to show the public that the temple authority felt that the teaching of the apostles was dangerous.

The apostles were supposed to be brought for a questioning the next day. But we know that God's work could never be stopped. He intervened and sent  an angel in the night to set them free.

What's ironical about this rescue is that God had sent an angel, when in their doctrines, the Sadducees did not believe in angels.  We can take comfort to know that the Lord is always at hand to deliver his people engaged in His work.

The apostles were not only rescued supernaturally, they were now commanded to go to the temple court to proclaim the Life - the new life in Christ. And so they did. The Gospel's advancement could never be stopped for Jesus Himself had said that "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

It's amazing  that while all these took place, the Sanhedrin Council were totally oblivious of what was going on. So the next day the whole council assembled and the apostles were summoned. The officer who went to fetch the prisoners was in for a rude shock when he opened the door of the prison.

The prison was securely locked and the guards were standing outside guarding. But when he unlocked the door he couldn't find the prisoners. So he reported the matter to the council. On hearing the report, the  chief priests and the captain of the guards were perplexed.

And while they were still puzzling,  someone came to say that the apostles were at the temple precinct proclaiming the Life. Not wanting to arouse the public sentiment against them, the captain of the guards and the officers  took them back to the council without any violence.

Just imagine, while the Sanhedrin was about to get out of bed, the apostles were already hard at work. Why? It's all because they have the important message of the new life. Hostility could not stop them, neither could the prison. What about us? We have no such barriers, so what's stopping us from proclaiming this life? Let's do it!  

Acts 5:12-16 - Miracles and growth in God's community

This passage is the third of Luke's summary statements in the book of Acts. The first is found in Acts 2:42-47, where he shared about the practices of the early church. Then in Acts 4:32-35, he gave a brief account of the unity of the church and the willingness of those early believers to share their goods.

In this third summary, Luke speaks about two issues. The the two responses to the Gospel and the mighty healing that took place in the ministry of the Apostles.

The first issue concerns the responses of the people who heard the Gospel. There seemed to be an apparent contradiction. We are told that none dared to associate with them yet all the more there were people who believed and were being added to the community.

This is understandable after what happened to Ananias and Sapphira. This new community had the presence of the Lord, that if one wanted to live a flippant, careless and hypocritical life, it would be a place to shun.

However, there were those serious minded people who took their commitment to the Lord seriously. To them what better place would there be, other than the fellowship of likeminded believers. Hence there was this category of believers who were constantly added to the church.

The implication is this: fellowship in God's community is a serious matter. It calls for commitment to live an honest and non-deceitful life. This kind of life allows for openness and transparency. First John 1: 7 sums it best. "But if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin."

The second issue in this summary statement emphasizes the proliferation of miracles of healing and deliverance in the community.  People brought their sick folks and extra-ordinary miracles were being experienced.

Verse 15 seems to suggest that anyone within the shadow cast by the Apostle Peter as he walked by, could be healed. Shadow was believed to be an extension of a person. Thus they must have thought that if we couldn't be close enough to get Peter's attention, his shadow would do.

The crowd must have also made it difficult for individual ministry. Hence the people brought their sick folks out on cots and pallets and lined them on the street with the hope that their sick ones would receive healing through Peter's shadow

We are told here that people from all over the cities and vicinity of Jerusalem, came together to bring their sick and even those demonic oppressed. The last part of verse 16 summed up the miraculous happening: they were ALL healed.

This reminds us of what the Lord Himself had promised in John 14:12. "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.

"Does the church today invoke the same seriousness and commitment that would bring a sense of great awe? Are we walking in the rhythm of the miraculous? Individually and corporately, what can we do to bring these about?

When we take our relationship with the Lord seriously, with a strong resolution to live a honest committed life, we would be a force that Satan, his demonic forces and the  world, will have to reckon with. We can choose to be His instrument in the world today.

Like the shadow of Peter cast by the sun, we can also cast great shadows of a blessed and glorious life by our serious relationship with the Son. We can make it our choice to personally and individually walk in His Light and be transparent. We can all be His effective instrument. Is that our choice?        

Acts 5:1-11 - Deceit Exposed

Moving from narrating about Barnabas' generosity, Luke now turns to share about Ananias and Sapphira's deceit and death. It was a chilling account that brought great fear over this young community of faith.

This story of Ananias and Sapphira gives us  a complete and true picture of human weakness and loss. In the way this couple was dealt with, we see the intention of God to keep the church pure. What Ananias did, they didn't lie to men but the Holy Spirit.

Like Barnabas , this couple gave the money they got from the sales of their property to the church. But unlike Barnabas, they kept a part of the proceeds for themselves. What they did wrong was to give the impression that they had given the entire proceed to the church.

It would be perfectly alright for them to keep a part of it for themselves. But the issue was in sending the wrong message. What they did was deceitful and untrue. They had cast a wrong impression. Peter's awareness of what had taken place was the gift of knowledge in demonstration.

"Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit?" Isn't this almost like what that scheming devil did to Judas? In John 13:2 we see that it was the devil that had "put into the heart (of Judas) to betray Jesus." We can be quite sure that every form of deceit can be traced to the devil. He is the origin of it.

The property was entirely at the couple's disposal. It was theirs. But what was unacceptable was the deceit and the wrong impression they cast. Ananias dropped dead for a simple deceit. Sounded so severe.

Luke was explicit. He said that the lie was committed against the Holy Spirit. Hence what happened after was a judgement of God. Peter was merely the instrument to execute it.
   
As soon as Peter exposed the weight of their sin, Ananias collapsed and fell at the Apostle's feet, totally dead. There was no time even for him to repent. And three hours later, Sapphira unaware of what had transpired, came in.

As Peter  interrogated her, she had the opportunity at this point to tell the truth. The question should have indicated that Peter knew the truth. But she did not seize on the chance given. She chose to lie to the Holy Spirit as well.

When she lied, Peter had a nagging question. So he asked, “Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test?" As soon as Peter said that, she, liked her husband, fell dead. The same group of young men who buried her husband also carried her out for burial.

This account tells us of how zealously the Holy Spirit guarded and is still guarding the church. There must be no trifling with the Holy Spirit. Man may not always see through a deceit, but not the Holy Spirit. Nothing could escape Him.

This is a solemn reminder that the power of the Holy Spirit is here to help us to live an honest, truthful life. It is detrimental for us  to sabotage His work by greed and deceit.

Truthful living helps us to live a liberated and free life. We will never need to guard an untruth. We would not need to be fearful of being found out. So, let's live sincerely and honestly. Let's be truthful in every circumstance!

Acts 4:32-37 - Koinonia - Communal Living

"Koinonia" meaning communion, participation, partnership, and  etc,  is the essence of these few verses. The New Testament church had true communion. They participated in the resurrected life of Christ and in each other's life. They were in partnership for the Gospel.

This passage underscores the power-filled witness of the community. They had unity. Everyone in the community shared in a communal pool. As Luke talked about this New Testament community, he also introduced Joseph Barnabas.

Barnabas was a generous and encouraging personality. His role and contributions to the church would be highlighted in the next eleven chapters of Acts.

Those members of this New Testament community were knitted in hearts and souls. Jesus was their unifying factor. Their dedication was seen clearly in their commitment to Christ and to each other.

No one claimed any possession to be privately owned property. Everything they had was the Lord's.  They saw it as a loan from Him. It was meant for the good of the community. That unity became a powerful witness to Christ's resurrection. Their emphasis was on the spiritual realities and not material possession. God's grace and love were felt and manifested through each one.

God had truly answered their prayer for boldness. They courageously and willingly sold their properties and unselfishly brought the proceeds to the Apostles for distribution to the needy among them. Thus, there was no one who was in dire need.

From describing the community, verses 36-37 zoomed in on one generous disciple. He was none other than Joseph who was called Barnabas by the Apostles. The meaning of Barnabas is son of encouragement, and he truly lived up to his name and reputation.

If Barnabas were to be  alive today, we would have nick-named him Barney. He had a caring nature. He was a member of the tribe of Levi. His family must have migrated to Cyprus, where he was born. From Colossians 4:7, we are told he was a cousin of John Mark, the author of the Gospel of Mark.

At some point in time, Levites had also become land owners. So in verse 37, it reveals that Barnabas owned large parcels of land and he sold them, and brought the proceeds of the sales and left them with the Apostles, for distribution.

These six verses pulsate with unity, grace, power and love and generosity. The church at her best demonstrated these qualities. Their hearts beat as one. There was oneness in spirit and soul. Why? They were focused on Christ and bent on obeying Him.

No wonder the world saw the reality of Christ and experienced grace and power exuding from the church. Through the church, the people came to Christ because the impact of Christ's resurrection life was seen in the life of this new community.

The church today needs to go back and take a lesson from the primitive church with her pure love, grace, power, unity and generosity. We need a fresh dose of His resurrection power. We need to learn to look away from self and to Christ.

If we are to make impact in the world, we need to be one in the Spirit and one in the Lord! We need to walk and work hand in hand!  We need to act and do as the Lord had instructed.

And He still says to us, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35 - NIV)

Acts 4:23-31 - Prayer for Boldness

In this passage we didn't see a lengthy committee meeting to discuss what steps to take since they were forbidden to speak of Christ. Instead we are told that they held a prayer meeting to ask for boldness to declare Christ.

Just think of these two Apostles, Peter and John, before and after the resurrection of Christ. Two very different responses. Now, they were not cowed by the threats nor the warnings. Immediately after their release, they met the other disciples to praise the Lord and to pray to Him. What a transformation!

Citing a portion of Psalm 2, they saw with great insights how the words spoken by the Psalmist foretold of what Pilate and Herod would do to the Christ. These words also indicated that the hostility toward the Lord was God's fore-ordained plan.

The Gentiles that raged against the Lord would be the Romans who sentenced and executed the Lord Jesus Christ. The people who imagined vain things would be formed by the Jewish adversaries who accused Jesus to the Romans.

Herod Antipas would clearly be included in the kings of the earth who took their stand against the Lord's Anointed.  And Pilate would represent one of the rulers that gathered against the Lord and against the Christ.

From these verses, we see that both Jews and Gentiles were responsible for the death of Jesus, the Christ. And all that had happened accomplished God's predestined plan. For God in His infinite wisdom used the evil intention of men to bring about His own plan and purpose.    

The Apostles' insight into the whole situation led them to make two bold requests. They did not ask for the threats to be removed. Instead they requested for boldness and confidence to speak inspite of the threats and warnings. They  already had great boldness yet they felt they needed more.

Then they asked for the Lord to continue to stretch forth His hand to heal. They wanted more signs and wonders to take place through the name of Jesus, God's Holy Servant. That was their desire.

Of course God answered them with the affirmative. The place where they held their prayer meeting was shaken. The Holy Spirit once again filled everyone and they spoke with great boldness. What a  climax!

There is no denial that prayer has a critical part in the effective life of God's  community. If effective witnessing, worship, evangelism, healings and signs and wonders are to be experienced consistently, the church must pray.

God's work requires (or more accurately, demands) that we come to Him to be imbued with divine enablement and energy. He is the source and supplier of grace and strength. We need to come to Him individually. And we also need to come  to Him corporately! This is our surest means to effectiveness!    

Acts 4:13-22 - Can't help but to proclaim

The growing confidence of Peter and John was now palpable. Instead of being infuriated by the Apostles, the presiding council were stricken with awe. They  recognized that Peter and John were untrained and unschooled men. Yet they had remarkable authority.

Furthermore, standing beside them was the cripple who was obviously healed. Still the council refused to be moved by the bona fide healing. The major problem confronting the Sanhedrin was what to do with these witnesses.

Standing in full view was the cripple who was healed. Considering his age stated in verse 22, he would have been in that condition for more than 40years. That was an astounding miracle.

So the miracle plus the increasing popularity of the Apostles made the situation too hot for the  council to handle. So they ordered the accused to leave the room so that they could confer with each other.

They couldn'e deny that  a miracle had taken place. In their dilemma all they could keep on doing was to ask,"What shall we do with these men?" The obvious answer lies in believing that the Lord Jesus Christ had indeed risen. But alas! The doctrine they held made them sneered at the thought of the resurrection.

Bringing the Apostles back, what else could they do except to threaten them and command them not to preach or teach in the name of Jesus again.

Their bold answer to Sanhedrin was, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” They just simply refused to accept  the demand.

Although they were sternly warned not to share about the resurrected Christ, they insisted that they could not dismiss what they had experienced.

The council found no reason to punish them, so after warning and threatening them not to speak about Christ, what else could they do but to let them go. They couldn't do much also because the people were praising God for the healing of this 40-plus-year-old cripple.

What about the church today? There's no such barrier. So what's preventing us from boldly declaring about Christ? Let us seize every opportunity to talk about Christ.

Acts 4:5-12 - The only Name that saves

Having locked up Peter and John for the night, they brought them out for questioning the next day. Members of the Sanhedrin present were rulers and scribes or teachers of the law and Annas, the father-in-law of Caiphas.

Although at this point Annas had already stepped down and was no longer the reigning high priest, he still had influence. Hence, He maintained the title as High priest. Also present was Caiphas, who was the reigning high priest.

Who was the John among the Sandherin? He was probably Johnathan, the son of Annas. He was the high priest after Caiphas had stepped down. Alexander was the otherwise unknown person. He could well be another member of the high priestly family.

Members of the high priestly family were all linked to the temple. Hence they were in opposition to the messiac movement which preached that the crucified Jesus who died, but now was resurrected and alive.

They must have sat in a semi circle and placed Peter and John in the centre and questioned them, wanting to know who gave them the power to do what they did. They wanted to know who gave them the right to bring disruption to the temple. So they asked, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?”

Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit Who had filled him, was given special wisdom  for the occasion. The Lord had promised them that at the right time, they would be given the ability to answer any query.

Respectfully and boldly Peter addressed the Sanhedrin, "Rulers and elders of the people", and forthrightly told that it was in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, that the cripple was healed. He even told them that this Jesus was the Same One they crucified and God had raised Him from the dead. What boldness!

Peter then went on to cite Psalm 118:22 and applied it to Jesus. He told them that Jesus was the very stone they had rejected but had now become the chief corner stone. Fearlessly, he declared that Jesus and Jesus alone was and still is the only name given by God under heaven where a person could find salvation. In no other name can salvation be obtained.

Peter’s assertive declaration came from his conviction that God has raised Jesus and seated Him at the right hand of all power. This  position would not be shared with anyone else. Therefore it's only in that Name that blessing would flow.

The Sanhedrin did not believe in the exaulted Lord Jesus or had any knowledge about Him, they couldn't accept what Peter had said. But Peter's words solemnly warned that there would be no hope for them nor Israel if they kept on rejecting Jesus. For this is the only Name where salvation could be found.

Look at the aggression of Peter! In essence He was saying Christ or nothing! Christ or judgment! For us who have found faith in Christ we can assertively declare that we are heaven bound. Meanwhile, we need to live a life of gratefullnes not arrogance. While we declare the only Name that saves, we must also walk circumspectly.

Acts 4:1 - 4 - Persecution of the church began

As the people were challenged by Peter's testimony of the resurrection of Christ and listening, the Apostles were quickly accosted by a group comprising, the priests (probably made up of Sadducees), the temple guard and the Sadducees themselves. .

Here, Luke mentions the Sadducees in particular. In the book of Acts we will see that they were the group that would come against the church.  They were troubled by Peter's teaching of the resurrection in particular.

The Sadducees comprised of  wealthy aristocrates during Jesus' day. They were more political in orientation. Hence, the they would align themselves with the Romans for political advantage. Furthermore, they were afraid of the subversive implications of the Apostle's teachings.

Theologically, the Sadducees believe in the Messianic age and were looking for the Messiah. Doctrinally they did not believe in the resurrection of the dead, a subject with was central to the Apostles' preaching and teaching. They knew that to say that Christ had risen would strengthen the position of the Pharisees, their key rival.

Hence, they were quick to come with the priests and temple guard to arrest Peter and John. Since it was already evening when they  arrested them, they then had the two Apostles thrown into jail until the next day.

Luke was quick to point out that a great number of them who heard the message believed. And those that responded totalled five thousand people. The growth was phenomenal.

Numbers do count to God. Therefore, we see in the book of Acts the mention of figures that believed in Jesus. Why? Becasue number represents people who had believed and trusted in Christ.

One other feature which we will constantly see in the preaching of Christ would be persecution. So if you encounter difficult people who want to make it hard for you to share Christ, know that this is to be expected. Be of good cheer, you're in good company with the Apostles. Just go ahead and share Christ. That's our calling to the Great Commission! Like the Apostles, let's be faithful in the task.  

Acts 3:17-26 - A Time for Repentance

Having stirred the hearts of the people for their parts in the crucifixion of Jesus, Peter was now ready to  make the appeal. While they were ignorant they were not innocent.

In one sense they were ignorant of God’s ultimate purpose. For they did not know why God sent His Son into the world to die. But on the other hand, they were not innocent in that they participated in putting Him to death. The rulers were guilty, so also were the followers.

Isn't it quite like what's happening today? Many people would wilfully follow their leaders blindly, to travel down the alley of errors. Even if they claim ignorance, they will not be excused for participating in the errors. They are in need of repentance.

However, Peter saw their ignorance as mitigating factors for their actions. Since they were ignorant, it certainly would make it  easier for them to respond to the offer and repent.

Peter told them that they had misunderstood the prophecies God had sent through His prophets, concerning the sufferings of the Christ. Those prophecies clearly stated that evil would be overecome through Christ's sufferings.

Hence,  they should now repent, both leaders and followers, so that their sins might be blotted out and they could have a time of refreshing that would come from the presence of the Lord.

In verses 20-21, Peter probably meant  that the people's repentance from evil and turning to the Lord would hasten His return. When He returns He would bring restoration and a time of refreshing.

Since the Jews had high regard for Moses, Peter then quoted him to show that the prophecy he had made refers to Jesus. Peter also reminded them of the  warning in the prophecy. It sternly warned that those who would not take heed to Jesus were in danger of destruction. They would be wiped out from among His people.

Besides quoting Moses, Peter also referred to Samuel and other prophets, indicating that they all foretold of what they were experiencing. The Jews were heirs of the prophets and the covenant God had made with their fathers.

God had specifically told Abraham that He would bless him and through his offsprings all the nations would be blessed. With that Peter pointed out that God first sent this message to the Jews.    
In the climax of his sermon, Peter reaffirmed the resurrection of Christ. From Him and other disciples and faithful followers, the ministry continues. In the preaching and teaching of the Christ, people would be turned away from their wickedness.

No wonder Paul said,"And... I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." (1 Corinthians 2:1-2)

This great sermon of Peter arose from the healing of a cripple. He said to the cripple, "Silver and gold I have none." The church today can certainly not say that, for we have plenty. But thankfully and hopefully, as we trust in Jesus and His resurrected power, we can say convincingly, "In the name of Jesus, arise and walk!"

Acts 3:11-16 - Faith in Jesus heals

The healed cripple stayed close to Peter and John as the people came together to watch with amazement what had just happened. Who won't? Everyone who ever passed by the Gate Beautiful of the temple would have known him. For he had sat there begging daily.

But now he was walking and leaping and praising God. When the noise had died down and everyone was in awe and wonderment, Peter seized the opportunity to link the miracle to the Lord.

On the day of Pentecost the people were attracted by 120 Spirit-filled men praising God. Now they were attracted by a miracle. The atmosphere were however, similar. There was an air of expectancy.

So addressing them, Peter  asked why should they be amazed? He asked them why they looked at them as if they had the power to heal that former cripple?

Quickly, Peter directed their attention to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Pointing to the healed cripple, he told them that it was this God's intention to glorify His Servant Jesus in the healing of this man.

Having turned their attention to Jesus, Peter told the audience that they had a hand in His crucifixion. First they wanted nothing to do with Him by handing Him over to Pilate. When Pilate gave them a chance to release Him, they turned down that opportunity and rejected Him. They instead asked for the release of a murderer.

They chose rather to kill the author of life. But God raised Him from the dead, and so as witnesses of that fact, Peter and the apostles were standing there to testify about the resurrected Christ.

Peter wanted them to see that the power behind that healing was faith in the risen Lord. It was by faith in Him that had brought about the obvious healing of this man.

This is a simple yet powerful truth. It is faith in Jesus, the Risen Lord that power is released. The Church can do nothing of her own except through Jesus, when the power of this Risen Christ is activated by one's faith in Him.

Let's never forget that even this faith is a gift. It cannot be generated by the human will. It is God Who would grant us this kind of faith when we request for it.

Let's make it our businness to make Jesus known! Let's declare the power of that name in all of its fullness! Let's also live to affirm our faith in HIm in all faithfulness! To HIm be the glory!

Acts 3:1-10 - Truly Live!

At this point in time, Peter and John had not broken with their Jewish traditions. Hence, it would be usual for them to go to the temple. So on that day, routinely, they were going to the temple for prayer. Notice that it was the ninth hour i.e. 3 o'clock in the afternoon, the same hour that Jesus said, "It is finished!"

At Gate Beautiful, the entrance into the temple, they encountered a lame man. He had been lame since birth, a congenitally crippled man. Unable to walk, he was carried to that gate daily and left there, so that he could beg alms from those going into the temple.

In Peter and John, he saw good prospects to receive some money. So he looked on them expectantly and begging to receive something from their purse. But instead, Peter along with John, fixed their gaze intensely on him and commanded him, saying, "Look at us!"

Now, momentarily the crippled felt hopeful.  But what he heard probably broke his expectation.  His world came crashing when he heard Peter said "Silver and gold I have none."

Then Peter followed by telling him what he really needed. He needed to start walking (and start living). The Apostles didn't give him what He wanted but they gave him what he needed. 

Then seizing the crippled by the hand, Peter raised him up and immediately, we are told, the bones just clicked into place. He found the strength. And with a leap he stood upright and began walking and following Peter and John into the temple.

Verse 9 tells us that he was not only walking with the Apostles into the temple, but also went in leaping and praising God.  When the people saw him walking and praising God, they were filled with awe and wonderment for they knew him as a crippled at the gate daily.

Many lessons could be gleaned from these 10 verses but here are four:

(1) Let us not depend on the little handouts in life to live by. But let us lay hold of God's greater desire for us. He wants to give us a life so that we can truly live. 

(2) True living begins in the temple not outside. For the longest time, that cripple could only stay outside the gate and never go in to taste the joy of worship. That eventful day, he began to have a taste of what it meant to be within the temple and in His presence.                

(3) What Peter and John did, stands as a testimony that we can never give what we do not have. And conversely, it's also true that we can only give what we have. So bear in mind when we come to serve God, we can only give out of our overflow. 

(4) God's priority is to give what we need, not what we want. Let's not look for the little jingles of life. Let's focus on the core of  living by staying connected to Christ. We will definitely experience the impact of a vibrant relationship with Christ in our daily living.  

Acts 2:42-47 - God's Community

Genuine participation in the reality of the Lord always has a sustained enthusiasm. It is not a momentary experience. Hence, the Christian community met continually and devotedly. Essentially there are four components: teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayers.

Teaching was the ongoing life of the church. Experience without a strong foundation of the Word could be hazardous. What we experience helps us to affirm the reality of God's presence, but they must be based solidly on the objective Word of God.

Hence, teaching is a critical component in the on-going life of the church. It is not just any kind of teachings. It must be sound teachings based on apostolic tradition.  This kind of teaching will establish the church firmly on the truth of God's Word and keep her evangelical.

The true community also takes into consideration the fellowship. It's body-life. The word used here is "koinonia" meaning common or commonality. In the New Testament it has been translated with different words such as participation, partnership, fellowship and etc. The idea is this: the church shared a common life.

Verse 43 tells us that it was a fellowship attested by many signs and wonders from the hands of the Apostles. Not only that, verses 44-45 tell us that they pulled together their resources and placed them in a common pool.

Here we also see a picture of generosity. Those  capable would contribute more. They sold their property (likely to be their spare one) and brought the proceeds to the common coffer for the sustenance of the community. They literally divested themselves of the material good for the well-being of the community.

Then they also shared in "the breaking of bread." This was the clear expression that the Spirit was at work in the community. This refers not only to the "last supper" or the "communion" as we know it. But it also included a communal feast. It's a sort of a communal meal in anticipation of the ultimate banquet with the Messiah.      

Then they had prayers. They met in the temple and also in homes for prayers to commune with God. The Jewish hours of prayer were being observed. For our application, prayers must not only be offered on the Lord's day when we attend church service, it must also be a private, regular and daily exercise.

Notice in verses 46-47, the believers participated in the life of the church with gladness and sincerity. Praise to God was freely offered. They also found favor among the unbelievers and evangelism was a common occurance. Hence the church just kept on increasing in numbers. Why? Because the Lord kept saving the unbelievers  to be added to their number, daily.

The contemporary church can be taken up with so many seemingly legitimate activities.  As members of this community, we need to pause and reflect. We need to see if we are fulfilling our unique call. We need to align and be devoted to "the apostle's teaching and fellowship, to the  breaking of bread and prayers." Let's pray and individually seek to be used by the Lord to build a community where the Spirit truly reigns!

   

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Acts 2:37-41 - Need for Salvation, not Correction

Peter's Spirit-inspired sermon was so stirring that the crowds wanted to know what to do. It must be said, that what had happened was not to emphasize Peter's skill in delivering the message, but to reveal what a Spirit-empowered message could do.

What the people wanted to know essentially was how to eradicate the guilt for participating in what was wrong.  And there's nothing one can personally do to remove the guilt of one's wrong. The answer lies in what God had done through Christ.

So Peter did not give them a step-by-step instruction to eradicate their guilt. He offered them the plan to be reconciled with God.  It's the plan of salvation.  This is God's way to a forgiven and liberated life in the Spirit.

This salvation plan requires a U-turn from one's past and a participation in the life-giving Spirit offered in Christ. For this is what "to repent and be baptised in the name of Jesus" mean.

The wonderful truth of this whole episode is the fact that this promise was not just for the early eye-witnesses, but also to us subsequent hearers of this truth. How do we know? Verse 39 tells us so. "For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.”

Verses 40-41 tell us that Peter kept on with many other encouraging words. With seriousness he kept  on testifying and urging the people to "Be saved from this perverse generation." The result of Peter's Spirit-empowered sermon, 3,000 souls were saved and baptised in one day!

The crux of what Peter had said is this: the way to a liberated life is not in a plan that will bring correction, but in the plan that had brought salvation. This is offered in Christ Jesus.

What Peter said still points us to what God had done. A forgiven life is not found in what we can do but in what God had done. Self-will cannot get us there. It is celebrating and participating in what Christ had accomplished.

So Paul in Ephesians 5:17 urged us, "...do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is."

Acts 2:22-36 - Jesus, the Christ affirmed

The Apostle Peter began his message in Acts 2:14-21 by inferring that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was the fulfilment of an Old Testament prophecy by the Prophet Joel.

Now from Acts 2:22-36, he proves that Jesus is both Lord and Christ. In these verses, he began by describing Christ's incarnation, then His crucifixion and resurrection. Conclusively, he proves that Christ's resurrection and ascension made Him both the Lord and Israel's long-awaited Christ.  

In verse 22, he first talked about Jesus' incarnation. He was a man from Nazareth. Hence, He was referred to as the Nazarene. As a Man, Jesus was attested by God through the many miracles, wonders and signs that He  performed. These were known and attested facts.

In verse 23, Jesus' crucifixion is described. His death was part of God's eternal plan. In His foreknowledge, God allowed Jesus to be delivered to the people's desire. And with the help of godless men, they had this Jesus, God Incarnate,  crucified.      

Then in verse 24, Jesus' resurrection is explained. Death could not hold Him. God raised Him and delivered Him from the agony of death. Hallelujah! Jesus Christ is resurrected and He is alive!

To prove Christ's resurrection and ascension, Peter quoted parts of two Psalms: (1) Psalm 16:8-11, (2) Psalm 110:1

Peter argued that Psalm 16:8-11 was talking about Jesus' resurrection. These four verses refer to someone whom the grave could not hold and whose body  did not undergo decay.

Peter added, from verses 29-33, by saying that King David, who penned these verses in Psalm 16, could not have fitted the description. Why?  Because his deteriorated body remained in his grave.

These verses were David's words spoken prophetically about the Christ.  That He, the Christ, would be raised from death and His body would not undergo decay.

As the Resurrected and Exalted Lord, Peter explained further in verse 33, Jesus the Christ had received the Holy Spirit, the promised of the Father. So now this Pentecostal experience that was being encountered was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit by this Resurrected and Exalted Lord.  

Quoting Psalm 110:1, Peter showed in verses 34-35 that King David is not the subject of this verse. Christ, the ascended Lord is. For David did not ascend to heaven but Christ Jesus did. Hence this verse is again referring to the Lord's ascension.

Rightly understood, the verses quoted from these two Psalms  could only be referring to Christ's resurrection and ascension. Hence, Peter's assertion was this: when rightly interpreted, these verses could not be any clearer and certain that Jesus is both Lord and Christ.  And indeed He is!

In the light of this revelation, let us adore and worship Him! Let us dare to obey, follow and serve our highly exalted Lord!

Resurrected and Exalted Lord,
Just speak a word into my heart,
I will obey, I'll follow and do my part
Earnestly, I'm listening to Your heart
Lord, don't let me unheard depart.
I'm truly listening Lord for Thee,
Master speak, just speak to me!

Acts 2:14-21 - The Phenomenon Explained

Peter, the leading Apostle, stood up with the other eleven who took their position with him, including Matthias the replacement. Then unabashedly and boldly, Peter explained to the crowd what was actually happening.

The same cowardly Peter who only some 50 days earlier denied the Master and went into hiding. The same Peter who earlier wanted to return to his old fishing trade, had now been transformed.  What a difference the Holy Spirit could make in one's life!  His was a remarkable transformation.

So the transformed Peter addressed the audience. He respectfully addressed  them, "Men of  Judea and all who lived in Jerusalem." And humbly, he explained to them that it was far too early for them to be drunk, as it was only nine o'clock in the morning. What happened took place because it's the dawning of a brand new day. It's the dawning of a brand new age.

What they were experiencing was beyond human explanation. It's the work of the Holy Spirit. It's the promise of  the Father being poured out.  His Spirit had been sent to fill all flesh. This was not a spur-of-the-moment experience. It was foretold by the prophet, Joel. Long before this would take place, God's prophet had already declared this special moment.

Joel foretold that regardless of gender, age or status, everyone could have this spiritual encounter. God's intention was clear. He wants all to experience this amazing power of the Holy Spirit. This third person of the Holy Trinity would bring to God's children the varied wonderful experiences.

Whether sons or daughters, they would prophesy. And the  young men would also see vision, and the old men dream dreams. All barriers would be removed. Regardless of  gender - man or woman; or age - young or old; or social barrier - slaves or free, God would make no distinction. All could experience this amazing grace of God's power.

Joel had also predicted what would happen in the last days - in the sky there would be wonders and on earth there would be great signs. Blood, fire, vapor and smoke, imageries of calamities of nature or war would be common. We are aware that there is no indication that war would abate any time soon. Then the signs in the sun and moon indicate the ushering in of the last day (Jesus spoke of this in Matthew 24:29). All these events point to the coming of The Lord - the great and glorious day.

However, the crux of Joel's message is found in verse 21. ‘And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

The reticent Peter became God's amazing spokesman. What brought the transformation? The Holy Spirit of course! God wants us to have this amazing transformation too, so that we can be His spokesmen in the world. He is also aware of our problems and shortcomings. That's why He had made the Holy Spirit available to us to transform our lives. He is waiting to do a work in us. So let's not wait any longer!

Acts 2:5-13 - Speaking the Wonders of God

Gathered in Jerusalem when the Holy Spirit came to birth the church, was a great crowd of devout Jews and some proselytes. In this passage we see that these people came from 13 different locations. They were there to celebrate the Feast of Pentecost.

The great sound of the rushing wind  attracted the people. As they gathered to see what was happening, the Apostolic band in the upper-room must have also come out into the open. And they were all speaking in other tongues, telling the mighty deeds of God.

What was amazing was the fact that each one could hear the message in their own language. Just imagine 13 nationalities, all hearing the wonders of God in their own native languages.

They marveled, for those who were speaking the mighty deeds of God were untrained, unschooled folks from the villages of Galilee. Yet they were speaking the languages of foreign cities so fluently. So they were all filled with awe and wonderment.

Verse 11 specifically tells us that they were speaking about the mighty deeds of God. Over and over in the various languages they kept speaking of the wonders of God with great Joy and enthusiasm.

However, there was a group who mockingly felt that they must have  had a drink too many. Jestingly the jeerers exclaimed that, "They are full of sweet wine." To them what they heard were  merely drunken speeches.

They must have thought since it was the Pentecost celebration, to be filled with sweet wine was understandable. The only problem was that they said it with disdain.

These disciples were indeed filled with the "New Wine." Any discerning listener would remember what Jesus Himself said, about putting new wine into fresh wine skin." (Matthew 9:17).

Come to think of it, their speaking of the wonders of God was an unusual miracle for at least three reasons:

Firstly, what was spoken by 120 people at the same time and was being heard distinctly by thousands of people, also all at the same time. The amazing thing was that they all heard it in their own native language.

Secondly, as they were speaking about the wonders of God, they spoke with such joy and enthusiasm so much so that some scoffed at them, jesting that they were drunk.

Thirdly, despite their supposed drunken speech, yet what were spoken were so connected as to make sense to the hearers.

Bear in mind that there will always be people who will accept our account of what God had done, when we share our personal testimonies. But don't be surprised that there will also be skeptics who may jeer or show disdain at what we have said. Don't be derailed by them.

One final lesson from this account: One's joy in worship and intimacy with God is a reflection of His reality in one's life.  The degree of our intimacy with God can be detected in the joyful worship we bring to Him. Our worship is a witness. Do it well!



     

Acts 2:1-4 - Filled with the Holy Spirit

The Apostolic band returned from Olivet with dazzling hope, and were meeting for prayer continuously in the upper-room. They didn't know how long they had to wait before the Holy Spirit would descend. But they were full of expectant trust.

Exactly 10 days after the Ascension of the Lord, on the day of Pentecost, as they were gathered as usual, the Holy Spirit descended visibly upon them.  Pentecost was significant in that it was one of the three celebrations that Jews everywhere would gather in Jerusalem to celebrate, the Feast of Pentecost.

Pentecost is also known as the the feast of firstfruit. By the way, Jewish tradition in Jesus' day, believed that 50 days after Passover, Moses received the Ten Commandments.

As they were bowed praying, three significant things happened. First was the mighty rushing wind.  Wind speaks of the power of God. Luke said, suddenly, they felt the breeze of the Holy Spirit.

It came as a strong rushing mighty wind. Just imagine! The sleeves and hems of their long garments flapping to and fro. The power of God was literally felt as  the Holy Spirit filled the room and blow on everyone present.

Then there was the fire. Fire always speaks of the presence of God. It came not just to burn away the chaff of their lives, it came to warm their gathering. It divided itself into tongue-like flames, visibly seen and resting individually on everyone present.

This reminds us of what John the Baptist had said, "As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." (Luke 3:16)

Thirdly, each one of them was filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues - human languages that they did not learn. The mouths were theirs, the utterances were God's. In other words, they offered their mouth to speak, and the Holy Spirit gave them the utterances. What they said was audibly heard.

What phenomena!  Wind, fire and speech! They felt, they saw and they spoke. What an experience!

What implications has all this for us today?  The Holy Spirit is bringing in a new lease of life to all who believe in Jesus. The Holy Spirit is given to empower us, to cleanse us and to enable us to speak for Christ. He is to lead, guide and empower you for service. Will you allow Him? Heed the call of God, "And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit..."!

Acts 1:15-26 - Judas' Replacement, a Grim Reminder

Judas Iscariot, the man who betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.  What is the value of having this part brought up again in Acts? Luke's intention was to show that even such a tragic event, as the Lord's betrayal by Judas, happened so as to fulfill God's purpose. It was a part of divine plan of redemption.

The replacement of Judas took place in one of their gatherings after Christ's Ascension.  In the upper-room that day were 120 disciples. Notice that the 120   people was put in parenthesis. It represents the minimal requirement to makeup a synagogue.

In that upper-room, Peter stood up saying that King David (in the Psalms) already hinted about Judas' betrayal. This betrayer (not even wanting to mention his name), Peter said, was counted among the 12 and should have had a share in the ministry. Christ had promised that the 12 Apostles would be ruling over the 12 tribes of Israel.

Peter went on to narrate how Judas used the money he acquired in his betrayal of Jesus, to buy a parcel of land.  Regretting his action, the Gospels said, he went out and hung himself. The plot of land he acquired was bought with blood  money. That's why it came to be known as the Hakeldama or "Field of Blood."  

Verse 18 describes his aweful death. Sanctified imagination tells us that his decomposed body must have fallen from where he hung himself , bursting  his abdomen and spilling out his guts and all.  

Quoting a few lines from the Psalms, Peter showed that someone must now be appointed to replace Judas. What qualification should a person possess to qualify for this role?

Verses 21-22  tell us that this person must be one who was with them during the Lord's earthly presence. The candidate must have been a follower of the Lord from the days of John the Baptist until the time of His Ascension. So they put forward two names - Joseph or Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthais. They then prayed and cast lots and the lot fell on Matthias who was added to make up the 12 Apostles.

Judas's action wasn't a spur-of-the-moment  happenstance. He had walked with the Lord and was in close proximity to Him. His couldn't have a better growth  environment. Yet we see a slow and steady regression, and deterioration of character. How he ended stands as a warning to us, of  how tragically a person can end, despite being in the best of spiritual climate and envorinment.

Let's never forget what Paul said in 1 Corinthiians 10:12, "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." (KJV)                                                    

Acts 1:12-14 - Fervent Praying

From Olivet, the Apostolic band took a Sabbath day journey back to Jerusalem. What's a Sabbath journey? It's the distance stipulated in the Jewish Mishnah that a person was only allowed to walk on the Sabbath day. It's about 1,100 meters and would roughly take about 30-45 minutes or so.

What do you think could be on their minds as they journey back to Jerusalem? Is it too much to imagine that they would be full of excitement and anticipation? Just think of the different things Jesus said that would come to mind as they were journeying back.

Now they were fullly excited as they walked back to Jerusalem. The item that would have filled their minds and talks must surely be Luke 24:49, "And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high." Filled with that thought, they bee-lined for the upper room on entering the city.

This could well be the same room that they had the Last Supper with Jesus. What a fitting place! To have the farewall meal and also the place where Jesus talked about sending  to them the Holy Spirit after His Ascension.

This was the very place that they would usher in the Holy spirit. A place that eventually 120 people gathered and prayed, and received  the coming of the Holy Spirit. Hence, this must be a fairly large room to accommodate that amount of people.

In verse 13, Luke lists for us the key people of this impending movement. They included the remaining Eleven Apostles, the devout women who followed Jesus all the way from Galilee, and the Lord's mother and earthly brothers.

Tender hearted, the expectant entourage came together for prayer. They prayed unitedly, persistently, continually and devotedly. They did not stop till the Holy Spirit came on them.

Once you have truly known Christ, you can never have enough of Him. Your just want to have more and more of Him. But we can go no further in our spiritual walk without the wind of the Spirit on the sails of our lives. We need to hoist our sails to catch the wind of the Spirit. Individually and corpoartely, the Church needs the Holy Spirit for our mission for the Lord.

It's time to hoist our sails! How else can we catch the wind but through united, persistent, continual and devoted prayers? While the drift of this passage is about corporate prayer, what's more critical is our own personal prayer habit.

Personally, we need to be in prayer. Persistently! Continually! Devotedly! Be bold! Lets ask Him to fill our cup and keep it overflowing with His ever-living stream of the refreshing Spirit. For Jesus had said, "How much more will your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those  who ask Him?" (Luke 11:13).

Acts 1:9-11 - Get Going!

Luke revisits the scene of Christ's Ascension in these three verses. As we have learnt, this event took place on the Mount of Olives. At the slope with the apostolic band looking on, the Lord was literally lifted upward to the sky.

And shortly, He was received by a cloud and taken out of the sight of the on-looking followers. As their eyes were fixed intensely in the direction that the Lord had gone up, two men dressed in white stood beside them.

Those two men, presumably angels, then asked, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky?" It looks like they were so caught up with the spectacular sight, that they had momentarily lost sight of the final words the Lord gave them.

Imagine, they were so caught up in wonders at what they had seen. So engrossed! And like them, we too could also be so engrossed by some pet doctrines or spiritual spectaculers. We could be so mesmerized and caught up by them that we also lose sight of the immediate task we have been commissioned to do.

In verse 11, there's one other thing the angels said.  "This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”  What the angels said had some implications.

Firstly, it implies that the Lord Jesus will come again -  visibly and gloriously. But when and how long before He would return were not made known.

Secondly, it suggests that this interim period the disciples were expected  to engage in witnessing and expanding the Kingdom of God. It's  time for them to faithfully get on with the task that Christ had mandated them to do.

Like the apostolic band that witnessed Christ's Ascension, we must also find our confidence in the truth of His resurrection and ascension. As this truth fueled their desire to evangelise, so also it must fuel ours.

The essence of these three verses is this: Christ is coming again, so get going - evangelise and live a life that will be ready to usher in His return!
 

Acts 1:1-8 - Empowered for Service

Luke, who penned the third Gospel was also the author of Acts. The very first verse tells us so. Both accounts were written to Theophilus (Luke 1:3; Acts 1:1), who was likely a high government officer as well as a friend.

In the Gospel, we see Christ's works till His crucifixion and resurrection. Now in the book of Acts, we will see His works after His ascension and exaltation. In Acts 1:1-2 Luke summarised his Gospel account, where he detailed, '... all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen."

Verses 3-5 emphasize that the Lord has indeed risen from death. He proved so by His many appearances to different disciples, and convincing proofs. And over a period of 40 days, He taught the Apostles and His followers about the Kingdom of God.

While with them, Christ reiterated the call to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father.  By this, the Lord was referring to the Holy Spirit, Whom  He had promised to send when He returned to the Father.

John the Baptist's baptism, He told them, was with water, but the baptism they were about to experience would be with the Holy Spirit. This experience is commonly referred to as the "baptism of or with the Holy Spirit."

Their narrowed Jewish mentality saw only the restoration of the kingdom to Israel. The Lord has a much larger goal: the whole earth. The Lord bypassed their question by telling them not to speculate. As the precise time and beginning of a new age, are  entirely in the Father's control.

The reason the Lord chose not to answer their narrow-minded question was probably because He wanted His final words to reverberate in their minds. His final words were captured in Acts 1:8. He said, "..." but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."

This is the key verse to the whole book of Acts. It captures His final words to His followers just prior to His being taken up to heaven.  It explicitly lays down the terms for those who would follow Him.  This every verse encapsulates the Apostolic Mission and the Mission of the Church of Christ.

This is a call to reach the whole earth. From Acts chapters 1-7, we will see the mission in Jerusalem; Acts chapters 8-11, the mission in Judea and Samaria; and Acts chapters 12-28, the mission to all the earth.  

Just imagine the magnanimity of the scope - the whole earth! On the surface and by our strength alone it would be an impossible task. The Lord knows that. Hence He said, the power to accomplish it would be that of the Holy Spirit.

Through the Holy Spirit, we, His disciples, today can also find the same divine power and dynamite to be His effective witnesses. In the Gospel of Luke, We saw how one perfect man, the Lord Jesus, lived. In the book of Acts, we shall see how imperfect men touched by Him and empowered by the Holy Spirit, should live.

Remember, we are called to witness and the Lord wants to baptise us with the Holy Spirit so that we will have the power to witness.  In the Gospel, He gave us His life, in Acts, He gives us His power. Be committed! For that's the key to this fufilling  life.