Acts

Reflection on Acts 2:1-21

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Scripture

Everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages as the Holy Spirit gave them the ability.

Observation

The Day of Pentecost, ten days after Jesus ascended to heaven, and all the believers are together.

Suddenly there is a sound like a wind storm, and tongues of fire appear over each of them. They are all filled with the Holy Spirit and begin speaking in tongues.

People come running from all over the neighbourhood because of the commotion. There are people from all over the Roman Empire, there for the Festival, and they all hear the disciples praising God in their native languages.

Application

The Holy Spirit comes in the form of wind and fire- sound and visual symbols of God’s power and His holiness.

Filled with power, the disciple speak in other tongues. Instantly they become the witnesses to Jesus that He had promised would happen. Their tongue language is heard by listeners as their own native language, and they hear the disciples praising God.

The Holy Spirit is given to all christians when we believe. Yet for many, the Holy Spirit always remains a mystery, and the gifts of the Spirit are unknown to them.

When we first believe, or when we are baptised in water, there should be a baptism in the Spirit that seals or represents that we have passed from being mere people to a people endowed with grace and power.

Speaking in tongues can be a stumbling block for many- either accepting it in their minds as a real gift of God or in receiving or activating it. I believe the key is to receive by faith. Open the mouth and let God fill it. Let the words flow and let the praise of God flow from our lips.

We need to learn to flow in all of the spiritual gifts and allow the Holy Spirit to use us to be His witnesses.

Prayer

Come Holy Spirit. Fill me. Let your words of your language flow out of me in praise and adoration. Amen.

Reflection on Acts 1:12-26

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Scripture

They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women and the brothers of Jesus.

Observation

The apostles return to Jerusalem to the house where they were staying. They constantly meet together, united in prayer with other believers.

During this time, Peter addresses a gathering of about 120 believers and tells them they need to elect a replacement for Judas. They nominate two men, of whom Matthias is chosen by lot.

Application

It seems that the disciples prayed for much of the time they were told to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. We are not given many details of these prayer gatherings, but it seems likely that they were seeking God together for most hours of the day, perhaps into the evenings, with people coming and going as they were able.

This is a remarkable amount of prayer to our modern minds. And this was before the Holy Spirit was poured out.

Students of revival often point out that all revivals (however we understand the term) are preceded by a movement of prayer and unity. People come from various congregations to gather, putting traditions and doctrines aside for the purpose of praying for the Holy Spirit to revive the church and the community.

The fact is that even this prayer born of desperation, has to be empowered by the Holy Spirit. Otherwise people get bored, discouraged or distracted, before the real objective is achieved.

The starting point always has to be prayer. And if we fail in praying, we have to get back up and keep on praying. And when, after sustained communal prayer, the Holy Spirit comes, we will receive power to be witnesses.

Prayer

Holy Spirit come. Come and empower us to pray so that we might have grace to receive more of you. Amen.

Reflection on Acts 1:1-11

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Scripture

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere- in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Observation

The Book of Acts starts with a kind of prelude pointing to the power of the Holy Spirit and the spread of the message of the Kingdom as far as the ends of the earth.

It begins with a quick recap of the facts of Jesus’ death and resurrection, including the command to wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus promises they will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes. Then, even as He is saying this, Jesus is taken up to heaven. Two angels appear to confirm that Jesus has gone to heaven but will one day return.

Application

The promise of Jesus is that when the Holy Spirit comes, we will receive power to be His witnesses everywhere.

In the church we have many evangelism training programs and classes. But Jesus did not say, “When you finish this course you will be my witnesses.”

We have many words, scripts and formulations, but Jesus did not say, “When you get the words right, you will be my witnesses.”

The professional evangelists, those with the ministry gift of evangelist, often try to guilt the rest of us into doing evangelism. But Jesus did not tell us to witness from a place of guilt, or feelings of religious duty.

When the Holy Spirit comes upon us, then we will receive power and we will be His witnesses. This is a promise that, in some way, the Holy Spirit will use each one of us to “be witnesses”, that is to have the nature of a person who points others to Christ. Under the power of the Holy Spirit this will happen naturally (or supernaturally) out of our new nature.

For too long, the church has brought training program after training program to “equip” people to share faith- with little result. Instead, we need to focus our attention on waiting for the Holy Spirit, receiving the Holy Spirit, being baptised in the Holy Spirit. Then we will be witnesses.

I long to see a church filled with people so full of the Holy Spirit that they can’t help but be witnesses to the love of Jesus.

Prayer

Come Holy Spirit. Fill me. Baptise me. Empower me. May I be your witness. Amen.

Reflection on Acts 16:16-34

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Scripture

They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved– you and your household.”

Observation

A slave girl possessed by a spirit of divination follows Paul and Silas for several days calling out, “these men are servants of the Most High God who ar telling you the way to be saved.” Finally, Paul casts the spirit out of her.

The owners of the slave girl realise their opportunity to make money has been taken from them. They seize Paul and Silas and taken them to the authorities. Paul and silas are flogged and thrown into prison.

About midnight, Paul and Silas are praying and singing, when there is an earthquake that opens all the prison doors. The jailer is about to kill himself, but Paul tells him the prisoners are all still there.

The jailer taes Paul and Silas home where they shre the gospel with his family, and they are all saved.

Application

The gospel is so simple that the least educated of people can understand it.

“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.”

There is no complicated formula or initiation process. No great knowledge is required. Just an understanding that we are sinners, and Jesus is our Saviour.

One small point needs to be stated about the word “believe.” It really means trust. To believe in Jesus is to trust Him and to accept that our lives now belong to Him. It is not about believing in some facts, but believing in a person.

If you have never put your faith in Jesus as your Saviour, do it now.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, I thank you for paying the price for my sins. I put my hope in you and I trust you to show me how to live for you. Amen.

Reflection on Acts 11:1-18

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Scripture

When the others heard this, they stopped objecting and began praising God. They said, “We can see that God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of repenting of their sins and receiving eternal life.”

Observation

Not long after Peter visited the house of Cornelius and the household was saved and filled with the Holy Spirit, news gets back to Jerusalem. When Peter arrives there, he is criticised for eating in the homes of Gentiles.

Peter recounts the story of his vision of unclean animals, the command to eat and the subsequent visit to the home of Cornelius. He tells how when he began to speak, the Gentiles believed and received the Holy Spirit.

Application

At first, the believers were all Jewish, and they understood Jesus’ ministry in the context and the culture of Judaism. It does not appear to have occurred to any of them that Gentiles could be saved. The next big issue that plagued the church was whether Gentiles needed to become Jewish in order to live as a follower of Jesus.

The Holy Spirit kept on showing them that the gospel was bigger than anyone could have imagined.

Salvation is for everyone who will repent- that is turn away from their sins- and follow Jesus.

The gospel is freely available to all people. In Revelation, John talks repeatedly about people from every tribe and nation and ethnic group.

There are no prerequisites for following Jesus, apart form a heart that loves God. God’s grace is like a flooding river that flows right over the top of human distinctions.

“God so loved the world” means the whole world. Every human being from the North Pole to the South, and all the points in between is loved by God.

We are all candidates for heaven if we accept Jesus as Lord.

Prayer

Thank you Lord for your great and amazing grace that is so big that it even includes sinners like me. Amen.

Reflection on Acts 9:32-53

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Scripture

Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning towards the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up.

Observation

This passage records two miracles by Peter. Firstly a paralysed man named Aeneas is healed.

The second miracle is the raising of Tabitha, a disciple who had done many good works. Peter goes in, prays and then commands her to get up. She opens her eyes and then sits up.

Application

Peter was obviously a man of great faith. As a true disciple, a follower of Jesus, he was able to do the same kinds of miracles which Jesus had done.

Peter knew the resurrection power of Jesus, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and he was bold enough to preach and to enact the word of the Lord.

We look at these passage for tips on how to heal people or how to pray. This passage is not about those two things.

Peter clearly had a very intimate relationship with God. Like Jesus he was able to say, “I only do what the Father is doing.”

In order to see the miracles of God working in us and through us, we need to pursue that kind of relationship with the Lord.

Daily prayer and scripture reading, exercising the gifts of the Holy Spirit, listening to God and obeying Him, are the simple paths to this intimacy with God.

Prayer

Lord, please help me to walk in your ways. Help me to have that close relationship with you that transforms lives daily. Amen.