Reading the book of Acts can be wonderfully encouraging. It is a story of what God can do in just one generation (30 to 40 years). If God could do so much then, remember he is still the same today, and can do it all again. This is the second book written by Luke. The first one is the gospel of Luke. In both books we have the same writer, the same reader (Theophilus) and the same subject, Jesus Christ. In the first book, Jesus comes down to earth to work and to die here. In the second book, he goes back to heaven but continues his work on earth through the Holy Spirit and the church. The ascension of Christ is mentioned four times in this chapter in verses 2, 9, 11 and 22. He was 'taken up' in his physical body and has that body in heaven now. It is his resurrected, glorified body of course, but it still bears the marks and scars of Calvary. It is possible that the only body which will have scars in heaven is his body. Did you ever think of that? In the six weeks before he went back to heaven, Christ gave to the disciples his program and told them what he wanted them to do after he was gone. He emphasised two facts: 1. The disciples would be his witnesses. 2. This would not be in their own power, but that of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost and what a wonderful difference his coming made in the disciples. There is no other way to explain the marvellous results of the apostles' preaching. It was the power of the Holy Spirit working through them. And that is what the world saw – the Holy Spirit giving them strength, power and courage and perhaps most of all, love. Can the world see anything like that in our church or in our lives today? PRAYER: Lord Jesus, help me to learn how to let your Holy Spirit do his work in me each day. |
沒有留言:
張貼留言