Journey Through The Bible
     Old Testament Reading: Exodus 7-10
     New Testament Reading: Acts 1

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Here in his 2^nd volume, the book of Acts, Luke describes the amazing adventures of the formation and development of the church. The apostles began their ministry to fulfill the Great Commission of Jesus taking the gospel to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the end of the earth. In the closing chapter of the Gospel of Luke, Jesus’ followers were discouraged and disillusioned. They were confused and bewildered, but now in these opening chapters, they are confident and courageous. What changed? The difference was the indwelling Holy Spirit.

To understand the power of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers, we need to look no further than the apostles. Before the coming of the Holy Spirit, they were distraught and troubled. During the trial and crucifixion of Jesus, they fled in fear, deserting Him. One denied even knowing Him. After three years of teaching by Jesus, they still did not understand the reason for His coming. The apostles and devoted followers of Jesus huddled together in Jerusalem, wondering when the kingdom would be restored to Israel.

But when the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, everything changed. Rather than hide, the apostles boldly witnessed with a remarkable understanding of Scripture. A short time after Pentecost, the religious leaders observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men(Acts 4:13). Their insight into the scriptures and the powerful ministry they performed amazed them. These ordinary people could do extraordinary things because the Spirit of God was at work in their lives.

Christians today are not apostles, but the same Holy Spirit who turned fearful fishermen into confident dynamic evangelists and missionaries indwells us. This gift of the Holy Spirit is not reserved for a few ‘Super Christians’. It is given to every believer at the moment of salvation.

As Christians, we have the very same Holy Spirit indwelling in us today as the apostles had 2,000 years ago. As we read through the book of Acts over the next few weeks, all the incredible things they accomplished for God should not amaze us. We should duplicate them in our own personal ministry.

The ministry of the Holy Spirit is not a luxury; it is an absolute necessity. If we are ever to see a true revival in our lives and our churches, it will not happen because we are elegant persuasive speakers, or that we have some special Bible knowledge, or that we have great business sense. It will not happen by our own power or strength. True revival will happen when and only when we allow the Spirit of God to work in and through us.