Day 255 – Acts: Introduction
“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.” Acts 1:8 NLT
With the flick of a match, friction and heat triggered a spark that leaps from match to kindling. A small flame burns the edges and grows, fuelled by wood and air. Heat builds, and soon the kindling is licked by reddish-orange tongues. Higher and wider it spreads, consuming the wood. The spark has become a fire.
Nearly 2,000 years ago, a match was struck in Palestine. At first, just a few people in that corner of the world were touched and warmed, but the fire spread beyond Jerusalem and Judea out to the world and to all people. Acts provides an eyewitness account of the spark and fire – the birth and spread of the church. Beginning in Jerusalem with a small group of disciples, the message of Jesus Christ traveled across the Roman Empire. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, this courageous band preached, taught, healed, and demonstrated love in synagogues, schools, homes, marketplaces, jails, courtrooms, and on streets, hills, ships, and desert roads. Wherever God sent them, lives and history were changed.
Written by Luke as a sequel to his Gospel, Acts is an accurate historical record of the early church. But Acts is also a theological book, with lessons and living examples of the work of the Holy Spirit, church relationships and organization, the implications of grace, and the law of love. And Acts is an apologetic work, building a strong case for the validity of Jesus’ claims and promises.
Prayer: Father, thank You for pouring out the Holy Spirit and that the flame of the Spirit continues to ignite in us and unite us together as the church, the bride of Christ. May we carry the flame of the Holy Spirit wherever we go and may the light guide others out of the darkness. Amen.
