Acts 1:
In Acts 1 Luke gives us the background information for what happens between Jesus' ascension and the Day of Pentecost. Luke gives us details on the discussions that take place between the disciples and Jesus before he ascends, the actual ascension of Jesus and the conversation with the angles, as well as the choosing of another Apostle to take Judas' place.
What stands out to you from this chapter?
Here is something that stood out to me:
"In my former book, Theophilus (i.e. the book of Luke), I wrote about all of the things Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up into heaven..."
- What do you think Luke means by this statement? For me, I hear Luke discussing how the church is a continuation of Jesus' work. We are, in essence, the Body of Christ present on the earth, and we are called to continue Christ's work until he returns. That means we are to bring healing, freedom from oppression, proclaim the good news, touch the lives of people, and bring peace and renewal to people who feel lost or abandoned in turmoil. What else is the church supposed to do?
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The part that stands out the most to me is the gift that the Father promised them in verses 4 and 8. Jesus is talking about the Holy Spirit here. God promises us all the Holy Spirit. It lives within all of us, but Jesus commanded them not to leave where they were until after the Spirit had been given to them. I think that they needed the Spirit because they needed the strength and wisdom that it would take to go out in to all of the nations where Jesus and Christianity was a foreign subject.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think?
Daniel, to answer your question, I think that along with being a way to serve others, the church is supposed to be a support group for Christians. God knew that it isn't always the easiest thing to be a Christian, and uses the church to bring people together who believe.
ReplyDeleteWhat stood out the most to me was in verse 24 "Lord, you know everyone's heart." This reminded me that God knows everything about me, good and bad, and still loves me.
Megan, I love your discussion about the Holy Spirit. Jesus didn't want them to try to teach without the Counselor. I think that says a lot to us. Without the power of the Spirit our efforts will be fruitless. Without the help of God as our guide, we will ultimately fail. I love the way you are thinking.
ReplyDeleteSusan, thanks for your comments about God knowing everything. I love that they left it up to God to decide, but he was deciding between two men who loved and followed Jesus. God loves each of us, but some of us are chosen for other tasks. Yet that doesn't mean that God doesn't care.
Thanks for both of your thoughts. I love hearing what stuck out to everyone. Anyone else?